#john 5 invasion live

[cr1t1cal-darl1ng]

JOHN 5 BRACELETS : TAG 2 ELECTRIC BOOGALO

so we bought some new beads so therefore !!! update post ... now i have a plan to make all of John's albums eventually :]

JOHN ⛤

so i finally got some letter beads which got me SO excited but turns out they had a very limited selection ... but i got enough letters to spell john which made me SO happy !!! and there's little stars that we bought which were so so cute.

INVASION

this is probably my favorite bracelet from this batch ... like i said in the last post, I wasn't quite sure what colors to go for with invasion but it all worked out perfectly, in my opinion ... this bracelet is very pretty to me

LIVE INVASION

i adore live invasion it's SUCH a fun live album and i would love if john did more ... i struggled with the colors HEAVILY on this one and i think i redid it like three times before i settled on a pallette that i think worked. but when i finally settled on it i think it turned out GORGEOUS!!

REQUIEM

i don't have that good of a selection of blue so side by side it definitely looks kinda off but on it's own i also really liked this one ??? requiem has such a nice color palette and i just love how john looks in the cover .... he's so fucking pretty i can't do this anymore !!!

SONGS FOR SANITY

last but not least, we have songs for sanity, which was also kind of a request from someone who reblogged the original blog ... thank you for that by the way bc i think songs for sanity is ONE OF MY FAV JOHN 5 COVERS ??? i really like the positioning of john and the guitars ... it's just so sick .... the bracelet itself caused a slight trouble but in the end i like the final product :]

and here we have all of the bracelets together !! they're in order from release, bottom to top. 8/12 bracelets done

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

Here is the koi fish au I kinda typed up?

Pros to nothliting as koi:

1. CONTAINMENT - the yeerk and taxxon population becomes an inert non threat. Koi are basically powerless against humans, and it's not like they could manipulate people cuz what can Koi Esplin offer? And the greatest advantage is we can keep an eye on every single nothlit, because Koi Can't Escape, especially if we keep them in, like, Nevada or Siberia or something.

2. FAMILIAR but UPGRADED environment - a koi pond or an aquarium can be beautiful spaces. Much like a yeerk pool, yeerks natural environment, a koi pond or aquarium can house potentially hundreds of koi, and multiple can be hooked together. They could swim around, thought-speak, take visitors, even read books and use computers (depending on security level). It's a straight upgrade too, because koi experience all 5 senses and pass the mirror test, so even if you're just going from the yeerk pool to the koi pond directly, it's way better than being a yeerk OR a taxxon OR Any Wild Animal

3. COMMUNITY - yeerks, taxxons could live in community together. Humans would definitely bond with yeerks if the aquariums were visitable. Humanity is scarred by the yeerk invasion, but I believe that we could have a path forwards with our new Koi friends. Imagine this (https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/s/fdDEsPmZku) but giant talking goldfish are you kidding me??? I would go every day to talk to my new fish friends. Koi can also live long and fulfilling lives, unlike most wild animals.

4. Anaconda plan flaws - it wasn't clear to me why the yeerks were allowed to turn into apex predators and roam free in the first place. Seems. Likely that you'd get, oh idk, some renegade guerrilla warrior anacondas mixed in with the rest. Maybe even some who saw from precedence a whole bunch can be. If it wasn't completely clear by now, I completely disagree with Cassie on the amazon idea. You can't just loose a bunch of snakes in the amazon! You have no way of controlling the outcomes there. And nobody seems to be considering that they're all going to starve in a few months (sciencedirect com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/lotka-volterra-model). Why not put them in a zoo? Or y'know. A koi pond.

*john hammond voice* Somewhere where we have a bit more control

This is amazing and I love it.

[theholmwoodfoundation]

THE HOLMWOOD FOUNDATION PILOT EPISODE CAST/CREW - PART ONE

REBECCA ROOT - MADDIE TOWNSEND/MINA HARKER

Rebecca trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Theatre credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare’s Globe, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time for the National Theatre (UK and Ireland tour); Rathmines Road for Fishamble at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin; Trans Scripts at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts; The Bear / The Proposal at the Young Vic; and Hamlet at the Gielgud Theatre and Athens International Festival. TV, Film and Video Game credits include Monsieur Spade, This Is Christmas, Irvine Welsh’s Crime, Hogwarts Legacy, Horizon Forbidden West, Heartstopper, Annika, The Rising, Sex Education, The Gallery, The Queen’s Gambit, Finding Alice, Creation Stories, Last Christmas, The Sisters Brothers, Colette, The Danish Girl, Flack, The Romanoffs, Moominvalley, Hank Zipzer, Boy Meets Girl, Doctors, Casualty, The Detectives, and Keeping Up Appearances.  Radio credits include Clare In The Community, Life Lines, The Hotel, and 1977 for BBC Radio 4. Guest appearances include Woman’s Hour, Front Row, Loose Ends, Saturday Live, and A Good Read.  She plays Tania Bell in the award-winning Doctor Who: Stranded audio dramas. Rebecca has also recorded numerous documentary narrations, audiobooks, and voice-overs. Rebecca is also a voice and speech coach, holding the MA in Voice Studies from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

SEAN CARLSEN - JEREMY LARKIN/ JONATHAN HARKER

Born in South Wales, Seán trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. He has worked extensively in audio drama, television, theatre and film.  Seán is perhaps best known to Doctor Who fans as Narvin in the Doctor Who audio series Gallifrey and has appeared on TV in Doctor Who - The Christmas Invasion and Torchwood. Recent TV credits include Mudtown (BBCiplayer/S4C), Dal y Mellt (Netflix), His Dark Materials (BBC1), All Creatures Great and Small (Channel 5), A Mother's Love (Channel 4) and Series 5 of Stella (Sky1).  Films include supporting leads in Boudica - Rise of the Warrior Queen, cult horror The Cleansing,  the lead in Forgotten Journeys and John Sheedy’s forthcoming film ‘Never Never Never’

SAM CLEMENS - ARTHUR JONES

Samuel Clemens trained at the Drama Centre London and is an award-winning director with over twenty years’ experience. Samuel has recently written and directed his debut feature film ‘The Waterhouse’ with Take The Shot Films & Featuristic Films and represented by Raven Banner Entertainment, which is due for release this coming year.  In addition, he has directed fourteen short films, winning awards all over the world including shorts ‘Surgery (multi-award winning), A Bad Day To Propose (Straight 8 winner 2021), Say No & Dress Rehearsal’. Samuel also directs critically acclaimed number one UK stage tours and fringe shows (Rose Theatre Kingston, Swansea Grand, Eastbourne, Yvonne Arnaud, Waterloo East Theatre) and commercials include clients JD Sports, Shell and Space NK. Samuel is also a regular producer and director for Big Finish Productions & Anderson Entertainment. He has cast, directed, produced and post supervised numerous productions of ‘Doctor Who – (BBC), The Avengers (Studio Canal), Thunderbirds, Stingray (Anderson Entertainment), Callan, Missy, Gallifrey’& Shilling & Sixpence Investigate’ and many more. Samuel has directed world class talent such as, Sir Roger Moore, Ben Miles, Tom Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Alex Kingston, Frank Skinner, Rita Ora, Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley, Rufus Hound, David Warner, Celia Imrie, Samuel West, Youssef Kerkour, Sophie Aldred, Ian McNiece, Colin Baker, Olivia Poulet, Stephen Wight, Jade Anouka, Mimi Ndwendi, Michelle Gomez, Peter Davidson, Paul O’Grady and many more. Samuel is one of the founding members and directors at Take The Shot Films Ltd and is Head of Artistic Creation and Direction. Lastly, Samuel is a regular tutor at The London Film Academy, The Giles Foreman Centre for Acting & The Rose Youth Theatre and is a member of The Directors Guild UK. As for upcoming projects, Sam is currently in pre-production on his next feature film “On The Edge of Darkness”, which is based on his dad’s stage play “Strictly Murder”.

