#don't vote for war hawks

[n0thingiscool]

DNC are war hawk cunts who will take food from their own children and give it to genocidal nazis while acknowledging it's improper to publicly disparage some under represented populations they like.

The RNC are war hawk cunts who will take food from their own children and give it to genocidal nazis while also aspiring to be genocidal nazis.

The nuance is a fucking prison sentence, either way you look at it.

[bynux]

"don't vote for Harris or you're supporting genocide" "voting blue is still voting for fascists" Then what else do you expect us to do?

Here are some options y'all seem to insist on and why they're fucking stupid:

Vote Third Party :: Until we have ranked-choice voting (and probably even if we did have ranked-choice voting), it is practically impossible to make a 3rd-party candidate viable. There's not enough of the population that's far enough from moderate to give up their "safe" blue vote for some "revolutionary."

Don't Vote At All :: I'd prefer to pick my enemy. If I'm going to be working in spite of the government, or even against it in some ways, I'd rather the people I'm working against not already be targeting me for being queer, for example. If my options are "bad" or "much, much worse" I'm gonna pick "bad" and try to improve things from there.

Violent Revolution :: It's a cosplay power fantasy in the same vein as the Right-wingers looking for a reason to shoot protesters. Assuming you even have enough people organized and enough firepower to pull that off in the first place…have you prepared a plan to keep the innocents alive and safe? Are you sure you can keep supply chains for food and medicines intact? Are you sure there will be resources available for the disabled, the scared, the young and old, those who won't be able to fight and still need to be taken care of? Turns out revolution is ugly and causes a lot of undue collateral damage. Are the lives "saved" really going to outweigh those whose lives will be upended and destroyed? It's not like a newly-toppled, unorganized country will be able to do anything about Israel/Gaza, so you're just hurting and killing far more people than you're saving.

As for the power you do have to better things (and make Leftism more viable as a political stance in the US)?

Work at the level of your local government. If you're in a small enough town or neighborhood and think you have what it takes, run for local office. Be a local face of the left wing; you're far more likely to sway a small town to your views than the whole country, and each small town with a socialist-leaning government is a dot on the map for larger-scale viability, and you can help keep your community safe while trying to build up in scale.

Build community so we can keep each other safe if worse does come to worst. Push mutual aid initiatives, help at food banks, grow produce to donate to those in need, apply to work at your local free clinic, empower local businesses whenever possible so that if there is a socioeconomic collapse, you and those you love aren't left completely without resources.

Protest, and make it disruptive. You can be disruptive without being violent: graffiti, blocking roads, encampments, sit-ins, to name a few examples. Create inconveniences so it gets people's attention whether they like it or not.

Above all, FUCKING VOTE BLUE. You're choosing your enemy. You get to help decide if the government we're working in spite of is run by milquetoast neoliberal war hawks who do, on some rare occasions, actually make things marginally better…or full-tilt Christo-fascists who want to kill some of us for kissing people with the same genitals as us. There aren't any other options that are going to be picked. It sucks, but at the bare minimum we can pick the option that isn't going to actively murder us while we try to build up viability for a candidate who won't sell out brown people to an ethnostate.

If you aren't doing at least one of the things above, then don't lecture me about how I keep myself and my community safe. I'd love to see a United States (or some future iteration of it) that acknowledges the sovereign rights of indigenous peoples, that doesn't fund genocide, that provides healthcare as a basic human right, that doesn't meddle in every other country's business. But if we are to see that, let alone help that happen, we need to survive this next presidential administration.

Edit: y'all have lost reblog privileges. If you wanna screenshot this and have stupid unnuanced opinions OFF of my post, be my guest. Just leave me tf alone.

[batboyblog]

I just saw someone call "vote blue people" fascists today on this godforsaken website. They also rambled about Jews Zionists a little too much and repeated some blatant blood libel points so like, I shouldn't take anything they say seriously but.

Is that what we've come to? People voting for Democrats, the party that wants to destroy the world and its people the least... Fascists? Is there no winning with these damn people? What the hell is considered acceptable to them anymore?

hm, I mean I think there are a number of different types of these people. I think there are people who grew up in Republican households and took on all the anti-Democrat baggage and their leftism is rebellion against mommy and daddy but not very deep.

I think there are people influenced by the silly idea that the worse things get the better it is for the Communist Revolution thats totally about to happen any day now we swear, Karl Marx the once and future King will rise from his sleep to lead Britain in its hour of greatest need or whatever.

I think the media are really failing, because they love an idea of "balance" but like when it comes to say Republican criminality there isn't balance? there's no Democratic counter point? so they have to under cover Republican scandal and also lean into an unthinking narrative that whatever Republicans do is somehow Democrats fault? in some way "why didn't Democrats stop them?" well because thats not how it works? why did Republicans do it in the first place? why wasn't the public aware thats what Republicans would do if elected?

I think the antisemitism is a big factor this time around as you mentioned the raving about Zionists or whatever, putting all issues on the back burner to somehow "punish" Democrats for the fact a war broke out in a foreign country on the other side of the world when a Democrat happened to President.

which leads me to the final part, propaganda. When Trump was President he recognized Israel's annexation of two areas, East Jerusalem which has long been talked about as the site for a Palestinian capital, and the Golan Heights a legal part of Syria. This is the first time an American President (or any world leader) had recognized land occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War as a PART of Israel, rather than occupied. Trump went further and put forward a plan drafted by Israel and right wing American Israel hawks which would have reduced Palestine to a bunch of little islands of sovereignty cut off from each other by land annexed to Israel. A Palestine of bridges and tunnels. And Netanyahu claimed, and I believe him, that Trump said he could go ahead and annex that land even if the Palestinians said no to the deal (which they did)

do you remember the big protests then? no? none? you don't recall any of this? strange... because there are big bot networks boosting content about this conflict, making sure it makes it into your timeline, making sure you tie it to somehow be Democrats fault and that its the most important thing in the world and showing how upset you are by it is the single most important thing imaginable. All day, every day.

As far as Palestine goes, there are two options. The Party that believes in a two state answer, and the party that doesn't. Trump already signed off on annexation once, when he's back in office, now, after October 7th? ooof. Any one who's serious and not cooked knows which is the better choice.

