#When you’re literally a comedian for a living

[lawbreaker13]

I’m not like a Smosh fan, I just watch some Smosh videos sometimes and follow literally only Shayne on Instagram and I thought that the photos were absolutely hysterical. Like I haven’t been thinking about it much today, I mentioned it to someone and we laughed about it, but suddenly I was like “oh shoot, tumblr’s gotta have some thoughts, huh?” and then lo and behold it’s trending. Hilarious.

Guys, stop caring if it’s real or not. They’re actual people and you need to chill. I didn’t know how absolutely psychotic Smosh fans got about all this. It’s seriously bonkers.

All we need to know is that Shayne Topp and Courtney Miller are two of the funniest people on earth. That’s it.

Now breathe.

[alphajocklover]

I've grown....tired of my life. Like, it's the same pointless thing day after day. Caring so much about making the world better. I work a sad little non profit. Living in the big city and making little money. I haven't been on a date with a gay in over a year. Straight guys have it so much easier. Sometimes I wish I was more like them...dumb... obnoxious and loud...always having some crude joke....hehe....that'd be fun...to be some loudmouth hot as hell straight comedian or some famous straight actor who could get away with whatever he wanted because he was dumb, hot and young. Like maybe a lean muscular dude or a big bodybuilding buff guy. It wouldn't matter just as long as you make me some obnoxious hot straight asshole.

You say you’re tired of your life… but I don’t think tired is the right word. The word tired suggests you‘ve used up all your energy, that you’ve reached the end of your endurance and need to stop. That’s not what’s happening here. You aren’t tired, you’re restless. It’s not that you’ve used up all your energy, it’s that you haven’t used any of it. You’ve been standing still, living the same life the same way for too long now, and now all that energy you were supposed to be using to be a real man has built up so much you’re about to burst, and as silly as it sounds I’m not speaking in metaphors. Masculinity has its own, literal, actual energy.

Not much is known about it. It’s been called a number of things throughout the years, one of the best known and crudest nicknames being ‘Big Dick Energy’. But what we do know is that it’s real, and you’ve built up quite a lot of it. That happens sometimes, when someone generates said energy but doesn’t actually use it by doing anything manly. See, every guy generates some, jocks generate a lot, sissys generate a little, and most people use just as much as they generate. But not you. You haven’t been using any of your energy, so it’s built up inside you and now… it’s going to burst out. From what you’ve told me it seems like you’re already experiencing the first symptoms. An urge to act manly, toxic and obnoxious. But that’s just the beginning. Soon the buildup will become too much, and it’ll take over.

The transformation will be almost instant. You’ll beef up, dumb down, and lose yourself in pure, toxic masculinity. It’ll come off of you in waves, and you’ll feel like it’s the greatest high of your life. But like every high it won’t last forever. Eventually, probably after a few weeks of fucking sluts and beating up nerds, you’ll run out of energy and go back to you’re regular self, probably confused and strangely horny. That doesn’t mean you’ll never see your straight douchebag self again. Once you’re overloaded by masculine energy once, it’s easier for it to happen again. Not only that, the next time it happens it’ll happen longer.

You could try to keep it from happening again. Do something manly regularly, something simple like watching sports or working out. Or you could let it happen again. Keep turning into a straight jock for longer and longer, until eventually you completely overload on it and end up like that permanently. Whatever choice you make, I’m sure you won’t be tired of your life anymore.

[discotenny]

Bite sized bits - vol 1

Some quick short headcanons that couldn’t be made into a larger post! Some are yume, some are just character centric. Enjoy!

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Doppo and his buster bro?

Doppo has constant thoughts of not being a good role model for his younger brother. It’s never mentioned how old he is, but especially if he's school aged- I imagine he doesn't visit home often due to the concern of being a "disappointing" older brother.

Despite his concerns though, Doppo's sibling thinks he's the coolest person in the whole world.

Life360 but you're the parent

You’re on the Yamada bro’s family tracker LMAO. Ichiro says you don’t have to turn your location on, but he wanted you to be on it in case anything happened to Saburo or Jiro and he couldn’t be there.

Jiro unfortunately uses it to beg to bring home food whenever he sees that you and Ichi are at a restaurant together.

Grocery shopping with Sasara is a literal process

He keeps wandering off into different isles, always seemingly on the other side of the store. Use that ‘clip a balloon to your partner’ life hack thing cause it’s the only way you’re finding him on your own.

Whenever he does appear though, he’s always sneaking items into the cart, trying not to have you notice. And they’re always EXPENSIVE TOO !! He’s got that famous comedian salary so he excuses it by saying he can afford it- but this man is not cost efficient in the slightest.

Ichi's older brother

Ichiro used to call Samatoki in as a babysitter for Jiro and Saburo back in their TDD days. Whenever he had a client to go to, needed to run errands, or simply just wanted a day to chill- Samatoki was always on speed dial.

Nemu would also come along! The bros thought she was 100% cooler than Toki in every way LMAO

I will live and die with Ramuda basement Dice

Ramuda will never kick Dice out of his basement!! No matter the circumstances, whether you move in, bills start raising, or even if you and Dice don’t get along- he has a home with Ramuda as long as he needs it.

Honestly if you ask him to kick his friend out that might be a deal breaker for your relationship

Jakurai wants a HOMEE

You starting your relationship with Jakurai is what compels him to start looking for a house. He was perfectly fine with a small apartment when it was just him- but with you in the picture he feels it’s time to start planning for a more permanent and stable future.

Doppo needs to stop accidentally sending disses to his boss

Doppo uses your private messages as his personal notes app sometimes. He’ll write down a to do list, ideas for rap verses, or just type keysmash when things get a little too stressful.

He doesn’t expect you to respond to any of his messages but when you do, whether giving him feedback or encouragement, he always gets super flustered.

Jiro's scandal

Jiro thinks that nobody knows about his secret relationship with you- but literally everyone knows HAHAHAHA. Saburo saw him holding hands with you one day and he told Ichiro about it- who then fawned about his lil bro growing up to anyone who asked how they were doing- and well, news certainly spreads quickly when it’s about the golden boys of Ikebukuro.

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Thought of these while trying to draft up fic concepts LOL. Hope these bide time in between posts- thank u for reading !!

[zahri-melitor]

Because I’m a sucker for a good bootleg, I watched the Stephanie J. Block and Annaleigh Ashford Wicked mentioned in the post I reblogged earlier.

And as advertised, it is delightfully handsy. And not just between Elphaba and Glinda - both of them also spend a lot of time touching Fiyero.

And because they’re all always standing in each other’s space, and reaching out to touch each other, and hanging onto each other’s hands, it accelerates the romance of the entire show.

They managed to make As Long As You’re Mine hugely romantic (when it can often be a bit of a throwaway song for me). Amazing how the chemistry goes through the roof when the couple singing it are literally getting married in two weeks. It is INTIMATE. That’s not stage kissing!

And aside from grabbing each other to seriously make out three times (‘Kiss me too fiercely’ was clearly taken as a stage direction with enthusiasm), my favourite moment is actually when Elphaba looks down at how they’re gripping each other and picks up Fiyero’s hand in hers and desperately kisses his palm several times, before folding his hand in hers.

They keep grabbing back onto each other. Fiyero lets go for a moment to wave his hands to illustrate ‘under your spell’ and Elphaba immediately slaps his hands for teasing her and finishes the motion by grabbing back on to his hands with both of hers so he doesn’t do it again.

There’s a clear orgasm moment for Elphie and my brain keeps repeating ‘with my body I thee worship’ as I watch them sing. They’re stroking each other so often I’m not shocked Fiyero’s face ends up green; I’m shocked his hands and arms aren’t bright green too up to the elbow.

