#donald is a very proud kid

[contemplatingoutlander]

It has fallen to me, the humor columnist, to endorse Harris for president

Isn’t this what a newspaper is supposed to do?

I love that The Washington Post satirist Alexandra Petri took it upon herself to endorse Harris for her paper after Bezos pulled the plug on the editorial board doing so. This is a gift🎁link, so feel free to read the entire article. Below are some excerpts:

The Washington Post is not bothering to endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential election. (Jeff Bezos, the founder of Blue Origin and the founder and executive chairman of Amazon and Amazon Web Services, also owns The Post.) We as a newspaper suddenly remembered, less than two weeks before the election, that we had a robust tradition 50 years ago of not telling anyone what to do with their vote for president. It is time we got back to those “roots,” I’m told! Roots are important, of course. As recently as the 1970s, The Post did not endorse a candidate for president. As recently as centuries ago, there was no Post and the country had a king! [...] But if I were the paper, I would be a little embarrassed that it has fallen to me, the humor columnist, to make our presidential endorsement. I will spare you the suspense: I am endorsing Kamala Harris for president, because I like elections and want to keep having them. Let me tell you something. I am having a baby (It’s a boy!), and he is expected on Jan. 6, 2025 (It’s a … Proud Boy?). This is either slightly funny or not at all funny.  [...] Well, that world [the baby will be born into] will look very different, depending on the outcome of November’s election, and I care which world my kid gets born into. I also live here myself. And I happen to care about the people who are already here, in this world. Come to think of it, I have a lot of reasons for caring how the election goes. I think it should be obvious that this is not an election for sitting out. The case for Donald Trump is “I erroneously think the economy used to be better? I know that he has made many ominous-sounding threats about mass deportations, going after his political enemies, shutting down the speech of those who disagree with him (especially media outlets), and that he wants to make things worse for almost every category of person — people with wombs, immigrants, transgender people, journalists, protesters, people of color — but … maybe he’ll forget.” “But maybe he’ll forget” is not enough to hang a country on! [...] I’m just a humor columnist. I only know what’s happening because our actual journalists are out there reporting, knowing that their editors have their backs, that there’s no one too powerful to report on, that we would never pull a punch out of fear. That’s what our readers deserve and expect: that we are saying what we really think, reporting what we really see; that if we think Trump should not return to the White House and Harris would make a fine president, we’re going to be able to say so. That’s why I, the humor columnist, am endorsing Kamala Harris by myself! [color/ emphasis added]

How far The Washington Post has fallen into the "darkness" it used to work so hard to ward off to help keep our democracy alive.

[edited]

[odinsblog]

Can we please get something straight here??

Mitch McConnell has supported Donald Trump and will support him again if Trump wins the Republican nomination. I have never supported Trump and I never will.

Mitch McConnell has been a willing tool of the NRA and helped pass countless stand-your-ground laws, he has helped pave the way for laws like permitless carry, and he has helped make guns easier for anyone to get. I have not.

Mitch McConnell has helped pass laws that intentionally suppress the votes of millions and millions Black people. I have not.

Mitch McConnell has helped write or pass laws that deny millions of women access to reproductive health care. I have not.

Mitch McConnell has helped write or pass laws that deny basic healthcare and living wages to millions of poor people. I have not.

I AM NOW AND I WILL ALWAYS BE BETTER than Mitch McConnell and Republicans, because my wishes do not have any material impact on anyone, unlike the myriad of hateful draconian laws that Mitch McConnell has helped to pass.

I could continue, but hopefully I’ve made my point: people sending Mitch McConnell “ill wishes” IS NOT being “just the same” as Mitch McConnell and Republicans, and it doesn’t make anyone “as bad as” McConnell and the GOP.

Are you fucking kidding me??

Saying that my wishes = McConnell’s actions is a false equivalence. It’s false, it’s offensive and it’s gaslighting.

Mitch McConnell is an elected politician who has a very long history of using his political power to actively harm the poor, marginalized communities, women, LGBTQ people, and non-Christian, non-white people. If you cannot differentiate between the words and the unenforceable “wishes” of the oppressed vs. the actions of an oppressor, then you have some serious problems to unpack.

I could ~almost~ see it if there was some chance that a Republican would go, “Oh wow, those progressives are being nice to Mitch McConnell, maybe I’ll stop being a racist and vote for a Democrat now.” But that almost never ever happens, does it??

You are not going to win over a Republican by being kind. Their entire ideology is based on racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, and cruelty.

Look, I’m not tryna write a dissertation here, but please believe me when I say that this neoliberal knee jerk Pollyanna reaction of, “turn the other cheek” and “be kinder to your oppressors” is very much rooted in Christofascism + white supremacy. It’s a weaponization of the “hate breeds hate” trope and the “forgiveness narrative” meant to tame slaves, and I refuse to fall for it.

I absolutely positively do not wish Mitch McConnell well, and HELL NO, I am not being a bad person for hoping that a racist, evil, old white man suffers a fraction of the pain he has inflicted on others for decades and decades.

I am a proud member of the #MitchMcConnellDieChallenge community.

That all said, at the very least, Mitch McConnell has unintentionally provided us with a teachable moment: please learn to spot the warning signs of someone having a stroke

[mugiwara-lucy]

With 100 days until the election, I have to say I'm VERY AMAZED and PROUD of my fellow Democrats for rallying behind Kamala Harris LITERALLY in the last week! Like seriously! ALL the MONEY she raised and Beyonce, Taylor Swift and NETFLIX are endorsing her?!

My FAVORITE part is the UNITY! Since the summer started there was CONSTANT going back and forth with Biden that while I was confident, I had a feeling in the back of my head that we'd get 2016 again but MUCH WORSE with this Project 2025/Agenda 47 shit.

