#life according to Jen

[beautifulhigh]

[load day: character, Jen]

wake up tired having had weird and unsettling dreams

still have a weird ache in your hip that is more uncomfortable than painful

fall back asleep

wake up 30 minutes before you have to log into work

force yourself up and go through your morning routine

log in on time

start working through your colleague's files as she will be back on Monday and so everything needs to be ready for her to pick up

start working through another colleague's files (we shall call her A) because she is now off for two weeks

realise A's files are a mess

have long conversation with team leader about this because A has had a lot of support and these issues are not new

discuss plan for dealing with A's caseload which will involve the TL checking everything and kicking cases to you to be picked up/worked

see your caseload explode by six transfers before lunch

realise it's going to be a long day so decide that you will order in

place order for a hot sandwich and chicken dippers, plus a sweet treat from Greggs

Have a colleague call you to ask about another colleague (B) as they are worried about them

identify multiple issues that need addressing with B, but express concern about raising them (last time you tried to help B they lied about you to the point where you could have gotten in serious trouble)

make the call your colleague (C) booked in for 'someone' to take. After you had to rebook it to suit your diary because C just booked the slot and asked someone to take it, instead of asking who could do it and when would be best for them

Realise B's notes are not what they should be and spend time adding in what is missing

lunch arrives, open the (single) bag to realise there's no hot food in here and the delivery person has left and there is clearly "1/2" written on the bag

realise this means you have no lunch

try to report this to Just Eat (at time of the list, you have no response)

"log off" for lunch but work through because you have way too much to do

sit through team meeting in which a colleague (D) talks about an issue they have experienced. Point out this is not a new thing because of These Reasons. Be told by D that's not true. Reply saying the only reason Issue can happen is if Other People do things for These Reasons. D accepts this but continues to tell you that you're wrong

after the meeting ends, talk to someone working alongside your department who is going to go out of their way to help you out. Realise that this is probably the first good thing to happen in your day

Work on your own case! Huzzah! Ask a whole bunch of complicated questions that they don't know the answer to and pretend it's not a big deal when they don't know what would be the equivalent of someone not knowing their Tumblr blog username

Go back to A's cases and manage to pick your way through one of them enough to be able to do the case write up. This is made all the more challenging as the evidence file is not what it should be

log off work at 1645 because you cannot still be logged in at 1700 due to working hour guidelines on start and end times for the day. Realise you have added over two hours to your already significant flexi credit

Know your To Do list for Monday is already too long for a single day, and you still have to sort out the details for the site visit on Wednesday

you still haven't had anything decent to eat

and you need to get your steps in for the day

make a plea on Tumblr for cat pictures because you miss your girl a lot today. Have many pictures added in a reblog chain and sent privately to you

marvel a little that you made it to the end of the day without crying but hey, there's a couple of hours left

[warping-realities]

Life Adjustment (Repost)

“Did you want to see me, Jack?” said Stu, throwing himself onto one of the armchairs in his brother's enormous office.

Jackson, Stu's brother and the current president of the construction company founded by their father, looked at his younger brother with piercing eyes.

"I'm glad you could make it to our meeting, Stuart, considering you've been busy doing nothing every day for the past few years." Was the response given by the obviously less than happy older brother, as he looked in disgust at his younger brother's paint-stained clothes that had just ruined an expensive armchair.

"Come on, Jack, that's not fair; you know everything I've been through!"

"Everything you've been through? Please, Stuart, being dumped by your college girlfriend is not an excuse to let yourself go and become a bum still living in your parents' old basement. You're 25 years old and haven't done anything useful with your life."

"I wasn't dumped, Jack. She died, you idiot!"

"Yes, very sad, but it's been almost five years, five years during which I've supported your filthy habits, your gym routine, your entire lazy life as a talentless artist. That's enough!"

"I have a stake in this company..."

"Then take responsibility!"

"... and you don't understand, Jen was the love of my life," Stu concluded as if he hadn't been so rudely interrupted.

"Jen? Who's Jen, Stuart?" Jackson asked with a slight smile.

"Who's Jen? You must be kidding, Jack!"