[do-you-ship-it-polls]

Worst ship: mini tournament

Here are some of the pairings which got the most "I don't ship it" votes, for your hater needs. Feel free to vote even if you don't know the characters. Hopefully i'm not starting a war lmaoo

[least-sexy-man-competition]

INTRODUCING OUR CONTESTANTS...

Steve Carlsberg (Welcome to Night Vale)   

Emperor Belos (The Owl House)   

The Onceler (Lorax)   

Emperor Palpatine (Star Wars)   

Pikaman (Tumblr)   

Warren the Eagle (Don't Hug Me I'm Scared)   

Lord Hater (Wander over Yonder)   

Harry Du Bois (Disco Elysium)   

Bill Hawks (Professor Layton)   

Springtrap (Five Nights at Freddy's)   

Walter White (Breaking Bad)   

Cronus Ampora (Homestuck)   

Jerry (Undertale)   

Reigen Arataka (Mob Psycho 100)   

Dr. N. Brio (Crash Bandicoot)   

Elias Bouchard (The Magnus Archives)   

Doofenshmirtz (Phineas & Ferb)   

Kavinsky (The Raven Cycle)   

Dennis Reynolds (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia)   

Lord Farquaad (Shrek)   

Lemongrab (Adventure Time)   

Bill Cipher (Gravity Falls)   

Thaddeus "Rusty" Venture (Venture Brothers)   

Shin Tsumiki (Your Turn to Die)   

Zim (Invader Zim)   

L Lawliet (Death Note)   

Flint Paper (Sam & Max)   

BoJack Horseman (BoJack Horseman)   

Connecticut Clark (Connecticut)   

Fassad (Mother 3)   

Baldi (Baldi's Basics)  

Tony Stark (MCU)

Wallace (Wallace & Gromit)

Spamton G. Spamton (Deltarune)

Logan Roy (Succession)

Grima Wormtongue (Lord of the Rings)

Crux (The Locked Tomb)

Jonathan Sims (The Magnus Archives)

Five Pebble (Rain World)

Tingle (Legend of Zelda)

The Grinch (The Grinch)

Benrey (Half-Life VR But The AI Is Self-Aware)

Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto)

Neighbor (Hello Neighbor)

Tighten (Megamind)

Scout / Jeremy (Team Fortress 2)

Santa Claus (Christmas)

Sans (Undertale)

Ben Chang (Community)

Olaf (Frozen)

Jurgen Leitner (The Magnus Archives)

Pierre (Stardew Valley)

Jesus Christ (The Bible)

Randy Jade (Dialtown)

Count Olaf (A Series of Unfortunate Events)

Trip (Facade)

William Murderface (Metalocalypse)

Syndrome (The Incredibles)

Martin Kratt (The Wild Kratts/Zooboomafoo)

Oswald Mandus (Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs)

Naven Nuknuk (Epithet Erased)

Wario (Mario)

Mordecai (Regular Show)

Glenn Quagmire (Family Guy)

Voting will begin as soon as I have a proper image for the bracket :}

(im probably going to end up making my own at this point LOL)

[emloafs]

first 8 min of ck s6 thoughts

SPOILERS BE WARNED welcome to my brain dump. pls enjoy.

already yawning at this baby plot sorry not sorry

YAYA MADE ROBBY LUNCH IM GOING TO SOB

whoever made anthony "block" daniel over a croissant needs to be excused that was very very cringe

BINARY BOYFRIENDS ARE HEREEEEEEE

i knew that the trailer was likely all from ep1 but the fact that so much of it is in the first 2 min is insane

tory and devon being besties!!!!!!!! didn't know i needed it

robby holding up his student folder is actually the cutest thing I've ever seen shut the FUCK UP someone hold me

the kenthony vibes are strong with this one....

the way that the camera pans around from Anthony to kenny is actually chefs kiss (ps I'm very excited to see kenny's growth this season)

amanda trimming a bonsai tree is something i didn't know could be so personal

daniel flat out saying no more karate wars! woohoo! no more silver and kreese! immediately tells me that things are going to be worse than ever ok awesome

WHY and i cannot emphasize this enough WHY are Miguel and robby both in the back seat of the van??????? i kept waiting for someone to be revealed in the passenger seat and then they just... never were... WHY IS JOHNNY UBERING THEM

kiaz content of robby wrapping miguels hand <3

LETS GO MIYAGI DO LETS GO HAWK AND DEMETRI TRAINING NEXT TO ANTHONY LETS GO NATE BURT CHRIS DEVON FRIENDSHIP

mitch and chris getting back together was so intimate and beautiful and the way chris looked at him alone and smiled made me believe they're in love - sweet moment but def a "let's wrap up that loose plot hole real quick!!!" too quick but they're background characters so i get it

OKAY Miguel and robby meddling with sam/tory is going to be INSANE IM SO EXCITED

oh lets get our girlfriends to be friends! and then it totally backfires because sam and tory fall in love and date each other (one last significant other switcharoo and then kiaz can get together too, done and done)

was waiting for johnny and daniel beef to happen again ("since when do i run shit by you?") but all we got was fond understanding like hmgoodpoint from johnny instead of picking a fight with daniel and honestly THATS GROWTH I LOVE THEM

OH SHIT BINARY BOYFRIENDS AGAIN

what a reveal of them opening the sliding doors like this is all i could ever ask for they look so good

"sensei" [demetri bows] "sensei" [demetri bows] "sensei" [demetri bows AGAIN] this was the funniest part of the whole thing

the thing they want to show the senseis before training is that they are back together and in love and the whole dojo needs to know (they already all knew)

eli moskowitz is my favorite character i hate to say it I'm so proud of him finding balance and being a baddie and a loser simultaneously he just loves karate and his boyfriend

now picturing eli and demetri staying up late brainstorming new dojo names that get more and more ridiculous (instant fic idea)

this stupid dojo name better be good cuz i genuinely don't care that much about it and they keep burying the lead like its the reveal of the century

i only care that demetri and eli came up with it and then had everyone vote on it

IM SO EXCITED FOR THURSDAY AHHHH

[yourtoradorasextendedwarranty]

I don't understand people sometimes. I was scrolling through a little earlier and saw someone call Trump a fascist which isn't uncommon but it wasn't from someone I'd have expected to it come from. But nothing about Trump is fascist. Sure he's nationalistic but fascistic and nationalistic are not the same.