ATTILA PUSKAS - DRACULA

Attila Puskás is a native Hungarian Voice Actor born in Transylvania – Romania, so Romanian is in his bag of tricks too, but most of his work is done in English, in a Transatlantic Eastern European Accent, but is quite capable of Hungarian, Romanian and International Eastern European accents, plus Standard American. His voice range is Adult to Middle Aged (30-40+) due to his deep voice. Vocal styles can range from authoritive, brooding to calming and reassuring and much more. He’s most experienced in character work, like Animations and Games, but his skills encompass Commercials to Narration as well. He’s received training through classes and workshops, pushing him to the next level to achieve higher standards. Now on a journey to perfect these skills and put them to good use!

PART TWO: HERE

PART THREE: HERE

[ttexed]

Larry Williams - She Said Yeah

‘Larry Williams (May 10, 1935  January 7, 1980) was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter and pianist from New Orleans, Louisiana. Williams is best known for writing and recording some rock and roll classics from 1957 to 1959 for Specialty Records, including "Bony Moronie", "Short Fat Fannie", "Bad Boy", "Dizzy Miss Lizzie" and "She Said Yeah," which were later covered by British Invasion groups and other artists. John Lennon, in particular, was a fan of Williams, recording several of his songs over the course of his career. "Bony Maronie" is listed as one of the Top 500 songs that shaped Rock and Roll. 

Williams lived a life mixed with tremendous success and violence-fueled drug addiction. He was a long-time friend of Little Richard. As a child in New Orleans, Williams learned how to play piano. When he was a teenager, he and his family moved to Oakland, California, where he joined a local R&B group called the Lemon Drops. In 1954, when he was 19 years old, Williams went back to New Orleans for a visit. He began work as Lloyd Price's valet and developed a friendship with Little Richard Penniman, who was recording at the time in New Orleans. Price and Penniman were both recording for Specialty Records at the time. Williams was introduced to Specialty's house producer, Robert Blackwell, and was signed to record. 

 In 1957, Little Richard was Specialty's biggest star, but bolted from Rock and Roll to pursue the ministry. Williams was quickly groomed by Blackwell to try to replicate his success. Using the same raw, shouting vocals and piano-driven intensity, Williams scored with a number of hit singles. Williams' three biggest successes were "Short Fat Fannie", which was his first hit, reaching #5 in Billboard's pop chart, "High School Dance", which also made #5, and "Bony Moronie", which peaked at #14. Both "Short Fat Fanny" and "Bony Moronie" sold over one million copies, gaining gold discs. Several of his songs achieved later success as revivals by The Beatles ("Bad Boy", "Slow Down", and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy"); The Rolling Stones ("She Said Yeah"); and John Lennon's versions of "Bony Moronie" and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy". 

 Williams had been involved with underworld activity since his early teens, and had reputedly been a pimp before he ever recorded music. After 1957 Williams did not have much success selling records. He recorded a number of songs in 1958 and 1959, including "Heebie Jeebies", with band members such as Plas Johnson on tenor sax and Alvin "Red" Tyler on baritone, Barney Kessel on guitar, Gerald Wilson on trumpet, Ernie Freeman or Williams himself on piano, and Earl Palmer on drums. He was convicted of dealing narcotics in 1960 and served a jail term, setting back his career considerably. 

 Williams made a comeback in the mid-1960s with a funky soul band that included Johnny "Guitar" Watson, which paired him musically with Little Richard who had been lured back into secular music. He produced two Little Richard albums for Okeh Records in 1966 and 1967, which returned Little Richard to the Billboard album chart for the first time in ten years and spawned the hit single Poor Dog. He also acted as the music director for the Little Richard's live performances at the Okeh Club. Bookings for Little Richard during this period skyrocketed. Williams also recorded and released material of his own and with Watson, with some moderate chart success. This period may have garnered few hits but produced some of his best and most original work.  

Williams also began acting in the 1960s, appearing on film in Just for the Hell of It (1968), The Klansman (1974), and Drum (1976). 

 In the 1970s, there was also a brief dalliance with disco, but Williams' wild lifestyle continued. By the middle of the decade, the drug abuse and violence was taking its toll. In 1977, Williams pulled a gun on and threatened to kill his long-time friend, Little Richard, over a drug debt. They were both living in Los Angeles and addicted to cocaine. Little Richard bought drugs from him, arranged to pay him later, but did not show up because he was high. Williams was furious. He hunted him down but ended up showing compassion on his long-time friend after Little Richard repaid the debt. This, along with other factors, led to Little Richard's return to born again Christianity and the ministry, but Williams would not escape LA's seedy underworld.'

 SOURCE: Wikipedia 

[amuseoffyre]

I was left unsupervised and wrote an OFMD S2 and beyond version of We Didn't Start the Fire 😁

Stede dream-fighting Izzy Hands, Ed is wrecking wedding plans, The republic, Spanish Jackie, Swede is quite the snack, Roach keeps cooking, Buttons pining, Wee John warns about the stabbing, Poor old Izzy getting dizzy, Tattoo on Ed's back. Minor Prince, puzzle chest, Swede says marriage is best, Thieving planned, husband chore, treasure chest right out the door, Indigo and coins gleam, Crew's got a new queen, Zheng Yi Sao and the Red Flag, The Republic, goodbye.

[Chorus] We didn't raise the flag But we'll keep it waving For this show we're saving We didn't raise the flag But they tried to drop it We won't let them stop it

[Verse 2] Izzy shot and Blackbeard done, Frenchie gets a promotion, Wooden boy voice, blood all over, Lucius is back. Good soup, the Queen wins, Is the Revenge sinking?? Izzy shoots Ed, the crew attack. Bonnet gets on, all escape though Ed is gone, golden merman, raised from dead, come back to him, butt his head. Exiled. Magic bowl, Buttons turning to a gull, Leg kaput, make a new foot Unicorn is Izzy

[Chorus] We didn't raise the flag But we'll keep it waving For this show we're saving We didn't raise the flag But they tried to drop it We won't let them stop it

[Verse 3] Apology, cat bell, Lucius pushes Ed as well, Fang on a fishing boat, Stede's got a cursed red coat, Ed reflects, fish is his, Time for a little kiss. Hand-in-hand, going slow, Hunted down by Ned Low, Planning party, urchins, Stede's bathtub used for drinks Drag, songs and rainbows, For goddess Calypso. Low comes, torture led, Took violin to the head. Stede is shaken, grabs for Ed Fireworks as they go to bed.

[Chorus] We didn't raise the flag But we'll keep it waving For this show we're saving We didn't raise the flag But they tried to drop it We won't let them stop it

[Verse 4] Ricky Banes, Zheng's plan, Bonnet is the fucking man, Ed is leaving, The British Invasion, Leathers brought from under waves, English soldiers put in graves, Jackie, poison-trained, Pirates get away again, Crew sad, Izzy dead, Stede is in the inn with Ed Revenge crew sail away Will they see another day?

[Chorus] We didn't raise the flag But we'll keep it waving For this show we're saving We didn't raise the flag But they tried to drop it We won't let them stop it

[Verse 5] Show cancelled, Jenkins sad, Casey says numbers were bad, Press takes a look, Is Zaslav a crook? Gay twitter here to fight, BS leak on bird-site, Pirate violence is a 'shock', HBO is roundly mocked, Time Square billboard, LA plane, DJenks says they're free again, Lubewatch trend, lots of press, New network stress, S2 now on BBC, Kristian Nairn live on IG, fans are craving what's in store, I can't take it anymore

[Chorus] We didn't raise the flag But we'll keep it waving For this show we're saving We didn't raise the flag But they tried to drop it We won't let them stop it It will still wave on, and on And on, and on

[leonenjoyer69]

*Inbox Invasion* Free ramble card!! Make it a long one, About literally anything, anything at all, can even switch topics constantly. This is literally just for fun.

LGOWKFLEKVK LET'S GOOO 🗣️🗣️

Okay so, starting off strong, let's go music. Will Wood and the Tapeworms, right? A few weeks ago I listened to both versions of every song twice to find which versions I liked better for when I eventually burned CDs (my car is old af, bbg ain't even got an aux, but also her ass ain't got an engine rn 💀) for the albums.