"You know I don't tolerate childish habits, especially in my workplace, Stuart. So I ask again, who is Jen? I've never heard you mention any Jen, brother."

"Jen, Jeniffer, my girlfriend who… wait, no, I don’t know… who is Jen?"

"Precisely," Jackson replied, his sly smile widening but never reaching his cold eyes. He watched an impossible transformation unfold before him. In the blink of an eye, with a flash, instead of the brother he knew and had come to deeply detest over the years, there was a better-groomed version, with a smoother beard and shorter hair, with more defined muscles in workout clothes. Still, far from what Jackson considered ideal.

"So, Jack, why did you call me here? I have a client scheduled at the gym, so I don't have much time."

"A client... at the gym?"

"Yeah, what else would a personal trainer be doing?"

Absorbing this information, Jackson decided to make one more correction.

"I don't understand, why waste a college degree working as a personal trainer, Stuart?"

"Maybe because I studied sports science, Jack."

"But your major was in business, Stuart."

"Business, no way... or... maybe..."

Another flash and another Stuart stood before Jackson. Much better, he thought, seeing the figure before him, dressed more appropriately, with a toned physique belonging to someone who clearly took care of himself but didn't scream "gym rat." Still, there was certainly room for improvement, but he decided to let this new version of his brother speak.

"I imagine you want to talk about the status of the new building downtown; I can assure you I'm in direct contact with the team, and everything is going according to plan, Jack."

"Team? What team, Stuart?"

"Our construction workers, of course."

"And why would you be in direct contact with them, Stuart?"

"Oh, maybe because that's my role in the company? Overseeing the progress of the projects, making sure everything's right, walking among the guys and knowing if they're satisfied with their work."

"Maybe that was the case a few years ago, before you went to college, when our dad wanted to test your abilities. But since you graduated and returned to the company, you begged me to take a position in the office because you couldn't stand being around lower-class people."

"What? No, I would never be that snobby, no, or... did I... ask? No... ask?"

Another flash, another Stuart. Almost there, Jackson thought as he saw this version of his brother. He was wearing a sports coat and khakis, but that relaxed attitude needed a few more adjustments...

"So, tonight I'm having another business dinner with some clients; I'm thinking about hitting up a club with a few of them; you should come along for an hour, bro."

"Actually, I called you here precisely because I wanted to discuss your outings, Stuart. I understand social connections are important, but we have employees for that, plus it's a waste of your MBA. So I'm moving you to the head of financial control, right below me."

"MBA? Jack... no, I... financial department? I don't want that... or do I?"

"Of course you do; you accepted the position last year."

"Last year?"

A new flash and a new version of Stuart. This time, Stuart was wearing a proper suit, although still regrettably without a tie, and despite the neatly combed hair, there was still that beard. This kind of carefree attitude was not ideal.

"The acquisition of the land in Arlington was a success, Jack, so much so that I organized a dinner with the responsible team, along with the bonuses they'll be getting."

"If they're already getting a bonus, why organize a dinner, Stuart? Besides, you've never been one for such frivolities; your life has always been extremely rigid and regimented. Taking care of your body to present a powerful and assertive image, dressing appropriately and behaving with dignity at work, keeping the right distance from the employees; after all, you are the boss. And I don't think I've ever seen you smile at them, let alone go to dinners with them. It's not in your nature; you know how to be sociable when you want to, of course, but only when there's a benefit for the company; after all, profits and the company's image are your biggest concerns," Jackson concluded, thinking that finally this time the result would be as expected.

"I... don't... smile... of course I smile... no... image... profits... yes... knowing how to behave..."

A new flash, and finally, the perfect version of Stuart was before him, Jackson thought. Still sitting rigidly in the armchair with a clean-shaven face and the hint of a sly smile, with the same cold eyes as his brother, impeccably dressed in a dark suit with a tie that made him look like a younger version of Jackson.

"Staff cuts have been made, Jackson; there were some tears from others about the increased workload, but I told them they'd manage or be replaced by someone who would."

"Excellent, Stuart, and how do you feel about that?"

