#also by conspirators I mean pierre

[zoominsainz]

Charles and Carlos driving together to the factory, wearing black and white like they have in the past, did Carlos pick Charles up? Was one in the others place before hand? Are the conspirators turning their gears trying to spin this into ‘they still hate each other / can’t stand being near one another and only spend time when pointed with a gun’

[gordonstanheight]

masterlist of my f1 lists! :)

below can be found various playlists, letterboxd lists, and serializd lists of songs, movies, and tv shows that the drivers have discussed! they are all constant works in progress, and i always welcome help <3 i try to have sources for everything, especially the letterboxd lists!

sports alt — @zandvoortapex

honestly this is more of a passion side project to get recommendations for new medias than anything else LOL there's some really good hidden gems in here IMO

i also just really wanted it all in one place !! so without further ado --

—————

playlists:

‘: ☆ NR6! — sounds to make you feel like you can beat god himself in equal machinery

‘: ☆ SP11! — the mexican minister of defense and his sounds

‘: ☆ LH44! — what does a 7x wdc listen to?

‘: ☆ GR63! — background noise for powerpoint night (which is every night)

‘: ☆ CS55! — the sounds of a smooth operator

‘: ☆ CL16! — what it means to be il predestinato

‘: ☆ LN4! — to play for all occasions (becoming a dj, golf player, race car driver, twitch streamer)….

‘: ☆ LS18! — fortune favors the bold. המזל מעדיף את האמיצים

‘: ☆ SV5! — musik für den sonnenschein

‘: ☆ FA14! — what to put on when you’re conspiring el plan

‘: ☆ PG10! — this playlist was liked by pierre gasly

‘: ☆ E031! — what is estie bestie listening to?

‘: ☆ AA23! — tfw “we bought a zoo” is a movie about your life and also you just died (via appendicitis)

‘: ☆ YT22! — this is what plays softly over the speakers at yuki's restaurant

‘: ☆ ZG24! — how to get in the mood for a runway walk before a fashion show

‘: ☆ VB77! — what plays during cups of coffee and bike rides with the one you love

‘: ☆ MSC47! — what you'd listen to if you were a golden retriever turned into a human boy for a day

‘: ☆ KM20! — what is kmag listening to?

‘: ☆ MV33! — what plays in mad max’s head on loop during his casual sunday cruises as everyone else fights for their life

‘: ☆ DR3! — drs zone activated (daniel ricciardo supremacy)

‘: ☆ JD! — literal embodiment of :3

—————

film (letterboxd) lists:

': ♡ SP11! // no. 1 man on fire (2004) fan

': ♡ LH44! // official letterboxd top four: coming to america, trading places, six degrees of separation, scarface

': ♡ GR63! // no. 1 the gentlemen (2019) fan

': ♡ CS55! // average quentin tarantino fan

': ♡ CL16! // can't stop rewatching harry potter

': ♡ LN4! // class clown says he mostly just watches comedies i said oh i'm sure

': ♡ LS18! // filmbro taste with a bleeding heart

': ♡ SV5! // prefers films made before 2010

': ♡ FA14! // he doesn't like film or music apparently he just stares at a wall all day

': ♡ PG10! // currently rewatching harry potter with charles

': ♡ EO31! // always on that marvel grind

': ♡ AA23! // no jokes just his letterboxd would be insane

': ♡ YT22! // jason statham's biggest fan

': ♡ VB77! // this is literally just someone's dad

': ♡ MSC47! // what the letterboxd of a guy who is actually scared of the nun (2018) would look like

': ♡ KM20! // he just likes the shawshank redemption a lot

': ♡ MV33! // no. 1 fan of the hangover trilogy

': ♡ DR3! // unofficial letterboxd top four: dumb & dumber, friday night lights, ace ventura: pet detective, talladega nights

': ♡ JD! // no. 1 creed iii fan

—————

television (serializd) lists:

': ❀ SP11! ~~ dad taste real

': ❀ LH44! ~~ in his own words he doesn't really care to watch much tv so be disappointed but not surprised by his list

': ❀ GR63! ~~ sitcom type of guy

': ❀ CS55! ~~ grid king of binge watching like only one guy here would be on that grind during surgery

': ❀ CL16! ~~ he "doesn't have the patience" for a lot of tv but he likes to stay up with the trends

': ❀ LN4! ~~ mostly just watches what carlos recommends

': ❀ LS18! ~~ will always be seated for a sports docuseries

': ❀ SV5! ~~ not huge on tv but likes an easy watch

': ❀ FA14! ~~ dad taste and also his own freakin' show

': ❀ PG10! ~~ only watches the trends

': ❀ EO31! ~~ he likes to be thrilled and he likes to laugh

': ❀ VB77! ~~ recently likes two wheels more than four

': ❀ MSC47! ~~ tries to reject the trends, but sometimes they hit idk

': ❀ KM20! ~~ self-admittedly used to be more of a tv guy than he is these days

': ❀ MV33! ~~ loves a good action show

': ❀ DR3! ~~ his favorite hobby might be consuming media

': ❀ JD! ~~ outdoor adventures and romance

[litcityblues]

'Ashes of Victory' --A Review

The ninth novel in the Honorverse series serves as a conclusion to a three-book arc in the series that begins with In Enemy Hands, continues with Echoes of Honor, and concludes here. Honor Harrington is alive, and well and has returned home with half a million prisoners from the Havenite Prison Planet known as Hell.

Ashes of Victory is the story of her triumphant return home. I would say the first third of the book or so is centered around just Honor coming to grips with having been declared/believed to be dead. She has an emotional reunion with her parents (her mother had given birth to twins, which satisfied the requirement Grayson had for an heir to her Steading) and her cousin Devon has inherited her Manticoran title (Honor is amused by this, as she can imagine his horror at the news-- while we don't meet him, he's described as a bookish/Professorial type who would very much not interested in things like a title.) She also has to face the facts: the extent of her injuries is going to keep her from active naval duty for at least a couple of years since she'll need reconstructive surgery.

