#also when you think about it it kind of mirrors sarah lynn

[dongslinger--420]

Hnnn thinking about Bea's death scene again. The way her last line is "and now, the easy part". It was one of the hardest hitting lines of any line in that episode. The easiest thing she ever had to do was die. All the thinking she did throughout her life, all her trauma she had to sit on and not confide in ANYONE over, all those years she spent trapped: first with her father, then with her husband, and finally, in her own head. The easiest part of her life was to take the option of escaping when she could. The easiest part of her life, was to die.

[siover]

So basically my reasoning behind the "Kendall is Sarah Lynn" idea was that Logan would more or less be his Bojack, as a man he loves but who has caused him so much pain throughout his life, making him hate himself and feel so isolated and trapped that he feels he can only cope through drugs, and he tries to get better but Logan pulls him back in and makes him relapse, and so eventually the show would end with Logan accidentally causing Kendall's death and being forced to recognize that through his selfishness he destroyed someone he loved and is tormented about it.

NO STOP bc as soon as I saw the idea of Sarah Lynn and Kendall having parallels I began to think of Bojack Horseman as Logan. You created sm with this parallel rn I'm losing my mind (And obviously the Kendall/Shiv mirrors of it all + the Lifeboats scene with Logan and Shiv are uncomfortably close to Bojack and Sarah Lynn hooking up when she first shows up at his place in s1. Also there's the way Sarah Lynn is in Bojack's trailer on Horsin Around bc "my stepdad's in (my trailer) and he's being weird" and all the parallels to Roman's implied CSA, as a sidenote. Anyway moving past the way that makes me feel!) This is such a big brained idea thank you endlessly for putting it in my inbox. Chewing glass to think of Bojack as a Logan figure bc in a way the whole reason Sarah Lynn agreed to break her sobriety streak is bc she wanted to feel needed by him, even if it came at the cost of self destruction, and that's something that has striking parallels to Kendall's relationship with Logan especially in S2. Like in That's Too Much, Man, Sarah Lynn is far more Tuned In and even lucid than Bojack is. She even remembers what they do and is able to recount it to him after his blackouts!!!! which makes her choice so much more ominous bc she knew she was dooming herself all along but thought it was worth it for any kind of relationship with him. It's just so reminiscent of Kendall and Logan's relationship and the "if Dad didn't need me I didn't know what I would be for," of it all.

The question of whether Sarah Lynn's tragic death relates to Kendall being doomed is so interesting. I think Sarah Lynn's different in one way bc she knew she was sacrificing something doing what she did, she always wanted to be an architect. Kendall doesn't have that self awareness as much even as he knows hes miserable--im s3 i always got the impression that hes getting out bc he's giving up, not bc he genuinely thinks he'd be happier/healthier any other way, any way without Logan. And yeah Logan's ending up orchestrating Kendall's death by a relapse would be such a haunting parallel oh my god (I mean with S1 E7 it's a parallel that's already halfway established) but I'm drawing a blank on what that would mean for Waystar, if the company hasn't already been eaten by someone else already. His death would ofc destroy Shiv and Roman, and pull Connor out of his unreality, but I can't quite see who Logan would become as a result, if that makes sense?

I think Choice is what saves Sarah Lynn from being a doomed character™, and the idea that Kendall is this inherently tragic figure bc he can't see himself separate from Waystar is so so haunting.

[witcherly16]

BoJack finale, spoilers ahead.

I've written about BoJack few times on this account and so it only seemed fitting to talk about the final series. (Apologies if I ramble, it's late at night and I wanted to write while it was fresh) Firstly the way this season framed the finale was excellent and incredibly fitting for one of the biggest themes, BoJack holding himself accountable. As we watch the rest of the characters growing and evolving, and evidently leaving BoJack behind, we see BoJack's issues with accountability return. His life seems on a good path right up until the midway season break and as all hell breaks loose and his past actions come to haunt him, he is faced with very real repercussions.

I wrote a post about what I thought might be coming for BoJack in S6 (or at least I think I did but naturally the search option on this site is awful so I can't find it) In that post I talked about BoJack seeing repercussions for his actions and that's what we saw, BoJack is hated by most of society. He even looses Hollyhock or we can assume he does from his reaction to her letter. All of the people who were once around BoJack have learned that they have to take a step back from him for their own happiness and every single character experiences growth once they do this. Diane learns how to trust, Princess Caroline learns how to accept help and Todd learns responsibility.

BoJack however, remains stuck in his same patterns and these patterns eventually lead to what many assume to be his death (EP15) We witness a heartfelt rekindling (even if only imagined) between BoJack and Herb, even Sarah Lynn gets to say her peace before exiting in a fantastic psychedelic style performance. There is a touching moment with his father in which his father tells him everything I feel BoJack wished he could have heard from him. Everything seems to set us up for the final moments, the death of BoJack. And yet BoJack fights it, he pushes back against what happens. We see now quite obviously that he is unconscious in the pool. The genius of this moment that has been hinted to us since the start in the opening credits! It seems like this is easily BoJack's last moments, in a final conversation with Diane we witness what we assume to be his death.