"Sorry, Jackson, but I don't understand your question."

"Don't you feel bad about firing all those employees?"

"Why should I feel bad about that? My role is to think of what's best for this company, and that's what I did."

"So cold, brother. I have to be careful; otherwise, you'll end up taking my place."

"If you lower your standards, brother, I won't think twice."

Thinking quickly that he might have overdone it, Jackson intervened once more.

"I would believe that if I didn't know that since we were kids, I've been your biggest example, and above all, you are loyal to me, Stuart."

This time there was no visible flash, but a clear change in Stuart's eyes, which now showed a glimmer of admiration toward his older brother.

"Sure, brother, if I'm who I am today, it's thanks to you!" Stuart replied, standing up and speaking in a tone of voice that, though cold and distant, still displayed immense reverence for the figure before him.

Jackson couldn't help but display the closest thing he could muster to a smile that his nonexistent emotional skill would allow while responding to what, in his opinion, was a much-improved version of his brother.

"Indeed, brother, and I'm glad you recognize that."

[aboxofcereales]

Currently trying to collect all the information about our companies’ life before the events of Baldur’s Gate 3. Mainly, about their family and age. Any suggestions/editing will be very much welcome.

Huge thanks to everyone who aiding the cause in comments and reblogs.

Last update - 10 April 2024.

Wyll Ravengard: is about 24, has left the city when he was 17, in origin introduction states that he’s been exiled for 7 years. According to Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms, he's in fact 24 & Neutral Good. Apparently his dad, Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard, raised him by himself, Wyll’s mother, Francesca, passed away in childbirth, when Wyll was born, as stated by Ulder’s longsword description, Wyll mentions her during a romance scene in Act 3, also calls himself “a single son to a single father”. According to Murder in Baldur's Gate: Ravenguard has never married and has no interest in domestic matters, moreover the said sword description calls Wyll's mother Ulder's love, not wife, which makes me think that Wyll was born out of wedlock. Supposed to have 3 uncles. I’ve seen a note about Wyll diving to see a mermaid as kid, written by his dad, in the high security vault. Florrick seen him grow up, had a crush on Stelmane as a kid, also during his childhood enjoined fishing with his dad, but sucked at it. Also, Ravengard's Scourger states that "Duke Ravengard's father was the sort of man who works with his hands, and communicates in grunts. In his heart his son vowed to do better. But when Wyll was born, Ravengard felt a strange gravity that drew him away from his son.", that strange gravity might be Francesca's death in childbirth(?). Generally, I strongly advise to take him around the city in act 3, as he tells plenty stories of his boyhood.

Gale Dekarios: still not sure if there any information about how old he might be, but I estimated around mid-to-late 30s, though it doesn’t really sit well with him meeting Mystra as a kid (btw there’s an absolutely wonderful post on this topic by @lairofsentinel, check it out), still I’d like Gale to be on the older side, alternatively, he may be around 28-30 due Mystra's return year. Personal headcanon - he's 37. According to Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms, he's 35 & True Neutral. He casted his first spell as a babe - a score of rabbits in the panty. Apparently lives separately from his parents in his tower, at least as kid had them both (mentioned when he first tells about his friend-tressym, Tara), thou in his origin (at least as much as heard and played myself but @vitanithepure confirmed it) only his mother gets mentions, the state of the other parent is unknown. Has a very tender relationship with her, but didn’t inform her about the orbe for her own safety, her name may be Morena (godsblessdataminers), Mrs Dekarios really wants him to find someone to settle down with. Also, Tara hates his beard.

Shadowheart (Jenevelle Hallowleaf): is about 50, comments that Viconia documented about 40 years worth of her life at the hands of Shar, in the same note she writes that Shadowheart was able to keep her heart true to her child self, and was hard learning Shar lessons. As I understood when she was kidnapped, she was about 10-13, kidnapping was directly by the Shar command.According to Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms, she' 48 & Lawful Neutral. Personal headcanon - she's 51. After her abduction made friends with tiefling named Nocturne (they might have be more than friends?), had a pet mouse for sometime called Nibbles. There’s a grafiti somewhere behind Jaheira house which she has drawn. Shares a questionable taste of romance literature with Wyll and his father. Her parents’ fate, Emmeline and Arnell Hallowleaf: is up to you decisions. Her mother mentions that they wanted Jen to have siblings.