There's a heart-wrenching moment for Nimitz as well-- as the extent of his injuries becomes clear and the humans realize he has lost his ability to communicate with his fellow Treecats, though his bond with Honor remains intact and as strong as ever. It's unclear if he recovers some ability to communicate with his fellow Treecats, but what Honor does is manage to help prove that Treecats are as intelligent as humans and full communication starts to become possible thanks to sign language systems.

Honor gets her battlefield promotion confirmed (and becomes Admiral) and, since she's out of the fighting for a bit, starts teaching at the Saganami Island Naval Academy to shape the minds of future generations of naval officers-- not just from Manticore, but from Grayson as well.

Hey, remember Steadholder Mueller? He was sort of kind of involved in a plot to overthrow Protector Benjamin that got somebody else beheaded and he frantically threw everyone he possibly could under the bus to avoid being implicated himself? (Flag In Exile, fifth book of the series.) Well, he's back and he's been biding his time and martialling his power and he's emerged as the leader of the Opposition on Grayson. He doesn't know it, but he's also under investigation but before that can come to fruition, his conspirators are revealed to be agents of Masada. There is unease on Grayson- especially when rumors start flying that annexation into the Star Kingdom is being discussed. (It's not precisely that: the famously independent San Martin has joined, but it's... kind of a commonwealth situation? They maintain their autonomy but also have representation of some kind in Manticore's Parliament?) Poor Mueller is in over his head and doesn't realize until it's too late.

Meanwhile, on Haven, things are going great, and by great I mean that Rob Pierre is dead. Admiral McQueen tries to launch a coup. Oscar Saint-Just detonates a hidden nuke underneath the Octagon and decimates McQueen, her forces, and a hefty amount of the military leadership to boot. Admiral Theisman is recalled to take charge of the Capital Fleet. Admirals Tourville and Giscard are believed to be next on the list of Admirals to go (i.e. be shot) and the military situation collapses on them. They are on the verge of utter defeat thanks to Manticore's new offensive and technologies to boot.

But, a surprise assassination attempt on the combined leadership of Manticore and Grayson fails- but kills Manticore's Prime Minister which leads to a change of government. The opposition comes in and demands a halt to the fighting, believing Haven to be defeated. Queen Elizabeth is fucking pissed about it but has no choice. A ceasefire follows along with negotiations and Admiral Theisman launches a coup of his own, killing Oscar Saint-Just.

Y'all...

I am not sure how to feel about this book. The first third to half of it is just about perfect. Pays off so many plot lines laid down in the previous two books of this arc. There are great character moments as Honor returns home and is reunited with friends and family and faces up to the cost of her injuries and time on Planet Hell. (The weird awkward romance between her and White Haven is touched upon, but we don't get back around to that-- I'm thinking we will at some point though.)

But the ending to this one leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It's... awkward. To his credit, Weber acknowledges that he had to make a mild retcon in an afterword. Basically, eagle-eyed readers noted that in an earlier book, the Prime Minister of Manticore must command a majority in the Commons. Weber tweaked that here to make it the House of Lords. That change is small, but significant and explains how the Opposition was able to force a change in government-- and, it turns out that Monarchs of Manticore are required to marry a commoner. I am assuming that this will be paid off in future volumes... somehow. But a political short-circuit on Manticore's part also covers up for the fact that Haven is a hot mess.

How can any polity survive such instability? It's all coups and counter-coups and counter-counter-coups and nukes going off and just randomly killed a million people or so. I don't see how you can have that instability without some kind of popular unrest breaking out.

I mean, on the one hand, I get it: the Honorverse train keeps on rolling. But on the other hand: this is kind of a wet fart noise of an ending to a really excellent three-book arc to this series. (Also, there's a lot of really technical exposition in this one-- maybe more than in previous novels, I don't know. And yes, it's military sci-fi, so what did I expect, but it slows this book down in parts in ways I did not like.)

Overall: Starts strong, but the ending is not particularly satisfying-- however, these three book-arc have sold me on keeping on keeping on when it comes to the Honorverse, so I guess we'll see what's next. My Grade: *** out of ****

[thegreenwallrabbit-blog]

Explaining one of VTMB paintings (pt 5)

Pierre Séguier, Chancelier de France (translated Pierre Séguier, Chancellor of France) oil on canvas  2nd quarter of the 17th century (1660 - 1661) by Charles Le Brun

Charles Le Brun (baptised 24 February 1619 – 12 February 1690) was a French painter, physiognomist, art theorist, and a director of several art schools of his time. As court painter to Louis XIV, who declared him "the greatest French artist of all time", he was a dominant figure in 17th-century French art and much influenced by Nicolas Poussin Le Brun primarily worked for King Louis XIV, for whom he executed large altarpieces and battle pieces. His most important paintings are at Versailles. Besides his gigantic labours at Versailles and the Louvre, the number of his works for religious corporations and private patrons is enormous. Le Brun was also a fine portraitist and an excellent draughtsman, but he was not fond of portrait or landscape painting, which he felt to be a mere exercise in developing technical prowess. What mattered was scholarly composition, whose ultimate goal was to nourish the spirit. The fundamental basis on which the director of the Academy-based his art was unquestionably to make his paintings speak, through a series of symbols, costumes and gestures that allowed him to select for his composition the narrative elements that gave his works a particular depth. For Le Brun, a painting represented a story one could read.[1]

Pierre Séguier (May 28, 1588,- Jan. 28, 1672) was the chancellor of France under kings Louis XIII and Louis XIV, in the critical period during which monarchical power was consolidated. In 1635 Séguier became chancellor of France, the supreme legal officer, with tenure of that dignity for life. His adherence to the powerful cardinals Richelieu and Mazarin kept him in uninterrupted exercise of his functions until 1650. He was sent in 1637 to Val-de-Grâce to examine the papers of the queen of France, Anne of Austria, who was suspected of secretly corresponding with Spain. Some historians say he saved her by warning her of the investigation. In 1639 he was sent to supervise the repression of a revolt in Normandy. He presided in 1642 over the trial of the Marquis de Cinq-Mars, who was condemned to death for conspiring against Richelieu.During the revolt of the Fronde, Séguier, like many others, vacillated, and in the last phase of the Fronde in Paris he was aligned with the rebel princes until August 1652. During those troubles, he was twice relieved of his functions (1650–51 and 1651–56). Early in the personal reign of Louis XIV, in December 1662, he was put in charge of the trial of the finance minister, Nicolas Fouquet, who had been accused of embezzlement, and he conducted it brutally enough to secure a verdict against Fouquet. From 1665 he presided over the new Council of Justice for the reform of the legal system.[2]

