#and the post was trying to persuade general audiences

[thedisablednaturalist]

Hey fellow scientists!

If you are making a post on Tumblr that is aimed at general audiences, turn off the academic speak. Stop throwing fancy words into every sentence (we get it you're very smart!) if someone has to Google what a word means every other sentence, they are going to feel dumb and are less likely to take what you say to heart. Or, even worse, they will assume you are right without any critical thinking! We should all be open to valid criticism and questions!

Think about who you are trying to persuade. If it's other people in your specific field then by all means go ahead. But using words just to sound fancy without explaining them, will alienate general audiences or even other scientists outside your field.

[gojinka]

Hehe may I ask about evil Callie?

(The evil/brainwashed) Callie here functions a bit differently… as I also use her to explore what exactly mud mouths are… and the octarian’s relationship with their ally, Salmonids…

Explanation under the cut. 🚧

Due to constrained relations between them and the other main dominating species— (salmonid/octarian vs inklings)— most Inklings, namely younger generations, are more desperate to fix and mend the relationship.

(There is plenty more to this! But I don’t want to make this come across as far more convoluted than it needs to be, so here have this for now:📒)

Octavio contacted Callie directly, albeit in secret, telling her that he has plans that would be a step forward in ending the tension between the Inklings and Octarian-Salmonid groups. What he had introduced was a new type of “ink” that would make their species “salmonid friendly”, and he wanted Callie to be the one to be the first public appearance with this new Ink in hopes to reach a wider audience…

Most of that isn’t true— but to Callie— who is a direct descendant of a war leader, was raised as an agent, and lives in a fairly dangerous city zone that floods, that sounded like a better step towards a better life, and she went for it.

This ink is known as MUD— and this “ink” isn’t technically ink at all, as mentioned in a previous post, most inks are a synthetic toxic poison, designed for warfare, but this ink on the contrary, wasn't designed by Inkfish, it was designed by Salmonids.

MUD is a slimy corrosive ink designed to rival Inkfish’s ink, namely in salmon runs and Ink Wasted territories, one that blends into the grounds and spreads out quickly and efficiently much like Inkfish ink, but one that corrodes Inklings by absorbing into them, and leaves salmonids completely safe from any burning effects.

The Octarian were the ones tasked with creating this new bio-weapon, as an added benefit being it would not affect their species, (they would be safe from it regardless, considering Salmon-Runs are an Inkling exclusive event, and Octolings were surprised when they learned about them.)

They tried different methods of testing it, and ultimately, the project failed— Mud uses both Salmonid and Inkling DNA in its creation, and when Mud was being developed, it melted Salmonids like Ink typically does due to its hyper-corrosive nature, but because it carried Inkling + Salmonid DNA, the salmonid’s skin would attempt to mimic the properties of inklings and constantly try to reconstruct itself into the “swim” form, which made Salmonids a walking (or rather, squirming) sludge, these monsters became known as MUDMOUTHS, and are not truly considered alive, since they run exclusively on the Running Instinct that exists in Salmonid DNA.

And in turn, when the ink was absorbed into Inklings— the previously noted “running instinct” would have an almost Kraken-Esque affect on inklings before corroding and splatting them.

The running instinct would work as intended, everything they eat immediately converts to growth in preparation for an arduous journey, they’re extremely aggressive, and they have a desire to return to the salmonid birthplace.

Mud would splat inklings upon prolonged contact, but Inklings who were test subjects for mud were slowly injected with Mud over a course of time. These subjects were disoriented and had a sort of “positive” aggressive attitude that didn’t falter even in the face of family or friends.

They are easy to persuade and it’s unclear if this is due to the pain of getting the ink-content in their bodies replaced by this synthetic fake-ink, or if the running instinct muddles their thoughts. It’s probably a healthy mix of both.

Dj Octavio, kept Callie by his side, since in her current state her mind would be too fogged up to dispute or make sense of what he’s making her do.

He planned on using Callie to stir up trouble in Inkopolis solely for the sake of rising tension. Octavio is constantly searching for reasons to make Inkling’s an enemy in the eyes of everyone who sees them, and painting Callie— a well known public figure; a known descendant of Captain Cuttlefish— as vicious would do wonders for allowing most people to view the Octarian as a force that would more desirably be backed up, it would reinforce their armies. And make them overall stronger if people felt they had reason to target Inklings.

He didn’t get this far due to Agent Four’s interference.

But, he got to accomplish many theft missions using Callie— which included robbing Inkopolis of some of the Zapfish Generators, which are giant machines that are powered thanks to the Zapfish, and thanks to the Zap-Ink— ⤵️

(Above image is from here) — Octavio was able to use said generators to restore power to many of the war-affected bio-domes that have been obsolete for decades, WITHOUT the need for a Zapfish.

But his reasoning can still be dumbed down to a petty move on Octavio’s part— who despite having a safer ground in the domes due to a good trade relationship with Salmonids and a vast space away from water— he still feels bitter about losing the remaining lands. And because of this the Octarian are plenty more war driven, and they are more likely to easily fall to the fervor of these schemes and battles.

[p-redux]

So, you always screeched about being right, well you were proven wrong today. Shippers have finally the proof of SC kissing at the Paramore part of the Taylor Swift concert. Right there in public. Like a couple.

First of all, I don't screech, I growl, like the lioness that I am. I'm a Leo, after all. 🦁 Secondly, um, you mean, this? 👇 😂🙄

Those are screencaps from a video of the Outlander cast at the Taylor Swift concert last week in Edinburgh at Murrayfield. Apparently, the few remaining Extreme Shippers, who are holding on to their barnacle-ridden, long-sunken SamCait ship, have been given a life boat and think the ship is sailing again due to this. First, let me get this out of the way. HAHAHAHAHA 🤣😂. OMG, desperation, thy name is SamCait shippers. Sadly, there is a fairly new account on Tumblr that is led by an OG shipper returned from the bottom of the ocean to galvanize new shippers into thinking Sam and Cait are actually a secret couple. Try to keep up with the times, people, that's SO ten years ago. And, the Taylor Swift concert video is now being used as "proof" that Sam and Cait decided to finally "out" their "secret love" very publicly at a Taylor Swift concert of all places. Again, HAHAHAHAHA 🤣😂. Lord. You can't make this shit up.

Here are the screencaps lightened up and defined. 👇

Close ups. 👇

Um, this looks like a cheek kiss to me, or even Cait leaning in close to Sam to tell him something, since the concert is obviously very loud.

Regardless, Cait was also kissing Sophie Skelton and John Hunter Bell. Is she in a secret relationship with them as well?

Here's the actual video. 👇 Of the Outlander cast, Sam is the tallest male there, Cait is the tallest female there. It's obvious they would stand behind everyone for most of the concert so that their costars could SEE. If not, they would have been blocking them. Duh.

Sam and Cait have known each other for 10 years. They are good friends and costars. They have a bond via their shared experiences on Outlander. In addition, they've fake f*cked onscreen for 10 years, they are a wee familiar with each other. And as I've said MANY times before, most actors are not like you and me. They are a different breed, they are touch-feely, and flirty. That's just the way it is in showbiz. That DOES NOT mean they are a couple in real life. Why must I have to keep explaining the OBVIOUS over and over again?

When I watch the video, ALL I SEE, is two friends and costars having fun together. But because Extreme Shippers have been waiting for Sam and Cait to "finally reveal their relationship," like it's the Second Coming of Christ or some shit, THIS video will now be used as "proof" that Sam and Cait "came out as a couple at the Taylor Swift concert." And it will become shipper canon forever more. Along with all the other LIES Extreme Shippers leaders have sold to their unsuspecting minions. Soooo, for those who are new to Outlander and stumble into shipper blogs, and get persuaded by the blurry videos, manipulated gifs, and general bullshit, here is my REALITY CHECK for you.

Here is a very clear gif of Caitriona Mary Balfe kissing her ACTUAL, REAL HUSBAND, Anthony Gerard McGill aka Tony McGill on the lips in front of an audience and on live television at the Irish Film and Television Awards. 👇 click to watch

Here are the screencaps from the video gif. Look at that smile and those heart eyes 😍 Cait gives Tony before bending down to kiss him. 👇

Always remember and never forget, THIS is REALITY 👇Tony + Cait #tait

I hate to post a pic from Cait's father's funeral, but it's to prove the point that Cait would obviously attend her father's funeral with her HUSBAND, Tony. And she even took their son. Even Extreme Shippers should have a hard time explaining away Cait's mother and sister standing right next to her in this pic. But, of course in ES' pea-brains the mum and sister are in on the charade. Boy, TPTB's budget must be HUGE to be paying off not only Tony, but also ALL of Cait's family to hide Sam and Cait's "secret marriage." 🙄 That's sarcasm, btw. 👇

For the past TEN YEARS, I've posted SOLID PROOF showing the real relationship is Cait and Tony, not Cait and Sam, but here's an old post of mine with a summary. 👇 I get that the MAJORITY in the fandom know that Cait and Tony are married and know their marriage is real. But, clearly, given the amount of Anons I got pointing to "the video, the video!," some of you STILL need a reminder of REALITY and FACTS. 👇

So, quit sending me Asks about the video, or "how can a married woman cozy up to her costar that way?!" Easy, she's an actress and he's an actor, and they're friends for ten years, and are comfortable together. Simple as that. Nothing to see here, folks.

