#WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE OTHER DEVO?

[sketch-twentytwo]

Love that Travis is getting another chance to DM!

HOWEVER

GRIFFIN MCELROY, RELEASE ANOTHER SEASON OF ETHERSEA AND MY LIFE IS YOURS

[on-a-lucky-tide]

Do you ever think about poor Nik, having learned English from textbooks and maybe some American media here and there and all that, suddenly being faced with Brits / specifically John Price, pronouncing things somewhat differeng and having all those British terms that Nik has never heard of. Why the fuck are Brits putting blankets on pigs and why is John asking him whether he's ever had that!!

The man knows eight (8) languages, so it's likely it's not even his second language, but his fourth or fifth. Mad intelligent, but yeah, you're so right.

I work with a few foreign nationals who have told me that, sometimes, speaking to me is like hearing English through a carnival mirror; the words are familiar, but what the hell do they mean in that order? It's usually when my brain has switched to Jack Mode out of professional mode, and I am absolutely not paying any attention.

I can imagine Price does the same. Same way that Johnny tones down his accent, I headcanon that Price toned down his Liverpudlian twang, but sometimes he'll absolutely slip up, and Nik'll hear him use "devoed", "clobber" and other weird phrases that he's pretty sure contain words that aren't in the Bible.

There's only one person who can understand Price when he goes Full Liverpool: Ghost, who goes Full Mancunian in response, and Nik's sitting there while they're...

P: Gonna jib this off, and go fer bevvy and scran on me bill, unless yer down, la?

G: Gaggin' fer a pint, but can't, 'm brassic, got reports to finish and that. Can I cadge a ciggy?

P: Naw, I've only got abar four bifters left, like.

G: Ah, yer dead snide, sir.

Nik, looking at Gaz for help, who is just smiling like the Cheshire Cat because he's packing cockney rhyming slang up his sleeve, so Nik better buckle the fuck up.

[do-you-ship-this-taz-ship]

this only kinda fits the blog theme i apologize, but i have thoughts on which set of the players PCs would function the best as a polycule and you asked for asks. (I am including all the main campaigns and very inconsistently some liveshow/smaller arc PCs if I feel like it.)

I think Justin's characters wouldn't have a lot in common, so that's a major hurdle. Duck and Taako might hook up, or Taako and Sebastian, and maybe Amber and Godwin, but besides them, it's hard to really pair anyone up. Maybe Pepsi Liberty and Opera Man, but it would have to be exclusively while Opera Man is in Opera Man form. And no one would want to fuck Augustus. (He would be into Godwin but it's unreciprocated). Bad polycule. There's no poly here.

Travis's characters would be better! I think Aubrey and Devo would clash a lot initially, but eventually they'd get along pretty well, I could see them dating. Aubrey is into Magnus this is fact, he is canonically her favorite podcast character and I know firsthand that means she would fuck him if given the opportunity. It's debatable if he would reciprocate, I can't decide -- the age gap might make him uncomfortable, but he definitely likes her, at least platonically, they're friends. Magnus Beef and Mutt would def get along. Maybe Shoots also. So at the very least we have one triad+ and one couple, maybe with a connection between them. Decent polycule!

Clint's characters would get along super well I think. Zoox and Argo would be significantly younger than the others, and I don't think either of them would really be into the old guys, but they'd be friends, and maybe they could get together. And by maybe I mean definitely for the purposes of this thought experiment. And then all the old dudes (Merle, Ned, debatably Thacker, Emerich, Phileaux, possibly Benny Gene) are together in whatever combination (Merle/Ned and Thacker/Emerich for sure, and I think Merle might find Phileaux annoying but he'd still hatefuck him) Old man yaoi polycule with two younger guys sitting it out. Pretty good!

Griffin has less characters, which is both an advantage and not. Fitzroy isn't fucking anyone (might be romancing someone, not that theres anyone for him to romance), but Errol Indrid and Montrose could for sure have something. Dell Kraven might be able to get in on that triad, it's debatable. And 48… dunno their pronouns theyre just a cube. Yeah I don't think they're into romance or sex or any sort of human relationship including friendship. 48 and Fitzroy hang out and Fitzroy tries to start up a conversation but 48 always brings it back to Tim McGraw who does not exist in Fitzroy's universe and it's a bad scene. Okay overall, but not great.

So in conclusion Clint's PCs win, Travis's get second place, then Griffin's, with Justin's coming dead last.

This was such a fun read even if I don't know a lot of the characters!! Thank you for sending it :) i'm glad to hear it confirmed, as i suspected, that clint makes the most fuckable PCs 🤍

What do you guys think?

[cardinalcringe]

(And in case you don’t have a NYT subscription, here they all are):

“We don’t take an oath to a country. We don’t take an oath to a tribe. We don’t take an oath to a king or a queen, or to a tyrant or a dictator. And we don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator.” - Mark Milley

“The president has very little understanding of what it means to be in the military, to fight ethically or to be governed by a uniform set of rules and practices.” - Richard Spencer

“President trump and other officials have repeatedly compromised our principles in pursuit of partisan advantage and personal gain.” - HR McMaster

“Donald trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people- does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort.” - James Mattis

“ I have a lot of concerns about Donald trump. I have said that he’s a threat to democracy.” - Mark Esper

“ a person who admires autocrats and murderers dictators. A person who has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law.”- John Kelly

“ I think the events of the capital, however, they occurred, were shocking. And it was something that, as I mentioned in my statement, I cannot put aside.”- Elaine Chao

“Unfortunately, the actions and rhetoric following the election, especially during this past week, threaten to tarnish these and other historical legacies of this administration. The attacks on the Capital were an assault on our democracy, and on the tradition of peaceful transitions of power of the United States of America, brought to the world.”- Alex Azar

“Moron.” - Rex Tillerson (re: trump, repeatedly)

“It’s more than just a bunch of papers and what big deal is this and so forth. Lives can be lost.” - Dan Coats

“I didn’t feel he did what he needed to do to stop what was happening.” -Betsy DeVos (a stupid bitch overall, but still right)

“It will always be, ‘Oh, yeah, you work for the guy who tried to overtake the government.’” - Mick Mulvaney

“The fact of the matter is he is a consummate, narcissist, and he constantly engages in reckless conduct that puts his political followers at risk and the conservative and Republican agenda at risk.” -Bill Barr

“By the time I left the White House, I was convinced he was not fit to be president… I think it is a danger for the United States if he gets a second term.” -John Bolton

“We need more seriousness, less noise, and leaders who are looking forward, not staring in the rearview mirror claiming victimhood.” - Mike Pompeo

“He asked me to put him over the Constitution, and I chose the Constitution, and I always will.” - Mike Pence

“He went down a path he shouldn’t have, and we shouldn’t have followed him, and we shouldn’t have listened to him. And we can’t let that ever happen again.” - Nikki Haley

Stupid. Selfish. Divisive. Authoritarian. Unserious. Tyrant. Professional Victim. Insurrectionist. Narcissist. Dangerous. Moron.

Trump’s best people sum him up.

[vote-democrat-president-congress]

"In any election, it’s hard to know whose word to trust. And in a polarized country, many Americans distrust any information that comes from the other side of the political divide. That’s why the criticism of Donald Trump by those who served with him in the White House and by members of his own party is so striking. Dozens of people who know him well, including the 91 listed here, have raised alarms about his character and fitness for office — his family and friends, world leaders and business associates, his fellow conservatives and his political appointees — even though they had nothing to gain from doing so. Some have even spoken out at the expense of their own careers or political interests.

The New York Times editorial board has made its case that Mr. Trump is unfit to lead. But the strongest case against him may come from his own people. For those Americans who are still tempted to return him to the presidency or to not vote in November, it is worth considering the assessment of Mr. Trump by those who have seen him up close.