This painting hangs in LaCroix's office next to his entrance way meaning it is one of the painting he looks directly at, and hangs next to the painting of Louis XIV en Empereur Romain [Louis XIV depicted as Alexander the Great] (second half of 17th century)  by Unknown artist. First off for someone who “was an officer in Napoleons army” he sure has a lot of  Royalists paintings. It is also of note as the only other large paintings of this scale that he has in his office are three different painting of Cain slaying his brother Able by different artist yet it is the paintings of  King Louis XIV (whose reign of 72 years and 110 days is the longest of any sovereign in history whose date is verifiable.) and his chancellor of France, Pierre Séguier that he looks directly at from his desk in his Versailles style office. Indicating that these mere HUMAN men*[as far as I know nether were embraced in VTM canon but don’t quote me] are more significant role models to Lacroix then Cane father of all vampires. Though this is not so surprising after you see how he reacts to the Ankaran Sarcophagus. It also gives us a brief glimpse into how LaCroix sees himself in his role as the Camarilla Prince of Los Angles calling back to his quote of being the “judge, jury and executioner”. 

[1] “Charles Le Brun .” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Mar. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Le_Brun. 

[2] Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Pierre Séguier". Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Jan. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pierre-Seguier

[dreamwritesimagines]

with the extra scene this tuesday, are we starting with anthony entering the opera and seeing cherie with allard or are we going off after that chaos in the hallway and they all went home? because i kind of want to see what went through anthony's head when he looked for siena and also if i remember, cherie heard them talking at first right? so i'm curios what conspired between them before they kissed 👀

on a side note! how about an HC with benedict and allard's conversation because i feel like that would be funny 🤣

Hi darling! ❤❤

We're going to see the aftermath of that night, like first after the hallway and then Elias and Anthony because Elias one hundred percent went to find him after he left Cherie's side 😈

Omg the HC with Benedict and Pierre yesssss!❤ I feel like when Benedict asked him how long he would stay in London before going back to Paris, Pierre went like,

"Until the end of the season."

"Enjoying London then?"

"A very specific part of it. And I hope to take that part to Paris with me."

"You mean..."

"Hopefully she will say yes when I propose."

"Oh you're- you're going to propose?"

"Of course."

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

Guillaume Tell (Paris, 2003): Reactions, Part II

pretty set (again) but sadly like half of this dueling chorus got cut (but at least we get the Swiss villagers’ evening song)

okay I’m pretty sure this is just Generic 19th Century

MATHILDE!!!

also whoever designed the costumes for Pierre Audi’s Amsterdam/Met production DEFINITELY copied this design 

I love both Mathilde and this aria so freaking much y’all

and this gal’s amazing

they’re so cute

but of course, outside forces have to intervene :(

isn’t this just gorgeous??? really, ideal romance

we know what you two mean ;)

this is a Mathilde/Arnold love blog

you can’t pull anything over on this guy

poor Arnold

I adore this trio and they all sing it so well

time to work together!

you put your crossbow in you take your crossbow out you put your crossbow in and you shake it all about

conspirator company coming (unfortunately we don’t get all three entrances)

I mean, if Thomas Hampson asked me to join a fight for independence, I would absolutely be in

yeah you tell ‘em

this oath scene SLAPS (although I’d like to tell the conductor to take it slower)

the choristers are really getting into it

let’s go start a revolution!!!

[calimera62]

You said, "I’m surprised you didn’t ask Mark Antony ;P" and you know what? You're right, I totally should have! So I'm doing it now, if you're willing to answer. ^^

✰ What made you fall in love with them?

I wasn’t actually really interested about Mark Antony until Julius Caesar became one of my historical faves. Reading and watching things about Caesar made me become better acquainted with Mark Antony and I came to really like him. I find him to be an interesting historical figure, and I love his relationship/friendship with Caesar!

✰ Favorite anecdote involving them?

During Caesar’s funeral, Mark Antony agreed to stay calm and reasonnable and not saying anything against Caesar’s murderers. He ended up taking Caesar’s bloody toga to present it to the crowd and pretty much gave a speech in which he accused Caesar’s murderers, which provoked the crowd’s fury as people loved Caesar. I pretty much imagine Mark Antony madly cackling as the crowd rioted and burnt down the conspirators’ houses.

✰ Your favorite thing about them?

he’s a bi icon, loveable idiot and actual human disaster who loves to party and loved Caesar and Cleopatra a lot

While he’s seen as a drunkard who can’t compare with Caesar and Cleopatra and wasn’t a military genius, he was Caesar’s faithful lieutenant and friend, he loved Cleopatra more than his life, was a member of the second triumvirat, and was a deeply human and flawed man who enjoyed life and made no secret of it. He was deeply human, who also loved Greek’s culture, and that’s this humour and humanity I love so much in him.

✰ Your least favorite thing about them?

Aside from the fact he committed suicide and died in the arms of his queen, thus breaking my heart?

✰ Best books about them?

I only know one, in French, Marc-Antoine : Un destin, de Pierre Renucci, thought I read good reviews about Mark Antony: A Life, by Patricia Southern.

✰ Favorite place associated with them?

Rome, of course!

✰ Who do you ship them with?

Caesar Cleopatra!

✰ Favorite friendship?

I love his friendship with Caesar! They were good friends and also relatives, and Mark Antony was often, if not always, supporting Caesar in Rome and during military campains.

✰ Favorite outfit?

I don’t really know…

✰ Favorite event they were involved with?

I would say the Gallic Wars.