After the credits theres a beeping of the hospital machine after the flat line and so we can assume he is not dead? Which launches us into the true final episode (EP16) Here we see a quickened sequence in which BoJack wakes up in a hospital bed, he's sentenced to time in prison for tresspassing on what was no longer his property and he goes on to serve time. Mr Peanutbutter picks him up and takes him to Princess Caroline's wedding, many many moments in this episode mirror what we see in the first season. Mr Peanutbutter's reassurance to BoJack that if he hates it at the wedding that will just go home, may feel familiar... that would be because its almost word for word what he says to Diane about going to BoJack's party in season one.

This happens similarly with other characters, in his moments with Todd on the beach there is a sense of familiar dialogue and Todd even wears what he wore last time BoJack saw him. He shares a dance with Princess Caroline where their conversation is again reminiscent of their conversations in the earlier series' with a beautiful moment of reconciliation and acceptance between them. Of course the grand finale with Diane mirrors beautifully their scene on the roof in season 1, similar dialogue about Diane trying to quit smoking (I believe this is what is said during one of their first conversations) The episode ends with a song, Mr Blue, very fitting for BoJack as a character and for what feels like a farewell between BoJack and Diane for good.

Now to get into theory, of course we can take everything that happens at face value but where would the fun be in that, an interesting quote that I loved is from Todd when he talks about the importance of art not being the meaning itself but what meaning others take from it! Personally in seeing the ending and the de ja vu feel that it had, my theory is that BoJack is in a coma. Many moments and conversations felt like relived memories, but some moments also felt real. I would say that the moments we witnessed are a mix of things that they might be saying to BoJack at his bedside, stories they're telling him about what has happened whilst he sleeps, and his own memories.

The moment with Diane felt very real and I would say that that was Diane's last goodbye to BoJack, her final speech before going back to Texas for good. Other moments (with Princess Caroline, Todd and Mr Peanutbutter) felt lighter, they weren't final moments and more just updates from those who will remain in his life. My guess would be that Mr Peanutbutter is now his main visitor/arranger of his care. A very natural role for him to have, Princess Caroline is likely visiting from time to time as is Todd. If this theory IS true it does leave room for some kind of revival in a way that would be unexpected. However I feel BoJack's story is over for now, and if it does end here it is a fitting place. I'm going to miss this show dearly so perhaps it's just wishful thinking but I'm so grateful to the creators of BoJack, they shined a light on so many real issues and created a honest gritty picture of what hollywood really is. Goodbye BoJack and all the other phenomenal characters! Its been an honour writing about you and I can't wait to see what the show's creators will do next.

[aleatoryalarmalligator]

My End of the Year 2017 Quiz Answers.

So, there was this quiz that was going around based on the end of the year. I wanted to answer most of the questions, so i deleted a few of the questions i didn’t really like, and i conducted this as an interview with myself of sorts as a remind of 2017

Songs of the year?

Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby (Cigarettes After Sex)

This Year (The Mountain Goats)

Watch the World Go By (Karl Blau)

People II: The Reckoning (AJJ)

Black Beauty (Lana Del Rey)

Midnight, the Stars, & You (Al Bowlly)

The Other Woman (Nina Simone)

I Wanna Be Adored (The Stone Roses)

Feelings (Lana Del Rey)

Prowl Great Cain (The Mountain Goats)

Kimochi Warui (Car Seat Headrest)

Dear God I Hate Myself (Xiu Xiu)

This is Not a War (AJJ)

Lady Liberty (AJJ)

Teen Mom (Slutever)

Manticore (Momus)

Atmosphere (Joy Division)

Africa (Toto)

Best Friend (AJJ)

Running Up That Hill (Kate Bush)

All We Ever Wanted Was Everything (Bauhaus)

Lived And Died Alone (Shamir)

Katy Song (Red House Painters)

Bright Boy (Alex G)

Love, Love, Love (The Mountain Goats)

In My Time Of Sorrow (Marianne Faithfull

You���re Gonna Love Me (Lana Del Rey)

Get Got (Death Grips)

Everything Always Goes Wrong (A Place To Bury Strangers)

But She Was Not Flying (Algiers)

I Love How You Love Me (The Paris Sisters)

Behind the Door (The Medallions)

You’re Gonna Need Me (Barbara Lynn)

Movies of the year?

Sex Lies and Videotape

Silence

Cat People

Patterson

The Fly

Spider

Maps to the Stars

A Dangerous Method

TV show of the year?

The Knick

Feud

Handmaid’s Tale

Fargo

Black Mirror

Mr. Robot

Homeland

Star Trek Next Generation

Stranger Things

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

I Love You America with Sarah Silverman

Favorite actor of the year?

Adam Driver, Emily Watson

Best month for you this year?

January was good because I got to leave Idaho to visit Sarah in Portland. September was pretty good. I reconnected with my brother after five years of saying very little to one another. I traveled briefly to Seattle, and then we went to the Hoh Rainforest, and Mount Rainier which was cool. And December, since I have finally succeeded in moving to Portland Oregon.

Something that made you cry this year?

I had my wisdom teeth pulled and I ended up with dry socket. That sucked. For some reason my gums began swelling up a few months ago. And well – I got into a fight with my brother about two months ago, and I slit my wrists – which was a mistake. I don’t really want to die for the record. When I get upset from someone yelling or being abusive I have these moments where I could do anything though and that’s what happened.