My verdict for Self-Ish? Literally all the songs are the exact same, except Self-, -Ish (which just sound a wee bit different), and Dr Sunshine is dead (which just has a longer outro in the original).

EVERYTHING IS A LOT THO? Some big differences in some songs. So here's my preferences:

6 up 5 oh- Remaster, the "oh how I know how I go.." Part just sounds better to me

(Bones)- Remaster, the radio/tv talk at the end isn't glitchy and stuff, like the OG

Front Street- Original, I like the snaps (tapping?) Behind the pre-chorus, along with the dialogue clip. But, also, I like how much clearer everything is in the remaster, so I'm kinda torn.

¡Akiado!- Original, I am,,,, not a fan of the extra end part in the remaster

White knuckle Jerk- Original. The background(?) Voices are quieter and sound kinda different. Idk I may be wrong about that tho.

Cover this song- Original. I hate hate HATE Batman will wood growling in my ear, please never make me listen to that version again, it was a genuine jump scare. (EDIT: THE REMASTER JUST PLAYED ON MY SPOTIFY AND??? HE'S NOT BATMAN ANYMORE??? IS MY SPOTIFY BROKEN?? PLZ IK I'M NOT CRAZY)

Thermodynamic Lawyer- Remaster. Not really a fan of the robot voice in the original.

Red Moon- original, his voice seems quieter or more drowned out in the remaster.

Lysergide Daydream- Original, don't remember why, so vibes ig lmao, there's not really a difference between the two

The First Step- Remaster, I think it just sounds a little clearer

Jimmy Mushrooms- either, they're literally the same lmao

Chemical Overreaction- original. WE CAN'T STOP HERE, THIS IS BAT COUNTRY 🗣️🗣️ need I say more?

Everything is a lot- Remaster, so then I don't have to listen to construction noises (or destroy to enjoy in general) 😋😋

So yeah, ig that's my dream Everything is A Lot album.

BUT NOW!! more music! But Chonny Jash this time!! Specifically the Ballad of Dr Jekyll and Bargaining/compromise.

First of all, I love the lyrical differences!! Ballad Jekyll leaning more towards blaming Hyde for everything and being way more self-pitying, while B/G Jekyll seems to have more of a subdued acceptance? Like, Ballad Jekyll is a lot more emotional and bitter, while B/C seems to take more of the responsibility. Also!! I like how in B/C Jekyll seems to be with someone else, while Ballad Jekyll seems to be alone. The contrast between the last lines ("but if it takes Mr Hyde with me, then I'm glad to hang" V.S. "so take my hand, hold it till the end") really does show that bitter self destructiveness vs that sad, duty-driven acceptance. AND LIKE UGHHH JUST THE LYRICS OF B/C IN GENERAL!! I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!

Also, the Mr Hyde Jive? I love Hyde being a silly fellow. Literally just being like "damn, I'm not the villain, smh, lemme go have some fun for you gayboy 🗣️🗣️ (might still ruin lives tho!! I am vice, teehee)"

Yk what? Fuck it, this whole ramble will be music. THE JEKYLL AND HYDE MUSICAL 🗣️🗣️🗣️ I love Anthony Warlow so much, all the Jekyll or Hyde-centric songs are so eoughhhh ughhhhh AHHHH. Favorite songs rn? Board of Governors, His Work and Nothing More, The World Has Gone Insane, This is the Moment, Transformation--I JUST UGHHH I love listening to his screams idk man. also Alive. I also love you, Gabriel John Utterson. His parts are so fun to sing.

BUT!! the absolute hold Board of Governors has on me is insane. Every time I hear the intro begin to play through my tv I look up. I'm literally pavlov dogged to that shit. It's basically a requirement for me to go "THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF ST JUDE'S HOSPITAL IS NOW IN SESSION!" every time it plays. I love sassy Jekyll and Stride, it's so funny, like yes!!! The girls are fighting!! The absolute sass of half that cast is crazy. I have every part memorized, I AM the entire cast and recreate it expertly 🗣️🗣️

Anyways, yeah, I love Utterson too, his voice is in my range perfectly, he's literally my bbg. All his parts in How Can I Continue On and His Work and Nothing More? Kdoelvkskfldk I love him I love him. JEKYLL THO? shaking him aggressively (lovingly) I want to chew on him and rip him apart. Warlow's voice for him is so EOUGJDJDKKD ‼️‼️‼️

OKAY THAT'S ALL FOR NOW, TYSM FOR THIS!! ILY, LOYAL SCIENTIST 🗣️🗣️🗣️

[gorogues]

Spoilers for comics in April!

These are from the official solicits for that month, which you can see in full at Adventures In Poor Taste.

SUICIDE SQUAD: KILL ARKHAM ASYLUM #4 Written by JOHN LAYMAN Art by JESÚS HERVÁS Cover by DAN PANOSIAN Variant cover by ARIEL OLIVETTI Variant cover by DAVID NAKAYAMA $4.99 US | 32 pages | 4 of 5 | Variant $5.99 US (card stock) ON SALE 5/7/24 It takes more than a boomerang to survive a riot at Arkham Asylum, and all its super-powered rioters. This in particular sucks if a boomerang is your weapon of choice, and your name is Captain Boomerang. So, to survive you join up with some allies. But be careful who you join with, because nobody is to be trusted, and your allies just might be worse than your enemies. Presenting the most brain-bending, backstabbing, boomeranging-est episode yet of Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League! Each print issue includes a redeemable code for a bonus weapon doll digital token in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League inspired by the comics. Get the new Mad Hatter weapon doll digital token with issue #4. Paying subscribers with a DC Universe Infinite Annual or Ultra subscription (U.S. only) who read the digital issues of Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum will also receive these bonus digital codes.* *Terms Apply. See dc.com/suicide-squad-faq for details. DC UNIVERSE INFINITE is not intended for children.

Ah Digger, never change.

This next book reprints some Webtoons strips, which has a new Mirror Master.

RED HOOD: OUTLAWS VOLUME TWO Written by PATRICK R. YOUNG Art by NICO BASCUÑÁN, JAVIER RODRÍGUEZ VÉJARES, and SEBASTIÁN FRANCHINI Cover by VASCO GEORGIEV $14.99 US | 208 pages | Softcover | 6″ x 9″ | ISBN: 978-1-77952-689-2 ON SALE 7/2/24 Jason Todd, Bizarro, and Artemis know what it means to play second fiddle to the Justice League…but now, that is even more the case as they’ve been contracted into work-for-hire duty by none other than Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. All aboard the Watchtower as the new Outlaws tackle a meddling Medusa and take a trip to the Mirror Dimension to face Mirror Master himself (along with some other Bizarro versions of our great trio). Can the Outlaws handle the twisted reflections of themselves? Or will they succumb to pressure from all (literal) angles?! Collecting episodes 12-22 of WEBTOON’s smash-hit series, optimized for a brand-new reading experience in print. Your new favorite series continues!

And we're finally getting a William Messner-Loebs Omnibus! For those not familiar with it, this (partially) covers the run which introduced Hartley's reform and coming out. However, this particular volume won't contain the coming out issue; that'll probably be in the next one.

THE FLASH BY WILLIAM MESSNER-LOEBS AND GREG LaROCQUE OMNIBUS VOL. 1 Written by WILLIAM MESSNER-LOEBS and MIKE BARON Art by GREG LaROCQUE, BUTCH GUICE, and others Cover by GREG LaROCQUE $125.00 US | 986 pages | 7 1/16″ x 10 7/8″ | Hardcover | ISBN: 978-1-77952-581-9 ON SALE 6/18/24 Following the death of Barry Allen, Wally West will don the red suit and become the new Fastest Man Alive. Kid Flash no more, Wally must pave his own path forward and live up to the legacy of the man who saved the universe. Collects The Flash #1-28, The Flash Annual #1-3, Manhunter #8-9, Secret Origins Annual #2, and pages from Invasion! #2-3, featuring over a dozen never-before-collected issues.

[flo-nelja]

mind control

I get this one often, because people love me <3 also while it changes the two first are always the same.

