#Running Jokes | German Politics

[xtruss]

Political Party In Germany 'Calls For Kebabs To Be Subsidised'

The cost of kebabs has become something of a running joke in German politics, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz remarking that everywhere he goes he is asked about it.

— Tuesday 7 May 2024 | NewsSky.Com

The kebab is one of Germany's de facto national dishes. Photograph iStock

Should The Government Subsidise Kebabs?

That's the question in Germany at the moment amid fears the price of the dish could surpass ��10 (£8.60).

The German Left Party has reportedly proposed using state funds to cap the price of kebabs at €4.90 (£4.20) - and €2.50 (£2.10) for young people.

The meaty flatbread meal - one of Germany's de facto national dishes - currently averages around €7.9 (£6.80), a number that the Left Party says is going up with inflation.

The cost of kebabs has become something of a running joke in German politics, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz remarking that everywhere he goes he is asked about it.

Kathi Gebel, a member of the Left Party's executive committee, told BILD: "When young people demand: Olaf, make the kebab cheaper, then it's not an internet joke, but a serious cry for help!

"The state must intervene so that food does not become a luxury item."

Photograph iStock

The newspaper cited a report from Ms Gebel's party, which says that 1.3 billion kebabs are eaten in Germany every year and the proposed subsidies could potentially cost "almost four billion".

Rents and electricity costs for kebab shops are rising, pushing up prices for consumers, the party says.

In the UK, people buying takeaways have faced soaring prices, with the boss of Deliveroo saying in March that food inflation was outpacing wage inflation by about two to one.

The UK government has not made any commitment to a kebab price cap.

[waytootiredstudent]

Okay alright sorry for all the sudden German politics influx but lemme explain what happened so far and why Germans are losing it a bit:

The tldr? Our government is getting a divorce and it's turning messy with elections being called early and now being called even earlier.

The longer version?

Okay so, groundwork first:

in Germany there is a coalition currently in power called the Ampel(traffic lights) bc the colours of the party are red, yellow and green (or not anymore or for much longer??). They're centrist slightly more left leaning than right leaning. (You could argue about that I am aware). There has been infighting for as long as this coalition has been going on. It is also the first three party coalition since y know, the Last Time.

So. Enough groundwork. The yellow party (FDP) has a finance minister (Christiane Lindner) it's this guy

You will see him in memes I am sure. We don't like him. He's an asshole and has blocked every meaningful change that the coalition had been trying to accomplish. He also got his finance plan blocked by our highest court because parts were against our Constitution.

(.... I am oversimplifying hard here it's actually more complicated than that and not fully his fault, but it's also not the focus)

What WAS the fault though of him and the FDP was that they had a strong position of "saving money at all costs" which made bigger and bigger rifts with the two other coalition partners who were more leaftleaning. The war in Ukraine, Infrastructure, climate change - there were many places that needed more money and Lidner was like naaahhhhh for no fucking reason other than "oh we need to save money!!"

Long story short there have been arguing all the fucking time and therefore have started to lose approval. Drastically lose approval. As on for the first time since the Last Time there is a far right party in charge for part of the country that is also being investigated for being Nazis. (Oversimplifying again).

Which is. Worrying. You know. Especially with Trump now being elected. It has us all a little skittish.

The finance minister has also now been fired.

You see. We were all still trying to stomach Trump winning the US election, when Scholz, in the same fucking evening, fired Lindner.

And not in a polite way. Nah. Olaf fucking Scholz our Chancellor, notorious for saying literally nothing, and with a running joke that he regularly stops existing bc that man Does Not Take Stances, a spine of wet cardboard, delivered this yesterday evening:

(English subtitles by me you already got this far watch it I spent too much time on this lol)

And it is insane alright. For his standards and German politic standards thats the equivalent of calling Lindner a egomaniacal bitch that has only his self interest at heart and can not be trusted.

Lindner and his party have been pulverised in all recent elections. Which means that after he was fired, the FDP completely withdrew from the coalition and all minister from the FDP resigned.

....well all but one who apparently stayed in his positions because he's leaving the FDP over this. What sort of shitty backstabbing kindergarten fight is this. (Jokes aside hes the minister of transportation and says he needs to stay in office in important projects. Which. True. Having minister resigning en mass is not good)

Alright cool cool cool cool. Current situation yesterday is the following:

So. Trump is president. Fuck.

Lindner got fired! Yaaay!

Wait my goverment is now also falling apart! Fuck.

Which all lead to new elections being called in Germany.

Mind you, that's not usual ok. I know other countries have systems where they can call an election whenever but that is not a thing that normally happens here. We have a schedule alright. (Insert obligatory "Germans and their plans and structure" joke)

So new elections are called for spring, nearly a year early. Cool cool cool. With a right wing rising in Germany and deeply unpopular current leadership. On the eve of motherfucking trump getting elected.

Habeck, leader of the green party and one of the few policians in germany I think is vaguely liked by ppl (the general attitude in German politics is less "I like this guy" and more "you are the least shitty choice I guess") has appearently also nearly started crying after the news broke. So. Yeah.

Now. Let's make this shitshow complete,alright?

There is this party. CDU. They had been in charge for a very long time in Germany. Centrist, right leaning, with the afd on the rising even more right leaning than before. Their current leader is Friedrich Merz, as unpleasant as human beings can go.

He has now called for the new election to be not in a few months but like. To be called next week.

In the current climate.

So yeah. if you're German mutuals and friends are currently going through their own stages of grief - this is why.

[hellsslibrary]

I love love Ness sm mhmmdmsn could you write a fic ab him

I know he's a jealous person so I've been thinking, what if the story was like Ness being jealous and bratty because they might've seen dom!reader talking or being buddies with one person and then the reader saw him being like that and reassured them with praises and mentions of breeding ? He's just the cutest guy ever......

You are absolutely perfect in my eyes, you know? Beautiful smile, tiny waist, thighs like fucking space rockets, you can take my dick, you can laugh at my stupid jokes. And you still think I would go fuck some slut? Don't be ridiculous (my husband provides the quotes, yay)

MASTERLIST is here.

#a.n. : absolutely right!! Ness deserves the best, so everything here is very tender, loving and affectionate.

!!Warnings: SOFTdom!male!reader, sub!bottom!Ness, lots of praise, unprotected sex, implied mpreg??? (sorry, I need this), Ness has fucking thick thighs, Ness cries harder than a newborn baby, kinda yandere vibes from Ness if you squint.

"[Your name], it's too much... Please..." Ness whispers, digging his nails into your back as his face buries itself in the crook of your shoulder.

His entire body is tense as a string. His thighs wrap around your waist, practically crushing it. Tears of pleasure are running down his cheeks as he nearly chokes on them. Spit drips from the corner of his mouth, looking like ice under the direct rays of light. Fuck, he's so beautiful.

"Honey, I just put my dick in... Don't worry so much, okay? You're doing great," you whisper and he nods, trying to relax, feeling your dick inside him not move, letting him get used to the sensation.

He lets go of you and lies back down on the pillows, looking at you through his tears. The German sobs when he sees how your eyes sparkle with admiration for him, how they run over his body, practically eating every inch of his physique, how your hands caress him as if he were the most expensive and fragile porcelain... Or maybe it's just the glare from his fucking tears, who knows.

"Can I move or wait?" you ask and Ness bites his lip thoughtfully, grabbing the sheets almost instinctively, fingering the white fabric with his fingers, and then nods.

"Yes, continue... Please, continue."

A loud moan escapes Alexis's lips, even too loud, considering that this is the first round and especially the first thrust, but oh well.

You continue your slow, shallow thrusts, watching his face pucker in pleasure at every movement inside him. You don't even have to hit his prostate and you swear he's going to come watching.

Your hand slides down to his thigh, squeezing the thick muscle, making him sigh and squeeze you tighter between his legs. It makes you push too hard, eliciting a whine from him.

"Shh, I didn't mean to. Relax, Ness. I'm here, it's okay," your fingers slide gently over his skin, your other hand sliding down his stomach and lower, wrapping around his cock.

The sensation is too much for him. He feels the familiar knot in his stomach, the feeling that makes him know he's going to come humiliatingly fast. That reflexive arch of his back that makes a smile bloom on your face that's too attractive to him. And he cums almost at the same second, which makes you just blink like an owl.

That's fast even for him...

"Do you want to continue? I haven't filled you up yet, you know? After all, whose hole can hold all of me, hm?"

Ness's eyes widen almost immediately, as if there was no orgasm and his fingers are clenching the sheets too tightly when he remembers that face. The fucking face of that guy who was clinging to you a couple of hours ago.

He was even ready to beat him up, if you hadn't very politely sent him to fuck off, saying that you have your own little meow meow, and you don't need another, especially such an ugly one. But Ness still doubted, so much doubted himself.

So he nodded immediately. His heels pressed into your lower back, forcing you to press into him as he wrapped his arms around your neck again and kissed your chin a few times, clumsily.

"Do it. Make me pregnant. Now."

Oh, that's hot.

You obey, drawing a satisfied groan from him, causing him to fall back onto the pillows, starting to cry from the sensations, which were now accompanied by an orgasm.

It's true, really. Who else but Ness could take that cock? Who could satisfy you like him? Who could evoke such positive emotions and reactions in you? Absolutely no one, simply no one would dare after you were done with him. Absolutely everyone would see that Ness was taken. Taken with you. And you weren't just taken, you were stuck with him. Forever.

