#false balance

[rosewind2007]

Made me laugh…

[cherryblossomshadow]

op turned off reblogs but this needs to be shared

[ssaalexblake]

I'm forever astounded at all the Gallifrey/time lord society stanning that goes on in fandom? It's the monkey paw!!!! Read the small print!!!

So much of dw's canon will Entirely pass people by, literally spanning from the earlier years of classic who to the present day, if you can't identify that Gallifreyen society is rotten to the core.

The Doctor couldn't be the hero if they continued to sully themselves in a brutal empire's name.

(it's the british empire. but space. british empire bad. very bad. come on.)

[arctic-hands]

Protip: if you're using a cane or crutch or rollator and an abled starts giving you flak or making fun of you, you now have a weapon in your hands

[purble-gaymer]

morpho true form as promised :P

[itspileofgoodthings]

I don’t even fully know why but “what do I do when I miss you so much?” / “Just wait, and pray desperately” was a knife to my heart in the best way.

[weetweetie]

"Both sides" only when there is a side and a lie. But when the lie has enough money behind it, only the lie.

Republicans in many states have passed legislation requiring “both sides” be taught at colleges and universities regarding controversial issues. Indiana just passed a law requiring even tenured faculty be regularly reviewed to assess their unbiased teaching.

Republicans are universally calling for pro-Palestinian protests — even peaceful ones — to be shut down on college and university campuses. Faculty are being punished for defending the rights of even peaceful protesters to state their concerns.

It’s almost like these Republicans aren’t good faith actors trying to address serious issues in a thoughtful way, but are instead politically motivated hacks seeking to use colleges and universities as tools to divert attention from their real, horrible agenda while scoring points for being “tough” with their supporters.

Almost.

[foulfeast]

Ohhhh i now remember why i got shy about talking abt ocs

24/7 fear that someone will tell me my ideas are cliche/stupid/bad in some other and it will hurt more bc these are my own creations and not just fun and play

[questioningdragons]

Also, I cannot get over the fact that just at the point where the narrative makes you think that maybe El being alone and friendless is a self fulfilling prophesy--like maybe no one likes her because she's not likeable--you find out that she was a child alone and screaming in terror in the night and no one came. That the same adults who left her alone in the first place, left her to face her terror by herself.

So, yeah, even if she pushes people away because she has trust issues, I'd say she has a pretty damn good reason.

[gemkun]

i just think about ratio instinctively acting on the urge to protect aventurine when strangers see his playful façade as an invitation and positioning himself as an unofficial bodyguard especially with his stature and intimidating presence

[snailchasers-den]

How does Firepaw/heart play into your au? Does he still have a crush on Spottedleaf?

He's still the main character energy orange cat we all know and love! I've considered actually making him a medicine cat apprentice instead of Cinder, especially because of his connection with Starclan in canon, but he just has so much warrior energy, so I'm still on the fence about it. Though I've thought about him training as a warrior, switching to a medicine cat, and then becoming leader being interesting. Give him as much experience as possible with all ranks the clan can have, while also properly harnessing his starclan connection. (Which could also cause issues for Spotted down the line and complicate things even more)

And I've thought about this a lot, because I personally didn't care for Fire's feelings for her but I think he'd have a small, one-sided crush on her. It'd fade pretty quickly, but I'd believe it if it's still there, albiet not as intense as in canon. Much less some weird devoted thing and more comedic teenage crush that he grows out of.

There's probably some silly antics with him being shocked that Tigerclaw's big evil scary self is by her side so often when they're not working, especially since him, Greypaw and Ravenpaw are always together, and Ravenpaw has a slight inside scoop on what's going on there. It's not like Spotted and Tiger aren't at least mildly mushy together on patrols, so Ravenpaw's probably got a hunch. Stupid apprentice shenanigans insue while Tiger kinda just sits there exhasperated at this former kittypet and his friends.

[the-jam-to-the-unicorn]

Here are the issues I have with the book. Since it's a lot, I'll try to keep it as short as possible and only mention my biggest problems with it. So this list is not complete and I could write pages about it.

Let me start by saying that a good autobiography (or any book that highlights a real life person) should be balanced. It should not glorify that person or pretend that person is a god and without mistakes. I also have no problem with critizing Ze, because, let's face it, yes he made mistakes and fucked things up in the past and not every war decision or speech or whatever was good or perfect. The point is: the critique should be fair and balanced (this obviously doesn't apply to bad people in general and the books about them; but since Ze isn't a bad person...you get what I want to say). The portrayal of Ze in the book is anything but fair or balanced. Or true, for that matter (unless literally every person in Ze's life and who knows him better, including the Kvartal fam, Olena, Andriy or people like them, have been lying to everyone for decades).