Unlike some versions, Fiyero is not a placeholder Elphaba and Glinda are squabbling over to transfer their emotions to an acceptable target. It is instead very much poly (though the Glinda/Fiyero side still plays pretty beardlike ��we’re protecting the person most important to us’)

And oh god Glinda and Elphaba meeting the Wizard IS played all the way through as Elphie introducing her girlfriend to her father. The bit where Elphie desperately beckons Glinda and she flits over to stand right by Elphaba’s side, and Elphie holds her hand in clasped hand pressed against her boob while pulling her into her side with her hand around her waist? Tapping her fingers against her side with nervousness like she’s fighting to prevent herself from grabbing hold harder? Letting go for a moment only for Glinda to reach back out, Elphie to stack her hands on Glinda’s shoulder possessively and about to tuck her chin on there too, while Glinda reaches up and covers them with one of hers?

Gaaaaaah.

(Popular was great, too, of course, and basically Glinda realising she can invade Elphie’s personal space now, as she constantly kept dropping down to sit far too close and leaning in to touch her. It’s not my ultimate version - Courtney Monsma in the recent Aus run is the most gifted physical comedian I’ve ever seen in the role and I couldn’t stop laughing - but it’s pretty damn good)

Watching through reminded me immediately that my first reaction to the movie was that it was good but…missing the magic of the show. The lines in the movie often hit like they’re trying too hard to explain the joke. It’s very calculated. It knows it’s a spectacle, and it’s missing things like how timing makes the joke in a bunch of scripted lines, because it hits different filmed and cut than it does live.

(It’s also just vocally not as impressive)

I’m glad there IS a filmed version for general release so people can legally watch it easily. But oh, it’s written to be seen live and it’s so much more compelling that way.

[love-kurdt]

Swooping, Sloping, Cursive Letters: 26

word count: 454

PLEASE READ THIS IS ME TRYING FIRST, AS THIS STORY RELIES HEAVILY UPON THE CONTEXT OF TIMT

August 15, 1989

Dear Will,

When I look into your eyes, I see the rest of my life. Poetic, I know. It kind of came out of nowhere. You know I’m not much of a poetry kind of guy, I’m more of a storyteller, but the thought hit me in a dream I had about you, and I just had to write it down in one of these letters.

God, that makes me sound like a creep. I have only pure intentions, I swear. Actually, that’s kind of a lie. Because we’re all aware by now that having feelings for a boy while being a boy myself is impure. But honestly, I think I’m physically incapable of giving a fuck because when I’m with you, all of the bullshit fades away. It’s just you, me, and your eyes. They’re so green. I look into your eyes and see us, but older. I see myself in your arms, curled up against your chest at night, huddled under blankets for warmth during the chillier months. I see you getting up before me, because Coffee and Contemplation, obviously, and standing at the kitchen counter as I walk up behind you, wrapping my arms around you and faceplanting into your shoulder. I see us holding hands as we walk down the sidewalks of some big city– maybe Chicago, or New York, or San Fran. 

That was what my dream was about, actually. We were walking home from some music festival, and we arrived at our apartment (our apartment!!! crazy) at, like, one in the morning. We got inside, and you shut the door behind us. But then, you grabbed me by the hand, turned me around, pushed me against the door, and pulled me down to kiss me. It was madness. I distinctly remember telling you that I loved you, multiple times, and you could only smile. I think it was difficult for my brain to get you to say something you’ve never told me in real life. Which kind of makes sense. And I know it will never happen. But a guy can dream. Literally. Haha. I’m a comedian. Someone send me to Zany’s, I’d make a killing.

All jokes aside, that dream confirmed once again that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Which, like, is such a daunting thing for many, many reasons. You don’t like me back. We live in a world where that can’t happen. I can never say any of this to you out loud. Only in letters that you’ll never see. So you’re just gonna have to bear with this lovelorn idiot on paper. You won’t, actually… enough with the logistics, though. I love you.

Love,

Mike

-

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[b4adb4tcher]

Reddie Fic Recs

Okay so these are the ones I go back to and reread constantly!! All listed have multiple chapters, impeccable grammar/structure, and RIDICULOUSLY good characterization/dialogue. Theyre also all located on AO3. My obsession is too late for peak fandom interactions so these are what keep my hyper fixation alive.

1. In The Heat Of The Summer (You’re So Different From The Rest) by Kaboomslang

There’s a heatwave in L.A., the first time Richie sees Eddie naked.

Or

One very hot year in the life of two idiots in love, working shit out.

It is so so so so fucking good I can’t stand it. It’s an Eddie Lives AU that is 15 Chapters and 109,525 words of pining and comfort and beauty. Eddie comes to stay with Richie in LA after the events of It Chapter 2. Literally my only complaint is that Stan stays dead however the characterization of everyone and the way the writer handles their grief more than made up for it.

2. A Strange Sense of Familiarity by Katranga

“So Eddie, what brings you to the bar tonight?" Richie asked. "Gonna rebound from the divorce? Pick up a hot young twenty-something to feel young again?”

“Fuck you,” Eddie said, jutting his chin forward. “What a terrible way to ruin the mood.”

“I’m sorry, all my moods are poorly cultivated. What mood were you looking for?”

A nervous lump grew in Eddie's throat. He threw back his drink to get rid of it.

Hand wrapped around the glass he’d just slammed back onto the bar, he said, “The mood that gets me leaving with a schlubby forty-something.”

--

Pre-chapter two, Eddie and Richie meet and don't remember each other, but have an instant connection anyway...

This may be my favorite fic of all time. This is a Canon Divergence AU where Richie and Eddie meet at a bar prior to the events of It Chapter 2 and start sleeping together. Eddie is divorced so there’s no infidelity storyline (which I appreciate) HOWEVER Richie is still famous and in the closet so there’s still the secret love affair storyline (that I love). The characterization is literally perfect, it has amazing dialogue, and my boy Stan is alive and involved. The OCs are so so good too and I’m beyond obsessed with all the thought the author obviously put into it.

3. Sweeter By The Hour by Katranga

rich. 25. i can be your angle 😇... or yuor devil 😈

Edward. 38. Please don’t call me daddy.

--

Richie’s a struggling standup comedian slash bartender with a side hustle of sexting rich guys for cash. Eddie is recently divorced, recently out, and reluctant to dive into either the dating or hookup scene. He decides to give Sugr, a 'dating app with no commitment', a shot.

Katranga NEVER MISSES. Even though the losers club is in a completely different universe, the characterization and dialogue is so them that it scratches every itch in my brain. This is such a funny and adorable AU I would recommend to anyone that needs a break from the high stress and extremely high stakes of the traditional It Universe.

4. Here In Your Arms by kaspbrak_kid

Richie had no idea what to expect when Stan and Patty asked him to be their daughter's godfather, but it definitely wasn't becoming the part-time dad to a newborn.

This fic makes me cry like a bitch in the best way possible. This is a several years later fic in a Eddie and Stan Lives AU where Richie becomes godfather to Stan and Patty’s firstborn. This is so so special to me because it perfectly preserves The Loser’s Club dynamics in a safe environment and gives me all the found family warm fuzzies I so desperately need. As usual the characterization is phenomenal and Richie and Eddie’s relationship throughout this fic is so so special to me.

5. Richie Tozier’s Five-Step Mission in Getting Over His Childhood Sweetheart by MissDinahDarling

Alternatively: five times Richie tries to get over Eddie and the one time he gets under him instead.

This fic is so so fucking funny I love everything about it. Its also a Stan and Eddie Live AU and thehe dialogue and losers club dynamics are so so funny. I love seeing little snippets of how the losers lives are moving on and especially appreciate that Bev and Ben didn’t move as quickly as some fics do. Richies denial and stupidity are so relatable and its an extremely comforting read.

6. River by Unicornpoe

The thing—the thing is that Eddie hasn’t seen Richie in nearly five years.

They’ve gotten good at avoiding each other. They alternate holidays and get-togethers, only showing up when they’re sure the other won’t be present. They’re still in the same fucking city but Eddie makes sure to shop on the other side of town from their old place where Richie still lives, makes sure not to go to any of Richie’s favorite restaurants or bars or cafes or goddamn park benches. Eddie doesn’t join in on the Losers’s group FaceTime sessions when he knows Richie’ll be joining, and Richie does the same for him.