Xavier/Magneto (X-men)

I have read fics with consensual mind control for them that were extremely formative. I also read fics with noncon mind control, though in general they were gen. The last one has happened in canon a few times, though it was often more complicated than that. It's never easy. But damn it works so well for well and there are so many possibilities

2. John/Scorpius (Farscape)

Nothing beat the horror of John realizing how the mental chip was influencing him, slowly, then too fast. And it was hot too.

3. Doctor/Master (Doctor Who)

With a Shalka image, because with the Master living in a robot body and unable to leave the TARDIS, there's at least an element of this, but there is potential in both directions and it would be so creepy and this show already has so many mind control plots. I think it might work.

4. Eden/Mohinder (Heroes)

I used to ship this really hard when I started watching Heroes, and the mind control was canon, and it had unrealized potential. So I spent quite a bit of time looking for fics. ^^

5. Christabel/Geraldine (Coleridge)

Discovered this ship in a Locked Tomb related accident, and damn, the canon mind control and creepy homoeroticism was everything.

6. Horatio/Lin (Horatio Lyle)

The fact that Horatio has trauma about Tseiqin mind control makes the possibility of this - for plot reasons of for sexy reasons - even more delightful.

7. Jon/Martin (The Magnus Archives)

The universe is good for this, and I've read so many good fics for this, from canon-typical use of compulsion to Web!Martin AU...

8. Sistah Spooky/Mindf**k (Empowered)

In canon Hannah is too much of a good person to brainwash anything but herself (and it's creepy enough), but she did some invasive-things-you-can-safeword-from in Theresa's mind anyway, and there would be so many possibilities, if the writer had not evilly made them fail to resurrect Hannah.

9. Knives/Legato (Trigun)

It happened once and of course the power dynamics totally go in the opposite direction, but still, it has fanfic potential.

10. The Gentleman with the Thistledown Hair/Stephen Black (Jonathan Strange and Mister Norrell)

Yes, still here for the creepiest aspects of fairy magic!

[stenka-razin]

in 2023 I watched some movies

I was gonna catch up on all those best picture nominees from the last 5 years, but watched crap like Caligula 2 instead

The 1989 World Tour - Live (2015, dir. Jonas Åkerlund) Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022, dir. Rian Johnson) Flight 666 (2008, dir. Scot McFayden and Sam Dunn) Dracula (1931, dir. Todd Browning) Moonraker (1979, dir. Lewis Gilbert) The Pez Outlaw (2022, dir. Bryan Storkel and Amy Bandlien Storkel) Encino Man (1992, dir. Les Mayfield) Star Trek: Insurrection (1998, dir. Jonathan Frakes) Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood (2019, dir. Quentin Tarantino) Cleopatra (1963, dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz) The Alligator People (1959, dir. Roy Del Ruth) The Silence of the Lambs (1991, dir. Thomas Demme) Godzilla vs. Megalon (“ゴジラ対メガロ” 1973, dir. Jun Fukuda) Invasion of Astro-Monster (“怪獣大戦争” 1965, dir. Ishirō Honda) Breaking a Monster (2015, dir. Luke Meyer) Terror at Orgy Castle (1971, dir. Zoltan G. Spencer) Wake in Fright ("Outback" 1971, dir. Ted Kotcheff) m.A.A.d. (2014, dir. Khalil Joseph) Reservoir Dogs (1992, dir. Quentin Tarantino) Kung Pow! Enter the Fist (2002, dir. Steve Oedekerk) House (1977, dir. Nobuhiko Obayashi) Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981, dir. Steven Spielberg) Dunkirk (2017, dir. Christopher Nolan) Final Destination (2000, dir. James Wong) Glitch: The Rise & Fall of HQ Trivia (2023, dir. Salima Koroma) Basic Instinct (1992, dir. Paul Verhoeven) Pee Wee’s Big Adventure (1985, dir. Tim Burton) Caligula 2: The Untold Story (“Caligola: La storia mai raccontata” 1982, dir. Joe D’Amato) La noche del terror ciego (1972, dir. Amando de Ossorio) Rocky IV (1985, dir. Sylvester Stallone) Saw IV (2007, dir. Darren Lynn Bousman) House of Wax (1953, dir. Andre DeToth) Thir13en Ghosts (2001, dir. Steve Beck) Kashchey the Immortal (“Кащей Бессмертный” 1944, dir. Aleksandr Rou) Ghost Ship (2002, dir. Steve Beck) The Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971, dir. Piers Haggard) The Face of Fu Manchu (1965, dir. Don Sharp) The Brides of Fu Manchu (1966, dir. Don Sharp) The Vengeance of Fu Manchu (1967, dir. Jeremy Summers) The Blood of Fu Manchu (1968, dir. Jesús Franco) April Fool's Day (1986, dir. Fred Walton) It's Pat 1994, dir. Adam Bernstein) The Castle of Fu Manchu (1969, dir. Jesús Franco) Adam and Eve Meet the Cannibals ("Adam ed Eve, la prima storia d'amore" 1983, dir. Enzo Doria & Luigi Rosso) The Mountain of the Cannibal God (“La montagna del dio cannibale” 1978, dir. Sergio Martino) When Harry Met Sally… (1989, dir. Rob Reiner) Beetlejuice (1988, dir. Tim Burton) Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (2001, dir. Peter Jackson, Long as Shit Version) The Hobbit (1977, dir. Arthur Rankin Jr. & Jules Bass) The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920, dir. Robert Wiene) The Wicker Man (1973, dir. Robin Hardy) The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974, dir. Tobe Hooper) House of 1000 Corpses (2003, dir. Rob Zombie) Chopping Mall (1986, dir. Jim Wynorski) Basket Case (1982, dir. Frank Henenlotter) Cube (1997, dir. Vincenzo Natali) Cube 2: Hypercube (2002, dir. Andrzej Sekula) Practical Magic (1998, dir. Griffin Dunne) Tropic Thunder (2008, dir. Ben Stiller) Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015, dir. J.J. Abrams) Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017, dir. Rian Johnson) Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019, dir. J.J. Abrams) Eyes Wide Shut (1999, dir. Stanley Kubrick) Superbad (2007, dir. Greg Mottola) Bruce Almighty (2003, dir. Tom Shadyac) House of Flying Daggers (“十面埋伏” 2004, dir. Zhang Yimou) Saltburn (2023, dir. Emerald Fennell) Grandma’s Boy (2006, dir. Nicholaus Goossen) Five Nights at Freddy's (2023, dir. Emma Tammi) Caligula and Messalina (“Caligula et Messaline” 1981, dir. Bruno Mattei) The Wizard of Oz (1939, dir. Victor Fleming, King Vidor, George Cukor, and Norman Taurog) A Christmas Prince (2017, dir. Alex Zamm) A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding (2018, dir. John Schulz) The Knight Before Christmas (2019, dir. Monika Mitchell) Goldfinger (1964, dir. Guy Hamilton) Total Recall (1990, dir. Paul Verhoeven)

[afaims100arrowversefavs]

My 250 Favorite Arrowverse Episodes: Part 5: 150-126

Taken from „Arrow“, „The Flash“, „Supergirl“, „Legends of Tomorrow“, „Constantine“, „Black Lightning“, „Batwoman“, „Stargirl“ and Season 1-3 of „Superman & Lois“:

In honor of Seaosn 4 of "Superman & Lois" being the end of the Arrrowverse, the end of DCTV like we knew it and the end of The CW like we knew it, a final time before the final season all Seasons ends of all the 250 best Arrowverse Episodes (according to me):

I did include "Stargirl" this time, since it has as much connection as "Superman & Lois" to the rest of the Arrowverse, but One Hit Shows like "Gotham Knights" and "Naomi" (anyone still remember this one?) are not on this list, neither are Arrowverse unrelated DC shows:

150. Fastest Man Alive (The Flash 1x2)

The One in which: Barry faints and meet someone who can multiply themself.

2, Written by: Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, Geoff Johns, Directed by: David Nutter

149. Invasion (1) (The Flash 3x8)

The One in which: There are aliens on Earth-1, so Barry gets Kara to help out.