Throughout the whole book Shuster does say that Ze is Ukrainian (and Jewish) but also always tries to paint him as an "Ukrainian Russian" - so Ze is actually Russian despite being a "Ukrainian" (basically using one of Russia's Propaganda lies). Ze is basically a stubborn "Ukrainian" who kind of deserves all the hate and arrogance he gets from "real Russians" during KVN times (and later) because Ze is an insufferable asshole during his KVN times. And that Russian treated Ukrainian (or from other former Soviet Union countries) teams badly (including racist remarks, looking down on them, treating them like slaves, insulting them, not giving them a fair chance,...) teams awfully is, in Ze's case, deserved. Because Ze was oh so focused on always winning - no matter what and the cost.

Speaking of KVN: According to Shuster, Ze was terrible as a person during his first years of stardom. A maniac who only lived for applause and needs it to survive and was willing to do absolutely everything to win and beat other teams. Because, you know, he's so obsessed with winning. To a point were even he gives a flying fuck about the Kvartal team and their members (Shuster basically hints that they all disliked Ze and he was some kind of group dictator who only wanted to work and win all the time and was reckless and took to many risks and almost destroyed everyones lifes). When Shuster finds something positive to write about, he quotes people from Kvartal but what he quotes are just general statements or people saying what KVN was like during the 1990s and early 2000s. The moment Shuster writes about Ze and was he (allegedly) like during this time it's almost only "team members" and "people who knem him" and "classmates" and all that stuff - so anon sources. Or it's just Shuster telling stuff without saying what his source is or him just have feelings and thoughts and drawing conclusions. If people get named they - surprise, surprise - have a lot of times bad things to say about Ze or are people who we never ever have heard of as being part of Ze's life. Btw, it's not very hard to guess who the "team member", who talked the KVN years and adds a lot of negative talk about Ze, is... . Denys (yes, THAT Denys) contributed to the book with pictures, so chances are high he also talked to Shuster. If you ever wondered if the asshole would ever get over the fact that he fucked up and Ze kicked his ass out of the group - well, the answer is no. He now just tries to cash in on Ze. And since we are talking about Denys' obvious contribution to the book - he, once again, gave out private photos. How much we all wanna bet that he, once again, didn't ask for consent?!

Shuster also tries to paint Ze's family in a bad light. The father a tyrann who sacrified his wife's (Mama Ze) health for his job and money. Also rarely being at home and giving a fuck about his son and family. Mama Ze spoiling her child and making him entitled. Both to unloving and hard and more or less making Ze's life a living hell. Also that Ze's family was suddenly rich. Not to mention indirectly questioning the trauma his family had to go through (and Ze talked about in the past) under Stalin and the Nazis and family members that are suddenly alive (despite Ze stating in the past that they were dead). Also, Shuster sees in the childhood and family of Ze a part of the explanation why Ze is such a horrible person today, to stubborn to just give up and end the fight (and all that nonsense) and won't win this war. Because the parents put Ze in all kind of activities without him finishing any of it but letting him believe he can do everything and always demanding excellent perfomance in every aspect of his life (to keep it short). So of cooourse Ze had to grow up into a maniac who can't loose and always continues despite what people may tell him and who needs the constant validation and love from others.

There are also a ton of negative remarks about Ze as father and husband in regard of his own family. Not to mentiont hat a ton of informations are factually not correct. Things like birth dates or dates in general, how and where Ze's family lived (missing important context several times), Ze basically being as awful as his father, Ze not giving a fuck about his families safety during the war (Olena was the voice of reason who protects the poor, poor children because their father just wants them back for egoistic reasons and doesn't care about their safety) or not seeing anything concerning about his sons military obsession and instead fueling it (again, it's the poor poor wife who has to protect the son from the awful father), Ze giving zero fucks about his relationship with Olena right from the start and that poor, poor, poor woman always staying behind and having to go through hell and hate because of Ze's maniac ambitions and facing an unsave future in the early 2000s because Ze was so full of himself and had the biggest ego,... . (reading several parts you would think that this "poor, poor woman" is trapped in some abuse situation or Ze somehow tied her to himself and the whole marriage is fake and there is no love) (also Olena simultaniously romantizing things and her life and Ukraine but also being the only who who sees the truth about Ze or several parts of their lives but, of course, can't tell her terrible husband because bad, bad Ze) Also Shuster indirectly claiming that Ze and Olena lied about their relationship and they didn't date for eight years but for a shorter period of time. Because suddenly Olena also was a part of KVN long before Ze (???) and was essentially just his work buddy and friend for a while and somehow and for whatever reason they ended up in a relationship one day. (Also prepare yourself to read about a new version of the "Basic Instinct" story we never have heard before...and Ze and Olena never said.)