I haven't seen THIS MUCH UNITY since OBAMA! (And even though I was a kid back in 2008, I remember the UNITY that led us to win!).

Now TWO THINGS!

1.) Just because things are going in our favor, we can NOT get complacent and lazy! This is going to be a DAY BY DAY EFFORT to reach the finish line!

2.) The Media is going to be on Kamala Harris even WORSE than Biden since she's not only Black but an outgoing, unintimidated Black Woman and the only black people the Media likes are people like Candace Owens, Tim Scott, Bryon Donalds and etc. so if you're gonna leave because you can't handle the attacks, LEAVE! We do NOT need any pussyfooted cowards amongst us!

Now with all that said and done....

KAMALA HARRIS FOR PRESIDENT 2024!!!!!!!

Let's win this thing and be RID of Trump ONCE AND FOR ALL!!!!

(Non Voters/Third Party voters can FUCK OFF btw)

[polisena-art]

what would you say is the ideal carnaval for each of the caballeros? What's their favorite things about the holiday?

Kinda of a late answer for this but that's on you for expecting me to be answering asks on tumblr during Carnaval. I think Donald would be elated on the simple premise of a whole week off of work. I think he would first revel on sleeping in and, later in the day, going out with friends. Maybe falling in line with the relaxation route, at least the most permitted for Donald Duck, he'd take the kids to the beach and, during the days of parade, watch them on TV. Sure he would plan for slow days, but you just now something would happen to throw it off the rails. Panchito I think, whether he is in México or Brazil, his favorite part when it comes to Carnaval are the street parties. Him being a very lively guy with such fiery disposition, he loves to feel the crowd's energy and also being a part of it. All the colors are so vibrant and everyone is having so much fun, dancing, jumping and singing that Panchito would go all out as well. Tbh I would not be surprised if he ended the day on top of a stage or sound truck. José is a bit trickier of an answer because, what doesn't he like about Carnaval? I feel like he makes a point of enjoying it to the max since it's one of the events Brazilians, and specially cariocas, are super proud of and, him as a very stereotypical symbol, embraces with his whole being. I mean, it makes sense that the moment Reveillon is past Zé is already eager for this next big party in the city. That said, Zé would super enjoy the Pre-Carnaval, the street parties that happen before Carnaval has even officially arrived, and then Carnaval itself and pretty much everything it entails. In the end, I imagine the ideal Carnaval for José is one he gets to spend with his friends, and from then on they start their fun. Getting and assembling their own costumes, participating in street parties, getting some action during the street parties, going to friend's parties, drinking way too much at said parties. Later going to Samba School rehearsals, eating all the Feijoada he can get at said rehearsals, organizing his OWN Samba School rehearsals and parading with the Unidos da Vila Xurupita wherever he can, playing on his school's band, watching the big Samba Schools parade in the Avenue, live or on TV. Start another day sleeping in and then staying out all night, waking up on Ash Wednesday completely disoriented with no idea how he ended up home and finally catching the final results of which School was the big winner of that year's Carnaval.

[dertaglichedan]

Kamala Harris sticks with ABC for first solo interview since slanted debate — and still serves up word salad

Vice President Kamala Harris sat down with an ABC affiliate for her first solo interview Friday, choosing the same network that got her through this week’s slanted presidential debate — but still managed to stumble through softball questions.

She answered five questions from Action News 6 ABC, a local affiliate of ABC News, in the interview that came just days after the moderators in the ABC debate with Donald Trump assisted her by providing fact checks on the former president but not her.

One of the ABC moderators for the debate, Linsey Davis, is a member of Harris’ sorority and Dana Walden, a Disney executive whose portfolio includes ABC, is one of the vice president’s close friends.

Action News 6 ABC anchor Brian Taff asked Harris, 59, what she would specifically do to bring down prices as president.

���Well, I’ll start with this. I grew up as a middle class kid. My mother raised my sister and me. She worked very hard,” she began, before going on about her neighborhood where people “were proud of their lawn.”

“We as Americans have beautiful character. We have ambitions and aspirations and dreams. But not everyone necessarily has access to the resources that can help them fuel those dreams and ambitions,” Harris went on.

[winters-on-the-wing]

🦢-annie's little intro-🦢

hey, fellas! welcome to my blog! here are some fun facts about me. if you like the same things as me, i would love to be friends! :)

🌅 my name is annie!

🌅 my pronouns are he/she/him/her, and when people ask my gender, i just say that i am a lesbian (i hate gender labels).

🌅 i am filipino-american, and very proud of my heritage!

🌅 i am nineteen years old, and i am in college studying to be an actor and a choreographer in the theatre industry!

🌅 my main fandoms are maida's little shop (a fandom of which i think i am the only member LOL), anne of green gables/anne with an e, the secret garden, sofia the first, dance moms, and animal crossing!

🌅 fandoms i am trying to get into are pokemon (i only really play the games and don't know any lore), the marauders (my best friend really wants me to get into it, and i am trying my best to get caught up on the lore LOL), and stardew valley (i am only on spring 1 of the gameplay, i fear).

🌅 i have been a prominent member of the sanders sides fandom for a really long time, but i am separating myself from that now because thomas has been pissing me off lately, and the show's quality is deteriorating. also, a fandom with no girl characters is so boring, bro.

🌅 my main thing is writing, though i am more of an ideas guy than an actual writer. i think writing is actually rather boring. i also like to draw, but not seriously. you will catch me drawing stick figures of my au concepts. edits are fun to make, but again, i don't take them too seriously. i mostly just float around and come up with ideas for stuff that nobody cares about. it is very fun!