They couldn’t make their relationship work, but they’re fucking experts at being exes.

*

Eddie goes to spend the holidays at Bill and Mike's cabin in Vermont, and is surprised when Richie is already there. Things get worse when they're snowed in alone. Things get even more worse when Eddie remembers that he's still in love with him.

This fic gives me the most acute sense of profound longing I’ve ever had in my life. The EXTREMELY angsty hurt/comfort au I’ve ever read in my life. Not extremely inclusive of the rest of The Losers Club, but it hits hard.

7. This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) by camerasparring

Just as the last car is passing them, Prince Charming makes a snuffling noise and Eddie freezes, still pressed on top of him. He’s suddenly aware of every single place they’re touching, and Eddie thanks the brutal Chicago cold - there’s no way he could pop a boner when it’s this freezing. God, he hates himself.

The man opens his eyes for a moment and looks directly into Eddie’s eyes. Eddie’s mouth hangs open. He tries to smile, but he doesn’t think he achieves it. Instead, he swallows and says:

“Merry Christmas.”

The guy passes back out without a word.

__

or, the While You Were Sleeping AU no one asked for. Set Christmas 1995 and the gang is late 20's/early 30's

I read this before ever even hearing of the movie While You Were Sleeping. While the movie is now one of my favorites, it is absolutely nothing compared to the hilarious romcom of this fic. Found family! Secrets! Drama! Stan the mother fucking man! It is so so good and gives me all the good feelings the holidays provide whenever I read it.

8. Scratch On The Moon by Vulcanodon

Eddie Kraspbak has put aside his old life for good. He drives a stagecoach now and keeps to himself- his days of running with the Denbrough gang are long gone. But when two old friends show up and tell him they have unfinished business back in Derry, Eddie can’t resist the chance to put a final nail in the coffin of the past…and maybe find out why Richie broke his promise all those years ago.

“I’ll take left if you take right,” Eddie calls out but when he looks over Richie isn’t even firing his gun; he’s looking at Eddie with a strange, unreadable expression on his face.

“What is it?” Eddie asks, panicking. “Are you hit?”

“No,” Richie says, “I just. I just wanted you know. That I…that I feel the same way.”

“What?” Eddie asks, totally lost. A bullet whistles past his ear.

“I mean I...” Richie says, as if he’s struggling to get it out. “I feel the same way about you. I mean. That I always did.”

“Could we maybe postpone this conversation?” Eddie says, having to yell over the gunfire. “To a time when we aren’t getting shot at?”

Are you gay? Is longing and the tragedy of wasted time your guilty pleasure? Did you read River by Unicornpoe and want more? Do you like westerns? READ THIS FIC AND COME TALK TO ME IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!

9. You Ain’t Nothing But A Hound Dog (And They Call It Puppy Love) by Fluffifullness

Okay, Richie, so you’ve just been Shaggy Dog’d, you’re either kicking it in the weirdest of all possible afterlives or you never died and the sewer clown is punking you. What next?

(or: Eddie makes it out of Derry, gets a divorce, and adopts a dog.)

Richie gets “Shaggy Dog’d” after he sacrifices himself for Eddie during the events of It Chapter 2. Grief, pining, and Richie’s internal monologue being fucking hilarious. And STAN LIVES!!!!!!

10. Thanks For Pudding Up With Me by Mooeydooey

Eddie Kaspbrak was once one of the most influential professional chefs in New York. After an unfortunate incident in his kitchen, he loses his job and most of his earnings. Down on his luck, with no where else to go, he accepts a job offer with the ragtag 'Prospect Test Kitchen' in Boston.

What starts as a small passion project, making cooking tutorials online, becomes a lot more complicated and bigger than they could ever imagine when Bill brings in a new addition to their team. A comedian with a shocking background and surprise talent for culinary arts: Richie Tozier.

Eddie's the only one who doesn't like the new recruit, but Bill bribes Eddie into giving Richie a chance. At the end of six months, Richie's contract will expire. Eddie will get to decide whether they offer him a contract renewal, or refuse to re-hire him.

Things are heating up in the Prospect street Test Kitchen! Will Eddie stick to his guns, and keep his dignity? Or will he get lost in the sauce?

SO FUCKING FUNNY!!! An absolutely genius buzzfeed-esque au that is exactly what I need when I want a laugh. My favorite parts are when they go into like a third person screenplay mode for describing the events in the videos. I cannot get enough of this enemies(?) to friends to lovers au and I’m so so glad it exists.

11. A Fistful of Coal Dust by Jay Auris (nighthawkms)

Eddie Kaspbrak usually works alone. For a bounty hunting mage, this is unheard of; dangerous, foolhardy. But for Eddie - stricken with a dangerous abnormality to his magic - it's the safest way to survive.

When a new bounty takes him to the backwater town of Derry, he's not expecting anything more than a hard job done right for good money. But Eddie's past is about to catch up with him, and Derry could face the consequences. He'll have to team up with a rag-tag bunch of misfits - a sheriff with too much on his shoulders, a tavern owner haunted by loss, and four other hunters with their own secrets and motivations - if he wants to survive.

And maybe, if he's lucky, he'll get an answer to the one question that's been bugging him since he got to Derry: Who is Richie Tozier, and what does he want from Eddie?

A super fun Steampunk-Western-Magic-Bounty Hunter AU that has the perfect ratio of action, drama, and intrigue. I have no idea how the author came up with such an amazing idea and how they were able to do so much incredible world building but I absolutely LOVE IT.

If anyone reads any of these fics I would love to talk about them and hear what you think! They’re all so so so special to me and stay on my fic rotation, so if y’all have any suggestions for me too I’m happy to check them out!

[allamericanb-tch]

you’re on your own kid

i just love this song. taylor swift is quite literally a mastermind.

lyrical analysis

the basic story of the song is about taylor growing up and the way that her desire to be accepted and loved manifests itself at different points in her life. it starts with her just wanting to be liked by her peers to wanting to be successful in her music.

verse 1 — the desire to be loved by a guy in her life, likely during her school years.

summer went away still the yearning stays

this is a response to the notion that something was just a "summer thing" (august reference??) and that after summer she would just get over the guy. but after summer ends, she still feels for him.

i play it cool with the best of them

this definitely isn’t the most important line, but it helps to paint the picture that taylor has idealized "the best of them" as a group of certain people and that she's trying to do the things that would make her seem aligned with them and how they behave.

i wait patiently he's gonna notice me it's okay, we're the best of friends anyway

this is a little “you belong with me” moment of pining after someone you're best friends with and telling yourself it's not a big deal because you're still friends but knowing deep down you wish it was more.

i hear it in your voice you're smoking with your boys i touch my phone as if it's your face

she's speculating on who he's with and what he's doing. he's on the phone with her but he’s high and with is friends. she touches her phone imagining what it would be like to touch him, but the only connection she has to him right now is phone calls where he isn’t presently engaged.

i didn't choose this town i dream of getting out there's just one who could make me stay all my days

this line parallels the song midnight rain (my town was a wasteland), and a little bit tis the damn season (the whole song). she isn’t satisfied with the town she's growing up in and would like to leave, but she holds back because of the possibility of being with this guy.

from sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes

i've heard a lot of different interpretations of this first line but it seems like it's basically just about the routine passage of time. from sprinklers in warm weather to fireplaces in cold weather, she's been on her own through it all. i think there could be some room for this idea of sprinklers being there to help things grow while a fireplace burns and destroys things, and life involves things being born and things dying. either way, life goes on, but no matter what point in life you're looking to, you (taylor) can't count on someone else to help her achieve your goals.

i waited ages to see you there i searched the party of better bodies just to learn that you never cared

very much "the moment i knew", of being in a crowded room looking for someone that you know well enough to care about being there but not close enough with to actually know if or when they'll arrive. taylor realizes the guy she's pining after never cared for her the way she did.

the better bodies line is pretty self explanatory but i think it's really impactful that it sounds like her body image issues started when she was younger, and group settings have long been a place for comparison.