[thenightshadowqueen]

Livestream Watchthrough Thoughts (14-12-2024)

I loved this stream! It was a lot of fun, despite the heckler (they made some great jokes out of it, but it’s still a shitty thing to do), and… Yeah, I don’t have much else to say before I start my thoughts, other than I made a new tag for my watchthrough thoughts, because I’ll probably be making these again. They’re really fun to make, and it seems like there are some people who enjoy reading them, too, so it all works out quite well.

The audio is great!!!

“Lovely little Luke Manning” I love that this is a new thing Sam seems to be doing

Tom has his head in his hands a minute in… this is going to be a good show

Honestly, just settling in and listening to Sam’s intro is so comforting (can you tell my autism likes repetition?)

“I’m taking the joke about German train stations out of my head, because Tom doesn’t want everyone to hate me” this intro has had some edgier jokes and I’m here for it

Callback to the Prime Minister’s First Day!

“I almost understand everything you say!” He said it so earnestly

I know it’s a different tunnel, but… Cliff, is that you?

AJ inserting what’s meant to be a one-off atmosphere-setting singsong and then Sam making him change it over and over is peak SFTH

We made it all the way through munchkin land with Luke without a short joke—amazing!

“Your performance” okay fuck this guy (slight overreaction? …No.)

(They are doing a really good job of handling the heckler, though)

I love the new format of Letters!!!

“Jonathan Rolex” I genuinely have no idea if this is a real person involved with creating Rolex watches (I assume not, but I do not know anything about this sort of thing, so I could be wrong)

“How fucking dare you” Luke is amazing at picking tones of voice; he sounds so politely offended and it’s great

Ooh, we’re breaking the… It’s not really the fourth wall, but kind of?

“You’re. In. …Words.” I love AJ

“Yay!” That was so sweet; Tom is amazing

I love when they do this accent (I’m not sure what part of the UK it’s from and now I fear I’m living up to American stereotypes (I swear I used to know, but I’m exhausted and it’s been a minute since I looked it up))

“Shut the FUCK UP!” Fuck yeah Sam and AJ!

Also Sam indirectly calling the heckler an ass is iconic

“For a wise man, you’ve got to work on your mime” I love it when they insult each other (look insults are a love language, okay, and I like seeing people have friends)

“Tell me a little bit about gold, then” I love that AJ took not knowing what frankincense was (which I assume was genuine, although it could have just been a bit) and turned it into a running joke with the gold

This is so confused and I love it

“I’m Frank; it’s my incense” we can always rely on Tom for wordplay

“Then I put down the hammer” fucking plot twist, Luke, good god

“Cheryl is now…” “Knocked out.” Honestly, I thought they were going to go for ‘dead’, so it’s better than it could have been

“This is becoming a regular occurrence” Tom???

“Is this a robbery, Aaron? Are you robbing the company?” “Only if you force me to get the gun out of my pocket.” This show is gold

“You also have another gun, which is clearly in your belt” I really thought that we were going… somewhere else with that

I’m the tiniest bit sad we didn’t get two lesbians (but obviously I’m also very happy with the scene we got)

Honestly ‘in the round’ is a hilarious suggestion

“I don’t know how to cry. My childhood was bad.” Sam

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Wes Anderson film, but their impressions are always top tier

Luke desperately trying to get Sam to actually understand the Spanish and Sam just failing is amazing

“Get yourself... a drug problem” SAM

Is it a SFTH show if Sam doesn’t unbutton his shirt?

“Calm down” Sam is amazing

“I think I’m going to give Luke the most appropriate book that I've ever given him...” “I Want that Twink Obliterated” oh my god (also, like... I can’t believe that’s a real book) (I absolutely can)

“Pretty sure that's the title of one of our fanfictions” well I’m sure it’s going to be now (also I know they know about the fandom and fandom activities but it still kills me whenever they talk about it)

“Will you please stop trying to have a conversation?” I love that Luke and AJ are just messing up the way the game is meant to work

“Chapter fourteen.” “How did you know we're filing for bankruptcy?” Tom that was an amazing save

This was actually surprisingly wholesome considering the title of Luke's book

The five seconds of pure holding-back-laughter staring between Sam and AJ at ‘egg’

Sam

“I’m going to fuck you up, sun” as a person whose chronic illness gets worse in heat, I don’t think Tom has ever said a more relatable thing

“Well, aren’t we standing in two bland positions” Tom is great

“Here we are. The two men in the world with the longest penises, touching tips.” Well that escalated quickly

I know snake eyes is a dice thing, but... Snakehips?

“Calm down” pt. 2; I love Sam (although I do hope it doesn’t actually bother him)

“If you kiss me now” being interrupted by a kiss is brilliant timing

Also AJ’s still wearing the bracelet ❤️

Fucking hell, Sam (him just grabbing Luke unprompted like that caught me so off guard)

“I’m putting this in a museum” Tom???????

“Now, am I saying ‘see it, say it, sort it’ or ‘see it, say it, sorted’?” “Well, based on that poster, I think it's ‘sorted’.” Look, as an American, I am grateful for the clarification (also hi, SNftHitW)

“The next station is Cockfosters.” “That's not on the Metropolitan Line.” I said in my last watchthrough that I love when AJ makes an unimportant mistake and Sam latches on to it, and I stand by that statement. (Also, they mention Cockfosters station a lot; is that a particularly popular stop, or do they just pick it because it has a memorable name?)

“Yes, well, he does make a lot of promises, doesn’t he?” Oooh, drama (and sass)

“Good evening and welcome to Chip Harrington. I’m Chip Harrington—” Is Chip Harrington related to André Beetroot? (Also I love Chip Harrington already)

I realise AJ stumbling over his words is probably an accident, but I feel like it’s important characterisation for Chip

Also is Chip Harrington grown-up Chip from the Cardboard Stegosaurus? (Seems unlikely, but it’s possible)

Luke causing trouble is the best

“Be very scared” wow, what a news reporter

I adore the way AJ just said ‘~metropolitan~’ (and Chip Harrington and André Beetroot are definitely related, because that was almost a Beetrootian accent slip)

Luke as a child does the most adorable, innocent little faces, and it kills me

“Oh, I needed to tell you something...” see now i really want to know what that was

Luke’s abduction technique is… interesting

“I’m going to copy your face” Luke???

“Just because I fucked your wife Cassandra—” plot twist! (“You didn’t know that.”)

“I was going to give you anaesthetic before I did this; now I’m not so sure” Sam taking his cues from the audience’s response and going “kinky” killed me

“I’ve always thought you were a handsome fellow” hello (god damn it, another niche ship to add to the collection)

“These noisy streets” I love Tom’s passive aggressive way of calling out the people talking at the back

“You always say ‘this is Chip Harrington, and I’m Chip Harrington’, but it’s actually called the news?” I love Tom’s character, and I don’t think we got a name for her, but she deserves one

“I’m Chip Harrington” look he may not have any idea how but he’s trying to help

“I thought you were going to say anal” Tom

Okay so Sam’s acting as Luke’s character pretending to be Sam’s character is incredible

Tom’s baffled/disgusted face as he tries to figure out where they are is everything

“I need to be outside at all times” I know this is meant to be a bit character, but I’m genuinely really intrigued by this storyline

I can’t be the only one who feels like Chip and the mum have a bit of chemistry…

AJ messing up his name after saying it a thousand times might be my new favourite thing

I know we talk a lot about AJ’s singing—as we should—but Sam is also really good

“It’s like that, but really much weirder” AJ is amazing

Chip Harrington is the best

This is chaos

Honestly Tom’s character is a great mum

“There’s a man out on my lawn who won’t shut the fuck up” I love Tom

I genuinely think the mum might be the most sane character we’ve ever gotten

“The audience will ~never know~” god damn it, I’ve been entrapped by another play

I love that the Underground Murderer didn’t actually kill anyone

Tom and Sam’s high-pitched-voice bit at the end is amazing

“We’ll never see some of you ever again. Hopefully that motherfucker.” Fuck. Yes. Sam!

I really hate that they had to deal with that heckler (but they did do an amazing job)

[mastermark1960]

I am once again so disappointed with the leftist demonazis constantly spewing nonsensical drivel every time they don't like someone elses opinion. Demonazis are so far to the left that they agree with and use the propaganda tools of the two worst extreme right ass holes that ever walked the earth. Hitler and Stalin both treated their own people with such disrespect and callousness that they created concentration camps and gulags to silence any opposition to their rule.

The following information comes from the holocaust encyclopedia. I wrote comments that are not after bullet points.

• The Nazis were skilled propagandists who used sophisticated advertising techniques and the most current technology of the time to spread their messages.

Think of CNN, MSNBC, NPR, ABC, CBS, NBC, all other "news outlets" for example the New York times, Boston globe, and Washington post are but a few. They don't report the news but continuously give us their opinions on everything. The 5ws are desperately needed to stop their propaganda. We can include the woke organizations like Disney and Hollywood movie makers for spreading propaganda for the demonazis.

• Once in power, Adolf Hitler created a Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda to shape German public opinion behavior.

▪︎Nazi propaganda played an integral role in advancing the persecution and ultimately the destruction of Europe’s Jews and all political Dissidents. It incited hatred and fostered a climate of indifference to their fate.

Think of how the demonazis allowed the likes of BLM and ANTIFA to destroy many cities. No action was taken by those in power to stop the destruction or prosecute the perpetrators. Then remember the hissy fit they had when they allowed, yes demonazis allowed, Republican protester into the capital. The demonazis prosecuted 100s of peaceful republican protesters. If the republican protesters were acting like BLM and ANTIFA the Capitol would be a smoking ruin.