✰ Favorite portrayal in film, television, etc? If there isn’t one, who could play them?

I love his portrayal in the mini-series Cleopatra (1999) as well as his portrayal in HBO Rome. It’s actually how I picture him!

actual sunshine boy

✰ Favorite quote about them?

"Mark Antony is an idiot alright, but he’s my idiot” ... what do you mean, this isn’t a quote Julius Caesar said??

✰ Favorite quote by them?

“My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar”

Okay, this isn’t a quote Mark Antony actually said, it’s from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar but this quote gives me a lot of feels!

✰ Three random facts about them?

* Few people know it but he was a distant relative of Julius Caesar! His mother, Julia Antonia, was a distant cousin of Caesar.

* While he’s famous for his romance with Cleopatra, he actually had several wives! His first wife was his cousin, Antonia. His second wife was Fulvia and became a major influence on his political decisions. His third wife was Octavia, Octavius/Augustus’s sister as a political decision, she was the peacemaker between her husband and her brother, and ultimately raised the children Mark Antony had with his fourth and last wife, Cleopatra, after their death.

* He hated Cicero as much as Cicero hated him. Cicero made several speechs against Mark Antony. Thus, the latter ordered his assassination in 43 BC and to nail Cicero’s hands in the Forum (it seemed Mark Antony also never forgave Cicero for ordering Mark Antony’s father in law years before).

✰ Favorite picture/painting of them?

I don’t have one yet, expect the pictures above.

[margridarnauds]

laz, fox, ivanova, delenn, lyta

THANKS AVERY. 

Lazare de Ga-Peyrol

overall: who? / i hate them / i dislike them / kinda wanna fight them / they’re alright / i like them / i love them / *accidentally drops thousands of pictures of them*

opinion: again, who??? / the purest bean / cinnamon roll / who knows really / sinnamon roll / the problematic fav

otp(s): *Opens up Wip* *The ghost of a dozen Ronan/Lazare WIPs come back to haunt me*

other ship(s): Ronan/Laz/Olympe is still Very Important to me, I ship Charles/Laz in terms of “Things That Happened in Laz’s Past that fucked him up badly so now he can commiserate with Olympe over unrequited crushes on the royals”. Personally, I don’t see that one as anything more than a one-sided crush that Charles took advantage of, but, like, it’s a Thing. (Also, the curtain calls for Toho are…suspect for me, given that the two of them are paired together. Could be nothing, I don’t know, and I’m trying to keep myself from asking anyone who’s seen it because I want to see the Toho with as untouched a mind as possible. I know, I know that’s funny coming from me.) 

#noromo ship(s): Laz and Solene spend most of their time together laying back and talking shit about Ronan, with Laz occasionally going to her for advice because I THINK I BROKE HIM WHAT DO I DO which then involves Solene having to reassure him that, no, Ronan’s just Like That. 

When I don’t ship Olympe/Laz (which is…..90% of the time,) I highly support them as a BROTP who routinely beard for one another at important events, bullshitting some reason for why they can’t be together while they bond over both ditching the royals for their own respective Mazurier siblings and both being repressed in different ways. Olympe isn’t as emotionally represssed as Lazare, but “Les Mots que l'on ne dit Pas” confirms that she doesn’t say a LOT of what she thinks, and Takarazuka!Olympe is obviously always restraining herself to an absolutely insane degree of politeness, especially in her interactions with Charles. Also, Lazare would at least be aware of other gay men, though I can’t feel it was something Grandpapa de Fuck encouraged, whereas the extent to which women were allowed to know about the possibility of being in a sexual relationship with another woman is...debated. Like, the rumors around Marie Antoinette really were a watershed moment there and Olympe should PROBABLY be aware of that, but...it’s dicey. It’s very dicey

Also, Papa du Puget and Laz had a father/son type of relationship, with Pierre-Francois essentially taking one look at this broken, emotionless wreck of a human being and going “OLYMPE? DID YOU SAY YOU WANTED A BROTHER?” This was sadly cut short in the Zuka version by Laz doing…that, effectively losing two people close to him with one hastily made order. 

crack ship(s): Given Laz’s relative lack of screentime, nearly ANYTHING he’s involved with is inherently a crackship. As far as “things I’ve toyed around with but generally refuse to acknowledge”: Lazare/Louis. It would put a new perspective on Laz’s devotion to the royal family and drive to protect them, and parallel even closer to Olympe’s crush on the Queen. It would also make his eventual, inevitable failure to protect the King even worse. I did toy with a one-shot for Herbert from Tanz der Vampire and Laz, where an older Laz would have to fight off the vampire’s amorous advances while on a mission from Napoleon. 

fav headcanon(s): I will die on the hill of Sugar Daddy Laz, even if Toho seems dedicated to ruining my hopes and dreams. (”BUT THE COOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAATTTTSSSSSS” I cry out into the abyss, to which they reply, “Lol, what coats?”) Like, it’s a fantastic excuse for having Ronan and Laz be in regular contact, deepening that relationship while also explaining where the fuck Ronan is sleeping every night. (And gives us Insufferable Neatnik Lazare VS………Ronan)

Also, the idea that Laz never learned Latin or Greek and that, in general, his education was constrained only to military shit, which opens him up to ridicule when he’s around other aristocrats at Versailles or whenever he’s invited to, say, a ball in Paris. (Charles in particular enjoys playing with him, because it’s a means of asserting himself even if he himself doesn’t keep up with most of it, historically having said that he couldn’t read 4 pages without being bored.)

After the Bastille, no matter what, Laz resigns from the army or is yeeted out. Like, I genuinely can’t see any real way where he sees everything he’s seen and done everything he’s done and is still in the army. I think he’d either be a good scapegoat for the violence in the streets (with a HUGE possibility of retaliative violence by the mob, especially in the immediate aftermath), or he would resign himself out of guilt and the realization that the army that he joined and devoted himself to was never going to be the same again. 

ALSO. HE IS AUTISMS. I WILL FIGHT FOR THIS ONE. 