🌅 please do not interact with me if you are younger than fourteen (i might sound like a boomer but i think young kids being on social media is extremely dangerous and i'm not gonna perpetuate it), if you voted for/endorsed donald trump, if you positively discuss eating disorders or endorse eating disorders (i am in recovery from a very intense ed), or if you ever plan on flirting with me (this sounds like such a pick-me thing to say, but trust me, it has happened numerous times and it is so cringe).

🌅 i am firmly anti-censorship and you will never find me using a censored spelling of a word. i will use content warnings for basic things like blood and heavy themes, but if you ask me to censor things like food or something dumb like that, i will say no. minding personal triggers isn't my responsibility - it's yours. and i will not contribute to the mass censorship that the world of social media is pushing because all it does is create more fear and eggshells to walk on. sorry if that seems mean, but i will always prioritize knowledge over caution.

i hope you all like my blog! always feel free to send me a message or an ask if you want to. bye!

best wishes,

annie 🌟

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Mehdi Hasan at Zeteo News:

On Monday afternoon in Milwaukee, the guessing game came to an end as Donald Trump announced J.D. Vance as his 2024 vice-presidential running mate at the Republican National Convention.  Now, these days, the junior Republican senator from Ohio, elected in 2022, is a full-fledged Trump toady, denouncing the prosecution of the GOP presidential candidate in New York as a “sham trial” and praising Trump’s record as a “great president,” but he used to be a self-proclaimed “Never Trump guy” back in 2016. 

I happened to interview him for a panel discussion on the threat posed by Trump on my old Al Jazeera English show, ‘UpFront,’ in September 2016, less than two months before the presidential election. “He’s exploiting some of the racism that’s there, but he’s also exploiting people’s fears and pointing it in a direction that maybe they wouldn’t go on their own,” Vance told me, referring to Trump. “I think that he is leading people in a very dark direction.” Today, Vance has joined Trump in “exploiting people’s fears” and “leading” them in that “very dark direction.” He is a proud part of the GOP 2024 presidential ticket. For the 39-year-old Ohio senator, former venture capitalist, and best-selling author, it has been a remarkable - and remarkably shameless - transformation from “Never Trump guy” into Trump loyalist, Trump booster, and, now, finally, Trump running mate. [...]

On Trump’s fascism… “I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical asshole like Nixon who wouldn’t be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he’s America’s Hitler,” Vance wrote in a message to a former college roommate in February 2016. “How’s that for discouraging?”  On Trump and ‘Access Hollywood’... “Fellow Christians, everyone is watching us when we apologize for this man. Lord help us,” Vance tweeted on the day that the ‘Access Hollywood’ tape leaked on Oct. 7, 2016, in which Trump could be heard bragging about his ability to “grab” women by their genitalia. On allegations of sexual assault against Trump… “This is sort of he-said, she-said, right?” Vance said on MSNBC, referring to an accusation from a woman called Jessica Leeds, who claimed Trump groped her. “And at the end of the day, do you believe Donald Trump, who always tells the truth? Just kidding. Or do you believe that woman on the tape?”  Per CNN, Vance later also ‘liked’ a tweet accusing Trump of having committed “serious sexual assault.” [...]

On Trump as “cultural heroin”... “Trump is cultural heroin,” Vance wrote in an essay for The Atlantic in 2016, referring to the way in which Trump seemed to offer white working-class voters “an easy escape from the pain” of addiction and despair.“ He makes some feel better for a bit. But he cannot fix what ails them, and one day they’ll realize it.” On (not) voting for Trump… “I’m a Never Trump guy,” Vance said in an interview with Charlie Rose in October 2016. “I never liked him.” In fact, Vance later boasted that he was voting for independent candidate Evan McMullin in November 2016. 

J.D Vance was once a vehement critic of Donald Trump. Now, he is on the ticket with him.

Expect his statements to be used in Democratic attack ads.

[krueger4eva]

Random Headcanon for Gladstone Gander

Note: Gladstone’s family lineage varies between authors, so I am going to choose the Duck family tree by Don Rosa as a template for this headcanon.

According to Rosa’s Duck family tree, Gladstone Gander is the son of Daphne Duck, from which he inherited his supernatural good luck, and Goostave Gander, a firm but fair goose.

Due to Gladstone’s mixed heritage, this has been another source of bullying towards him along with his good fortune.

While Gladstone maintained his cool and confident appearance most of the time, there were times when his goose genetics caused some embarrassment for him.

Having a case of the hiccups is very rare for Gladstone. But when he does, a goose-like honking noise emits from his mouth. Whenever he hiccups in crowded places, people think that there’s a semi-trailer truck passing by. He always manages to sneak out, undetected, before anyone can trace the sound to him.

Plus, his hybrid heritage is quite noticeable on the outside due to his goose genetics making him “rounder” in certain areas. While all ducks are naturally plump, Gladstone, while in healthy shape for any bird, has some… extra cargo in the rear.

Ever since high school, poor Gladstone has had to deal with insults from peers and strangers like “Humpty Dumpty”, “Rump Roast”, or “Goosey Caboosey”. Usually, he would remain calm, yet visibly annoyed, when hearing these affronts. But there is one name that could set this bird off: “bubble butt”. On the day his parents died, some students in school called him that name which led to a violent fight that got him sent home for the day. Once he got home, thats when he received the tragic news. Now, every time someone calls him “bubble butt”, he’s reminded of that fateful day of his terrible loss.

Anyone who has survived a goose attack in a park can vouch that these birds are not to be taken lightly. The people who have called Gladstone that dreaded nickname learned the hard way that it takes one push over the edge to cause this perpetually lazy to pull a Donald. He may not be a skilled fighter like Donald, Della, or Abner, but he knows how to deliver some nasty bites with his sharp teeth.

Although, they’re not actual teeth, but rather jagged structures created from cartilage that line up the inside of the bill- referred to as “tomia”. Yet, Gladstone always refers to them as “fangs” just because it sounds cooler. Either way, these appendages can easily do some serious damage.