• The Nazis wanted Germans to support the Nazi dictatorship and believe in Nazi ideas. To accomplish this goal, they tried to control forms of communication through censorship and propaganda. This included control of newspapers, magazines, books, art, theater, music, movies, and radio.

• When the Nazis came to power in 1933, the German constitution guaranteed freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Through decrees and laws, the Nazis abolished these civil rights and destroyed German democracy. Starting in 1934, it was illegal to criticize the Nazi government. Even telling a joke about Hitler was considered treachery. People in Nazi Germany could not say or write whatever they wanted. 

Examples of censorship under the Nazis included:

• Closing down or taking over anti-Nazi newspapers; 

• Controlling what news appeared in newspapers, on the radio, and in newsreels;

• Banning and burning books that the Nazis categorized as un-German.

• Textbooks are a good example of how propaganda and censorship worked together in the Nazi regime. The Nazis used both propaganda and censorship to control what students read in school. Nazi censors removed some textbooks from classrooms. New textbooks taught students to obey the Nazi Party, love Hitler, and hate Jews.

The demonazis took over education with the creation of the Department of education in 1979.

The Higher Education Act of 1965 introduced federal student aid and loan programs. These give away programs allowed higher education to run amuk with ever increasing cost of degrees. This needs to stop now.

Demonazis try to stop the political middle and right from voicing their opinions by controlling who can and can't post on many social media sight. Censorship at it worst. Thank God Elon Musk bought out Twitter and turned it into X. No more censorship there. Of course the demonazis scream foul.

We The People who love the United States of America must stand by her in her hour of desperate need. If we don't our great country is doomed. I know this is a long winded post but I felt it was necessary to explain how dangerous the deep state and New World Order are. This is why I call the democrats demonazis as the word fits perfectly.

Thank you for reading this post. If you like my post please repost it and start calling the democrats exactly what they are, demonazis.

[megatruxfr]

Turbo FAST was and still is literally awesome. I mean, this show gave us these things about Turbo and the FAST crew:

- Whiplash loves lavender

- Skidmark has literal guns in his room and watches drama tv shows with White Shadow

- White Shadow had an episode where he decided to be a responsible adult & tried to go into politics by setting tree peeing rights to dogs

- Smoove Move has dealers & is friends with them (he refers to them as his 'guys') IM NOT KIDDING this show is for kids aged 7 and up by the way

- We got an episode about a chicken + centipede hybrid and a milf ant queen (in a show about racing snails. What the hell they were doing in here idk)

- there was an episode where Chet participated in an illegal underground race run by a german moth

- Skidmark kept a clamsquatch as a pet, tried to summon ghosts, was hunting an octopus on a cruiseship because he thought it was the kraken, has voices in his head, believes the moon is fake (hes a complot theorist) and canonically has a netflix account.

- Turbo was a drag queen, tried to coexist with a bird, fought a snail-eating goldfish with Skidmark, doesnt know what drugs are and raced a rat on a cruise ship

- There were references to Spiderman, Frankestein and Batman (for no reason)

- We got numerous very obvious sex jokes, seriously there was a blatant joke about sex scenes in a movie by a famous actor snail. Again this show is for 7+ years olds. Just saying.

- The snails attend festivals.

If this show isnt awesome i dont know what is

[seraphcelene]

IWTV S2E4 - I Want You More Than Anything in the World

There are games being played.

Let's talk about Louis -- how he's been transformed from the melancholy, self-flagellating moral mess to almost equal parts temper and angst, ever balanced between joy and hope and rage.

I can't compare this series to the books because it is a different beast altogether, and I LOVE the changes.

There is something sinister and beautiful in the way that IwtV has turned gender politics on its head. Queer love is centered and the vulnerability of emotion demanded of women in depictions of romantic relationships gets equal demand in the male leads. That is wildly true of the novels and makes for a welcome shift in the way that men are portrayed on screen. Armand's NEED oozes out of his eyes when he's with Louis. He is so in love. He also opens a vein describing his life before vampirism. It's a narrative that typically frames womanhood -- objectified, sexualized, enslaved and without agency. Then there's Louis grief, guilt, and unrequited love for Lestat, a force in every scene Jacob Anderson is in.

The commentary on how women fit and are objectified within society are there too. Madeline's shunning after her affair with a young German solider is explained in equally by "patriotism" and loose morals (she is slut shamed). Claudia's infantilization, at complete odds with how she sees herself and wants to be seen is horrifying. Her "maman" in the play makes a comment about Baby Lulu distracting her father so that he keeps his hands off her (the mother). It's coarse theater, of course, and it's meant to be a purple comment that suggests and titillates. It is also, to a modern audience, or at least this person as audience, horrifying. It reminded me immediately of how women are portrayed as objectified stand ins to attract the male gaze. Claudia's debasement, sexualized infant for the mortals and walking ridicule as blasphemy to the immortals, is a game, a show and a joke for everyone. That girl is going to break. Her developing relationship with Madeline is the closest depiction of normalcy and something she craves and has craved since she accidentally ate that boy back in Season 1.

It all makes an interesting comment on power structure. Who has it, who doesn't, who wants it, who doesn't. Season 1 sets Louis as the beta to Lestat's alpha. It makes sense. Lestat is a natural born alpha, but Louis as a beta is a little sleight of hand. Yes with Lestat, but as is increasingly more obvious absolutely not with Armand. Louis even reminds us that he is good at running things.

I'd argue that Armand was never really an alpha vampire. He holds the coven because his dark gifts are strong enough to allow him to, but not because anyone is particularly afraid or in awe of him. It makes Louis and Armand as a coven of two an interesting question. @lynnenne has posited that Louis is the one in control. I find that idea deliciously fascinating and more likely as we're watching the events of the past. But because this is still a story of unreliable narrator's, I have to question the truth. Is he? or isn't he?

Louis dresses his disdain and his resistance to emotional intimacy in Lestat's figure. He holds on to him as armor to hold off real emotional attachment even as he stares lovingly into Armand's face in the present and declares that he loved him even back them. I don't know that him letting go of Lestat in the rain (SO FUCKING SAD AND OH!) was about him deciding to be in love so much as it is about him deciding to let go of guilt and fear so that he can move forward. Lestat was his past. Running the theater could be his future and it would be to protect Claudia as much as it would be to protect Armand.

But again … what of this story is real? Daniel's migraines, the reemerging memories of San Francisco that are very much centered around what looks like Armand playing mind games.

Little things I loved about this episode:

Madeline and Claudia in the shop and the way that Claudia is lamenting that she is a vampire and Madeline is dinner

"Go sit in your choice, sister." - That fight was epic and hurtful and real. Both of them abandoned in different ways.

Claudia calling Armand on his shit. She is Lestat's daughter for sure. She doesn't give a fuck about the rituals and the rules. Claudia is looking for a space to belong in, but it has to be shaped for her and according to her rules. Anything else will chafe.

"The wilderness that is our daughter."

Louis letting Lestat go is one of the saddest thing ever. The music is a slightly discordant, manipulative goodbye in this very constructed story reflecting a very constructed end between Louis and Lestat. I love the way that Louis makes Lestat say apple and then apple in French as proof that he is just a figment of his imagination because Lestat is never that accommodating. "There isn't going to be a hunt, is there?" And then he is washed away by the rain.

[kyrionkrackers]

isn't this what you wanted? (pt 1)

summary: you're new in town - when you finally decide to step out of your house, you walk into a bar and end up straight in the basement of a snuff film maker. life isn't so bad, but you want to learn more about your kidnapper. you decide to do that by taking matters into your own hands.

contains: choking, kidnapping, noncon, self-harm (at the request of strade)

also posted on ao3, here. please enjoy :)

part 1 - meeting

  It’s been a long time since you’ve last spoken to a stranger. 

  You moved over to this town from your home about a month ago, leaving behind all your friends and family without a word – ever since you’ve been wallowing in a sort of all-consuming self pity within the comfort of your home. You think that you might be running from something, but you don’t really know what it is. (Is it the weight of the expectations piling up on you, your spine collapsing and body folding in on itself under the pressure? Is it the nagging feeling that you don’t really belong, the incessant longing to find some sort of bigger purpose?) 

  When you finally decide to step out of your home, intent on meeting some new people, you find yourself entering a bar named ‘The Braying Mule’ at 4pm on a gloomy Thursday afternoon. The place is nothing special – there are a few rowdy groups chatting over mugs of beer, it smells of alcohol and you can barely hear your own thoughts thanks to loud music blasting over the speakers. It’s exactly what you need. You take a seat at the bar and order a beer from the tired-looking bartender – his eyes scan your face briefly, then he gives you a polite nod and smile. You think that it’s pity which flashes through those eyes. 

…

  “What’s a cute thing like you doing here alone?” A kind voice, tinged with a slight German accent. You’re sitting at the same place with the same mug of beer on the table in front of you, untouched. Someone slides onto the empty seat beside you and you feel him before you see him – his presence is warm yet imposing as he makes himself comfortable. You turn your gaze over. He flashes his teeth. 

  His grin is wide, friendly and inviting, radiating an inexplicable sense of charisma. He looks a little messy with his brown hair falling over the nape of his neck and the stubble lining his face, but not necessarily unkempt; you think the scar on his chin adds a sort of charm, and make a note to ask about it later. Hazelnut eyes – almost a yellow – pierce into you as he holds one large, calloused hand out. 

  “The name’s Strade,” he continues, undeterred by your lack of response. You hesitantly grasp his hand – it’s very rough – and you swear his grin widens. “What’s yours?” 