Something you want to do again next year?

Almost none of it, other than the basics of eating and sleeping. I would be happy to see new seasons of stuff I like. I am ready for mostly new everything though.

Talk about a new friend you made this year

I feel closer to a lot of my tumblr followers this year since I asked many of them their favorite songs. I wouldn’t call my tumblr acquaintances actual friends, but they are kind of in this weird way too. It’s not fair to say they aren’t friends either. Anyway, I feel closer to a lot of these people, and I feel like I have done more to reach out. Given there was more time, and more attention to it, I probably could make real friends out of many of my followers.

How was your birthday this year?

I don’t even remember it. I don’t think it was celebrated. I am too old.

Favorite book you read this year?

Postmodernism for Beginners

What’s a bad habit you picked up this year?

Staying up late again. Amazon Prime.

Post a picture from the beginning of the year

Post a picture from the end of the year

Memorable meals this year?

My father learned how to make seitan. We made these seitan steaks with mushroom gravy that were killer. My sister made this wonderful cold pasta salad. Sarah took me to Harlowe and we got this dish with tempeh and polenta. There were these Thai Pancakes at the Vita Cafe that I loved. Also, I made up this recipe where I buy fancy dessert crackers,  get whipped cream and put a strawberry on them. I made them on the day that I discovered that Harry Dean Stanton had died. The chocolate version I call the Harry Deans, and the Vanilla one is called The Stanton.

What’re you excited about for next year?

Fucking everything.

What’s something you learned this year?

How much of a robot I actually am. How little I know. I am better at keeping secrets and doing the right thing when no one is looking.

What’s something new about your place of residence (room, home, or general location) now vs the start of the year?

Seriously, I am living in Portland Oregon now. I’ve never lived this far away from Idaho. Everything is different. The culture is different. The people are different. Opportunities are different. I don’t always feel it, but I am really so happy.

Favorite place you visited this year?

Obviously I love Portland. But I also really liked traveling to weird places with my mother. I love Seattle too.

If you could send a message to yourself back on the first day of the year, what would it be?

You are getting out of this hellhole. Use coconut oil. Take the hydros sparingly.

Did you keep any New Year’s Resolutions?

Probably. I always pick more psychological resolutions than technical action based ones.

Did you create any art, or writing this year?

I have written about the first 18 years of my life in a very long project I am going for of writing my life story. Ten more years to go. After that, i am thinking about working on writing a novel.

[lawful-evil-novelist]

Introduce your OCs. As many as you can. Salem seems cool especially.

All my ocs?  I dunno anon, I have a lot of ocs.  As a small numbers summary, my rogue kids ocs number at 25, my Gotham U kids number at 3, their friends and family number at 2 and this is not taking into account Black Mask’s weapons dealer and his bodyguards.  I also have the Curtis family, the Tsath, and assorted Rogue family.  And that’s just Batman OCs, which I’m assuming you want to know about, so I’ll list them as best I can.

Under the cut because that is over 45 OCs.

Tobias Bloom, or simply Tobi, is Mr. Bloom’s adopted son.  He’s a small phytokinetic boy from South Korea and is a pretty happy and well-adjusted kid, you know, considering he’s the son of Mr. Bloom.

Dorothy Crane is Jonathan Crane’s daughter,  she is also the daughter of Roxanne Sutton but she and her brother were mainly created with Jon in mind and thus it is closer to describe her as Jon’s daughter than Roxy’s.  Her name is a really blatant reference to the Wizard of Oz and she takes a lot of her personality, including her snark and vindictive attitude, from Jon.

Pluto Crane is Dorothy’s younger brother.  Compared to Dorothy he’s a lot more timid but a lot less vindictive.  On the other hand, Pluto is a lot more prone to anger than Dorothy is, his temper is faster and like Jon’s it is violent.  His name is a reference to “The Black Cat” by Edgar Allen Poe.

Ezekiel Dent, more commonly known as Zeke, is Harvey Dent’s son.  At his core he is very much like his father, but he’s not well treated and has a low self-esteem and depression as a result.  Zeke and Todd are a couple.

Evangeline Fries, or Eva, is the daughter of Victor and Nora Fries.  While she primarily lives with Nora when she first realized she had ice powers she ran away and was found by Victor, who brought her home.  Eva closely resembles Nora and Victor has, on occasion, mistakenly called her Nora when distracted.

Violet Harris is the daughter of Music Meister, and in her teens begins a job as a sidekick for Black Canary, due to them having similar meta-abilities.  Violet is a natural musician, much like her father, but usually channels her energy in to ballet and violin, rather than singing.

Clover Isley is one of Pamela Isley’s plant children.  Her appearance is largely based on that of Jervis Tetch and Mary Dahl, and is thus rather small and childlike in appearance.  However, Clover is a rather spiteful child, and her personality is based largely on fair folk, being mischievous and full of bad ideas.

Lavender Isley is Clovers older sister, and her appearance is more closely based on Harley Quinn’s, though Lavender dyes her hair purple out of preference (Lavender lives up to her name), Lavender is much gentler compared to Clover, and a lot kinder.  That said she is not without faults, and like her mother is prone to vengeful rages.

