#it has to be worth a theater experience imo

[mispearlreblogs]

Wasn't Sonic calling Shadow "hot topic" in one of the trailers though? I have not seen the movie even once but I do remember that line.

You missed something on the first watch of sonic the hedgehog 3??? You went to the cinema more than once??? You're so lucky 😩

COUGHS

[destinyc1020]

Hi Destiny, Sunday confession time:

Even though I know it’s parasocial of me I’m really hoping Romeo & Juliette gets some good critic reviews. The majority of audience reactions so far are really positive for the whole cast which ultimately should be the most important thing however if the critic reviews are unfavourable I can just imagine how much people will jump on that to drag Tom. Usually if a west end show received mixed reviews it wouldn’t cause too much attention but Toms name generates clicks so I imagine they’ll be quite a lot of articles/online discussion about it much like what happened after TCR. I would hate for that to overshadow the hard work the full cast and crew have put into this.

Hey Anon 👋🏾

Sorry, I'm just now getting to your confession Anon. I was out of town and had a serious family event that was pretty emotional, so I kind of took a little break from Tumblr for a few days.

Anyway, I think that although reviews for Romeo & Juliet have been somewhat mixed so far, I still feel that most reviews were mainly positive for the play, and even the negative reviews seemed to be more so complaining about Jamie's style of directing, and eccentric way of stage presenting the R&J story. Most of the reviews don't seem to be critical of Tom.

But I have been seeing a lot of positive reviews about Francesca's performance, and that might also be due to the fact that Fran has been doing theater for many years, so she probably has a lot more theater experience.

Overall, I don't think Tom chose this project for "good reviews" anyway.... I think he chose the play for his own personal enrichment and passion. 🤷🏾‍♀️

Plus, seeing the overwhelming love, appreciation, and support from the fans and the London community is probably worth WAY more to Tom than the reviews of critics any day of the week. 🥰

So I don't think it's a bad thing Anon. Overall, I think that was a great idea for Tom, and it will probably only help to fine-tune his acting skills even more imo.

I'm ALWAYS 100% a fan of actors doing theater....especially film actors. 😊

[samueldays]

Surely an overview or essay on RPG rulebook length "ecosystem" with regards to player effort exists somewhere already and I don't have to reinvent it. Does anyone know of such a thing to point me to? Searching turned up this D&D book size rules count by Alexandrian but it's not what I had in mind.

Big name RPGs tend to be several hundred pages. Exactly what constitutes "big" is fuzzy when the stats from e.g. roll20 report that the majority of games registered are D&D 5e and everyone else put together is less than that, including "uncategorized", so lemme pick a few examples I'm familiar with.

D&D 1e clocked about 500 pages between PHB, MM, DMG. A few decades later, Pathfinder has a merged corebook that runs to about 600 pages. "Most" of the game is in a sense in the PHB which is 300 pages for D&D 3e and 5e, the MM is almost all examples no rules, the DMG has skippable rules and non-D&D-specific advice, but the design expectation is that you have them.

Chronicles of Darkness (formerly World of Darkness) has a 300-page corebook, but the corebook is kinda weak, it expects you to be playing mundane humans meeting GM-customized horrors, what most people get this game line for is one of the supplements like Vampire that runs to another 300.

Legend of the Five Rings (4e) has a 400-page core rulebook, for what it's worth, but I'm a little unclear on the supplement status. Shadowrun has ranged between 200 and 500 pages by edition. Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, 300 pages.

Mutants and Masterminds (3e) and Traveller (Mongoose 2e) are both slimmer at 200-page books where one corebook is all you need, the other supplements for the line are truly supplemental and not stealth-cores. However, they both pay for their combination of brevity and flexibility by demanding more player effort (including GM) in building, resolving, designing, rolling, and making decisions during set-up. As much as I love them, they have more time between reading and playing.

A few games squeeze down past that to 150ish, then my experience is that there's very little in the 20-150 range, and below 20 there's quite a bit of short indie games, Skyfarer being one I have to hand. (PDF reader reports 21 page count, but that's with cover page and copyright page so 19.)

There's several gimmick RPGs that run to as little as 1 page but they start to blur the line between "roleplaying game" and "improv theater prompt, with a dispute resolution mechanic". (IMO, since people sometimes resolve things by coinflip outside of games, putting a coinflip-tier mechanic in your improv theater is insufficient to be a game.)

I feel like what one usually gets from under-20-page RPGs is a system that optimizes for easy reading that won't feel like work to learn and remember, at the cost of working to make up content.

The over-300-page RPGs, on the other hand, are work to learn, but they are systems optimized for easy content where the player picks a class and a feat and a skill, rolls the die the book says, and compares to the target number from the difficulty list from the GM reference section.

The 150-300 range seems to be either specialized for a narrow type of specific easy content, or expects one-time set-up work to create some content but gives you tools for that content so you can still follow the book. Assemble-your-own-kit games.

Speculatively, the 20-150 range is so underpopulated because it can't do either sort of easy thing. It is too much reading to pick up the idea and run with it, and it's not enough content to lean on.

To rebut the common "just make shit up" suggestion: I have already made up several pages of stuff and making up more than that as I lose interest is work. I pay for fat RPG books partly because they have done that work for me. The D&D Monster Manual is in this category: very little rules, very much work done for the GM to save on monster-making.

[unpopularly-opinionated]

Okay so over the past two days I've rewatched/watched Alien 1-4 and boy was it ever a decline. For context, I've only seen Alien and Aliens prior to this, as well as one of the prequels, though I can't recall which one, but I'm not including those because I haven't watched/rewatched them yet.

Spoilers below for Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, in case you haven't seen them, because I have thoughts.

Alien is perfect, of course. It still holds up really well and I'm still beyond happy that I was able to watch it in theaters many years ago as opposed to just on TV. It's definitely worth seeing in a theater IMO.

Aliens I've always had bad memories of, and while I was certainly reminded of why, it actually wasn't nearly as bad as I remembered it being. I think the character's name is "Hudson", or the guy who famously says "Game over, man! It's game over!" Anyways, he's why I had such bad memories of this movie. I find him incredibly annoying BUT the last time I saw this movie was probably a decade ago so while I still find it annoying, I'm able to look past it and overall find the rest of the movie enjoyable.

Alien 3 was uh... well let me just say that my initial reaction was WTF because of the "choice" they made at the beginning of the film to axe every character who survived from Aliens, aside from Ripley, and including Newt who was like so pivotal to the previous movie. I was so baffled this I had to google it and I see that it primarily wasn't their fault that they had to make this choice because I guess the actress who played Newt didn't actually want to be an actress, but I don't know, I think they could've managed to handle it a bit better than they did. It was just insanely jarring to go straight from saving her in Aliens to "btw she died off-screen between movies". This colored my opinion of the movie at first, but ultimately this movie wasn't so bad all things considered. The next movie definitely makes this one seem near-perfect by comparison.

Alien Resurrection is just bad. It's just so so bad. If I hadn't caught a glimpse of Joss Whedon's name in the credits at the beginning, I could've still guessed it a mile off. Ironically, even though Alien 3 actually had Ripley fuck a dude, this movie was way more unnecessarily sexualised than that one. Not to mention the fact that they went with the whole angle that the aliens are now Clone Ripley's children which makes sexualising the two infinitely worse.

There's also the fact that this movie just flat out does not make sense and is contrived as hell. They barely attempt to explain how Ripley is even in this movie to begin with after she died in Alien 3, giving us a one-off line about how they "scraped blood samples" that they found in the prison and used that to clone her, utilizing Alien DNA, which is how they wound up with 7 other failed attempts that all looked semi-Alien-like whereas our Ripley is #8 and looks normal.

Except this I could buy into. Is it contrived? Absolutely. But whatever, this world has synthetic androids and pseudo-supercomputers so whatever, I can buy that they have cloning too. But what I couldn't buy was that somehow by cloning her they also managed to clone the Queen alien that was lying dormant in Ripley's body back in Alien 3? I'm sorry, what? If you can do that why do you even need Ripley, an active threat to your plans?

There's also the plot contrivance of why they didn't immediately kill her off once she'd served her purpose. They had the Queen at that point, and the subject of terminating her comes up twice but we never actually get given an answer as to why they keep her alive. They even go as far as to call out the fact that she's an active danger to their project. Given that Joss Whedon was writing this, I'd have at least expected some kind of creepy doctor who wanted to fuck his Riply science experiment or something. Anything to even attempt to justify her continued existence.

Also I'm sorry these fuckers have been researching, reproducing and raising these aliens and not one of them thought that maybe they should make their cages acid proof?