  “Oh. Me? _____. My name is _____,” you fumble, wincing slightly at the firm handshake he gives you. “It’s nice to meet you, Strade.” 

  You think you’re in for a long evening. 

…

  The evening doesn’t go as poorly as you thought (or perhaps hoped) it would. Strade, as you come to learn, is easy to talk to. He is friendly, effortless quips sending you into giggly fits and laid back demeanour lulling you into a sense of comfort. By the end of the night you’re exchanging jokes with ease, leaning ever so slightly into his large frame as you down your third cup of alcohol. Strade is patient with you despite your initial awkwardness, so patient that you find it hard to believe he’s real. Some part of you screams to be careful, that this seemingly perfect man can’t possibly come with good intentions – you decide you don’t really care. 

  You learn a lot about Strade – he is apparently a performer of sorts, though he won’t divulge what exactly he does despite your best efforts to make him crack. He tells you that the scar on his chin is from a shaving accident, that he loves meeting new people (you figured) and all about his past. In a way, he is similar to you, having left his home in Germany in search of some peace and quiet. You find something akin to a kindred spirit in him, one which makes you feel inexplicably secure and seen. 

  When the night begins to paint the sky black, you tell Strade that you should go home. The man tilts his head at you and, with an endearing sort of excitement, asks if you’d like to spend the night at his place instead. You give the offer some thought, then turn it down with a tinge of regret. As much as you enjoyed his company today, you’re not really looking for anything more than that right now, and you tell him as much. You offer to leave your number with him if he ever wants to meet up in the future – Strade regards your response with a sort of detached pity that sends a brief shiver down your spine. 

  You quickly pay for your drinks, thank Strade for the company and hop off the stool. As you’re moving away from the bar, you swear you can feel his gaze burning into the back of your skull – he stares with such intensity that your heart begins to speed up with discomfort and anxiety. Is he angry at you? Guilt eats at you as you make your way between the tables, towards the door – maybe he is angry at you. Strade has been an absolute gentleman the entire night and here you are, practically running from him. Here you are leaving him behind because of your own fears and worries when he’s been nothing short of perfect, when he hasn’t done anything wrong and you’re just being selfish again, and maybe you should’ve stayed at home after all, maybe–

  Strade calls your name from behind you – you turn around, and he’s standing now, making his way over to your side within a few large strides. He’s smiling, still, staring down at you with those piercing eyes. You feel so small next to his large frame and suddenly the guilt is gone, replaced by a sinking feeling that you can’t shake no matter how hard you try. He offers – no, demands – to walk you out. You see no other choice but to oblige. 

  The sense of comfort and security from earlier begins to fade away as the two of you exit the bar, leaving the crowd behind. Strade is practically a shadow always just one step behind, mirroring every step you take with a sort of practised ease that sends your heart pounding faster and faster. Are you overthinking this? He is still chattering away with the same friendliness and excitement from earlier, but something… something is different. He’s pushier now, just a little bit too close and getting under your skin with every question he asks. (“Is something wrong? Why do you look so scared?”) Under the dim illumination afforded by the flickering streetlights, his grin looks almost predatory.

  By the time the two of you are behind the bar, entering the sort of alleyway all horror movie sequences begin in (unfortunately the way home, and boy do you want to be home right now), you decide that enough is enough. It’s been three minutes, max, since you set foot out of the bar but it feels like it’s been an eternity with Strade looming by your side. His eyes are fixed to your form and there’s an emotion you can’t quite place dancing in them. When you thank him stiffly and suggest that he should leave, the smile on his face grows wider.

  In an instant you’re slammed against the wall, neck in his hand. A gasp escapes you at the impact and your hands fly up to claw at him, but it’s no use. Strade is larger, stronger than you and your head is spinning from all the alcohol you had – you can’t reach his body and you’re too weak to pry his fingers apart, so you’re left batting powerlessly at the arm holding you in place as he watches you struggle. He barks out a laugh as you begin to sputter and choke in his grasp, and you can only imagine what a pathetic sight you make right now, kicking, writhing, probably turning redder by the second. This was a terrible idea, you seeth as you glare at your assailant with as much menace as you can muster up. You should’ve stayed at home, you should’ve never–

  Strade mutters something in what you can only assume is German as he presses his body against yours. He’s close, too close – you can see every detail on his face, the crinkling in the corner of his eyes as they narrow, feel every deep, shuddering breath he takes. His other hand flies over your mouth as you try your best to make some kind of sound, any sound that could possibly get someone’s attention and help you find salvation and, god, he’s too close.  

  You want to scream, to yell at him, to punch him in the face and maybe give yourself a good slap for not listening to your gut earlier. Unfortunately, you’re hard pressed to do anything more than try to stay afloat as your body is deprived of oxygen and your vision begins to fade away.

  Is the sick fuck getting a kick out of this? You can feel yourself begin to slacken in his hold, the lightheadedness kick in to mix with the dizziness from the alcohol and as you stare into his excited eyes. It’s amusement, you realise with a small, pathetic wheeze, just before you completely lose consciousness – the emotion in his eyes is amusement. The last thing you see is the grin on his face, wider than ever.

… 

  You wake up in pain. 

  There’s an incessant pounding in your head that won’t go away no matter how much you scrunch your brows together, your neck aches and you can’t feel any of your limbs. Everything hurts, and you can barely remember your own name, much less you got here. Where the fuck are you?

  You look around and realise that it doesn’t really help much because the entire area is completely cloaked in darkness, making it hard for you to see even your own body. You try to get up but your legs are weak, and much to your alarm your hands are restrained by something. Despite your best efforts, you can’t free them from whatever is holding them down, and the only thing your attempts leave you with are sore, painful wrists when the feeling begins to return to your limbs. 

  You think that maybe panicking would be a good reaction right now, but you find that you’re oddly at peace with this whole thing. Perhaps it’s the headache ruining your ability to make good decisions, or maybe it’s the nagging voice in your head that tells you dying really wouldn’t be so bad. Either way, you decide to just stay put and enjoy the quiet for a bit instead of continuing to struggle for now. Even if you manage to get your wrists out of their prison, you feel like your legs will likely crumple beneath you if you try walking anytime soon. Might as well take some time to gather your thoughts.

  Bits and pieces of your memory begin returning to you during your wait, and your headache only worsens as you try to decipher them – a bar, a bartender and Strade – fuck, Strade. The charming, large German guy? The one who took you to the back of the bar and fucking choked you out? Yeah, that guy. It’s all beginning to make sense now, the whole pounding headache, achy neck and being tied up thing. You make an educated guess and assume that he’s the reason you’re here. Where exactly? You honestly… wouldn’t put it past the man to have some kind of secret sex dungeon.

  Speak of the devil. You hear loud, heavy footsteps getting closer from somewhere above you. A door creaks open and you watch as a ray of light seeps through the crack, casting a ray of light over your surroundings like some kind of fucked up angelic halo. It illuminates the area enough for you to finally see where you’re being held captive, and your eyes immediately fall on the table saw coated in something you’re pretty certain is dried blood. Not a sex dungeon, you realise with alarm – this is worse than a sex dungeon. You’d laugh at the absurdity of your situation if your throat didn’t feel like sandpaper right now – hell, you laugh anyway, though all you manage to get out is a pathetic whimper. 

  A familiar loud, barking laugh comes from the doorway in response; it’s Strade, of course it’s Strade, standing at the door in all his 172cm glory. He looks no different from how you remember him – maybe a bit less put-together, but you don’t suppose you have the right to judge when you probably look like a flaming piece of trash right now. His stocky frame casts a shadow on the floor, eyes practically glowing in the dark as they drink you in. He flips a switch on the wall and suddenly it’s too bright. You close your eyes at the sudden increase in brightness – Strade takes the opportunity to trudge over to you. You can practically feel every menacing step he takes, and you can definitely tell when he’s directly in front of you. He’s just so, so warm. You carefully peel open your eyes and sure enough, he’s squatting right in front of you, looking down with that same damned grin still in place. 

  “Good morning, kleine Maus! Sleep well?” Strade’s voice is still friendly, cheerful. His show of concern almost feels genuine, and you laugh at the thought. Your kidnapper, showing concern? Strade didn’t tell you about his talent in lying last night. You stare into his eyes and look for signs of his deceit. That amusement from before, hatred, a sadistic glint, anything – you don’t find it.

  “I asked you a question, buddy,” he reminds you after a brief silence – his eyes narrow so slightly that you would’ve missed it if you were not staring straight into them. You hum thoughtfully in response, which seems to be good enough for him even though the sound comes out strained and soft. He proceeds to look you up and down with so little shame and so much hunger that you can’t help but shrink back slightly under his gaze. Even though you’re fully clothed, you feel so exposed before him. Just when you begin to think it can’t get worse than this, he pulls a fucking knife out of his pocket. 

  “I have so many plans for you, friend,” he laughs, loud and boisterous. It’s cheerful enough that it throws you off guard for a moment – it’s not sadistic or mocking, like you’d expected, it’s just… a genuinely happy laugh. So happy that you can’t find it in yourself to be mad, even when he slices up your clothes with the sharp knife in his hands and leaves you shivering, stark naked before him. His next question throws you off guard. “Before we start, do you want anything? Water? Food?” 

  He asks this in such an honest tone that you find yourself at a loss once more. You almost laugh in his face – the man who choked you out at the back of a bar, the same man who tied you up in his basement, offering you food and water? Asking if you slept well, sharing his plans like he’s telling a friend about the next outing he has in mind? You want nothing more than to rip his facade of kindness into tiny little shreds, to tell him to stop pretending and just get on with it already, but there’s no facade to be found. At first you thought the friendly disposition he presented back at the bar was just an act to get you to lower your guard, but you’re beginning to believe that it’s just who he is. Strade is an enigma, and despite everything he’s done so far you find yourself longing to learn more. 