And like all geese, he lets out a terrifying hissing noise. It sounds like a velociraptor hunting for fresh prey.

Imagine walking through the woods, alone, after dark and hearing that sound! 😰

Luckily, his family (EVEN Donald!) would never laugh at those jokes or tease him about his body. Gladstone and his cousins may trade jabs at each other on a daily basis, but they have an agreement on what lines should never be crossed. Also, he has become comfortable with joking about himself from time to time, but only around family.

For example, whenever the children were caught in a lie, Gladstone has permission from the other adults to threaten to sit on them if they don’t confess. It takes only a MILLISECOND for them to spill the beans. Plus, his tomia saves on fake teeth for Halloween costumes. He even jokes about being secretly a vampire to the kids and that his good fortune protects him from burning in the sunlight. Louie and Lena don’t believe it, but they always appreciated his theatrics.

Despite the grievances he experiences due to his unique anatomy, Gladstone remains proud to be the son of Goostave and Daphne. They were good people and even greater parents. All genetics have their drawbacks and advantages.

He’s a duck.

He’s a goose.

But he’s all Gladstone…for better or worse..🍀

Please tip me at Ko-Fi 💜!!

[posttexasstressdisorder]

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Cruelty is all the Republicans have left

Thom Hartmann

August 24, 2024 5:55AM ET

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) speaks to members of the press on the steps of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on May 8, 2024. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

During the 1950s, Republicans were the party that promoted labor unions, Social Security, and a top 91% income tax bracket and 70% estate tax on the morbidly rich. Dwight Eisenhower successfully campaigned on what we’d call a progressive agenda for re-election in 1956.

During the Reagan years, Republicans embraced Milton Friedman’s neoliberalism with its free trade, opposition to unions, ending free college, and tax cuts for the fat cats. They called themselves “the party of new ideas.” They may have done more harm than good, but for most Republicans it was a good-faith effort.

Today, they’ve pretty much given up on all of that. All they have left is cruelty.

When Governor Tim Walz gave his heartwarming acceptance speech Wednesday night here at the DNC in Chicago, his son Gus was caught on camera proudly proclaiming, through tear-streaked eyes, “That’s my dad!”

The response from Trumpy Republicans was immediate: Ann Coulter wrote, “Talk about weird.” Rightwing hate jock Jay Weber posted, “Meet my son, Gus. He’s a blubbering b---- boy. His mother and I are very proud.” Trumpy podcaster Mike Crispi ridiculed Walz’s “stupid crying son,” adding, “You raised your kid to be a puffy beta male. Congrats.” Another well-known podcaster on the right, Alec Lace, said, “Get that kid a tampon already.”

Compassion for a learning-disabled child is dead on the right: all they have left is cruelty.

Ronald Reagan helped shepherd through Congress the most consequential border bill in American history, and when it needed updating Oklahoma’s Republican Senator James Lankford worked with Democrats to update it in a meaningful way. Trump demanded Republicans kill the legislation, invoking the memory of his tearing over 5,500 babies away from their mothers and trafficking them into fly-by-night “adoption” schemes (around 1000 are still missing) and his demand that the border patrol shoot immigrants in the legs.

Trump’s acolytes in Congress don’t even pretend any more to have a border policy: all they have left is cruelty.

Stephen Miller and 16 Republican state attorneys general are suing for the right to tear apart about a half million American families because at least one member of their family has brown skin and is not yet a US citizen.

Their hatred has almost no limit because all they have left is cruelty.

President George HW Bush worked with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to unwind the USSR in the hope of creating a democratic Russia. Neither expected Vladimir Putin to turn that nation into a virtual concentration camp where gays are routinely murdered, child pornography is legal (and they’ve kidnapped over 700,000 Ukrainian children), and dissenters are tortured, poisoned, and sent to brutal Siberian gulags. Donald Trump celebrates Putin, calling his invasion of Ukraine “genius” and “savvy,” handing Putin’s ambassador a western spy and top-secret information in his first month in office, and trying to abandon America’s traditional role as a moral leader in the world.

Trump’s GOP has abandoned our founding principles: all they have left is cruelty.

During the 2020 election, Trump followers tried to run a Biden/Harris campaign bus off the road in Texas, threatening to kill the occupants (which they believed included Kamala Harris). A crazed Trump supporter broke into Nancy Pelosi’s home and attacked her 82-year-old husband with a hammer. Trump tweeted a picture of the bus being attacked, writing below it, “I LOVE TEXAS!” and repeatedly makes jokes about the attack on Pelosi, as if to encourage future attacks on the families of other Democratic politicians. Most recently, Donald Trump posted a picture on social media of Joe Biden tied up in the back of a pickup truck with a bullet hole in his forehead.

Not a single elected Republican (as best as I can find with a pretty thorough web search) has condemned any of these, because all they have left is cruelty.

Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis turned down federal money that would have fed 2.1 million low-income children in his state; he was one of 13 Republican governors to do the same, in a nation where one in seven children — over 11 million every year — go to bed hungry.

We are literally the only developed country in the world with a massive child hunger problem because all Republicans have left is cruelty.

When President Obama succeeded in passing and signing the Affordable Care Act, it offered every state funds to expand Medicaid to give healthcare coverage to all their low-income citizens with the federal government covering 90% of the cost. To this day, ten states under Republican control have refused to accept the money, leading to millions of preventable illnesses and early deaths.

Republican states could have joined all the Blue states and every other developed country in the world by providing universal healthcare, but refuse to because all they have left is cruelty.

When a 10-year-old girl was raped and impregnated, Republicans like Congressman Jim Jordan, Governor Kristi Noem, Fox’s Tucker Carlson and Jesse Waters, and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost ridiculed the claim. When the rape and pregnancy were proven and the girl fled Ohio to a state where abortion was legal to terminate the pregnancy, Indiana's Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita promised to launch an “investigation.”