Administration insiders:

He will always put his own interests and gratifying his own ego ahead …”

Bill Barr

He was extremely vulnerable to manipulation.”

Fiona Hill

… he was getting input from people who were calling him up, I don’t know who ...”

Anthony Fauci

… undermined American democracy baselessly …”

Thomas P. Bossert

He doesn’t take responsibility for the bad news …”

David Lapan

… says a whole lot more about him than it will ever say about Asian Americans.”

Elaine Chao

… equality and freedom can never be equated with white supremacists …”

Gary Cohn

His behavior had grown increasingly erratic and unnerving.”

Betsy DeVos

The F.B.I. is under attack by the president of the United States.”

Andrew McCabe

A person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators.”

John Kelly

Sometimes it’s just better to steer clear of him.”

Anthony Scaramucci

… I do regard him as a threat to democracy …”

Mark Esper

Trump’s temperament wasn’t rational …”

Cassidy Hutchinson

… doesn’t know the difference between the truth and a lie …”

Dan Coats

… he tries to divide us.”

James Mattis

… loyalty was mostly a one-way street.”

Cliff Sims

… I think he’s a terrible human being.”

Mick Mulvaney

… caused direct harm …”

Deborah Birx

… very little understanding of what it means to be in the military …”

Richard Spencer

… the most reckless and deadly piece of information I have ever heard.”

Rick Bright

Literally everything I’ve tried to do on cutting drug costs, you have killed it.”

Alex Azar

… played to Trump’s ego and insecurities with flattery.”

H.R. McMaster

… flashbacks to my earlier career as a prosecutor against the Mob.”

James Comey

The turnover suggested instability and disorganization to our adversaries …”

Mike Pompeo

… renders coherent foreign policy almost unattainable.”

John Bolton

He is wholly unfit to be in office.”

Alyssa Farah Griffin

… a huge violation of your most important oath …”

Marc Short

He has built up a DNA of defensiveness.”

Sean Spicer

You are using the military to create fear in the minds of the people …”

Mark Milley

… Anyone that puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president …”

Mike Pence

… not consistent with our national security objectives.”

Rex Tillerson

Trump relentlessly … puts forth claims that simply are not true.”

Ty Cobb

The root of the problem is the president’s amorality …”

Miles Taylor

Do you think Trump wants a guy to win after him?”

Steve Bannon

… He’s saying some crazy shit.”

Don McGahn

… They are loyal to no one.”

Stephanie Grisham

The Trumps & Trump Inc.

You can’t trust him.”

Maryanne Trump Barry

… a cheat, a liar, a fraud, a bully …”

Michael Cohen

‘I wanna do what I wanna do’ … ”

Fred Trump III

Trump does not have the temperament …”

Kwame Jackson

He pushed me up against the wall …”

Jill Harth

…actually a racist.”

Omarosa Manigault Newman

Honest work was never demanded of him …”

Mary L. Trump

… the competition reality show set about an American fraud …”

Bill Pruitt

… the hint of menace beneath the surface …”

Gwenda Blair

Our job was to make him look legitimate …”

Jonathon Braun

If you disagreed with Donald, he put you out of his inner circle.”

Randal Pinkett

Republican politicians

He is a coward.”

Dick Cheney

This man is a pathological liar.”

Ted Cruz

He's a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot.”

Lindsey Graham

There is nothing ‘conservative’ about Donald Trump.”

Adam Kinzinger

The cheapest S.O.B. I’ve ever met in my life.”

Chris Christie

He’s not loyal.”

Justin Amash

He sought a coup by misleading people with lies.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger

… Power, revenge and retribution is his real motivation …”

Denver Riggleman

Reckless, outrageous and undignified behavior …”

Jeff Flake

The healing of the Republican Party cannot begin with Trump as president …”

Geoff Duncan

… taking advantage of the trust placed in him by his supporters …”

John Boehner

He is a con artist.”

Marco Rubio

… a weakening of our shared American values …”

John Kasich

I think he’s toxic for the Republican Party and for the country.”

Larry Hogan

He’s willing to significantly undermine them …”

Bob Corker

There has never been a greater betrayal by a president …”

Liz Cheney

… an intensifying crescendo of conspiracy theories …”

Mitch McConnell

He should have immediately denounced the mob …”

Kevin McCarthy

… the most expensive and least effective way to do border security …”

Will Hurd

… not decency, not truth, not character, not integrity …”

Bill Weld

He tried to violently overthrow our government.”

Joe Walsh

… We shouldn’t have listened to him.”

Nikki Haley

… bitterness, combativeness and self-interest.”

Charlie Baker

Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud.”

Mitt Romney

… will spend the entire campaign whining about his legal troubles …”

Chris Sununu

… requires the kind of character he just doesn’t have.”

Paul Ryan

Conservative voices

He built a wall of lies …”

Charlie Sykes

If someone says something nice about him, they are our friend …”

Henry Kissinger

He wasn’t motivated by what he didn’t know.”

Hugh Hewitt

… corroded and corrupted American democracy …”

J. Michael Luttig

This is not leadership our country needs.”

Bob Vander Plaats

… We need a new standard-bearer.”

Erick Erickson

Lying is Trump’s toxic superpower.”

Rich Logis

… a floundering, inarticulate jumble of gnawing insecurities …”

George Will

Trump might be the greatest charlatan of them all.”

L. Brent Bozell III

World leaders

… I can't understand how Donald Trump can be on the side of Putin.”

Volodymyr Zelensky

A frightened dog barks louder.”

Kim Jong-un

… stands for a great division in the country.”

Olaf Scholz

… If there is a second time, it won’t be easy …”

Justin Trudeau

I deeply regret that President Trump has not conceded defeat …”

Angela Merkel

Where has our role model for democracy gone?”

Kazuyoshi Akaba

… clearly a threat.”

Christine Lagarde

… President Trump radiates insecurity.”

Kim Darroch

He’s a show-off.”

Mauricio Macri

[karkatwaddles]

Dude magnus goes through so much and it hurts me so bad. I think mags has some of the best character development in literally all of taz dude. Like even around the mark of magnus getting his body back merle snd taako joke around a lot, and of course they've all grown as characters but Magnus in my opinion really develops his character more than either of them from the ending of the eleventh hour. Like inside the stolen century is really when character work is best shown but outside of it i think Magnus has some of the best character work ever.

Dude Travis' characters are some of the best rounded out characters ever

Every single interaction and connection he has, his characters have, is always deep and emotional, be it negative like devo and amber / devo and literally anyone or something that is so beautiiful like magnus and julia / magnus and carey / aubrey and duck / aubrey and dani he puts so much work into his characters, into what he does, the way he develops them, especially as he gains experience. But like also with magnus it's one of the most increadible things to watch magnus go from this goofy guy to someone who cares about people, wants to protect people, loves the ones he surrounds himself with and has such a deep connection not only to the other pcs but also to so many npcs. He has a deep connection to carey that is one of the most heart wrenching things and with mags and ango the way he develops them and just also the way he develops julia and guiding griffin along into developing her more as a character is one of the most beautiful fuckign things. His characters grow and grow and become some of the best characterization and like. He works so hard to make them so human and he does such a good job with it. Like "Those are the arms that held my wife." Is SO fucking human. And like Magnus IS human but i mean it in a more like. Psychological sense. Magnus and Aubrey and Devo are SO fucking human

[exvangelical-christian-nerd]

Some thoughts on "Hell is Forever"

TW religion, conservative Christianity

Hell is Forever is a bop. Musically I enjoy it a lot. And It's definitley one I'll go listen to separatelyfrom the others on occasion.