What's more when it comes to Dems v Reps I don't see how anyone can vote for Dems especially when they've gone full Neo Progressive. What do I mean? Well let's look at the most general of what the parties have represented across the US.

The right has been pro border security and this has been exemplified by Rep states either reinforcing their own borders, or sending them to sanctuary states.

The right has been historically and still is anti abortion. And while I didn't personally fully after with the stance, it SHOULD be left to the states to decide.

The right are for protecting the second amendment and even IF not all politicians on the right are for it, the SCOTUS justices that do understand the conservative values of the Constitution have given us more freedoms back. Many red states in fact now have constitutional carry.

Also of note those same justices have removed the Chevron act. Meaning that 3 letter agreements etc can't just wildly interpret the law as they please.

Now having said all this yes, there are war hawks on the right. There are racists on the right there are sexists on the right. But those same people very much exist on the left with no shortage at all

The left supports full term abortion and doesn't even consider the child alive until it's outside the womb.

The left is STAUNCHLY anti gun and anti second amendment.

The left is staunchly anti first amendment as seen by their calls to "hate speech".

The left is mostly pro open borders

The left is and has been pro war for a long time. Need proof? Obama started almost 5 new wars.

The left has proven recently they are ABSOLUTELY above the law and will manipulate every word in existence to jail their political rivals.

The left is actively racist and actively promotes white supremacist ideology with stuff like affirmative action and DEI.

The left has gone out of their way to allow kids to transition and get surgeries before the age of 16 even and want kids introduced to and TAUGHT LGBT themes, and have pushed for graphic pornographic books to be in elementary schools.

Leftists states and federally have demanded higher taxes, reduced potentialities for crimes, have sold you out to China, and aim to replace you with illegals they can buy off.

Is this a commentary on ALL of the Left and Dems and ALL of the Right and Reps? No. There's good and bad on both sides. But if we look at policies pushed, and the media apparatus who's been lying non-stop for years who are very clearly leaving left we see the real pattern of behavior. And it bothers me. I'm a left of center, small l, libertarian. You'd think the Dems world actually be "my side" and yet, they aren't. Biden insists on being a tyrant and ignoring SCOTUS ruling WAY outside of his power, trying to forgive loans that he doesn't have the right to forgive since it comes out of the taxpayers dime. And what bothers me even more, is the fact that he has also repealed all of the legislation that Trump pushed forward that kept our border safe. Specifically remain in Mexico. Which was very reasonable legislation.

Looking at all of this objectively no sane person can go with Biden or the Democrats. And as far as I am concerned, if at this point you are on the side of the Democrats then you're in favor of anarcho tyranny. You're in favor of lawlessness. And your favor of being manipulated by the media Non-Stop and watching the dollar crater in value.

[goldiipond]

There's terrible shit happening all over. If you think the Republican war hawks will be any more receptive to de-escalation, you're delusional. This election won't bring about change for Palestine (which fucking sucks)

So if that's the only thing you care about, fine don't vote, but don't be an asshole to people who are taking any amount of positive action.

Or keep protest-blogging. It'll probably help.

taking positive action by reading an indigenous person's personal post expressing frustration towards the genocide of an indigenous population being treated as an unavoidable "lesser" evil and typing up needlessly condescending anonymous asks where i accuse them of supporting republicans for some reason

[spot-the-antisemitism]

Anti-zionist think all Zionists are represented by flag of Israel and made their own cool kids flag

it's cute, put it on your clubhouse with the "no zios allowed" sign on the door

if you don't think that blue is a zionist color than why are avoiding it like the plague?

seems to me you really want to be not like other Jews

"Oh fuck the dirty zionist that touched my post was right actually, I'm devastated"

who thinks that person is conflating "I think Israel has the right to exist" with "racist anti palestine rhetoric"

Of course you aren't fluent in Hebrew you clearly don't talk to Hebrew speakers who are all dirty zionists to you

buddy I have news to you about the idea that making Jew a gender is in fact a type of trans ID. You reblogging yourself up there is a form of breaking your own DNI

[aidanchaser]

WIP Tag/Reblog Game

Thank you @rosie-b for the tag! I love hearing about your works~

List the titles your top five priorities for WIP updates (link your fics for new readers!)

An upcoming scene, event, or detail in each fic that you're looking forward to writing

Bonus: make a poll for your followers to vote on which top 5 WIP they are most excited to see an update on!

Then tag 10 writer friends!

WIP TITLES

(I picked the 5 that I have open currently - there are so many more than 5 rattling around at all times, and i try not to start publishing any that aren't already outlined beginning to end)

Boulangerella - a fairy tale/cinderella story full of love square shenanigans, blood sacrifices, and scheming villains

Butterfly Effect - Adrien as Hawkmoth/Shadowmoth AU; Marinette and Chloe hold the ladybug and cat miraculous - songfic with butterfly effect by FJØRA

Expectations - Kwami Swap AU where Adrien is Mister Bug from the beginning; he's dealing with the anxiety of his role (and the knowledge that he handed his earrings over to hawk moth in another timeline and has no idea why)

After the War (place holder title) - a 1920s post-WWI AU, where Marinette runs her parents' bakery by day and a club by night; the club is a cover to take down war-profiteer Gabriel Agreste through vigilante action; Adrien has just returned to Paris from his time abroad in London, and Marinette has to wrestle with her childhood crush on him and her now grown-up hatred for his family

Time Lady of Creation (place holder title) - A Time Lord AU - I will say little else about it because it's still in the outline stages with only a few scraps of scenes drafted

UPCOMING SECTIONS

The next chapter is full of A LOT of confrontations and hard conversations - Marinette & Luka (the original conversation has been written but it needs to be redrafted to a new context); Felix and Lila (again, a lot of their stuff is written but needs to be redrafted); and Marinette & Chat Noir (not drafted yet - fragments abound in notes but need to be tied together)

Adrien has to figure out how to get his hands on the Cat and Ladybug Miraculouses so that he can save Marinette from a terrible fate

Marinette needs to help Adrien face Miracle Queen - I'm excited about the Cat/Dragon and Bug/Snake renditions of their powers for this AU, but this fic just kept getting comments that were like "it's not even that different from canon" and so I no longer care too much about this fic - I'm just irritated because I wrote the ending already and i LOVE the ending but I can't post the ending without writing the middle

The next scene I need to write is a confrontation between Ladybug and Adrien Agreste, where he doesn't realize how much she hates him and she has no idea how much he's madly in love with her

Right now it's mostly an outline, so I need to write the beginning, where Ladybug saves Adrien from a wax museum come to life then asks him to run away with her through time and space!