Overall, just a terrible movie. Sucks too because I guess it leads nowhere? You're telling me they ran out of the tried-and-true method of "somehow the Aliens have returned" when the ship full of them crashed on Earth? Nah. Also I LOL'd at the ending because I'm sorry, is Earth uninhabited? I don't think so. But there they went crashing a fucking massive spaceship into it with no concerns and we just roll credits.

Anyways, guess I'll start Prometheus and Covenant tomorrow.

[gemovie]

Wonka, my review

It was cute! There's not much to the story, it's about what's expected from the trailers. The beginning was a little song heavy, but it petered off by the second half. A sweet movie with some cute moments, nothing particularly grand, better than the Depp version by a large margin though.

I wouldn't really say it's not worth seeing in theaters, but you won't miss anything if you watch it at home.

SPOILERS BELOW

So I liked the characters enough, they had enough screen time to be enjoyable but not to shoved down your throat. They were charming, minus the failed comedian guy. I get that his bit was not being funny, but he was probably the weakest character imo.

Wonka himself was sweet, I didn't much mind that he didn't have the feral energy of Gene Wilders version. One it's a different person, so they bring a different flavor to the character. Two, this is a younger Wonka, he's still growing and learning, and there were glimpses of that version here and there.

I thought Noodle being the heir to Slugworths chocolate company was decently clever. Though it does make me wonder who that guy was in the original Wonka. Was he just an employee? Did Noodle have a business partner? Was he her husband? Questions I'll likely never get the answer too.

The music was overall good! For the genre at least. Very cute and fun, very much a modern musical. They were charming and catchy. My personal favorites were World of Your Own, For a Moment, and Pure Imagination. Though I also likes Scrub Scrub and Never had Chocolate Like This.

The scenes with the priest and the chief of police were funny. I thought it was funny when the priest and the others were running from the giraffe and they were singing "giraffe" over and over. The scenes with Basil and Gweny were also funny.

Noodle was a decent character, fine for her role in the movie. She was a good sense of seriousness to Wonkas whimsy, and a good source of uplifting energy when Wonka needed it.

My biggest issue with the movie was the c plot of Wonka not being able to read. It felt forced and unnecessary. I feel like if they'd just made him have an ego it would have worked out better.

Like, he reads the fine print, but he thinks it's fine cause he's so sure that his chocolate will flourish by the next day, so he signs it. It would be a good character flaw for him to get over, as well as a humbling experience for him when his money is taken.

Also him not being able to disappear without storm drains? He has a magic hat and storm clouds in a jar. I think he can find some magic way to do what he needs to do.

And where did he keep getting ingredients for his chocolate? Sure he had his jars, but he was selling like crazy over the course of the movie. A giraffe can only give so much milk and those tiny jars can only hold so much for chocolate.

And I get them being able to rent the shop, but all the upgrades? And then it burns down? Where did they get the money for all of that?

Most of those are minor nit picks though. Over all, it was a really fun and enjoyable movie!

[coffee-at-annies]

*cracks knuckles* Okay I think the main questions are where are you staying, and when are you going,? Things get harder if you don’t have a car but uber/lyft/cabs will probably be able to get you most places and Downtown is easily accessible via most public transit.

PPG Paints is on the edge of downtown and partially in the hill district. I’m not familiar with the hill district so I can’t direct you that way. If you are staying near the arena there is limited stuff but if you’re in downtown there’s the cultural district which has all of the theaters (drama/musical/orchestra, not movie theater) and the convention center. Point State Park is the point (you’ve seen the fountain in all the big helicopter/drone shots). I think it’s got a museum about the original fort but unless you care about history I’m not sure it’s worth seeking out. There’s also ice skating outdoors in market square/ppg place if you’re gonna be here between now and March? If not hunt armory is in a different neighborhood but has indoor ice skating. Also in downtown is the Milkshake Factory if you’re lucky enough to get half price Jake Rusty Shakes.

Just following my mental map of the point, across the mon is Station Square. You can get there by walking across the Smithfield street bridge or taking the T. It’s free to use within downtown to the north side in one direction and station square the other, so if you want to see the incline that’s the way to get there. The incline is the main attraction outside of restaurants and the soccer (European football) stadium. I don’t know when the riverhounds play and I know even less about our new women’s soccer team tbh. Up the incline is Mount Washington which is the tourist trap for photos. The overlook is gorgeous and worth it for tourist reasons imo.

Across the Allegheny is the North Shore where from west to east you’ve got Rivers Casino (gambling), Carnegie Science Center (science museum), Acrisure Stadium Heinz Field (American football)(we’re ignoring that the name changed cause yinzers are petty), and PNC Park (baseball). There’s also a concert venues and some bars. I think the Andy Warhol Museum is technically in the North Shore. Cute little museum dedicated to a singular artist. If you like Warhol or Pop Art it’s got like 4 or 5 floors and it’s fine. Opening day for baseball is late March so there’s some overlap with the Pens season and tickets are relatively cheap. I wouldn’t recommend Steelers football because tickets are stupid expensive but Pirates baseball is cheap as hell cause we suck. Best ballpark in America tho. Pirates frequently shut down the Roberto Clemente bridge to walk across the street during weekend games which is a delightful experience.

Further back into the North Side (basically the neighborhood behind what’s on the river) there’s the Mattress Factory (sculptural and installation art museum), the National Aviary, plenty of parking/parks, and the Children’s Museum (for 3-12 year olds so very out of your age range since there isn’t a baby sportsthoughts but I’m just listing things at this point). The aviary is delightful because birds are good and they have penguins.

On the other side of downtown not across the rivers (downtown is a triangle) is the Strip District. Historically it used to be wholesale retailers, nowadays it’s that plus restaurants plus offbrand yinzer sports merch. I mention it because if you want history, the Heinz History Museum is on the other side of the convention center between downtown and the strip. The Heinz History museum has the Western PA Sports Museum. It takes up like the entire second floor and they’ve redone the Penguins sections to include the 16-17 cups. I think like the Church Brewery is in the strip as well and there’s a whole new shopping center that was under construction forever that I haven’t checked out but has like indoor golf.

Now we’re getting to the places that aren’t walkable from downtown. There’s the Carnegies in Oakland which is 80% college and college students. I’m talking about the Carnegie Natural History Museum and the Carnegie Museum of Art (they share a building with each other and the Carnegie library of Pittsburgh, Main branch) The Nat History has dinosaurs. Art is what it says on the tin. They usually have a feature exhibit and the modern art gallery and the permanent collection. Teenie Harris has an exhibit. One admission will get you into both. I can direct you to the website if it’s interesting to you. Phipps Botanical Gardens is also in Oakland if you like plants. I think they’re fun.

In Shadyside is the Frick, but I wouldn’t prioritize it tbh. It’s good if you’re looking for something new after having hit up most of the museums but it’s a museum in a fancy house, it’s skippable. M

If you’re looking to push how far away from downtown you can get, I’d recommend seeing if you can see the boys during practice in Cranberry at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. You’ll probably need a car or cab, I don’t know about the busses in the area. Also a bit of a hike is the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Exactly what it says on the tin. Finally if you’re there in spring, you can possibly visit Kennywood, the amusement park. Good if you like rollercoasters we have three different wooden coasters that I’m a fan of.

There’s also the parks, which I don’t think you’re gonna care about the playgrounds or walking trails.

Only other thing I can think of is PPG Paints is doing arena tours which includes walking in the locker room but because of that it’s incredibly limited and might require the boys to be out of town entirely. Idk I looked it up at the start of the season and it was all at like noon during work days so I put it out of my mind.

although on that topic: friends who've been to pittsburgh or know the city - what should I see? I have a few free days between games. anything that I absolutely mustn't miss?

[stories-and-chaos]

Okay I just got into The Owl House and I have a shit ton of thoughts and feelings but right now I wanna talk about Camila. Because I get where she’s coming from.

You know you’re old when you start relating to the parents in cartoons. It’s weeeeeeeeird. I’m not about to say Camila did nothing wrong because she has, but she’s a good parent trying her best imo.

My kiddo is neurodivergent. He’s a smart, sweet six year old on the autism spectrum. I love that he loves monster trucks and marbles and hot wheels cars. He’ll tell everyone about time trial races on his marble run and his favorite version of the GraveDigger truck. Did you ask for that information? Doesn’t matter he’ll tell you. At toddler groups he was in his own world, he had a plan for how playtime was gonna go and he was going to stick to it. I could do a huge post about what we’ve done to help our son but the point is, we knew he needed help to learn how to deal with other kids. We got him that help, from specialists in programs for people like him. He’s in first grade and while things aren’t perfect, he’s got the foundation for coping and interaction with others.