But

It is also probably the song that bothers me the most. And it does not bother me in a way I like. I've talked about before, how I like things that poke at my beliefs and make me ask questions. This one doesn't do that. This song is like a buzzing fly to my inner-theologian, and I think I figured out why (Ironically it might also be one of the reasons I enjoy it)

So I've been working on some of my series type content lately, including my devos. I'm trying to make a series based on the Hazbin songs (if that is something you're interested in let me know in the comments and I will try to tag you when I start posting them). Naturally this includes Hell is Forever.

The thing about Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss is that by their very nature they include some theology, but a good portion of it is hellaverse-ified. Some of it is theology and some Christian lore. It's part of the draw. Here's the diffrence between Hell is Forever, and most of the rest of it: Hell is Forever addresses real Theology, more or less directly. I'd say more than, possibly, any other part of either show so far.

Now before I go any farther let's make sure we all have the same definitions so my meaning doesn't get mixed up.

Real Theology= Theology actually believed by a fair portion of people.

Good Theology= Theology that is grounded and has biblical backing.

Bad Theology= Opposite of Good Theology

So yes, Hell is Forever has Real Theology. Here's the thing that gets me though: I wouldn't consider most of it Good Theology. In fact I would consider most of it Bad Theology.

Now the thing with Theology is that our interpretation of it is flawed. We don't know a lot and we don't agree on a lot. That's why there are tens of thousands of denominations. But the particular brand we get in this song is what I'm going to call "Bible Thumper Theology." Not all Bible Thumper Theology is necessarily Bad Theology, but plenty of it is. But honestly I have three major issues with Bible Thumper Theology. First is that it's weaponized. Whether your Theology is good or bad, using it as a weapon is risky business. Second, it's often pretty weak. Even if the theological concept is solid, their understanding of it is usually surface level at best. And third, so much of it is just cherry picking.

So here are the main theological points I identified in Hell is Forever. I'm not going to go deep into them now, because that would make this already long post way to long, and because I'm already planning on making posts specifically on them.

Hell is forever (Obviously)

Eye for an eye Theology (I don't know what else to call it)

Justification by the law (or works)

Justified k1ll1ng (which is obviously super yikes)

Now there are few others in there too, but I'd say these are the main ones. As I said I'm plannin to address these more later, though the first one, I'm still waffling on whether I want to tackle that or not. The primary reason being that I do believe eternal damnation is eternal (as much as I wish I didn't), however I am not going to join the fire and brimstone brigade. There are too many of them all ready. If I do tackle it, it will probably be about why I take issue with the fire and brimstone brigade.

But yes all that to say, Hell is Forever bothers me because it's essentially just Bible Thumper Theology, and Bible Thumper Theology annoys me because it's what makes the church as a whole look bad, and usually it is pretty Bad Theology.

Honestly most of the time someone starts spewing this kind of stuff at me, I can't help but think "Have you read your Bible, or do you just believe what your pastor tells you?" Is my theology flawless? Not a chance (If anyone ever says their's is, approach with extreme caution, or better yet don't approach at all). I am seeking and trying to sort out what I believe. And I'm growing.

Ironically, I think part of the thing I like about Hell is Forever is that the people spewing the bullshit are the villains. I have too often seen them up on a pedestal.

[murderofsomeone]

What's up Mos, its me, creature, back with another interview, this time its lemon related

What music (genres and/or specific artists) do the characters like?

Does anyone in funkytown have unique clothing/jewelry?

Who is Garrett talking to in hip hop cherry pop?

What song have you had the most fun coming up with a story for?

What was the first song you came up with a story for?

What song has been the hardest to fit into the storyline?

What arc has been the most enjoyable to write so far?

What are some LD songs you want more people to listen to?

What items are baby lem not trusted with?

What are some items unique to funkytown?

If you could physically eat lemon demon songs what ones would you eat and why?

ironically a large amount of the cast don't really listen to music/have strong opinions on it, LD himself is one of the few denizens to have specific tastes (TMBG, Oingo Boingo, Talking Heads, Faith No More, DEVO, etc etc you know the pipeline). another character with defined music taste is indie cindy who likes lo-fi (obviously), hyper pop, and other scenecore genes.

funkytown is in a constant state of returning to a lack of identity, so as of right now most culture is just taken from human culture, but it definitely gets more abstract the longer something doesn't get interfered with.

zordechai the magnificent (wizard from the view-monster promo) has a side gig on running an ice cream shop, which is loosely based on the film. garrett is aware of zordechai's true identity during the song, hence why he's there to begin with.

lifetime achievement award and completely because the animation in my head is killer.

mold en mono is the reason the ncu exists beyond a simple concept. it was the first time I stylized Neil as he is now, drew the office fruits, "baby" lemon, and lucifer (who fun fact did not used to be a fruit object head, he was a demon in similar appearance as diablo).

I definitely end up having the most issues with bonus tracks (I don't think I used hardly any from damn skippy besides the instrumentals), but those are kinda an outlier since they aren't my focus to begin with. ones I particularly struggle(d) with are: chu chu rocket (got removed entirely since it's a cover), movie night, fire motif, hazel's modus operandi, bill watterson, consumer whore, between you and me, flamingo legs, everybody loves raymond, goosebumps (entirely because I don't read goosebumps), and ancient aliens (it's on its 3rd or 4th rewrite). this does NOT mean I don't like the songs it's just hard to write for them.

dinosaurchestra was complete smooth sailing and honestly my favorite arc, it's a nice change of pace from how serious things become and have been.

oh boy oh boy, listen to these: toy food, bottom line, funkytown (obviously), mold en mono (obviously), matches and nails, pineapple, behold the future, the machine with live backing, creepy, I know your name (crappy 4 track version), and happiest shit ever (some of the links might be broken/link to the wrong somgs my apollo cheese

lemon demon is actually a horrible influence and does not care if he carries any sharp objects, in fact he encourages it. baby lemon is smart enough to not do something stupid but that doesn't make him immune to getting grounded. I think the car keys and anyone else's phone is what he's banned from having access to, but this will not stop him

like I mentioned before, funkytown has an inherent lack of it's own culture, so any unique items would probably be the god relics like the magic 8 ball and spirit phone.

the machine because mmmm sheet metal

[sayitaliano]

Ti posso chiedere di raccontare/spiegare questa parte del monologo di Teresa Mannino sulla linguistica? Spero che ci sarà un video tagliato del suo monologo qui ma intanto sono sicura di non aver capito tutto

Ciao! Più che altro non ho idea di cosa sia successo perché sono andata a dormire praticamente dopo Russell Crowe lol Cerco di farmi un'idea su Raiplay (x) e poi vedo cosa dirti.

Provo a farti un riassunto, poi mi dici se c'è qualcosa su cui devo soffermarmi di più, se ti serve?

To start with, after a few jokes, she says that mentally we are stuck into the 5th century bc. In fact, as a philosopher back then, men (mankind) believe that everything that exists is for them. She then compares the word uomo (man) with donna (woman): in Italian "uomo" can be used both for mankind and male/masculine gender. So she asks "why man? (perché uomo?), we could say human kind or human animal" and states we're animals as well. We also have our DNA for the 70% similar to bananas and for the 98% to monkeys and primates in general (other jokes in between).