Ayah Jones is Waylon Jones’s daughter.  She has a very mild form of Waylon’s condition, which surfaces in superhuman strength, reptilian eyes, and sharp teeth.  Ayah is normally very cheerful, but she is fully willing to fight to defend people.  Ayah is a trained boxer because she insisted on knowing how to fight.

Hunter Jones is Ayah’s older brother.  He also has a form of Waylon’s condition, though along with Ayah’s symptoms he also experiences scale growths.  These are located mainly on his face in spots where bone is prominent (jaw, eyebrow, cheekbones, etc), joints, and spots where the bone is very close to his skin, like along his spine.  These growths are dark brownish green.  Hunter is a lot calmer compared to Ayah, and can come across to some as timid or a pushover.  Hunter and Leo are a couple.

Aiden Lynns is Garfield Lynns’s son.  He’s pyrokinetic and is also diagnosed with autism.  Aiden is normally very soft-spoken and shy, but is still very friendly.  Most of the other Rogue kids like Aiden, even if they don’t like each other.  He is also the youngest of the Rogue kids next to Gwen and Jeremy.

Aisling Machin is Lonnie’s only daughter and eldest child.  She’s a lot more orderly than her father and is the most responsible of the three kids.  She disagrees with most of her father’s views, but agrees that society needs to be reformed, largely because it creates people like Lonnie in the first place.

Maxwell Machin, or Max, is Lonnie’s older son and middle child.  Lonnie is the least kind to Max, who is withdrawn and hostile towards most people as a result of Lonnie’s abuse.  Max is a daredevil of sorts, and Batman has caught him in multiple illegal motorcycle races.  Though hostile to most, Max is close to his siblings and protective of Niall.

Niall Machin is the youngest of Lonnie’s children, and his favorite.  Niall is the closest to his father and often overlooks his poor treatment of Max because he’s treated well.  He doesn’t ignore it outright, he knows Lonnie doesn’t treat Max well, but he also is willing to look the other way if it means he can keep a close relationship with Lonnie.  Aisling and Max don’t like this in the slightest and think Niall is selfish, which he is, but they still care about their younger brother.

Sarah Menkel is Peter Menkel’s daughter.  She’s a cheerful, friendly girl, a bit of a tomboy and an avid gymnast.  Like her father she is hypermobile and a contortionist, both things she uses to freak people out.  She’s much better at blowing off mean comments compared to the other Rogue kids.

Andrea Monroe is the daughter of Paige Monroe.  She’s extremely optimistic, mostly in an attempt to keep her mother happy, often at the cost of her own happiness.

Eleanor Nygma, or Ellie, is the older daughter of Edward Nygma and Selina Kyle.  She is a lot more like Selina in both appearance and personality, is proud to be the daughter of both.  Selina is very elegant and smug.

Elizabeth Nygma, or Liz, is the younger daughter of Edward Nygma and Selina Kyle.  She is very similar to Edward in appearance and personality, and similarly is just as haughty and prides her intelligence above most other attributes.

Barbara Quinzel is the daughter of Harley Quinn and the Joker and Todd’s twin sister.  She’s nicknamed Barb and Babs by her brother Todd.  Barbara is very cheerful and friendly, but shares a similar morbidity with her father.  Barbara is named after and the goddaughter of Barbara Gordon.

Todd Quinzel is the son of Harley Quinn and the Joker and Barbara’s twin brother.  He is cheerful and bubbly and acrobatic.  Joker’s chemical damage has resulted in Todd having albinism and asthma.  Todd has very bad vision and wears thick round glasses.  Joker is very protective of him, as are Bud and Lou.  Todd is named after and the godson of Jason Todd.  Todd and Zeke are a couple.

Leon Sanchez, or Leo, is the son of Bane, he is half-Nahuatl.  Bane’s venom use caused Leo to develop superhuman strength.  Leo is a snarky, cynical young man, but comes off as smug and apathetic.  Leo was born November 2nd, during Dia de los Muertos.  Like Bane, Leo is extremely intelligent and multilingual.  Leo and Hunter are a couple.

Gwendolyn Tetch, or Gwen, is the daughter of Jervis Tetch.  She’s shy and quiet, often mirroring her father in manner and personality.  Gwen has a meta-ability linked to mind control.  Gwen is regularly assumed to be Jervis’s “Alice” but in contrast, her name is based on the White Rabbit.  Gwen takes the assumption that she’s Alice as an insult.

Jeremy Todd is the youngest Rogue child and the son of Jason Todd.  He is much closer to the Rogue kids than the Batfamily and considers himself part of the Rogue kids, not the Batfam.  Jason doesn’t like this but the Rogue kids accept him willingly.

Cosette Walker is the daughter of Drury Walker, and splits her time between her father and her mother in France.  Cosette is polite and well-mannered, and is rather flighty.  She loves butterflies and birds and the color blue and singing.

Marcus Wesker is the grandson of Arnold Wesker.  Because his parents abandoned him with Wesker and Scarface, Marcus grew up with a lot of verbal abuse from Scarface and ended up adopting his rude attitude as a manner of defending himself, which really only made Scarface more aggressive towards him.