Karlach Cliffgate: early 30s I think, the way she speaks about Gortash makes me thinks she was practically a teenager when she started working for him and spend 10 year serving Zariel. Personal headcanon - she's 29. According to Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms, she's 30 & Chaotic Good. Her parents, Pluck and Caerlack, she moved them from Outer City to a nicer place. Her mom died due to fewer when she was a teen, dad a couple years later due to road accident. Both died before she met Gortash. Her mom seems to be behind her love for Minsc, Jaheira etc. You can meet her friend near Baldur’s statue.

Lae’zel of K’liir: seems to be barely 20. Githianky reach adulthood in their late teen, and as Lae’zel was yet to present a mindlflaer’s head, I think she’s the youngest in the party. According to Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms, she's exactly 22 & Lawful Evil. Personal headcanon - she's in fact 20. She hates owls due to their necks, Karlach agrees.

Astarion Ancunin: according to translation of his grave he only lived for 40 years before becoming spawn, spend 200 year as such. Safe guess - there's definitely smt wrong with his grave stone or/and translation as it messes the current year - from 220 to 250. According to Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms, he's 263, which doesnt seem right, & Neutral Evil. According the artbook he was a corrupted magistrate, which seem to be true atleast to pre-release version.

Halsin is 350, his family is from the High Forest, thou they are all gone. Spend 3 years captured by drow, loves honey and curving ducks. Jahiera is about 150-160, as she was a child in 1347. Has atleat five foster children: half-elf Rion, half-orc druid Jord, three humans - Jhessem, Fig, and Tate. Minsc was a statue from 1409 to 1480s.

[evermoresversion]

WISH YOU WERE SOBER, NICK LEISTER.

PAIRING Nick Leister x Fem!Reader.

TW/TAGS Alcohol abuse.

SUMMARY You and Nick are friends, he likes to go to parties, you don't so much, but that didn't stop him from taking you to all of the parties he was invited to, and in one of them when he was drunk he confessed what he felt, although you wished he had told you sober.

SONG Wish You Were Sober by Conan Gray.

NICK'S MASTERLIST | MASTERLIST | PART TWO

You had never been a fan of parties and if someone had told you that a certain black-haired boy would come into your life to take you to any party that crossed his mind, you would have laughed yourself to death.

Nick ensures that you are with him all the time, since according to him, you need to enjoy your youth more. But you were perfectly fine with enjoying your youth by staying home or going anywhere other than to a party.

The two had totally different definitions of fun.

"This party is shit." You declared looking at all the people who were focused on drinking, kissing someone or dancing between sweaty bodies. Gross.

"What do you say? If it's one of the best parties I've ever thrown, you break my heart." Nick pouted a smile as he looked at you.

"Whatever, I wish we could go." he just laughed leaning down to kiss your lips briefly, surprising you. He moved away from you to receive more guests. Plus it went without saying that he was drunk as fuck.

"What was that, queen?" Jen asked approaching you, she saw what had happened between you two a few seconds ago.

"Not even I know." You shrugged and saw that she was carrying two drinks, she followed your gaze and offered you a drink. "No, thanks."

"I wasn't asking you, take one at least." You knew that she would never give you any adulterated drink or anything like that, so you decided to have at least one drink.

"Thank you."

Nick once again approached the two of you, hugging you by the shoulders, pulling you close to his bare torso. He smelled of alcohol and his perfume that he always wears and was so well known for your nose.

"Don't drink anymore, please." you begged sighing looking at the people in the pool.

He looked at your drink and chuckled.

"So what do you do?" He mentioned pointing to your drink.

"But it's only one drink, you've drink around ten since we got here, if not more."

"They're not that many." he sneered and you removed his arm from your shoulders.

"Whatever, I'm leaving."

You started walking away from there, hoping with all your heart that Nick was following you. And you realized that was the case when you heard that he was exchanging drinks with a girl.