Fox

overall: who? / i hate them / i dislike them / kinda wanna fight them / they’re alright / i like them / i love them / *accidentally drops thousands of pictures of them*

opinion: again, who??? / the purest bean / cinnamon roll / who knows really / sinnamon roll / the problematic fav

otp(s): Xanatos/Fox/Owen 

other ship(s): I could ship Elisa/Fox, especially after “Eye of the Beholder.” I’m not sure where I stand on Hyena/Fox. Like, I think there’s *potential* there, given that OH MY GOD THEY WERE CELLMATES, but it’s not a dynamic I’m particularly interested in.

#noromo ship(s): Fox/Dingo, as the two members of the Pack who were able to break free of that shit.

crack ship(s): ….I don’t think I really have any, at least for her? I’d have to rewatch Gargoyles again (oh, the pain, the pain), but yeah, I don’t think I really have any solid crackships for her. 

fav headcanon(s): She, Owen, and Xanatos are a throuple who raise Alex together, with Owen looking after Alex when the other two are away. (I mean, this verges on canon but…) 

Also, we know that canonically, Irish Mythology exists in the Gargoyles, and Fox is half Third Race, so, like…there’s some huge magnificent crossover potential there. I have mixed feelings about how she and Bres would get along, but, like…Bres has always had a soft spot for the troublemakers, and they could bond over their shared daddy issues. (Real angsty shit: His son, Ruadan, was a redhead with a penchant for theft and trickery, and seeing Fox might trigger Dad Mode in him.) Catch her and him conspiring to steal back the sword Orna from Bres’ brother Ogma to give to his old friend and ally Tethra as a birthday present. (Though he was less than pleased when Puck tried to troll HIM, Bres and Puck have DEFINITELY conspired at some point to troll the Tuatha dé and might or might not have had a brief fling before Bres met Sreng, I don’t accept constructive criticisms on this one. Puck gives him Hell on occasion for being an absolute sap for a boring Fir Bolg with no sense of humor that he’d met [1] time, Bres is thrilled when he finds out about Xanatos/Fox/Owen because it gives him so much ammunition.) 

Titania is less than pleased with the situation, Oberon is amused, and Bres doesn’t give a fuck what either of them thinks because he ran out of fucks in the 18th Century BCE. Like, c’mon, my dude’s buried the body of a freaky Grecian witch, he’s died from being poisoned by a bunch of bogstuff, he’s died multiple times, he doesn’t care WHAT the King and Queen of the Third Race think. And, of course Fox is always going to be best bros with someone who doesn’t care about what her mother thinks, this is the woman who canonically went in a ninja outfit to break into her father’s airship just to tell him she was pregnant after trying to ruin his company. That woman lied to her for years and tried to steal her son, like...No. 

The only issue would be that Xanatos and he would probably get into intricate debates on Capitalism VS Socialism at the dinner table, both of them sporting smarmy little smirks as they do so. (Puck is thrilled even if Owen stoically handles the whole situation, exchanging long-suffering looks with Sreng.) Also at some point shortly after the debacle with Orna, Alex ends up with, like, a HUGE Irish wolfhound (not a Gargoyle beast like Bronx and Boudicca, since they’re too closely associated with Cu Chulainn and, by extension, Lugh for Bres’s taste), slightly bigger than a miniature pony with red ears, golden eyes, and a crimson and gold collar of velvet, which Owen has to explain is a gift fairly given and that to refuse it might be to offend him. (Bres’ initial idea was to give a giant pig, a descendant of his prized monstrosity Babgiter before Owen talked him out of it, which his inner Puck greatly resented because having a huge pig running around Xanatos enterprises would be hilarious.) Fox routinely threatens the thing, but somehow it can often be found curled up on the couch next to her or seated next to her during chess games with Xanatos. At some point, it bites Oberon’s leg when he gets a little too pushy in his opinions on childcare, earning Fox’s eternal love and respect (and the best kibble money can buy + unlimited scratchies because he’s a Good Boi.) 

Ivanova, 

overall: who? / i hate them / i dislike them / kinda wanna fight them / they’re alright / i like them / i love them / *accidentally drops thousands of pictures of them*

opinion: again, who??? / the purest bean / cinnamon roll / who knows really / sinnamon roll / the problematic fav

otp(s): Talia/Ivanova

other ship(s): Delenn/Ivanova. 

#noromo ship(s): Sheridan/Ivanova are so good as a brother/sister team

crack ship(s): I seem to vaguely recall shipping her/Kelsey from the one ep. with Jason Ironheart but I’m too scared to go back into our pm logs to find it because I feel like that would be going into a dark, dark abyss. Also, a lot of scrolling. 

fav headcanon(s): LET HER AND TALIA LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER, DAMMIT. THEY LEFT THE AVENUE OPEN.  

Delenn, 

overall: who? / i hate them / i dislike them / kinda wanna fight them / they’re alright / i like them / i love them / *accidentally drops thousands of pictures of them*

opinion: again, who??? / the purest bean / cinnamon roll / who knows really / sinnamon roll / the problematic fav

otp(s): Delenn/Sheridan (Fuck you JMS)

other ship(s): Ivanova/Delenn

#noromo ship(s): Lennier/Delenn, unfortunately for Lennier.

crack ship(s): None that I can think of, atm? I know I’ve probably thought of at least ONE with you during one of our Cursed conversations, but none spring to mind. 

fav headcanon(s): I didn’t want to say it, but fuck I’m starved for headcanons atm because thinking machine broke. (I blame it on the terrible combo of Bres + Lazare, AKA The Long-Haired Idiots With Daddy Issues And Terrible Coping Mechanisms Club).

That band around her head that is left over from when she was more...Minbari in appearance is hella sensitive. Most of the time, in the little amount of quiet time they get, she’ll lay her head on John’s shoulder and he’ll gently rub his fingers over it as she closes her eyes in meditation, the movement roughly akin rubbing the back of a cat’s neck. During frick fracks, it’s a little bit more...intense. 