Salem Jackson is a white witch from a rich family in Mississippi, and a psychology major at Gotham U.  She has large black horns and interns at Arkham Asylum.  Most people do not know much about her family in Gotham but there are rumors abound that she killed her parents in retaliation for being abused as a child.

Audrey Brenner is an anthropology major at Gotham U, but was born and raised in Metropolis.  She prefers Superman to Batman and several rogues have taken a liking to her and protect her.  Audrey works as a cashier at the gift shop of the Superman museum over breaks and deals with Lex Luthor on an almost daily basis because for some reason he has to visit the place regularly.

Valerie Spade, or Val, is a chemistry major at Gotham U and, essentially, a villain intern.  She works for Penguin and he rents her out to various rogues.  Val has superspeed and as a result has a boosted metabolism that means she needs to eat regularly.

Penelope Spade, or Penny, is Val’s older sister, though she has a meta-ability, she doesn’t use it often, and is an art student in Metropolis.  Penny and Audrey get along and Audrey has convinced the Superman museum to commission her for their special exhibit posters.

Jack O’Reilly is Audrey’s best friend and the shift manager at the Superman museum gift shop.  He goes to school in Central City and has dyed his hair green to emulate the Joker.  He finds villains fascinating, which is a pretty reasonable reaction because he and Audrey attract them like flies.

Daniel Frei, or Dani, is a weapons dealer partnered with Black Mask, he is the youngest of Mask’s dealers at 19, and is part of a larger German crime family.  Dani is cautious and avoids conflict with most of the Batfamily, though he has quite often flirted with both Nightwing and Red Hood.

Nathaniel Zhao, or Nate, is one of Dani’s bodyguards, he is half-Chinese and half-German.  He is a chronic smoker and a survivor of severe abuse from his father.  Nate regards most people rather bitterly, but after an accident where Batman lost his headset, he actually spoke to and befriended Oracle.  Nate is 21.

Xavier Knight, affectionately nicknamed Xav, is Dani’s 17-year-old bodyguard.  Xavier was born deaf and has severe damage to his vocal chords that prevents him from speaking without feeling pain, and instead almost always signs everything.  Though he can hear due to a cochlear implant, he usually has headphones and reads lips like he did as a child.  Xavier’s vocal chord damage is visible from his throat, and because he doesn’t want to ask any awkward questions about it, he covers the scars with a scarf.

Abigail Curtis is a forensics officer at GCPD and a college friend of Edward Nygma.  She is vain, sarcastic, and temperamental, the latter of which is in large part due to her job.  She hates Batman because he takes a large portion of her evidence for himself, but appreciates his work to clean up the crime in the city.  She’s known to throw things and despite being small can take Lyle Bolton in a fight.

Jasper Curtis is Abigail’s twin brother and almost emotionally dead.  As a child he was interred at Arkham due to mild depression and was psychologically tortured and experimented on by Hugo Strange.  Jasper’s response was to retreat inward, his only really prominent emotions being irritation and apathy.  The experiments gave Jasper the ability to remove his head without killing himself and pull his spine out of his back without losing its support.  Both of these cause him chronic pain.

Melody Curtis is Jasper and Abigail’s older sister, a metahuman who can create living things from drawings.  Melody doesn’t live with her siblings, but takes care of them as best she can.  Melody has a personal vendetta against Hugo Strange.

Hazel Marsh is a half Tsath, half Atlantean woman best known for defending the Tsath against Atlantean purists, by killing the purists.  Hazel’s Atlantean father almost never gets to see her.

Basir Mihael is the prince of the Tsath,  He’s missing an eye because of the Atlantean purists, and lives in Gotham because he wants to learn how humans deal with Atlanteans.  He is in a relationship with Jasper Curtis and is one of the few people who can make Jasper laugh.

Reagan Napier is the Joker’s older brother, he lives in Star City and is a bare knuckle boxer.  Reagan is extremely protective of his brother and has threatened both the GCPD and Batman several times, he has also broken Lyle Bolton’s nose.

Ailish Napier is Joker’s mother.  She still lives in Belfast where Joker and Reagan grew up, in their childhood home.  Though she communicates with both of her sons by letter, she has avoided meeting Joker directly, a decision Joker urged her to make for her own safety.

Cinta Walker is Drury Walker’s mother, a Javanese woman who fell in love with Drury’s father, but only married him and moved to Australia with him after Drury was born.  She still lives in Australia, even after Drury’s father died, but visits Drury in Gotham on occasion.

Chayton Crane is Jonathan Crane’s paternal grandfather.  He didn’t know about his grandson until Jon was 19, but treats him as family nontheless.  Chayton does not speak to Gerald Crane, and is furious that Gerald abandoned a child he concieved.

Ruth Crane is Jonathan Crane’s paternal grandmother.  She is a very gentle, kind woman who taught Jon how to speak Crow and is very protective of her grandson.  She carries a concealed firearm and has threatened Batman with a shotgun.

Leigh Crane is Jonathan Crane’s closest cousin, being about 15.  Leigh is a nervous, shy girl and though she has been to Gotham to visit her cousin, clung to Jon the whole time and refused to leave him for a moment.  Jon is very protective of her.

Lyndon Keeny is Jonathan Crane’s great great uncle and Marion Keeny’s younger brother, though he is almost 100 he looks about 23 because he has been in the Lazarus Pit.  Lyndon is good friends with R’as al Ghul and is brave to the point of utter stupidity.  For instance, he steals from Vandal Savage, regularly, for fun.