So - which WIP are you most excited to see update?

I know I'm supposed to tag 10 but I know about half of the writers I am mutuals with have already been tagged, so if I accidentally tag you a second time, I apologize! @astargatelover (if you have 5 wips?), @asukiess (if you haven't been tagged yet), @kay-elle-cee, @uncertainwallflower, @ninadove (I would love to hear about your projects and get to know you more) [I'm so sorry i fully reblogged and commented your own WIP list and did not even process the connection - absolutely embarrassing], @chaos-has-theories, @sunshinemarauder, @wield-the-mighty-pen, @miabrown007 (I don't think you've been tagged yet??? unclear), and last but certainly not least @dammithawke (bc i haven't heard about your role reversal au in a while and would love to hear about it again)

[leastdatablebracket]

SEMI-FINALS, MATCH 2

Propaganda under the cut!

Peter King

Propaganda

Oh I could go ON AND ON but here’s a list: He’s a stalker, he showed up late to a date HE REQUESTED, he killed either your landlord, roommate, or coworker (depending on route) and stuck them in a freezer, lied to the police about it, followed by a car ride either consisting of traumadumping about his family (valid tbh) or him talking about how much he wants to fuck your brains out, then you finding a bloody knife in his glove compartment, asking about it, and him smashing your head into the window to shut you up while he takes you to his house. He is The Worse Datable, as well as The Only Datable because well…he killed the others…and kidnapped you….

FUCK THIS DUDE!!! Country Human looking-ass bitch, I want him dead and obliterated

Many violence, Yandere behavior, cut your leg off in a semi-canon series of illustrations, smashed your head into the passenger side window of his creepy van, chloroformed you in your own house, brought you flowers that were probably tainted with his own blood, given context from another route. Generally a terrible person. Also just very strange to look at :/

He knows what he did….😒

He broke into Y/N’s house and chloroformed them. Generally a really creepy and perverted guy. TK is better :/

Send that man to Worst Datable Hell! Put him in the trash file (he’s a pseudo-sentient AI, similar to Monika, so this threat is valid)! He sometimes looks like a kicked puppy when talking to you, but with your small contributions, we can make him look even more like a kicked puppy! Vote Peter King for Worst Datable Datable Character today! Bonus: Funny canon facts about him! - He can’t swim - He’s allergic to peanuts - He has to wear glasses, but usually wears contacts - He had an emo/goth phase in high school - He’s a YouTuber; he does product reviews - He has very strong mother issues (understandably) - He will respond to and greatly enjoy the nickname “Cockbite” (there are many other names he enjoys, but this one’s the funniest to me)

Cullen Rutherford

Propaganda

stupid racist cop creep whose fans cry about how hes "changed" and "you can't judge him he was addicted to magic drugs" nah he still chose to be a racist cop and abuse his power over innocent people and i hate him. the writers making him romanceable in da:i after how blatantly horrible he was in da:o and da:2 is baffling but i guess they had to appeal to the part of their audience who watch those "mafia boyfriend" videos on tiktok or whatever

He's creepy in origins, though still 100% willing to kill the female mage pc he's crushing on, as well as all the other mages trapped in the circle with him. He's the second-in-command in an even worse circle in 2, listening to and defending the increasingly obviously insane meredith until literally the end. He's one of the people still pushing for the circle system by inquisition, and yes he's going through withdrawals and working through the traumas of previous games. And to be brutally honest his was the first romance i took and while i don't remember much from it, its not worth all the girls going absolutely nuts over knockoff terrible alistair.

He's basically a cop who thinks being born a certain way can revoke personhood and by Inquisition still thinks mages are monsters to be controlled, not people. He gets a fairy tale cutesy romance that focuses on his personal struggles with addiction while showing absolutely no regard to the atrocities he committed and still thinks were justified. He can be romanced BY A MAGE and his actions and beliefs are just glossed over. He believes mages are 'not people like you (Hawke) and me', but if the Warden was a female mage he canonically had a crush on her and would deliberately hang around her despite the fact that he was her *jailer*. If that Warden romanced Leliana, there is war table dialogue in which he pesters Leliana for news of his 'former' crush despite her repeated statement that she doesn't want to talk to him about her. All this shitty behavior and lack of introspection gets swept under the rug by the game, not even giving the PC the chance to really challenge his beliefs. Like damn even Fenris could apologize when he lashed out due to past trauma with mages, and if anyone has a reason to hate mages it's Fenris. If you want an ex Templar hottie Alistair is RIGHT THERE. Tbh I know Cullen is a popular romance and I'm not here to tell anyone what they can or can't do or like in a video game, I'm just saying I think he is deeply undateable

Spends the first two games as an antagonist, fervently devoted to the cause of subjugating mages, then a bunch of "character development" happens off screen and the games treat him like he's completely reformed. However he's actions make it clear he still sees mages as dangerous and lesser. Not to mention if you romance him with an elf he doesn't pay your culture more than lip service respect like most of the devout characters 

He was a total villain in the first two games who was violently prejudiced against mages and uses one single bad experience as an excuse for it (a bad experience that is pretty much exactly what he in his job subjected graduating apprentices to, mind you, but this is never brought up). Now he says he's changed, but his words and actions say otherwise. He still distrusts mages, sympathises with the rebel Templars trying to kill them, and he never owns up to the terrible stuff he did and helped others do in the past two games. He totally knew what Meredith was doing and says he doesn't, and he still tries to defend her intentions. And you have no option to call him out on it. If you romance him as a mage, he angsts about how he might have seen you as subhuman in the past but NOW you're one of the good ones, and when you ask him if he'll kill you if you get possessed, he dodges the question. And the PC is written as being almost sad that she's a mage? Like 'can you love me despite what I am??' Also if Leliana romanced a female mage PC in the first game who is still alive, he asks her creepy questions about their relationship. Fitting considering his original purpose was to be creepy to the female mage Warden. 

I hate him and want to cause chaos. Plus his VA is an asshole.