Back to The Owl House. We know Luz marches to her own drum. “Luz has always done things differently,” Camila says. Whether Luz is on the spectrum or not (I’d say she is) she definitely has a learning curve to interacting with her peers. She likely would have benefited from similar social therapy programs when she was young. But with Manny’s illness and death, sadly that probably wasn’t a priority for the Nocedas. And to go out on a speculative limb, if Camila had similar experiences as a child, she may not have realized therapy could have been helpful for Luz. She didn’t have specialists teaching her how to cope and navigate the neurotypical world after all, why would her kid need that?

Until said kid is a teen struggling with high school. And Camila is a single parent who’s still grieving and seeing her baby start to have problems just like she dealt with. She loves Luz and her quirks but she knows most kids don’t use sausage links as theater props. But she doesn’t know how to help her daughter. Camila will call people out on people badmouthing her girl obviously. But how to stop the badmouthing in the first place?

Camila doesn’t know that. She can’t teach her daughter to be “normal” because Camila isn’t “normal.” But here’s someone from the school system (presumably someone with more experience of kids like Luz) offering a solution. A whole group of people experienced in helping similar kids be “normal.” Who better to make sure Luz has an easier time at school than her mom did?

Now, summer camp is not cheap. Average overnight camp cost this year was around $450 PER DAY. And that’s for a “cabin life with activities” sort of camp. A specialty (or behavioral) camp could be more. But it’s worth the cost, right? Maybe. A reputable camp with professionals could very well have helped Luz figure out the tools she needs to deal with neurotypicals. A less reputable one focused on churning out results to justify taking all that money from desperate parents, not so much. Either way, fees have already been paid, non refundable, parent testimonials and staff say this place works, so the kid is gonna go.

Well, a kid goes. Vee attends, makes friends, learns how to act human, comes home. Camila likely sees Luz acting like a mature teenager. She’s not using escapism to cope with her dad’s death anymore. Her interests have changed but kids grow out of things all the time. Her daughter seems collected, stable, and ready to fit in at school. Camila is likely grateful that camp helped and Luz won’t have the same sort of hard time she did now. It was a tough, expensive decision and with life going smoothly she’s not going to question the results. Even in “Yesterday’s Lie” Camila goes along with the “game,” happy that Luz has a productive, social outlet for her creativity.

Except it’s not a game and now Camila knows she messed up. She didn’t realize “Luz’s” change in behavior was her being an entirely different person. Not only is her only child trapped in a different plane of existence, she had the opportunity to come home and chose not to. Having my kid prefer my partner’s company over mine the first time was hard enough. Finding out Luz chose to stay in the Demon Realm probably felt like she was being eviscerated. Another limb on my speculation tree here, but it looks like Camila doesn’t have much of a support system herself. Obviously there’s her staff at the vet clinic but they’re employees. No mention of friends or family nearby. Just Manny and Luz. But her husband’s gone. Of course she’d beg Luz to come back and stay.

When Luz does get back (+4) Camila is determined to be a better parent. She messed up before and thought she probably lost Luz forever. She’s going to get it right this time, from figuring out how to feed otherworldly adolescents to learning everything she can about LGBTQIA youth. She’ll even fight demons with her chancla and bat to bring her daughter’s friends home, like she’s escorting them back after a weekend trip. Mama needs a cocktail, a geeky book club, and some parent friends and I really hope she gets some of that in the Boiling Isles.

[dissonantdreamer]

What do you think of the 'Ellie killed so many people but spared Abby, it doesn't make sense' critique? I get where it's coming from, but it wasn't an issue for me. Human life doesn't have a sunk cost fallacy; just because Ellie killed other people doesn't mean she has to kill Abby to make it "mean something". The WLF/Scars/Rattlers attack Ellie on sight; if they see her, they try to kill her. Fighting in combat is different from killing a malnourished person who isn't a threat anymore, imo.

Agreed. There is so much more to the story that makes that argument underwhelming in most discussions. As always i got thoughts and they're under a cut to spare the feed:

Whenever i see that argument it's always from people who haven't grasped the whole of the game (part one and two) Ellie's entire character is built on making her actions mean something, making her pain mean something, making something out of the shit hand she's been dealt. We grow over two games with her. We watch her kill out of self-defense, fear, love, hurt, revenge, a whole spectrum of emotions because she's a kid, her killing is all personal to her and it becomes personal to us too. We're invested, but we aren't Ellie. It's so easy to be playing a game and want to kill someone who has hurt you but ultimately isn't real. Ellie is a part of that narrative, Ellie has a choice to make that affects her and her alone, we're merely along for the ride. Killing Abby would have meant nothing, because as we saw with Abby, killing Joel didn't make things better, objectively it ruined her life. Abby made the choice to walk away from Ellie in the theater because while killing Ellie would have meant something, Abby knows enough (even if it got muddled in the adrenaline of fighting to survive) to listen to Lev, and walk away. When her head clears enough there is a look on her face that we see mirrored on Ellie's when she's sat in the ocean at the end. It isn't resignation. It's acceptance that everything they've gone through won't be back the dead. The love they had is still there and instead of focusing on what hurt them, they need to focus on the love.

These people want Abby dead because it is so easy to move a joystick and pull a trigger and not think about the character, the person, as real. A lot of people wanted Part II to just be Part I extended, because many people saw it as a fun road trip with zombies. They didn't appreciate the complexities of Joel, they wanted him to be a fun murder dad and they only cared about Ellie through that lens. They don't see killing Abby as a loss of everything that made Ellie, Ellie. If she killed Abby, the little girl Joel loved would be gone completely. That strips her of the choice to save herself.

I'll admit when I first finished the game I wished we had the option to let Abby live or die because I wanted my choice to matter, for everything I went through to matter. Then I realized it was never going to be my choice to make, while I played as Ellie, my experience was not hers. Through Abby I learned that whatever Ellie did, if she didn't let go, she would lose everything like Abby did, and if she was lucky she might get a chance to be redeemed at a great cost to herself.

These games, while not perfect, are telling a story of a world we have yet to comprehend. It is broken people traversing a broken world and finding hope in the hopelessness.

If you invest yourself in half the characters, the character you wanted to be, you aren't going to see Abby as a person worth redeeming and by proxy you aren't going to see Ellie as a person worth redeeming. You only see yourself as the protagonist, the good guy with the gun and everyone else as the bad guys. You leave bodies in your wake but they deserved it because you are the good guy. TLoU has always stripped that back, you are a person making morally grey decisions in a grey world and hoping it fucking matters.

No matter what we the player wants, when it comes to what these characters face, there is no black and white when you're surviving.

[zukadiary]

Slowly Waking Up From a Takarazuka-less Stupor, Part 1: Romeo & Juliette

Is there even any point in saying it's been a terrible year? Not only has live Takarazuka been out of the question, but very poor mental health, work-mandated increased screen time, and laaaate EST starts have made it very difficult to partake in livestreams. Like... I missed Tokyo Anastasia and Daimon's mura raku. That bad.

Things have slightly improved on the start time front with a move to the West Coast. I managed both Romeo & Juliette streams so far.

This is................ for me, a very bittersweet production. I'd fully planned to see this live before everything went down. I was looking forward to the hypothetical shinko perhaps more than the real thing. Neither of those panned out... and the casting choices in what we got left me with a number of questions.

But! I don't want to forget how to write. And life without my one and only hobby is stupid. So, let's get back into it.

A quick overall,

Coto can only meet my expectations because they are so high. Wonderful, fantastic, I hope someday she gets to be funny.

Maisora? VERY cute, and A+ costumes in a sea of HMM.

On that note, in addition to the inexplicable LL Bean-inspired vibe, there were some puzzling choices, like B-cast Benvolio (Ayaki) and Mercutio (Amahana) looking so similar I can't imagine how they could be distinguishable to new fans (something I presume a company floundering financially in COVID would very much like to have more of).

I wish I could see the ensemble better. RetJ shows its small theater roots; it's not a great troupe show when you are limited to the camera angles.

That said, BACKGROUND ALL-STARS: Sazanami Reira always and forever, I wish she was DEATH; Asamizu Ryou for noticeably characterizing her Montague (Bloom, apparently!) as a lovable airhead?? despite, you know, everything about her; Minato Rihi for her whole VIBE; Yuunagi Ryou for her B-cast performance cradling her dying best friend, which I swear I'm not only saying because I'm dating her biggest fan; Amaki Homare for not doing anything in particular but at least giving herself hair I could find easily; Amato Kanon and Houma Toa for always doing the MOST back there; and Taiki Hayate for the expressions and the cartwheels.

A VERSUS B!

Tybalt:

If I'd cast this I think I would have just made Aichan the every day Tybalt, because that makes the most sense. Neither was a home run for me (though I'll say I have very high expectations for Tybalt, because the face Teru pulled within 2 seconds of walking onstage in 2010 in the first show I ever watched all the way through is literally the reason I'm a Takarazuka fan). I AGREE with pushing Seo out of her comfort zone, but I think Tybalt was the wrong push (I'd have rather seen Mercutio). Aichan's death had a horniness I wish her Tybalt had more of, but that I think would have eventually come out maybe with less switching.