54, Written by: Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, Aaron and Todd Helbing, Directed by: Dermott Downs

148. Invasion (3) (Legends of Tomorrow 2x7)

The One in which: The Dominators are fought all over time.

23, Written by: Greg Berlanti, Phil Klemmer, Marc Guggenheim, Directed by: Gregory Smith

147. Broken Dolls (Arrow 2x3)

The One in which: We are creeped out by a very sick murderer.

26, Written by: Marc Guggenheim, Keto Shimizu, Directed by: Glen Wi

nter

146. Star-Crossed (Supergirl 2x16)

The One in which: Kara meets the in-laws.

36, Written by: Katie Rose Rogers, Jess Kardos, Directed by: John Medlen

145. Compromised (Legends of Tomorrow 2x5)

The One in which: Damien Darhl tries out politics and Ray steals candy.

21, Written by: Keto Shimizu, Grainne Godfree, Directed by: David Geddes

144. Painkiller (Black Lightning 4x7)

The One in which: Kahlil lives a new life.

52, Written by: Salim Akil, Directed by: Bille Woodruff

143. The Nuclear Man/Fallout (The Flash 1x13-14)

The Ones in which: Firestorms explodes.

13/14, Written by: Andrew Kreisberg, Katherine Walczak; Keto Shimizu, Ben Sokolowski Directed by: Glen Winter, Steve Surjik

142. A Mad Tea-Party (Batwoman 1x8)

The One in which: There is toxic tea.

8, Written by: Nancy Kiu, Directed by: Holly Dale

141. A Brief Reminiscene In-Between Cataclysmic Events (Superman & Lois 1x11)

The One in which: We get to see Clark’s life.

11, Written by: Brent Fletcher, Directed by: Greogry Smith

140. League of Assassins (Arrow 2x5)

The One in which: Sara’s secret comes to light while the noose around Moira’a neck tightens.

28, Written by: Jake Coburn, Drew Z. Greenberg, Directed by: Wendey Stanzler

139. O come ye all Thankful (The Flash 5x7)

The One in which: Orlin remembers, Nora is angry and Joss is angrier.

99, Written by: Jonathan Butler, Gabriel Garcia, Directed by: Sarah Boyd

138. Mr. and Mrs Mxyptlk (Supergirl 2x13)

The One in which: Kara has a new admirer.

33, Written by: Jessica Queller, Sterling Gates, Directed by: Stefan Pleszczynski

137. Hey World (Legends of Tomorrow 4x16)

The One in which: Nate dies but gets better.

67, Written by: Phil Klemmer, Keto Simizu, Directed by: Kevin Mock

136. The Present (The Flash 3x9)

The One in which: Barry catches Alchemy und fights Savitar.

55, Written by: Aaron and Todd Helbing, Lauren Certo, Directed by: Rachel Talalay

135. The Book of War: Chapter Three: Liberartion (Black Lightning 3x16)

The One in which: Gravedigger is beaten.

45, Written by: Charles D. Holland, Directed by: Salim Akil

134. The Book Markovia: Chapter Three (Black Lightning 3x12)

The One in which: Kahil’s mind is compromised and Lynn and Jace have issues.

41, Written by: Adam Giaudrone, Lynelle White, Directed by: Bille Woodruff

133. I’ll give you a Clue (Batwoman 2x13)

The One in which: Stephanie Brown and Team Bat face the Cluemaster.

33, Written by: Caroline Dries, Natalie Abrams, Directed by: Marshall Virtue

132. It’s my party and I’ll die if I want to (The Flash 9x9)

The One in which: The Spectre returns und reunites with his friends.

180, Written by: Sam Chalsen, Emily Palizzi, Directed by: Danielle Panabaker

131. Who is Harrison Wells? (The Flash 1x19)

The One in which: Harrison Wells turns out to not be Harrison Wells.

19, Written by: Ray Utarnachitt, Cortney Norris, Directed by: Wendey Stanzler

130. Medusa (Supergirl 2x8)

The One in which: Cadmus tries to kill all aliens just after Thanksgiving.

28, Written by: Jessica Queller, Derek Simon, Directed by: Stefan Pleszczynski

129. Lies that bind (Superman & Lois 2x12)

The One in which: Lana learns the complete truth.

27, Written by: Rina Mimoun, Directed by: David Mahmoudieh

128. Toxic (Batwoman 3x10)

The One in which: Pamela plans to end it all.

48, Written by: Caroline Dries, Jerry Shandy, Directed by: Glen Winter

127. A Whole World Out there (Constantine 1x11)

The One in which: Ritchie is back in John‘ world and discovers another one.

11, Written by: Davita Scarlett, Sneha Koorse, Directed by: Tom Wright

126. The Man in the Yellow Suit (The Flash 1x9)

The One in which: The Reverse-Flash takes action.

9, Written by: Todd and Aaron Helbing, Directed by: Ralph Hemecker

[cr1t1cal-darl1ng]

JOHN 5 BRACELET POST :]

lately i finally got access to beads and I've been making bracelets ... i have very limited color selection but these were the FIRST thing i wanted to make so I'll just. talk about them a bit

THE DEVIL KNOWS MY NAME

FIRST OFF : we have my FAVORITE john 5 album ... it was my first and i love the story behind the songs and the album itself ... the bracelet isn't my proudest but it was the first one i ever made !! I'm thinking of remaking it and adding gold to it to make it more TDKMN-esk

SINNER

SECOND OFF : we have sinner and this one's DEFINITELY my favorite in terms of basic bracelet design ... it does help that sinners album art is just so pretty in and of itself ... honestly i think it represents the colors very well nothing I'd change :]

GOD TOLD ME TO

THIRD OFF : this one was a huge struggle because i DO NOT have any white beads say for these pretty white hearts and god told me to features white pretty prominently. but i worked with what i had and obviously the 5 hearts represent the 5 in john 5 ... once i do get white beads this is in for a remake too

SEASON OF THE WITCH

AND FINALLY : this one is the simplest in terms of color and really, technique. if i had a darker red and maybe some white i definitely would've utilized it and gone for a different palette but it's all I had !! since the beads were practically the same size i also decided to opt for 5 black beads instead of the usual 3 :]

and that's about it ... when i get more beads I'll DEFINITELY update this and make new ones :3 i really want to make Invasion but i have no clue what colors to use .. as well as Live Invasion because it's such a good live show :]

here's all the bracelets together btw:

[ladylilithprime]

Fluffy February 2024 Master List

Very slightly delayed master list for @fluffyfebruary of 2024, with links to the original tumblr posts and their AO3 files.

Day 1: Snowbounding (Snow)

The average snowfall per year for southern New Jersey is around ten to fifteen inches. Getting twenty inches overnight leading to an unexpected snow day is bound to raise a few eyebrows.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 2: From The Door, Where We Began (Eavesdrop)

Sam had assured his guests that putting his son to bed wouldn't take long... but then Jimmy caught the sound of an old familiar favorite book being read, and Cas followed.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 3: Customer Disservice (Entertain)

Working in a faerie-owned and operated cafe definitely had some benefits, moreso than any other job Cas had previously had.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 4: Someone Who Will Always Know (Learn)

There once was a boy named John Constantine Novak. That boy no longer exists, as he became twins.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 5: Family Traditions, Part Two (Planet)

May was usually pretty busy for a cafe, but Sam always closed shop for Jack's birthday. This year, with two new employees under his domain banner, would be no exception.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 6: Won't You Please Respond (Fire)

Working the register at a cafe is somewhat outside of John Castiel Novak's comfort zone, but he and Jimmy have a debt to repay and it's his turn. The dragon volunteer firefighter who comes in is a welcome if oddly friendly surprise.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 7: You Don't Need A Nightingale (Recovery)

In the aftermath of the alicorn invasion, Sam is determined to get back to work as soon as possible despite his injury. This does not make his boyfriends feel better about him getting hurt in the first place.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 8: We Can Be Your Sword And Shield (Smile)

The aftermath of a traumatic event is often difficult for everyone involved. Routines can help... most of the time.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 9: What Is More Infinite Than The Universe (Storm)

