#it was such an extremely ally coded event

[allylikethecat]

while I’ve been loving Duckings and ATKH, I’ve gotta say, your more “realistic” works (related to tour, real-life events that Matty has gone through, etc) shine above the rest. Something about the way to treat Fictional!Matty with such care, even in his lowest moments, is special. My favorite fics are always ones based on true events, and yours are some of the best in this fandom. So this is my humble request for more of that, lol. But thank you for all you do, looking forward to seeing what you put out in the future!

Ahhh thank you so much! I'm so grateful to be a part of this fandom and that people have given my fics a chance and I am so honored to hear that you are enjoying them! Thank you so much for reading Ducklings and ATKH - ATKH in particular is just so special to me and I am so obsessed with it!

In terms of more "realistic" fics that are more inspired by real events - I do have a few more parts of the The Birthday Fic in the works! I'm not sure exactly *how* Matty spent his birthday in 2019 IRL but based on the tour schedule from April 2019, I am making some educated guesses! I'm sure I will end up writing more IRL inspired fics in the future as well!

Thank you so much for reading and for the continued support, I hope you continue to enjoy my fics, realistic and otherwise! I also hope that you are having the VERY BEST weekend! Thank you SO MUCH again!

❤️Ally

[lucky-clover-gazette]

okay i have THOUGHTS about this line

he didn’t have to say that to make his plan work. i mean yeah, being nice to the player definitely earns their favor and future assistance, but he could have just as easily gone the route of gaslighting them into feeling bad and like they caused the problem, eliciting a more shame-based and desperate and less uplifting and righteous kind of reliance. like if volo really hated the player, and was truly cruel, that’s what he would have done. the player would have still gotten the chain and felt indebted to him for the plate hunt, but they also would be miserable and feel lonely and hurt and confused. but volo doesn’t do that, he grounds the player and validates their feelings, which were hurt by the cruel townspeople more than the event volo caused to prompt that cruelty. like truly, it’s only volo’s fault that the player gets banished through the most like simple calculated logic—yes, if he hadn’t caused the rift, they wouldn’t have been banished, or brought here at all. but kamado CHOSE to banish them based on his own paranoia and disdain for outsiders, and the others enabled it by choice. volo didn’t make that happen, just how he didn’t make or even want arceus to get the player involved in the first place.

i don’t think volo hates the player, personally, at all. or at least, i think that he hates them and cares for them just as much as he hates and cares for himself. i know this isn’t groundbreaking volo theorizing material, but he’s absolutely projecting his disdain for society based on his vague past experiences here. he dislikes the outsider because his plan demands it, but he dislikes everyone else because he personally thinks they’re terrible. it’s kinda neat how he “fake” compliments the player’s loyalty to him as a merchant so often, bc i think loyalty is something he actually takes very seriously. and he probably saw how loyal the player was to the galaxy team, and then the way they kicked them out, and was genuinely pissed and hurt on the player’s behalf.

the things he says at the end of the game are said in extreme distress and defeat, and while they are not NOT reflective of his character and motives, i’m shocked by how many pokemon fans regard volo like he’s a nihilistic and amoral sociopath. passion and compassion are behind nearly everything volo does, for better or for worse. they’re behind moments like this, and moments like his ranting at spear pillar. he is a person who constantly grapples to align his personal moral code and lofty ideals, which live in this weird space between the manmade and divine, with the flawed reality of existence. his entire mentality is full of contradictions, because he is a man who thinks he should be god, but in reality could never be a good god, because he is still very much a man. it’s the emotion, idealism, and intellectual curiosity of humanity that drive him, not the impartiality, absolutism, and complacency of an omnipotent all-knowing deity.

so like, with this line. he specifically mentions that the galaxy team has treated the player poorly. not that the galaxy team’s choice was illogical, not that the player just needs to try harder to get them to accept him. he is emphatically rejecting the premise that the player did anything to deserve blame, even though he has no intention to actually explain why this really happened or volunteer himself to take the blame. because ultimately, volo is not the person to blame for the galaxy team’s cruelty, and he knows it. and he also knows that it’s the cruelty that has hurt the player, more than the sky problem itself, because he has been treated like an outsider too. and he can’t DO anything about that. even if he told the truth, the damage has already been done. the player knows how their supposed allies would react in this situation, regardless of the logic or truth. and volo can’t fix that. he does not believe he can make people kinder or the world a better place, which is exactly why he wants so badly to remake it. for himself, bc clearly he’s been through some shit too, for people like the outsider, and for anyone else whose loyalty and dedication have been met with rejection and apathy. which is so deeply tragic and ironic, because by being the only person to care for the player in this moment, he is making the world a better place for them.

volo is, at his core, a hypocrite. he’s like if you put the ingredients for a hero into a blender, but accidentally used the “tragic hypocrite” setting so he came out a janky villain instead. to volo, concepts like loyalty and self-righteousness are driving forces, much moreso than simple black and white morality or consequentialism. this makes him a hypocrite because he believes a perfect world is possible as long as his moral code is strictly followed, and his evil plan is to prove it. but in his efforts to do so, he proves over and over again that a perfect world isn’t possible, and certainly would not be possible under his control.

like, okay—if someone suggested that the means of pain and suffering in the world justified the ends (the world), volo would disagree and claim that arceus is responsible for the pain and suffering, and therefore does not deserve the power to create/rule worlds. but then, following that very same logic, if volo needed to get a random person banished and betrayed in order to create his better world, then those means wouldn’t justify his ends either. which is WHY we see him subconsciously draw a line here, between the things he’s not responsible for (other people being cruel, arceus transporting the player) and the things he is directly responsible for (the way he treats the player in these circumstances, either with derision or support). and wouldn’t you know, in this instance where it truly is up to him what the means are to his ends, he chooses kindness where he could have been cruel. because while arceus sending the hero and the town banishing them weren’t really Volo’s means to Volo’s ends, this conversation sure as hell could be. And he doesn’t want his better world built on a foundation of suffering and pain.

by saying this one line and treating the player as he does here, i think volo accidentally exposes something deeply true and good about himself. this man could say “i’m a villain and i don’t care about the player” and fully believe it, but at the same time demonstrably possess the morals and compassion of a hero, which he uses to actively care for the player. he is a delusional hypocrite, but he’s definitely not heartless. and i just think that’s neat.

alternatively, volo is completely heartless, knows that people are endeared to people who want to protect them, and methodically uses that knowledge here for his convenience. that very well could have been the intention, and it makes sense too—but i personally enjoy entertaining the notion of depth where i see potential for it. so yeah.

[frownyalfred]

Long ramble incoming, so apologies in advance !!!

I know you’re a Batfleck enthusiast (as am I), so I’ve been diving back into some research on him. Since there isn’t a ton of material to fully flesh out his character, I always like hunting for new details. I’ve been a fan of him and BvS for years, but every now and then, I like revisiting things to see if there’s anything I missed or to find new perspectives.

So, I was browsing through Batman Wiki — not the most reliable source, I know, unless we’re talking Reeves-verse — but I came across something in the section about his personality that caught my eye. It said:

“In the 20 years of crime-fighting, Bruce Wayne became a psychologically damaged and almost sociopathic individual. And while Batman had a moral code to never kill, he changed his rules after the world was introduced to Superman in the destructive battle with General Zod in Metropolis…”

Now, here’s what bothered me: they’re saying Bruce broke his no-kill rule because of the Zod/Superman battle, but in my mind, it’s always been that he snapped after Robin’s death — which we later found out was Dick Grayson. That seems way more logical to me. Like, after everything Bruce had been through, losing Dick would’ve been the tipping point that shattered his moral code, and the Zod event just pushed him further into darkness...

What do you think about that?

This is something I've tried to parse both with some previous Batfleck posts and my room full of coral BVS series, so I appreciate you bringing it up! I agree, I've always disliked that the impetus for the Bat "going bad" in BVS is seen as Black Zero. If we're giving Snyder some credit, perhaps it's presented in a way such that Batman is already vulnerable/teetering on the edge of his own code, and the Black Zero pushed him over the edge into full-blown damage.

But yeah, the route I took in my own fic was that Robin's loss (I went with Jason, not knowing Snyder was thinking of Dick) was the start of the end for the Bat's moral code. There's a famous line in BVS, "There's a new kind of mean in him." Multiple characters discuss the new lawlessness the Bat has in encounters with people, but just like us, they're kind of puzzled how it relates to the bigger picture.