Go back to the shipper corner of Tumblr to live in delusionland. On this side, we like to bask in the glow of REAL LOVE. And that's TAIT, not SamCait. Now, shoo...

[mareastrorum]

This took a while to write up. Here’s something about Dune and Villanueve’s adaptation. I felt I really needed to chew on it before posting.

This is by no means a full thesis, just putting down some thoughts on Chani and Paul. I’m trying to minimize my use of story-specific terminology so that people who aren’t as familiar with that can still follow along.

Of course, massive spoilers below.

For those that have only seen Villanueve’s films, they are an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune, the first book in a series. You’ll find an incredible number of critiques and reviews of them online, as well as other adaptations. All of the adaptations have cut at least one part of the main plot, for varying reasons. Note that I said main plot. Cutting side plots is absolutely expected given that the first book is a behemoth, but each adaptation also cut part of the actual main plot line. That isn’t something unique to Villanueve’s films.

Some book background: Dune is a very thoughtful exploration of imperialism and ecology, particularly how certain patterns are reflections of each other. Most of the story takes place on Arrakis, a desert planet and sole source of melange, colloquially called “spice.” Spice is a mind-enhancing drug that is necessary for navigators to manage intergalactic travel at high speed—so it is the backbone of the intergalactic empire that plants aristocratic families on the desert planet of Arrakis to harvest the spice, which of course involves the oppression of the native Fremen that see the worms as religiously sacred. The atrisocrats use varying combinations of violence, diplomacy, and religion to oppose the Fremen at the same time that they appropriate Fremen knowledge of how to survive the incredibly harsh clime of Arrakis.

The key problem is that Arrakis as a habitat cannot change without endangering the sand worms that provide the spice. Terraforming to shrink the deserts where they live puts them in danger because water (the rarest resource on Arrakis) is fatal to the worms. Liet-Kynes (an ecologist from the Empire and half-blooded Fremen) persuaded Fremen leaders that it would be possible to terraform the planet gradually over dozens of generations and eventually create pockets of safe and habitable land for the Fremen without taking too much from the sand worms. The Atreides family learned this from Liet-Kynes before he died, and Paul eventually sets this plan in motion when he becomes Emperor. That plan was what won over the Fremen to his side. He had an actual plot to get them what they wanted, a path to become Emperor so he would have the power needed to make it happen, and intent to do this in a way to safeguard Fremen culture in the face of imperial exploitation by making the Fremen the dominant culture of the Empire. At least, that’s the story he sold them and himself.

Dune Part 1 did not have that facet. Liet-Kynes did not teach that to Paul and Jessica before dying. In fact, Liet-Kynes’s most lampshading scene of dying in the desert while despondently hoping that the Fremen would “beware of heroes” was cut entirely from the film. Now, that is a small deviation, and I can understand that Villanueve would have cut it for his style anyway. He doesn’t like telling—he favors showing in film. That is perfectly fair. Having a character lay out “this is my plan” and telling the audience blatantly “Paul is a hero and that is not a good thing” just wasn’t going to happen anyway, regardless of whether it was part of the plot. So when Part 1 came out, I didn’t take that as a decision to deviate from the actual plot of the book. I figured Villanueve would introduce these things otherwise, and it would make sense to come from Stilgar or another Fremen leader. Not that big a deal.

(Note: I’m not getting into a lot of the other omissions, such as the missing scenes, Gurney’s paranoia that Jessica had betrayed the Atreides, Paul’s mentat training, Jamis’s funeral, etc. I could literally write a book about everything that was left out, and honestly, it’s just more reason to read Dune.)

For Part 2, the biggest difference in is that Chani is a true believer in the prophecies that Paul is the Lisan al-Gaib, the messiah that would lead the Fremen to paradise. In the film, Chani is not merely a skeptic—she is a nonbeliever. As a result of this change, rather than support Paul, bear his first child, and agree to become his concubine (eventually bearing the twins that feature in the next two books), Chani of the films instead does not have his first son, disputes Paul’s claims, and leaves on her own rather than support his war. Additionally, although it’s not facially relevant, Chani is also the daughter of Liet-Kynes, the Imperial ecologist, and so is a mixed blood Fremen (though she is accepted without issue by the Fremen). Instead, in the film, Chani has no connection to Liet-Kynes.

This is a drastic change in plot. I genuinely do not know how that will be remedied so that Chani will bear the twins that eventually rule the universe and lead the empire down the prophecied Golden Path in later books.

Why is that a big deal?

To start, there is a significant change in symbols used between the book and film in this respect. I cannot overstate the importance of Chani as a symbol in Dune. In the books, Chani is a stand in for the Fremen and their culture, particularly that culture in current day. She is the daughter of Liet-Kynes because the current Fremen cultural goal is to bring about that dream of a terraformed Arrakis where they do not need to live so desperately. That is inseparable from the effects of the Empire; her father is an ecologist because that is the Imperial influence that the Fremen were willing to accept and integrate into their own lives. Paul genuinely loves Chani, is protective of her, wants her to thrive, and eventually wants to become the person of the prophecy she believes in. He wants to be the hero she expects of him, without losing his identity as her partner.

However, Chani does not represent all Fremen. Stilgar, Chani’s uncle, represented the old guard of Fremen that rigidly held to their old laws and ways of living. Paul and Jessica were not given any leniency; they had to prove themselves to become Fremen, and his support was clearly conditional upon that. As a result, to gain the Fremen’s respect and move them towards their common goals, Paul and Jessica assimilated into the Fremen culture, and then Paul systematically destroyed his rivals—which is the Freman way—taking the remainder under his banner to fight the Harkonnen. Paul finally broke from that tradition when he chose to let Stilgar live, convincing the old guard that it was better to cut down their enemies rather than each other for deviating from tradition. Chani stood by Paul the entire way, learning how fight Harkonnen from both Paul and Jessica, learned to use the Voice from Jessica, and became Paul’s most staunch supporter and connection to all other Fremen. Every aspect of Chani’s identity and her choices feed into the narrative that the Fremen had expectations of Paul, he willingly rose to the challenge, and they loved each other fiercely.

But near the end of the first book, Paul sent Chani and their firstborn son to a hopefully safe location that was then attacked by the Harkonnen. Paul did not know if either had survived at the time it was reported. Rather than rush to find them, Paul struggled with the decision and ultimately continued the fight against the Harkonnen. This was to tell the reader that Paul’s love didn’t save them, that he was not going to save the Fremen, and he was going to continue his bloodshed. This had already happened, and was going to happen again. Luckily, Chani survived, they mourn their son, and she agrees to be his concubine so that he could marry Princess Irulan and become Emperor. Everyone knew at that moment that Paul had no love for the princess and the marriage was purely political. Princess Irulan resented this until the end of the next book, when she reveals that she also came to love Paul, and she was jealous of Chani. But Paul did not love Irulan the way he loved Chani. It’s again a reflection that Paul truly loved the Fremen culture and saw the Empire only as a means to an end: achieving the Fremen’s goal of creating paradise on Arrakis. Dune ends with that affirmation.

In the film, that is no longer the case. Chani was not a symbol of Fremen support because she set out alone. Most of the Fremen supported Paul. She didn’t believe in Paul or the prophecies when most did. She didn’t have his firstborn and it remains to be seen if the twins will exist. Rather than Paul making a decision that shows he will destroy the Fremen culture, Chani makes a decision to reject him. This changes the dynamics involved in the story, and I genuinely don’t know if it will be handled well.

The next books continue the story years after Paul becomes Emperor. In Dune: Messiah, Paul wrestles with the duties of Emperor while attempting to preserve the Fremen culture (to keep Chani and their unborn children alive) and fulfilling his roles as prophet and leader. At the same time, he is beset by assassination, rebellion, and usurpation attempts. At the end of Messiah, Chani dies while birthing twins, the worms are beginning to die off, Paul loses hope in his plan, and then he walks off into the desert expecting to die because he does not want to become the Emperor he foresees necessary to continue this plan. He realized he has changed the Fremen forever, not for the better, and he thinks the best thing he can do is exile himself. Paul didn’t save anyone he cared about, and when faced with the decision to try to salvage the future in front of him, he walked away. Paul is a failure. The point is that he fails in the book titled Messiah.

The books were an ongoing warning that no matter your good intentions, no matter the support and love and resources involved, to introduce an outsider whose power depends upon a limited resource into the place of origin will eventually destroy any other aspects of it, even if that power was intended to preserve. Whether it’s imperialistic appropriation of a culture and its religion, or terraforming to change land optimal for a religiously and economically significant animal into something comfortable for another species, the thing you love will die.

You cannot save a habitat by introducing an invasive species. You cannot save a unique species by destroying its habitat. You cannot save a culture by using it to conquer others. You cannot appropriate a culture and keep it just like it was before you commandeered it. You will wind up with something else, and eventually the only remnants of the thing you loved will be memories reenacted by people so separated from the original that they won’t even know or care why they’re doing it (as shown in Messiah and God Emperor).

The entire point of the Dune series is that “white saviors” don’t actually exist. They’re “heroes” until time reveals that they’re not. They are merely conquerors with the delusion that they are saving the thing they sacrificed in order to attain power.