Btw, the way Ze is portrayed during his KVN years is essentially with little variation how he's portrayed in later stages of his life. Including his presidency and the war (I'm not going to write several more paragraphes because I think you get the picture Shuster tries to paint of Ze).

Only one thing about Ze's war portrayal: Shuster swings back and forth between Ze as wanna be dictator who will turn Ukraine into something bad as soon as the war is over (and is already starting with that) and who already makes his own rules and gives zero fucks about people and is only interested in his own fame and people applauding him and all that stuff. And Ze being the worst President ever because the war and the current state of Ukraine (which is, of course, very bad and they are about to collapse and loose and big Russia and winning and blablabla) are somehow also his fault. Yes, Shuster really manages to make Ze (and with that Ukraine) partly guilty.

Throughout the whole book he also, sometimes more obvious sometimes hidden, Shuster portrays Ukraine in the worst way possible. He does mention how "bad" Russia is but somehow justifying it several times or leaving out important facts and, once again, context. Also the portrayal of Putin, especially in comparsion with how he writes about Ze, is a joke.

Oh, and, the "inside look in the bunker" life Shuster used for his marketing campaign and that the claim of the book - yeah, bullshit. It's nothing now and anon and all that stuff. Also, once again, portraying Ze in a bad light. Like, yeah, the first weeks of war affected him but to such a worrying point (according to Shuster) that Ze was actually unfit to rule any longer as President but continued (because, you know, he loves power sooo much...). And now he's the mini dictator of Bankova who is always grumpy and changed into a (an even more) awful person and... .

What can I say at the end?! As mentioned earlier, the book has a ton of fake news and wrong facts. It's incredibly poorly researched - if sources exist at all. A lot of times it's Shuster just sharing his feelings or thougths or conclusions or interpretations or whatever. Or just saying things without context. Or writing stuff without giving sources. And to be honest, in some parts it also feels like that Shuster just made stuff up.

If you have no idea about Ze and his life or know very little - that's not the book to get informed. If you know a bit more about Ze, you will surprisingly often feel that certain parts of "exclusive interviews" or "when I talked with XYZ" are strangely familiar...with interviews we all know from Ze's (and several other people) past...because it is these interviews. Just a lot of times missing context, shortening what was said, adding stuff or giving it a new meaning.

Speaking of using old stuff: Shuster also really used his old articles to include them in the book...to a point where it's basically almost word for word.

Overall, the book is in large parts poorly written (so poorly that you wonder how he became a TIME journalist in the first place).

In the end, you probably haven't learned anything new or interesting about Ze, his life, the war or Ukraine. When we talk about Ze, I may have read one, maybe two new things I haven't read before (but questioning both of them and will do research if they are true or just made up by Shuster). It's over 300 sites of wasted paper and ink. I know articles who did a better job than this "book". It's a waste of time and money. And in the end it's a Pro-Russia Propaganda book, trying to undermine the support for Ukraine and hurt Ze and his image (as well as Ukraine's). Shuster tries to be subtle at his try to do this but he isn't not. He tries to come off as critical thinker who wants to portray a balanced picture of Ze and also writes about the sides no one dares to talk about. But nothing about this is balanced. It's just 300+ sites of trashing Ze and backstabbing him and using every possible way. Same applies to Ukraine.

.

[hostradio]

@captainbuzzkill88 🎙

❝  oh,  i'm  sure  you  don't  see  it  the  way  i  do ... ❞  his  hands  are  clasped  neatly  before  him,  almost  as  if  in  a  mockery  of  prayer  —  hah!  perish  the  thought.   ❝  ...  but  gambling  away  your  freedom  was  the  smartest  thing  i  think  you've  ever  done.  you  clearly  can't  be  trusted  to  use  it  wisely  —  so  why  not  let  someone  more  competent  bear  the  burden  of  CHOICE? ❞

someone  like  him.  obviously.

CONFESSION TIME.

[martyrbat]

[ID: a Facebook status by ‘Vengeance’ (Batman) that reads, ‘The face he makes when he want cuddles, food or sex’. Underneath the status is a photo of The Riddler sticking his tongue out as he squints at the viewer. END ID]

[ID: The original Facebook meme. Instead of being posted by Batman, it's from ‘Jacklyn’. END ID]

[ID: The same photo of The Riddler but without the Facebook meme. The first photo has a solid white background as the second is transparent. END ID]

[junk-culture]

walkable cities are great because it means people from small towns can continue engaging in their essential pastimes even after they've moved away i.e. walking alone every other day around the same 3 routes on rotation and trying not to go insane