We the audience are shown, multiple times, why Bruce would be affected by Black Zero, and how this would bleed into Batman. We are then also shown Robin's memorial case, suggesting that it's all connected. Lex Luthor uses Bruce's loss to pit him further against Superman, multiple times. And yet, still -- Bruce's actions are only ever explained, on screen, by Superman and/or Zod. He doesn't even utter Robin's name. The closest we get is his conversation with Alfred in the Cave, where I think they mention the many losses over the years together, and how that bitterness seems inevitable to Bruce.

In my opinion, Snyder was doing a (kind of) clumsy job of linking Bruce's reaction to Superman to his own loss of Robin/other allies over the years in Gotham. I think this has more merit especially when we consider the "Martha" reveal, where he pulls back on his extremism upon reminder of the loss of his mother, the idea of forcing that on Superman, etc.

But. It doesn't come quite close enough to linking the two on-screen, explicitly, for it to truly explain Bruce's actions as the Bat. It suggests that Bruce was, as I said, teetering on the edge, and Superman's destruction pushed him over the edge. When I think, most viewers would rather view it the other way around -- losing Robin pushed him over the edge, and his viciousness when it comes to Superman is merely a consequence of that madness, that loss, that grief.

That's how I chose to explain it in my fic, at least. Bruce in BVS talks a lot about national security, about defense, about never being sure if you can fight off a stronger opponent. But his words ring hollow even to Alfred. Is this really about protecting the world from Superman? Batman's infamous contingencies don't really make an appearance in this movie; he barrels right into fighting Superman, at Lex's prodding, without much critical thought for why it's happening or what the consequences are.

I really like the first (adult) Bruce scene in the movie in Metropolis, and I think it does a good job of showing how loss of his employees can impact him. But losing Robin? Losing a child? I think that kind of grief and rage and madness would be far more convincing than what we see from Batfleck in the movie. It wouldn't even have to change much of his actions -- he would still brand people, beat them nearly to death, use weapons and lethal force he wouldn't before, all because there's no rules anymore without Robin.

It makes a lot more sense, and it would be instantly much more recognizable to Gothamites. "The Bat has a new mean in him [because he lost his Robin]" is far more compelling to me and I think would help make that lawlessness feel more in character. And it opens the door for the conflict with Superman, because there are no rules now, without Robin.

Anyway, sorry for the long response! Thank you for asking, I really enjoy digging into this point and as I've said, I kinda got really into a Robin-central BVS framework in my longer series, and it's been awesome re-writing it in that sense. So many more things make sense, through that lens.

[theic-manic]

Hellenic polytheism tip: ask Hermes to guide your shopping

Hermes will help you purchase things either for now or later.

Before I devoted myself to Apollo and was still casually worshipping him, I found a shirt at a thrift store that I wouldn't normally buy or wear anywhere but I felt drawn to it.

So I started wearing it initially to attract wealth and abundance, wearing it on warm sunny weekends and this was right before last year's solar eclipse in the northern hemisphere.

(Synchronicity penny just dropped: last weekend I watched a horror movie featuring a Solar Eclipse & Apollo showed me an online shopping page... I'll link below.)

Anyway once I established myself as Apollo's devotee rather than worshipper, I started wearing this shirt on Sundays as a devotional act for him.

The shirt:

(I'm tired so please excuse my face)

Last year while thrift shopping I found some cute cherub tea light candle holders, which isn't something I typically get either.

This was during a period where Hermes was being his trickster self & larping as Hekate (the spider in my towel head wrap is such an obvious sign looking back) but I was like "odd, this doesn't feel like hekate" so I packed then away.

Recently, while reorganising my bedroom I took them out and had a closer look.

There's a Lyre on each candle holder.

I asked Apollo if he'd like them on his altar.

Yes.

Another time, while shopping with Hermes I asked Ares if he liked a bag Hermes helped me pick out.

Ares complimented it so then immediately Hermes found me a "War Collection" box for my Ares altar ☺️

So let Hermes guide your shopping (set a boundary that he doesn't send you broke because one weekend he kept showing me a bunch of antiques and I'm like MATE I AM NOT RICH... yet)

E.g. when Hermes had me spend my annual leave buying a bunch of LEDs and a damn Asus Rog Ally hand-held PC for his altar as a thank-you for him gifting me with a year's worth of free coffee + $10k AUD

Hermes altar, the hand-held gaming PC he had me dedicate to him and the smol llama plush that now lives on said altar... (I still think it needs a name other than "Lola")

The second-hand coral pink Nintendo Switch that Hermes and Apollo had me go and buy my disabled housemate to make their medical appointments easier after the aforementioned winnings + Hermes helping me make $500 profit after calling my phone company out on predatory sales tactics and threatening to drag them to the telecommunications ombudsman.

I included a case I no longer use and some games I no longer play, as well as an LED charging cable.

Hermes finding me a Hermes-coded bag and a war box for Ares

Apollo being real subtle showing me eclipse mints next to a certain book title after watching a horror movie about a solar eclipse

Warning:

Hermes is also the God of thievery (I was extremely good at shoplifting during my youth that I once stole a 2L bottle of bourbon while wearing nothing but a bikini and a sarong) and he did once make a shopkeeper forget to charge me for almost $200 worth of thrift store merchandise however Apollo will absolutely drag you for such acts and so if you work with Apollo or other justice inclined gods, steal at your own risk.

[ainyan]

LL83 Summary from Reddit

Here is the original thread!

Here is a summary of the announced upcoming game updates for patch 7.1 from today’s Live Letter (LL 83). Note that this just the Part 1 Live Letter for 7.1; a Part 2 live letter, with additional information, patch trailer, and in-game footage, will take place closer to 7.1’s launch.

The information below is complied mainly from the FFXIV Discord's translation channel coverage of the event. In addition to coverage of LLs, they do translations of media interviews as well as for Q&As, special guest interviews, and other live events with the developers. Check it out!

Some content related to the Dawntrail MSQ has been spoiler-tagged below, just to be on the safe side. (Can't spoiler tag on Tumblr)

Patch 7.1: Crossroads

Launch date for patch 7.1 is in mid-November 2024 (possibly the 12th or 19th?)

Gameplay Updates

New MSQ + Dungeon (Yuweyawata Field Station)

New Extreme Trial: The Minstrel’s Ballad: Sphene’s Burden

New Unreal trial: The Jade Stoa (Byakko)

New Alliance Raid series: Echoes of Vana’diel (FFXI crossover) Part 1 - Jeuno: The First Walk

New Ultimate raid: Futures Rewritten (Eden); will come a few weeks after 7.1 launch

New Allied Society quests: Pelupelu (for combat jobs)

New Custom Deliveries: Nitowikwe in Shaaloani

Additional Wachumeqimeqi quests (will serve as a capstone for this storyline)

Additional Role Quests (completion of all 7.0 Role Quests required to unlock)

First part of Inconceivably Further Hildibrand Adventures

New Game+ support for 7.0 (MSQ, Job Quests, and Role Quests)

Doman Mahjong update: voiced reaction and commentary from Scion opponents will be added

Chaotic Alliance Raid

New type of battle content being added in 7.1

A more difficult form of 24-player content (difficulty is approximately between Extreme and Savage)

First installment will be the Cloud of Darkness from the Crystal Tower raids series (depending on player feedback, there may be more Chaotic raids in future updates)

Appears to involve a single boss battle, no trash mobs

PvP Updates

Extensive updates to PvP action execution and hit detection; for example, players will be able to better react to certain opponent actions while the action animation is in progress

New PvP actions for every job except Viper and Pictomancer (since they were just added); some jobs will feel quite different in PvP

Improvements for Red Sands and Cloud Nine Crystalline Conflict arenas

Balance adjustments for Frontline and Rival Wings modes (additional major updates for Frontlines are planned for 7.2)

Additional information on PvP job changes to come in the Part 2 Live Letter

Duty Support Updates

Duty Support for non-MSQ dungeons will start to be added

First non-MSQ dungeon added to the system will be Halatali in 7.1

Hall of the Novice Updates

Training for specific combat mechanics will be added

New training can be unlocked at level 49

Training for combat rotations may be added in future updates

Housing Updates

Players will now be able to select a different interior design for their estate

New interior designs will be added for use in this system, in addition to the default interiors already seen in-game (you can get rid of the default columns if you want, woohoo!)

Housing items that have already been placed in the estate will be stored while you change the interior design

Coming in a future patch: the ability to change the interior size of your estate (will cost a lot of gil)

Other Information

Official Dawntrail soundtrack will be available for sale October 30 (Japan), November (NA/EU). Will include code for a Wind-Up Zero minion.