Chani’s rejection in Dune Part 2 erodes that. Someone who didn’t read the book is going to wonder, “what if she had stayed and persuaded him?” “What if Chani was the Lisan al-Gaib?” “What if an actual Freman had taken over the Empire instead of Paul?” Then the audience thinks, ah, of course, Paul made mistakes and that’s why he’s going to fail. If only he hadn’t been so blinded by ambition, everything would have been fine. If only he hadn’t needed to be the leader, if he had let Stilgar do it, if he had let Chani do it, etc. In other words, if the white savior had just done it the right way, it would have worked.

But that isn’t the point of Dune. To become the leader of an Empire requires that level of ambition. Stilgar submitted to Paul because he saw that Paul’s ability to engage with both the common folk and the extremists among the Fremen was absolutely necessary to defeat the Harkonnen, and Stilgar chose that over any other priority. Chani supported Paul because she loved him and genuinely believed he would lead her people to better times, because all she knew was desperation and oppression. There was ruthless calculation and devotional love in equal measure, but the cost of success as a hero seeking to lead an empire is that the thing you loved will die. The Fremen had already changed into the bloodthirsty, fanatical army before Paul ever saw the Emperor face to face. Paul’s son died and Chani went missing because Herbert was telling us that the future Paul and Chani both wanted was already dead before he laid siege to Arrakeen, before he became Emperor, before he started a war to solidify the Freman’s domination of humankind. The reason that everything in Dune eventually works in Paul’s favor is because even with perfect conditions, he failed. There is no world in which he would have succeeded.

You can’t eat a cake and have it too. Empires eat. Heroes, no matter how much love they have in their hearts, no matter who they fight for, no matter how much their supporters/victims wanted it too, cannot use an empire to save anything. The very nature of imperial power is to consume. Love doesn’t make a “white savior” any less imperialistic than a tyrant bent on conquest.

Is the next film going to get us to that point? I don’t think it will. I think it’s going to be yet another adaptation trying to tell a different message because Herbert’s message isn’t very palatable to a mass audience. We don’t want to hear that love doesn’t win in this circumstance. It’s a horrifying message, but it’s one that’s true when telling the story of imperial and ecological exploitation of cultures and rare resources.

That isn’t to say that the films wouldn’t be a good story on their own. It’s just not the story of the books, and I’m one of those people that actually likes the books.

There’s a lot of ways Chani’s new story could go, and I’m watching it like I’m observing someone setting up a dare devil leap. Villanueve is an incredibly skilled storyteller, but this is something no one’s done before, a lot of things can go wrong, and if he doesn’t stick the landing, it’s gonna be pretty gross no matter how the crash happens. I want him to succeed. I’m still gonna watch the next film. I’m just well aware that this is probably going to end in a watered down, generic “Paul failed because he wasn’t Fremen” sentiment rather than “Empires rely upon exploitation and destruction, at the expense of everything else.”

It’s still fucking amazing eye candy, and I’ll probably watch it again.

[mmmmalo]

this might be a stupid question, sorry in advance. when you perform analysis on a work like homestuck and excavate these levels of, like, racial and social meaning from it, how does it affect your opinion of the work? do you come to like or dislike it more, or have your feelings toward it grown past that over the years into more nebulous things?

i love your blog and your posts, even though i only started homestuck last year and never made it past act 4; when i read your stuff i always learn new things about how one can interact with texts. just got curious about the above after reading your post on caliborn and disability and such. hope you have a good day.

I continue to like the work, in new ways. The feelings evade summary, so here's a few examples:

I lost my initial fervor for classpect ages ago, when it became clear to me that the categories weren't mutually exclusive (depriving the system of majestic power) and that they were not the ultimate key to Homestuck (meaning a new paradigm would be needed to solve the story's remaining mysteries). But I still admire how classpect induces the audience to engage in symbolic reading, proposing this object or that color has an associated abstract significance.

The manifestation system started out just giving me digestible bits of characterization like Egbert being scared of heights, but within a few months it began giving me weirder shit like racist sex dreams. That was difficult to integrate into my impression of what exactly Homestuck was -- for the time, I was satisfied to conclude that Equius was not as much of an anomaly as he was made out to be, and that the comic might be in some measure a commentary on racism. That the racist thoughts seemed to emanate from particular characters, in a game whose modus operandi is making thoughts real, struck me as a distancing maneuver of sufficient strength to rebuff gentle (and not so gentle) suggestions that maybe this all just meant Hussie was racist. Thus when the ARG got posted, instead of joining the outcry against the abundant bigotry I was laser focused on how the alternate-dimension Obama was a surrealist confirmation of racist birther conspiracies. The psychological framing of Sburb had persuaded me to accept the story as a scare quote around "racism" that could be observed at a remove.

I was excited that the manifestation system meant more characterization for Jade, then shocked when it implied she had been raped, then apprehensive of the apparent perpetrator Grandpa's every move, then supremely confused by the revelation that Homestuck's deployment of pejorative tropes meant that all the above had coaxed me into a simulation of satanic panic. Reconciling my sympathy for Jade's suffering with the knowledge that Jake is by some measure an effigy sending out de-fused signals of DANGEROUS HOMOSEXUAL THREATENS THE CHILDREN, it all gives me a headache. The story's ironic scaremongering demands your disengagement, to view the story as artifice, but the suffering of the victim within the bad-faith narrative is nonetheless visceral. Conflicting demands like that make up much of the story for me now: pathos that I once felt and continue to feel, side by side with the need to question the foundations of the sympathy.

It is very rare that anything holds my attention as long as Homestuck has and that in itself is something I'm grateful for. Trying to get a rhetorical foothold on its weird ass games has been my primary motivation for reading new things -- psychoanalytic film criticism, existential philosophy, and academic theorization of assorted bigotries are probably not things I would have delved into were they not connected to the puzzle box. It became my lesson plan for self-study, and it has (slash I have) made me into a better reader in general... or something, idk.

I like the story. That's it for feelings for now

[mariacallous]

Less than an hour before JD Vance and Tim Walz took the debate stage on Tuesday, Elon Musk hit pause on his usual shitposting of pro-Trump memes to send a more serious message to his nearly 200 million X followers.

“If you live in Pennsylvania and haven’t registered to vote, you only have 20 days left to do so!” he posted.

“Arizona’s voter registration deadline is only a week away!” he said in a second post a few minutes later.

Musk also included voter registration links for residents. By Wednesday morning, X’s metrics showed that those posts were viewed more than 30 million times, and the links received 1 million views each. Basically: A lot of people saw them. A lot.

It might not be 2008, Obama-style ground game, but it sure is something.

At the beginning of this election cycle, the Ronna McDaniel–led Republican National Committee was planning on building out a vast network of canvassers across the country, but plans changed suddenly when the Trump campaign took over the committee this spring. Instead of putting out the ground game themselves, they’ve dedicated their resources to combating whatever voter fraud they expect to encounter next month. Lately, the RNC’s been holding what they call “Election Integrity Zoom Seminars” instructing supporters on how to spot issues while poll watching.

And the Trump campaign’s been happy to outsource its get-out-the-vote efforts. The Musk-backed America PAC has taken the lead, hiring a few hundred canvassers in battleground states. Turning Point’s political operation is doing work in Arizona and Georgia.

Still, many GOP strategists fear it’s not enough, according to recent Politico reporting, and say they’re worried that Trump’s “paltry” ground game and get-out-the-vote efforts could cost him the election.

In the Politico report, Trump’s political director, James Blair, defended the campaign’s decision to invest less in IRL voter registration, saying that suburban voters, which have often been the focus of canvassing, are already more likely to vote. They just need, Blair says, to be convinced to vote for Trump.

As of this year, 42 US states allow online voter registration—including every contentious battleground state. Digital ads with easy call-to-action buttons linking out to any of these registration sites is definitely cheaper, and easier for the campaign and voters alike. Between Musk’s calls to action, Trump’s own missives online, and all of the campaign’s online initiatives with right-wing creators and influencers, voter registration is quite literally only a click away.

Perhaps even as a gift to Musk, Trump has effectively returned to X over the past few weeks, leveraging the largest online megaphone he’s ever had. On Tuesday evening, Trump posted a link to his campaign’s page asking for volunteers. As of Wednesday afternoon, it’s pinned at the top of his account. This could be the mark of a desperate candidate, but it could still prove to be very effective.

If the polls are correct, this election will be incredibly close. Trump’s base will likely turn out like they did in 2016 and 2020. The challenge is convincing nonvoters to turn out and boost the former president’s numbers. Many of these unlikely voters are young men; men aged 18-24 vote in far fewer numbers than older generations. To find and persuade them, Trump has worked with tough-guy and dude-bro podcasters and influencers whose audiences tend to be the exact people the campaign is trying to reach. Instead of one volunteer with a clipboard getting maybe a few dozen or even a hundred people to register in a day, these guys precisely reach millions of the voters the campaign needs.

In 2008, Barack Obama’s campaign transformed how elections are fought and won with its massive field operation across the country. At the time, traditional methods like phone banking were revolutionary. Now, no one answers their phones. If you’ve been reading this newsletter, you know the Kamala Harris campaign has done plenty of similar work online to what we’re seeing from the Trump team and Obama’s ‘08 campaign. The main difference, really, is that they’ve also invested in relational organizing, and are betting on the fact that a combination of random volunteers speaking with strangers, influencers posting to millions, and friends and family members reaching out with talking points will win November. Basically, Harris is casting a wide net while Trump goes all in.