Benvolio:

I REALLY liked Seo's Benvolio, and I'm only one off the full mark out of respect for Aka-chan, who, to be fair, I think also did a heck of a job. I loved the way Seo styled herself, and she gave me stronger best bro vibes. I just! would have liked! to see Seo Mercutio I think!

Mercutio:

:))))))) y'all I love Shin. The last time I saw Hoshigumi live was the Man from Algiers/Estrellas 2.0 tour, where (having never watched Algiers before) I was SHOCKED by the closing scene and Shin's delivery of it. Despite 2020 feeling 1000 years long, that show feels like four seconds ago... but we're coming up on two years, and Shin has only continued to climb in that time. This is the performance that made me feel like I got my money's worth out of a cast to which I otherwise would have made several changes. Her energy was impeccable, her look was appropriately crazy, her death scene was heartbreaking, and she did it all with the aura of someone who's only like 2/5ths done growing. I can't WAIT to see the rest.

I truly feel so much affection for Ema, but she was not giving me what I needed in this role; it was low energy, and not even by comparison, because her stream was first. I think she would have done Benvolio a lot of justice, or (hear me out!): Love. IMO her vibe is soft in a way where it should be highlighted as her strength rather than challenged out of her.

Paris:

It's not just Shin love (although she was cute AF); I think this was just "well Aka-chan has to go somewhere" casting, because she's too big and earnest as a person for Paris. He needs that foppish, twinky, completely unfounded huge ego vibe.

Death:

I have mixed feelings about this. Because like... Aichan's Death was A LOT, but also kind of a weird choice?? Death is historically for ken 5-9 future stars experimenting with emoting; of course a ken14 nibante who's been through Senka is gonna kill it... I just think she's a resource that should have been permanently relegated to something higher stakes.

My rating is based more on how OVERMUCH Aichan's performance was, than on a dislike of Ema's. I definitely preferred her Death to her Mercutio. She was giving me a WEIRD ENERGY, but whatever the energy was, there was a lot of it, and it was different.

Love:

To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't have cast EITHER of these people as Love. Hoshigumi just IMO has better dancers and/or bigger upcoming stars, and I'd have loved a Love/Death relationship and chemistry that made sense.

Overall, I definitely preferred A cast! Looking forward to seeing them one more time.

[theyarebothgunshot]

not to be a reply guy to your anons againnnnnnn but like. that religion ask rubbed me so the wrong way like you can be actively religious and be gay. and be poly. I understand the ingrained guilt that comes from being raised religious and taught otherwise and doing anything outside that norm but the idea that those two things are non conducive is so eh eh eh. not to mention that not all religious experiences are universal so commenting that someone's perceived queer relationship is unrealistic because of their religion is just a very bad reaction to have out loud

thank you for this letter to the editor (amazing term bles you for coming up with this sfhshfs) i have a few more responds that i will put under a cut.

Anoniem heeft gevraagd: I had a lil response to the religious cockles ask! You definitely don’t have to post this. Sorry if this is out of order! Wanted to start by saying I’m sorry that your religious trauma has resulted in hesitancy and I hope you find your peace! I think religion and sexuality is super tricky but worth remembering that J has a very openly out aunt in his family, (I AM HIS GAY AUNT), so it’s likely that his family are open and accepting of sexuality and it’s spectrum… I grew up in an intensely religious family who, whilst are strict, wholeheartedly believe that Jesus just loves everyone regardless of who they are / what they do. My aunt is gay and married and everyone accepts and loves her in the family and would likely fight anyone who said anything against her. Obviously religion is vastly more complex than this and I completely recognise and appreciate there is still a lot of hate towards LGBTQ+ communities as a result of religious teachings (esp in the south?) but just wanted to offer an alternative perspective that religion doesn’t have to be the stumbling block in finding who you are in terms of sexuality (though this is often the case!) and that lots of people can reconcile religion / religious teachings with their sexuality. So basically I think that J’s family seem like the family to just love regardless, and that they would likely accept whatever he did/whoever he was! But I am very possibly projecting here as I really know nothing about their belief systems! ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anonymous 29 jun. · 10 hours ago Anoniem heeft gevraagd: I think it's also important to remember that while yes, jensen was raised in a conservative christian household, he still had a pretty normal and mainstream childhood from what I can tell. it's not like he was raised mormon or in one of these super-religious families that home-school their children, don't allow women to work/go to college, refuse to celebrate halloween/christmas/easter because they're too pagan etc. he went to normal public schools, presumably came into contact with a variety of different people and view points there (even though this apparently did seem to bother his parents a little - jensen talked in the mike rosenbaum podcast about how he was the troublesome, difficult child in his parents' eyes because he was so "socially promiscous" compared to his siblings, among other things) and by the time he was a teenager he apparently stood up for a kid who was getting bullied for being gay, according to someone who went to school with him. I mean, this is texas in the mid 90s we're talking about here, so for jensen to defend a bullied gay kid back then shows he was comparatively open-minded and free-spirited already by the time he was a teenager (which is quite remarkable imo considering the various circumstances). like not to downplay any issues jensen might have had because of his religious upbringing, but I just don't think he had as much "brainwashing" to overcome as other people when it comes to acceptance of LGBT people in general or even self-acceptance (though that does seem to have been a little harder). and he was already on his way to overcoming these things as a teenager/young man (being a theater kid even though he was called slurs for it, defending bullied gay kids... ty vaughn...) ---- I definitely remember seeing gifs of jared attacking misha after the hitch panel somewhere too, but I had totally forgotten about that. it was jensen, jared, misha and various other people walking backstage fron what I can recall. damn. many thoughts now. - 🔍

[insane-mane]

As a long time Toy Story/Buzz Lightyear of Star Command fan, it was pretty shocking to hear Lightyear get announced, and I have some thoughts. Apologies in advance for the incoming rant.

On one hand, the Buzz Lightyear mythos is so interesting and has a plethora of ideas you can make a movie/show about, we’ve seen it done before and it was really entertaining! I like the idea of expanding on Buzz as an actual character, the “real person” that the toy THOUGHT he was. On the other, I feel as though it’s really just Disney capitalizing on an old familiar character in a way to not only save themselves the trouble of making something original, but ensuring they get a fuckload of money in the process. I don’t trust Disney at all anymore, and the fact they’re doing something like this with a character I’ve loved since I was able to walk just makes me anxious.

It also just feels like a slap in the face to the cartoon. The creators put a lot of their own thought and creativity into the show that made it stand out, you could almost see this playing in the background in Andy’s room. But because John Lasseter didn’t like it, somehow it wasn’t worth paying attention to. So much so it’s not even on Disney+, which is still such bullshit to me. I get that they probably want to try to make a separate continuity, I just hope they’d show some love to what came before and try going for what they did.

As for Chris Evans as the voice, I’m not sure how to feel about that either. Tim Allen, as much of a bland, conservative comedian he is, he still is the definitive Buzz. I honestly personally prefer Patrick Warburton, but without Tim a part of Buzz’s characterization wouldn’t be the way it is today. But with his more....questionable antics, I see why they wouldn’t work with him? It just feels weird they’re replacing him at this point, but I guess if he’s also younger in the movie, it makes sense. Chris doesn’t sound like Tim, but hey neither did Warburton. He’s also by no means a bad actor, but I guess I’m just tired of seeing him in everything. He’s not on Tom Cruise levels thank god, but him being in every major movie is gonna make him feel that way (imo). I’d like to see Evans in action before making a huge judgement call of course.

All in all, I WANT this to be good. 5 year old me would jump out a window in excitement if he heard there was going to be another Buzz Lightyear movie! But with all the issues I listed above, idk, it’s just gonna be a weird experience til I see more of it.