Lucio Kyle is Selina Kyle’s younger brother.  He is a grad student at Gotham U, where he studies forensics.  He is also Abigail’s current intern.

Vaite is Garfield Lynns’s childhood best friend, a young Maori boy.  He is a cheerful, friendly young man and is still on very good terms with Garfield.

[fadingfartconnoisseur]

AK Monthly Recap: April 2017

It’s so strange that when I look back at this month, one random little memory comes to mind.

I was standing in the CVS on Broadway and 93rd St., fresh from a training session at the gym, picking up a bottle of coconut water, wondering whether I should pay my trainer more for analyzing my love life in between squats and deadlifts.

And then a song came on overhead — Sugar Ray’s “Someday.”

I was filled with nostalgia and warmth.

CVS was where I worked in high school; “Someday” was a popular song on the radio then. I remember the video, the band grooving on a beach in black and white, Mark McGrath all frosted tips and swaying hips. As it played, I moved over to the nearest speaker and danced a little bit, coconut water in hand, trying to pinpoint the feeling swelling through me.

Just close your eyes and I’ll take you there,

This place is warm and without a care…

The song ended too soon. I made my way to the self-checkout, feeling like something had been taken from me, but glad I had experienced it.

Destinations Visited

New York, New York

Reading, Beverly, Lynn, and Boston, Massachusetts

Favorite Destinations

It was so nice to get back to Boston — I actually haven’t spent much time in the city proper since I moved to New York. I used to know Boston like the back of my hand; now that I haven’t lived there for six and a half years, I barely recognize some parts of it.

Highlights

Meeting my feminist heroes. This was a fantastic month. I had no idea I’d be meeting feminist icon Gloria Steinem! My friend Amy invited me to an event honoring Dr. Willie Parker, reproductive rights advocate and author of Life’s Work: A Moral Argument for Choice.

(John Oliver was there, too, and gave a hilarious introduction. Olivia Wilde was there as well, as an attendee, and I cracked up when Amy said, “Hey, Olivia, your backpack is unzipped so I’m just zipping it up for you now.”)

I got a chance to briefly chat with Gloria and tell her about the work I do to fight gender inequality in the travel blogging industry and elsewhere. (“Travel blogging. That’s interesting,” she said.) “I’m continuing your work,” I told her. “No,” she gently corrected me. “You’re continuing your work and I support you.” My heart felt like it was about to burst.

I also met Lindy West, one of my favorite writers in the world, whose book Shrill I named one of my favorite reads of 2016. She was giving a reading at the NYU bookstore. We had a nice discussion about the ramifications of standing up for your beliefs when it can negatively impact your career.

Enjoying flower season in New York. I’m glad I actually got some good photos this year! The cherry blossoms are so beautiful. Spring is one of my favorite times of year in the city. I love when you can ditch a jacket and have a coffee or drink outdoors.

Trying out crazy treats in New York. I’m on a mission to photograph some of the crazier foods in New York, so I waited in line for a cronut at Dominique Ansel Bakery in SoHo (and ran into two lovely readers while doing so!) and tried the fish-shaped ice cream at Taiyaki in Chinatown. Pro tip: if you want a cronut, go right when they open.

Trying out vegan restaurants in New York. No real reason for it; I just happened to try a few this month! I know I have some vegan and vegetarian readers, so here are some tips: if you want something high-end, check out Candle Cafe on the Upper West Side or Upper East Side. I loved the “lasagna” with tomatoes, pesto, cashew cheese, and thinly sliced zucchini. For something more casual, try out Sun in Bloom in Park Slope or Tribeca. They make sandwiches in collard green wraps and they got me to say the most Brooklyn thing ever: “What’s your Brazil nut latte like?” (It’s actually really delicious; you should get it, too.)

Returning to the Boston Marathon. The last time I attended was 2013, the year of the bombing, which was a very scary day. You can read about my experience here. I always find the marathon to be a moving event, and it especially was for me this year. I also got to cheer on my friend Matt, who is an avid marathoner but was running his first Boston.

Spending Easter at home with my family. It was a good time to go home. I also got my chowda fix at Legal Sea Foods. If you want the best clam chowder in Boston, that’s where you go (and don’t even THINK of getting the low cal version); if you want the best seafood chowder in the world, go to The Maine Diner in Wells, Maine.

Hanging out with a cool puppy with a bright future. My sister volunteers for Puppies Behind Bars, an organization where prisoners train puppies to become service animals for wounded vets. The puppies need to be socialized outside of the prison on a weekly basis, so Sarah gets to have a puppy stay with her overnight a few times a month. I loved hanging out with Waldo the black lab; he was so sweet. Also, you can bring a service animal anywhere, which is pretty cool.

Challenges

Overall, this was a very good month, and I’m grateful for that. Nothing worse than a traffic-filled bus back to New York that took nearly seven hours as opposed to the usual five.

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“Do You Have Any Regrets?” — I extrapolate upon five regrets that I’ve encountered during my travels.

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Miami Is Nice, So I’ll Say It Twice — I really enjoyed my time in Miami.