Rather than hanging out at college campuses and grocery stores, it looks like the Trump campaign is betting on the internet to help them reach low-propensity voters. With millions of followers, and that sweet algorithmic luck, the Musk and Paul brothers could very well be Trump’s ace.

[bluebunnysart]

(Chimera Teto x Android Miku WIP, another one, yeah, another one lol)

I may not finish WIPs but I can definitely start new drawings!! 😂Hahahaha ! I always try to make them chibis (for simplicity) but I also want to draw details/the full body, so of course it turns into a double full-body drawing that takes forever.... This isn't even the final lineart obviously but it's almost 5 AM again and I know I'm gonna fuss with this some more, so I guess here's a WIP so I can show off what I did at least tonight xD In case I decide to do other things in the meantime...

Tell me why I literally spent like 2 hours (fr) trying to draw Miku 'cuz Miku is hard asf to draw and challenges me to draw better 😂😂😂😂 Anyway (a long-ish) explanation of stuff under the read more 'cuz I don't want to take up people's dashboards. When I finally finish this drawing or the other one, I won't have to yap as much in the post too. xD

A series of things happened today that led to me creating this drawing. (Miku's prefinal lineart is done too btw, I'm just not showing her to you 'cuz no point spoiling the whole drawing lol, plus I might make changes.)

I went to the store for a brief moment 'cuz all my pens kept running out of ink and I was annoyed I didn't have any reliable pens and I wanted a pen to write a continuation to this AU, right.

When I went to the store, there was a song playing and I thought it sounded nice, what little I heard of it before I had to return to work. So once I left the store and was able to look at my phone again, I looked up this song through the lyrics I heard and I found it. And the whole song was even better than I thought: the lyrics and music are INCREDIBLY sweet and now I really like it. xD

Besides liking it in general as a song (this genre of song), I was ALSO super into it because I thought, "This is super End of the World AU-coded (Android Miku x Chimera Teto)" and it made me so happy, excited, and giddy lol.

Like, listen to this...

"When the cloud's above your head / And the sun's not breaking through / You know I'll be there to sing this song for you. / And it goes: / La la la / la la la la la~..."

This is absolutely something the Miku in my AU would sing. This is absolutely a song she and Teto would listen to together-- like, I could draw them listening to it together and that's actually practically what my drawing is lol. I could draw an animatic or make an MV to this song about them... I could make a comic where Miku is singing this directly to Teto and persuades her to sing it with her, especially the chorus (la la la) parts. I smile because in the first fic, Miku also goes "lalala~" (idk the number of la's lol), and it's not like what she sings is this or anything, but it's a small connection that I like. xD I literally discovered this song only today but this is absolutely a song Teto would have in either one of the cassette players or in the MP3 player. This song matches them and the AU too so Miku would absolutely sing it and like it a lot too. This song made me think of my AU and I was already excited/trying to keep writing more so I could get to the good parts, so finding this song made me really excited, ok. xD

Also I'm not sure how you WOULDN'T adore Miku if she sang something like this, especially directly to Teto (her only audience).

All the sweet lines and stuff made me super soft, so I put this song on loop and literally played it for hours. The whole time I was drawing too. It's just so cute and fitting and it's what made me create art for this AU again instead of making Turing Love fanart or one of the other dozens of ideas I have and whatnot. xD

That was a lot of words to explain what prompted this drawing in the first place when it wasn't planned in the slightest, but now I'll talk more about the drawing itself.

I was inspired by all the fanart I've received so far! It'll show in the final drawing. c: But when drawing this, I was looking at Slyvasta's art since I wanted to draw Slyvasta's version of Teto too. Teto is easiest to draw imo, so we've got the scarf, horn, wings, and tail. The pupils were actually added at the very end 'cuz Slyvasta's has sharp pupils and I thought that was cool and a good idea lol: this Teto's eyes can have sharp pupils (dragon/reptile-like) while Miku's eyes are more round yet robotic.

I was thinking about the flavor of tsundere that Teto is (in my AU) and this drawing was partially inspired by me wanting to clarify stuff about that. xD I did call her "cool, gruff, indifferent, etc." which is all true and does apply, but she's still playful and can be lively, even if she's been beaten down by exhaustion and gloominess, as I've mentioned. In other words, she never was a complete downer or anything (I know I said that before), but I wanted to clarify that she's not, like, the cold type who's ONLY frowning or who's grumpy either.

If I think about it, the "trying to act cool/indifferent" thing is mostly an act I think, yeah. xD Like, of course she'll frown or have a neutral uninterested expression if she's bored or she's been through annoying experiences (like starving or encountering various issues), but she's still kicking, if that makes sense. Like, the enthusiasm and zest for life isn't exactly there, but she's doing what she can to get by. I guess she's more of the type to distract herself and focus on other stuff so she doesn't get too existential? So it's not like she isn't lowkey depressed-- she's just the type to make jokes about it. She's basically original mischievous Teto but with some baggage she's carrying.

This might seem like a weird post now based on the stuff I'm writing LOL but I really did think about it, ok. xD The way to characterize her. And she has really valid reasons to be sad and everything, but she's not as harsh and edgy as her appearance implies. That's something that I really like about her: the gap moe lol.

So what does this mean in relation to Miku? Well, Teto is a pretty normal girl who's cool and nonchalant. She's probably arrogant in a cute way too, judging from her catchphrase and how she likes acting like a know-it-all and being praised/appreciated. But basically, the tsundere mainly comes out whenever she gets embarrassed.

The Teto in my AU can smile and has a couple of times, and she's nice because she helps Miku out before she even knows Miku that well. So....

She's probably the type to send Miku soft smiles without even realizing it. Like, she relaxes a lot and is happy or something and then her expression will turn so warm or gentle, I'm pretty sure. 🥰 Her tail and body language already gives her away, so I love the idea of her expression changing into a really affectionate one before she even notices or realizes it. She realizes she's been smiling the whole time after 5 whole minutes pass or Miku points it out and then she's like, "I-I wasn't smiling or anything?! (unsure why she's immediately denying it)" lol.

Anyway, THAT'S when the tsundere comes out. She isn't tsundere towards Miku unprompted, and even though Teto doesn't know how to deal with Miku YET, that doesn't mean Teto walks on eggshells around her or is curt/cold to her. Teto acts very naturally and herself-- she only gets tsundere whenever she's NOT acting like herself, aka being really weak or soft for Miku at different moments.

Her tsundere is a weak kind of tsundere too (unlike Neru, who isn't in this AU anyway), so she'll just get embarrassed or lie or act kinda awkward or prickly to hide her embarrassment (maybe a sharp word or two, along the lines of "Shush" and "Shuddup"), but in the end, she's a very cute and kind girl. 🥰 They both are 🥰🥰🥰

It might take me one or two more iterations before I'm finally satisfied with the final lineart, but this time, I made the time lapse longer, so you'll be able to see how I struggled to draw Miku for like 2 whole hours. xD

This, too, I want to color. I actually wanted to color my first drawing first, but then I discovered the song I mentioned earlier and it made me so hyped up that I wanted to create a whole new piece about it. Along with the other two songs that I associate with this AU, I was really happy to find yet another one. This song is cute in general too, so it was immediately added to my Motivation playlist. xD

With how hard Miku is to draw and how long drawing takes in general, it makes me even more impressed with Miku artists lol. Like, Miku is so demanding but I love her so of course I'll push through until I do her justice... I'm slow because I care a lot and want to do these two right, ok... xD Lineart and the like is more in my comfort zone, but I'll definitely tackle coloring soon; tonight's session only proves that it'll take longer than I expected/5 hours lol.

I'm not only planning to create stuff for my AU only-- I want to make all kinds of Mktt stuff. But I was really inspired by other people's art and this time, I even drew with their art in mind lol.

I have no idea how long it'll take, but I'll continue to make more art! To me, it's the clearest way I show/understand my love lol. I've been inspired seeing other people's art too, so I definitely wanted to draw my own....

Anyway, time to go tf to sleep. (it's 6 AM 😅)

[scotianostra]

James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was born on October *25th 1612.

*The usual disclaimers apply here, we don’t actually know his date of birth, it is thought to have been mid to late October, but a couple of sources give the 25th, so today it is!

Graham was brought up at Kincardine Castle and succeeded his father as 5th earl of Montrose, November 14, 1626. His mother was Margaret, eldest daughter of William Ruthven, 1st earl of Gowrie, who was up to his eyeballs in the intrigue that surrounded Mary Queen of Scots, and her son James I, but this post is not about him, let’s get back to our main subject.

The young Montrose was educated at the college of Glasgow from age 12 and continued at St. Andrews University, the oldest in Scotland, where records paint a vivid picture of his time there. At St Salvator’s College he studied classics — Caesar and Seneca – but he was happiest when involved in outdoor pursuits, golf, archery, riding, hawking and hunting among his many activities.

Marriage followed university, in 1629 at only 17 he married Magdalene the youngest daughter of Lord Carnegie a near neighbour from Kinnaird Castle. It was there the newly weds set up home.