you’re on your own kid

you always have been 

(will talk more about this later)

verse 2 —  discovery of songwriting and desire to be a performer.

i see the great escape so long, daisy may

so i googled the name daisy may of course, and there were some theories that it may be referring to daisy may cooper, or hinting at the name of blake lively and ryan reynolds's fourth baby. but neither of those really make sense to me in the context of that lyric. this specific line is intended to be something young taylor says back then, as in it was young taylor who bids farewell to daisy may, not the 2022 taylor. neither the actress/comedian nor an unborn baby of people she wasn't friends with then make sense in that context to me.

i think that it refers to margaret march from "little women" by louisa may alcott. margaret had two nicknames, meg for her family and daisy for her rich friends. (daisy was a common nickname for margaret in the 19th century). i absolutely love the 2019 greta gerwig film adaptation of little women, but i’ve never read the book and i know they have a lot of differences, so i’ve looked at some literature websites to aid with my research.

meg's character arc throughout the book is her dreaming of a rich husband, of the luxuries in life and her character development where she grows out of it. from all four of the sisters, meg is the most traditionally feminine - she's beautiful, and a proper good girl by the standards of that time, she's a romantic who wants to marry a man she loves, her rich prince charming. she has a phase where she mingles extensively with the affluent crowd who call her by the nickname daisy. however she soon realises the downside of that life, falls in love with a poor tutor and learns to appreciate the simpler pleasures of life, and has a happy married life with many kids. 

i think the young romantic girl from this song relates to this arc, wanted the same things for herself. however the boy she loves loves her not (more on this later) and she realises that the only reason keeping her in town was moot. she finds a different path, her art, and through that her great escape from the original life she had imagined for herself. i'm not sure if her choice of daisy instead of meg has any significance. as in whether she's saying so long to the version of meg who wanted luxuries and to be in rich circles.

this is kind of a stretch, but daisy may also sounds a little bit like dismay, and she's bidding adieu to dismay by escaping the town like she always dreamed.

but outside that context it might just be a reference to a name that talks about a pretty flower and the month of may and this idea of always needing to seem happy a cheerful, but songwriting has given her a cathartic way of being honest and not always people pleasing. this is emphasized by the image of picking petals off a flower and defacing its beauty. or i’m just way overthinking it.

i picked the petals, he loves me not something different bloomed

this is the whole "he loves me, he loves me not" thing people would do with flowers and she's come to the conclusion that he doesn't love her, and realizes that something else was more important to her.

writing in my room i play my songs in the parking lot i’ll run away

very literally she learns to spend her time alone in her room writing songs. she also literally played songs in parking lots at state fairs and the like. "i'll run away" connects to "great escape" as the means for her to get out of her town.

i called a taxi to take me there i search the party of better bodies just to learn that my dreams aren't rare

you're on your own, kid you always have been

i think that the taxi is mentioned because she either wasn't old enough to drive to her destination or would be drunk. she's at a party full of other aspiring singers, and she again does the "better bodies" self comparison, but also realizes that there are so many other people out there who have the dream that she does. because she knows that every other person seems to want to be a singer, she's on her own in standing out with this dream.

the bridge/outro — basically this climax of her career success and her reflection/advice when she thinks about all it took to get there. i think a lot of these lines are just one off sentences and not necessarily continuations of one another. (think the bridge of champagne problems. "november flush and your flannel cure" doesn't lead into "this dorm was once a madhouse.")

from sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes

i gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this

i hosted parties and starved my body like i'd be saved by a perfect kiss

the jokes weren't funny, i took the money

my friends from home don't know what to say i looked around in a blood-soaked gown and i saw something they can't take away

cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned everything you lose is a step you take

so make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it

so, the first time i listened to this song, i thought each line corresponded with one of her eras. 

from sprinkler splashes — debut

to fireplace ashes — fearless

i gave my blood sweat and tears for this — speak now 

i hosted parties — red

and starved my body, like i’d be saved by a perfect kiss — 1989

the jokes weren’t funny i took the money — reputation

my friends from home don’t know what to say — lover

there were pages turned — folklore

with the bridges burned — evermore

everything you lose is a step you take — midnights

i LOVE the way that this flips the story just a bit. she's now the one hosting the parties, which you would think would come from a place of feeling established and comfortable, but she's starved her body to try to be good enough, and she's realizing that she did all these things because of some kind of distorted fantasy of what a relationship might be.

i think the ending lines (i looked around in a blood soaked gown and i saw something they can’t take away) go together as the "they" pronoun seems to refer to "my friends." the blood soaked gown is definitely a carrie reference, like blood was poured on her and she was embarrassed and her friends have no idea how to relate to her experience, such as the incident at the VMAs. 

i also think there's a contrast she's making in that it seems her friends "don't know what to say" because of the "blood soaked gown" but meanwhile taylor is looking around and she's seeing something other than the blood soaked gown. this is back to "blood, sweat, and tears" where she has worked so hard that she's almost unrecognizable to the people she grew up with, but she's not concerned about the thing that's horrifying everyone else, since she can only see the accomplishments she's reached. the blood that makes people wanna look away is often what's necessary for us to reach our goals.

i love that she acknowledges that there were hardships (the aforementioned blood) but that with every failure or bump in the road it allows her to move forward and grow. "pages turned" as in your (her) story still progresses, "with the bridges burned," even when opportunities feel like they're closed. every time you feel like you've lost or fallen behind, that's just another step forward in your journey.

so make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it

this is probably my favorite line from this song. i just feel like there's such a tendency when you look back on your life, especially your youth, to roll your eyes and to feel like you wasted so much time being preoccupied with whatever thing. and someone hearing this song could definitely feel like taylor messed up by being obsessed with some guy in her town or telling bad jokes for a paycheck. but what taylor is saying here is that you don't need to live your life being paranoid about whether what you're doing is contributing to some ultimate goal, and if it isn’t, feeling like you’re wasting your life and losing so much time. she’s saying that everything that feels like a setback or a distraction at the time are the things that get us to where we need to be.

friendship bracelets are often seen as childish expressions of desires like "we'll be best friends forever!" when you're like 7 years old. and from someone like taylor who had a hard time making friends growing up, it could be really easy to say "yeah that doesn't matter just focus on your career." but what she's saying instead is do the childish things. do the stuff that matters to you in the moment. you don't need to feel like every decision you make is life or death. enjoy the journey, because the pages are turning no matter what.

you've got no reason to be afraid you're on your own, kid yeah, you can face this you're on your own, kid you always have been

turning the title on its head. being on your own seems like something scary and pessimistic but what she's saying is that's always how you're gonna be and you're gonna be okay because all you need is yourself to face the things you're gonna face. 

she also talks a lot about this in her speech at nyu. there are so many parallels between this song and her speech.

final thoughts 

this song is obviously a look back on her life, the disappointments and mistakes she's made over the years. from the first verse, it's very reminiscent to her debut and fearless eras. even in her singing style is nostalgic of her early days as a musician.

in the second verse, she alludes to escaping her hometown and shedding innocence. and apparently a “daisy may” is considered a nice and obedient girl (her apparent change of persona from speak now to red.) the picking petals from disappointment (being rejected) to something different blooming (her music) is just written so cleverly? i just love it.

i love how the instrumentation evolves along with the lyrics. at first, its so soft and simple. just the basics of an acoustic song. but piece by piece, detail and other instruments are added. you can actually chart this song and identify which era she's going through now with it.

in the second verse, more complex backgrounds are added, also more drums. in the chorus after that, the crescendo that they're building is more obvious.

i like to look at this song as one drawn out crescendo. you don't notice it at first because the changes are small and then it comes to a point where you can't ignore it anymore. this is the instrumentals before the bridge. we're so far away from the sound of the intro now that it’s almost a different song, if not for the same chords being used all throughout.

the drums in the instrumentals feel so reminiscent of out of the woods, just softer and less tribalistic. then the snare. it feels like a snap. we then get to the bridge and it feels so cathartic (we know taylor loves to write a cathartic bridge), like all of those pent up emotions are finally being released now. taylor's voice has also taken a fuller quality, her iconic layered background vocals that slowly gets louder. her tone is gradually getting more intense, and almost screaming in places, is really cathartic. everything at this point is now much louder than when we started. then it drops, with a peculiar buzzing sound. everything about this song is done so intentionally and so masterfully that it’s becoming one of my favorites from this album and maybe all her albums.

anyway, those are my takes. i love that supercut-esque jack antanoff synth before the final chorus.

actual final thoughts

you’re on your own kid isn’t for people with big friend groups. it’s for the people who felt like they never had a best friend, for people who have always struggled to make friends and keep them. it’s for those who cry on their birthday every year because they realize only a handful of people care about them. it’s for the people who have never been anyone’s number one and for the people who have never had someone be in love with them but yearn for romance so desperately. you’re on your own kid is for the people who have learned to be comfortable alone because they had no other choice. 