Lyta

overall: who? / i hate them / i dislike them / kinda wanna fight them / they’re alright / i like them / i love them / *accidentally drops thousands of pictures of them*

opinion: again, who??? / the purest bean / cinnamon roll / who knows really / sinnamon roll / the problematic fav

otp(s): I don’t think I really have any solid Lyta ships yet? On some level, I feel like she’s kind of, unfortunately, flown under my radar? (Which is definitely going to impact the headcanon section as well) I feel like she’s going to be one of those characters where I’m going to have to watch things over a few times. Lyta/Black leather?  

other ship(s): Lyta/G’Kar, Lyta/Kosh (I hate that this is the extent of ships I’ve got for the obvious lesbian character, but Lyta is a kinky fuck and I’m going to expose the little vorlonfucker for who she is.)

#noromo ship(s): Zack/Lyta. LET ! LYTA ! HAVE ! A ! FRIEND !

crack ship(s): Lyta/Ezri Dax from DS9. Don’t ask me why, just…trust me on this one. 

fav headcanon(s): Honestly, I don’t feel like I know her well enough to have formed anything solid for her. I have a half-baked idea that her current issues as far as feeling kind of used and alone has its roots in first  being used by Psi Corps and then by the Vorlons, being in this position where she really couldn’t ask for or receive that recognition even when she was starved for it. 

[theconspiracyconstruct]

Episode 9: All Good Things Must Come to an End

Click “Keep Reading” for the transcript!

             Hey, welcome back. I’m Madi, and on this episode, the final episode, we’re going to be taking a look at everything we’ve learned so far. Let’s get into it.

             When I started this podcast there were several key questions I wanted to answer. The first is what do people in my everyday life think of conspiracy theories? To answer this, I interviewed three people that represented three different circles within my life: my parents, my teachers, and my friends. In the interview with my parents, I found out my mom believes in the theory of aliens landing in New Mexico, which I never knew before. However, I did know that my dad was involved in JFK assassination theories. In that episode, you can hear me laugh in the background when he starts talking about the JFK assassination because I knew he was going to talk about that. In fact, I wrote that interview question with him and his fascination with that theory in mind (Prentice and Prentice).

             My friend Abe’s views were similar but different in that he did believe in conspiracies but not in any “big-name” conspiracy theories, because the conspiracies that actually occur “are usually a lot less interesting than the ones that people talk about” (Weinstein). Like Abe, Dr. Coven asserted that there certainly have been conspiracies, but not to the extent that people reported them. He differed in that he showed a much greater distaste for conspiracy theories than the other interviewees. Dr. Coven stated that “belief in conspiracy theories takes away the understanding of true underlying causes. And that can’t be helpful because you’re not attacking the problem you’re attacking this fairytale version of the problem”. If people were simply “entertained”, there was no issue. It becomes an issue “the minute it becomes a substitution for actual knowledge” (Coven).

             This leads to my second question: do conspiracy theories have consequences? In terms of affecting higher decision making such as bureaucracies, what I saw was that, no, not really. Most of the time, they’re just up against big groups that just dismiss them as fringe theories. For example, NASA merely dismisses the moon landing hoax theory. There have been some impacts. For example, the conspiracy theories around the JFK assassination did prompt Lyndon B. Johnson to call for the creation of the Warren Commission. (Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy and Schechter). Then, the critique of the Warren Commission led to the House Select Committee on Assassinations publishing another report (Gillon). But, in my research, I didn’t see any of the theories create long-lasting, permanent changes in a bureaucracy or government.

             However, I agree with Dr. Coven that the real consequences arise when conspiracy theories become “a substitution for actual knowledge” (Coven). The documentary Behind the Curve also touches a bit on what Dr. Coven is talking about. In the documentary, it speaks about how a lot of believers in fringe theories cherry-pick their evidence in the way that they only choose to look at things that prove their theories. This can be seen in one of the experiments that flat earthers conducted in the documentary. They used a gyroscope, a device that can pick up the motion of the Earth, to try and disprove the fact that the Earth rotates. However, the gyroscope does, in fact, pick up the Earth’s rotation. But, they’re not willing to accept that. So, they dismiss it as it just picking up the motion of the sky. So, they put it in a chamber to prevent it from detecting the sky’s motion, but even then it picks up motion. Even though this is directly proving the rotation of the Earth, they dismiss it because it doesn’t lend evidence to their belief (Behind the Curve). Thus, as Dr. Coven said, the theory morphs into a substitution for knowledge (Coven).

             Also in the documentary, Dr. Joe Pierre, professor of psychiatry at UCLA, talks about the Dunning-Kruger effect. The Dunning-Kruger effect is when people who don’t really have any expertise about something have this false confidence and believe that they are incredibly knowledgeable about something. (Behind the Curve). This brings me into my next question, which is why do people believe in conspiracy theories? Well, different people believe in them for different reasons.

             A 2011 study conducted at the University of Kent asserts that “individuals use the social-cognitive tool of projection when making judgments”, and thus found that “individuals were more likely to endorse conspiracy theories if they thought they would be willing, personally, to participate in the alleged conspiracies”. They also found “a relationship between Machiavellianism and conspiracy beliefs” (Douglas and Sutton, 2). Machiavellianism is a term in psychology that refers to someone who will manipulate and deceive others if it serves their own interest. They’re focused on their own ambition and prioritize their own goals over relationships. These tendencies stem from a lack of morals (“What Is Machiavellianism in Psychology?”). But what does all of this mean? Well, looking at this information, we can summarize that people who have a looser grasp on their morals—such as those who exhibit Machiavellian traits do—are more willing to subscribe to conspiracy theories. This is because they use the tool of “projection”, projecting their own lack of morals onto others (Douglas and Sutton, 2). Those with loose morals may be more likely to think that other people would also have loose morals. Thus, they can more easily envision people conspiring and falling prey to corruption. This also translates into how we’re likely to believe a conspiracy theory that highlights our own morals. For example, when people dislike a political figure, they’re more likely to subscribe to a conspiracy theory that paints said figure in a poor light. Those who dislike Trump are more likely to believe that Trump conspired or conspires with Russia.