Montrose at the age of twenty- four, left for London to offer his services to King Charles I who had come to the throne in 1625. Appearing at the royal court he asked the Marquis of Hamilton, said to have the ‘ear’ of the king on Scottish matters, to be his sponsor.

Hamilton tried to persuade Montrose not go ahead with the audience, portraying the king as anti-Scottish. Noting Montrose’s wish to carry on Hamilton promptly told the king that Montrose was a danger to royal interests.

It’s little wonder that the meeting with the king was a decidedly short and chilly affair; it was enough to discourage the most fervent royalist. The Scottish Reformation of four decades before had swept across the country turning its people away from many years of strict adherence to Catholicism to a new Protestant Scottish Kirk.

The king was now threatening the status quo by trying to introduce the English Episcopalian prayer book into a staunchly Calvinist Presbyterian Scotland. The vast majority of Scots were having none of it and mobs rioted in towns across the country. There could be no doubt in the king’s mind of the strength of feeling north of the border. For more on this look up Jenny Geddes

By early 1638 the juggernaut that was the Presbyterian unrest could not be stopped. Moderators of the General Assembly drew up the National Covenant, a document of protest against the actions of the king. In February that year Scottish nobles, including Montrose, gathered at Greyfriars to sign the document, thousands of ordinary Scots followed in Edinburgh and across Scotland as copies were dispatched throughout the country culminating in hundreds of thousands putting their marker on it.

Not all were happy with it though, In 1639, following instructions from Covenanter leaders for Scottish shires to prepare for war, Montrose, in his first military experience, led an army against the Royalist Marquis of Huntly in Aberdeen, forcing the citizens to sign the Covenant.

The authority of the Parliament continued to grow, its driving force Moderator Henderson and Archibald Campbell, Marquis of Argyll. By this point Montrose, suspecting that Argyll was trying to seize power in Scotland for himself, enlisted fellow trusted Covenanters in an attempt to put a stop to his scheming, but word got out and Montrose was jailed in Edinburgh Castle for a time.

The English Civil war began in 1642 and soon spread all over the British Isles and has now become known as The War of the Four Kingdoms. The following year Scottish Covenanters, led by Argyll, joined English Parliamentarians to sign the Solemn League and Covenant in St Margaret’s Chapel in Westminster London. In essence it was an agreement by the Scots to fight on the parliamentary side if the English embraced Presbyterianism. It was possibly the last straw for Montrose.

Charles was now desperate, with civil war consuming parts of England and Covenanting forces in Scotland holding the upper hand he needed a miracle.

By this stage Montrose had a change of heart and was now determined to keep Charles on the throne. He joined forces with Alisdair MacColla who landed on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula with 1600 troops to support the Royalist cause.

MacColla and Montrose formed a spectacular military partnership and throughout 1644 and 1645 inflicted six crushing defeats on Covenanting armies from Aberdeen to Kilsyth, you have seen me post about these battles many times over the years.

After Kilsyth, MacColla and his Irish followers left Montrose’s army and returned home. Many of Montrose’s Highland troops also packed up and returned to their families. With his army severely depleted James Graham turned south and headed for the Borders after promises of support from Lords Hume and Roxburgh.

The South of Scotland was an unlikely place to find supporters, being in the main staunch Covenanters but none the less he pressed on. Unknown to Montrose, as he marched south, a Covenanters army was heading north from England under the leadership of General David Leslie, who captured Hume and Roxburgh before they could meet with Montrose’s Highlanders.

Ever the optimist Graham took his army into battle at Philiphaugh, but was soundly beaten by the battle hardened Covenanters, he spent another year in Scotland before making his escape to the continent where he spent three years trying to muster support.

In his absence Charles, accused of making war against his own subjects was brought to London and charged with treason. He was executed on the 30th January 1649.

Within a few weeks the English parliament had abolished the monarchy. Scotland, still an independent nation, now recognised Charles II, in exile in Holland, as king, the true successor to his father.

Montrose was dismayed at the news from Holland that Scotland’s king was in talks with the Covenanters.

However, despite this dialogue Charles urged Montrose to enlist support for an invasion of Scotland. He returned from his exile and fought a final battle at Carbisdale, near Bonar Bridge in April 1650 but he was again defeated by a Covenanting army, resulting in the death or capture of nearly 1000 of his men.

Forced to run he took refuge in Ardvreck Castle, where he was betrayed, taken south and executed at the Mercat Cross in Edinburgh on the 21st May 1650. Charles II could have stepped in and saved him, but did nothing.

It was a traitors execution, he was ‘headed and quartered’ his head was fixed to a spike at the tollbooth; his arms and legs were fixed to the gates of Stirling, Glasgow, Perth and Aberdeen. After the demise of Cromwell’s English Commonwealth, Charles II was restored to the English throne in May 1660. Montrose’s body was, then, after 11 long years, taken from public display, embalmed and buried with honours.

As well as being a soldier, James Graham was an accomplished poet. Great leaders have over the years used the words of Montrose to encourage and inspire their followers and even General Montgomery, on the eve of D-Day, roused his troops with the following words from his verse My Dear and Only Love:

‘He either fears his fate too much

Or his deserts are small

That puts it not unto the touch

To win or lose it all'.

Lines Written on the Eve of His Execution.

Let them bestow on every airth a limb,

Then open all my veins, that I may swim

To thee, my Maker, in that crimson lake,

Then place my par boiled head upon a stake;

Scatter my ashes, strow them in the air.

Lord, since thou knowest where all these atoms are,

I'm hopeful thou'lt recover once my dust,

And confident thou'lt raise me with the just.

[tonydaddingham]

how in the world do you do it? i sent that ask yesterday and i'm still making my way through your masterpost kind of reeling- almost every moment i paused the show (s2 especially) and thought, that's weird, but couldn't put my finger on why, you've talked about, and expanded on, and it's all so well put. you're slowly curing the countless little ⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️ bouncing around in my head. it's so satisfying, too, to see all those asks with LWA disagreeing with popular fanon. i'd been thinking it was only me.

i'm curious about your interpretation of the bullet catch, specifically aziraphale's motives. i scrolled through a few of your tags and didn't find much about it, but i might have missed something.

i've seen people say it was retaliation for the holy water request (ooc?), or some deliberate test of crowley's willingness to go through with it (and so go through with their relationship, in spite of the danger, or something). then, of course, there's the generally accepted afaik "elaborate trust fall, general aziraphalean ridiculousness" version, but convincing somebody to nearly shoot you seems like a lot (understatement), even then.

it comes across to me as a bit cruel, if that makes sense. this isn't reliant on crowley not wanting to shoot him, or just doing well under pressure. if he's never even shot a gun before, this is almost entirely luck, and i don't buy that the only thing at stake is paperwork, however much they repeat it to themselves. crowley's hands wouldn't have been shaking so badly. if he messes up, he's gonna hurt aziraphale, or have to watch his human body die. it's so fucked.

maybe it could be said that, without their miracles working, they knew they were being watched, and had to continue, but i don't buy that either. aziraphale didn't act like he felt threatened afterwards until furfur showed up- was doing the complete opposite.

that's all i've got for now, but yeah. this blog is awesome and i'm so here for your sideburn theories. have a nice day pls

oh anon✨ you're so sweet!!! i really dk about all that, i just like chatting shit and trying to spot patterns/contradictory stuff/things that don't make sense beyond the script (if that makes sense), so whilst you all might not get Smart out of me you will at least get Passionate🤌

(also YES for LWA appreciation, they deserve it 💕 - still dont know why they do it but im just happy to be involved)

ooooh okay bullet catch. couple of thoughts from me:

aziraphale was happy to go on stage and try to ameliorate the situation between crowley and mrs h (my beloved), but reticent to scope out any Showy-Offy tricks from goldstones shop

crowley hyped aziraphale up enough to go into the shop and find a new trick to perform; hes the angel who fooled nefertiti and is performing on the West End Stage, after all!!!

aziraphale is taken in by the bullet catch trick upon seeing it, but was previously happy to consider another trick. he also, presumably, wasnt aware of the element of trusting a stooge until it was told to him

aziraphale persuades crowley to perform it, even when crowley is obviously uncomfortable, and crowley isn't truthful with him re: firearms experience

crowley agreed, providing that they make use of their miracles if it goes tits up

aziraphale doesnt inform crowley on any of the plan; crowley is notably caught unawares when called out in the audience

miracles don't work, neither of them stop the performance. crowley once again still very uncomfortable, literally shaking on stage, and yet seems to calm at aziraphale ploughing on ahead.