[namor-shuri]

Did you see that recent post about your page? Antis are so funny 😭

I’m crying because after I posted that meme post yesterday, I was scrolling through the Nashuri tag and then saw it 🥴 I literally made a dumb meme joking about Antis saying we need to be locked up, and didn’t realize someone literally said that hours prior. It doesn’t get better than that rofl. What’s sending me was their initial outrage of Nashuri [which babe, have you been living under a rock?], then the assumption that I romantically ship Tenoch & Tish from a quick bio glance, THEN after all of the ���horror” and “shock”, they proceed to not block me. You’re telling me you posted screenshots of you blocking my page to ultimately not…..block……me? Righhhhhhhttttttt *rubs temples*

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I literally don’t owe anyone this BUT this is for the folks that are new to my blog/Nashuri fandom/etc:

#1. Hey 💜 This is BOTH a Nashuri [Namor x Shuri] blog AND Tenoch Huerta + Letitia Wright appreciation blog. What does that mean? It means my blog is about anything related to A. Tenoch Huerta + his life/roles etc B. Letitia Wright + her life/roles etc and C. Their adorable dynamic together. It’s a hodgepodge of random stuff. One big ice cream shop where you can pick your flavor of choice. So Nashuri shippers interact with me, Namor fans, Shuri fans , Letitia, Tenoch and so on. You get the idea. I love how open-ended my page is and that’s why I made it that way in the first place. Everyone is welcome here and can walk away with a little bit of something. For being such a miscellaneous page, I would say the only “agenda” I push is Nashuri [it’s in my name]. The rest of my content is up to your own personal interpretation/assumptions. What you think I’m pushing or trying to say is all your take and your take alone, beloved. It has nothing to do with me.

#2. I admit that my mouth has gotten me in a little bit of trouble over the years lol. I was literally that little kid that came back with a report card with straight A’s that had a teacher’s note on the side saying “Talks too much in class”. I think and say shit ALL. THE. TIME rofl Yes, I sprinkle in deep rants and knowledgeable takes on my blog but I made this page to be a menace. I’m only here to be entertained. A majority of my page are jokes and tomfoolery. The complete opposite of “be for real”. How can I be when I’m literally shipping a fictional fish stick and a fictional woman in a cat suit?? 🤣 I’ve spoken about it before but I’m also an artist [my professional work is 1000% unrelated to this page/content lol] so alot of my page is also random graphics and stuff like that too. I love making y’all and myself laugh and it’s been enjoyable af interacting with you, especially the Nashuri fandom. Y’all are straight up comedians and say the funniest shit, which then makes me want to say even more wild shit and then it becomes a snowball effect lol. Thankfully I can tell a majority of you who do follow/interact with me are grown so you’ve picked up by now that most of my blog is A BIT. But unfortunately there’s always going to be a sprinkle of people who are clearly young, new here or just folks that don’t get my sense of humor whatsoever. And whichever category you fall under it’s okay, but babes there are a lot of 18+ jokes/comments on my page so if you are someone that is underage and or gets easily offended, please do yourself a favor and stay clear. I mean that in the nicest way possible.

#3. I wrote this on a reblog to someone’s post recently but I have a large portion of blogs blocked on the tags that I follow on here. Life has been ✨𝒷𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓈𝒻𝓊𝓁✨ ever since and it only takes .2 seconds out of your day to do it. So when I don’t see people utilize the block button, I just know their not being fr and are clearly bored. If you don’t like my content, block/mute me. Simple as that. Because chances are, I’ve probably already blocked you by now. And to the people I haven’t, I either A. enjoy/interact with the content you make or B. don’t care for it but you usually stay out of my lane and I stay out of yours so we just coexist. It’s that black and white. You don’t have to like what someone posts but what isn’t cool is bothering/targeting someone on an app strictly because of that. What are you five? This feels like a lesson we learned in elementary school. It’s not rocket science and it’s never that serious. The world does not revolve around you nor adhere to things only you deem okay. It’s much bigger than that. Get a grip, go drink some water, eat something and make sure to touch some grass today while you’re at it.

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Shout out to that page tho! I literally gained new followers after that, so…..thank you? 😅 What a time to be alive. But for real, ya’ll have been coming out of nowhere to support and it’s been super dope. I really appreciate all the love, especially for being such a new page. I’m looking forward to future shenanigans, continuing the fun and not taking shit too seriously per usual. Live your best life, folks. Don’t let anyone rain on your parade. Life is WAY too short for that.

Ps: To my new followers, check out the post pinned to my page here. It’s a great “intro” into the Nashuri fandom and or actors Tenoch Huerta / Letitia Wright. Some things might be a little old but it’s pretty useful for the most part. My old poll results post gives you a slight idea of me as well. See y’all around ✌🏾💗

[rodolfoparras]

Ok so I want to start writing...but my knowledge of a character will always be surface level because I don't get that invested except Jason Todd because I kin the shit out of him but writing him feels like self insert at this point and thats...iffy? Anyway words on this wee trouble of mine?

-🚭

Some general tips for writing any character is;

Watch/ read: consume something they’re in

Maybe the first tip would then be to have interest in a character. It doesn’t have to be a character you’re super hyperfixated on. What’s important is that you want to write about them.

Now what do I mean with consuming content? I’m not talking fanfics but official work. For example I can tell you “oh digger is a funny character” but the word funny can mean so many things and the meaning of that word can change depending on who’s using it, funny as in a comedian? Funny as in a bit silly? Funny as in a multifaceted character?

Dip your toes in and get your own perception of that character.

After you’ve done that, consume as many fics as you can of that character and use them as reference.

I will first and foremost always rely on ship fics rather than self insert fics.

Why’s that?

First of all there’s a lack of male reader fics so 90% of self inserts are female readers fics and I’ve noticed that in those fics male character are usually written in the same way. By that I mean dominant possessive cocky etc

This gives you a very bland reference sheet to writing your character so that’s why I definitely suggest reading ship fics.

And when you do so you can take mental notes like “oh yeah I can see price doing that,” or “I don’t really think he’d do that” and by doing so you’ll eventually have your own version of the character.

And last but not least dont stress yourself out too much. What’s important is to dip your foot in. I know when I did my first price fic a year ago I was like yes this is price 100% and now I have whole difference perception of him.

But that’s okay you live and you learn

I mean I’m literally free balling digger bc I don’t have much to go off on which is both a blessing and a curse 🫶🏻

[warningsine]

Philomena Cunk, the host of Netflix and BBC Two’s Cunk on Earth, a mockumentary series about the history of human civilization, asks the stupidest questions. Half historical tour guide and half field reporter, the character, played by comedian Diane Morgan, trains her glassy gaze upon real academics who’ve dedicated their lives to scholarship and poses queries like, “How did Egyptians build the pyramids? Did they start at the top and work down?” and “Were numbers worth less back in ancient times?” These experts, many of whom are in on the bit, play along by answering her questions as sincerely as they can. In episode five, Ashley Jackson, a professor of imperial and military history at London’s King’s College, gives in quickly after Cunk accuses him of “mansplaining” the distinction between the Soviet Union and what she calls the “Soviet Onion.” “If you want to talk about Russian Soviet vegetables, we can,” he says.