Also if “To Infinity and Beyond” is only uttered once right before the end title card, I’m gonna set the theater on fire

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #343

“i slither like a viper and get you by the neck  /  i know a thousand ways to help you forget about her”

What's your favorite kind of bear? I don't really know. I just like bears. Have you ever sent a FWD because you were afraid? Ha, yup, as a little kid. Would you ever date more than one person at a time? Nooooo sir. Have you ever rebounded... or been someone's rebound? No. What’s the biggest argument you’ve ever had with a family member? Did things ever go back to how they were beforehand? My grandmother cursed me the fuuuuck out one night as a kid because I was in a mood and didn't tell my mother goodnight. I still remember being called an ungrateful bitch with her like an inch from my face, and admittedly, I was being rude because I wanted to go home, but it kinda scarred me for life. For the remainder of her life, I was always sort of on edge around her and was convinced she didn't like me. Have you ever experienced some kind of natural disaster? I've been through lots of hurricanes. None that massively affected my life, though. If you have pets, do you feed them human food or do they just get regular pet food? If they do get human food, what’s their favorite thing to have? Venus is a snake, so she obviously doesn't get food meant for humans. Roman is very well-trained to not beg or make a move for people's food; he tried once as a kitten, and giving him a pop taught him right away. Have you ever been in a physical fight? Who won? No. What’s the mode of transport that you take or use the most? The car. Mom's, specifically. Have you ever had a zoo keeper experience or anything where you’ve been able to go behind the scenes and look after/feed the animals? No, but I wish. :( Would you ever want the responsibility of being a politician or a similar position of power? NOOOOOOO. What’s something your parents do that really annoys you? Mom is *always* right, pretty much indisputably. And she WILL have the last word. Dad, meanwhile, can be pretty rude to people. I don't think he realizes it half the time, but still. It's not an excuse. What is your main source of anxiety? Social interactions. What’s your favorite 90s cartoon? Pokemon. Describe the moment you realized you were falling in love with someone. I'd rather not. What’s your favorite sparkling water brand/flavor? I've never tried sparkling water. What’s your favorite makeup brand/brands? I don't have a favorite, considering I don't wear it nearly enough and have never even bought my own. I just use whatever Mom buys. What are some female names you would name a baby? Alessandra is my favorite for sure. I also love Anneliese, Justine, Evelyn, Chloe, Evangeline, Quinn... There's a lot. What about male? Severin is my favorite, and I also like Damien, Vincent, Victor, and Luther. Do you have any subscription boxes? No. What fictional creature would you like as a pet? I want a dragon, goddammit. Idc if it can breathe fire ok I want a dragon. Ewoks are also the one and only thing I enjoy from Star Wars. What kind of dwelling do you live in? Just a one-story house. Is there anyone you work with that you don't get along with? Why? N/A Do you have an opinion on adopting/purchasing a pet? PLEASE adopt, especially with cats and dogs, given the number of strays. Purebreds tend to have so many underlying issues, and besides, it's just a LOT of money for an animal that probably wouldn't outlive a mutt. Don't feed the machine if you can. What's your favorite chain restaurant? The Cheesecake Factory or Olive Garden. Why were you last pulled over? I’ve never been pulled over before. What was the last thing you've done on the water? Just kinda swam around a bit in the ocean. It was so warm, totally like a bath. I do NOT miss that sun poisoning, though. Are you cool with swimming in a lake? I think I'd do it if someone invited me to, and the lake didn't look filthy, of course. Do you have a drone? No. What's your favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurant? We have this tiny, local Mexican place that's really good. I don't know the name of it, and I wouldn't share it for obvious reasons. What do you order from there? Chips and salsa of course, along with a shrimp and cheese quesadilla, and finally their cheesy rice. What's your favorite ice-cream flavor? Depending on my mood, it bounces between vanilla with chocolate syrup or just plain chocolate. Do you have any t-shirts from any local businesses? No. Do you listen to any talk shows or podcasts? I used to listen to Mark, Bob, and Wade's podcast, but I'm like... ten months behind, haha. What's something someone calls you that you find endearing? I like "love" a lot. What's your favorite children's book? I loved books like The Rainbow Fish, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Stellaluna, 10 Minutes 'til Midnight, What Makes a Rainbow?, Chrysanthemum, etc. Is there a new season for a series you're excited to come out? Meerkat Manor comes back this summer, and I am fucking HYPED. How old are you? I'm 25. What is something unique you enjoy about the one you like/love? I tease her about it all the time, but it's really cute that she keeps all of her snakes' good sheds in her room. Proud reptile mom. Are you more liberal or conservative? I'm close to the middle, but I lean towards being more liberal, and I seem to go more that way with time. Do you watch American Horror Story? I used to. I saw the entire first season and really liked it, and then I almost finished the second, but I lost interest. The story got a bit stupid imo. I'd be willing to watch other seasons, though. Does your hometown have any urban legends/scary stories? None that I’m aware of. The people there are scary enough. What's the scariest nightmare you remember having? Let's not talk about it. Are you medicated? Uh very. Are there any apps you're addicted to? Nah. Did you have a favorite stuffed animal as a child? It was initially a bunny holding a polka-dotted blanket, then it become a moose I got from Cabela's when in Ohio. Do you still collect stuffed animals? Only meerkat ones. Have you ever stolen/borrowed clothes from an ex? Haha I've worn Jason's pj pants before and they just kinda... became mine, lol. What's the last movie you watched at home? The Shining, I believe. What's the last movie you watched in theaters? The CGI remake of The Lion King. I still don't get why it was received so badly. Have you ever had eggs cooked over a campfire? I don't think so, no. If you do drink, what's your favorite alcoholic beverage? Margaritas, generally. However, Sara's dad made me this absofuckinglutely incredible chocolate drink before that tasted like a milkshake. It had like, no alcohol flavor, which worked out well for me considering I very much dislike that taste. Are there any songs you've been listening to repetitively lately? There's a new one every day lately, haha. Today it's Halocene's cover of "Love Bites (So Do I)." Cereal, granola, or oatmeal? Cereal. What TV shows did you grow up watching? You gotta gimme an age group... but I'd say the typical stuff for kids of that time. What does your phone case look like? It's just a boring purple that came with it. What were your favorite toys to play with as a child? I looooved playing with my "family" of a father crocodile, a mother deer, their two "children" (a fawn and smaller croc), and "friends" that were little Pokemon figurines. Then there was an evil t-rex with two stupid sidekicks, haha. I can't remember what dinosaurs they were. What's the most embarrassing thing you can ever remember doing? Hold on, lemme find my book. Do you remember what you dreamt about last night? I only very faintly recall dreaming about my cat Roman. Have you ever done anything embarrassing in a dream? Thank FUCK they're just dreams. Do you vape? Nah. What was a song you loved as a child? So uh. Apparently. I loved "Dookie" by Green Day. It's an undying story from Mom about how it came on once at a putt-putt place and I apparently started yelling "dookie!" and dancing. Do you enjoy the Arctic Monkeys? Yeah, I love some of their songs. Are you going to see Finding Dory? You bet your sweet ass I saw it. I've cried everytime I've watched it. Have you ever been horseback-riding? I have not, but I would love to. When was your last piercing? Whenever I got my tragus done, which I can't remember. What did your first crush look like? I don't remember my puppydog love first crush, but I can talk about my first REAL crush, Sebastian. He's a skinny dude with short, brown hair and a lip piercing... I can't remember which kind. He dressed in an emo style, and Facebook pictures at least suggest he still kind of does, I think. Is your body more curvy or flat? Well, I'm not at all skinny, so... What's your least favorite holiday? Probably Christopher Colombus Day, honestly. You didn't discover shit. Don't pretend to me it's worth celebrating in a clean conscience. if you’re having a boring day what do you usually do? If I'm rock-bottom bored, quite honestly, I normally nap, even though I know I shouldn't. Do you turn to food when you're upset? Ugh, I'm admittedly an emotional eater. I got way better about it, and then I started up again. Is your bf/gf good with your parents? I don't have an s/o. Do you think soda should be served at school? Vending machines are fine I suppose, as I don't believe they should be free seeing as they're nothing but sugar content, and I feel schools shouldn't just hand that out to kids at lunch or something. Do dogs have feelings? They sure do. Are you afraid of snakes? Oh no! I adore them. I respect snakes and am going to give wild ones their space for sure considering I don't recognize every native venomous one, but nevertheless, I'm not afraid of them. They are so vital to the ecosystem and are incredibly fascinating animals that deserve our protection. On that note, PLEASE do not kill any snake you come across in your shed or whatever. Call someone to relocate the terrified thing. Favorite snack? It depends on what I'm in the mood for, really. Ever seen The Notebook? Read the book, seen the movie plenty of times. Do you think cussing is trashy? No. Who is the most famous person you’ve met, if any? Nobody. Do you own any animals that aren’t domestic? No. Have you ever feared that you would lose a body part? No. Do you like gore? Yeah, generally. Do you like to drink water? Ugh, I really don't. I wish I did. Have you ever had a wax? I used to get my eyebrows waxed. Do you have any sets of matching bras and underwear? No. Are you any good at improv? Not at ALL.