so okay, yeah, ive basically just recited the scene - but a few conclusions:

aziraphale doesn't want to let crowley down or embarrass him by backing out of the act, or indeed by messing it up

i think there's probably some element of aziraphale doing it for himself (self-esteem), but in a way that, post-Realisation, he is showing off a bit... it strikes me that crowley wasn't fully cognizant of this little hobby of his, and aziraphale is taking a moment to do something that (bless him, he thinks) he's good at, and wow crowley as a result

i don't think the holy water request came into his motivations at all, for the same reasons you said. however, it is an appropriate mirror to the holy water request narratively; i think it will come back up in s3, and i think the bullet catch will at least emotionally inform aziraphale on whether to give crowley the water or not

as for crowley's motivations in going along with it; i think to some extent he's paying back the favour, but mainly that it's truly just to make aziraphale happy. a step beyond that; to him, aziraphale is in need of something, and that is something aziraphale is only trusting crowley to deliver. crowley of course assumes miracles will be their safety net, so agrees to be aziraphale's knight in shining armour (*cough* playing hero)

when the miracles fail, aziraphale still has trust in crowley to do it properly. crowley however is left to trust in aziraphale's trust in kind. he still wants to do this for him, but the stakes are a bit higher in that he could shoot his best friend (?) in the face and not see him again on earth for any number of years (imo, it's never, ever been about the paperwork). but aziraphale isn't backing down; is crowley about to disappoint him? of course not.

tl;dr: they're both arseholes for their respective lacks of transparency with each other, deliberately put themselves in harm's way, and it was by sheer luck that they pulled it off. but it is a huge seismic shift in how they see each other, and i don't think we've been shown/suggested the full implications of the whole thing just yet.

thank you so much for your kind words, they honestly make my day!!! hope you have a lovely day too!!!✨💕

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Martin Pengelly at The Guardian:

Mark Milley, a retired US army general who was chair of the joint chiefs of staff under Donald Trump and Joe Biden, fears being recalled to uniform and court-martialed should Trump defeat Kamala Harris next month and return to power. “He is a walking, talking advertisement of what he’s going to try to do,” Milley recently “warned former colleagues”, the veteran Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward writes in an upcoming book. “He’s saying it and it’s not just him, it’s the people around him.”

Woodward cites Steve Bannon, Trump’s former campaign chair and White House strategist now jailed for contempt of Congress, as saying of Milley: “We’re gonna hold him accountable.” Trump’s wish to recall and court-martial retired senior officers who criticized him in print has been reported before, including by Mark Esper, Trump’s second secretary of defense. In Woodward’s telling, in a 2020 Oval Office meeting with Milley and Esper, Trump “yelled” and “shouted” about William McRaven, a former admiral who led the 2011 raid in Pakistan in which US special forces killed Osama bin Laden, and Stanley McChrystal, the retired special forces general whose men killed another al-Qaida leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, in Iraq in 2006. Milley was able to persuade Trump to back down, Woodward writes, but fears no such guardrails will be in place if Trump is re-elected.

Woodward also describes Milley receiving “a non-stop barrage of death threats” since his retirement last year, and quotes the former general as telling him, of Trump: “No one has ever been as dangerous to this country.” Milley spoke to Woodward for his previous reporting. Woodward now reports the former general as saying: “He is the most dangerous person ever. I had suspicions when I talked to you about his mental decline and so forth, but now I realize he’s a total fascist. He is now the most dangerous person to this country. “A fascist to the core.” Woodward, 81, made his name in the 1970s with Carl Bernstein during Watergate, the scandal that brought down Richard Nixon. Woodward’s new blockbuster, War, will be published on Tuesday. His fourth book at least in part about Trump – after Fear, Rage, and Peril – stoked uproar this week with the release of revelations including that Trump sent Covid testing machines to Vladimir Putin early in the coronavirus pandemic, and that Trump has had as many as seven phone calls with the Russian president since leaving office.

Milley was chair of the joint chiefs of staff from 2019 to 2023. His attempts to cope with Trump have been widely reported – particularly in relation to Trump’s demands for military action against protesters for racial justice in the summer of 2020 and, later that year, Trump’s attempt to stay in power despite losing the election to Biden. Last year, marking his retirement, Milley appeared to take a direct swipe at Trump, then a candidate for a third successive Republican presidential nomination. “We don’t take an oath to a king, or queen, or tyrant or a dictator, and we don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator,” Milley told a military audience at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia. “We don’t take an oath to an individual. We take an oath to the constitution, and we take an oath to the idea that is America, and we’re willing to die to protect it.”

In Bob Woodward’s soon-to-be released book War, Gen. Mark Milley rightly called Donald Trump “a fascist to the core.”

Let’s defeat fascism by electing Kamala Harris!

See Also:

HuffPost: In Bob Woodward's New Book, Retired Gen. Mark Milley Calls Trump ‘A Total Fascist’

[lucianowrites]

Why Do I Like Jumpchains?

I have been creating jumpchain content for a bit now. It has begun to color what I'm known for in some spaces. In the Reddit community over jumpchain enjoyers, I'm actually not unknown, due to my passion for this community and the contributions I've made to forcibly expanding and growing our audience and community. But why do I like jumpchains? That's a good question.

For me, jumpchains remind me of the wonder I felt when I first started playing video games. They allow me to feel what it is like to live in another world, another time, sometimes even another country. In doing a jumpchain I don't just think of the powers I/my jumper get or their cool gear, I think of the sights they get to see.

As a child, one of the things that I loved the most about video games were the sights I got to see. Getting to see even things as simple as Kanto region in the original Pokemon games was incredibly exciting to me. Getting to see Yoshi's Island was exciting to me. Nowdays seeing things like the eerie pool rooms and liminal spaces in Anemoiapolis and seeing the dragon filled skies above Skyrim in TES:V excites me. For me, creating a jumper is, in a sense, giving someone else the chance to feel that wonder. I actually like creating jumpers who don't have meta-knowledge or genre-awareness so they can experience the wonders of these places for themselves for the first time.

Another thing that I really like is the freedom jumpchains offer. Video games are inherently limited by the fact that they are programmed and thus have limits (though ones that are being stretched and improved every day) that imagination and imaginary games like jumpchains do not. If you ever wanted to wander Hyrule as a dragon but knew that no Legend of Zelda game would let you do that, well... Jumpchain. If you ever wanted to ride through the Mushroom Kingdom on a F-Zero machine... Jumpchain. If you have *thoughts* about how someone in a Metroid powersuit would do in Castlevania... Jumpchain, baby!

On a more personal level, I also strongly enjoy jumpchains as a sort of escape. I don't mean that in a way that is super depressing or anything, but I'm physically disabled and I'm also chronically ill. My health will... never be good. For the rest of my life. But with a jumpchain I can allow myself to become someone who can do cool stuff that I can't do. As a kid I was a martial artist with formal training in Taekwondo and Karate and less formal training in Muay Thai and Silat, and I LOVED martial arts. I may not ever be able to do the same kind of martial arts shenanigans I could once do, but I can with jumpchains. Between basic perks in jumps like Generic First Jump and full jumps like Generic Fist, I can envision myself doing cool stuff that is beyond my real-life capabilities. I don't often do self-inserts in real, sketched out, chains but I sometimes daydream about self-inserts doing a few jumps. I like to imagine getting the parkour skills of the mario brothers from the Super Mario 64 jump, and spending time on Isle Delfino in the Super Mario Sunshine jump, or spending a decade honing my skills as a martial artist in the Generic Fist jump.

Why do you like jumpchains? If you see this post, and you feel like engaging with it but aren't a jumper yourself, what do you think it'd take for someone to persuade you to try? I'd love to know what could convince you to try out a chain yourself.

[askagamedev]

What are some of the skills/lessons you have learned since you first started working in game dev that you are the most proud of? And which skills/lessons have benefited you the most?

I've probably learned enough lessons over the course of my career to write an entire book, and then some. In fact, thanks to your question I think I might try writing a series of "lessons learned" posts when the fancy strikes me. Today, I will answer both of your questions with the same lesson:

Everybody - player, artist, designer, engineer, QA, musician, writer, director, producer, executive, publisher, marketer, brand manager, influencer, interviewer, whatever - has a different perspective and different needs. If you want their buy-in, you need to show them the value in what you're proposing and you need to do so in a way they understand.

The same general principle applies across the board. Over the course of your career, you will need to convince others to agree with your line of thinking. You might need to show a player how the content you're creating is something they'll enjoy. You might need to explain to your lead why your chosen plan is a good one. You might need to persuade a brand manager why your ideas will work with the license. You might need to convey the specifics of a character to the character artist so they can figure out the visuals for that character. You might need to convince an interviewer that you're the right person to hire for the job.

Each of these people is looking for something of value to them within the context of the situation. Sometimes it is just about explaining the situation to them in a way that they understand, like how I often rely on using visual aids and diagrams to explain concepts at meetings to help the artists, producers, QA etc. understand the issues I am solving so they recognize it as a problem that needs solving. Sometimes it is about persuading the decisionmaker (e.g. a player, a licensor, or an interviewer) that your proposal is the best one. In those situations, you need to figure out what your audience wants and the best framing for how your proposal hits those notes. The better you are at figuring out how to do so and presenting it in a way that the audience understands, the more likely that you'll succeed in getting their buy-in.

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[precuredaily]

Precure Day 234

Episode: Yes! Precure 5 Go Go! 36 - “Danger! Five de Chance! (Part 1)” Date watched: 17 March 2023 Original air date: 19 October 2008 Screenshots Precure Metamorphose Gallery | Sky Rose Translate Gallery Project info and master list of posts

Well I knew I was in trouble now, my hope of winning sank, 'cause I got the daily double now, and then my mind went blank.