(I think this is the point of your question but anyway let me know) As humans, since we speak languages to communicate (while other animals/plants have other methods), we feel superior. And she basically says: "that's the same feeling that we Sicilian people have when someone from the North (Milan/Piedmont...) comes to Sicily, we speak to them in Sicilian and if that person doesn't understand we think that they're stupid: but it's not so, this person speaks another language. So we keep repeating the same sentence in Sicilian hoping the northerner will understand suddenly". She adds a sample sentence in Sicilian (don't ask me to write it cause I have no clue I speak another language as she said but it could be something like "cuccu cammini co' e arance 'n terra" BUT IDK what I did for sure I wrote it wrong) and says: "Even if we translated this sentence, it has no meaning anyway" and then asks Giletti (tv host, from Biella, Piedmont) to translate it (he asks for help to someone near him). She explains that sentence: "cu ccu" are two words that have different meaning just to confuse everyone better, and they mean "with whom" (con chi) and asks Giletti to repeat to help him learn Sicilian. The sentence translated sounds like "Con chi cammini con le arance che stanno per terra?" (with whom you walk with the oranges that are on the ground?). And indeed generally has no meaning but for Palermitani (people from Palermo), it means "with whom you walk with oranges that are fallen cause are rotten" -> who do you hang out with, rotten oranges = bad people? So she adds "It's pretty complex to get and one can understand it only if they have done a thesis on Camilleri (famous Sicillian author/writer who created Il Commissario Montalbano), but even with this background, we say that that person from the North is stupid".

She goes back speaking about the other ways of communication that plants and animals use and focuses on baboons that in order to cheer each other, they squeeze each other's... masculine genitals. "They acquire all the infos they need through that 'it's young' 'they will collaborate' (adds more fun stuff)". Then speaks about ants (formiche tagliafoglie= cutleaves?), and adds they're the smarter of all: "they pick up seeds as we used to do and have huge nests in which they cultivate mushrooms. They have been farming for 50 millions of years and didn't ruin anything we've been farming for 10.000 and have destroyed our planet. They were here when there were dinosaurs and survived the meteorite". So she says "Let's copy them, how does their society works? They're basically all female with a "mother queen" and a bunch of males. The "mother queen" decides the gender of the new borns and it's basically all females, except for a male or so every year for continuing the specie and nothing else." She adds a bunch of fun notes on this, how useful it is for them when it comes to exes and how happy male ants may be. "On the contrary, human animals prefer power ON other humans, men, women, childeren, nature... I like power too, but power OF laughing, making people laugh, dressing how I want, dancing on the street even if I embarass my daughter..." and ends by saying something like "if some stories/situations are still present maybe it's not time to ignore them and move on".

:)

[ridenwithbiden]

President-elect Trump has repeatedly pledged to dismantle the Department of Education, a decision that could radically reshape learning across America.

Why it matters: The Department of Education plays a crucial role in making education access and quality more equitable for students nationwide.

Abolishing the department and the accompanying changes are "an effort to strip the federal government of any ability to do good ... as a way to justify further defunding our public schools and colleges," Kelly Rosinger, an associate professor of education and public policy at Penn State, told Axios.

State of play: The Department of Education has been a punching bag for Republicans for decades. Ronald Reagan threatened to abolish it, and many inside the GOP have echoed Trump's calls for its end.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) last year said, "Unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., should not be in charge of our children's intellectual and moral development," while introducing a bill to kill the department.

Driving the news: Elon Musk, one of President-elect Trump's most influential backers, posted a video to X Monday showing Trump boasting about closing the department and sending all education matters "back to the states."

The official 2024 GOP platform also calls for closing the Department of Education. Can Trump actually get rid of the department?

While not impossible, Trump's political pathway to abolishing the Department of Education is narrow.

Eliminating the department would require congressional action, likely including a supermajority of 60 votes in the Senate, the Washington Post reported.

Despite their 53-47 Senate majority, Republicans are unlikely to muster up the votes to circumvent the filibuster.

A House vote last year on an amendment eliminating the department failed after 60 Republicans joined Democrats opposing it, per the Post.

Flashback: Trump's animus toward the Department of Education isn't new. During his first term, he proposed merging the Education and Labor departments.

Betsy DeVos, Trump's previous secretary of education, was seen by many critics as anti-public education. What does the Department of Education do?

The Department of Education's budget funds a variety of programs to help students obtain a quality education.

The department funds Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which provides supplemental funding to high-poverty K-12 school districts.

Head Start programs provide vital child care services for many low-income and rural communities across the country, Rosinger pointed out.

The department also administers Pell Grants, which help low-income students attend college.

The Office of Special Education Programs provides resources to support students with disabilities through age 21.

The department also collects national data on schools and enforces federal civil rights laws to prohibit discrimination.

Zoom in: The Department of Education is also the loan holder for most federal student loans.

What happens if the department is eliminated?

Project 2025, which Trump's allies have touted as the incoming administration's agenda, outlines plans to abolish the department, which it calls a "one-stop shop for the woke education cartel."

Instead, Project 2025 calls for redistributing various federal education programs across the government, while eliminating others or transferring them to the states.

For instance, it calls for management of Title I to be transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services. The department's civil rights office would join the Justice Department, and the Treasury Department would manage student loan collections and defaults.

What they're saying: These changes — from shifting programs across agencies, shuffling staff or losing experts in the field — could mean "chaos ahead," Rosinger said.

"When federal government programs are chaotic, it's going to disproportionately harm working-class families," she added.

What could happen to student loans?

While Trump has repeatedly railed against the Biden administration's student debt forgiveness efforts, Project 2025 takes aim at the federal government's role as a student loan lender.

Project 2025 says that income-driven repayment (IDR) plans have "proliferated beyond reason," and that a new IDR plan should be instituted that requires payments equal to 10% of a borrower's income for those earning above the poverty line.

It also calls for returning to a system where private lenders offer student loans. Private loans typically come with higher interest rates than federal loans.

There are also concerns the administration could narrow the scope of loans available to help students attain higher education, like eliminating Parent PLUS loans for undergraduates and graduate student PLUS loans — both of which Project 2025 calls for, Rosinger said.

How will this reshape American education?

These changes would profoundly alter American education.

For one, it will "decimate" the professional education bureaucracy, as Trump replaces career experts in their fields with political appointees, Rosinger said.

Between the lines: Even if the Department of Education is left intact, changes are likely, as the Trump administration is unlikely to continue the Biden administration's efforts to expand LGBTQ+ and gender equality protections or forgive student debt, Rosinger said.

The Trump administration could also transfer responsibility for accrediting universities and colleges to the states, she added.

That could see accreditation being "used as a lever" to discourage schools from pursuing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs and affirmative action programs, Rosinger noted.

The bottom line: "Looking at Project 2025, the programs that are supporting trans students, that support low-income students, that support racially minoritized students, these are going to be the ones that are the most threatened," Rosinger said.

[lunamagicablu]