  “Water,��� you rasp after taking a second to gather your thoughts. “Water would be great.” 

  Strade tells you he’ll go grab some and requests that you stay put– you humour him with a dry laugh. A minute later, he’s holding a cup filled to the brim with water and tilting it for you to drink. You open your mouth and gulp the liquid down with zero hesitation, which elicits a laugh from the German man. (“Calm down, it’s not going anywhere.”) 

  When you’re done with the entire cup your throat feels much better, your headache has subsided a little bit and you find that Strade is staring down at you with that same hunger in his eyes. The cup is left on one of the tables and Strade has a knife in his hand again – when he raises it, you brace yourself for the pain, only to be surprised when the things he cuts are your restraints instead of you. Your surprise must show on your face because Strade laughs, the same genuine laugh that leaves you wondering how such a happy man can be real, and how he can be such a fucking psychopath at the same time. 

  “You’ve been so good for me, liebe,” he begins, watching as you crawl to stand on unsteady legs and rub at your sore wrists. He’s not scared that you’ll retaliate –  he either thinks you’re weak or has confidence in his own strength which, on closer thought, are both pretty fair things to believe. Then he hands you the knife. “I thought I’d give you the chance to… ah, prove yourself.”   

  You stare down at the weapon in your hands and then look back up at your captor, mouth falling open slightly. Is this man… Did he seriously just hand you a weapon? After untying you? Where in the world did he get his confidence from? 

  “Now cut yourself,” he demands. When you comply with almost no hesitation, you realise that maybe his confidence is not entirely misplaced. 

...

part 2 here <

[t1erradelfuego]

good evening. it is 22:18 pm. my flight leaves in 14 hours. i spoke 2 the moon today and she said that i can't start packing until i get rid of the worms in my brains and the narratives in my heart in the form of ao3 formatted fic ideas that rotate in my mind at the speed of light.

broken window serenade [matthew tkachuk/leon draisaitl] alternate universe - yellowstone fusion, childhood friends to enemies to lovers, internalized homophobia, cowboys & ranch hands Everyone knows the Tkachuks around here. They own the biggest ranch south of Montana, hundreds of hectares of grazing land nestled on the border in between Missouri and Nebraska. Leon's been a part of the ranch since before he could even ride a horse. He knows this place better than the back of his hand, knows his way around the business and the politics that come with being Keith Tkachuk's right-hand man and the leader of the ranch hands. So it's not a problem at all when Keith falls ill and the ranch is left to Brady and him in the meantime. Not a problem at all, when Matthew shows up for the first time in eleven years, like Leon hadn't spent the same amount of time convincing himself that Matthew was a figment of his imagination. That he didn't leave him in the middle of the night, didn't ruin everything and everyone else for Leon after that.

more notes: my toxic white middle age conservative trait is that i love yellowstone. look the show is Not The Best but WHATEVER i fucking love cowboy hats so much and i think for the benefit of my health i need to imagine leon draisaitl on a horse. anyways leon is a poor little canadian-german orphan (do NOT ask me how he got to missouri) who has been a part of the ranch since he was young, growing up with matthew as their friendship turned from deeply codependent childhood besties into fucking around together. and then matthew leaves one morning after he comes out to his dad and disappears for the next 11 years which ruins leon. and now keith's in the hospital with a stroke and matthew's back and leon just wants to run him over with a horse! something about the sincerity of childhood relationships and also the first bond you make in a new and strange place and the idea of being each other's comfort. and having that all taken away from you without a choice. and having it walk back into your life dressed in a business casual suit. there is also the version of this that exists. from matthew's perspective but like. always more narratively interesting to dig into the one who got left behind.

so good at being trouble [jack hughes/nico hischier] rule 63, alternate universe - celebrity, jack hughes is not a hockey player, getting together, secret relationship, mixed media, outsider POV, Pop Base @popbase Jack Hughes spotted with Nico Hischier, captain of the New Jersey Devils (NHL), at dinner in Los Angeles.

more notes: i'm not even a swiftie but the travis kelce and taylor swift of it all REALLY got to me. and then trevor's whole thing with the tiktok influencer and getting publicized via alex's ig is sooooo. and the wag christmas pics. i'm in shambles island over here. i'm gnawing on a bone that is pop star/professional athlete of it all. i want jack to show up slyly in the pictures and nobody knows if she's there because of luke or because of nico. i thought this would be full pov fic but it is so much more tastier as a mixed media/snippets in between type of fic because i want nothing more than to lean into the media machine that haunts their relationship. also luke having a meltdown that his captain and his sister are dating.

love is no island [trevor zegras/jamie drysdale], alternate universe - not a hockey player, love island fusion, getting together, no shirts no shoes but trevor still gets service, It was a joke, but it wasn't really a joke, because Trevor had been single for too long when he saw a post advertising Love Island applications appear on his phone. He's never been out of luck before, doesn't really know what to do without something to occupy his time and his hands. Even his social media algorithm knows this. It had been the best idea of his life. Then again, everything sounds like the best idea of his life after six shots and a fruity cocktail on an empty stomach.

more notes: ok i binged love island s6 throughout thanksgiving break and i've been thinking about the similarity of being put in a high-stakes fast paced environment and the semblance of intimacy that it creates in hockey and in love island. i'm thinking very deeply of trevor who can't sort his private vs public feelings and is also scared that this means nothing to jamie, whose friends signed him up on a lark and doesn't actually want to be here. nothing much to do but to fall in love and it feels a little too inevitable and maybe too easy. they sweep the voting and win the grand prize and fly back and go. oh. now what.

like the best that you've had [trevor zegras/jamie drysdale] rule 63, women in the NHL, 2023-2024 NHL season, getting together, "So like," Mason starts, having slowly skated his way over to Jamie as they're doing cool down laps. Practice ended an hour ago, but Trevor wanted extra reps at defending and to torture Mason for whatever reason, and it turned into keep and chase that ended with Trevor straddling Jamie, trying to face wash him on the ice. "You and Trevor a thing, huh?" They weren't particularly subtle if Mason's figured it out in his first practice with the team. Jamie blushes. "Oh. Good luck." Mason nods sagely, patting Jamie on the back before skating away quickly.

more notes: girl trevor is a female coyote who's ready to EAT. deeply inspired by top dog by magdalena bay. i've been thinking about the dynamics of women in the nhl (see: bingo board) for a long time and trevor would make the best girl in the game, so deeply sure about herself, loudly wants and hasn't ever felt shy a day in her life. i keep thinking about how jamie would go insane. specifically i wanna pick away at the dynamic that is being deeply in love with someone that everyone keeps telling you not to fall in love with. not that there's anything wrong with girl trevor but she looks like she chews on boys' heart for fun and spits them out clean as a whistle after. and she does! the first three months of living together, jamie runs into way too many guys that look heartbroken while getting kicked out like!

call this place my home [matthew tkachuk/leon draisaitl/connor mcdavid] rule 63, accidental pregnancy, developing relationship, polyamorous relationship, alternate universe, 2022-2023 NHL season Leon and Connor have been tied on the leaderboard for the past week, like they can't figure out who should win the Art Ross trophy this season, passing the puck back and forth in between them on the way to the net. They did the same to Matthew during Toronto, because they always liked sharing everything. Now she's staring at a positive pregnancy test. Go figure.

more notes: saving the best for last because THIS IS SO FUCK NASTY AND INDULGENT, i am not above this apparently. look i keep thinking about matthew getting pregnant and deciding to keep it and not knowing who's the father is and haha well the three of them have been. sort of a thing anyways. for the past year so maybe they should just? not figure out? and she's going to miss the rest of the season anyways so she might as well stay in edmonton. the baby's got to have canadian citizenship. surely. also german citizenship. the baby will play for team usa though. i think there are a lot of fun questions to explore like how do you acknowledge you are in a deeply committed polyamorous relationship and also how does having a kid change that. also how does having a kid change YOU and your own definition of love. how do you learn to put faith and hope into the wide changing world and trust that you will be okay no matter what happens. the pregnancy is actually a metaphor, you see,

[ultraglittercat]

The Dearlys (Dalmatian Anthro AU)

Row 1: Patch, Rolly, Lucky, Penny, Freckles, Pepper (animated movie pups)

Row 2: Dottie, Rebecca, Tripod, Two-Tone, Cadpig, Jewel (friends, live action movie, tv series)

Row 3: Dipstick, Whizzer, Digs, Fidget, Rufus, Buddy (live action movie, background pups)

Patch:

oldest boy

loves watching movies and TV, remembers every detail

insecure but very clever, best subject is history

wants to be an actor when he grows up

admires Thunderbolt the German Shepherd actor

<left ear black, right ear white, patch around right eye>

heterochromia (right eye blue, left eye brown)

Rolly: (aka Roly Poly)

middle boy

loves eating

terrible at sports, hates them

enjoys trampolines though (not scared of heights)

likes practical jokes

<two spotted ears, heavy set>

brown eyes

Lucky:

youngest boy

uses lots of British slang

loves watching movies and TV, can’t always recall details

admires Patch (but Patch does not know this)

likes to run, gets winded easily (asthmatic)