The Primals September 21 concert will be made available to watch via StreamPass/FanStream services

[frostybearpaws]

Disassembler!Sevika Headcanons

I'll be making a bunch of these for the various characters in an upcoming fic, at the moment I'm playing around with a bunch of concepts, here's Disassember!Sevika from my Robot AU <3

An illegal experiment performed in a subterranean laboratory by Singed before he parted ways with Piltover and Heimerdinger alike, intended to be a younger sister to Orianna this never came to be as she was discovered and swiftly confiscated, placed with the rest of the Disassemblers legion soon to be launched to quell an uprising within Zaun. 

Her transportation pod did not rupture to release her, nor did it self-destruct in the event of failing to rupture; instead she was forced into a centuries long dormancy assumed dead with the rest of the Dissassemblers.

Part of an artificially created subclass christened as ‘The Constructed’ Sevika never had a childhood, she was “birthed” an adult with fully functional mental and motor skills hybridized with inserted programming, this does not mean she wasn’t ignorant to the world around her.

The first few years of her life were spent in a bombed-out section of the undercity turned mass grave called The Ruins. 

Learned to be a skilled and prolific hunter. She uses the same strategies of hunting down unwitting prey as she does hunting down rivals in the undercity.

Sevika's main method of hunting is ambush, laying in wait in dark allies or on the tops of a building, then jumping down onto her target or rushing them from the shadows.

Her first interaction with “something like her” was a violent one and has set the precedent for later run-ins with other individuals. It took a long time to break this free from this assumption she carried with her (In truth it’s never really gone away, she’s just better at hiding her suspicions).

She is weary of children: she doesn’t understand them very well as she was never a child herself. 

In her early days there was a rumor that stated if you went to her and offered up an item of great importance to you that she will in exchange for the gift do something in return: this rumor turned out to be true.

Many of the older townsfolk are scared of her as she carries the face and body of something that mercilessly destroyed their lives. Oddly enough children are the ones who fear her the least.

Despite not understanding them, she does have a take-it-to-her-grave secrete soft spot for children.

Being tampered with has led to some unfortunate outcomes. 

Firstly, she was never fully completed before The Council took her away: this has led to unfortunate internal disfigurements. Fluid builds up in her ventilation cavity, when exposed to air it turns into a red gas which billows from her nose and mouth. This gas is highly flammable; she has learned to create a spark by gnashing her teeth together, causing the gas to erupt into a fireball she can then expel. While useful in combat, this deformity also makes it very difficult for Sevika to breath and thus cool down.

Secondly, her Disassembler Coding was never fully eradicated leading to several heightened instincts. Chase instinct: when she sees something that looks like prey she has the sudden strong urge to chase after it leading quickly into Kill Instinct: if all the boxes are checked for what constitutes as prey, her killer coding will be activated causing her to give chase, catch, and kill the object deemed prey. (She does have the ability to dismiss her Hunting Protocols as they sometimes are reactive).

In extreme cases her Disassembler Coding can take over completely leading to a state of being called absence. In a moment like these, she reverts back into the killing machine that Piltover intended her to be with little regard for connections or emotional ties: this is when she is at her most dangerous and unpredictable, these moments are rare but not to be taken lightly.

Shared traits among Disassemblers are wings and tails, as they are both large and heavy, they have large wings destined to get them off the ground. This however has given Sevika a twenty foot wingspan and more wing than she knows what to do with.

Her tail is prehensile: when she was younger, it used to have a mind of its own, wrapping around nearby structures or (most often) curling around her leg, it brough her a sense of security. She also used to hold onto it when she became nervous but has since trained herself out of this habit.

Sevika’s preferable mode of walking is to move as a quadruped using her wings as front legs, leaving her hands free. She can however stand upright on two feet, though she does not feel as balanced or steady when walking like this. (This is not the same for running/sprinting, when she runs it is exclusively a quadrupedal activity.)

Walking four-legged she is around six feet at the shoulder, if she stands completely upright she’s closer to seven feet.

Sevika is mostly made out of copper, however there are hints of both brass and bronze as well. Spending several years out in the elements has caused her copper to oxidize.

Sevika has a filter she can put over her eyes which allows her to see heat signatures, however when this vision is not active she is able to see ultraviolet light. This however comes with a cost, that being she is unable to see colors of lower frequencies (think: orange and red.)

[chinchillasinunison]

Guess what time it is, kids? Yet again, it's wild Welcome Home speculation time, but this time is a little different because we're talking about color theory.

Now, I don't mean "red means sex and blue is calming" marketing "color theory" that made children's hospitals a meme, I mean actual artistic color theory. You know, with the funny wheel? We're talking about that.

Color is very important to Welcome Home. It makes sense, as it's a very colorful project! But I'm thinking about it specifically in terms of coding character relationships.

Characters with matching colors in their designs have relationships codified in their roles in the in-universe show. Wally and Barnaby have the same color scheme of all primaries with only slight deviation, and they're written to be the bestest buds in the whole wide world. Frank and Julie both wear yellow bow ties and are similarly friendly, implied to be made specifically to be a perfect comedic pair.

But speaking of Frank, he's the center of a point I want to touch on: each character's assigned color and its complement, and what that might mean in the story going forward. If you didn't notice before, each character has a specific color assigned to them. This is used for their name on their bio as well as in the gifs for each character that you see on the links page.

Frank's color is yellow. Yellow's complement on the color wheel is purple. Purple is Eddie's color. We know that in the future, Frank and Eddie will develop a romantic relationship in some capacity that will be extremely important to the plot.

So, extrapolating this idea, I theorize that the relationships between characters represented by complementary colors in particular will be absolutely vital to the story in one way or another (relationships of all sorts, I mean, not necessarily in the romantic sense).

So then, besides Frank and Eddie, which relationships does that entail?

Firstly, with blue being opposite orange, that means Barnaby and Sally's relationship might hold some significance down the line. It makes sense to me, as they're both performers, though they often don't see eye-to-eye. I can see them becoming allies after the horror shoe drops because with Wally right at the center of it, Barnaby might not know where else to turn.

These last two sets are interesting as one complementary set is just a lighter shade of the other. I don't know if that signifies anything, but it is notable! Wally is red and Julie is pink, meanwhile Howdy is a dark, slightly bluish green and Poppy is a light green. So that means the complementary pairs go Wally–Howdy and Julie–Poppy (since the lights would go with the lights and the darks go with the darks).

Wally and Howdy...... oh, you guys already know how I feel about Wally and Howdy. I think that they're gonna be in kahoots to some capacity, considering the apple thing they've both got going on and points I've discussed elsewhere. This just adds fuel to my fire.

Now Poppy and Julie...... they're interesting. Julie has this very outgoing nature that I think could help bring Poppy out of her eggshell, so to speak, but I'm not sure how that might factor into the horror story. Unless my own personal view that characters growing beyond their initial roles is going to be a catalyst for the scary stuff is right, then perhaps her helping Poppy might set off a series of events she can't control.....

And that's all. I don't really have a conclusion, but I hope you thought that was neat, at least.

[sapphiregrace1224]

This isn’t even a surprise anymore but the Genshin Impact community is just….a cesspool. While it’s not everyone, it’s still pretty disturbing to see how many people practically have their lives centered around this game. Some times seeing the things people say and do in this community is extremely similar to a cult mindset.

And no, I’m not talking about the Natlan boycott or the SAG-AFTRA boycott either. It’s a fact that of course over time media shifted away from the genocide in Palestine especially when America is allied with Israel. I still get plenty of real time updates of what’s been happening over there, just recently there was a video where Israeli settlers attacked a school.

Now Genshin is having another collab with McDonald’s again in America which everyone is participating in because of those oh so exclusive wings we saw apart of the KFC event with Lyney and Lynette. I myself wanted them too and hoped they would’ve been at the KFC’s in America some day or at least given out as a code for players to collect.

But no. They chose McDonald’s who has actively been funding the genocide. The genocide that others seemed to have forgotten. The genocide that they dare to say isn’t real when people—even those who play Genshin have been directly affected by. Human lives aren’t political. That person who let you into their world to farm for materials likely isn’t here anymore or stopped playing due to worrying over loved ones who are still trapped.

Many civilians lost their lives and many are still at risk. It seems that people in the Genshin community aren’t human because they have no empathy or humanity. They don’t care about anything or anyone except for themselves. They don’t care about the VAs who work their asses off for this game. They don’t care if the money they put into a collab funds a genocide that also affects people within their community. They don’t any shame, humility, or a single brain cell to process half of the racist, bigoted, and disgusting words that come out of their mouth to think “Is this really okay to say?”