Assistenza tecnica: - "Salve, come posso aiutarla?" Cliente: - "Mmmmm.... Ho pensato di installare di nuovo l’Amore. Mi può aiutare?" - “Certamente. Se è pronto, possiamo farlo adesso." - “Penso di si. Da che cosa inizio?" - “Prima di tutto, apra il “Cuore”. Lo sa dove ce l’ha, il Cuore? - “Si, ma posso installare l’Amore se lì ho anche altri programmi? - “Quali programmi ha attivi?" - “Eeeeeeh... Ho “I vecchi rancori”. “La bassa autostima”. “La delusione e la frustrazione” - “I vecchi rancori" non sono un problema, l’Amore li sposterà gradualmente dalla memoria ma conserverà i file come temporanei. Lo stesso dicasi della “Bassa autostima”. Ma lei deve cancellare “La delusione e la frustrazione”, perché ostacolano installazione del programma." - "Ma non so come cancellarli." - "Allora, vada al menu Start e provi a cliccare il “Perdono”. Clicchi finché non si cancelleranno “La delusione e la frustrazione." ............ - "Oh, ok! Ci sono. E’ iniziato, da solo, il download dell’Amore.. E’ normale?" - "Si, ma è un programma di base, l’upgrade finale aggiunge “Altri Cuori”. - "Mi scrive “Errore. Il programma non funziona con i componenti interni.” Che significa?” - “Significa che l’Amore già funziona con i componenti interni ma non è ancora nel suo Cuore. Per farlo, deve iniziare ad amare se stesso." - “Che devo fare?” - “Clicchi su “Auto accettazione” e poi carichi i file “Auto perdono” ed “Essere consapevoli dei propri pregi e difetti”. - “Fatto”. - “Ora copi tutto nel “mio cuore” e il sistema provvede. Però deve cancellare a mano, da tutti i menu, “L’autocritica verbosa”, e svuotare il Cestino. Non carichi mai più “L’autocritica verbosa." ............. - “Ci sono! Il “Mio Cuore si sta riempiendo di nuovi file. Vedo il “Sorriso”, “L’equilibrio dell’anima”. Succede sempre così?" - “Non sempre... a volte serve più tempo. Un dettaglio solo: “L’amore” è un software gratuito. Ma per farlo funzionare deve regalarlo agli altri e loro vi regaleranno le loro versioni...” (Nikolay Bulgakov) art by_zarahaf ********************** Technical Support: - "Hello, how can I help you?" Customer: - "Mmmmm.... I thought about installing Love again. Can you help me?" - "Certainly. If it's ready, we can do it now." - "I think so. Where do I start?" - “First of all, open the “Heart”. Do you know where it is, the Heart? - “Yes, but can I install Love if I also have other programs there? - “What programs do you have active?” - “Eeeeeeh... I have “Old Grudges”. “Low self-esteem”. “Disappointment and Frustration” - "Old grievances" are not a problem, Love will gradually move them from memory but will keep the files as temporary. The same goes for "Low self-esteem". But she must delete "Disappointment and frustration", because they hinder installation of the program." - "But I don't know how to erase them." - "So, go to the Start menu and try to click the "Forgiveness". Click until the "Disappointment and frustration" will be deleted. ............ - "Oh, ok! I'm here. The download of Love has started by itself.. Is it normal?" - "Yes, but it's a basic program, the final upgrade adds "Other Hearts". - "It writes me "Error. The program does not work with the internal components." What does it mean?" - “It means that Love already works with the internal components but it is not yet in its Heart. To do that, he has to start loving himself." - "What do I have to do?" - "Click on "Self-acceptance" and then upload the files "Self-forgiveness" and "Being aware of one's strengths and weaknesses". - "Done". - “Now you copy everything into “my heart” and the system provides. However, he must manually delete, from all the menus, "Verbose self-criticism", and empty the Recycle Bin. Never upload "The Verbose Self-Criticism" again. ............. - "There are! My Heart is filling up with new files. I see the "Smile", "The balance of the soul". Is that always the case?" - “Not always... sometimes you need more time. Just one detail: "Love" is free software. But to make it work he has to give it to others and they will give you their versions..." (Nikolay Bulgakov) art by_zarahaf

[mywifeleftme]

341: The Waitresses // Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful?

Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful? The Waitresses 1982, Polydor

The Waitresses were such a peculiar project: considered a borderline novelty band based on their two hit singles (no wave-y stripper anthem “I Know What Boys Like” and wondrous ska noel song “Christmas Wrapping”), their membership connects dots between the ‘70s Akron scene (Devo, Tin Huey), Television, the Psychedelic Furs, and John Zorn, and featured an actual waitress on lead vocals. Said waitress, Patty Donahue, was a true natural at the post-punk sprechgesang thing. For other singers, a flat affect was often a way to mask shyness or to de-emphasize the vocalist’s personality. Donahue was cool enough to simply be herself up there, sarcastic, fabulous, smart, and messy. She makes the lyrics sound so natural you assume she’s basically singing her diary—which is why not a day goes by without some bright young woman, who’s felt utterly seen by a song like “No Guilt,” giving a startled “Oh!” at the realization the very much male Chris Butler wrote all the words.

Their debut Wasn’t Tomorrow Wonderful? is often nearly as prog as it is punk (try to follow the zig-zagging “Quit” or “Heat Night”), the songs crammed with wild hairpin tempo changes and skronky bridges that somehow still sound like something you might hear playing over the PA at the grocery store. They need all that busy-ness to accommodate Butler’s absurdly verbose lyrics, which have the respect for meter of a jazzy spoken word recital (so none, I mean). The musicians need to really have their working boots on to keep this stuff feeling poppy, but for the most part they nail it with panache.

And those lyrics! I can think of few albums as legitimately clever as this one, even forty years on. Donahue’s glib performance of a young woman getting her shit together on “No Guilt” could describe any number of girls I knew in college and, from what I glean from social media anyway, still works for the present generation. And truly, today’s assembly line of singer-songwriters trying to score clout by writing the most withering lowercase boy-bye diss (see Kara Jackson’s damp “therapy” for one) wish they could do what Butler does with “Jimmy Tomorrow.” The potshots are sparkling (“There's nothing that's wrong with me / That money can't cure / But I don't want to be somebody else's / Learning experience / Some rich kid's way to spend his allowance”), but Butler understands that the woman in the story’s more intriguing than the bad ex, and by keeping her the focus of the monologue he finds both a pithy diagnosis of her social ailments (“It's what happens when your choices / Are narrowed to fashion or violence”) and her emotional ones (“I guess I set impossible goals / And I don’t know when to quit / Is that it?”). On an album with no ballads and little sentimentality, Donahue’s vocal finds something really resonant in these lines, even as the band absolutely goes off behind her. But for the Waitresses, angst was always best used as a springboard for a brilliant punchline, and they end the album with an all-timer: “My goals? / My goals are to find a cure for irony and make a fool out of God.”

The band didn’t last long (two LPs and an EP), and it’s not clear whether their very specific brand of schtick could’ve survived the transition from new wave to alternative rock without losing its dazzle. But Butler and Donahue deserve to be mentioned when the all-time great lyricist/vocalist tandems are discussed, because like a good kitchen / front of house pairing, they make a very complex business look seamless.

341/365

[jojossillywalk]

Mohammed Avdol's Knowledge Analysis: Part 2 The Assassins

This goes over Avdol's knowledge base of the Tarot assassins! Additionally, other stuff that's sort of in universe that has to do with them: the value of knowledge, silence, and some potential interpretations for that.

Fun fact, it seems like Avdol knows more about the Tarot than some of the Tarot does!

I'm looking at how Avdol judges people's character as well! I Have No Idea If Anyone Cares About This But Me but if anyone has takes p. please :(

I'm putting forth the theory that in the second part of SDC, Avdol's actions are influenced by his knowledge gaps. The third Wall of Text is also be about Polnareff because Sighs he's relevant. I was going to include him here but it got way too long

Before I actually get into it: in addition to being very adept at using his Stand, it's established very early on that Avdol is an excellent tracker.

So, it's really easy to say "haha, Joseph's being an idiot, how is Avdol supposed to get anything from a single picture with a dark background."

However, you could also ask, "Why the hell does Joseph have reason to believe that Avdol can get anything about this image, it's a guy in a dark background."

Which. I don't think is entirely unjustified! A fucking background fly in the background could give Avdol your IP address.

Other notes, Dio was going out of his way to avoid being detected by the Joestars, yet they had knowledge of the fleshbud and knew it could kill people- as Avdol was the one who had been tracking assassins and Stand users, who Dio sometimes fleshbudded, I think it's plausible that the initial discovery of the fleshbud's existence might've come through Avdol.

Avdol phrases a lot of his knowledge as "I heard rumors of"/"I heard of," which Things Can Be Extrapolated There, but basically it establishes that he does have/had contacts.