<two black ears, horseshoe pattern on back, small>

blue eyes

Penny:

oldest girl

tattletale

polite to grown-ups, rude to kids

does not like getting dirty

very pretty but kind of vain

<two spotted ears, ribbon on left ear>

blue eyes

Freckles:

youngest girl

doesn’t understand sarcasm

good at painting

likes going to the mountains (thinks they’re pretty)

misses the obvious (family loves her though)

<two spotted ears, little spots around nose>

green eyes

Pepper:

middle girl

enjoys sports, fastest in her family

very energetic and cheerful

loves to give hugs

also loves to get dirty

<right ear black, left ear white>

brown eyes

Dottie (love interest to Dipstick, no relation)

shy and sensitive

hobby is photography

a bit clumsy, carries bandages just in case

wants to be a mother when she grows up

<right ear black, left ear white, scrunchies>

teal eyes

Rebecca (love interest to Lucky, no relation)

studious and responsible

likes to scooter and rollerblade

was born in the country but adapted to city life too

has a ‘crush’ on Lucky

<two white ears, pink nose, heart shaped spot on face, small>

light blue eyes

Tripod (love interest to Cadpig, no relation)

smug, confident, and ‘cool’

has a hidden soft side

very athletic despite handicap

has a ‘crush’ on Cadpig but would deny it

<two spotted ears, missing left arm>

brown eyes

Two-tone:

older girl

has a new ‘crush’ every week

distracted easily, has ADHD

optimistic and sees the best in everyone

no sense of direction

<two black ears, clip-on earring, heavy set>

green eyes

Cadpig:

middle girl

practices yoga

environmentally conscious

hobby is reading

passive-aggressive when annoyed with someone

<two spotted ears in pointier shape, small>

blue eyes

Jewel:

younger girl

likes playing dress up and being fancy

taught herself how to knit, but can only make socks

is scared of bugs

doesn’t like charades or other guessing games

<two black ears, ring of spots around neck>

brown eyes

Dipstick:

middle boy

not very good at reading

likes classic cars

a follower, not a leader

has a ‘crush’ on Dottie (dalmatian from another family)

<left ear black, right ear white, black tip on tail>

brown eyes

Whizzer:

middle boy

brave to the point of foolishness

‘secret’ shame is he wets the bed (the others don’t care)

loves Halloween and spooky stories

best friends with Dipstick

<two spotted ears>

blue eyes

Digs:

older boy

enjoys nature

loves building things and taking them apart

best subject is science/chemistry

messy but otherwise good role model

<two black ears, heavy set>

brown eyes

Fidget:

older boy

hardly stands still in photos

good at tag, terrible at hide and seek

hates train rides (so boring!)

an excellent drummer

<right ear black, left ear white>

green eyes

Rufus:

younger boy

loud but dreadful musician

catchphrase is “Am I right?” (usually when wrong)

loves video games

hates being ignored

<two spotted ears>

blue eyes

Buddy:

younger boy

has an active imagination

loves dinosaurs

nervous habit of chewing on a bone

admires Pongo

<left ear black, right ear white>

green eyes

other notes

Penny’s personality and appearance is based off her scrapped concept for 101 Dalmatians the Series.

No Little Dipper, Domino, or Oddball because Dipstick and Dottie are not grown up yet.

Absolutely no Lucky x Two-Tone. They’re siblings, that’s gross.

Dottie is the nicest girl and Patch is the nicest boy. Dipstick is never intentionally mean.

I didn’t want Rolly to be the only large pup, so Digs and Two-Tone are heavy set too.

Cadpig is not the youngest but she is smaller than average, like Lucky and Rebecca.

I think Cadpig, Tripod, Dipstick, and Whizzer have bonded over their unflattering names.

Freckles and Pepper (mentioned but not seen in the animated movie) were made girls for diversity.

I would like to include some of the other TV series animals, Mooch, Lt. Pug, and Spot for sure. I think Pug would be interesting age-shifted as Lou Tennant the angry hall monitor. lol

Some of the adult animals can be school staff. In particular I see Captain the sheepdog as principal and Tibbs the cat as a teacher.

Other Disney characters might cross over later! I’m just starting this and figuring out world building.

Oh, and this is also on deviantart! I'm UltraGlitterCat there, no surprise.

[sidekick-hero]

15 people, 15 questions

I was tagged by my wonderful friend @maikaartwork. Thank you for thinking it interesting to learn about boring ol' me 😅💜

1. Are you named after anyone?

After someone being credit in a movie - that's how my mother found my name.

2. When was the last time you cried?

It's been some time, I don't really remember. I don't cry often. I get a bit misty eyed sometimes when I'm reading real good stories or with movies/shows, but not crying.

3. Do you have kids?

No. I never wanted children. If I ever find myself with the means for it, I can see myself fostering older kids because I hate that they have such a bad shot at getting adopted compared to younger kids and babies. But I don't see myself being a mother.

4. What sports do you play/have played?

None, I'm more someone who does individual sports like running and weight lifting or Krav Maga.

5. Do you use sarcasm?

I used to be very sarcastic when I was younger, it was my preferred kind of humor. But I found it to often come across negative and mean spirited, sometimes even hurtful. So I reeled it in, trying to use it only with the people who know me very well.

6. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Ufff. Their mood, I think. I'm very sensitive to people's moods.

7. What’s your eye color?

Green. My ID says brown-green but if anything, I'd say there are a few specks of brown and the green has a bit of gray? But yeah, simply put, green.

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings. Although a scary movie with a happy ending would be great.

9. Any talents?

Is overthinking a talent? Joking. I think I'm pretty good with words and with finding in and creating meaning with them. Also, I think my analytical thinking is kind of a talent.

10. Where were you born?

Germany, a small college town smack in the middle of it, surrounded by mountains and woods.

11. What are your hobbies?

Reading, writing, running, hiking, weight-lifting

12. Do you have any pets?

My beloved Bella, the most beautiful silly fur girl. She's a sheep-guarding breed and a giant white fluff-ball.

13. How tall are you?

170 cm

14. Favorite subject in school?

German, English, History, Politics and Philosophy

15. Dream job?

I always dreamed about working as forensic psychiatrist. But I also love my current job very much, even if it's in a totally different field.

Tagging (no pressure my friends): @thefreakandthehair, @firefly-party, @yournowheregirl, @scarcrossdlvrs, @t-boyeddie, @judasofsuburbia, @vecnuthy, @starryeyedjanai, @starrystevie, @steddieas-shegoes, @wormdebut, @matchingbatbites, @corrodedbisexual, @steves-strapcollection

[xxchthonicreaturexx]

Heyyy, I'm here for the Black Butler, romantic matchup!!<3 I already sent you the pictures.

To start of I'm a bisexual(?), but leaning more into hetero, female and I go by she/her. My mbti type is ENTJ, I'm an Aries with my moon in Leo and a Gemini rising.

I'm 168cm so 5'6ish and I have very long brown hair, I have an athletic/curvy body type. My usual style is a mix of "clean girl" and streetwear, but I do enjoy a more chic and feminine styles too. I follow certain trends and I have an interest for fashion. I wear glasses and I like expensive things.

I'm Russian/Iraqi and my heritage is very important to me, so I'd look for a partner that would be willing to put at least some effort into learning my native language for me, as I sometimes find it hard to express myself in English, having said that, I speak 3 languages fluently Russian, German and English and I'm currently learning French and trying to better my Arabic.

I'm finishing school right now and my grades are high, because I want to go to med or law school. I put a lot of effort into things and relationships that are important to me, I'd say that I am very loyal and I'm willing to do anything to protect people that are close to me.

For my hobbies I play the piano, game, paint and read (occasionally). I like any sort of physical activity but I mostly run and do CrossFit. I'm interested in basically everything that has do to with history and I love watching movies or series. (my current favs r the Witcher and suits). I like going to concerts and listening to music, I listen to everything but my favs r Nicki Minaj, Riri, Asap Rocky, Tyler, the creator, (old) Eminem, Kendrick, Ayesha Erotica, M.I.A, German rap and Russian pop, HEAVY on Nicki Minaj. I like lots of cute things like Sanrio, Hello Kitty, funko pops, cats.

I'm extroverted and I like talking, but it takes a lot for me to be 100% comfortable with a person and and fully trust them, as I don't like making myself vulnerable and I'm very independent. I'm pretty loud and I have very strong rules and beliefs. I like debating about things like religion or politics and I will absolutely argue with someone who disagrees with me if I have the chance to. I enjoy playful banter and bully/insult friends in a joking manner, but only if they reciprocate. I have a strong sense of justice and being fair is very important to me.

I will do anything to help my friends and family as they are very important to me, I would describe myself as a problem solver and a "natural leader" and I hate being ordered to do something, for me there's a difference between being asked and ordered to do something and I'm very sensitive to said difference. That said the next thing I say might make me seem like a bad person, but I often feel "superior" than other people, not in general but when it comes to certain topics like languages, hobbies or school. I trust myself more and I would rather do the whole project myself and get an A than have equal work as everyone and get a B or C, as I have high standards for myself and others. That being said, I would never outwardly act like I'm better than someone else. I'd say that I'm a mix of logical and controlled by my emotions. I always strive to be the best at things I care about, I stress a lot because of school grades, but except for that I'm very chill about everything else.

I used to be VERY insecure, so I do care about my looks and how I'm perceived, so I do try and appear "perfect" in a way, I'm very particular about the order of things or how I clean. I'm very neat, chaos and dirt annoy me a lot. I wouldn't say that I'm very forgiving, if the person has apologized I will respect them for that and won't act hostile towards them, but I will forever be wary of them and never let them close into my circle again. I'm also an all or nothing friend and will cut somebody off if they've wronged me or my friends.