Rokita didn’t investigate the rape, however: he instead went after the physician who performed the abortion. Because cruelty is all Republicans have left.

When Donald Trump lost the 2020 election by seven million votes, he sent a violent mob against the US Capitol. As they tried to murder the vice president and speaker of the house, covered the walls of the building with feces and defaced priceless paintings, Trump gleefully watched on live television for over three hours while refusing to call in the national guard or take any other meaningful action.

Five civilians and three police officers died as the result of his sending that murderous mob because all he and his GOP have left is cruelty.

This week Americans saw Democrats display compassion, care, respect, and reverence for our democracy. We saw the best of this country, hope for the future, and actual plans to improve the lives of Americans.

Last month, in sharp contrast, we watched the Republican convention and saw, instead, a cavalcade of anger, bile, grievance, hate, and, of course, cruelty.

Because cruelty is all Republicans have left.

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[davycoquette]

What're your favorite books?

Is this real, or something Tumblr just does? 🥴 If one of y'all asked me this, thank you!

My favorite sentimental books are:

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

IMO the most "accessible" book by the author I look up to most. I picked it up in the book store, read it IN the book store, bought it, and have given it to several readers since. It's devastating, quick to consume, beautifully written (McCarthy was a genius), and it never leaves you.

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Jack London is a top favorite author, too. This book is important to me because as a Girl Who Loved Wolves, it was what I wanted to write when I was a kid. I remember buying it at a book fair when it was waaaay above my reading level - but that never stopped me from trying. I was so proud when I finished it. A few years ago I read through it in one sitting, and laughed at what a simple book it actually is. It's a great adventure novel, though. If anyone enjoys Jack London's (very fun) writing & wants to read about human characters, I recommend Sea Wolf.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

My introduction to Jane Austen. Not my usual cup of tea, but I cannot put anything she writes down. I feel like this lady really understood the human heart - and she awoke something in me and every other reader in the enemies to lovers department with this novel.

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

Read this one when I was very, very young and will never forget it. The bond between the main character and his friend continues to be a major influence in the way I have my characters interact. The story is heartwrenching. The dark academia vibes are awesome. If you like Saltburn and would still enjoy it with 800% less weird sex stuff (not that I am complaining about the weird sex stuff in Saltburn lmao), I think you'll enjoy this classic novel.

Since those are classics and kind of obvious, I'd like to throw in a few things I've read recently that I'd recommend - not permanent favorites, maybe, but still good reads:

Knockemstiff by Donald Ray Pollock

I do not recommend this one to folks with strong triggers, or anyone who is squeamish about reading some bleak, FUCKED UP shit. It's fucked up, but this dude's writing is stunning. The happenings in this vignette about an Appalachian town are a train wreck; horrifying, but you cannot look away.

Gentlemen of Space: A Novel by Ira Sher

It's been a couple years, but I found this book in a beach house and read the first few chapters there. I was mesmerized by the premise (boy's father is an astronaut who goes to space then cannot get back, to keep it short & simple), and the haunting prospect of the two "communicating." If I recall correctly, it got little attention and poor reviews. While none of the characters particularly interested me, the prose was so good I bought another book by this author. I think this one is aesthetically fascinating and would love to hear others' thoughts on it.

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

I am not actually finished with this one, yet! I'm listening to the audio book, and Spotify only lets me listen to so much a month. I am kind of enjoying the fact it's forcing me to slow down to absorb and anticipate the next installments, so I'm not paying extra. Plus, wtf, Spotify. You cost enough money already. Anyway - this book is SO slice of life at times. So wholesome and enjoyable and pleasant. Then, when it isn't wholesome, enjoyable, or pleasant, it's absolutely horrifying. I can't speak to how politically correct it is. It's a Western, published in 1985. There's "cowboys vs Indians" stuff in it. If that's not something you feel you can enjoy reading, I cannot recommend this one. But! if you want to take your time and really indulge in a pretty slow paced but still fascinating Western, this one is brilliantly engaging.

[shiningstarlight101]

Warning that this was supposed to be a Donald Duck appreciation post for the reboot but quickly became a more personal post on how much Donald Duck means to be as a Dutch person (i know it sounds weird without context) and as someone with Autism who hyperfixated on Donald for most my life.

Thus is prompted because on my season 2 rewatch i reached "whatever happened to donald duck" i just never realised before how amazing this episode was?? And it perfectly shows why i love Donald Duck. And why he's my favorite Disney character just in general.

I've always loved it when shows used parallels and the one of the anger management therapist explaining donald's anger was just fantastic. The reveal that Donald went to anger management just to be able to be a better parent for the triplets. And him truly pulling through. Right as the anger management guy talks about Donald putting him anger towards protecting the children, he shows that in full force.

Despite being a joke character he manages to be just so fantastic behind it. He's an amazing parent, he does everything to protect the kids, he's a great adventurer but just not into it anymore. He's fighting to protect his kids 👊👊

Something I also really love about the reboot in general is that they didn't change Donald Duck. All the characters are slightly to super different and I love the changes but I just can't see Donald Duck as anything but a super sweet parental caretaker who'd do anything for his family and gets into wacky accidents.

Here comes that Dutch culture part. I've been raised and grew up around Donald Duck specifically. We Dutch people often LOVE Donald Duck more then other countries normally do. We even got a whole weekly magazine literally called "Donald Duck", 2-4 stories about Donald going on adventures or getting his kids out of trouble (or arguing with his neighbour thats sadly not in Ducktales ✊). I've read these comics for as long as I can remember. Tho i might have a slightly bigger obsession and a big hyperfixation since i used to be the proud owner of 5 decades on weekly comics and way more (which i sadly mostly sold because my room was looking like some ancient library of donald duck knowledge 💀)

For 70 years Dutch kids have been reading the adventures of DONALD. It's hard to find someone someone here who doesn't have fond memories of reading the weekly Donald Duck. I don't actually remember the old Ducktales to compare it to the new one but I do have the comics that are near and dear to my heart.