Cop

I think you covered almost everything but don't forget that beautiful moment in DA2 - Act 2 where you find out some templars had a petition to lobotomize all mages and Meredith, THE HARDCORE TEMPLAR LEADER, rejects it, but Cullen says they got a point. Despite the fact that we just found out that those templars were using lobotomy (or the threat of) to rape people and get away with it. And then Cullen in DA:I is whining that anything that happened it's not his fault because Meredith kept the worse away form him so he didn't know, but also that anyway Meredith had a point and did what she had to do. Meredith does not go mad until Act 3, before she was of sound mind and Culllen was her second in command BECAUSE he hated mages as much as (or even more) than her. What the FUCK did she even hide from you, Cullen. Oh, but he changed! Because the writers make A VICTIM OF THE TEMPLARS say so. And anyway he only says so BECAUSE HE READS MINDS not because Cullen did anything to show it. Also the narrative wants to sympathise with Cullen for his drug problems while Cullen is openly attacking the only other character with the same problem for...having the same problem. And he's the antagonist, so there were OTHER things Cullen could be mad about. But he is mad about the drug problem. Also I'm not an expert on writing characters with addictions but he is an addict only when it's time to have a cut scene where you pity him. Otherwise it has zero impacts on everything else.

[best-green-character]

Best Green Character Tournament

The first round of voting will begin at approximately 3:30 PM EST on Thursday, March 16, 2023. Each round will last 24 hours.

Our Lineup:

Round 1-A

Peridot from Steven Universe v. Marvin the Martian from Looney Tunes

Roronoa Zoro from One Piece v. The Saint from Rain World

Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street v. Choromatsu Matsuno from Osomatsu-san

Gon Freecss from Hunter x Hunter v. Bruno Madrigal from Encanto

N Harmonia from Pokemon v. Phonegingi from Dialtown

Gir from Invader Zim v. Heather Duke from Heathers

The Onceler from The Lorax v. Mojo Jojo from The Powerpuff Girls

Bulbasaur from Pokemon v. Jolly Green Giants from Green Giant Commercials

Round 1-B

Midoriya "Deku" Izuku from My Hero Academia v. Steve from Blue's Clues

Shintaro Midorima from Kuroko's Basketball (Kuroko no Basuke) v. Disgust from Inside Out

Zim from Invader Zim v. Green Mage from Everhood

Creeper from Minecraft v. Slimer from Ghostbusters

Pidge Gunderson from Voltron: Legendary Defender v. Hinomori Shiho from Project SEKAI

Louie Duck from DuckTales v. Ferb Fletcher from Phineas and Ferb

Shego from Kim Possible v. Grovyle from Pokemon

Fiona from Shrek v. She-Hulk from Marvel Comics

Round 1-C

Link from The Legend of Zelda v. Raine Whispers from The Owl House

Green Lantern / Guy Gardener from DC Comics v. Calliope from Homestuck

The Green Knight from Arthurian Legend v. Edd from Eddsworld

Gumi "Megpoid" from Vocaloid v. Amity Blight from The Owl House

Nepeta Leijon from Homestuck v. Rantaro Amami from Danganronpa

Retasu "Lettuce" Midorikawa from Tokyo Mew Mew v. Green Goblin from Spider-Man

Jonathan Sims from The Magnus Archives v. Leafy from Battle for Dream Island

Shaggy from Scooby-Doo v. Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog

Round 1-D

Willow Park from The Owl House v. Legolas from The Lord of the Rings

Green Arrow / Oliver Queen from DC Comics v. Chara from Undertale

Yoda from Star Wars v. Envy from Fullmetal Alchemist

Mike Wazowski from Monsters, Inc. v. Aisha (Princess Layla) from Winx Club

Lloyd Garmadon from LEGO Ninjago v. Rohan Kishibe from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

Futaba Sakura from Persona 5 v. Grantaire from Les Miserables

Buttercup from The Powerpuff Girls v. Kanna Kizuchi from Your Turn to Die

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from TMNT v. Qi Rong from Heaven's Official Blessing / Tian Guan Ci Fu

Round 1-E

Luigi from Super Mario v. Duo from Duolingo

Marina Ida from Splatoon v. Vylad Ro'meave from Minecraft Diaries

The Grinch from How the Grinch Stole Christmas v. Nao Midorikawa / Cure March (April / Glitter Spring) from Smile Pretty Cure! / Glitter Force

Fern Mertens from Adventure Time v. Ben Tennyson from Ben 10

The Riddler from Batman v. Piccolo from Dragon Ball

Grogu (Baby Yoda) from The Mandalorian v. Basil from OMORI

Poison Ivy from DC Comics v. Midori / Sou Hiyori from Your Turn to Die

Alicent Hightower from House of the Dragon v. Mei Dragon / Long Xiaojiao from LEGO Monkie Kid

Round 1-F

Toph Beifong from Avatar: The Last Airbender v. Theodore from Alvin and the Chipmunks

Rock Lee from Naruto v. Dimple / Ekubo from Mob Psycho 100

Duck from Don't Hug Me I'm Scared v. Frog and Toad from Frog and Toad Are Friends

Yoshi from Super Mario v. Sprigatito from Pokemon

Beast Boy from Teen Titans v. Scourge the Hedgehog from Sonic

Loki from Marvel Comics v. Fjord from Critical Role

Kanaya Maryam from Homestuck v. Jet the Hawk from Sonic

Jake English from Homestuck v. Riz Gukgak from Dimension 20's Fantasy High

Round 1-G

Kermit the Frog from The Muppets v. Morro from LEGO Ninjago

Larry the Cucumber from VeggieTales v. Brian Yu from Monster Prom

Green M&M from M&Ms v. D'Vana Tendi from Star Trek: Lower Decks

Green from Animation vs. Animator v. Beetlejuice from Beetlejuice

Jade Harley from Homestuck v. Plankton from Spongebob

Hulk from Marvel Comics v. Green Ranger / Tommy Oliver from Power Rangers

Double Trouble from She-Ra: Princess of Power v. Madame Vastra from Doctor Who

Snufkin from The Moomins v. Netzach from Lobotomy Corporation

Round 1-H

Marcy Wu from Amphibia v. Vera Oberlin from Monster Prom

Tinker Bell from Peter Pan v. Danny Phantom from Danny Phantom

Ralsei from Deltarune v. The Creature (Frankenstein's Monster) from Frankenstein

Tsuyu Asui / Froppy from My Hero Academia v. Surge the Tenrec from Sonic

Shrek from Shrek v. Sailor Neptune from Sailor Moon

Gumby from Gumby v. Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy

Elphaba Thropp from Wicked v. Martian Manhunter / J'onn J'onzz from DC Comics

Marie Cuttlefish from Splatoon v. Rayquaza from Pokemon

[sparkliest-bard-bracket]

The ✨Sparkliest Bard Lineup✨!!