They don’t care about actual people but god forbid Hoyo or someone messes with a video game character. No, they will actually physically harm someone over a video game character. That’s not even an exaggeration, that’s already happened before when someone attempted to harm someone from Hoyo (You all know who) after the Honkai Impact Bunny Girl incident.

They care more about some big breasted anime character that they would sell their own mother just to C6 that character. While some of us have crappy moms, trading human life for something that won’t even last long is just embarrassing. If you want to say I’m complaining, okay Jan whatever makes you feel better about yourself. You complain, I complain, we all complain, but there’s a limit of how much bull a sane person can take. I’m stuck in the middle of an election watching two idiots trying to out-idiot the other. I’ve invested money into this game before, I’ve enjoyed the game but I’m not selling my humanity for a game that’s not even going to last forever.

Do whatever you want with the games but for the love of whoever the heck you believe in—look in the damn mirror. Saying “Get help” and “Touch grass” is overdone to death at this point, remember that you are a human being with only ONE life. Anything can happen to where you’re laughing or screaming from losing your 50/50 to Qiqi to being bombed the next second.

You have a life outside of this game. If you have no friends or family, that’s okay—it sucks but that doesn’t mean life is over. While so much crap is happening, so many things are leaving this world. Things and people that we took for granted.

Enjoy the game, but don’t forget that you are human being with one life.

None of us are ever getting Isekai’d anytime soon so make the most with what you have left.

[vapaus-ystavyys-tasaarvo]

Alright, notes on 1.1.10 for Les Mis Letters:

"a former member of the Convention"

The Convention here refers to the National Convention which governed France through the first years of the First Republic (from September 1792 to November 1795). This was an eventful period which involved some massive progressive reforms for the time, various interesting experiments such as coming up with a new calendar, a new form of religion and the metric system, as well as the trial and execution of the former king and queen, and of course the famous Reign of Terror.

The Convention did some genuinely good things like abolished slavery (until Napoleon RE-ESTABLISHED IT BECAUSE HE SUCKS) but obviously also some extremely questionable things.

The Convention was abolished in 1795 and replaced by the much more conservative Directory.

"when people called each other thou"

The Hapgood translation tends to use the very archaic thou to translate the French pronoun tu. French (like most languages) has two words for "you": tu in singular and vous in plural. Vous is also used in place of tu as a form of polite address. In this era tu was actually used in very limited circumstances.

I won't get deeper into this topic because I would need to do more research into the specifics but generally speaking, in this era, the general use of tu for everybody in all contexts was seen as ideological and radical. I don't actually know how common it actually was among the radicals, I'm not a FRev expert.

The "citizen" thing definitely was a thing though.

"How did it happen that such a man had not been brought before a provost’s court, on the return of the legitimate princes?"

This indicates that we must be at least as far as the year 1814 now. The words of the Conventionist seem to confirm this date, although it's a bit ambiguous; it could also be later. I would assume that it wouldn't be later than 1815, but apparently the law that exiled the "regicides" wasn't passed until 1816, so idk, maybe this does take place later actually! In that case this episode would come chronologically after The Fall, which is the next book.

"The legitimate princes" would mean Louis XVIII and Charles the Count of Artois, the younger brothers of the overthrown Louis XVI. Louis XVIII was put on the throne by the Allies after Napoleon's defeat in 1814. (The reason why Louis XVIII is called the "eighteenth" rather than the "seventeenth" will be explained soon.)

The Bourbon Restoration, as this return of the royal family to the throne is called, was not a complete return to the pre-revolution system; there was a new constitution (the Charter of 1814) which at least in theory limited the king's power, and the Napoleonic Code was kept as the basis of the legal system.

The reception of Louis XVIII varied, and a lot of people obviously weren't happy that he was placed on the throne by foreigners who France had only just been at war with, but this is the South which was generally more royalist. (This reminds me, I should relisten to the 1814-1815 episodes of the Siècle podcast...)

"'93!"

I already talked about the year 1793 earlier so I won't repeat all that now

“Louis XVII.?”

(CW: child abuse)

As a royalist Myriel refers to the son of the former king as "Louis XVII". According to the royalists, at the moment of Louis XVI's death his son automatically became Louis XVII, despite never being crowned king. This is why the actual next king, Louis XVIII, is called the eighteenth. (As a recap: Louis XVIII was "Louis XVII's" uncle)

Little Louis died in captivity in 1795, at the age of ten. In the autopsy it was discovered that his body was horrifically scarred due to physical abuse.

"the brother of Cartouche"

Cartouche (1693-1721) was a famous highwayman and a folk hero, eventually caught and executed in 1721. I don't know much about him but now I kinda want to look more into it. His little brother Louis AKA Louison was hanged two years later as an accomplice despite being only about 15 (meaning he would have been only about 13 at most when he was supposedly being an accomplice to his brother.)

"fleur de lys"

⚜ The heraldic symbol of the French monarchy:

Supposedly representing a lily but apparently it might actually be an iris, idk.

"Bossuet chanting the Te Deum over the dragonnades?"

Bossuet was the bishop of Meaux 1681-1704, and a famous orator. He will come up again later in Les Mis.

The Dragonnades were part of Louis XIV (the Sun King)'s persecution campaign against the Huguenots.

Te Deum laudamus is a hymn and the title means "we praise thee, God".

"Carrier is a bandit; but what name do you give to Montrevel? Fouquier-Tainville is a rascal; but what is your opinion as to Lamoignon-Bâville? Maillard is terrible; but Saulx-Tavannes, if you please? Duchêne senior is ferocious; but what epithet will you allow me for the elder Letellier? Jourdan-Coupe-Tetê is a monster; but not so great a one as M. the Marquis de Louvois."

.... Okay I'm not gonna bother with all of these. Skip!

"the Abbey of Sainte Claire en Beaulieu, which I saved in 1793"

Several religious buildings were torn down during the Revolution, apparently the Conventionist spoke in favour of preserving this one? I don't actually know which abbey this is though or if this is a more specific reference. I can't be bothered to do any more research either tbh

According to an annotation on my edition of the novel, this might be an allusion to Hugo's father saving convents in Italy.

"those who despise it in a cap revere it in a hat.”

The red cap they're talking about is the Phrygian cap, which was worn by emancipated slaves in ancient Rome and which thus became a symbol of the Revolution (as it was a symbol of liberty). The cap is famously still worn by Marianne, the anthropomorphic personification of France.

The red hat Myriel alludes to, I assume means the galero, a wide-brimmed hat worn by cardinals. I could be wrong though, let me know if you have a better idea!

[riacte]

I can’t believe it’s gonna be a year since 2022 r/place? Like what the hell lmao 😭

Honestly I don’t expect r/place to come back this year for Reddit’s yearly April Fools joke because it’ll be predictable and it hasn’t been five years yet… although they could possibly add a twist to it (like how 2022’s ended with a white void unlike 2017). But I know people have been speculating and digging into the code and have found “evidence”. Oh well.

In any case, some thoughts from someone who was very chronically online during 2022 r/place and wrote long update posts daily:

1. If you’re part of a fandom and want to contribute to a mural, it’s very likely that some sort of central organisation has been set up on the subreddit and / or on Discord. And you should probably check it out before you do anything about the mural.

Organisation and diplomacy is key to r/place. Just because you personally want to expand doesn’t mean the central organisation wants to because it risks angering allies. Last year I saw people getting frustrated over “rogues” not following the instructions determined by the central organisation, which threatened our harmonious coexistence with a much bigger group (in this case it was Brazil).

I’m not trying to gatekeep but it’s honestly easier if you do want the crowd wants you to do instead of doing it on your own. Especially if you’re a smallish fandom trying to survive.

2. As a follow up to the above point, instructions from central organisations are often fluid and change very quickly. This is due to the ever changing geopolitics of r/place. Allies can become enemies, enemies can become allies. But I think usually people are pretty good at spreading information around.

3. It can be quite easy to get sucked into the virtual world of r/place. I severely needed to touch grass after last year’s craziness. It can be fun, but it can also be very taxing, both mentally, emotionally, and physically (if you’re the type to stay up late). So remember to take care of yourself!

I genuinely think r/place is fascinating. It’s like a microcosm of the world, with its geopolitics, borders, alliances, creativity, and all of that is over pixels on Reddit. Everyone is so serious over unserious things. It’s also extremely funny when you hear stuff like “Love Live wants to nuke Macedonia” and “Sexy Sex requires our help”.