Knowing the reboot Donald is so close to that one from my childhood is just very comforting to know? I mean this is the man that i hyperfixated on for most of my life. My main complaint is that I want to see more of him because of my history lol. They took that one from my childhood and simply took out my biggest issue with my Donald, his intense anger. I love comic Donald but he could sometimes be really angry for no reason depending on which writer got their hands on him. But the reboot managed to change that. Not just change, but turn this trait into a good thing!

I will always see Donald as my favorite character! And I will always love the reboot. How they managed to change characters in ways that made them way more likable. But it's comforting to know that Donald will always be Donald. My goofy lovable duck

[bluebird990]

Hello again! I literally loved your analysis! I wanted to know what zodiac sign you think the characters would be? literally whoever comes to mind (I ask this without any proper knowledge about zodiac signs myself lol)

- 💫

Omg anon you have no idea how much I appreciate this thank you so much 😭

I had to do a lot of research for this (read: watched one video on YT)cuz the only reason why I can even name all 12 zodiacs is Fairy Tail XD I had zero knowledge about them before this day. I had fun writing this. Hope you like it ;)

Gray Yeon

Apparently Gray is canonically a Taurus. I kinda agree and kinda don't.

He's loyal and patient but he's far from being materialistic or lazy.

He strikes me more as a Virgo honestly.

Analytical, observing and reserved. He used to be kind of cold too before Stephan, Ben and Eugene happened.

He used to be very reserved and skeptical at the beginning of the series but is extremely trustworthy and gives good advice to those he warmed up to.

Goes to show how far he has come. I'm so proud of him.

Ben Park

So Ben is, according to canon, a Leo. Let that sink in. A Leo. Bruh hell nah. Just no.

Ben is anything but a Leo???

I think he'd be either a Cancer or a Pisces.

He's definitely the most selfless person right after Stephan.

He fits the description of a Pisces the most. He has the instincts of a wild animal and is adaptable when it comes to saving his friends. He's definitely sensitive, loyal, kinda clingy and very protective of his friends.

Now that I think about it, he could be an Aries too. I mean he is a great leader, enthusiastic, impulsive and very energetic.

Idk what do you think? Ben is Aries or Pisces?

Gerard Jin

Canonically, he's a Virgo which, I kinda agree with.

He is hardworking, kinda reserved and reliable but he's definitely not cold. He tried to be cold in middle school but that failed not-so-horribly in him saving the kid from the railway track.

I think he'd be fussy about his food cuz of his old man taste XD

He's also always been analytical and observing. An example of which would be him following Gray after gray beat up Colton, knowing that Colton wouldn't let it go so easily.

He's also really trustworthy after you warm up to him. Honestly no other sign fits him as well as Virgo does.

Alex Go

Alex is an Aries canonically and I definitely agree with this. Aries fits him perfectly.

He's enthusiastic and energetic. He is insecure because he thinks he's weak and hates it when Ben or someone else has to get hurt to protect him.

He has a desire to succeed and stand tall alongside Ben.

He can get moody and impulsive. He loves adventure. He even had his chunni era XD and can't stand boredom that's why he's messing around and skipping classes with Ben XD

Donald Na

Donald is a Capricorn according to canon, which fits him really well actually. Tho he could be qualified as an Aquarius too.

The only problem with him being a Capricorn is that he's not sympathetic or caring. Tho he would have a unique sense of humor I think. I hc that his sense of humor is either dark or dork and nothing in between XD and sarcasm. Definitely sarcasm.

Although Aquarius does fit him perfectly.

He is a progressive thinker and is intellectually driven cuz of his past.

He's rebellious, stubborn, emotionally detached, sarcastic and aloof.

Tho let's hope that he goes from an Aquarius to a Capricorn by the end of this manhwa *fingers crossed*

Wolf keum

This is a tricky one. It would be so much easier if we JUST KNEW HIS BACKSTORY AJHHEJDJEHRJJD.

Canon says he's an Aries. Which I don't know what to think of.

He is enthusiastic and energetic (only in relation to fighting). He is independent and extremely moody, impulsive and kinda selfish too.

He also has a low boredom tolerance but he definitely would not be a good leader. He's more of an uncontrollable wild card.

Does he have insecurities tho?? Everyone does right? So this mf should too. Let's just hope we get his backstory in this arc *tired exhale*

He definitely has a desire to succeed and win (again only in relation to fighting) so I guess Aries is a good fit for him. He could also be an Aquarius tho. Yeah definitely could be an Aquarius (less the progressive and intellectual thinking)

I never thought I'd be putting Wolf in the same category as Alex...

Jimmy Bae

According to canon, he's a Cancer, which I am totally in agreement of.

Before his backstory reveal, I would've thought of him as Leo but afterwards, oh boy, he has so much more to his character.

He's actually really sensitive, loyal and dependable. He's also very protective of his friends (Jack). My man readily threw his precious pride out the window for saving Jack.

He's also very moody tho and can be a little self absorbed too sometimes. Especially when it comes to training.

He can also be misunderstood by people really easily. Just like how half of the fandom had (including me) before his backstory.

He can be really difficult to understand but is definitely the kindest to a select few people (Jack).

Jake Ji

Jake is another tricky one. Canonically he's a Scorpio which is a 50-50.

He is independent, passionate and very emotional (Ace's death broke this boy XD).

He is unyielding in his principles and priorities but has to dance around Donald's pinky cuz he owes him one (which is so unfair).