Here is our sparkly, bardly, lineup!

Polls are live! Vote today!!

Oh, and don't forget to keep everything civil! This is just a little game for fun, and we're all here to have a good time :D

Feel free to submit pictures and propaganda for your bards (see this post for more info)! The more, the merrier!

(Full Bracket with fandom names & poll links under the cut.)

1 - Jareth the Goblin King (Labyrinth) vs David Bowie (Real Life) 2 - Thom Merrilin (Wheel of Time) vs Gurney Halleck (Dune) 3 - The Bard/Kiwi (Wandersong) vs Daeron (The Silmarillion) 4 - Callie Cuttlefish (Splatoon) vs Finrod (The Silmarillion) 5 - Apollo/Lester Papadopoulos (The Trials of Apollo) vs Apollo (Greek Mythology) 6 - Bill Cypher (Gravity Falls) vs Chong (Avatar: The Last Airbender) 7 - Max Rebo (Star Wars) vs Edgin Darvis (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) 8 - Dimentio (Super Paper Mario) vs Will Scarlet (Robin Hood)

9 - Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem (The Muppets) vs Link (The Legend of Zelda) 10 - Katalina (Tabletop Time) vs Starling Birdsong (Realm of Elderlings) 11 - Orpheus (Greek Mythology) vs “Weird Al” Yankovic (Real Life) 12 - Dave BruBot/The Major Player (Toontown: Corporate Clash) vs Carrie Wilson (Julie and the Phantoms) 13 - Kvothe (The Kingkiller Chronicle) vs Elan (Order of the Stick) 14 - Raz'ul, Son of Daz'ul (BomBARDed) vs Edward Chris von Muir (Final Fantasy IV) 15 - Binary Bard (Poptropica) vs Christian (Moulin Rouge) 16 - The Bard (Shovel Knight) vs Fflewddur Fflam (The Chronicles of Prydain)

17 - Man with the Harmonica (Once Upon a Time in the West) vs Kyoami/The Fool (Ran/King Lear) 18 - Diedrich Knickerbocker (Headless: A Sleepy Hollow Story) vs Hannah Montana (Hannah Montana) 19 - Bard the Bowman (The Hobbit) vs Leliana (Dragon Age) 20 - Sprig Plantar (Amphibia) vs Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer) 21 - Neil Banging Out the Tunes (Tumblr) vs The Muses (Disney Hercules) 22 - Robinton (Pern) vs Thistle/Sissel (Delicious in Dungeon) 23 - Loquatius Seelie (Critical Role) vs Cicero (Skyrim) 24 - Michael Jackson (Real Life) vs Oli/TheOrionSound (Empires SMP)

25 - Megamind (Megamind) vs The Onceler (The Lorax) 26 - Mettaton (Undertale) vs Gamzee Makara (Homestuck) 27 - William Shakespeare (Real Life) vs William Shakespeare (Something Rotten) 28 - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Classicaloid) vs William Shamspeare (Ace Attorney) 29 - Marceline the Vampire Queen (Adventure Time) vs Brook (One Piece) 30 - Gerard Way (Real Life) vs Sea Hawk (She-Ra and the Princess of Power) 31 - Snufkin (Moomin) vs Frank Sinatra (Real Life) 32 - Lias "Cliff" Bluestone (Discworld) vs Rick Astley (Real Life)

33 - Alan-a-Dale (Robin Hood) vs Essi Daven (The Witcher) 34 - Lúthien Tinúviel (The Silmarillion) vs Stefen (The Heralds of Valdemar) 35 - Roman Sanders (Sanders Sides) vs Remus Sanders (Sanders Sides) 36 - Bard (Crypt of the Necrodancer) vs Kass (Legend of Zelda/Breath of the Wild) 37 - Steven Universe (Steven Universe) vs Glenn Close (Dungeons & Daddies) 38 - Miss Piggy (The Muppets) vs Nydas Okiro (Critical Role) 39 - Charlie Pace (Lost) vs Dob the Half-Orc Bard (Oxventure) 40 - Kitagra (Kings of the Wyld) vs Kaylie Shorthalt (Critical Role)

41 - Father Gabriel (The Mission) vs Gabrielle the Battling Bard (Xena: The Warrior Princess) 42 - Haer'Dalis (Baldur's Gate) vs Tsukasa Tenma (Project Sekai: Colorful Stage!) 43 - Tom Bombadil (The Lord of the Rings) vs Sylvando (Dragon Quest 11) 44 - Steve McKenzie/Jester (Galavant) vs Gieve (The Heroic Legend of Arslan) 45 - Jaskier/Dandelion (The Witcher) vs Kubo (Kubo and the Two Strings) 46 - Guiliastes/Gui (1/2 Prince) vs Rocky (Lackadaisy) 47 - Asmodean (Wheel of Time) vs Neil Ciciregea/Lemon Demon (Real Life) 48 - Kermit the Bard (Tales of Tinkerdee) vs The Pied Piper (The Pied Piper of Hamelin)

49 - Venti (Genshin Impact) vs Sir Robin's Minstrels (Monty Python and the Holy Grail) 50 - Oscar Wilde (Rusty Quill Gaming) vs Franz Liszt (Classicaloid) 51 - Eddie Munson (Stranger Things) vs Puss in Boots (Shrek) 52 - Freddie Mercury (Real Life) vs Hoid/Wit (Cosmere) 53 - Noise (Roleslaying with Roman) vs The Amazing Devil (Real Life) 54 - Klavier Gavin (Ace Attorney) vs Rickety Stitch (Rickety Stitch and the Gelatinous Goo) 55 - Ron Stampler (Dungeons & Daddies) vs Thancred Waters (Final Fantasy XIV) 56 - Raine Whispers (The Owl House) vs Jack Black (Real Life)

57 - Scanlan Shorthalt (Critical Role) vs Éile (The Witcher: Blood Origin) 58 - Hap Gladheart (Realm of Elderlings) vs Alastair Nobledrifter (Saving Throw - DnD Podcast) 59 - Maglor (The Silmarillion) vs Bill & Ted (Bill & Ted) 60 - DJ Cadence (Club Penguin) vs Imp Y Celyn (Discworld) 61 - Bard Otter (The Last Dragonlord) vs Yara of Nowhere, the Wandering Bard (A Practical Guide to Evil) 62 - Dorian Storm (Critical Role) vs Maria von Trapp (The Sound of Music) 63 - Demyx (Kingdom Hearts) vs Hisirdoux "Douxie" Casperan (Tales of Arcadia: Wizards) 64 - Bilbo Baggins (The Hobbit) vs BMO (Adventure Time)

[eris-and-lokis-love-child]

Dick Cheney

So, Dick Cheney is voting for Harris.