You have the beggar incident, where Avdol will seek out contacts if he can't gather the information by himself. Moving on

The Assassins

Who Avdol knows, and who he does not know!

The Tower "I've heard there's a user with a bug Stand who enjoys ripping the tongues out of victims." "Stand who commits mass murder by framing his kills as accidents. The airplane crash responsible for 300 deaths last year in England is said to be his doing. I'd heard rumors, but he's allied with Dio." "making it look like an accident in return for pay." The fact that Avdol knows the shape of the Stand means that his rumor source was most likely another Stand user, as they were capable of seeing it act. We're not sure who tells him this, either they're dead or it's someone who Avdol isn't comfortable with getting involved with fighting Dio. This person may have seen Tower mid attack to learn about the tongues, but you could also discern that this guy takes tongues because the corpses of some of the victims have their tongue missing. Whether Avdol examined them or his contact did, we have no way of knowing.

The Moon "A waterfaring Stand. A Stand that I, Avdol, have never heard of." Understandable that he hasn't heard of a waterfaring Stand, but his phrasing is interesting. It has an "Whoa, even I didn't know" connotation. Avdol has good reason to believe that he has a good roster!

Strength "I was closest, but I didn't feel anything." "The only explanation for them seeing it is the enormous energy that it's giving off. It would take tremendous power to control such an enormous Stand." "It is the first time I've encountered that energy." Avdol's pretty visibly freaked out by this one! Interesting to note that Avdol uses "feel" instead of "see," I guess you could consider it an early indicator of that sensor ability that he has.

The Devil "Mafia, militaries, and governments around the world employ him. Just once, I saw Devo's appearance. He was covered in injuries, from provoking people to attack." (in response to what kind of Stand it is) "No one knows. Everyone who has seen his Stand was killed." Avdol knows a lot about this guy, right down to employers. Interestingly enough, Avdol saw Devo's face, but didn't attack- this makes sense, as we see that Avdol doesn't seem to pick fights that he's not sure he can win. Furthermore, Avdol is aware of the fact that everyone who's seen that Stand is dead. I have the running theory that Avdol is more than capable of reverse engineering people's abilities via the circumstances of their death. By his description, I think it's unlikely for him to have heard of the Stand's function through rumors. He seems very certain that everyone is dead.

Temperance No way to tell what he does or doesn't know! He doesn't say anything about hearing or knowing about a Stand capable of mimicry, though.

The Hanged Man So! While there's again, no real way to know, Rubber Soul says something interesting: "I've heard rumors," when asked about the functionality of the Hanged Man. Since rumors were in fact in circulation, I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that Avdol had heard about someone with a mirror Stand. Presumably, he didn't know the guy had two right hands.

The Emperor Another instance of We Just Don't Know. That said, Hol Horse says this: "My gun and J Geil's mirrors don't work well against Avdol's flames, so we thought that Avdol would be the most difficult enemy. Lucky! There's no more scary pieces in this game." Avdol himself is very confident that he can melt Hol Horse's bullet and Hol Horse seems to believe the same; there's multiple occasions where Avdol knows of the Stand, but he doesn't know the extent of its ability (Tower's speed, Judgement's strength, High Priestess's size). With the Emperor, he seems certain. It's also very easy to see how Magician's Red hard counters the Hanged Man: literally it's an AoE, Geil would have been done the second that he changed reflections at the wrong second. Hol Horse was positive that even two against one, Avdol was going to be immensely difficult to beat. You could sort of theorize that Hol Horse's words could imply a prior confrontation between him and Avdol, which ended badly for Hol Horse.

Everyone Up To Judgement No way to know! Enya does mention "I'm sure you've heard rumors" to Hol Horse when she's summoning Justice, so again, there's an active rumor mill- Avdol could have heard of Justice easily. That said! He also says "This is the first time I've encountered such energy" when talking about Strength- Justice is capable of mimicking an entire town and controlling an army. He probably hasn't seen it/faced it head on. Avdol was also not aware of the speed of the Tower, though, so it's not unprecedented that he has general knowledge without the full extent of its power.

Judgement "Cameo of Judgement, you were?" "Hell 2 U" Avdol recognized that Stand on either sight, ability, or both, and identified the user. Probably either heard of him, saw him, etc. However, he also does that "Hell 2 U" thing without hearing it directly from Cameo, unless he was, uh. Sitting There Watching? I think it's probably more likely that he just knew of that catchphrase, similar to how he knew about Tower's tongue ripping habit. Cameo also seemed extremely apprehensive about the idea of facing Avdol, and was surprised at the notion that he might be able to win this. He's like "Oh shit, I actually am going to get to share my good news!" To me that implies that at very least, they probably haven't fought in the past. 10. The High Priestess "I've heard of it." "It's a long range Stand, so the user is probably on the surface." Off the bat, Avdol identifies the Stand and user's name, he knows her abilities, but he wasn't aware of how big the Stand was capable of getting, and he didn't know how fast it was. Once again, he's "heard of it." That said, High Priestess's setup and use of environmental advantage shows that she's pretty experienced. I don't know whether she knew to avoid trying to face Magician's Red or if Avdol didn't pick that fight because he hadn't had the opportunity to set the board!

Finally: "I don't know. Even I don't know. Nine of them?"

Again, it's hard to tell whether or not Avdol doesn't know because he's never identified someone outside of the Tarot, or because he knows enough users (hostile or not) that it's too broad to narrow down nine people who might have started working for Dio.

In the event that he's only ever identified Tarot: it's possible that his informants came from the Tarot, which would imply that given the right circumstances, he'll actually ally with some of them, or some of them are people who were his allies at one point, but they've all betrayed him at one point or another.

I do think that Avdol has definitely killed assassins before, and not just because he carries those knives to help people speedrun burning to death.

This is his stated motivation for killing Dio. In addition to saving Holly, Avdol himself will search for and kill someone who he deems bad enough. This especially seems to be provoked by the involvement of bystanders.

He didn't seem too concerned with the possibility of Dio having Simply Pulled More Tarot Cards either. Thus, I think his probable history is that he definitely knows of and has done away with assassins outside of the Tarot (who he just happens to share a naming convention with), he just can't narrow down nine right off the top of his head.

Silence, Knowledge, Rumors

So! Silence is extremely important for the Tarot, and we get two statements in a row about this.

"There's not a single assassin who reveals their Stand to people. The only time that they reveal it is when they or their opponent is dying. Everyone knows the weaknesses of you people, whose Stands are known to people." -Devo, at the end of the first

"That (the knowledge) alone, I can't tell you. I have pride. - I remember now! Death, Empress, Hanged Man, and the Emperor. - I really don't know! Stand users don't reveal their powers to others, that'd expose their weaknesses." - Rubber Soul, who did know the appearance, vague abilities, and identity of J Geil, as well as his murder of Sherry.

Silence is extremely valued among the Tarot- however, rumors of others circulate among the Tarot, so it can already be inferred that there's information leaks.

It goes without saying that Hol Horse is probably a huge culprit for some of those leaks- out of all of them, he's the user who defaults to acting with a partner, so he's naturally the one has the highest likelihood of actually seeing someone using their Stand without being the one to fight him.

Enya's someone with a huge base of knowledge, as well as the ability to send out and hire assassins.

That said, the Tarot are exceptionally tight lipped. Avdol isn't excluded form this statement, either.

Assuming that Rubber Soul can be taken at his word, he himself didn't actually know of any individuals who were after them. Furthermore, he only knew any level of detail about the Hanged Man.

We know for sure that Avdol knew of: The Tower, the Devil, Judgement, and the High Priestess, then could feasibly have been in a past confrontation with the Emperor- this is literally everyone who was after them while Avdol was present, outside of the Hanged Man and the two Stands who literally rely on water.