Some businesses shut down when the weather turns bad. Others tend to get an uptick in activity. Some good... some not.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 10: Knit The Raveled Sleeve (Care)

Convalescence sometimes leads to picking up new hobbies. In fulfilling a recpriocal promise to his cousin, Sam picks up a hobby that leads to commissioning his cousin's help in making a very special gift for his boyfriends.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 11: Where Many Paths And Errands Meet (Quest)

John Castiel and James Constantine Novak were twins. This was not always the case, and this point of contention caused some resentment and ill-feeling on the part of their less supportive family members. When their least supportive uncle drunkenly suggested finding a faerie to turn them back into one boy so they'd only be half the disappointment, Cas and Jimmy decided that, for their own safety and continued survival, they needed to find a faerie first. This was easier said than done.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 12: Pull Me Like A Ripcord (Discipline)

Jack was usually such an energetic child that it was a bit disconcerting at first to see him be so still and controlled.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 13: Not New, But New To Us (Splurge)

A faerie bargain to ensure no one remembered that John Castiel and James Constantine Novak hadn't actually been born twins in exchange for a week of service. At the end of the week, they were presented with an offer of permanent employment and the chance to move into their own home far away from the family that barely counted as such. Now Cas and Jimmy just needed to sort out certain details of living on their own, like buying actual groceries and even furniture.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 14: You Labeled Me, I'll Label You (Free Space)

Just because Sam understands why Dean completely overreacted to his getting hurt in the alicorn attack, that doesn't mean his older brother will be forgiven until he actually apologizes to Cas and Jimmy. His mother and younger brother agree.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 14: Bonus Art (Free Space)

Tumblr | AO3

Day 15: A Bit Of A Fixer-Upper (Craft)

Charlie Bradbury was a fixer, the kind of person who stuck it out in bad situations with needy people and tried to make things better. It wasn't much surprise that she would end up working for a half-faerie cafe owner who was exactly the same.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 16: Family Traditions, Part One (Spontaneous)

Every year, Lighthouse CommodiTeas would close for the whole day of May 18th so that Sam could spend the entire day with Jack on his son's birthday. This year, Jack wants to invite Cas and Jimmy to join them.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 17: Untangling The Heart (Pleasure)

Routines took time to develop, whether by choice or by accident, but they always had one point where it began.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 18: The Best Medicine (Pain)

The property where Sam meant to establish Lighthouse CommodiTeas had come with a fully stocked kitchen. It hadn't mattered at the time since Sam couldn't make food to serve without risking cursing his human customers. So once he hired a full time baker, it mattered a bit more... as did the accidental hazards left behind.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 19: When In Need (Shadow)

Since the Magical Revelation, strange things tended to happen a lot more often and openly, and it was usually best to check with a magical before deciding if something was cause for alarm or just another Thursday. And then Jack came home from school with two shadows.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 20: In Sickness (Partners)

Living in a magically integrated community had its perks. Unfortunately, immunity from illness was not one of them. Luckily, Cas's half-faerie boyfriend is willing to come stay with him and Jimmy to help take care of him, which leads to a few unexpected revelations about Sam... like the fact that he technically has his own magical twin.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 21: One Size Fits, Some Exclusions Apply (Reward)

Thanks to the efforts of Nox and Sam, Matthew Pike has been rescued and relocated to Avalon and a new foster mom who has some concerns. Cas does his best to be reassuring.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 22: For Better Or Worse (Sacrifice)

The quest for immortality was supposed to be long and arduous, full of peril and challenge before one sacrificed their mortality to live forever. At least... that was what they'd been told.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 23: Until The Break Of Dawn (Dance)

Summer break in Avalon meant tourist season, and there was plenty to draw them in. Some things, however, were as much for the locals as the tourists, and Midsummer Night was one of them.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 24: History Never Repeats (Apology)

Ceridmael had perfectly valid reasons for going off on his brother's little human pets after they nearly got him killed in an alicorn attack. He may have been lacking all of the facts when he did, though.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 25: Under The Light Of A Thousand Stars (Kiss)

Deciding that they were definitely dating now was the easy part. Sorting out what that would look like with their respective boundaries, comfort levels, and cultural differences was an ongoing process.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 26: Luck And Marriage Are What You Make Of Them (Rain)

A V-shaped polyamorous wedding was bound to have some quirks and peculiarities to it. This is even more true when two of the three are magically created twins and their soon-to-be husband is a prince of one Realm and a king of another. They've got this, though-- not even rain can slow them down.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 27: When The Time Is Right (Protect)

Sam got hurt protecting Cas and Jimmy from alicorns. Alicorns are drawn to virgins. Dean blames Cas and Jimmy for Sam getting hurt. Therefore, Cas believes that to protect Sam from getting hurt because of them again, he and Jimmy need to no longer be virgins. Things do not go as planned.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 28: In Health (Shy)

Meeting your boyfriend's magical twin who shares his body can be a tricky situation, especially when that twin is king of a hell dimension. It goes better than expected, and gives Sam the confidence to share another secret with his lovers.

Tumblr | AO3

Day 29: Family Traditions, Part Three

Cas and Jimmy were surprised but honored to be invited along on Jack's birthday trip to the planetarium with his dad. As it turned out, there was a lot more planned for this trip than just daytime stargazing, an unexpected return of trust, and another sort of invitation.

Tumblr | AO3

[thebandbis]

Happy Saturday! We still have two more albums to talk about with #30yearsofbis so let's get intimate this evening with Slight Disconnects. More detailed bis deets in the comments from Mr Sci Fi Steven

We didn't really exist during the early 2010's - the odd show here and there but lots of LIFE was happening and the band hadn't been anything approaching an actual job for quite some time. For our 20th anniversary, we put together a 2 CD compilation and recorded a new track Keep Your Darkness with the Data Panik/live bis line up but it didn't feel quite right. Similarly, we had a great song called Boredom Could Be Good For You that we couldn't get right either. I think we'd forgotten how to make records and it didn't seem particularly likely that we'd ever get round to doing a "proper" album again. As always, there were bits and pieces of songs and ideas floating about but no real purpose to see them through, but I bumped into Ian from the then recently born Last Night From Glasgow label at a record fair and he very quickly managed to convince me that making an album was not only something we should do but something the label would be delighted to help with. When it eventually emerged in early 2019, it was the first time we'd felt any buzz about the band for the best part of 2 decades so we'll always be grateful to LNFG for kicking our arses out of retirement. Whilst we've rarely scaled any commercial heights since our "comeback", without the push the label gave us we'd maybe not have got to the 30th anniversary in such relatively rude health.

Anyway, the album. Firstly - the budget = ZERO. Compared to the slickness we'd perfected on Social Dancing/Return To Central, this boy is RAW as sin. Sound of a Heartbreak is distorto-pop and, judging from the reaction at the St Luke's gig, a very fine example. Someone said it sounded like The Cult and I thank them for that. It contains a section in 5/4 (only the second time in bis catalogue history that we break 4/4 - the other is a ¾ section waaay back in Sci-Fi Superstar), an Ants Invasion/Fall chanty bit and ends up precisely in English Roundabout XTC territory but has become a mainstay in the live set and yes, if released in 1997 may have been an actual hit. I wished I'd dialled down the METAL sound of my guitar in the outro though - to be fair we were trying not only to remember how to make records but how to do them at home with no money.

I love I Wanna Go Out With Someone Else (working title Bells as it had more than a slight shade of Sleigh Bells about it) but feel it never connected for some reason so was quietly retired from the set when its release as a single provided entirely zero reaction. Our best Grand Royal/Beastie Boys one since Theme From Tokyo for me but hey, maybe it needed the BIG studio to bring it into commercial territory. Dracula provides some lovely familiar Devo territory (oh aye, I guess it's in 6/4 or something), a bit Clockwork Punk. We should play this more. Keeps our never-ending vampire theme going. I'm going to call a song Commodore 6/4 on the back of hearing this again. Home Economics is windy and wobbly and from this distance, strikes me as another lost hit. Although a hit from 1979-1981. Me and John having a Fripp-fight in the middle is entertaining and we should have asked Lora Logic to do some sax stabs on this. We Dream of Canada is more in Return To Central territory than anything else here so far. We are certainly firmly entrenched in the sounds of 1980 though, hadn't really realised quite how sonically it's lodged in that era. Most of the drum machine samples on this album are definitely of 80's descent and this one adds our banks of Juno 106's and JX-3P's to the mix. Can you be TOO 80's? Possibly.