             People can also use conspiracy theories to protect themselves. For example, in the JFK assassination conspiracy, it’s scary to think that just some guy—someone like us, someone who lives among us—could commit an atrocious act like that. Instead, it’s easier to adopt a conspiracy theory that the government orchestrated it because we view the government as an other. We view it as this large, powerful group, so it’s easier for us to comprehend that a group like that could orchestrate the assassination rather than just someone like us. As Mr. Coven said, this can be dangerous because it’s not addressing the real problem, it’s “attacking this fairytale version of the problem” (Coven).  

             Another reason has to do with schizotypy. Schizotypy is a collection of traits including “relatively untrusting, ideologically eccentric and prone to having unusual perceptual experiences (i.g. sensing stimuli that are not actually present)”. Schizotypy is considered one of the strongest predictors of conspiracy belief. Why is this? Well, people with higher schizotypy levels have a stronger urge to feel unique. Thus, they take to believing in unconventional and “non-mainstream” ideas because it allows them to stand out. Joining these conspiracy theories also introduces them to a community of people that think like they do (Hart).

             This also ties back into Behind the Curve. Near the end of the documentary, there’s the assertion that it’s an identity struggle. And it is. All conspiracy theories are. In fact, all beliefs in general are. It’s human nature to want to try to find your identity. In terms of flat Earth, it’s something that flat earthers can define themselves through because it makes them feel special. It gives them a higher purpose in life. It makes them a protagonist of something (Behind the Curve). Moreover, it means they’re not alone anymore. As I spoke of before with individuals who exhibit schizotypal behavior, it gives them a community of people who think like they do and who have been through similar things they have.

             And I was speaking in the context of flat Earth there, but that’s the case with any cause. One of the things that stuck with me most from the documentary is the question “Where are you a flat earther? Where are you and your people the protagonists in some sort of fight?” (Behind the Curve). Because everyone has something that they fight for and something that they view themselves as the protagonist of. Just as it’s human nature to want to identify, to want to be around a community of like-minded people, it’s human nature to want to ascribe greater meaning to life.

             Another piece of Behind the Curve that really stuck with me is its call for empathy. Argument isn’t progressive. When you attack someone’s belief system, all that’s going to do is make them defensive. They’ll shut down. There’s no way they’re going to listen to anything you have to say after that. If there was anything that I wanted to accomplish with this podcast series, it was to encourage empathy. There may be some things that you heard over the course of this podcast that you thought was incredibly unfounded. But you need to understand that just as strongly as you believe in the causes you fight for, other people believe in fringe theories and conspiracies.

             In conclusion, some curiosity is healthy. Whether or not you like conspiracy theories, you can’t deny that we are not always told the complete truth. And that’s all for this episode, and for this podcast. Thank you so much for listening! If you’d like to contact me or ask any questions, you can do so on my blog, theconspiracyconstruct.tumblr.com. Bye!

Works Cited

Clark, Daniel J, director. Behind the Curve. Netflix, 2018.Fleming, Chris. “Flat Wrong: the Misunderstood History of Flat Earth Theories.” The Conversation, 26 Nov. 2018, theconversation.com/flat-wrong-the-misunderstood-history-of-flat-earth-theories-53808.

Coven, Robert. Interview about conspiracy theories. 18 Mar. 2019.

Douglas, Karen M., and Robbie M. Sutton. Does It Take One to Know One? Endorsement of Conspiracy Theories Is Influenced by Personal Willingness to Conspire. 2011, https://kar.kent.ac.uk/26187/1/Douglas%20&%20Sutton%202011%20BJSP.pdf.

Gillon, Steven M. “Why the Public Stopped Believing the Government about JFK's Murder.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 30 Oct. 2017, www.history.com/news/why-the-public-stopped-believing-the-government-about-jfks-murder.

Hart, Joshua. “Profiling a Conspiracy Theorist: Why Some People Believe.” LiveScience, Purch, 26 Sept. 2018, www.livescience.com/63658-why-people-believe-conspiracy-theories.html.

Knopple, Barbara and Danny Schechter, directors. Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy. 1992.

Prentice, Kim, and Michael Prentice. Interview about conspiracy theories. 17 Mar. 2019.

“What Is Machiavellianism in Psychology?” Harley Therapy™ Blog, 30 Dec. 2017, www.harleytherapy.co.uk/counselling/machiavellianism-psychology.htm.

Weinstein, Abe. Interview about conspiracy theories. 18 Mar. 2019.

[pilferingapples]

Count of Monte Cristo 1-6

...Yeah I’m moving slowly. 

I am hoping, and expecting , that the rest of the novel is going to get easier for me to read, but right now this is really agonizing reading for me; false accusation is somewhere between a squick and a phobia for me, and this horrible slow buildup to it when I know it’s gonna happen and the judgement is gonna fall is just hell. I keep having to take breaks to freak out slightly.

Absolutely zero useful commentary or analysis under the cut, but lots of emotional flailing!

That said, the character--like, the actual personality being described-- of Edmond Dantés has been kind of irrelevant to me; he’s got my sympathy , but so would almost anyone about to be falsely accused (and especially anyone about to be accused of political crimes , oh gad. Oh gad.). So I don’t have much to say about him yet; I have sympathy for him and then some, but I’ve got too much to actually have any deeper feelings there than AAAAAH RUN MAN THEY’RE COMING FOR YOU.

Mercedes, besides the minor dissonance caused by her name belonging to a car in my head, thus making her a bit Ford Prefect-y, is also kind of...Perfectly Protagonist? I like her, of course  I like her, Dumas has built her to be liked and he’s good at what he’s doing, but she’s in too much of a plotlocked position for me to think about her much without wanting to scream. (I will say that I like that she’s specifically not a proper bourgeois girl, and doesn’t abide by that particular set of social rules, but is still allowed her own set of mores and standards. I would not even begin to guess how accurate or not those are, though!)  

Soooo the villains I guess!

Danglars is so horribly plausible, ugh. He’s petty and spiteful and smart and has ambitions just close enough that a little nastiness will get him there. The way he plays Fernand and Caderousse just feels gross to read, like I actually got shuddered. Human bite of tinfoil, geez. 