The Most Photogenic Places I’ve Ever Visited — Points for Copenhagen, Istanbul, and Lake Ohrid!

How I Joined Skillshare And Learned Cool New Skills on the Cheap — Be sure to check out this offer with two months free for AK readers, no strings attached.

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This photo from Samara, Costa Rica, taken two years ago, was just the prescription on a cold, rainy day.

For more updates, follow me on Instagram and Snapchat — I’m adventurouskate on both platforms.

Fitness Update

They say it takes a few months before your most observant friends and family notice any kind of weight loss. I’m glad to say that roughly 3.5 months into my fitness regimen, people are finally noticing and telling me how much skinnier I look. It feels awesome.

I took a few new classes this month: I tried out Orange Theory Fitness, which is an hourlong combination of running, strength training, and rowing in a small group setting. You wear a heart rate monitor and it tells you how many calories you burned. My friend Beth loves OTF, so I joined her at the Park Slope studio in Brooklyn. It was awesome — I loved the technology, the high calorie burn (635 for me), and how it feels like you’re on a team! I’ll definitely be back.

I also tried a combination trampoline and weights class at The Bari Studio in Tribeca, which was surprisingly hard, especially the weights portion, and I sweat SO much! Super fun, though. And I loved dancing to Beyoncé in Beyoncé’s neighborhood. (Me texting Beth: “DO YOU THINK THE BABIES HEARD US DANCING TO THEIR MOM?!?!”)

And if you’re ever around 145th St., check out Brahman Yoga. It’s a nice yoga space with cheap $8 drop-in classes. They specialize in vinyasa for all, from beginners to advanced practitioners.

These days there are two classes that I commit to at Equinox on W 92nd whenever I’m in New York: Zumba on Fridays with Adam, which is my favorite of the Zumba classes, and The Cut on Sundays with Chris, which is a hip-hop kickboxing class. Both Adam and Chris are fantastic instructors.

I will say, however, that I’m struggling a lot with diet this month. I need to smack myself back into shape.

Also — are you interested in trying out Equinox? Email me here, tell me which city you’re based in, and I can get you a free three-day trial at any Equinox gym (locations here).

What I Read This Month

This month I read six books and am now 23 books into the 52-book Popsugar 2017 reading challenge, putting me comfortably ahead of schedule. Here’s what I read:

The Trespasser by Tana French (2016) — I chose this from Book of the Month and I also suggested it to my book group. Tana French has written several novels about the murder squad of the Dublin police department; each novel focuses on a different detective. This book is about Detective Antoinette Conway, the only woman and person of color on the squad. There are two focuses: a case where a young woman is murdered and her new boyfriend would seem to be the obvious culprit, and the awful treatment Antoinette receives from her fellow detectives, from having her papers stolen and her coffee spat in to them urinating in her locker and worse. Because she’s a woman and biracial.

I don’t usually read thrillers or crime novels, but I loved this one. It unfolded slowly but soon I was wrapped up deep in the story, and I loved feeling like I was surrounded by Ireland. There were some weak points (and if you read it, you will probably agree on the same weak points), but I found this to be a compelling story along with a scathing account of what it’s like to be a woman in an aggressive male-dominated profession. Category: a book with a red spine.

Homesick for Another World by Ottessa Moshfegh (2017) — This book first came to my attention when I saw that Zadie Smith, an author I love, recommended it in her NYT By the Book interview. When it was an option from Book of the Month, I had to get it! Moshfegh has already published a novel, but she’s better known for her short stories and this collection has been highly anticipated.

I’ll be honest. A lot of people would hate this book. I liked it. The stories are uncomfortable; the characters are unlikeable; there are a lot of bodily functions described in great detail. That discomfort reminded me of Elena Ferrante’s novellas — it’s like holding up a mirror to your worst self. But if you love great literature and can handle a bit of feeling off-kilter, read this book. Her stories are sharp and tight and I’ve never read anything quite like them. Category: a book recommended by an author you love.

One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter by Scaachi Koul (2017) — I got this from Book of the Month as well because it seemed like the kind of book I’d love — a collection of humorous essays by a rising star and Buzzfeed writer. Her parents immigrated from India to Canada and the book includes stories on being brown in Canada (especially when compared to being a light-skinned Kashmiri in India), sexism and rape culture, and why Indian weddings really aren’t that great, among others. It sounded like it was right up my alley.

Unfortunately, this book did not gel for me at all. I found the writing to be disorganized — Koul would veer off into different random topics in the middle of an essay, then circle back without making a point. She also seemed immature, which makes sense because she’s in her early twenties, and she wrote about her boyfriend constantly even though he had nothing to do with most stories. I did appreciate some of the stories, though, especially the one on body hair. I would totally be open to reading more of Koul’s work down the line, hopefully if that work is in the hands of a better editor. Category: a book where the main character is a different ethnicity than you.

Girls in the Moon by Janet McNally (2017) — I needed a book that took place in two time periods, and when I heard this one told of time perspectives from both a mother and daughter, it seemed like a good choice. It was a Book of the Month option as well, but it was actually a bit cheaper on Amazon, so I got it for Kindle. This book is told from the point of view of Phoebe, a 17-year-old girl visiting her older sister in New York. Her parents were once rock stars, but broke up and their mother abandoned fame to raise her children while her father chased fame and abandoned them; her sister is now becoming an indie rock star and following in her mother’s footsteps more than she will admit.