You both walked back to the exit of the place, which surprised you because he's the life of the party.

You entered your car since Nick's condition was not suitable for driving.

"Shall we go to your house or mine?" He cut you off by kissing you needily, lowering his hands to your waist, sending shivers down your spine as you felt the cold of his rings against your warm skin.

"What are you doing?" you pulled away confused and his eyes remained closed.

"I love you." he murmured kissing you again. Those three words made your heart race as you kissed him back.

After a few seconds both moved away, he kissing your forehead to let you drive. And you decided that the best thing was to go to his house.

"Real sweet, but I wish you were sober." you muttered under your breath, adjusting the mirror and seeing that he was already asleep.

disclaimer ── evermoresversion © 2023.

[probablyasocialecologist]

Under fortress capitalism controlling mobility through borders is elemental to the reproduction of capitalism, as they shield “the accumulation process and the imperial mode of living enjoyed by privileged groups, from disturbances by uncontrolled working class mobility.” By definition the imperial mode of living cannot be extended in an infinite manner, as it relies on unlimited access to land, labor, resources, and sinks outside the capitalist centers. At the same time, it has become increasingly attractive to the new global middle class that is evolving worldwide. In this sense there is increasing competition about who can have access to the imperial mode of living, whose privileges can only be preserved for a small minority through an ever-increasing level of violence. According to political scientist Jens Wissel “the central function of the post-fordist border is to defend the imperial mode of life”.

Jenny Ufer, Against Fortress Degrowth: The Need for a Border Perspective in the Degrowth Discourse

[eliteseven]

I don't wish to overwhelm you with countless AU prompts, so perhaps this is limited to just discussion - Wolfheart au? How would Serena deal with a werewolf Shadowheart? How would Shads' lycanthropy manifest?

Ah, Wolfheart 🥰 my beloved!!

I researched lycanthropy in BG3 when I was writing out Jen’s potential plot for the future! There are apparently different types of shifters and various forms of Lycanthropy:

Arnell might be a Lythari, according to a few diff sources. Most notably about the Lythari:

Whether in elf or wolf form, lythari were uncannily beautiful. As elves, they were often tall and fair, with pale blue or green eyes and silver hair. As wolves, they had light grey or silver fur and blue or brown eyes that betrayed their intelligence

Sounds like Arnell so far! They also mention Lythari are pacifists who prefer peace to violence.

Not sure if Arnell is one (I think the article states Lythari must willingly undergo a ritual - But this quote is from a BG3 page on TV Tropes.org so…who knows how accurate this is:

Arnell is a lycanthrope, possibly a Lythari elf given how teammates can tease a romanced Shadowheart about passing it on herself, who is able to turn into a great white wolf at will.

So let’s assume Shadowheart is a Lythari or willingly undergoes such a ritual to become one- I think it might look different from a typical werewolf transformation? Maybe Arnell bestows it upon Shadowheart in a moment where she direly needs it- or maybe it’s her way of saying she’s ready to embrace this part of her father’s life and her own history. Maybe it’s to finally overcome her fears and embrace a buried part of her?

It doesn’t seem as painful as the humanoid-wolf variation we see in common werewolves, so maybe it’s a more peaceful transition? I’m not sure if it’s a gradual change- (eg. Growing hair/fur over time in human form first) or if it’s an instant shift she can perform on the spot, at will. (Seems that way, though).

Serena loves Shadowheart, in every form 😭🥰 she’s used to Arnell in his wolf form, and she’s been traveling with Jaheira and Halsin long enough to be rather comfortable with the concept of shifters. I think it would bring her great happiness to see Shadowheart, green wolf eyes twinkling, majestic in wolf form, in stride with her father.

She remembers how terrified Shadowheart was when they saw that first wolf together in the grove….so much has changed. She gets to reclaim this part of herself, wild and free and everything Shadowheart ought to be.