I also like how people have different recollections of this event because naturally people are in different subreddits, timezones, experience things differently, but it all comes together to form a collective story on r/place. And it’s crazy how long the impacts can last for. Like I still fondly think about those four-ish days when Reddit collectively lost their minds. It felt like a fever dream. Truly one of the experiences of all time.

[allylikethecat]

hello may I please request a fanfic of matty not feeling well during these past couple shows? Love your work I find myself always coming back to your stuff on ao3 <3

Soooo way back in November, Matty got sick. He then went on stage wearing a robe, no shoes and hooked up to an IV that he then tore out of his arm mid set. Obviously, this was an extremely Ally coded event and I was sent this ask the beginning of December. I promised that I was going to then write a SATVB Sick Fic situation based on this occurrence - it's been about five months and I have rewritten this fic about six times. I still don't really love the finished product, but here she is. I need to move on for my own mental wellbeing 😂

In Sickness, and In Health

Happy Tuesday and I hope that even if I don't love how it turned out, that you still at least find some enjoyment in this update. I'm for it very much not being worth the wait. I think I put too much pressure on it? And myself? Regardless, here it is and I would love to hear your thoughts! I promise the Friday chapter of All the King's Horses will be better!

Thank you always for being so wonderful and supportive and also so very patient. I appreciate it more than you know!

❤️All

[egoistrattus]

Watching a clip from Philza's Vod when he encountered Cucurucho today and something interesting popped up.

Besides the ominous ramification that THE MOON IS APPARENTLY NOT THE FUCKING MOON, it is Cucurucho's answer when questioned about the Code Monster that intrigues me.

When Philza asks, "Do you know what that means?" when he pointed out the Code's new apperance (that Cucurucho jumped and laughed at), the response was

"CLASSIFIED"

The Federation could be possibly responsible for its deteriorating form. Maybe they had a direct hand. Or, maybe they are doing something I have been having a thought about. What if they are starving it out?

Going off Failed Egg Theory, the Code Monster likely has egg quests. Because it has no parents and it has shown itself capable of hijacking the quest menu (see the Countdown Event), maybe the Code made hunting the eggs its own quests. Because of the Ninho Hotel, the Code has gone an extremely lengthy period of time without killing an egg. Now, like a certain egg who suffered a similar fate, the Code Monster is being 'neglected'.

Until it can attack another egg or is provided a parent to care for it like other eggs, it more than likely will die soon. That could make it more desperate. More willing to attack the Federation and its allies to complete its revenge. Perhaps a certain capybara could have been its first Federation victim...

[d3athlystars]

lmao take some random head-canons for the SAMS while I work on art and stuff

(OG Eclipse is referred to as just Eclipse, good Eclipse/Solar is referred to as Solar, and Fixed/Cured Ruin Eclipse is referred to as RE)

• Eclipse is/was transgender (Female to Male

• Sun, Moon, RE, Earth, Lunar and Solar all know sign language!

• As mentioned in the episode where BloodMoon broke Lunar’s arm, Earth can in fact hurt people! However, she rarely does unless they activate her security protocols by being aggressive or violent, or describe hurting her or someone else. (I.e, staff members, the children, or any of the animatronics)

• All characters in the SAMS are either an ally of the LGBTQ+ community, or apart of it themselves!

• Sun, Monty, BloodMoon, KC, Lunar and Solar are bisexual. Moon is aroace. Eclipse is, once again, transgender as well as panromantic. RE is questioning if they���re bisexual, but are most definitely gynosexual. (Gynosexual; Being attracted to feminine gender presentation or just women in general) The Creator is an ally. Monty is gender-fluid.

• Other than Sun and Elizabeth’s first encounter, he.. doesn’t really know much if anything about her. Besides the fact she’s dead and is Gregory’s friend, of course. Though he has noticed her in the daycare a few times..

• No one besides Sun, Lunar and Earth know who Elizabeth is. Earth only kind of knows her because Earth sees her in her and Lunar’s area a lot, just kind of.. sitting there. Lunar has contemplated trying to talk to Elizabeth before, but since he’s kind of busy with getting training about his powers, he hasn’t had the time to strike up a conversation. Yet.

• Sun and Moon used to host little 1-week events in the daycare for holidays where the kids can do activities to celebrate the holidays! They made sure to include different versions of the holidays so the events could be enjoyed by all the kids! Though they stopped doing it sadly since Eclipse and Lunar took over for October.. (Lunar tried convincing Eclipse to do them, but it didn’t work…)

• Every single character except for the Creator to only SOME extent has ADHD. For some of them it’s more obvious than the others.

• Earth, Lunar, BloodMoon and Solar fidget with everything. It doesn’t matter what it is.

• Ironically, even though they deny it, BloodMoon sleeps with a stuffed animal despite the fact they will rip one owned by another person to shreds.

• BloodMoon and RE are both extremely touch deprived. While RE desperately craves it and will literally start purring if you touch him affectionately, BloodMoon will either hiss or growl if you get even close to them. Though deep down they wanna be cuddled until they can’t breathe.

• Sun and Moon have plushies of each other. They also give little gifts to each other on holidays. Earth has since joined in on the tradition since her arrival.

• Earth has a sketch book full of designs for dresses or outfits she would like to have but don’t have right now cause she can’t find a custom designer that isn’t either ridiculously expensive or out of state.

• Solar and Lunar both know morse code! They sometimes talk to each other using it like tapping on the desk or a wall.

and that’s basically all the head canons I have to share! I’m currently working on a AU where Lunar finally gets to talk to Elizabeth and gets to know her more and introduce her to Earth and the others, so feel free to look out for that! (I’ll be making a blog to share my little doodles and writings for the AU)

[fearsmagazine]

M3GAN - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Universal Pictures

SYNOPSIS:  Gemma is a roboticist at a toy company where she is working on her pet project, using artificial intelligence to develop M3GAN (short for Model 3 Generative Android), a lifelike doll programmed to be a child's companion and a parent's greatest ally. When her sister and brother-in-law die in a tragic car accident she is given custody of her niece Cady. When her niece responds to her college robotic project, Gemma resurrects her M3GAN prototype as an answer to her lacking parenting skills. As MEGAN begins to process data from the web, her interactions with Cady and the world, her programming modifies her self-awareness and she becomes overprotective of Cady. Her interaction with people has horrific consequences as she harms and ultimately kills anyone that gets in her way of "protecting" Cady and Gemma.

REVIEW: I went in to M3GAN with few expectations and left the theater exhilarated having been on an excellent thrill ride. From the trailers, clearly the tale encompasses themes from literary traditions such as “Frankenstein” and all the cautionary cinematic sci-fi tales from “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Deadly Friend,” “Blade Runner,”and “I, Robot,” to name a few.

I love Akela Cooper’s screenplay. I was not a fan of her screenplay for the horror film “Malignant,” but her work here is impressive. At its core, M3GAN’s mother daughter themes feel like a contemporary reimagining of Mary Shelley’s father and son themes of “Frankenstein.” Woven into those universal themes are contemporary issues of parenting, such as children, technology, and present-day concepts on parenting. The debate about what is too much screen time for children evolves into what is too much time with M3gan. What I found extremely interesting is how Gemma’s use of M3gan is a double edge sword. She sees it as a fix for her inability to connect with or be a parent to Cady and as a unique situation to test her creation. Gemma doesn’t even consider the consequences and shortcomings of her coding, an excellent commentary on how modern programmers have only recently become aware of biases that exist in their coding. I loved Cooper’s dialogue. Instead of worrying about catch phrases, M3gan delivers cutting, satirical lines that feel like indictments of society's lack of concern about the downfalls of technology. I adore how Cooper doesn’t look to fully reveal her hand as to what exactly causes M3gan to go rogue. She indicates that there are shortcomings with the doll’s programming, but she presents a series of other events that might have exacerbated those flaws. Some of the secondary characters did feel a bit like caricature villains, but their arcs and dialogue kept them fresh and engaging. There is an element introduced early on in the story that you can’t help feel that it will play a part in the film’s climax. It could be that it might have been telegraphed or that I’m just a seasoned genre consumer.

This is a great ensemble cast. Allison Williams delvers a captivating performance as Gemma, allowing the viewer to sympathize for her situation and believe the circumstances that lead to her hubris to bring M3gan online. Violet McGraw’s Cady is a solid heartfelt performance. You feel the complexity of this character who is dealing with this kaleidoscope of emotions brought on by her parents’ death. She is charming and charismatic, and great in her action scenes. The character of M3gan is a complex construct of Amie Donald’s performance, Jenna Davis’ vocals, the special effects of Morot FX Studio and visual effects of Wētā FX. It’s a great, creepy character that has a great character arc and some well written dialogue. I’m a fan of Ronny Chieng, so maybe I’m a bit jaded. His performance here simply felt like an extension of his performance from his comedy specials or “The Daily Show.” It wasn’t bad, just nothing new.