This Slight Disconnect starts the second half of this very snappy 30-minute New Wave album. Definitely with borrowed bits from (forgotten?) bands of the 2000's - Clor and Baddies specifically. Also, I doubt anymore has ever noticed that the cowbell is stolen directly from The The's Infected. I think this rips off most other records than we normally do - we've become more confident to be bis again - but it's a fun snappy wee number. Hot Dog at the Rock Cafe is the one that people disliked the most but also LOVED the most. It certainly posts the way forward to Systems Music and is more 1989 than 1979. Lyrically too it's in SM4HD territory, pre-Covid nostalgia this time but it's quite possibly the only song in pop history that's about the town of Dunoon (extremely happy to be corrected on this). There is No Point... had been kicking about for a long time but finally found its voice in this form. The most actual PUNK tune on the album, great vocal from Manda here. It's a proper old-school bis throwback job and is both great fun and actually funny. Michael M did us a tremendous video made of old public service short films that captures the essence of this weird little tune. Features an Eno reference, far removed from all the Eno references of Return To Central though.

Combination Rock is mostly John and is my favourite tune on the record. I'm getting XTC/Futureheads/Field Music. We can't play it live because it's too high for any human male to sing. Which is a shame. We then end on Manda's tribute to our tour manager/best pal Stuart Mason who was taken far too young. I wish we had the time/cash to have ramped up the production of this and realised too late that we had stolen an entire section of Playgirl by Ladytron (knew it was naggingly familiar but couldn't quite place it). For me, these songs are as good as anything we'd done but yeah - we were trying to relearn our craft so it's more flawed and vulnerable than what we'd come up with next.

TRIVIA - The Rock Cafe is a real cafe in Dunoon. "The housing was temporary" line refers to the American naval base that was based at the Holy Loch near Dunoon when me and John were wee - I always thought the flats that were built for the American workers and their families were knocked down when the base left, but they're still there. Apologies for the factual inaccuracies.

The guitar melody from The Big Sunshine is stolen from a mad Drum n Bass tune I made in about 1998. We do often dig into the archives for reassessment and this riff was plucked out. The irony of The Big Sunshine is that Stuart would probably have hated it - ear bleeding thrashy punk was much more his style.

[hieromonkcharbel]

Can the Ladder, a work written by a hermit monk who lived 1,400 years ago, say something to us today? Can the existential journey of a man who lived his entire life on Mount Sinai in such a distant time be relevant to us?

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

After 20 Catecheses dedicated to the Apostle Paul, today I would like to return to presenting the great writers of the Church of the East and of the West in the Middle Ages. And I am proposing the figure of John known as Climacus, a Latin transliteration of the Greek term klimakos, which means of the ladder (klimax). This is the title of his most important work in which he describes the ladder of human life ascending towards God. He was born in about 575 a.d. He lived, therefore, during the years in which Byzantium, the capital of the Roman Empire of the East, experienced the greatest crisis in its history. The geographical situation of the Empire suddenly changed and the torrent of barbarian invasions swept away all its structures. Only the structure of the Church withstood them, continuing in these difficult times to carry out her missionary, human, social and cultural action, especially through the network of monasteries in which great religious figures such as, precisely, John Climacus were active.

John lived and told of his spiritual experiences in the Mountains of Sinai, where Moses encountered God and Elijah heard his voice. Information on him has been preserved in a brief Life (PG 88, 596-608), written by a monk, Daniel of Raithu. At the age of 16, John, who had become a monk on Mount Sinai, made himself a disciple of Abba Martyr, an "elder", that is, a "wise man". At about 20 years of age, he chose to live as a hermit in a grotto at the foot of the mountain in the locality of Tola, eight kilometres from the present-day St Catherine's Monastery. Solitude, however, did not prevent him from meeting people eager for spiritual direction, or from paying visits to several monasteries near Alexandria. In fact, far from being an escape from the world and human reality, his eremitical retreat led to ardent love for others (Life, 5) and for God (ibid., 7). After 40 years of life as a hermit, lived in love for God and for neighbour years in which he wept, prayed and fought with demons he was appointed hegumen of the large monastery on Mount Sinai and thus returned to cenobitic life in a monastery. However, several years before his death, nostalgic for the eremitical life, he handed over the government of the community to his brother, a monk in the same monastery.

John died after the year 650. He lived his life between two mountains, Sinai and Tabor and one can truly say that he radiated the light which Moses saw on Sinai and which was contemplated by the three Apostles on Mount Tabor!

He became famous, as I have already said, through his work, entitled The Climax, in the West known as the Ladder of Divine Ascent (PG 88, 632-1164). Composed at the insistent request of the hegumen of the neighbouring Monastery of Raithu in Sinai, the Ladder is a complete treatise of spiritual life in which John describes the monk's journey from renunciation of the world to the perfection of love. This journey according to his book covers 30 steps, each one of which is linked to the next. The journey may be summarized in three consecutive stages: the first is expressed in renunciation of the world in order to return to a state of evangelical childhood. Thus, the essential is not the renunciation but rather the connection with what Jesus said, that is, the return to true childhood in the spiritual sense, becoming like children. John comments: "A good foundation of three layers and three pillars is: innocence, fasting and temperance. Let all babes in Christ (cf. 1 Cor 3: 1) begin with these virtues, taking as their model the natural babes" (1, 20; 636). Voluntary detachment from beloved people and places permits the soul to enter into deeper communion with God. This renunciation leads to obedience which is the way to humility through humiliations which will never be absent on the part of the brethren. John comments: "Blessed is he who has mortified his will to the very end and has entrusted the care of himself to his teacher in the Lord: indeed he will be placed on the right hand of the Crucified One!" (4, 37; 704).

The second stage of the journey consists in spiritual combat against the passions. Every step of the ladder is linked to a principal passion that is defined and diagnosed, with an indication of the treatment and a proposal of the corresponding virtue. All together, these steps of the ladder undoubtedly constitute the most important treatise of spiritual strategy that we possess. The struggle against the passions, however, is steeped in the positive it does not remain as something negative thanks to the image of the "fire" of the Holy Spirit: that "all those who enter upon the good fight (cf. 1 Tm 6: 12), which is hard and narrow,... may realize that they must leap into the fire, if they really expect the celestial fire to dwell in them" (1,18; 636). The fire of the Holy Spirit is the fire of love and truth. The power of the Holy Spirit alone guarantees victory. However, according to John Climacus it is important to be aware that the passions are not evil in themselves; they become so through human freedom's wrong use of them. If they are purified, the passions reveal to man the path towards God with energy unified by ascesis and grace and, "if they have received from the Creator an order and a beginning..., the limit of virtue is boundless" (26/2, 37; 1068).

The last stage of the journey is Christian perfection that is developed in the last seven steps of the Ladder. These are the highest stages of spiritual life, which can be experienced by the "Hesychasts": the solitaries, those who have attained quiet and inner peace; but these stages are also accessible to the more fervent cenobites. Of the first three simplicity, humility and discernment John, in line with the Desert Fathers, considered the ability to discern, the most important. Every type of behaviour must be subject to discernment; everything, in fact, depends on one's deepest motivations, which need to be closely examined. Here one enters into the soul of the person and it is a question of reawakening in the hermit, in the Christian, spiritual sensitivity and a "feeling heart", which are gifts from God: "After God, we ought to follow our conscience as a rule and guide in everything," (26/1,5; 1013). In this way one reaches tranquillity of soul, hesychia, by means of which the soul may gaze upon the abyss of the divine mysteries.