If Shadowheart senses Tav tensing up a little the first time she approaches in wolf form, she’s extra slow with her movements. Scarred muzzle gently pressing into Serena’s ringed hand, reminding her she’s safe, that it’s still her. Serena kisses the spot between her eyes and she /swears/ she can see Shadowheart’s brow furrow adorably, just as it would in human form, and she laughs. Shadowheart’s deep rumbles of affection would make her melt 🥹

Shadowheart’s eyes are so expressive in wolf form. Serena thinks they’re breathtaking. She can sass Serena with just a blink and a little tilt of her head, and the meaning is still clear 😅 plus, Wolfheart wraps herself around Serena on colder nights, and who wouldn’t love a giant white plush wolf to cuddle up to?

And the way Wolfheart would be the leader of their little pack??? Scratch and Buttons and everyone else eagerly frolicking beside her??? 😭🥹 with Arnell???

It’s just poetic, at the end of the day. Shadowheart reunited with Selûne, with the moonlight, with her father and her inner wild side… everything Shar tried to rip away from her.

[creature-wizard]

The leader of the infamous Final Fantasy 7 cult (content warning for ableist language from many of the survivors, plus a lot of really triggering cult abuse in general) is a great example of what the cult leader you're most likely to actually run into looks like.

For all appearances, Jen was a pretty ordinary young adult, constant wearing of a purple skirt like a dress aside. She liked fantasy media and collecting shiny trinkets, as many young adults do. She was a far cry from the popular image of a creepy old guy in dark robes.

The first thing to notice here is how Jen constructed this incredibly grandiose narrative around herself. She presented herself as this powerful spiritual teacher who knew better than everybody else. She claimed she had a number of important roles, including stalking and watching vampires and being the queen of the fairies. She even claimed that she was the embodiment of the archangel Uriel, and that she was married to Metatron.

The next thing to notice in the survivors' accounts is how Jen worked to pull others into her narrative. They talk about how she'd find other people and decide that they were the reincarnations of various Final Fantasy 7 characters, and try and help them supposedly remember their past life memories.

And then there's the entitlement. According to survivors' accounts, Jen spent tens of thousands of other people's dollars, very often on nonessential items for herself. When things didn't go her way, she reportedly screamed at people and even physically assaulted them.

From these reports, we see a picture of someone who needed to be powerful and in control, who needed everything to revolve around her. She exploited vulnerable people around her own age - people who weren't in good states of mind, didn't have good boundaries, and didn't recognize the red flags.

A cult leader can be someone your own age. A cult leader can look like an ordinary person. A cult leader can live in an apartment building. A cult leader can be someone you meet on the Internet who introduces you to ideas like multiverse theory or tries to convince you that you had a past life.

What really defines a cult leader is the way they try to pull people into a reality of their own creating and make themselves dominant over others with it, and leverage that dominance to disrespect, hurt, and exploit people. Jen didn't have millions of followers or a ranch in the middle of nowhere to take those who did follow her. Based on survivors' accounts, she was capable of manipulating a number of young adults she met, and used that to take advantage of them and abuse them. That was what made her a cult leader.

[sylver-drawer]

So tired of people claiming LP Jennette was some evil and cruel mastermind.

The only person she was ‘hurting’ was Claude, because he was the object of her ‘revenge’ for her parents who, at that point, had found out/received the knowledge of being killed by him. Was it true? No, but she didn’t know that. In her point of view, her uncle after killing her parents became emperor through usurping the throne and even claimed he vanquished evil, that being her parents. How insulting is that? How dare he? In LP Jennette’s perspective, this act of pretending to be his daughter is her revenge. Other than that, she was a normal girl. She was noted as the only other person other than Lily who cared about LP Athy, by SBAPOD Athy’s own words. She’s also repetitively supported Athy in LP even though we only saw a small sliver of their life.