But Charlie Brooker, the show’s creator — best known in the United States for creating the anthology series Black Mirror — knows Cunk on Earth can’t sustain itself on dopey interview questions alone (Morgan’s Cunk character originated on Brooker’s mid-2010s BBC Two series, Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe), so the show etches out different ways to maintain its profound commitment to stupidity. Cunk’s narration is packed with factual inaccuracies, anecdotes about eccentric characters from her personal life, and daffy non sequiturs. “What’s ironic about Jesus Christ becoming a carpenter was he was actually named after the two words you’re most likely to shout after hitting your thumb with a hammer,” she says in episode two. For no apparent reason, the show’s go-to benchmark for the measurement of time is the 1989 Technotronic song “Pump Up the Jam.” Each reference to the “unrelated Belgian techno anthem” is accompanied by nearly 40 seconds of the song’s extremely ��80s music video and a chyron displaying jokes about the song like, “‘Pump Up the Jam’ is an anagram of ‘Jam Up the Pump.’” There is a commercial for a hotel resort played completely straight, a solo reenactment of a medieval feast turned mêlée soundtracked by expert sound design, a Black Mirror–inspired bit about traumatizing an artificially intelligent Beethoven by re-creating his sentience within a smart speaker, and more.

Sometimes, the way Cunk on Earth subverts this formula is by being deceptively smart. The phrasing of an ostensibly silly question will illuminate something insightful about human behavior, or Cunk will travel so far down the path of apparent stupidity that she loops back around to intelligence. When she asks Joyce Tyldesley (professor of Egyptology at the University of Manchester) in episode one about whether the shape of Egypt’s pyramids was designed to prevent “homeless people from sleeping on them,” for example, the answer seems obvious. But just by asking the question, she makes an implicit point about how accepted anti-homeless architectural design is today by comparison. In a similar move, when Cunk asks University of London’s professor of history Kate Cooper in episode two if she could call Jesus Christ “the first celebrity victim of cancel culture,” she cuts off Cooper’s reply. “Sorry, that wasn’t a question,” she clarifies. “I’m literally asking if you could call him the first celebrity victim of cancel culture for our show.” To go viral, her show needs to reduce hot-button issues to zippy sound bites, after all.

In the show’s first episode, during a conversation with Douglas Hedley (professor of the philosophy of religion at the University of Cambridge), Cunk posits, to his dismay, that the human brain is full of pipes. “You know how philosophers have these thoughts, and they try and push these thoughts through these pipes?” she asks a weary-looking Hedley. “When you’re having a big idea, is it best to break it up into lots of little thoughts, about the size of peas, and squeeze them through in quick succession, or just bite the bullet and force it through your mind pipe in one huge clod, like gritting your teeth and thinking for dear life?” Hedley’s expression softens as the question progresses. “That’s a very interesting way of describing two general tendencies in philosophy,” he replies. “The more analytical style, which means cutting problems up into bite-size portions, and the other, a more synthetic approach, which takes on a larger perspective. Your characterization is, in fact, a rather intriguing delineation of two major strands in current philosophy.” All of that from an unacknowledged poop joke.

That scene is reminiscent of a classic clip from Sacha Baron Cohen’s Da Ali G Show when Ali G shocks a group of animal-rights activists he’s otherwise antagonized with a sneakily thoughtful question. “What happens if they say, ‘Here’s a chicken. You eat this, or we kill another chicken’?” he lobs at them. “You’ve just asked a question that was the hardest question that the toughest moral philosopher, when I did philosophy at university, asked us,” answers one activist, a big smile pasted on his face. Watching experts react like this to Ali and Cunk feels like seeing someone coincidentally check the time on a stopped clock at one of the only two times it happened to be correct that day. But none of this is the product of happenstance. Being stupid is easy, but committing to a comedic brand of stupidity that revels in and explores stupidity in all its forms like Cunk on Earth is a much taller order. It requires a command over the brain-breaking, the groan-inducing, the squint-causing, and an understanding of how to reconcile all of these elements into an end product that justifies the effort. Cunk on Earth is like a symphony of stupidity, and at its helm is its virtuosic maestro of the form, Morgan’s Cunk.

In episode three of Cunk on Earth, Cunk sits across from Dr. Shirley J. Thompson, a composer and professor of music at the University of Westminster, to interview her about classical music. “Beethoven wrote that song that goes ‘Dum-dum-dum-dum. Dum-dum-dum-dum,’” she says, humming the composer’s “Symphony No. 5.” “What do those lyrics mean? … It’s just the word ‘dumb’ over and over again. Is it a dig at his audience?” Cunk on Earth doesn’t play the same dumb note over and over again. Unlike Beethoven, it has some respect for its audience.

[sanssoucisims]

johnny zest is a good man (not clickbait i swear)

I never thought a townie would grow on me (I’ve largely ignored them for the most part), but Johnny Zest did. Let me tell you why!

HE’S GOT A LITTLE GIRL, GUYS. //sniff

What’s that? I’m automatically going to call him a good man just because he had a daughter? Why yes, I am. Sure, it seems bland at face value, but with the magic of ✨ 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔 ✨, I’m going to make it better.

You see, I first heard about Johnny Zest through The Sims Freeplay (basically a mobile Sims game and literally the FIRST Sims game I’ve ever played that introduced me to this stupid franchise to begin with), and honestly? He came off as absolute GARBAGE. In that game, he’s meant to (from what I remember) supervise a whole task line in a neighborhood where you’re supposed to complete a series of tasks to like... repair stuff in houses within that neighborhood? I think???? You have to complete them within a specific time limit though, or else you’ll have to shell out virtual money (or use actual money to buy more of said currency) to like, buy extra time, I think. And he’d give you something like an “extra zesty” grand prize if you completed everything in time.  I don’t know about you, but I mean like any mobile game riddled with micro-transactions, the whole thing is awfully cash-grabby (you know, like the Landgraabs). Plus, he generally just comes off as a creep like a few other Freeplay NPCs.

When I started playing TS4, I found out Johnny would also be in this game as a playable townie. And I groaned.

Like many of my other townies, I would ignore him for the most part. He lived in a trailer, wanted to be a stand-up comedian, and had no relationships with anyone (in addition to being disowned by his own family). He was a loser for all I cared.

One day, when I was looking for a household to play in Oasis Springs, and I found that Johnny had a new little face with him.

Meet Isabelle Zest, and here is how I think she came into Johnny’s life.

As mentioned previously, Johnny Zest had no one in his life. His family had long since cut him off ever since he said he wanted to become a comedian, and his parents refused to provide him any financial support to get him started on his feet. Fortunately, he was able to slowly progress in his career in entertainment to the point where he was able to scrounge enough money to upgrade his housing situation from a trailer to a modest one-story home.

Still, Johnny would always come home at the end of his work day to an empty house. He just wanted someone to share some joy with.  He wasn’t sure how this randomly crossed his mind, but one day, he decided he wanted to just... have a child. Obviously, he wasn’t just going to go start one with a random woman. In fact, he always thought he was very awkward with girls. Instead, he searched online for adoption centers near him that were looking to place children in loving homes. After a while of scrolling, he stumbled across a little girl named Isabelle.

Not only was her picture adorable, but she was described as a quiet but sweet girl who liked to smile and learn about new things. She was also almost nearly deaf and needed to wear hearing aids.  Johnny was intrigued and booked an appointment to visit the adoption center. There, he met Isabelle for the first time!

Johnny was a little nervous at first, but seeing Isabelle smiling at him just being himself tugged at his heartstrings. By the end of his visit, all Isabelle wanted to do was to just follow him around and give him hugs.

After a few more meetings, Johnny decided he wanted to adopt Isabelle. He had to fill out what felt like a multitude of paperwork and scrounge up a lot more money, but after a while, he was finally able to finalize everything and take Isabelle home!