[autisticstarseed]

👐 Hand washing guide when you have sensory issues 👐

tbh. we shouldve been talking abt this a long time ago for many disabled ppls sake but ive put this post off for like a million years out of pure solidified fear of ableist harassment/kneejerk ignorance and also generalized cringe idiots but now that we got so much covid-19 fear and autistic ppl actually tend to have weaker immune systems than most people lets jump the shark;;;

i have autism and i physically struggle with washing my hands as often as i want to, having wet hands, drying them, the temperature difference, bad soap smells/textures, etc. are all genuinely painful. the good news is that ive dealt with water aversion shit since birth (its a common sensory issue), so ive had time to figure out alternatives and coping skills that still help reduce risk of disease and spreading it in ways that i can personally manage. (ie. not lazy or selfish or gross. genuinely putting more effort into this every day task than most other people would even think about. just disability lads) so heres the guide i have to offer if you’re in a similar boat, with some keypoints about hand hygiene and tips addressing the most common sensory struggles ive noticed with it;;;

1. hand sanitizer

i love hand sanitizer, i can get it in almost any scent i want and it dries down very very fast. the problem is; hand washing and hand sanitizer do different things. it only kills certain types of germs. which is all fine and dandy, but because of this, using only hand sanitizer wont actually keep you from catching or spreading many illnesses. so what its good for is times you cant wash your hands (out in public, sensory overload, no spoons, etc), thats fine, but it should not replace all hand washing if at all possible. it is supposedly effective to covid-19, but so little is currently known that it should not be considered your go to for this, and the only unanimous statement straight from the CDC is that hand washing works best at preventing its spread.

temperature - if you have trouble with it being too cold, conveniently keeping it in your pocket or closely against your body in some way warms it up and makes it much more comfortable. 

scent - they come in almost any scent you can imagine, but if you have trouble with strong scents, there are ‘scentless hand sanitizers’. they usually have a faint chemical smell, so if there are any testers available, you should check to make sure it can work for you before you buy it.

texture - if gel doesnt cut it, they also make foamy hand sanitizers and liquid sprays, but theyre harder to find and might be a little more pricey.

and remember; always buy hand sanitizer that says it contains AT LEAST 60% alcohol, the higher alcohol content the better, but try to keep track of how high it is and how much you apply it so you dont dry your skin out. and right now price gouging is pretty bad, so dont be surprised if you cant find any for a while, and dont buy any small bottle that costs over a couple dollars, its a rip off.

2. hand washing 

so what does hand washing do thats better than sanitizer??? soap and water lift up the dirt and oils that are carrying the germs and actually wash them off, and not only that, it also gets rid of all the things sanitizer cant, such as dust/dirt, spores, chemicals, and the previously mentioned viruses that are harder to kill. ik to an outside perspective it might not seem that hard, but obviously when you have autism and these tasks are split down into bigger ordeals and sensory nightmares, it can feel impossible. 

soap - there are so many different kinds of soap! scentless soaps exist, and they very rarely have any lingering chemical smell! theres also soap for sensitive skin, and baby soap also works well for that issue. bar soaps can come in all different shapes and sizes, with many different ingredients and additives to choose from (independent soap makers are an amazing source for customized soap btw), and liquid soaps can be pure gel, frothy, mousse-y or even have tiny exfoliating or moisturizing beads in them if thats a sensory experience you enjoy. this is my number one rec for people struggling with hand washing bc of sensory issues;;; mix up the soap. finding one that gives you an okay or even a GOOD sensory experience can completely turn around an otherwise meltdown inducing task

temperature - this is the one thats always been hardest for me. cold water straight up hurts me, and our plumbing is Terrible, so the trick i have for slow pipes is to run the hot water on high as Soon as i get into the bathroom. leave it going and by the time you’re done there should be at least lukewarm water. if this still takes too long for you, try out the various sinks in your house, usually one is able to get hot water faster than the rest (for me its the kitchen sink) and that can become a designated station for you if need be.

texture - some ppl just hate water. if thats the case, it rly doesnt change much abt the process if you use less water, ie work the soap into a lather, and then only use as much as you need to rinse it off. you dont have to keep your hands under the whole time, the soap clings to the dirt, the water takes it off all together, as long as you scrub well and rinse till you see no suds, you’re good 

If it really comes down to it, a washcloth with water+soap, a disinfecting wipe, or even literally just a rinse with plain ol water is better than nothing, but the stream of water and act of rubbing the soap in is the most effective combo against disease. soap/disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizers are your second best option. if theres a time in your life where an issue is so disabling for you that you truly cant keep any of this up, rly the most important thing is to limit your direct physical contact with your face and commonly used objects as MUCH as possible until you can figure smth out. (you kno those old ladies that grab a wipe and open the doorknob with it between their hand and the knob? become that old lady) and if push comes to shove, if a safe and accepting therapy setting is something accessible to you, hygiene struggles are actually something many mental health professionals understand Very well and can help you cope with personally and directly, without shame.

3. hand drying

this is also. my personal hell. and what most people say is the hardest part of the sensory experience. but ya cant just walk around with wet hands right

towels - the obvious choice for most, but to me they actually dont dry enough. i always end up damp and with lint stuck to me. this kills the man. but hand towels do have some variety to them, you can find em with really long fibers or really short/flat, really fuzzy or really stiff, etc. sounds silly but its smth a lot of ppl dont think about that can change a lot. you can also try super absorbent towels (yes like a shamwow), and again baby bath towels are also an option if you want something gentle.

paper towels - yeah a little more wasteful and expensive, but imo much more absorbent. theyre also pretty thin so you can get between your fingers (MY BANE), and under your nails if you use a corner. 10/10

blow drying - ik this is the kind of shit you only see in like movie theaters and malls and they are definitely LOUD AS SHIT, but if you happen to have the money, and struggle more with Textures than Noise, ie a stream of warm air seems worth the sound, you Can actually find a small basic one of these items for your own home. 

4. public restrooms

everybody hates em!!! but you can make em more tolerable;;;

soap - bring your own! little travel soaps you can keep in your bag are a godsend for ppl with sensory issues, sensitive skin/allergies, and if you just prefer not sharing soap.

temperature - most public places i notice actually do get hot water pretty fast (like,,, too fast,,, like,,, it bur ns me) so if there are no faucets and its too hot or too cold, once again you can try different sinks and one might be more comfortable. if there are faucets i recommend grabbing a paper towel to turn it off, so you dont have to touch it again with your clean hands.

sound - WHY R AUTOMTIC FLUSH TOILETS SO FUCKEN LOUDD..... honestly if you have noise cancelling earmuffs or earplugs or w/e pop em in. if you dont have any of that i just literally plug my ears with my fingers when i stand up. if you struggle with the sound of the blow dryers, they almost always have paper towels as well, but its a great idea to carry something like that around in your bag with you just in case. if its really packed and people chattering is getting to you, sometimes the ‘family’ bathrooms are actually smaller and less full. if its bad enough and you feel comfortable asking, an employee might be able to direct you to a single stall bathroom or at least a different one than that.

and though its convenient, try not to use your sleeve to touch things like doorknobs, toilet handles, etc. instead use something disposable like a paper towel or wipe, bc the germs will simply transfer to your sleeve and still risk infecting you. 

5. schedule

the number one suggestion is to wash your hands literally as often as possible during a time like this but like. even for allistic/nt/abled/ ppl thats just not always an attainable schedule so the Best times to wash your hands are;;;

after using the bathroom - the most important time and generally the easiest to get used to. its smth you have to do multiple times a day that already has a schedule, and if you were to forget or go into sensory overload its usually immediately accessible as soon as you can. as i mentioned earlier, if you need help remembering, you can turn the water on when you first get in and leave it going.

the doctors - ANY KIND of health facility should be avoided right now unless really necessary, places where sick people would frequent is the quickest way to get sick but like. ya rly cant help it sometimes right. you cant stop dealing with your own illnesses just bc theres another one floating around. so, this is time to go apeshit on the handwashing. if your health issue involves coughing and sneezing, ask for a face mask. bring a scarf in case they dont have any, its not as great but better than nothing. otherwise, you honestly dont need it, face masks are more for these people bc they keep germs in better than out. whether you’re worried abt getting sick or infecting others, this is a time to use hand sanitizer, avoid physical contact like shaking hands [autistic cheering], and when you first arrive and right before you go to leave are the most important times to remember to wash your hands. 

preparing food - not as commonly spoken about, but also easy to work into a schedule. i personally dont care unless its food for somebody else or if im going to be putting my hands on it a lot, but if thats the case, a lot of the time thats produce you already want to wash in the sink, so you can kill two birds with one stone there. dont just get the germs off your own hands, get em off the fruits and veggies before you eat em. carpool

after grocery shopping - not very common. most ppl just slap some sanitizer/a wipe on there or dont think abt it at all, but if you just got home from walmart thats a great time to wash. you just touched a bunch of items other people touched, including the cart, money/credit cards, and all the products people will pick up and put back, so its prime germ time babey. But again, sanitizer or a wipe will help if its all you can manage after a trip out like that.

before self care - also uncommon. ppl always say ‘dont touch your face’ and ‘apply this product with clean hands’, and what they mean is that one of the fastest ways germs get into your system is through your mouth, nose, eyes and ears. if you’re simply washing your face theres not as much concern, but applying a mask, moisturizer, makeup, etc. should all be done after a gentle rinse of your hands (and face). very hard to get into the schedule of, but if you consider it a Part of your ‘self care’ or use a special fun cleanser, it can stick a little easier.