I once had the fortune to sit next to someone very interesting on the bus in Seattle. He was a member of the Kanien'keha:ka, and had worked under Cheney when Cheney was the Secretary of Defense. He told me this about Cheney: the man was willing to do whatever he believed was good for the USA. At this point, even as a conservative leaning person, I was very vocally critical of the Bush administration, and of Cheney in particular. Talking to this man, however, gave me a better feel for Cheney. And don't get me wrong: Cheney remains a war hawk, Cheney was CEO of Halliburton, the sole progressive thing Cheney pushes is entirely because his daughter came out as a lesbian. Cheney still recognizes the threat of Donald Trump.

Dick Cheney is still a horrible man that I largely despise. His endorsement of Harris is not because Harris as president would fit Cheney's ideals. It's because Harris as president will continue the existence of the USA as a democracy. Trump will end that, and that end will lead to the fall of the USA, and Cheney does not want that. Trump is a threat to the US Constitution. And so my very small bit of respect I have held for Cheney remains there.

tl;dr: Cheney isn't voting for Harris because Harris is 'doing a genocide'. Cheney is voting for Harris because Trump will destroy the USA, and that will not benefit anyone we want to benefit.

[continuations]

Everything Wrong with the Democrats

The US political system is in turmoil because the Republicans have been high-jacked by Trump and the Democrats have become hypocritical technocrats. I have written a fair bit about Trump and will write more, but today's post is reserved for "everything" I find wrong with the Democrats. There is more and also more detail to each of these criticisms, so consider this to be an overview:

Democrats have embraced an intrusive ninny state that patronizes citizens. I blame books like Nudge and the theories behind it. Government should be about creating the conditions for progress, not about micro managing citizens' lives.

Democrats have supported the surveillance state and forever wars coming out of 9/11. The recent extension of the Patriot Act is an utter disgrace. Abroad, Democrats have supported poorly thought through interventions (I am not for splendid isolation, just for not succumbing to the neocon hawks).

Democrats are largely anti innovation (sometimes inadvertently, sometimes on purpose). I am a firm believer in the need for agencies such as the SEC, the FDA, and the EPA, but they require tight mandates or they will stifle innovation. We urgently need to streamline how these agencies operate. Instead, Democrats have been championing overly complex regulation. Side note: the IRA and Chips Act will stimulate innovation to a degree, but they are a crude overcorrection.

Democrats are beholden to big banking. The financial crisis was an opportunity to restructure the financial sector and push back against financialization. Instead, we have wound up with even bigger banks and more powerful asset managers. The Democrats' rejection of crypto/web3 as a counterweight to concentration in the financial sector is a failure of imagination.

Democrats don't seem to understand how to regulate digital technology. They worry rightly about the market power of big corporations such as Google, Facebook and Amazon, but then go back to an industrial age toolbox, instead of coming up with digitally native regulation.

Democrats are wrong on immigration. Yes, we absolutely need immigration (I am an immigrant and we get the job done). We should make legal immigration easy and illegal immigration hard. And back to the idea of conditions for progress: at a time when many people feel they are falling behind, public support for immigration will diminish. Also: no country will be able sustain the pressure of growing immigration waves as the climate crisis unfolds.

Democrats have pursued a failed strategy on diversity and gender. Making a large section of the population feel bad will not get people to change their beliefs it will just make them resent you and the people you are trying to help (I will write a blog post at some point about another approach that I have come across recently that seems much more promising). Thankfully this seems to be somewhat on the way out.

So yes. I can easily see a type of Republican candidate that I would vote for in a presidential election. This would be someone of strong character who has a real plan to tackle these problems by building a broad coalition. Alas, Trump is not that.

[cambrian-creature]

Hello, and welcome to M*A*S*H enjoyers anonymous

Now tell us, why are you here?

(basically just a free space to talk/infodump, be free my sweet cheese)

Oooooh boy.

MASH is a show about war, but also mostly it's about people and how people react under stress. Something to note is that it's about the Korean War, but it's actually about the Vietnam War.

It's got its issues, definitely. It's not particularly respectful to Korean people despite being set in Korea. But it was the 70s so like. Idk, can't expect much. There's a lot to unpack in the way of imperialism. The show is very anti-war, but mostly focused on the Americans, which is pretty damn reductive if you ask me. There is also the misogyny and if one more person calls Major Margaret Houllihan "hot lips" I am going to throw hands. I'm not making excuses for any of this, but it's an old ass show and you can't get too hung up on it. ANYWAY, you asked about the good stuff.

The main character, Hawkeye, is this. Unhinged, sleep deprived, alcoholic surgeon who's just. Unreasonably good at his job. Despite the Horrors of War, he's still one of the kindest, most lovable people, and he only put Frank in a shipping crate one time, so it's fine. And the blood he stole was for a good cause. As was the money he stole and the one time he gaslit a guy into thinking he'd lost his mind. All for a good cause. He's so cool, he's a menace, he's a slut, he's deeply psychologically damaged, he's a little silly, he invented the principle behind Goncharov, he's even bisexual.