However, he seems to disclose on a need-to-know basis. I understand that this is just storytelling, but like, in-universe, people like Polnareff and Jotaro repeatedly try to drag information out of defeated assassins. Avdol literally has more knowledge than two of those assassins, combined.

This isn't only because he's not sure if they're coming after them, either. Most of the Tarot who he knows about are explicitly mass murderers or mercenaries. He has very good reason to suspect they'll be coming.

However, here's a part of Rubber Soul's quote: "I still have pride." The word he actually uses is "hokori," which is the exact same word that Avdol uses as a compliment when he says that it'd be a shame to kill Polnareff.

Avdol has a very strong moral compass and sense of pride, which we already know doesn't always work to his benefit. It's very possible that, even in the wake of everything that the assassins have done, he limits his disclosures until he knows, 100%, that they're being targeted by these people.

However!

I don't think he likes doing this.

When Dio encounters Avdol 4 months before the plot starts, he says, "I've heard you have a special power that normal people don't have. It'd make me happy if you showed it to me, a little." Creepy lip licking

Dio went for Kakyoin's survival instinct and Polnareff's desire for revenge. IN contrast, on the surface it literally just looks like he showed up on Avdol's doorstep like "Hey :) I'm Hot."

I think, considering Avdol's circumstances, it's very possible that Avdol was just skilled at hiding things about himself, so Dio literally had to just spitball on that front. It's helped by the fact that even 4 months prior to the plot starting, it's only in the first couple episodes that Dio was like "... The Joestars... they've Found me >:("

Could be that Avdol is just very good at making himself obscure- at this point, it looks like Dio didn't actually know that Avdol was working with the Joestars.

That said! The fact that Dio explicitly asks for Avdol to show him Magician's Red is interesting in the light of the fact that knowledge is heavily curated among the Tarot. You don't show people your Stand! You don't tell people about who you might've seen. When you are showing off your Stand, it's usually because things are getting violent.

Dio's words immediately step right on that convention. He comes out of the gate asking to be shown Magician's Red, stating that he'd be "happy" if it was shown to him.

Avdol's pretty vocally distressed about the fact that he was drawn to Dio. He states that he recognized him "immediately," but took a moment to flee, and the fleshbuds actually move a lot slower than they did towards Kakyoin and Polnareff. He also admits that if he hadn't recognized Dio as quickly as he did, he might not have made it.

If Dio wasn't just chucking an approach at the wall, I think he was not only trying to exploit Avdol's desire for companionship (he was like. definitely doing that, which. hm. eugh), he was trying to use Avdol's dislike for the fact that silence is inextricably linked to a sense of "honor and pride" when it comes to the Tarot. He asks to be shown.

There's multiple examples of Avdol kind of forcing himself to back off of something when he's distressed about it: Jotaro pulling the bud, Polnareff leaving ("I'm just disappointed in him"), the D'Arby fight, holding Polnareff back from going after D'Arby the Younger, and trying to promise that Polnareff and he won't save each other.

If Avdol was withholding information about the Tarot, I think there's a pretty decent chance that he was very conflicted about so.

Other Indications That Avdol Has That Caution Towards Knowledge

He uses a lot of fake outs, feigns injuries, and obscures how strong his Stand is- he does this with both Polnareff and Cameo. That's very smart, because it lets you still hide your Stand ability while you're in combat. It lets you get away with still having cards up your sleeve.

In the Hanged Man episode, he's like "The enemy knows about you. You say you've lived alone, but from this point on you can't win alone." Avdol shares the awareness that people knowing about Silver Chariot is the reason why Polnareff's at a severe disadvantage from this point on.

Avdol is a contrast to this! Despite the enemy knowing about them, Cameo never knew the extent of Avdol's strength. While watching Avdol gear up Crossfire, Polnareff goes, "It's coming. You're going to show your real power- interesting, I'll stand and take it." Even deployed by Dio, Polnareff didn't know the true extent of what Avdol was capable of. He also never knew about the sensor! That said, he knew Magician's Red likes a lot of room.

Avdol tells Polnareff about the multiple versions of Crossfire, but states that he's "sharing a secret" in exchange for Polnareff being transparent about Chariot.

All of this is pretty indicative of Avdol being about as cautious as you can get.

Furthermore: Avdol believes that some people are too evil to let live, hates bystander death, and is aware of the Tarot. However, he uses "heard of" most of the time and didn't know the extent of a lot of those assassins' abilities, which indicates that he hasn't actually fought some of them.

My gut feeling is that Avdol stays away from fights where he can't set the board, prior. All the Tarot enemies like doing this- Tower attacks in an area where high maneuverability + small size are augmented by lots of areas to hide and a room too small to act as freely as it can.

High Priestess attacked them in a submarine, where again, small space and high maneuverability are augmented by Everything Is Made Of Metal Good Luck, and they're surrounded by minerals even if they can escape.

Judgement attacked an isolated, bereaved individual. Divide and conquer is a strategy that all of them like, unless they can pull off an AoE or have something like the Lovers or Death 13 going on.

Experienced Stand Users Like Rigging The Game.

Avdol is zero stranger to tactical retreat. Magician's Red could have annihilated the flesh buds, but Avdol bolted because he didn't know what Dio's Stand could do, and he wasn't taking the risk.

He didn't want to respond to the provocation of the Hanged Man, he suggests distancing from Bastet until they leave her range, Devil's ability is probably why he didn't attack. When Priestess attacks, he immediately prioritizes getting the hell out of the room (which actually almost gets him attacked).

He prevents Polnareff from jumping after D'Arby, and tries to make Polnareff promise to abandon him if it's tactically disadvantageous, and states that he will do the same.

Often, his emotions work against him in these circumstances. Both times that he tried this with Polnareff, Avdol couldn't bring himself to follow through. He almost attacked Tower in the damn plane when he saw the murders.

So once again, I don't think Avdol necessarily likes the fact that this is the best fighting style. Not picking a fight you're not sure on is actually very smart- if he went all out against someone who got away, that's an instant information bleed. If he was killed, he can't do anything to them in the future. Those are very good reasons for playing it safe.

Still: Polnareff calling Avdol a coward seemed to really hit him where it hurt. Even though Avdol defends himself by saying that his ability to back off is what will allow them to win, his immediate reaction shows that hearing that from a friend badly stung.

In The Absence of Information

Egyptian God Time. In the wake up everything I went over in this godforsaken post!

The Gods were like. Probably Avdol's nightmare scenario? During this period, Avdol is very thrown off kilter, and it shows.

First of all: we can already gather that Avdol doesn't really pick fights that he can't win when he has the option (or isn't emotionally overwhelmed). With the Gods, he's basically been cornered into a situation that he would never have put himself in if it weren't for the Joestars.

The thing is, we can see him trying to act like he would have in the first half: he makes a good, swift calculation on how to counter N'Doul, and he was literally 0.5 seconds from winning that one in the first five minutes of that fight. N'Doul got very lucky.

The Bastet fight is a pretty solid indicator of how off balance Avdol gets in a fight where he's not confident. He looks to guidance, he walks right onto the railroad track, and he goes along with things that he's uncertain of. I don't think this is out of character, because you see stuff like this in real, very competent people:

On these occasions that when Avdol is that off balance, he'll act in ways that he wouldn't if he was in his element. This is pretty common with people who are very acclimated to a high pressure environment (idk what that's called but)! Healthcare workers come to mind because that's the field I work in and grew up with, but you'll see a looooot of that.