I have been told by people that they where intimidated by me, having heard things like "I wanted to be friends with you but I was scared to talk to you.", I'd say that there are a lot of people who are jealous or mad at me, especially in my Arab side of the family, because I stand my ground now and stopped being an insecure, people pleaser.

When I argue with someone I tend to get loud and sometimes scream first and then distance myself. I still try to be empathetic even if I don't always know how to comfort people. Having said that my love languages are gift giving and quality time, mostly.

I'm scared of insects that aren't spiders or moths, being forgotten forever and dark places at night. I'm mentally pretty stable except for sometimes being an over thinker, a habit that I can't seem to fully get rid of and my ed, I have recovered but it never fully went away so I sometimes have reoccurring episodes of body dysmorphia and disordered thoughts, this is a thing that I basically only share with the most trusted people in my life, so I would like some reassurance from my partner sometimes. That's also why I'm sometimes weird with food.

I could be seen as a bit materialistic, because money is very important to me, but as a 2nd gen immigrant with one of my parents having lived in the Soviet Union that's just something that I've been raised to care about a lot.

I like receiving compliments and also like giving them, I also enjoy hanging out with friends and while I need alone time I also need a good amount of social interactions to feel good, I want my partner to be my most trusted person and someone I can always rely on, just like I want to be that for my partner.

Random fun facts: I want a snake and a cat, I like acting dramatic out of a joke, I'm told that I have a lethal resting bitch face and side eye 😔, I like love plushies and I have learned English from watching old cassette movies and I'm the mom friend

Thank you for reading this and drink some water:)

Hello hello! Thank you for doing the trade with me! <3 Sorry it took so long!

Edward Midford

I match you with Edward! Where to start...

In the school arc, Edward is placed in Green house, which is the house for all the athletic students. Edward is a good athlete and definitely could keep up with you when it comes to physical activity. He might have a hard time with JUST running, as he's used to fencing and cricket, but he'll get the hang of it quickly. He is an active man of course.

Edward may seem a bit bland. He's not a character that gets a lot of attention as opposed to his sister, Lizzie. But, from what I have seen he is a family man and adores his sister. That being said, once he finds someone he loves, he puts in a lot of effort. Just like you, he gives his all for his family, loved ones, and even schooling. I mean he got into the college he's gotta be smart-

He comes from a well off family. Money will never be an issue with him, and it's a given that he has to learn of other cultures for his status either way, so he'd be more than happy to learn about your heritage and even try learning your native language! He probably will struggle, as I'm sure he'll have plenty of other work to do ontop of studying a new language for you, but he definitely will give it the best shot he can.

You both are pretty extroverted people, and i think that goes well together! He isn't afraid to speak his mind, and neither are you. You two may argue a bit, Edward may say something a bit insensitive, or he might be spending too much attention on Lizzie other than you, and fights may leave you two distant for a few days, but he'll always come apologize with a bouqet and probably a kitten if it was bad. He knows you want a cat, and what better way to a woman's heart than a kitten?

Med or Law school would probably make his parents even more excited to meet you. They want a good match for Edward. They would've betrothed him to someone else had he not fallen for you, but you having a good head on your shoulders and the determination to have a good career really catches their attention. They're family people. They want the best match for their children, and want to think of you as a second daughter.

I feel like you two would overall just be a really good couple. Even when it comes to relaxing together. You could be playing the piano while he practices fencing moves. Just a good pair that is similar enough to get along well, and when you do fight, both care enough to drive their point until one apologizes. You two care a lot about your priorities, and theres nothing wrong with that!

Overall score: 8/10 Sometimes you may seem too similar, or he may not realize that he's not making time for you. But otherwise you two seem very good together :)

Runner ups: Joker (Book of Circus), Claude Faustus

Hope you enjoyed and thank you again for being patient!

[riflebrass]

I want to follow up my long ass post about the Nazis with a childhood memory that helped form my political views.

I was watching a Three Stooges short. Moe was running for office and promised like a 3 hour work week. Curley got so excited about this that he had to dunk his head into a barrel of water to calm himself down. Moe explained he's not really going to do it. It's just a campaign promise to get people to vote for him.

90 years later that joke has held up horribly well.

So when I said the Nazis promised all that stuff in the 20's it doesn't mean I believe this stuff despite painting it in a positive light. In the 30's Germany was an economic powerhouse, but that came at a horrible expense that we know all too well.

Fun fact, despite the fact the Volkswagen project promised cars to German people that promise was never fulfilled. Just another campaign promise.

[nicklloydnow]

“Very early, the young rebel Limonov got into the habit of regarding the dissidence born in the sixties with a mocking hostility, of pretending to put Solzhenitsyn and Brezhnev, Brodsky and Kosygin, all in the same boat: important people, officials, sworn authorities, each pontificating on his own side of the barrier, the first secretary's complete works on dialectical materialism stacked up next to the weighty tomes by the longbeard who plays the prophet. That's not for us astute lumpen punks, who've learned a thing or two and know full well that it's a huge exaggeration to call Soviet society totalitarian: above all it's chaotic, and anyone who's halfway clever can take advantage of the chaos and have a good time.

According to the most serious historians (Robert Conquest, Alec Nove, my mother), twenty million Russians were killed by the Germans during four years of war, and twenty million by their own government during twenty-five years of Stalin's reign. These two figures are approximations, and the sets they cover must intersect somewhat. But what's important for the story I'm telling is that the first profoundly marked Eduard's childhood and adolescence, and he did what he could to ignore the second because, despite his taste for revolt and his disdain for his parents' mediocre destiny, he remains their boy: the son of a subordinate Chekist officer, raised in a family that was spared the major convulsions of history and that, having never experienced absolute arbitrariness, thought that if people were arrested, well then, there had to be a reason. He remains a Young Pioneer who's proud of his country, its victory over the Fritzes, its empire that spans two continents and eleven time zones, and the holy fear it inspires in those Western pansies. He doesn't care about anything, but he cares about that. When people get to talking about the Gulag he sincerely thinks they're exaggerating, and that the intellectuals who denounce it are making a big fuss over something the nonpolitical prisoners (meaning run-of-the-mill gangsters) tend to be much more laid back about. Added to that, the dissidents' boat is full as it is. It's already got its stars; if he joins them he'll never be anything but second fiddle, and fat chance of him accepting that. So he prefers to snicker and say that people like Brodsky are full of themselves, that his banishment to Arkhangel'sk is a nice joke, five years—reduced to three—of vacation in the countryside with the Nobel Prize at the finish line, even if he doesn't know it yet: well done, Captain Levitin!” - Emmanuel Carrère, ‘Limonov: The Outrageous Adventures of the Radical Soviet Poet Who Became a Bum in New York, a Sensation in France, and a Political Antihero in Russia’ (2011) [p. 62, 63]

[sagehaubitze]

I write a lot to deal with my emotions and to process (right now I am processing a lot of anger, still). I don't share a lot of it, but I did write something to post on fetlife yesterday having to do with my friend, Remy's, death. The circles of people I have over there have no real context or frame of reference for any of it though. Since I'm still vaguely furry-adjacent, I figured maybe people (all like.. five of you) would get more mileage out of it here, so I'm crossposting it.

This is a small tidbit of furry history. Before you fly off the handle and send me anon hate, please take a minute to read all of this through. Plus think about what type of person would absolutely fucking loathe both queer people involved in WWII reenacting, and queer people dressing in uniform to do weird kink shit. (it's supposed to be fascists that idealize the era, they would have an aneurysm, but this is a trick question because apparently everybody loathes it)

Anyway. Pushing the Feldpost Envelope (furries and nazis and death in here.)

"History lesson.

I'm at the third year of my home furcon in 2005, attending opening ceremonies, wearing my officer's cap. All day, I've been nervously eyeing someone also in an officer's cap, albeit a different branch, worried that they're either going to be confrontational, or that they're a bad actor and a bigot. We'd unknowingly run in the same circles for a couple years now, but had yet to cross paths in any significant way until today.

"I like your hat" he smiled and piped up after the ceremonies were over. I, a very anxious sixteen year old girl at the time, had a flood of relief wash over me now that the ice had been broken and he didn't seem like a total asshole (joke's on me, Remy was still an asshole, just usually the good kind). "I like yours too..!" I chimed back. And the rest was history. "Living history", actually.

A couple months prior, Remy had created the Nazi Furs community, which I wound up co-running and co-moderating. The goal was to create a space for people with a genuine interest in history and reenacting (which despite the name wasn't limited to the German side of things) and/or for those who get their rocks off in uniform, a little more tucked away from early 2000s internet shock value, and most importantly protected from actual racists, bigots, and all around pieces of shit (which took a hell of a lot of work). Furries tend to cover the whole gamut of kink, and while Remy and I both leaned further towards the leather subculture, we tried to make space for all of the spectrum as long as it was related to that specific time period in some way.

We were not a popular or well liked group. But we were a necessary group. This is the south, if you weren't a cishet good ol boy, it was frankly just not safe to venture into any reenacting groups around here at the time. So, we made our own space for it, to be gay and weird and ourselves while we ran around in the woods. Even in kink, we tried to push the envelope for what was "acceptable" in the eyes of larger communities and carve out a little trench for ourselves, because often in the most accepting places, people would still take issue (and still do). We did our best to push back against people feeling closeted or ashamed for what they were interested in, kink or not. Don't be a shitty person is all we asked. We were young and we stumbled a lot, but we tried our best.