He can be moody too but doesn't let it influence his "work" or his actions.

Tho I don't know about him being possessive, jealous or manipulative. He does strike me as a possessive guy but he's definitely not manipulative. I don't think he has that many brain cells or mental capacity to do that XD

He could also be a Pisces or Cancer because he's dedicated to keeping his friends and family safe. He could be an Aries too, honestly, I don't even know anymore XD tell me what you think would fit him best.

Alright imma end it here. This is getting a bit too long. Lmk if anyone wants a part 2 and I'll write about the rest of the characters.

I had a lot of fun doing this. Thanks to you anon, I finally got around knowing more about the zodiac personalities. I had wanted to know more but always kept pushing it down so thank you :D

P.s. my knowledge of zodiacs is limited to the one video I saw of Psych2go describing them so yeah if I made some mistakes regarding the qualities of the zodiacs then blame them not me XD (jk)

[thislittlekumquat]

Saw all the cool (?) kids doing this on booktube for their 2023 reading, and while I don't think a tiermaker style chart is quite right for comparing some of these books (like how am I supposed to compare The Haunting of Hill House with like. How to Resist Amazon and Why?)

Anyways, S tier is my personal biases, just my absolute faves of the year, no notes. A tier is very good, would recommend to basically any reader without caveats. B tier is "If you're really into this type of thing or have the necessary historiographical context and use your critical thinking skills (as relevant), solid read, worth your time". C tier is like. I've read much worse, but honestly disappointing, though there were at least a few redeeming qualities. D tier is no, definitely skip.

I'm still figuring out how well storygraph works to non-users, but if you're curious to see any further details on these books: https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/ovvlish

Titles and authors in the order they appear, because the images are small. For the manga, some I started this year, others are ongoing reads for me, and I only included one volume of each. All told it was 65 books, so you can see I read a lot of tankubon!

Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries - Heather Fawcett

Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) - Yana Toboso

Gideon the Ninth | Harrow the Ninth | Nona the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir

The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson

Witch Hat Atelier - Kamome Shirahama

Death on the Nile | The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie

My Man Jeeves - P. G. Wodehouse

Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Thief - Maurice Leblanc

The Ancient Magus' Bride - Kore Yamazaki

Dungeon Meshi (Delicious in Dungeon) - Ryoko Kui

Dracula - Bram Stoker

The Future of the Past - Alexander Stille

How to Resist Amazon and Why - Danny Caine

The Evil Wizard Smallbone - Delia Sherman

The Omnivore's Dilemma - Michael Pollan

Stiff - Mary Roach

A Mighty Fortress - Steven Ozment

Showa - Shigeru Mizuki

The Proud Tower - Barbara W. Tuchman

The Cruel Prince - Holly Black

Other Ever Afters: New Queer Fairy Tales - Mel Gillman

The Stripping of the Altars - Eamon Duffy

Twisted Wonderland - Yana Toboso/Wakana Hazuki/Sumire Kowono

The Relic Master - Christopher Buckley

The German Empire, 1870-1918 - Michael Stürmer

Versions of History from Antiquity to the Enlightenment - Donald R. Kelley

Cast Iron Baking - Dominique De Vito

The Bear and the Nightingale - Katherine Arden

Bea Wolf - Zach Weinersmith/Boulet

Testimony of Light - Helen Greaves

The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon

The Fossil Hunter - Shelley Emling

[bestgirlinc]

Kingdom Hearts Review

After long last I am back with another review! This time with a review of Kingdom Hearts 1! Kingdom hearts is one hell of a large series. the game back in the day was marketed as a Crossover between Final Fantasy and Disney. An odd mix to be sure, but it sure intrigued my Disney loving, Final Fantasy loving ass as a kid. I remember playing this game over and over again as a kid. That is to say that I'll be honest that while I will attempt to be critical of it, I am not perfect and I am sure bias will peek through.

Gameplay: The gameplay of KH1 is definitely not as good as KH2 or 3. That's not that controversial to say of course. The series WILL get better over time as they explore and expand the gameplay. That said the gameplay is definitely good. The game is a simple action adventure rpg. It has elements of a platformer here and then but mostly just action adventure, with a heaping helping of hack and slash. The gameplay is pretty simple and even on the hardest difficulty isn't hard to understand or get over. I'll say the biggest criticism I have is of the game having such drastic effects on the game such as how fast you level or what moves you learn at all being behind quiz answers and such that at the time you'd never know and even now only if you do research is a very bad idea. It makes the game very annoying and punishing for those that want to go in blind. That is a VERY bad idea that I do not like at all. But IF you have help with that, then you are golden. The game is good, not great, gameplay wise.

Sound: The music in most of the levels is simple. Lots of KH music in the Disney levels are kind of mindless. Mostly just ideas taken straight out of the movies the levels are based on. Halloween town has the "This is Halloween" for example as the easiest choice of "yeah that's what I expected" choices. That said in THIS game most of the songs are BASED on the movies and not actually just the straight songs. But the music is still very much BASED on the music there and blends in a lot in my opinion. Tarzan and Peter Pan being the best levels in the game for music in my opinion. I think the music while very much of the movie it is based on is still rather nice. That said the big stand outs are the songs made for the original levels. Hollow Bastion's level having the best in the game to me as the music is intense and grand. It fits the concept of this being Maleficent's castle. This is where the greatest evils in Disney and the KH universe as a whole call home! It also makes you feel like "Yeah, I hit the final stretch of the game. Things are moving to the finish line now!" For that and much more the game's music STILL is something I'd consider good. Just don't expect top tier music from the Disney levels.