For example! Raised by an ER nurse who wanted to move to another speciality, literally no one wanted him to leave because he was one of the best nurses there for 20 years. The same guy walked around with his arm gone almost numb and in enough pain to not be able to move his neck when he was at home.

I've done very similar, I've seen people do very similar, this is a thing that happens. Not everyone does this, but some people who are incredibly skilled under pressure will just not do as well when they're winging it.

Current coworkers, EMS workers, chef coworkers when I was a cook, etc etc, that's just how some people are. Autism can also contribute: masking is an assembly of various traits that I imitate, but when I'm in a situation where those traits lose their function/aren't working in that environment, I'm functionally a paperweight?

PTSD is also a contributor: coping mechanisms work in one situation, but they can lose function or even turn against you when you are removed from it. This is why I'm fine in an OR, but need to actively regulate my breathing in the fucking shopping mall.

Avdol is highly adept at dealing with Stand users in the circumstances that he's used to. He wouldn't have put himself in this situation if he had the option, he stayed by obligation, and it's going pretty poorly. Like. Imagine springing this on a neurosurgeon: "Surprise! Do this fucking coronary bypass graft! You lack context and information, you didn't expect this to happen (he didn't: all the Tarot were dead), and By The Way You Are On A Timer Someone's Life Is At Stake. Have fun!"

That's basically what's been done to Avdol, and it makes me twitchy just thinking about it.

Then there's the D'Arby fight- very stressful! We also see him actually exercising appropriate caution once again- he tells Jotaro to be ready with Star Platinum (the fastest of their Stands) while Polnareff is busy trying to Solve Cat Food.

Additionally, Avdol is aware of how disadvantaged they are: this is probably why he tries to push the "we can't save each other" thing on himself and Polnareff. He's already very conscious of the fact that everyone is at a severe disadvantage.

So yeah! Wrapping up the knowledge analysis with the statement that I think the second half of Jojo's was literally Avdol's fucking nightmare circumstance.

Next up is Polnareff, and why his bond with Avdol is so poignant in the wake of all of this context.

[boydykedevo]

I need your amber thoughts. I miss her I miss my wife tails-

BUT MY AIM IS GETTING BETTER

Sorry couldn’t resist andbkajsdb

Uhhh not 100% sure where to start lol but. I guess I’ll go with angsty thoughts, that’s kinda my bread and butter

I think Amber’s angst potential is right up there with Devo, they’re both really hurt people, she’s just less obvious about it. (I mean, I don’t think anyone in Founder’s Wake is really unaffected by the apocalypse. Even if you didn’t live through it, all the adults around you did, and you grow up hearing about a world that you’ll never get to experience*. It’s a transgenerational trauma. She also has all the stuff from her childhood with Shret but I’m blanking on that right now and I’m too lazy to open her wiki page lol)

Back on the shoreside, I think she fell in with Joshy’s crew mostly as a distraction. Can’t just sit there waiting for the world to end, might as well find a way to feel useful. Might as well find some camaraderie. You don’t have to think about it if you have some sort of purpose.

And since then, that hasn’t really changed. She lived through what’s probably the biggest life changing event possible, I think she clings to the stability Joshy and the finners offer. Big changes to her life stress her out. She has her purpose, so she doesn’t have to think about it. She gets snappy with Devo when he’s rude to Joshy because Joshy and what he represents is vital to her.

A while ago I called her a protagonist with just some guy syndrome, and that’s kinda what I meant; she just wants to go about her life in more or less the same way she’s been doing for the last 25 years, but she keeps ending up a protagonist.

*Okay actually now I’m imagining Devo and Zoox asking her about the surface and it kinda dredges up those feelings she mostly tries to ignore… the thought that not only is her world gone, but they, and so many other people too, aren’t even going to understand. I always linger on this one throwaway line in the Menagerie about how Devo wouldn’t recognize the animals cuz he never lived on the surface. Like, even the memory of the surface is dying out, and I think that would be a pretty sobering realization for Amber. She doesn’t let herself think about the surface much, so she still has a hefty amount of grieving left to do. That’s kinda tangential, but. Much to think about.

God uh. Does that work akshkajsnsks

[dynamoe]

All the Billy Quizboy & Pete White narrative and backstory asks to date (because tumblr wouldn't let this be pasted into the index without crashing)

❓→ Does Li'l Billy believe in Santa? ❓→ Billy vs. the Barely Legal? (from AO3) ❓→ What are the Conjectural Pokémans? ❓→ What's happening in the stories next? ❓→ "pete eroticism when 🤔" ❓→ Billy as a Catboy? 😸 ❓→ Does Pete listen to DEVO? ❓→ Third Wave Ska & Swing? ❓→ Does Billy like Beat Happening? (from Instagram) ❓→ Pete White's criminal record? ❓→ How can they afford so many outfits? ❓→ What about Pete's childhood? ❓→ Are they too mean to each other?

⁉️→ ask your own questions here

→ go to the Billy Quizboy & Pete White index

... I think that's all of them.

⁉️→ ask your own questions here

← 2021 ← 2022 ← 2023 Failures of Science

[jojo-hut-jrs]

because i love these types of questions, what are the qualities fake tennille, devo and steely dan would look for in a s/o vs the qualities they'd actually need in a s/o (ofc some can overlap). assuming these walking shells of human beings can ever be in a romantic relationship but i mean if dario brando did it anyone can

Everyone deserves love….

Impostor captain tennille:

-So, given his sparse villainous character (and the one, singular fanfic I was able to find on him), I tend to view him as a bit of a prideful dickhead but more matured and subtle then some of the other, more openly obnoxious stand users (cough rubber soul cough). I think he’s the type of person that likes a partner that’s a bit…weaker? Smaller in height and build, little more reversed and meek in personality. Hate to say it but he has a bit of a daddy thing going on, probably would be an ok sugar daddy ngl. He just likes the dynamic for its appeal, so he tends to gravitate towards it for flings and doesn’t end up forming deeper relationships.

-What he needs is…actually exactly what he already has, he just needs to stick around long enough for the relationship to develop into something more mutually respectable. I think he does well having someone to take care of and protect, and over time it can change his bevhaior to be a bit more responsible and compassionate. I think a partner that is willingly to not give in right away and be a little defensive or hardheaded might be good for him as well.

Devo:

-He’s a simplistic man with simplistic tastes. He likes ‘em hot, ready, and agreeable. Most of his action is one night stands found at a bar and then never spoken to again. Is rarely the type of person to seek out a persons company continuously, though if prompted he often gives the same response. He’s self centered and fun loving, his ideal partner would be a mix between a best friend a trophy girlfriend, both his pleasure and a sign of his pride.

-What he NEEDS is a goddamn reality check, but someone keen on playing mind games works as well. I’ll admit, I do not see any relationship with him starting off on good grounds, but eventually, if you play your cards right, it can settle into something a bit more normal. The key is to not give in or back down, play the defense instead of the offense, and let him think that he’s making all the moves. He needs a partner that is willing to put in the time to learn him and work with him instead of against him.

Steely Dan:

-Once again, very much a shallow man in terms of what he looks for in a partner, though he also holds himself to higher standards and is very unwilling to be met in the middle. Aside from the obvious looks, he seeks out intelligence and cleanliness, and he will not falter if someone does not meet the criteria. He likes to think he’s looking for someone exactly like himself, so cunningness and a similar outlook on life often grabs his attention. A femme fatale most likely?

-What he needs most is honesty. He thinks he’s fine playing the game for as long as he needs, constantly going back and forth with a partner on slickness and quips, but at that rate their little playful competitiveness can turn into open hostility. What he needs is a partner that is not playing along with his game, and while he might try to goad them on and off, over time it will force him to relax and he will be grateful for the opportunity to have a safe space and someone he can actually trust in full.