This is technically a Young Adult book, which I didn’t realize when I bought it. As a result, I felt like the young characters were FAR more mature than their ages (not unlike a Baby-Sitters Club book) and a little too perfect. But to my surprise, I actually ended up really liking the book and rooting for all the characters. I related quite a bit to the mother when she became more and more uncomfortable with fame, and I love that much of the book took place in Brooklyn Heights, one of my favorite New York neighborhoods. Category: a book set in two different time periods.

American War by Omar El Akkad (2017) — Yet another Book of the Month pick! I had been looking forward to this book’s publication ever since I first heard about it. It’s a dystopian book about the Second American Civil War, starting in 2074 and fought as climate change destroys the planet. America has prohibited the use of fossil fuels; the South rebels. The story of the war is told through the life of a young girl named Sarat, who goes from a six-year-old in a refugee camp to an indoctrinated instrument of war.

There were things I liked and didn’t like about this book. I loved the premise, as frightening and realistic as it could be. I loved how it was interspersed with academic papers detailing the war. But I felt like it held Sarat and other characters at so great of a distance that I couldn’t understand their actions and motivations (not unlike American Gods, which I read earlier this year). I will say, though, that the book makes a big shift at about the 75% mark and it becomes much more engrossing. Definitely worth reading. Category: a novel set during wartime. 

Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, And What It Means For Modern Relationships by Christopher Ryan and Cecilia Jethá (2012) — I bought this book a few years ago on the recommendation of Dan Savage, but only read a few chapters before losing interest. It was time to pick it up again. The book seeks to educate people that humans are not naturally monogamous. Monogamy between humans did not exist until the dawn of agriculture. Prior to that, we were hunter-gatherers and everyone had sex communally and indiscriminately with children being raised collectively by the tribe. This book is a dense tome of anthropological evidence, but it’s also quite funny at the same time.

Does this mean that everyone should give up monogamy? No, but monogamy is definitely not the best choice for everyone. I think this book is valuable in gently pointing out that you’re not a complete failure if you’re in a committed relationship, yet become attracted to someone else — this is how we’re wired. And perhaps more people would be happier in their long-term relationships if they rethought their views on monogamy and infidelity. Category: a bestseller from a genre you don’t normally read.

What I Listened To This Month

This month was all about Kendrick Lamar’s new album, DAMN. Kendrick is one of my favorite artists and I knew it would be tough for his new album to measure up to the tour de force that was To Pimp a Butterfly. But you know what happened?

Kendrick Lamar created an album I actually related to. A lot.

I feel like a chip on my shoulders I feel like I’m losin’ my focus I feel like I’m losin’ my patience I feel like my thoughts in the basement Feel like, I feel like you’re miseducated Feel like I don’t wanna be bothered I feel like you may be the problem I feel like it ain’t no tomorrow, fuck the world The world is endin’, I’m done pretendin’ And fuck you if you get offended

It’s rare for me to relate to an album, period (though Miguel’s Wildheart is the closest I’ve found so far); it’s even rarer for me to relate to a hip-hop album. Most hip-hop is about the experience of being black in America by artists whose lives are nothing like mine. I appreciate it; I learn from it; I seldom relate to it.

But so much of this album is about Kendrick’s insecurities and internal struggles, particularly after achieving success as an artist. And on that level, I felt like he was singing from my life.

I practiced runnin’ from fear, guess I had some good luck At 27 years old, my biggest fear was bein’ judged How they look at me reflect on myself, my family, my city What they say ’bout me reveal if my reputation would miss me

The whole album is fantastic, but my favorite tracks are FEEL, XXX, FEAR, DNA, and DUCKWORTH.

What I Watched This Month

Who’s watching The Handmaid’s Tale? It’s outstanding. Beautifully filmed, scary as hell, and updated appropriately to take place in our current times. I read Margaret Atwood’s book years ago, and it’s amazing how it’s just as prophetic today as it was in the 1980s when she wrote it.

This is a dystopian show in the near future where America has been taken over by a militant theocracy. Environmental disasters and war are ravaging, infertility has severely declined, and fertile women become “handmaids” or forced surrogates to have sex with and bear children for the most powerful men in society. This is the story of Offred, a thirty-something Boston woman whose family is ripped from her and is then forced to be a handmaid.

The acting is fantastic across the board, but the biggest surprise is Alexis Bledel. I feel like this is the first time she’s been in a role where she can show her talents.

If you’re in the States, it is well worth getting a Hulu membership to watch it. But they’re only releasing it episode by episode, so you might want to wait until the whole series has been released.

Image: Stefan Jurca

Coming Up in May 2017

This month I’m heading back to Europe for two weeks. I’m starting in Bucharest, Romania, where I’ll be taking part in a multi-day event promoting Bucharest as a city, and after I’ll be exploring Moldova and Ukraine on my own.

I’ve only briefly been to Bucharest in the past, and Moldova and Ukraine are two of only seven countries I haven’t yet visited in Europe (the others are Russia, Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus, and Cyprus). It should be fun!

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What are your plans for May? Share away!

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