Story & Characters: We've reached the category that non KH fans dread: The STORY! So allow me to explain the complicated plot. A kid gets a giant key weapon. The kid fights Disney and FF characters with Donald Duck and Goofy to help his friends and saves the world from a guy who wants to conquer all worlds. Like I could go into unnecessary detail on the plot to make it seem more complicated but it really isn't that complicated. The worst of it is that the keyblade weapon Sora, our protagonist, uses sort of has a mind of its own. But that's sorta common for magic weapons in fantasy media. Really KH1 is very accessible for newcomers (obviously). You wanna play KH1? Don't do chronological order, just start here. The story overall is good, well written and hits the right beats. The Disney levels mostly are original plots that service the overall story too. So yeah, overall good.

Extra Segment, Is it worth it?: Why this segment? Because I played this game on the HARDEST difficulty after being bullied to do so. Now I wish to truly show my thoughts on Proud difficulty. Is it worth playing? No, not really. Like, it's not THAT hard. But not really worth it either. Just play it if normal difficulty is too easy for you. So yeah, no, I don't think it's worth it. I'll probably play on normal mode if I go back to it again. That way I can relax and not die over and over again. Don't get me wrong though I did nearly everything in this game on hardest difficulty. Only didn't do the synthesis and Gummi missions.

Final Thoughts: Kingdom Hearts 1 is a whimsical game that is easy to see how it became such a big thing that Sora being in Smash was the most requested character ever. It's fun and actiony and has a little something for everyone. I don't have much left to add except yeah, if ANY of these things intrigue you, go give it a shot. The game is dirt cheap nowadays.

[outoftheirdifferences]

👑 + Scrooge from 2017 DuckTales?

SEND ME 👑 + A CHARACTER NAME OF A CHARACTER YOU THINK I SHOULD WRITE ! 

I’LL REPLY WITH 

WOULD I:YES / MAYBE / NO

HAVE I EVER BEFORE: YES / NO (except for a single post for a previous meme!)

ICON & WRITING SAMPLE (IF YES TO EITHER PREV. QUESTION):

(Well, I... wouldn't be opposed to trying him somewhere, he's a very fun character for sure (and, as a newbie to the duck fandom, the definitive Scrooge voice in my mind!). That said, as I found out when I first started writing Webby, my lack of knowledge of his comics backstory can definitely be a bit of a hindrance when RPing against characters who have all these questions about his past that I can't answer xDD; So I'd be more inclined to write him for just a one-off thread here or there than as a regular muse. I also don't know that I'd be great at replicating his very unique alliterative turns of phrase!

Also don't mind me reusing a post I made for him when someone suggested him for a try meme on my old blog! Updated slightly since I now have context of the rest of the series, but still set in season 1.)

“Och, kids.”

There was a distinct fondness in the elder duck’s tone as he watched the triplets and Webby scamper up the darkened staircase. Another hard day’s adventuring had left the four of them practically asleep on their feet as they returned to the manor; but, like true daring explorers, they’d pressed on, kept up with him, and the five of them together had brought back another ancient treasure to crown his money bin.

But for once Scrooge’s mind wasn’t on the treasure, not right now; it was on the four youngsters: his family. Adventure was in their blood; Dewey the daredevil, Louie the treasure-seeker, Huey the organised leader… and of course, Webby, the girl who reminded him so much of…

A weary frown crossed the duck’s beak for a moment, and he left that thought unfinished.

He was proud, so proud of them all. He could imagine them upstairs, chattering excitedly about their individual escapades as they got ready for bed… each one of them had done so well today. Oh, for sure, they still each had their own long ways yet to go... but they were as fine a crew of young adventurers as he could ever hope to be related to. And if they were a little tired after such a full day…

Well, they weren’t the only ones.

Scrooge’s old bones pained him now, as he followed his great-nephews’ footsteps upstairs; a sure sign that he was feeling the strain of the day. In the heat of the moment, he felt spry as a duck half his age; but once the adrenaline wore off, his age started creeping back up on him, always there to remind him that he wasn’t as young as he once had been.

Donald would say he was being foolish; just trying to relive his glory days… the thought rose unbidden as Scrooge paused outside his nephew’s room. From within, he could hear the younger duck’s quacking snores, a familiar and curiously comforting sound, and for a moment - just one moment - Scrooge wondered if maybe Donald wasn’t right about that.

With a murmured “harumph”, he marched straight on past, not allowing that thought the time of night.

He was Scrooge McDuck; tougher than the toughies and smarter than the smarties. He knew his limits, and he also knew he had a long way still to go before he reached them: no-one else got to tell this Scottish swashbuckler that he was too old for the thing he loved.

[kissy-leechie-blog]

Pete’s Birthday! (Early gift) 💙

💙 I decided to post this very early, because 1.) I’m inpatient. 2.) It gives me time to start creating something for Valentines’ Day. Anyways, I wanted to say that I’m very proud of this, even with the messy linework and cute background. I wanted to make it as simple, but special as possible.

💙 Ever since I watched a recommended video about Pete’s timeline or hear mentions of the character (back in April 2022), I immediately took liking in the villainous feline, especially Steamboat Willie and the musketeers’ Pete. Heck, even during May, I created Honey and ordered a Steamboat Willie Pete figurine (which I ordered before I left for school! Don’t be like 2022 me kids.) And that was just the beginning. This character has been keeping me in a good mood (last year), I can’t imagine how I would’ve been, if I didn’t include him as a comfort character. If anything, I would never gotten interested in other characters (like Cookie Monster or Fuzzy Lumpkins for example) sooner if it weren’t for him to be honest. With that aside, I’m happy I got to revisit this character and grew to like him. There are many things, I want to say, but to avoid crying my eyes out, I will end it off with Honey surprising Pete before saying happy birthday, then start off the day by pulling pranks on the mouse (that Disney milked to hell) including his two pals (Goofy and Donald) and have a good laugh afterwards. 💖