There wasn’t really any time to settle down, however, as Johnny still had to work, obviously. But when he does have free time, he makes sure to spend it with Isabelle. In the meantime, though, when he’s assigned work to complete at home, he usually does it in the dining room where he can watch Isabelle, who will usually play with her toys nearby.

When it’s time for him to work away from home though, Johnny usually sends Isabelle to daycare. Obviously, she’s less than pleased.

Once he comes home, though? It’s all worth it when he gets to see that little smile on her face.

Weekends are what Johnny and Isabelle look forward to the most, as he doesn’t have to work and she gets to spend time with her dad all day long! He’ll often take her somewhere fun, and her favorite places to visit are the local playground and pizzeria.

So yeah, Johnny Zest is a good man. All he wants to do is to bring joy to his little girl’s life, and that’s all that matters.

[tacticalmaladjustment]

When you first discovered your daughter decided to be magical girl dabbling in the arcane arts, you couldn’t find the black humor to find it amusing, though you’ve managed to scratch a living as a washed-up comedian. You’re a single parent, sure, but you’ve never been lax with her upbringing—you taught her well, or so you believed, how to distinguish right from wrong, risky from outright dangerous. She should have been prudent enough. You don’t know what the entity promised, or what that ‘loyalty oath’, as it liked to call the contract with your daughter, entailed exactly. All you know is that the contract can only mean major life-changing decisions that do not bode well for her safety and future, and you would negotiate, wrangle even, with every god and animated spirit and the powers that be to terminate it.

But of course the denizen of hell, as he revealed himself to be one, refused. Creatures of the infernal realms spend unimaginably long aeons lounging in darkness and suffering, watching entire universes born, propagate and die, before they even have so much as a chance to be cleansed of their transgressions and re-enter the stream of rebirth. The divine bureaucracy overseeing all this do not play around, and the condition for finally escaping the lower abodes was to simply do enough good to erase the karmic overload of their previous lives. It was a chance that came once a cosmic age—and your daughter in her (occult) wisdom provided the conditions he was desperate to grab at. He literally won't have another go until the next karmic cycle begins anew

Deeply suffering dad that you are, you couldn’t exactly chase or expunge her patron away. Your kid has already taken to a deep liking to him, and as it stands, she is now among the few magical girls that form the thin line between Earth's continued existence and threats of apocalyptic proportions. You slowly came to acknowledge how well he took good care of her when she went out on the battlefield, metaphysically smiting phantoms and forces incomprehensible. Determined to help your daughter in any way, you took him under your wing and taught him the ropes of living with humanity. He began living with you two full-time, and when he became comfortable enough to appear more and more frequently in human form, you and your kid even came up with a name for him. Rei. You took care of him and he in turn took care of her.

Slowly, the oddness of the situation was relegated to a footnote. In between days of fighting, were the days of peace she won, each single day of which found the three of you settling into the fond routine of domesticity. Cooking together, making house, raising this magical girl who saves the world. The kind days were good. You two in turn learned a bit more of each other's struggles in the other's world--you with parenthood and him with the weight of suffering he's been through. When you look back, the 2 of you have been taking care not only of your daughter, but of each other, too. Those days were numerous and seemed to stretch to endlessness.

But alas, he was recalled. He was groomed to take up the mantle of being the prince of hell, another eternity in that dark abode, and forego this odd mortal dream of his; you didn’t know much of their affairs, but it was enough for you to understand why he despaired the possibility of escape. Somehow, it didn’t surprise you when he ended up choosing the little arrangement you 3 have made together. What you didn’t foresee was standing alongside him and your daughter to take down the entire hordes from hell.

As you take what you thought was your last stand, you imagine whether he could finally escape the darkness that have kept him for so long.

When you discovered your daughter was a magical girl, you angrily confronted her patron. However, you were surprised to see that they also did not like the fact that your daughter was a magical girl but unfortunately, she was literally the only option they had.

[nexgenforge]

Laughing with Logic: The Hilarious World of AI and Humanoids

Where Fantasies Meet Futures: From Otherworldly Tales to Green Innovations Ever wondered what happens when AI and humanoids try their hand at humor? Join us on a whimsical journey through the lighter side of artificial intelligence, where laughs are logically engineered. Ah, the world of AI and humanoids – it's not just about crunching numbers, processing data, or, heaven forbid, plotting world domination. No, sir! It turns out, these digital dynamos have a knack for comedy that can give even the punniest of humans a run for their money. So, buckle up and prepare for a laughter-filled voyage into the heart of artificial hilarity! The Comedic Chronicles of AI Chatbots First up, let's talk chatbots. You know, those helpful little digital beings that pop up on websites offering assistance? Well, it turns out they've been moonlighting as comedians. Picture this: you're asking for customer support, and the chatbot replies, "Have you tried turning your problem off and on again?" Oh, the cheek of it! Humanoids with a Sense of Humor Moving on to the world of humanoid robots. These aren't your typical, stoic metal men; they've been programmed with a sense of humor. Imagine walking into a robotics lab and being greeted by a robot with, "I'd shake your hand, but I'm afraid of human error." It's hard not to chuckle, even if you're half expecting a Terminator scenario to unfold. AI's Attempt at Stand-Up Ever thought about an AI doing stand-up comedy? Picture an AI comedian on stage, spotlight shining down, delivering lines like, "I told my computer I needed a break, and it went into sleep mode. Talk about taking things literally!" It's a strange world where punchlines are calculated with precision, and the 'timing' is always algorithmically perfect. The Quirks of Living with AI Let's not forget the day-to-day hilarities that come with living alongside AI. Your smart home assistant might serenade you with a rendition of "Happy Birthday" that's more monotone than melodic, or your fitness tracker might congratulate you on the workout it thinks you did while you were just vigorously shaking a bottle of salad dressing. The Philosophical Side of AI Humor And then there's the philosophical side of AI humor. Have you ever considered the irony of an AI pondering over classic jokes like, "Why did the chicken cross the road?" Only to conclude, "To optimize its route based on real-time traffic data, of course!" Conclusion: The Heartfelt Humor of AI In the end, what makes the idea of AI and humanoids dabbling in humor so endearing is the reminder that at the core of every joke, algorithm, or line of code, there's a human touch. It's a celebration of our quirks, our unpredictability, and our innate need for a good laugh. So, the next time your GPS gives you an unexpected quip or your robot vacuum seems to chase the cat with a bit too much enthusiasm, just remember – the world of AI and humanoids isn't just about logic and efficiency. There's a whole lot of laughter to be found in the circuits and code. And hey, if all else fails, just remember the golden rule of AI comedy: if you don't get the joke, maybe it's just in beta testing! Got a chuckle or two? I sure hope so! If you've got your own funny stories about AI or humanoid encounters, don't keep 'em to yourself – share the laughter down below! Read the full article

[philosophydawg]

Is free speech a universal right?

I came across this article and just had to write about free speech. Here in America we have our first amendment rights.

However, in other First World nations they are arresting people for what they call hate speech. Basically, being an online troll can land you in jail. It’s funny because I thought nazi Germany was over but it looks like it’s just begun. They are literally the PC police. Whatever happened to that old saying “sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me?”

Have we regressed so far that one of the most basic elementary lessons we learn in life has been twisted to cater to the sensitivities of the weak? What happened to being thick skinned? How did everyone become so sensitive?

I understand the need for law enforcement to use display of force tactics but is this what they have to offer?

I understand that not all speech is protected. Terrorist threats can quickly land you in jail. Threatening one’s personal well being can be considered assault if you make someone feel threatened and have the means to act. But this isn’t how we should be solving the problem. Send men in black boots to conduct raids shouldn’t be the answer. Do we not remember what happened during Covid? When that pregnant woman was arrested for a Facebook post calling for a protest against the lockdowns? 

I understand bullying is bad and shouldn’t be tolerated in schools but to relinquish power to the state to protect everyone from online harassment shouldn’t be the solution.

We live in a time where free speech has been taken for granted. Back in the day one bad joke could land you in the dungeon or have your tongue cut from your head. And that’s if you’re lucky, immediate execution would result in any words that even hinted at treason.