I could expound on the special and visual effects, but the proof is in the viewing. M3gan is wonderfully rendered that captures the essence of what Cady connects with and still has that subtle creepiness lingering just below the surface. Clearly they did their homework as M3gan is a composite of trends in both the toy industry and state of the art technology. The film is well worth viewing based on just the work here alone.

M3GAN has few flaws in its logic and I didn’t find them distracting considering the rest of the excellent writing. Likewise, I could make comparisons to other horror or sci-fi doll and toy films, but this feels fresh and unique. Plus, many of the evil doll films deal with possession and not bad tech. As a big sci-fi fan there were moments that I should have seen coming but did not. In fact, I was impressed that they thought of it as I was being dazzled by M3gan’s effects, and enchanted by the performances. It’s a kick-ass thrill ride with loads of laughs and shocking moments, and I appreciated that it doesn’t go for gratuitous jump scares. This is one of those films you need to savor in a theater with an audience. Still, if for whatever reason you can’t make it to your local cinema, don’t miss M3GAN when it drops on Peacock.

They have announced there will be a sequel and I have trepidations about that. This is such a near perfect film it’s going to be hard to recreate this experience.

CAST: Allison Williams, Jenna Davis, Violet McGraw, Amie Donald, Ronny Chieng, Jen Van Epps, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Lori Dungey, &Stephane Garneau-Monten. CREW: Director - Gerard Johnstone; Screenplay - Akela Cooper; Producers - Jason Blum, Michael Clear, Couper Samuelson, & James Wan; Cinematographers - Peter McCaffrey & Simon Raby; Score - Anthony Willis; Editing - Jeff McEvoy; Production Designer - Kim Sinclair; Costume Designer - Daniel Cruden; Special Effects Supervisor - Sven Harens; Visual Effects - Michael Sarkis; Special Makeup Effects For M3gan - Adrien Morot & Kathy Tse of Morot FX Studio; Digital Visual Effects For M3gan - Wētā FX. OFFICIAL: www.m3ganmovie.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/meetM3GAN TWITTER: twitter.com/meetM3GAN TRAILER: https://youtu.be/OoDHM_A1axc RELEASE DATE: In Theaters Jan. 6th, 2023

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay),  or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

[ekkotimesthree]

i’m gonna be honest, i really i resent the rampant idea that “queer = lgbt”. it’s dumb and shows a flagrant disregard for how queer history has actually worked. before the internet, people didn’t just walk into local drag shows saying “i am a bisexual transgender woman who mostly hooks up with dl masc trade”, they just transitioned and had sex. the idea that a man can can crossdress till the cows come home, and have women fuck him up his ass all night long, but to a lot of people, his sexuality or gender identity matters more than his lived experiences when defining his “queerness”, is just baffling to me. queerness isn’t a laundry list of rigid identities that people can check off.

think about the stonewall raids of the 1960’s. were police officers quizzing bar patrons on their self expression or sexual preferences before brutalizing them? no. in the 1980’s, did ronald reagan ever say anything along the lines of “yeah only the homosexuals deserve to die of AIDs, but we’ll help the straight ones who aren’t tr*nnies”? hell no. when tim curry was blacklisted for playing frank n furter in rocky horror picture show, did his gender identity have anything to do with it? not at all. or even right now, in the present moment, are elon musk and jk rowling only terrorizing “transgender women of the male sex” on twitter? are only homosexual men being called f*gg*ts? of fucking course not.

queerness is about being the lowest of the low, the least respected people of society. that includes clocky cis women, people doing heroin on the side of the street, and sexual deviants who throw parties just for other kinksters. hell, it even includes the “blue haired sjw steven universe gays” that everyone seems to hate now. these people are extremely important for us to defend and uplift as “queer” people. they’re our allies. if you’re lgbt and disagree, would you rather have a conversation with blaire white and all her little “gays for trump” that support her, or a cishet man who’s comfortable wearing eyeliner, jewelry, and lipstick? i think the answer is obvious to those who aren’t bigots.

when lgbt people are demonized, and made out to be communist sex perverts on drugs, it will always will make more sense for us LGBTs to ally ourselves with communists, sex perverts, and drug addicts. like girl be so for real right now, the only reason you’d want to ally yourself with people pointing the finger at your community, is because you want to point some fingers at others yourself. stop that. grow up. the guys wearing jock straps at folsom street fair are way more queer than fucking pete buttigieg. cops are at pride, why should i care about a few guys in jockstraps or pup masks more than that?

“well straight people hate us because of kink at pride!” no they fucking do not. none of these “protect the children” bigots are protesting mardi gras celebrations, carnival festivals, or the dallas cowboy cheerleaders. again, be so fucking for real right now. they’re just looking for further reasons they can cherry pick to make lgbt people look bad. how many women have actually been attacked by “men who pretend to be a trans women to get into bathrooms”? how many “poor cisgender children” have been tricked into taking hrt, or forced to by their parents? exactly. these aren’t prevalent issues society at large is dealing with, they’re cherrypicked stories that have become pervasive stereotypes in order to further oppress trans people. the same goes for “the creepy gay guy/drag queen wearing fetish gear and having sex in front of children” stereotype. this just isn’t an issue that’s even worth addressing past pride events setting dress codes, which aren’t necessary because we already have them, they’re called indecency laws, and clear cut age restrictions, which almost every pride event has already. again, because we have laws that require them to do so already.

and i know this will come across as “strawmanning” to some, but you’d actually know these things if you were in real queer spaces! not discord servers and facebook groups. i mean actual physical spaces where you meet physical people and have tangible conversations. go to a gay bar, rocky horror picture show screenings, the ballroom scene, or local queer non profit meetings/events if you’re not into the whole seeing people in underwear thing. “indecent exposure in front of children is bad” is a common opinion! literally everywhere!!! gay or transgender people don’t magically have that sense of ethics and common sense removed from their brains. ask a drag queen how she feels about kids being at their raunchy drag shows. ask a pup in a pup mask how he feels about parents potentially bringing their children into kink friendly spaces. ask drug addicts if they want high school students hanging out at the local methhouse or underground raves. the answer will not surprise you!

[dankusner]

A captivating story of an extraordinary woman, "Shaking It Up: The Life and Times of Liz Carpenter" provides an intimate look at the trailblazing career and influential life of journalist, author, humorist, political activist, and proud Texan Liz Carpenter, who served as chief of staff/press secretary for Lady Bird Johnson, and was an inspirational leader for the women’s movement.

From the JFK assassination to campaigning for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, Liz Carpenter experienced and helped shape some of the most vivid moments and movements of the 20th century.

Directors Christy Carpenter and Abby Ginzberg weave candid modern-day interviews with Dan Rather, Bill Moyers, Gloria Steinem, Luci Johnson, and more, with archival footage that reveals Liz’s enduring passion for shaking things up in the battle for equal rights and human progress.

UT alumna, trailblazer Liz Carpenter’s life story told with loving humor in documentary co-directed by daughter

Through archival news footage, photographs and recent interviews to provide context, “Shaking It Up: The Life and Times of Liz Carpenter” shared the story of proud Texan and UT alumna Mary Elizabeth Sutherland Carpenter in its premiere at SXSW on Sunday.

In nearly an hour and a half, the film detailed Carpenter’s early career as a reporter, rise to power in political circles, trailblazing in women’s rights and her whimsy.

The documentary’s retelling of Carpenter’s career and life feels personal and gives viewers the sense they’re hearing stories about an old family member.

This is undoubtedly because the documentary was directed by Peabody award-winning director Abby Ginzberg and her friend Christy Carpenter, Liz Carpenter’s daughter.

Throughout the film, scenes cut to Christy contextualizing the experiences of her full-time working mom as portrayed in the documentary’s news footage.

At one point, she shares the story of her mom being so distracted that she accidentally brought the wrong dog home from the vet, not realizing until Christy and her brother spoke up.

The first portion of the documentary details how Carpenter went from reporting for The Daily Texan and the Austin American-Statesman to being Lady Bird Johnson’s press secretary during the Johnson presidency.

From her early career, Carpenter chose not to be thrown into societal reporting — the typical role of women in the newsroom at the time.

She pushed to be involved in the center of the political sphere in Washington, D.C., with the support of her husband, fellow journalist and UT alumni Les Carpenter. Photographs from social events balance with home footage of the two’s young family early in the documentary.