When Claude falls ill, and the officials beg her to oversee his matters, she obviously presents Athy as a better candidate. People kept saying it’s because she’s selfish and immature, but have they even read or dissected the scene correctly? She is Claude’s favored daughter which is why the officials ask of her. If her response was purely emotional and irritated, I would’ve understood the ‘selfish and immature’ sentiment. But she isn’t. Instead, she offers Athy instead by listing out Athy’s skills and knowledge that exceeds her own. Even though Jennette is officially the crown princess and successor, Athy has lived in the palace for eighteen years while Jennette arrived merely four years prior. Even if they received the same official education, Athy most definitely knows internal matters more than she does. It was also known by SBAPOD Athy herself that LP Athy studied tremendously to gain Claude’s favor before Jennette arrived on her own accord. Of course there’s no official record of it, why would there be an official statement of the abandoned princess’ tutelage? But Jennette knew this. Jennette knew Athy’s experience and intelligence, and presents this knowledge of Athy. It isn’t her being spoiled and a brat if she’s presenting true facts! There was some talk about her being cruel because she wished Claude would stay sick and unconscious, but isn’t this??? Exactly what SBAPOD Athy thinks when she sees a sleeping Claude during her runaway arc????? That if Claude is just going to kill her when he wakes up, that she wished he’d stay asleep then??? Like these are direct parallels to each other and it makes me insane that one is called cruel while the other is praised as a saint.

We have no idea what LP was about other than this sliver into their lives, but if it was anything like how the novel of SBAPOD was, it was full of people jealous of her sudden status and noble support. And this was even with Claude’s support, meaning she had to handle this predominantly on her own. If you think about it, despite how favored Jennette was, this is nothing like how SBAPOD Athy was treated. Athy was favored, just like LP Jen was. Enough to have tea party dates, happily spending time with each other day by day. But Athy isn’t surprised when Jennette gets targeted by other noble girls’ gossip and underhanded words in the main story. Rather, she treats it as something Jennette has to handle on her own. If Jennette was supposed to be a lovable character with a carefree journey, does that nonchalant behavior make sense? This can only mean that Athy knew Jen would face these kinds of situations from reading LP. And if we read between the lines, this means that LP Jennette’s experience is completely different from SBAPOD Athy’s experience. Athy had her own troubles, but when it came to socializing with other nobles, she was popular and loved. But even while favored by Claude, LP Jennette had to combat the nobles and their underhanded praises and snide remarks.

Seeing that this is the case, I just can’t see at all how LP Jennette is spoiled and immature, or some evil mastermind. LP Jennette still struggled despite being favored, and she knew the differences in her skills vs Athy’s skills appropriately. She has some darker emotions, but like her main story counterpart, she never showed it nor lashed out upon it in regard to others. I don’t see it at all, how she can be any more ‘evil’ than SBAPOD Athy, when LP Jen had way too many parallels to her as well.

[vintagelasvegas]

El Cortez Hotel & Casino, 1962. Santo & Johnny, Lorraine Barry, Martin Hale, and Marvelle on the board.

The legend of Fat Irish Green.

In 1962 Jackie Gaughan bought El Cortez from J. Kell Houssels, and inherited a permanent, non-paying resident that legend has come to know as Fat Irish Green.

El Cortez was owned in '45-46 by a group that included Ben "Bugsy" Siegel. It is considered the first mob ownership of a Las Vegas hotel-casino, a prelude to Siegel's involvement in opening the Flamingo Hotel.

In the legend of Fat Irish Green, Siegel places a satchel of cash in his care. After Siegel's murder in '47, mob associates search Siegel's Flamingo Hotel suite expecting to find thousands of dollars in cash and find only hundreds. The mob soon discovers that Fat Irish Green has the money.

According to Dean Jennings in, We Only Kill Each Other: The Life and Bad Times of Bugsy Siegel, “when the time came he surrendered the cash [and] he got his reward. For the past nineteen years Green has been living at the El Cortez Hotel in Las Vegas. He has never had a bill for room and board, and he gets small cash handouts now and then to pay for drinks and the other needs of life. The syndicate may cheat and rob and pay graft and kill, but they take care of a loyal man.”

Later versions of the story of Fat Irish Green imagine the man's character, depicting him similar to The Godfather's Luca Brasi, a bumbling killer who is devoted to the mob, stressing the quality of their loyalty to one another. Quotes or personal conversations between Siegel and Green have been invented in some stories, and the amount of money in the satchel ranges from tens to hundreds of thousands. The legend ignores that Green is rewarded a room at El Cortez after Siegel and mob associates had already sold the hotel. The account by Dean Jennings was the first time the story of Fat Irish Green was published, and the book contains no citations or sources. The story is also told in When the Mob Ran Vegas, which contains no citations or sources.