6. stim items

STIM ITEMS!! if you have stim items, its a good idea to clean them regularly, but even moreso during an outbreak like this.

rubber/plastic - if it goes in your mouth, hot water (not hot enough to melt!) and dish soap, if it doesnt, look up how to safely make a diluted bleach solution.

silicone - silicone is usually dish washer safe.

fabric - if its light, add bleach to the washing machine, if its colored, you can use white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide which are less likely to discolor any dyes. lysol detergent is also super great. small items you’re worried about losing, or items with details/loose parts, you can usually wash inside of a sealed pillow case. 

‘squishies’ - for ‘mochi’ squishies aka the rubbery ones, soap and water + some dusted baby powder or corn starch (optional) to keep it from grabbing lint for a while. for foam squishies, they can rarely be deep cleaned without the risk of growing mold or taking paint off, but a disinfecting wipe every now and then should keep it clean for a while.

slime - cant be disinfected, sorry. also a breeding ground for mold if you arent careful, so its always best to cycle through these quickly.

technology - cant really be completely sterilized, but there are many places to get sprays and cleaning wipes for the devices you use that can at least keep the areas your hands frequently touch a little cleaner.

BUT of course if your item comes with instructions on how to wash it, always follow that instead. this is just a general idea.

and as a final note;;; disabled ppl should not feel guilty or dirty for struggling with this. like. man idc abt ur cringe feels or your ignorant blame or your lack of understanding/sympathy for what goes into these tasks for us. if u dont wanna get our struggles and sensitivities when we’re working twice as hard on functioning tasks which personal ease you take for granted, thats on you. @ disabled people if you struggle with maintaining the same standard of hygiene as nts you arent gross or bad fucking person, you’re disabled and by definition that means your level of functioning will be different, and you deserve sympathy. its just that germs dont discriminate, they wanna cause problems for everybody involved (especially you!!!), so Anything you can manage is Great and if anything from this post can help make it a little easier for people in any way, i feel its absolutely necessary to talk about with respect and dignity. people with autism/adhd/sensory processing disorder/similar neurodivergencies/literally anybody else this could benefit, pls feel free to add on any tips you might have or send me questions. let disabled ppl help disabled ppl do our personal bests

[medschoolash]

Now that i’ve seen the end and had a chance to really marinate on the saga as a whole I don’t think I was ever the type of Star Wars fan who would be satisfied with what most people view as the main draw to star wars. So I don’t think Star Wars was ever truly for someone like me.

I was never that hard into the OT.  I’ve seen them all and I enjoy the films but they don’t really deeply resonate with me. I don’t know if it’s because I wasn’t born when they were created or if it’s because they just weren’t made with a fan like me in mind but the OT isn’t some reverent untouchable piece of fiction for me. I more so connected with characters vs that actual film. I adored Luke and Leia, I adored the concept of a fierce princess and rebellion leader and these two siblings connected by so much tragedy and love. That’s the lasting legacy of the OT for me. 

I’m actually one of those Star Wars fans who adore the prequel films more than the OT. I only watched because I had a crush on Hayden Christensen and it was star wars so how could I not watch and I really really loved those films. I loved Padme, I found Anakin so compelling because I already knew how his story ended but watching how he got there was a good movie experience for me. I adored the themes of Love, fear, friendship, and the exploration of the force. One of my favorite things about the prequels was how it toyed with the idea that the ideas of Jedi are not infallible and pure ideas and how their ideology can create a monster just as much as the ideology of the sith even if it’s in a completely different way. It was compelling to watch Anakin struggle with his love for Padme that is forbidden by the Jedi and how that ban on attachment is what ultimately started to push Anakin over to the dark side because what human being truly wants to live with no love, no real relationships? I loved the politics of the prequels which entertained me for more than the daily adventures of the OT and the prequels. The political landscape in the galaxy and how it allowed someone like the emperor to rise to power was so compelling. It was also so compelling to watch these powerful Jedi be completely powerless to stop these political machinations. I love that Padme was a fierce leader and that she was one of the most sensible and powerful people in the prequel trilogy despite having no force sensitivity. Her love for Anakin was so strong just like her love for her people. She’s literally only a young woman in the films but she can see the democracy they have established crumbling in front of her and she’s one of the few who has the guts to acknowledge it. She believed in the love of her life but even when he turned down a path she didn’t agree with she held strong to her morals. That took so much strength when you see all you’ve worked for crumbling to the ground and the man you love falling apart along with it and he’s not even just the man that you love he’s literally your husband and the father of your unborn children. It was painful to watch but Padme knew what she stood for and not even Anakin could change that. 

Those are the themes and nuances I loved about star wars. Not the fun battles and action scenes, the endless adventures, the cool displays of the forces. I got sucked in by the themes of the force, not the power, by the character dynamics, and the themes that were explored through those dynamics. I liked the OT trio because of the themes of friendship and love and how they all are different from each other but fit, not because I like seeing three cool characters go off on adventures together to defeat the bad guys. I guess for me Star Wars was never just about fun action-packed adventure even if that aspect was enjoyable to see on screen. Without the character relationships and depth, without the exploration of relatable themes that weave together into a narrative beautifully and in a compelling way these films are just shallow spectacles. 

When the Sequal trilogy was announced I wasn’t immediately deeply excited about it. I didn’t even see the force awakens in theaters. I watched it months later when I was bored one day and I’m glad I did because what I saw was so interesting and exciting and it inspired me to really get into a whole new generation of Star Wars film. A modernized Star Wars sounded amazing and the prospects after TFA seemed endless. But even with the ST what drew me wasn’t what drew a lot of people. I didn’t really care about seeing Luke, Leia, and Han again just for the thrill of seeing them. I cared about being able to see the original heros because they were weaved into a story where they have a fallen son, a fallen son who just so happened to be the most interesting new character in the films. Kylo Ren/Ben Solo was such a mystery when he first came on screen and then he proceeded to be the only character really explored on a deeper psychological level in the film which made him the most compelling as well. I was so shocked when it was revealed he was Han and Leia’s son but I loved the reveal because of the themes it explored. How the weight of legacy is contemplated, how the failures of parenting are explored, how relentless love for a child is demonstrated. My favorite theme was also how failure was introduced. How the Jedi were not a myth that some people barely even believed truly existed, how all that the original heroes worked for somehow crumbled and even took one of their own with it. That was interesting to me, that was the thing that made me want to see more. 

And then there was Rey, this nobody from nowhere who had all this power and years worth of baggage due to abandonment and isolation. Using her to explore another side of family, the theme of absent family and absent purpose and legacy directly contrasted with the way family, legacy, and purpose were explored with Kylo and it made for such a rich narrative which is why the idea of them coming together, the idea of them being the missing piece of the puzzle for each other made so much sense and felt so compelling. 

Even with Finn, we got an interesting perspective of someone who was conditioned to be in the FO from birth and someone managed to break free to live on their own. I loved how they explored how you don’t really have your own identity after an experience like that so you latch on to the only things you know like fear and self-preservation. It was a perspective that was new and fresh for star wars. After TFA everything felt new and fresh and inspiring. 

Then TLJ happened and it did so many good things on a narrative level that the entire scope of Star Wars was expanded in new and interesting ways. The way it truly explored the failures of the Jedi. The way it showed a broken hero grappling with his biggest failures and feelings powerless to fix then so only shame and guilt exist. The way it explored the idea that the people we love are never really gone and love can bring even the most broken of us back. The way is even dissected the black and white dichotomy and suggested that the true solution was something in between. The way it explored how two completely different people from two completely backgrounds can both feel alone and connect with each other. The way is pretty much shot down the idea that a hero is only bravado and brash behavior, and charm mixed with the desire to do good but true heroes are those who make sacrifices, those who listen, those who think bigger picture instead of small victories. I love the idea that heroes aren’t just a great speech with an improbable plan but the heart to make people believe in it, but instead, they can be mild-tempered women who are short on encouraging speech but are big on plans that will save them all,  people who know that doing the obvious and taking a big risk isn’t always what counts as heroics. 