Ultimately, with the shifting perspectives in the fandom, in kink, and in general with online spaces being cleansed to be more palatable and marketable, we lost the fight. Part of it came from the evolving political environment in the US, it did become impossibly hard to weed out bad actors, and not be seen/assumed as a bad actor yourself. But part of it is from lingering social norms on what is "okay" and "acceptable" (even in alternative subcultures), instead of remembering that some interests can be solely academic and not a reflection of your own personal world views. Bleeding over to kink, it's exactly the same, and some people have forgotten that kink should be weird and ugly and not acceptable, it should challenge your emotions and perspective sometimes. It is the opposite of social norms, it's not meant to be sanitized and diluted down for the masses to consume. It's meant for you, and your self expression, self exploration, and your kameraden who share that with you.

Remy died on January 26th. He was one of my very best friends, and there are not many people left on this planet who know me like he did. I rushed to clean his house of things his mother did not want, or need, to see, because I was the only one left to do so. He is survived by communities that did not want him and refuse to see the work he put in for people to have a place they felt accepted.

I have no place in community anymore. But if anyone reading this feels ostracized for their interests or kinks, I feel the same so deeply inside me that it hurts my soul. You shouldn't have to feel that way. I do not have it in me anymore to try and create a space like Remy and I worked on in the past, but do know that you're not alone. I'll be here. I'm still here somehow."

-----

I would also like to add this summarized post that Remy made to the original group, the last post in the group, in 2017.

"In the wake of recent social unrest, we would like to take a moment to make a statement regarding this community.

Nazi_Furs was created by a bunch of nerds. Yes, you read correctly. A bunch of big old nerdy nerds started nazi_furs to post stories, art, historical articles, images from WWII museums, reenacting and living history events, and sometimes little animated gifs of dancing hitlers that we thought were funny.

Most of our members were card carrying homosexuals. Almost all of our moderators were gay, trans, or some other color of "unacceptable" to ACTUAL NEO-NAZIS.

Many of us have well researched and thought out fursonas that inhabit a world set during WWII era Germany. The setting used in many movies like Bed-knobs and Broomsticks, Indiana Jones, Iron Sky, and Dead Snow lends itself well to fantasy. Setting talking animal people into this backdrop did not seem like such a huge clusterfuck at the time.

Nazis are a cliche', relegated to "the bad guys" in popular culture. The sharp uniforms, advanced military weapons and tactics, crackpot schemes, and paranormal ties are used all the time in modern media. They are a caricature of what they were 70+ years ago, much like ninjas (paid assassins) and pirates (murderers and thieves) are today. Once you have been relegated to a children's Halloween costume you no longer have the influence to command respect or fear.

Let us allow nazis to be just that, a cliche condemned to be the "bumbling bad guys". Let us laugh at them and rob them of any authority they feel they may have. There haven't been any "REAL" nazis since the downfall of the NSDAP in 1945, and any members of that movement would be pushing 90 by now.

The "alt-right" are not nazi_furs. They are hateful individuals putting on costumes pretending to be like people they do not understand who have been dead for years. These people WANT you to associate them with nazis, and calling them that only feeds their egos. Lets try not to do that.

If you take anything away from our group, let it be a reminder of our origins as nerdy nerds pouring over history books, saturating ourselves in history to better understand what happened in the 1930s and 40s. Take a look at our current situation we find ourselves in and ask yourselves if we are all doomed to repeat our past mistakes. Then focus your rage and disapproval in a productive manner. Get out there and vote the real racist out of office. Mobilize in peaceful protest, advocate for the oppressed and downtrodden. Make the world a better place than you found it."

I stepped away from the fandom when my home convention, RCFM, ended after a decade. I had been run into the ground, my wallet taken advantage of entirely too much, and I was burnt out beyond belief. Remy stayed more up to date on fandom things, I know there were issues with other "nazi" groups popping up that were inundated with the alt-right. There was no avoiding getting lumped in with them, so we eventually just enjoyed our interests in silence, away from everyone else.

To be completely honest, the majority of our time was spent in museums and hunting down weirdly specific esoteric research topics, which we'd then attempt to discuss while drunk around a fire (this is the academic way). It wasn't to idolize these people or politics, it was to understand an extremely complicated time period and what was born out of it. There are SO MANY absolutely fascinating aspects to study, not just "woo big scary gun death ubermench". What people saw most though, convention-wise at least, were the room parties where we could let our hair down and be WEIRD. Furcon room parties are fucking weird just as a baseline, throw some uniforms and sadomasochism in, sometimes some LSD, and... I mean yeah. And of course that's all that stuck in anybody's mind. Though, tbh, a lot of the time for the majority of the night, it was just a small circle of friends watching war movies and drinking. We came up with this (not) great idea to take a shot every time there was a depth charge in Das Boot, yeah I can't recommend that lmao.

Even from the reenacting standpoint, Remy was putting together a US medic impression (not even German! *clutches pearls*) over the past few years, because he was an EMT by trade. I've always reenacted a very inept Wehrmacht artillery officer who is a touch cowardly, not great at their job, and is usually relegated to office/paperwork. It's far from the edgy internet shock value people associated us with.

Nowadays I am usually running around in the woods alone, or getting the shit kicked out of me in uniform (consensually). I'm just less visible about it. I wish I didn't have to be. It feels very lonely, extremely so now that I've lost Remy. I think there was a good opportunity somewhere in there to push back against the alt-right by being very VERY gay and trans and queer and weird in uniform, destroy the image they were trying to create for themselves, but the current culture of the internet wouldn't have allowed that. I'm still going to keep doing that, just.. y'know, in my own space, on my own time.

I hope other people are out there being weird too. I'll be weird with you in spirit.

[seaweedsoup]

A Review of Katja Hoyer's fascinating new book on East Germany 'Beyond the Wall'

East Germany was a filthy, malevolent little state created and run by wicked men and women in the service of the monster, Stalin. Take for example the ‘Purple Witch’, as East Germans referred to their Education Minister Margot Honecker. This woman, with her famously tinted locks, just happened to be married to the country’s shrieky-voiced little despot, Erich Honecker. And she stole the children of jailed political dissidents. Then she gave them to childless Communists to bring up, or lodged them in forbidding orphanages. And then she cut them off forever from their real parents. Many years after she was driven from power and died in exile, thousands of Germans were still searching for their lost children or parents, thanks to this Leninist harridan.

As this enthralling, fascinating and very readable book makes clear, it was a mad nation as well as a grim one. It is well known that its leaders fenced in the entire country to stop anyone from escaping. But it is less well-known that they then walled themselves up in their own sealed compound outside East Berlin, where they lived comfortable lives quite separate from their subjects. Signs in the surrounding forest lied that it was a ‘Wildlife Research Area’, to keep citizens from getting too close.

Thousands made serious efforts to get out of the GDR. Many were slung into horrible prisons for even thinking about leaving. And then nearly 35,000 men, women and children – many of them wrongly imprisoned - were, literally, sold to the West. In one case a group were handed over in return for three wagon loads of fertilizer. But mostly East Berlin wanted hard cash, and the obscene trade raised about a billion pounds. Now, it is true that the GDR was a luckless little country. It would have been poor even if Marxist dogma had not made it poorer.   Its dingy, crumbling appearance, its dreary food and bitter fake coffee, were not wholly its fault, though Communist spite and rigidity made everything even worse than it needed to be. Weirdly, it did not really believe in its own claimed superiority. The GDR piped West German TV (officially disapproved of) to remote areas, to reduce discontent. It openly encouraged the sale of Western goods in special shops, and allowed East Germans to receive Western money, unMarxist blue jeans and gadgets from their relatives in the capitalist Federal Republic.

But much of its nastiness was due to a special, pointless savage intolerance. The author of this extraordinary book, Katja Hoyer, tells of how her own father, an air force officer, was arrested and locked up for making a joke, Even more disturbingly he was then forced to join the SED, the local version of the Communist Party, the body which had demanded and caused his punishment. There was no true freedom in that place. Christians, for example, were cruelly offered well-paid promotions on condition they left the church. The path to university was through special ‘extended upper schools’. These were mainly (though not entirely) open to activists in the Communist Youth, to those prepared to promise years of military service, or to those whose parents were ready to kowtow in other ways to the SED. This is why the notorious Stasi secret police held such sway. Conformism meant privilege. Dissent meant misery. What a moral pigsty it all was. Yet Katja Hoyer (who was a tiny child when it all ended) can’t quite break off a sort of love affair with her socialist motherland, occasionally slipping in a good word, or an excuse. Ms Hoyer’s real weakness is for the GDR’s forced march of its young mothers into offices and factories. This war on the Christian family, and its replacement by the state, was in fact the absolute core of Communism, and still is. Since the Wall fell, the European left have abandoned much of the old-fashioned doctrine the GDR embodied. But ‘liberating’ women by turning them into wage-slaves is the one thing the Honeckers did which fashionable leftists still applaud. More than once, she gushes about this cruel nationalisation of childcare as if it was and is a benefit, at one point carolling (p.205) ‘On the whole, East German women enjoyed greater professional and economic autonomy than their Western counterparts’. She is especially pleased that the GDR’s unlovely Army allowed women to qualify as officers as long ago as 1988, ‘a remarkable step towards equality’. Equality of what?  I still possess a 40-year-old GDR propaganda pamphlet which boasts that East Germany has ‘no women’s rights organisations or liberation movements. Nobody has forbidden or dissolved them. They are quite simply superfluous’. Didn’t anyone ever wonder why a Communist prison state regarded that as a good thing?  

via Hitchen’s Blog. Mail on Sunday