The gang have the chance to participate on a game show to win some fabulous prizes, but while Nozomi, Rin, Urara, and Komachi are gung-ho, they can’t pin down a fifth member. Meanwhile, after gathering intel on the girls, Mucardia is ready to hatch his greatest scheme. Get ready for a story so great, it couldn’t be contained to a single episode! Let’s dig in.

Note: Mucardia uses the alias “Mr. Magic” for most of this episode. I will be referring to him as such in the recap, but the analysis section will generally use his real name.

The Plot

Nozomi, Urara, Komachi, and Rin are trying to predict a coin toss. They’ve landed a spot on a game show, Five de Chance, and a coin toss is always the final challenge.

They need five people to compete, so they try to invite Karen to be on their team, but she's not interested. They then invite Kurumi, and she's also not interested until being told the prize is a year’s worth of chocolate, and then she’s very gung ho.

In Eternal, Mucardia is seen with a diorama and miniatures of the Cures, planning. Anacondy gently reminds him that separating the team hasn't worked before. He counters that his predecessors were simply using outdated methods.

The day of the show, Kurumi is more reluctant to participate. She secretly overheard that the prize is a trophy with the contestants' names on it, and now she feels that her spot belongs to Karen.

Meanwhile, Karen is seen practicing coin toss prediction while leaving school, but insists she doesn't want to be on the show because she would bring them down. Jiiya tries to persuade her.

Komachi calls and says there's a situation, so Karen rushes to the studio. Kurumi has reverted to Milk out of stage fright and Karen has to take her place. Karen sees through the ruse but trusts that Milk has a reason for this.

Suddenly everyone is ushered onto the stage by a PA who is clearly Mucardia. Once they're gone, Milk admits that Karen is better suited for this. Just then, the real PA calls all the contestants over, and the fairy gang are confused.

Not-Mucardia ushers the girls to their seats in the dark. Suddenly they get locked in. The lights come up to reveal that the show is actually Precure Five de Chance and the audience are all Hoshiina. The host, who is clearly Mucardia wearing clown makeup and a mask, introduces himself as Mr. Magic.

The rules are that they win if any one of them manages to pass the trial, but if they all fail they're stuck for eternity.

Rin is up first. Her set is a soccer field, and she has to score 100 points by kicking 5 balls onto a target in a soccer goal. The goal is actually a Hoshiina and starts moving, causing her to miss, and then it even catches her last ball and Rin fails the challenge.

Rin declares this is a mockery of sports, transforms, and uses Fire Strike..... but the Hoshiina pulls out a baseball bat and hits the attack back at her. She is captured and placed in one of the tubes on the other side of the stage.

Komachi is up second, and her set is a hallway with a buzzer in it. She has to answer three easy questions, by ringing in before time runs out. The buzzer turns out to be a Hoshiina which runs away before she can hit it, so Komachi fails the challenge.

The Hoshiina chases her so Komachi transforms and tries to fight it, but it multiplies and she’s overwhelmed by the horde. She is captured and lands in the tube.

Nozomi volunteers to go next, even knowing it's a trap. She winds up in a playroom, where Mr. Magic and his partner Hoshiina-kun explain that she has three chances to guess a silhouette correctly. The first is Hoshiina-kun dressed as a giraffe, and the second is Hoshiina-kun dressed as a kettle, so when the third one looks like a penguin, she guesses that it’s Hoshiina-kun dressed as a penguin. Mucardia reveals it's just a regular penguin, and Nozomi fails the challenge.

A Hoshiina giraffe appears to Nozomi while holding a kettle, as if to mock her. As she runs away, she sees a penguin, so she transforms. She tries to rescue the penguin, but it turns out to be a penguin Hoshiina, and she gets captured.

Mr. Magic works up the crowd, chanting that there's only two left. Urara looks at Karen in worry and the fairy crew, who are watching on a monitor, have concern on their faces. The episode ends.

The Analysis 

What I Liked

What a fantastic episode. We’ve been building up to this on Eternal’s side for a while, as Mucardia has taken time to study the Cures before launching this plan. From the Cure side, it’s a good way to follow up on the previous episode, where everyone was sad that they couldn’t spend so much time together anymore while in pursuit of their dreams. They want to do this thing together and get their name on that trophy in commemoration of their time together. In light of the “Otona Precure” special that was recently announced (at the time of this writing), which so far has only revealed Nozomi’s involvement, this feels especially symbolic.

Mucardia’s commitment to the bit is honestly commendable. Building an entire game show set, even if it’s in a pocket dimension of some kind, and coming up with games for each girl, and filling the audience with Hoshiinas? To the best of my recollection, this is the most spectacle any general has ever put into their plot. And he is clearly living for this, he’s hamming up his interactions with the contestants, and he works the crowd like nobody’s business.

The episode is filled with great gags from start to finish:

Karen questions whether Urara is even allowed to compete on a game show, and she says she cleared it with Washio

When Kurumi agrees to join the team, they all do a sentai-esque pose. (As far as I can tell it doesn’t homage any specific series)

Rin gets really into the soccer ball challenge, but loses her cool when the goalpost literally moves and wastes several shots. The goal catching the ball is the icing on the cake.

Komachi chasing the buzzers is great, up to the point where she gets overwhelmed

Nozomi’s entire segment is comedy gold, as sad as I am for her. Bless her, she’s trying, but the game is rigged against her. The highlight is when she tries to save the penguin that's supposed to be just a normal penguin, but it’s actually a hoshiina dressed as a penguin after all. (so Mucardia was lying?)

The minigames everyone has to do are well-themed. Rin ends up on a soccer field, Komachi is transported to a long hallway with a bunch of doors on either side of it for her buzz-in, and then there’s Nozomi’s. Nozomi is taken to what looks like a child’s playroom, surrounded by toys, and Mucardia presents her challenge like a children’s host. Think Steve from Blue’s Clues, except condescending. He has a little Hoshiina that works like a hand puppet and he talks like the challenge is going to be super easy (barely an inconvenience), just identifying obvious shapes. While it’s obvious there’s going to be a trick, poor Nozomi can’t know what it is, so she guesses that the silhouettes are exactly what they appear to be. She catches onto the trick and tries to predict that the last silhouette is a Hoshiina, but of course Mucardia has done a bait and switch, and condescends to her some more. The whole segment is even more demeaning than any of the other girls get, as if saying Nozomi isn’t as smart or talented as the others. It’s clear from her expressions that this insult is not lost on her, and I feel so bad for her. It’s in the positives section because the show did a good job at setting the scenario up.

Throughout the episode, the art is a little bit off model, but the animation is much more expressive than usual, so I consider this a positive tradeoff.

There’s obviously a lot of setup for the second episode, especially regarding Karen’s role in the group. She hasn’t realized yet that the real reason the girls want to participate is to commemorate their friendship with the trophy. My favorite part is how she immediately sees through Milk’s supposed stage fright, but trusts that Milk has a good reason for tagging out. The reason, of course, is that Milk knows what the prize is and feels that Karen deserves the recognition more than her.

At the beginning of the episode there’s an impressive and dramatic mural overlaid on the scene when the girls are describing Five de Chance to Karen to drive home how COOL and AWESOME this game show is.

Later, before each girl transforms, there’s a freeze frame rendered in this same art style which is kinda neat.

What I Didn’t Like

The only critique I have is that the transformation scenes were very abrupt. Rather than showing the girls whip out their CureMos, they’re in the middle of an action when the stock footage rolls. Komachi is literally falling over when hers plays.

Miscellaneous

Milk appears in her fairy form for the first time since episode 32.

This is the first time Mucardia has appeared in front of the team as a member of Eternal, although he’s still in a disguise so that he doesn’t blow his cover as Momoi. He’ll get at least one more use out of that alias.

To pad time, each of the three girls gets their full solo transformation scenes played before they get captured. Maybe it’s because they don’t have to play the Rainbow Rose Explosion scene.

The contest rules are awfully lenient. Sure, the games are rigged to be unfair, but even allowing the girls the chance to free themselves if ONE of them wins is still more of a chance than is sensible.

Some of the contestants in the green room are wearing uniforms that resemble Yuunagi Jr High from Splash Star

Takeuchi Junko's Naruto voice slips out a lot during her sequence.

A BGM from Splash Star plays at the start of Rin’s challenge, similar to how it was used during Saki’s softball games.

There is a warmth between Mucardia and Anacondy that is starkly different to how she treats anyone else in Eternal. She’s friendly and kind to him, a far cry from her usual demeanor.

As a hint of things to come, the monitor outside of the sinister soundstage has a couple of mascots that resemble Hoshiina. Also, there is a poster next to it that is a clear Godzilla homage.

Conclusion

This was a wonderful first half of a wonderful two-parter. It’s a bit silly and self-indulgent but also very earnest and effective. Being spread across two episodes allows it to take enough time to fully set up the conflict, and give everyone their time in the spotlight, whereas if it was confined to a single episode it would probably be a lot more rushed, or not everyone would get featured. It’s filled with wonderful character moments and also so, SO many gags. I’ve talked to someone who doesn’t share my enthusiasm for it, so maybe I”m just in the right headspace, but to me this mini-arc is the best non-powerup plot in the show so far, and I’m eager to discuss the second half of it.

Next time, on Precure Daily, we have to plug Urara’s single again, and then it’s Karen’s turn in a challenge that you can probably predict if you paid attention to the foreshadowing. Look forward to it!