Hawkeye's best friend and roommate is Trapper John, fellow manwhore and prankster extraordinaire. He always makes me a little sad cause I think he's Hawkeye's best friend and Hawkeye isn't his best friend? To him, it's all temporary, and he'll get out of Korea and go back to his wife and kids and probably try to not think about any of it ever again, but Hawk's such a ride or die friend, and he depends so much on not being alone and. Fuck, man. He's just like me for real. No shit, I realized this a couple years ago, and it sent me into this huge spiral of wondering if my friends love me as much as I love them and it lasted like. Years. And then I did that thing people do where they tell other people about their feelings? Which was weird. But it was also cool and now I do not worry about that as much anymore. A little bit, because the fears never cease, but y'know. It's cool. Apparently I am also sad and lonely because I am FULLY spilling my guts here lmao. Don't read that. Fuck whatever BJ has going on, THIS is the Trapper Complex.

Also Trapper leaves like three seasons in and is replaced by Blow Job Hunnicut, who keeps saying shit like "man, I bet you sure had fun with Trapper, huh" and "boy this must be just like the good ol days with Trapper" like we get it, you're jealous. He's also deeply psychologically damaged. I don't like him so much, but I also haven't seen a lot of him yet so I guess we'll see.

Okay, now MARGARET. She's amazing. She's cool and fascinating and ALSO deeply psychologically damaged! She's a strong woman in the 50s, she's so angry all the time, she just wants some goddamn respect and also someone to hang out with her to do manicures. She has this fascinating mix of wanting to be feminine and pretty but also needing to be masculine and angry to get respect. She's a hardass, she's obsessed with the rules, she's so mad at everything all the time because she has so little control over her situation, she's just like my mother and I love her so much. She could do any man's job in that camp so much better. I like to think after the war she goes back to medical school and becomes a doctor and gets some GODDAMN RESPECT.

Also she's dating (she dumps him don't worry) this absolute schlub Frank who is. A garbage human being. He's so pathetic and funny but also like genuinely terrible and canonically homophobic. If he were in modern times he would vote for Trump. He's Mr. Patriot. He's the Yankee Doodle Doctor. He's a shit doctor. He's so funny to watch cause everyone around him is so funny and witty and good at snappy comebacks and he says shit like "ohhhh you- you- guys!! >:(" Like yeah Frank. Get em. Don't hold back. He's a real "why I oughta-" kinda guy. Apparently the actor got so much hate mail he quit the show which is honestly so mean and tragic because Frank is such a fun character. I want to watch him fail again and again and again and then cause more problems. He could call me a slur in a Walmart parking lot and I'd just laugh at him and ask him if his wife knows about his girlfriend. She doesn't.

When Frank left, he got replaced by this other guy and I have no idea what his deal is. My apologies to Charles Emerson Winchester III. People like him I guess. He seems boring next to Frank tbh.

Now lemme tell ya about Klinger. Actually lemme show you.

He's beautiful. Gorgeous. Show stopping. He started out as a bit character and the joke was that he was trying to get a section 8 discharge (sent home on the grounds of being mentally unfit to serve), but everyone loved him so much that he became a recurring character and the outfits kept getting better and it went from "haha man in a dress" to "he's a genuinely deep character and this is his coping mechanism and he is so afraid of this war. Also he's the hottest guy around and everyone knows it. Even the priest wants him carnally." Genuinely the best fucking guy. In the early seasons, the laugh track goes off every time he enters a room and it makes me so mad. Take his whimsical ass seriously.

Also I mentioned there's a priest. I'm not sure why they have a priest, but I think that was just a thing in the 50s. He's got too many names. You can find him currently in the Catholic Characters Tournament and it's funny cause the person who runs that keeps getting his names out of order. It's John Patrick Francis Mulcahy, cause they gave him one name in the movie and then changed it in the show like twice at least so. Four names. Anyway, he's the only priest I trust. He literally just wants to help people and he has no way of knowing that he's doing any real good so he wants recognition for his efforts but that goes against what he's meant to be doing, he's meant to be completely selfless, but he wants to know that he's at least doing something, otherwise what's the point. What's the point of everything he's worked for. What's the point of devoting his life to this. To these people and to his god and to being a good person. Because if he thinks of himself, if he wants anything for himself, does that not mean he's selfish? And that's bad, he can't be selfish, but he is because everyone is, that's just human nature to want to know the results of your work. Also he's convinced he's the second coming of Christ or some shit. I can't fully explain this one, but he really does think he's like. God's special little boy. Which is kinda fair, cause he gives fucking EVERYTHING to these people, to the doctors, to the soldiers, even to the enemy, because he just wants people to be okay. He wants people to stop fighting and to heal and to love one another. And he also wants someone to tell him he's doing a good job and that he's making a difference and he wouldn't believe them but it would be something. Also he wants to punch people sometimes. All the time. He could kick anyone's ass in single combat. I love him.

Am I missing anything.

RADAR!!!!! They put a child in a warzone but luckily he is hyper-competent and literally psychic. He makes me sad because he is 19 years old and he has a teddy bear and he is short and angry and eats a lot because he's a growing boy and everyone makes fun of him for having teenager behavior when he is!!!! A teenager!!!! He graduated highschool yesterday!!!!! He's the same age as me and he's in a warzone!!!!!! Get him out of there!!!!! Put him in college and let him work a boring ass fast food job like a normal teenager!!!!! And stop laughing at him for having a teddy bear!!!!!!! He's not even that short, it's just that all the guys in this show are at least 6 feet tall. Anyway, he basically runs the camp because Henry is fucking incompetent (affectionate) so yeah. This child is their commanding officer and the only one anyone respects.

Their actual commanding officer is Henry Blake. He just wants to go home and see his wife and kids again and go fishing and chill the fuck out. He's a good surgeon but genuinely a pathetic army man. But also I love him so much cause listen. He could just fuck off. We see another guy in his same rank and position who just hangs out in Tokyo the whole time making money off this shit. So despite being very afraid all the time, Henry sticks around in a shitty camp 3 miles from the front to patch up kids full of lead. He stays not out of any duty to the army, but a duty to his patients and his people, because he's a good person and a good doctor and genuinely one of the bravest people around. He could've been a coward and hid, but he stayed and he helped people and even though he knew the risks, it just never occurred to him that he could abandon his people to do it all without him. He stayed and he died and he never saw his wife and kids again and he never met his newborn son. He tells his oldest son over the phone to be good while he's gone, to stay strong and keep everything running until he comes back, and he never comes back. I am genuinely crying. Fuck. I hope he's catching the best fish at the big lake in the sky.

Anyway. I'm gonna stop before this gets out of hand. More than it has.