Emphasizing that Carpenter served as a strong asset to both Lady Bird and Lyndon B. Johnson, memorable moments include the image of the speech she wrote for President Johnson to give after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and footage of her campaigning alongside Lady Bird through the South to support the Johnson presidency, equal rights and environmentalism.

Carpenter’s unique humor serves as a strong theme throughout the documentary.

Though it’s emphasized that Carpenter was stubborn and extremely driven to fight for women journalists and advocates, it’s also emphasized that Carpenter’s wit and jokes helped people be more agreeable with her and the causes she supported.

Her use of theatrics crops up in photographs from social events Carpenter would host at her home in Austin in her later years.

An especially funny photo of Carpenter in a hot tub with writer and politico party invites with the dress code of ‘nearly naked’ near the end of the film leaves the sense that Carpenter would have been a great ally but also a fun friend to have.

The passion from Carpenter’s career bleeds through “Shaking It Up: The Life and Times of Liz Carpenter,” helping viewers understand the kind of grit it took to be a female trailblazer in the 60s and 70s.

Christy Carpenter’s loving storytelling about her mother reinforces the lessons that can be taken from her mother’s career — making a difference can be made easier with flair and a bit of Austin’s weirdness.

4 flamboyant canes out of 5

Liz Carpenter's home for sale

Liz Carpenter was a salty, unassailable force.

She was so full of energy, spunk and verve that her friend, columnist Erma Bombeck, said she "always made Auntie Mame look like a shut-in."

But on March 20, 2010, the Democratic trailblazer, witty, wise author and frontline feminist went to what she called "The Great Precinct Convention in the Sky." She was 89.

Nearly a year later, Grassroots, her beloved home on a quiet limestone shelf overlooking the Colorado River and City of Austin, is for sale for $895,000. Kay Andrews of Amelia Bullock Realtors has the listing.

"Liz brought so much life to that house," her good friend and assistant Shirley James says. "When I think of the house, I think of lots of people, laughter, food - food was big - and music, mainly music."

In 1976, after 34 years at the vortex of power in Washington, the sixth-generation Texan came back to Austin, she said, to find her soul and replant her roots. At 116 Skyline Drive in West Lake Hills, she did both.

Ignoring friends' advice to buy a condominium, the former journalist, press secretary to Vice President Lyndon Johnson and press secretary and staff director for Lady Bird Johnson looked for a house with a view of the city and water.

Niece Carol Hatfield found it: a wood-frame, rock-veneer bungalow with a guest cottage, seven live oaks and a spectacular vista. "Once she saw the view," son Scott Carpenter says, "she fell in love with the house."

From her long, narrow house on the hill, the Distinguished University of Texas Alumna could see the river, the UT Tower and the dome of the pink granite Capitol in the distance. "Liz always said she had a million-dollar view," says Genevieve Van Cleve, deputy political director for Annie's List, who lived for two years in the guest cottage.

"The first thing my mother wanted to do was name it," daughter Christy Carpenter says. "Grassroots seemed perfect, so she put up a sign and had native Texas grasses etched on glass for the double front doors and painted on tiles for the living room fireplace."

Liz Carpenter, who loved bright colors and often wore red, lightened the interior. Dark paneling became white, white bookshelves went up, glazed white floor tiles went down and a solid wall was opened to the panoramic view.

"For my mother, Grassroots was her identity," Christy Carpenter says. "It reflected every aspect of her nature: Her warmth, her sense of fun, her enveloping spirit, her desire to embrace people."

Only minutes from downtown, the 2,521-square-foot house on 0.85 acre loomed large with its owner's hospitality.

"Liz loved parties, and she loved parties with themes," says James, who often cooked for the lively affairs. "Liz invited everyone to her house. You might see a governor or U.S. senator sitting next to an Esther's Follies performer, masseuse or student."

Unable to afford a pool, Carpenter installed a Texas-sized outdoor hot tub, currently inoperable, that she called "My Golden Pond." Surrounded in limestone, the heated spa that, she said, "seats six Republicans or eight Democrats and a bucket of champagne" was the scene of her infamous Bay at the Moon parties.

In its warm, bubbly waters, the Queen of the Hill relaxed, held meetings, nurtured needy friends and howled at the full moon with celebrities such as Carol Channing and her much-loved GBATs (Getting Better All the Time) local singing group.

When Carpenter first moved to West Lake Hills, she thought the neighbors were "nutty" about wildlife. But soon she was out every morning in her nightgown and slippers feeding the deer and driving almost eight miles each month to spend $42.75 on corn at Buck Moore Feed and Supply.

"She was crazy for the deer," Christy Carpenter says. "She had outdoor speakers that used to play the "Out of Africa" soundtrack. She thought the deer liked it." So many came that Lady Bird Johnson, a frequent visitor, told Carpenter she had her own Serengeti.

Her champagne glasses, Cokesbury hymnals and pianos are gone, but whoever buys Grassroots will inherit a storehouse of music and laughter. Scott Carpenter, retired and living on Vashon Island, Wash., says, "You could write a book about noteworthy guests."

To reach Grassroots, she told visitors, "Turn right onto Wild Cat Hollow, and before you can say `Vote Democrat,' take a left." Among the many who did: Walter Cronkite, Barbara Jordan, Gloria Steinem, Ann Richards, Bill Moyers, Maya Angelou, Bill and Hillary Clinton and Jimmy Carter.

"She loved to be surrounded by people, especially interesting, quirky people," says Christy Carpenter, who is executive vice president and CEO of the Paley Center for Media in New York. "By inviting writers to live in her guest cottage, she felt she was doing her part to keep Austin weird."

"God, we had fun," says author Marshall De Bruhl, who wrote "Sword of San Jacinto: A Life of Sam Houston" in the limestone cottage with a stone fireplace and full bathroom.

"Such memories," he says. "Betty Friedan, Molly Ivins and Liz in that hot tub. Lady Bird catching me in my underwear one morning. And my favorite, coming home and finding the UT cheerleading squad there for a photo shoot."

"You could feel creativity pulsing in that home," says British poet, minister and former cottage dweller Geraldine Buckley, whose poem about Carpenter, "Modern Frontier Woman," was read at her funeral.

"At the time, I was soaked in poetry, and Liz loved poetry," she says. "I cooked for her poetry parties. Then Liz would bring in a basket of `Senator-sized' swimsuits, and everyone would end up in the Jacuzzi."

By the time spoken-word artist Van Cleve moved in 10 years ago, she says, "It was a little bit like camping out. However, no matter how worn the cottage, it was still a joy to wake up with the sunrise and watch the deer and other animals starting their day."

In Washington, Liz Carpenter had a long career at a whirlwind pace. But after Les Carpenter, her journalist husband and soul mate, died of a heart attack at 53 in 1974, the Capitol merry-go-round wasn't fun anymore. A farewell party at Ford's Theatre drew 600 friends.

Back in Texas, Carpenter fashioned Grassroots to her needs, hosted A-list parties, lectured, campaigned for the Equal Rights Amendment and wrote four more books, including the inspirational "Getting Better All the Time" in 1987.

At President Carter's request, she returned to D.C. as assistant secretary for public affairs in the new Department of Education, but bureaucracy wasn't the White House, and she missed "the quiet beauty" of her hill.

Grassroots was also her workplace. Located first in the cottage, her office moved next to the guest bedroom. Later, remodeling expanded a small porch into a room with three walls of windows, where the 5-foot-1-inch dynamo worked and "watched the theater of the sky."

At 71, she took in her late brother Tom's three children, ages 16, 14 and 11, then chronicled their lives together at Grassroots in the poignant "Unplanned Parenthood" in 1994.

Always the organizer, the hymn-singing Methodist planned her own funeral and staged rehearsals. Buckley remembers her lying on the floor, eyes closed and arms folded, while her friend Ruben Johnson sang "How Great Thou Art."

After the public memorial service at the LBJ Library, family and a dozen friends gathered at College Hill in Salado. As close kin scattered her ashes mixed with wildflower seed, a bagpiper skirled "Going Home."

"Something unusual always happened at her parties," James says. And Carpenter's final one was no exception. As one of the mourners crossed the street to attend the reception, the kilt the bagpiper was wearing fell down. "Liz would have loved being flashed at her own ash-strewing," James says.