Pink Precure Catchphrase Count: 0 kettei!

[poondragoon]

Genuine question, OP: do you think there's a better way to take the wind out of that kind of rhetoric than to laugh at it?

If you treat BS hate speech like "Haitians are eating your pets right off the scratching post" like a real threat worth combatting, you give it legitimacy. The entire right-wing bigotry machine is engineered around the premise that it will generate moral outrage, and that - in turn - is what will cause the intended audience to take it seriously.

You can't fight this kind of hate with rational arguments. That sends the message that there's something true in there that needs to be argued against, and makes people dig their heels in.

Refuse to validate that shit as a threat and treat the people espousing it like the clowns they are, and the people they're trying to persuade will stop listening out of embarrassment.

The language of hate feeds on being confronted. Laugh at it, and it dies.

i genuinely don’t think the haitians eating pets lie is something that should be laughed off bc the rhetoric literally rooted in some of the worst acts of colonial violence known to man but i just know liberals are going to try and meme it away. this isn’t a funny haha republicans are so stupid thing this is a hey they are trying to justify a resurgence of specific atrocities against this specific group of people

[aakhil658]

How to Make Money by Writing Articles – A Simple Guide

Do you want to earn money online and enjoy writing or want to give it a try? Article writing can be a great way to earn money, even if you're just starting out. With some effort and learning, you can turn this into a rewarding opportunity and target your audience. This guide will show you the basics of earning money by writing articles, step by step.

1. Basics of Article Writing

Before jumping into it, it's important  to understand that  what actually  article requires. Articles are written and designed to inform, educate, entertain, or persuade an audience. They can range from blog posts and magazine features to technical guides and product reviews.

To succeed, follow on these key elements:

Clarity and simplicity: Write in a way that's easy for your audience to understand.

Engagement: Use a soft and  approachable tone to  keep your readers interested and aligned.

Purpose: Always, focus to know the motive of the article whether are you informing, selling, or entertaining?

2. Develop Your Writing Skills

Strong writing skills are the foundation of success in this field. If you’re a beginner, don’t worry—skills improve with practice. Here are some tips to enhance your writing:

Read regularly: Read blogs, articles, and books to familiarize yourself with various styles and tones.

Practice daily: Develop a habit of writing every day, even if it’s just journaling or drafting ideas.

Learn SEO basics: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) ensures that your articles are easily found online. Learn to use keywords naturally, structure content for readability, and add engaging headlines.

3. Choose a Opportunity

To write  in a specific function helps establish expertise and attract clients. Popular niches include:

Technology

Health and wellness

Personal finance

Travel

Lifestyle

Digital marketing

Start with topics you’re passionate about or have some knowledge of. As you grow, you can explore other areas to expand your repertoire.

4. Create a Portfolio

Clients and platforms often require samples of your work. Even as a beginner, you can create a simple portfolio by:

Writing sample articles on topics you’re interested in.

Publishing on free platforms like Medium, LinkedIn, or your blog.

Offering guest posts to blogs or websites in your niche.

A professional portfolio showcases your skills and builds credibility.

5. Find Writing Opportunities

There are number of platforms to find paid writing gigs. Here are from where you should start:

Freelance Platforms: Websites like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer connect writers with clients. Create a profile highlighting your skills and niche expertise.

Content Mills: Platforms like iWriter and Textbroker pay writers for creating articles. While the pay may be low initially, these sites are good for gaining experience.

Job Boards: Check websites like ProBlogger, BloggingPro, and WritersWork for freelance writing job postings.

Pitching: Reach out directly to blogs, magazines, or businesses. Craft a compelling pitch explaining why your article ideas would benefit their audience.

6. Understand Payment Models

Writers are paid in various ways depending on the platform or client for which they are working. Common payment modes include:

Per word: A set rate for each word written (e.g., $0.05/word).

Per article: A fixed price for each article, regardless of length.

Hourly: Payment for the time spent on a project.

Revenue sharing: Earning a percentage of the ad revenue generated by your articles.

7. Set Realistic Expectations

As a beginner, you might not earn high  immediately. Keep focus on building your portfolio and gain experience. Over the  time, as you refine your skills and establish a repport, you can command higher fees.

8. Building Relationships with Clients

Repeat clients can provide a steady income stream. To build strong client relationships:

Deliver high-quality work on time.

Be open to  receive feedback and work on it.

Communicate in professional way  and response promptly.

Satisfied clients are more likely to offer long-term projects and recommend you to others.

9. Keep Learning and Growing

The writing industry has bee evolving  continuously, so staying updated is essential. So to Invest in online courses, attend webinars, or join writing communities to enhance your knowledge. Networking with other writers can also open doors to new opportunities.

10. Start Your Own Blog

Freelancing is one of the great ways to earn, starting your blog can be another stream of income. Earning your blog through ads, affiliate marketing, or sponsored content helps to brand awareness. This also gives you creative freedom to write about topics you’re passionate about.

Conclusion

To earn money by writing articles is an achievable goal for beginners who are willing to put their time and efforts. By learning this  skill, and choosing it as a job option, and  seek opportunity actively, One can build a rewarding career as a writer. Remember, persistence is key. Start small, stay constant, and watch your efforts will  pay off.

[head-post]

Harris pledges break from Biden presidency, Vance says Trump did not lose 2020 election

Vice President Kamala Harris has no intention of directly continuing President Joe Biden’s policies if she wins the November election, the Democratic candidate said in an interview on Fox television.

Harris asserts her presidency “will not be a continuation” of Joe Biden’s

The 25-minute interview, which took place after Harris held a rally with more than 100 Republican representatives in Pennsylvania, was the first time Harris sat down with Fox News, which has consistently backed Trump.

Bret Baier, the network’s chief political anchor, is seen as a counterweight to the straight news and rage of the late-night shows, but Harris, trying to sell herself to the channel’s older, mostly Republican audience, still offered a whole list of right-wing topics, including immigration, transgender rights and Joe Biden’s speech.

Harris was asked if there was anything she would ‘do differently’ compared to Joe Biden when Baier played a clip in which the vice president said in an earlier interview that ‘there’s nothing that comes to mind’ that she would change. That response has been the subject of attacks from Republicans who are trying to link Harris to the unpopular Biden administration. She said:

“Let me be very clear. My presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency, and like every new president that comes into office, I will bring my life experiences, my professional experiences, and fresh new ideas. I represent a new generation of leadership.”

She also added:

“For example, as someone who has not spent the majority of my career in Washington DC, I invite ideas: whether it be from the Republicans who are supporting me, who were just on stage with me minutes ago, and the business sector and others, who can contribute to the decisions that I make.”

Baier pointed to polls showing a majority of Americans believe the country is “on the wrong track” and asked Harris why they say that, since she has been vice president since January 2021. Harris suggested that the polls show fatigue with Biden and Trump, given that the latter has been “running for president” since 2016.

Harris noted that several high-profile former members of the Trump administration now believe “that he’s not fit for office, that he’s unstable, that he’s dangerous, and that people are tired of a man who professes to be a leader but spends all his time demeaning and dealing with personal grievances.”

Polls show Harris and Trump virtually tied in most battleground states as both campaigns seek to persuade voters before November 5.

J.D. Vance argues that Donald Trump didn’t lose the 2020 election

Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance said on Wednesday for the first time since joining the Republican Party that Donald Trump did not lose the 2020 election, after dodging questions from reporters and his opponent on the debate stage a fortnight ago.

Vance, responding to a reporter’s question in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, said there would be “serious problems” in 2020, referring to alleged censorship by tech companies. He said in his most direct answer to the question yet:

“Did Donald Trump lose the election? Not by the words that I would use. But look, I really couldn’t care less if you agree with me or disagree with me on this issue.”

Vance emphasised his focus on social media censorship instead, citing Twitter’s decision to temporarily block users from posting a story about Hunter Biden’s laptop.

In recent weeks, Vance has not acknowledged that Trump lost – he didn’t respond when Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz asked him about it during a debate, when he was asked five times during a New York Times interview, and when he was asked about it several times during the campaign. As a candidate for the Senate in 2022, Vance questioned the outcome of the presidential election, citing his concerns about Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s donations to the campaign organisation. Harris campaign spokesman Matt Corridoni said in a statement:

“There we have it — JD Vance finally admitted he denies the 2020 election results. As Governor Walz said on the debate stage weeks ago, Donald Trump selected Vance for this exact reason — he knows Vance will be a loyal soldier in Trump’s pursuit for absolute, unchecked, limitless power.”

Trump and Vance’s campaign declined to comment on Vance’s remarks on Wednesday.

The question of the 2020 election results has hung over Vance since the October 1 debate, when Walz said Vance gave a “damning unanswered answer.” Harris has increasingly used the issue to rally Republicans against Trump, including during a campaign event Wednesday in Pennsylvania, where she stood surrounded by her Republican supporters.

Trump’s reelection loss was confirmed by dozens of lawsuits and investigations at various levels of government. He continues to face charges in two jurisdictions – Georgia and at the federal level – over his attempts to overturn his defeat, culminating in an attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Nevertheless, Vance did not acknowledge that Trump had lost, repeating in recent days that he was “focused on the future” and accusing the media of being “obsessed” with the issue.

Read more HERE