The state of quiet, of inner peace, prepares the Hesychast for prayer which in John is twofold: "corporeal prayer" and "prayer of the heart". The former is proper to those who need the help of bodily movement: stretching out the hands, uttering groans, beating the breast, etc. (15, 26; 900). The latter is spontaneous, because it is an effect of the reawakening of spiritual sensitivity, a gift of God to those who devote themselves to corporeal prayer. In John this takes the name "Jesus prayer" (Iesou euche), and is constituted in the invocation of solely Jesus' name, an invocation that is continuous like breathing: "May your remembrance of Jesus become one with your breathing, and you will then know the usefulness of hesychia", inner peace (27/2, 26; 1112). At the end the prayer becomes very simple: the word "Jesus" simply becomes one with the breath.

The last step of the ladder (30), suffused with "the sober inebriation of the spirit", is dedicated to the supreme "trinity of virtues": faith, hope and above all charity. John also speaks of charity as eros (human love), a symbol of the matrimonial union of the soul with God, and once again chooses the image of fire to express the fervour, light and purification of love for God. The power of human love can be reoriented to God, just as a cultivated olive may be grafted on to a wild olive tree (cf. Rm 11: 24) (cf. 15, 66; 893). John is convinced that an intense experience of this eros will help the soul to advance far more than the harsh struggle against the passions, because of its great power. Thus, in our journey, the positive aspect prevails. Yet charity is also seen in close relation to hope: "Hope is the power that drives love. Thanks to hope, we can look forward to the reward of charity.... Hope is the doorway of love.... The absence of hope destroys charity: our efforts are bound to it, our labours are sustained by it, and through it we are enveloped by the mercy of God" (30, 16; 1157). The conclusion of the Ladder contains the synthesis of the work in words that the author has God himself utter: "May this ladder teach you the spiritual disposition of the virtues. I am at the summit of the ladder, and as my great initiate (St Paul) said: "So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love' (1 Cor 13: 13)!" (30, 18; 1160).

At this point, a last question must be asked: can the Ladder, a work written by a hermit monk who lived 1,400 years ago, say something to us today? Can the existential journey of a man who lived his entire life on Mount Sinai in such a distant time be relevant to us? At first glance it would seem that the answer must be "no", because John Climacus is too remote from us. But if we look a little closer, we see that the monastic life is only a great symbol of baptismal life, of Christian life. It shows, so to speak, in capital letters what we write day after day in small letters. It is a prophetic symbol that reveals what the life of the baptized person is, in communion with Christ, with his death and Resurrection. The fact that the top of the "ladder", the final steps, are at the same time the fundamental, initial and most simple virtues is particularly important to me: faith, hope and charity. These are not virtues accessible only to moral heroes; rather they are gifts of God to all the baptized: in them our life develops too. The beginning is also the end, the starting point is also the point of arrival: the whole journey towards an ever more radical realization of faith, hope and charity. The whole ascent is present in these virtues. Faith is fundamental, because this virtue implies that I renounce my arrogance, my thought, and the claim to judge by myself without entrusting myself to others. This journey towards humility, towards spiritual childhood is essential. It is necessary to overcome the attitude of arrogance that makes one say: I know better, in this my time of the 21st century, than what people could have known then. Instead, it is necessary to entrust oneself to Sacred Scripture alone, to the word of the Lord, to look out on the horizon of faith with humility, in order to enter into the enormous immensity of the universal world, of the world of God. In this way our soul grows, the sensitivity of the heart grows toward God. Rightly, John Climacus says that hope alone renders us capable of living charity; hope in which we transcend the things of every day, we do not expect success in our earthly days but we look forward to the revelation of God himself at last. It is only in this extension of our soul, in this self-transcendence, that our life becomes great and that we are able to bear the effort and disappointments of every day, that we can be kind to others without expecting any reward. Only if there is God, this great hope to which I aspire, can I take the small steps of my life and thus learn charity. The mystery of prayer, of the personal knowledge of Jesus, is concealed in charity: simple prayer that strives only to move the divine Teacher's heart. So it is that one's own heart opens, one learns from him his own kindness, his love. Let us therefore use this "ascent" of faith, hope and charity. In this way we will arrive at true life.

Vatican, Feb. 11, 2009

[fishsticksloser]

Hi fishy

1, 3, and 5 for Liam?

1. How many living parents does your OC have? If they're alive, where are they now and what's your OC's relationship with them? If they're dead, how did they die?

They're dead. During the invasion, their business' building collapsed and they were trapped inside. The didn't live long after that due to their injuries and smoky/dusty air suffocating them.

3. How did your OC feel the first time they left home? Why did they leave?

He felt relieved. He could finally be his own person, not used as a tool to make his brothers look better. He was able to do and eat whatever he wanted without being made to feel bad for it.

5. What did your OC think their life would be like when they grew up? Has it lived up to that expectation?

He felt like he was always going to be stuck. Like he would never be loved due to how John and the nanny treated him.

Thankfully, he was wrong.

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[sixamese-simblr]

Alien Invasion: Family trees 25 years in

It's been 25 years since the invasion of Pleasantview and Strangetown started. Since Tycho is technically born in-game and he had a baby with Lucy Burb, the first born in-game generation is now complete for my alien invasion hood!

PT was really busy early on, but his jobs have slowed down lately. The rule was to only summon him when a human man rolled a want for a baby. Among his kids are Tycho, Vidcund Jr., Loki's twins Atom and Ceres and their younger sister Elektra (number 7 in the row), and finally John Burbs 3 alien kids Jane, Joe and Jack. Tycho already has a child of his own, little Joule with Lucy Burb.

Stella has a relatively modest number of kids at 4. Her eldest, Aster (pictured second), was born from her short-lived marriage to Cassandra Goth, and Deneb (pictured first) was born about a year after, from the affair she had with Darren that ended that marriage. She has two girls from her marriage to Vidcund: Violet and Cundy Sinclair Nova.

Chloe is happily married to Ripp, and has three children with him: Melanie, Bruno and Flavio. Outside of her marriage, she has three more: Azzura Goth, Alexander's daughter, Junior Oldie, Herb's son, and Rina Singles, the daughter she had with Nina. Only Junior and Rina have any alien DNA, although it remains unexpressed in Junior.

Lola has only two kids, Sitara and Parveen Loner in a previous marriage to Ajay. Sitara, the younger of the two, possesses recessive alien genes.

Jill has 3 kids, 2 with her longtime fiancé Buck: Jeff and Jess. Additionally, she has a toddler age son with Beau: Bill Broke. Jess has her grandfather's green skin, and Bill has latent alien DNA.

Johnny has done one hell of a job, with no fewer than 9 children. From eldest to youngest, we have Gertrude Nigmos, with the late Ophelia, Esmeralda Broke with Dustin, Diana and Dzvezda Smith with Dirk, Beelzebub Pleasant with Lilith, Justina Smith with Dina, twins Arma and Colt Grunt with Tank and finally baby Eric Davis with Johnny's most recent ex-husband Aldric. Of these, Justina is homozygous for alien genes, making her the first full blood alien to be born in the neighborhood.

Dina has a modest 4 children. Her eldest two are the twins Dino and Regina Goth with Mortimer, followed by her son Michael with her wife Angela. Finally, she had Justina with Johnny, as previously mentioned. Michael has latent alien genes.

Unfortunately, Nina and her husband Don passed away when a cockroach-borne epidemic swept SimCity. With him, she had two daughters called Jezebel and Carmen Lothario. Outside of her marriage, she had 5 more kids: Laser Grunt with Buzz, Rina Singles with Chloe, Paul Curious with Vidcund, Nino Pleasant with Daniel and Ulysses Beaker with Circe. Of these, Rina and Ulysses have alien skin, and Nino has recessive alien genes.

In total, this means the next generation consists of no fewer than 42 sims. 24 of those have alien skin, with one of them being a full alien. 5 sims have recessive alien genes, and 13 are fully human.

For the upcoming generation, I will be focusing on pairing off the half-alien offspring with each other. Hopefully, by the next generation we will have arrived at the final stage of the alien invasion, and we have at least one fully viable court consisting of a queen and several drones, each fully alien.