And though Liz Carpenter is now gone, her spirit lives on in Grassroots. Andrews will hold an open house Sunday, March 6 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Leslie Carpenter Dead at 52; Long a Newsman in the Capital

Leslie Carpenter Dead at 52; Long a Newsman in the Capital July 26, 1974

Leslie Carpenter Dead at 52; Long a Newsman in the Capital

July 26, 1974, Page 36

WASHINGTON, July 25 (AP) — Leslie Carpenter, a Washington newspaper correspondent for nearly three decades and husband of a former White House press aide Elizabeth Carpenter, died yesterday at the age of 52.

Mr. Carpenter came here in 1945 as correspondent for a group of newspapers including The Fort Worth Star‐Telegram, The Dallas Times Herald, The Houston Chronicle and The New Orleans States. He opened his own news bureau in 1951, representing more than 30 newspapers mostly in Texas.

Mr. Carpenter and his wife were closely associated for many years with the late President Lyndon B. Johnson, and Mrs. Carpenter served for a number of years as Mrs. Johnson's press secretary.

Mr. Carpenter wrote a syndicated column distributed by Hall Syndicate for nine years.

He had also served as Washington editorial representative for G. P. Putnam's Sons, the book publishers.

He joined Hill & Knowlton, Inc., an international publicrelations firm, this year as vice president.

Survivors also include a son, Scot of Austin, Tex., a daughter, Mrs. Harvey Levin of Washington, and his father, John W. Carpenter of Austin.

SHAKING IT UP’

Texas icon Liz Carpenter up close and personal in new documentary

It is one thing to read about Texas icon Liz Carpenter.

It is another thing altogether to watch her in glorious action, bursting onto the national scene as pioneer woman journalist during the 1940s; working as a key aide to Lady Bird Johnson, and before that, Lyndon Baines Johnson in the 1960s; leading the fight across the country for women’s rights in the 1970s and beyond.

After all that, settling down, not quietly, but joyously, back in Austin, throwing parties, singing songs, howling at the moon, and, as always, getting things done.

That’s a part of what we see and hear thanks the new 77-minute documentary, “Shaking It Up: The Life & Times of Liz Carpenter,” co-produced and co-directed by her daughter, Christy Carpenter, along with veteran filmmaker Abby Ginzberg.

The movie, which briskly introduces a cascade of archival images as well as an array of short, astute interviews, premiered at South by Southwest during three packed showings.

It will be exhibited again on May 21 at the LBJ President Library.

Later, the film will be shown at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum on Sept. 28.

Next year, during Women’s History Month, it will appear on public television; you will be able to stream it for free on PBS.org.

PROVIDED BY CHRISTY CARPENTER

It was good to hear Carpenter’s singular voice again.

How well I recall those phone calls to the newsroom during the 1990s and early 2000s.

The brassy blast from the other end of the line dispensed with any preliminaries:

“Now Michael, listen, this is what I need you to do.”

Liz Carpenter (1920-2010) had one of those unstoppable personalities — part LBJ, part Lady Bird.

She mesmerized almost everyone around her, especially journalists, who knew that whatever Carpenter had in mind would likely lead to a hot story.

You witness that in the movie: Time and again, hordes of reporters and visual journalists swarmed together whenever Carpenter staged an environmental event for Lady Bird, or the times she put together rallies for the Equal Rights Amendment, meant to put women on the same constitutional footing as men.

The U.S. Congress passed it overwhelmingly in 1972, but the ERA was stopped just short of full ratification by the states due to a coalition of emerging culture warriors.

To celebrate the film, which will play additional festivals around the country during the coming months, take a look at the following 10 things that might surprise you from this movie about the unparalleled Liz Carpenter.

A long line of strong Central Texas women

It is good to be reminded that Carpenter was a 5th-generation Texan whose early years were spent in the Central Texas town of Salado.

I should not have been surprised that she descended from a line of unbowed women, several of whom attended since-gone Salado College, founded by her greatgrandfather in 1859, and were suffragists.

These days, several small monuments to Carpenter can be found in Salado.

Noted journalist learns her trade in Austin

Carpenter’s family moved to Austin when she was seven.

She edited the school newspaper at Austin High School, back when it was located on Rio Grande Street.

That’s where she met her future husband, Les Carpenter, with whom she later founded the Carpenter News Bureau, located in the National Press Building in Washington, D.C.

They studied journalism at the University of Texas, then Liz contributed to the Austin American-Statesman, a gig that included frequent interviews with LBJ and Lady Bird.

Breaking into the national press corps

Liz Carpenter was hardly welcomed with open arms by the male press corps when she arrived in D.C. as an outspoken Texas reporter.

Men ruled the roost.

Although most women reporters were relegated to the society pages, Carpenter was a political reporter from the start.

She was helped along by first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who held press conferences exclusively for women reporters.

Another unlikely figure also pitched in: Carpenter, as president of the Women’s National Press Club, convinced visiting Soviet Premier Nikita Khushchev to insist on the inclusion of women reporters at his speech to the male-only National Press Club during his showboating trip to the U.S. Brick by brick during Carpenter’s two decades as a Washington reporter, the walls fell.

In 1960, LBJ picks Carpenter to help his campaign

LBJ could spot talent a mile away.

Liz Carpenter, whose political gifts and speechmaking skills were undeniable, was recruited during his 1960 run for the president.

After the election, she joined his vice-presidential staff and accompanied him on the fateful trip to Texas when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

On the plane back to Washington, Carpenter wrote the short, eloquent speech that the new president gave upon his return.

Johnson chose Carpenter for her selfevident skills.

He could be genuinely charming and persuasive to his staff, when he was not outrageously demanding and what today would be considered abusive (a recent book to read on the subject is Tracy Daughtery’s “Leaving the Gay Place: Billy Lee Brammer and the Great Society”).

Putting together a staff for the first lady

Lady Bird Johnson was the first presidential wife to assemble a professional staff.

Although her title was press secretary and chief of staff, Carpenter was much more.

She organized events, ironed out every detail, and brought along her press pals anytime the first lady announced a political or policy objective.

As described in Julia Sweig’s bestseller, “Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight,” Carpenter helped coordinate the efforts of the East and West Wings.

Sweig appears in the documentary, along with presidential daughters Luci Baines Johnson and Lynda Bird Johnson Robb, environmental historian Douglas Brinkley, Johnson aide Bill Moyers, journalist Dan Rather (who called Carpenter the “insider’s insider” in the Johnson White House) and many others.

Butting heads with the leader of the Free World

Carpenter’s closeness to the Johnson family did not exempt her from LBJ’s wrath.

Yet, as the audio records show, Carpenter, not unlike Lady Bird, stood up to the president time and again.

Interestingly, both women used the tactic of talking right through his objections, never raising their voices, as if the outcome would eventually go their way.

An unprecedented campaign for the environment

Quite a few historians have amended the record to show that Lady Bird was no mere “beautifier,” instead she was a crucial link between the conservationists of the past and the environmental activists who followed in their footsteps.

Her barnburner tours of the U.S. with Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall sparked the imaginations of Americans regarding their national parks and other natural legacies.

Carpenter not only made sure the trains ran on time during these tours, she convinced many otherwise sedentary reporters to take mountain hikes and climb into whitewater rafts to follow them.

Headlong into women’s rights

Not long after the Johnsons returned to the relative quiet of the LBJ Ranch west of Austin in 1969, Carpenter turned her energies to an enormous political project she already supported.

The intellectual leaders of the women’s movement had laid the groundwork for cultural changes, but it took a political insider and galvanizing speaker like Carpenter to put together the panels, speeches, conferences and tours, meanwhile guaranteeing media coverage for the National Women’s Political Caucus and the Equal Rights Amendment campaign.

She knew the power of having three first ladies — Lady Bird Johnson, Betty Ford and Rosalynn Carter — on the stage at the same time, along with rising stars such as Rep. Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to run for president, and Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, whom Carpenter influenced and encouraged, to support the fight for the ERA.

Ann Richards, others follow in Carpenter’s footsteps

“Shaking It Up” makes it clear that Carpenter blazed a trail for other Texas women political figures, including Barbara Jordan, Ann Richards, Kay Bailey Hutchison and Sissy Farenthold.

If you include some others, such as Molly Ivins and Sarah Weddington, who did not hold office, you behold a generation of women who changed the tune of good ol’ boy politics in the state.

Singing, howling and soaking in Austin

Austinites got to know Carpenter better once she returned to the city and a modest house with a gorgeous view of downtown in the western hills.

Carpenter wrote books and threw parties.

She dressed up in costumes and adopted young talents.

She founded the Getting Better All the Time singing group.

People crowded into her hot tub and followed her outside to howl at the moon.

There’s no denying that she let her hair down.

This movie captures all of that.

She was an original in every way.