Caderousse I could almost feel sorry for,   if he were just a pure coward--I mean, I like  Pierre Gringoire, who does some really crap things in the open cause of “I don’t wanna die or be tortured”--, but he’s a coward who convinces himself that whatever’s convenient is true, so HEY SURE DANTÉS IS A CONSPIRATOR, isn’t that convenient! Wow! OWN YOUR ASS-COVERING NATURE, CADEROUSSE. 

Fernand I really do  feel sorry for, even though he’s committing a genuinely horrific act; he’s being played by someone older, richer, and with less to lose if the plot doesn’t go off. From what we’ve seen, Danglars seems to have every advantage of connection and social position over him, and while I don’t think that figured into Fernand’s decision at all, it does mean if this DID all come out, Danglars would have a good chance of just going “noooo of course I wasn’t involved, it was that darn Catalan, you know what Those People are like!”  I mean...he’s vengeance-driven (and whatever kind of ‘love’ he’s got for Mercedes it sure ain’t one that respects her happiness so like fuck off on that score) but he’s also 21 and pretty damn isolated and getting his obvious weakest points played on by this dollar-store Iago here.  This being the Vengeance Sandwich novel, I’m  assuming he’ll get a comeuppance, but I feel like I’m not really gonna enjoy it. 

The Royalists are all horrible  and I want to toss sawdust in the Marquise’s face and then blast the Marseillaise from giant hidden speakers for an hour at this party. :[    ANYWAY THE FORESHADOWING AND ANTICIPATIONS IS KILLING ME DEAD and now I have to go back to it, augh. 

[torentialtribute]

Fans slam ‘trash’ atmosphere in Europa League final – THINGS YOU MISSED

Chelsea demolished Arsenal in the Europa League final 4 -1 with a devastating second half performance.

There were plenty of talking points both on a pitch as Didier Drogba dressed up in a Chelsea shirt to give his old side a pep talk and fans blasted the terrible atmosphere in Baku.

As ever, Sportsmail was on hand to sweep up any little nuggets or info you may have missed from the final.

Drogba pep talk

The legendary Chelsea striker had his Blue shirt back on and filmed himself giving a quick motivational message to the players.

'Come on guys, you know who we're playing, win this one, bring the cup back home. Come on you Blues! I'm already wearing my shirt ready to celebrate, "the Ivorian said.

Drogba so often tormented the Gunners during his time at Stamford Bridge and would no doubt have loved to lace up the boots again in Baku.

Mkhitaryan feels the love

The decision to hold the Europa League final in Baku has come in for an enormous amount of criticism for a variety of reasons but Mkhitaryan is arguably the worst affected.

The Armenian decided it simply would not be safe enough to travel to Azerbaijan given the violent and bloody history between Armenia and the host nation.

Gunners supporters sung his name in the streets of Baku and he replied: "Much love to Arsenal fans." He also posted a picture on Instagram in his shirt, writing: 'Let's go Gunners, let's go out there on that field and conquer this trophy – for our club, for our fans and our promised ones I'm with you with all my heart . '

Henrikh Mkhitaryan posted this picture on Instagram and wrote a message of support

Rob Holding, who is recovering from a ruptured cruciate ligament, supported his side from the stands and former Chelsea stars Tore André Flo, Eddie Newton, Michael Essien and Paulo Ferreira were among the old Blues invited to support their former side.

(LR) Tore André Flo, Eddie Newton, Michael Essien and Paulo Ferreira were in attendance

There always one

Stack of baked goods? Check. Pint of ice water? Check. Half and half shirt? Check.

This sacriligious practice has to stop surely … I mean, who takes three boxes of pastry to a game?

A multi-national final

Between both Arsenal and Chelsea, there was an astonishing 15 different nationalities in the starting line-ups alone.

This equated the record for most in a European Cup final.

The other two on a par with this one are Atlético Madrid – Fulham (EL, 2010) Ajax – Manchester United (EL, 2017). If you can name all the nationalities in those you have my admiration but should also probably leave the house more.

Incidentally, Chelsea were the first team since 2010 (Inter vs Bayern), to start a European final without a player from their home nation starting.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or Gabon was one of 15 different nationalities to start the game

Fans slam atmosphere

Plenty of supporters took to Twitter on what seemed to be a rather drab atmosphere in Baku.

The fans who had made the trip attempted to make their voices heard but the distance from the playing surface and unsold seats conspired to damage the sense of occasion.

One described the atmosphere as a 'trash' and another compared to a midweek League Cup game

There were plenty of empty seats at Baku Olympic Stadium contributing to a poor atmosphere

Milestones for Giroud

The powerful French striker often goes under the radar and seems to attract unwarranted criticism at times but he's a man for the big occasion.

A World Cup win last summer, a European final victory to cap off the domestic campaign and his 200th career goal in the showpiece against his former side. Not bad.

He is also the first player to score 11 goals in major European competition for an English club since Alan Shearer scored 11 in 2004-05 for Newcastle United. (Opta)

Olivier Giroud celebrated scoring Chelsea's opener and his 200th club goal in his career

The Frenchman diverted a diving header fits Petr Cech to give the Blues the lead

Arsenal on a par with Middlesbrough

The Gunners collapsed in dreadful fashion in the second half as Maurizio Sarri's side ran riot.

As Eden Hazard stretched in his second, the north London club became the first team to concede four in a Europa League / UEFA Cup final since Middlesbrough lost 4-0 to Seville in 2006.

The Blues spurned a number of decent opening and the scoreline could have looked even worse.

Arsenal looked shellshocked by Chelsea's second half onslaught as they conceded four

Steve McLaren's Middlesbrough side were the last team to concede four in a UEFA Cup final

Zappacostas wayward aim

The Chelsea defender missed as itter after the game.

In one of the worst attempts at rehydration you'll ever see, the Italian squeezed water bottle and the jet spurted past his head.

To be fair to Zappacosta, he smoothed it out by then hitting the target if nothing had happened.

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