TLJ also even expanded the mythology of the force in a way that made it more than just a cool supernatural thing to talk about with friends. I loved how the force was once again talked about as a thing that can exist in all living people. How it gave the force space to exist outside of the skywalkers and any huge legacy at all. I mean that moment where the little slave child is shown to be force sensitive was such an amazing moment because it made you dream of all the other people out there who might be the same, the other nobodies and forgotten people like Rey who hold this great power that can save the galaxy. It made the legacy of our favorite original heroes and characters so much bigger than was it was before, so much more meaningful and it was exciting and fresh and new and IMO paid homage to the themes and concepts that George Lucas originally established in an amazing way. 

But quickly I learned that this wasn’t what a lot of Star Wars fans wanted to see or cared about. They wanted more action, not family names, more force powers, more badass moments from their favorite old characters, more shallow evil villains, more boom bang, more trio adventures just for the sake of having adventures and TROS has really highlighted this because most of the people who say they enjoyed it only say ���it was so fun!” “it was so cool to see X old character!” “the trio got to go on adventures!” “the good guys won!” “The Jedi was right!” “wow, this person was related to this person!” . None of the stuff that seemed to matter to a fan like me even registered for a lot of people and none of the creators seemed to care about making it matter. I didn’t come for the action, I didn’t come for nostalgia, I didn’t come for adventure, I didn’t come to hear old last names, and see old faces. I came for characters and themes, and relationship dynamics, and exploration of belief systems and people how they fail or succeed, I came to see the force finally explained for what it truly is instead of having it confined to bloodlines. I came to see how a new generation of people, some with a great family legacy before then and some with no legacy at all can come together build a new legacy and a new world for themselves and the galaxy out of the ashes of all that came before them and I feel like with the final film I’ve finally realized that what I came for was never what this was meant to be and that realization is both freeing and disheartening. 

[costumersupportdept]

It probably varies from person to person, but would you say it's worth it to go to school/grad school for technical theatre or would it be enough to get experience at community theatres/find an internship and go for it?

It really depends on what you want to do and how good your pre-existing network is. I wanted to teach, so I sort of needed the MFA, especially if I want to be faculty somewhere someday. 

If you’re a good student/you like “school” and all that comes with it, I would think it would probably be worth you going to college at a place that has a good reputation for technical theater, but my caveat would be that IMO, you should NOT go to a conservatory school. I was at grad school with conservatory-type undergrads, and they were literally the worst-rounded folks I’ve ever run into at a university. There’s something about having to be able to write and debate literature and know how biology works at a college level that will always come back to help you ESPECIALLY in technical theater-if you’re doing props you’ll have a basic idea of different science flasks, if you’re doing electrics you’ll have run into literary descriptions of different lighting and had to think about them, if you’re in costumes, good god, history classes are literally half the backbone of what we do. 

If you’re not a “studenty” person, I think the internship/apprenticeship route might be the way to go, but be aware that since folks are so primed to think of college as the font of all knowledge, you may have a harder time getting in/finding one. I would also say that unless you live somewhere with just exceptional community theater, I would aim a little higher-I would try for the internship with a bigger place to learn, as opposed to the community theater where you might be in charge, but might be making it up as you go (which, to be fair, we all do on some level, but usually with some previous experience behind it) 

I know PCPA in CA does some actual apprenticeship type programs, and the IATSE union (although sometimes hard to break into) does a fair number in some cities, but in others may just put you on the list as a box pusher for load in/load outs and let you sort of work your way up (if you’re in a city that doesn’t have a formal IATSE hierarchy like NYC or LA, you’ll have a chance to meet and talk to a lot of folks-TALK TO THE PEOPLE DOING WHAT YOU WANT TO DO-make sure you know the riggers if you want to rig, or the sound folks if you want to do sound, and if you show up on time and work reasonably cheerfully, you’ll start getting asked if you want to help with other more specific non-box pushing stuff) 

As far as grad school, there are a lot of opinions. The one I give most often is to actually go DO what you want to do before you do grad school. If you’re a costumer, go work as a stitcher/shopper/assistant for 1-2 years before you commit to grad school, because not only does it look better, but you start to learn where your focus really is and lets you “specialize” better if you want to. Also, keep in mind that while MFAs are becoming more and more required to work in academia, and more and more common in higher level theaters, they’re not yet a formal requirement to work a lot of places, and a lot of places also try to promote from within, so at this point with enough experience you still can (at this point) work your way up to TD or ME someday even if you come from being Joe Screw Turner on the floor. 

[elcorhamletlive]

This might be coming out of left field but I've been meaning to ask you just because I freaking LOVE the spiderverse movie and it looks like you do, too! I want to know who were your fave characters? And moments? Like, which made you cry and which made you laugh? Wow moments and unexpected moments?Also the soundtrack was bomb so any songs sticked to you after the movie? *phew* glad I got that off my chest the movie is just so beautiful asdfghjkl that animation is so top notch!!!

ANON!!!!!! I am SO SORRY for how long it took me to get to this, but Ithought it was such an amazing question and I wanted to take the time to sitdown and write it, and lately all my significant free time is spentwriting/rewatching the MCU. 

I was so glad to receive this though, because I fucking LOVESpiderverse. I think it was the best movie of 2018 - not just the best animatedmovie, the best superhero movie, but the best movie of the year, period. I’veseen it about three or four times, and each time it just continuosly amazes meall over again.

And there’s SO MUCH to praise this movie for. The art style, which isabsolutely fantastic - it’s such a GORGEOUS movie, the type of movie that’sworth going to the theaters to experience in the most complete way possible.It’s so colorful, the characters’ expressions are so good, and Miles’ New Yorkis just so full of LIFE, bursting at every single shot. It’s a movie thatembraces animation in its fullest, and embraces everything that an animatedmovie can be as opposed to the current trend of just trying to make the styleas realistic as possible.

I think this movie just has so many characters that are a delight towatch. Miles is a shining star, his personality shines through in his everymovement, his struggles are honest and relatable, and, despise this moviehaving so many different spidersonas, it never looses track of the fact thatit’s MILES’ movie and MILES’ story. He’s such a good. I also fell in love withGwen, her voice acting, her entire design and just overall vibe. Everythingabout her was so cool, and I loved the fighting style they gave her, how it wassomething unique to set her apart. And I also need to mention Spider-man Noir,because he was just responsible for the funniest moments of the movie, imo, andI need a cross-over fic with him and Steve fighting nazis together.

But if I were to pick just one character to single out, it would have tobe Peter B. Parker. I feel like they couldn’t have done something better withthe character. The whole sequence of his life, his divorce, his cynicalbehaviour… I loved it all. The end, where he’s so READY to lay his life forthe others, and Miles is the one who calls him out and tells him to go home.How actually scared of going home he is. Like many people, I just related tohim so hard, and it was wonderful to watch him.

There are SO MANY moments that are just fantastic, so many that made melaugh out loud, so many that gave me chills, it’s hard to pick a single one.Let me list a bunch.

 “play dumb”/”who’s morales?”/”not thatdumb”

Miles and Aaron graffiting the wall, and then Miles just casually batting away the radioactive spider.

The entire sequence of Peter Parker’s death and the town’s reaction, with Scared of the Dark playing in the background. Everything about this sequence is pure perfection. I cry every time when Stan Lee appears, and, yeah, part of it is the context of his death, but when he says “we were friends, you know” about Peter, and when Miles asks what if the costume doesn’t fit, and “it always fits… eventually”. Mary Jane’s speech and the people in the crowd wearing spider-man masks. Just typing it is giving me chills.

Miles climbing the stairs, looking down at the top of the building and the cut to a shot of him going down the stairs.

When the cop sees Miles swinging with Peter B. and says he’s going away with the body of a homeless guy.

Peter B. cutting Miles off when he starts the “with great power comes…” quote.

The scene with the Kingpin clicking the pen and the flashes of his backstory. How they’re drawn differently. I love it.

Peter B. yelling at Miles to stop listening to him.

Gwen’s arrival at the battle with Ock (and her haircut!!).

Noir’s arrival and Peter B. asking “where is this wind coming from? we’re on a basement”.

“Can you close off your feelings so you don’t get crippled by the moral ambiguity of your violent actions?”

Honestly, I could probably just quote every Noir line here. The peak of Nicolas Cage’s career.

Peter B. running into Mile’s universe’s Mary Jane. “For you they should fill this place with bread”. Cracks me up every time.

GOD, PETER B. CRYING IN THE SHOWER, I HAD FORGOTTEN THAT. “I handled it like a champ!”, and then him being in awe and kind of emotional talking about seahorses. God I love this movie.

Miles saying Peter B. has to go home, Peter B. beeing terrified of going home, and Miles giving him the push he needs.

The entire What’s Up Danger sequence. Best suit up moment of any superhero movie, ever.

The final “let’s start from the beggining” sequence. 

I could probably just keep going. There is so much wonderful stuff in this movie. It truly is a gift, the type of great that’s rare to find. Everything about it just brings me so much joy.