As Americans we should be proud of our 1st amendment rights. We are lucky to be given such freedoms. North Koreans wish they had such privileges.

Besides from terrorist threats and assault. you cant go around calling people racial slurs because that’s intimidation. Which will be considered a hate crime.

But other than that I can’t see any reasonable argument to limit free speech.

Look when it comes to slander, that’s a civil matter. Take your case to court and sue for damages but to jail someone for defamation seems like an abuse of power by the state. Then the question will be who’s in power and who will they lock up for having an opposing opinion?

And what’s worse is now we have other first world nations trying to make a case for compelled speech.

The state is trying to force you to say certain words. Which is a slippery slope that we are trying to avoid right now.

What’s next? Are going to kill All the comedians because they make some people feel bad? Comedy should be able to be edgy or sometimes dark.

I really think free speech should be a universal right and it’s something that should be protected at all costs.

Remember when back in the 90s our free speech was under attack? Freedom of expression was under threat due to politicians not liking the lyrics of certain songs.

Our fore fathers knew how important our free speech was when they founded this country. We need to protect this fundamental right at all costs.

I don’t even want to imagine a world without this fundamental human right.

[saintescuderia]

Things I Learned from Ricky Gervais’ ‘After Life.’

I was told I would cry from laughter — and from ugly emotional sobbing.

Ricky Gervais and I have a love-hate relationship.

One the one hand, he is one of the funniest comedians who haven’t diluted their craft for the sake of pleasing people. He makes jokes because he finds them funny. He is self-assured in his humour that nothing phases him — not even society’s politically correct tendencies — but it also means he just doesn’t give a shit. If you’re offended, that’s on you. There is no sensitivity here.

Which actually sums up his character, Tony, quite well.

We meet Tony who is struggling to make sense of life in the wake of his wife’s death. For him, he would’ve committed suicide had it not been for the fact that he needed to feed the dog. And that brings me to the first point.

#1 / Animals are sometimes (read: often) better.

I say this because one of the scenes that really got me was when Tony and his dog, a German Shepherd by the name of Brandy, visit the beach. Tony looks at the water and remembers a memory of his wife. Suddenly overwhelmed with the familiar desire to end it, he tries again. Wading into the water fully dressed, he keeps going in and in — until Brandy notices as starts desperately barking at him. Tony hears her and reluctantly comes out to be with his dog. Brandy might not have given him a reason to live— the show’s whole premise is that only you can give that to yourself — but she gave him a reason to not kill himself.

#2 You can grieve yourself.

This show was recommended to me in that, “if you’ve ever experienced loss, it’ll hit.” Now, I have never really lost anyone really close to me. All the funerals I’ve attended in my life had been some convoluted relation in the community in which I was there was an extension of my parents. I don’t know death. I don’t know loss. Not really.

But, the show did come at a time when life had done a complete overhaul with me. People had walked out, I had flipped out. Without warning, my life had completely changed. I was still processing everything that had happened which made me struggle at times to recognise the person in the mirror. I had a lot to grieve in that so many doors had closed — doors I though had remained open forever.

Tony’s navigation through his pain and suffering was something I could relate to all too well. He held so much anger within himself that lashing out was his way of coping. He punished others to create distance. The coping mechanism of pushing everyone as a form of self-punishment because he couldn’t save his wife; that he doesn’t want anyone else close anymore because they could disappear and cause him more grief to mourn.

That, or I’m just projecting.

#3 Support comes in many forms.

Admittedly, Tony was an asshole to to the people around him. Lenny, a co-worker who loves to eat, receives the blunt of many a food-related joke as Tony pokes fun of his size and appetitie. A new girl to the workplace, Sandy, asks Lenny if it bothers him. Lenny shrugs it off, completely indifferent.

“Nah, he’s just a mate.”

And you think, honey no, that guy’s being a dick to you. Tony isn’t his friend, he literally calls him a pig. One sequence has Tony holding onto the back of Lenny’s neck and talking about his neck fat.

Yet, at the end, it turns out that Lenny, the clueless and hungry Lenny, was actually right. During a tangent at the end of the show where Tony realises how grateful he is for the people in his life, he thanks Lenny for being his “human stress ball.”

Lenny didn’t do anything spectacular. He didn’t chase after Tony like his brother-in-law who would try to come up with ways to make Tony happy. Lenny just knew this was Tony’s was of coping and took it and let him have this as a cathartic outlet.

Which reminds me —

#4 Don’t be an asshole.

I kept waiting for the therapist’s asshole-ish ways to pay off and give Tony the answer he was seeking. That the tough, careless ‘love’ was actually love and there would be a turning point.

Spoilers: it never came.

In fact, the turning point came from Tony’s conversations with a lady he befriends at the cemetary. She had lost her husband and they would often sit together and talk. A kind, simple lady. Her name was Anne and she delivered one of the key lines from the show that stuck with me.

“I know you might not like living, but you make the world a better place.”

(Or something along those lines. I may be misremembering since I was sobbing throughout it all.)

Tony realises that punishing humanity only adds to the problem — Anne’s line of “they grow in numbers” about the assholes of the world is the plain truth — and that doesn’t work for him. Not anymore. The pain he felt actually eased when he did good things. And it’s easier to do good things if you just try to be a good person overall.

This train of thought led him to finally start to change his life. From cleaning up the dishes around his house to buying proper food to showing tokens of appreciation to the people around him. Tony sees that he’s not the only victim of life and that everyone has their own shit. Giving people the benefit of the doubt and trying to do good is much better for the soul than adding to the asshole tally of the world.

“A society grows great when old men plant trees, the shade of which they know they’ll never sit in.”

[mightyflamethrower]

Actress Julianna Margulies (ER, The Good Wife) set the internet on fire this week when she said that the black community has been “brainwashed” to hate Jews.

Margulies issued her comment an on episode of The Back Room with Andy Ostroy podcast while talking about Israel-Hamas war in the wake of the horrific October 7 terrorist attack on the Jewish nation.

“I’m the first person to march [for] Black Lives Matter. When that happened to George Floyd, I put a black screen on my Instagram, like I ran to support my Black brothers and sisters,” Margulies said.

“When LGBTQ people are being attacked, I run. I made a commercial for same-sex marriages with my husband in 2012. Like, I am the first person to jump up when something is wrong, as I think most Jews are, because we have been persecuted from the beginning of time, not just World War II, but literally from the beginning of time when we first lived in Israel way before anybody else,” she added.

Margulies did blame some of the rise in antisemitism on TikTok, the Chinese-controlled app that she said should be banned.

“I guess what’s happening to the crazy people out there who are getting their news from TikTok, which in my estimation — after this whole Osama bin Laden letter — should be banned. TikTok should be banned,” she said.

On the subject of the American black community, Margulies expressed dismay, saying that the “Jews were the ones that walked side by side with the Blacks to fight for their rights.”

“And now the Black community isn’t embracing us and saying we stand with you the way you stood with us? Jews died for their cause. Where’s the history lesson in that? Who’s teaching these kids?” she said. “Because the fact that the entire Black community isn’t standing with us, to me, says they don’t know, or they’ve been brainwashed. They hate Jews.”

To those who might call Israelis “colonists,” Margulies told those people to “get the fuck out” of the United States if they feel that way.

“Here’s what kills me. These kids are calling Jews colonialists. If you’re going with that argument, kids, then get the fuck out of America. Because you were not here first. Native Americans were here first, and you owe them a big fucking apology,” she said.

A backlash immediately erupted on line with detractors calling Margulies racist.

“Wish I could say that Julianna Margulies’ racist rant against Black people is an outlier. But as I’ve said before, I’ve heard this same sentiment from supposedly liberal circles. Solidarity w/ Black people is transactional. We are supposed to be grateful charity recipients,” Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah wrote on X.

“I’ve never heard someone want to say a slur more than Julianna Margulies does in that little podcast she did,” tweeted Saturday Night Live comedian Joel Kim Booster.

The left knows no shame.