In a panel at the Mob Museum in 2024, Michael Gaughan, son of Jackie, was asked about this legend.

“You want to know about Fat Irish Green? He was never called Fat Irish Green. I was with him for seven years and no one called him Fat Irish Green. Someone wrote a book and called him that.”

“He was a money runner for Siegel,” said Gaughan, “and he was a degenerate craps shooter. He blew the money one day, and they kind of forgave him. Six months later he did it again, and they took him out to the desert and beat him with a baseball bat. He did no favor for Siegel. J. Kell Houssels and Benny Binion supported him.”

“My dad bought El Cortez from Houssels and we inherited this guy. My dad told him, ‘Find an apartment, wherever you want to go, any apartment, I’ll pay the rent. I just want you out of the hotel.‘ And the next day Kell called. After that he stayed there every day. He was not bright, but he caused no problems.”

Mob Museum. Sons of the Pioneers: Remembering Las Vegas Legends. 5/8/2024.

[newsatsix1986]

A sombre shot of Sam Reid and John Leary as Dale Jennings and Murray Gallagher from No More Lies, as well as some others ❤️

.

.

Next Thursday, it will have been three years since No More Lies first went to air on the ABC. It’s a funny feeling, seeing all these Season One episodes reach their third year anniversaries, as I have such strong vivid memories of watching this show as it first aired, whilst we were in lockdown. It truly doesn’t feel like that long ago, but according to time and mathematics, it is.

No More Lies really did strike a nerve. It’s brilliantly brave and searing storytelling around the plight of HIV and AIDS affected people and how the media represented - or rather, misrepresented - their stories and circumstances. This is why I love The Newsreader so dearly. It hasn’t portrayed the 1980s through rose-coloured glasses, and has sought to elevate the stories and perspectives that were either misrepresented or not represented at all during the time. It also demonstrates how easy it is to fall for misinformation, and I genuinely believe that this episode is a great lesson in media literacy. The whole show itself, but in particular this episode, should be used in schools and universities.

A part of my paternal family history is my Dad’s younger brother, who was a young gay man who contracted HIV during the 1990s. This was the decade in which medical treatment and antiretroviral therapies became available to significantly prolong the progression of the virus to AIDS in HIV-affected patients. He was thankfully able to benefit from these therapies and medications, which bought him two decades of life, longer than our Russ and Caroline would have lived for.

We sadly lost my paternal uncle Christmas 2012, when he was only forty years old. Through watching this episode with my Dad, it gave me the courage and the instigator for a discussion about my uncle’s condition, how people responded to it, and how it impacted his life. I’ll forever be grateful to No More Lies, and especially to Michael Lucas and Kim Ho, for giving me the opportunity to have this discussion with my Dad, which I had been hesitant to have for at that point nine years. Never underestimate the power of good media and the conversations and connections it can bring about. 💖🌟

[atheostic]

Atheist YouTube Masterpost (Update 2)

Apostate Aladdin - A look at Islam from an atheist perspective by a former Muslim.

Aron Ra - Mostly posts of his speeches at atheist conferences, responses to religious nonsense, and educational content relating to where the Bible gets science wrong as well as an awesome breakdown of major taxonomic sections.

Atheist Experience - A call-in show where anyone can call in to discuss religion. They prefer theist callers, but atheists who need advice on issues regarding being atheist (e.g. family conflict because of one’s atheism, how/if to come out, etc) are welcome to call in too.

Atheist Lowdown - Atheist Lowdown is a weekly secular news aggregate vlog intended for busy freethinkers, humanists, atheists, agnostics, and any combination thereof who want the latest coverage of religious violence and oppression, the efforts of likeminded nonbelievers, and other related stories. 

Cosmic Skeptic - A place for the discussion of philosophical topics ranging from the crucially important to the trivially interesting.

Dallas Wade – A channel with mostly video essays and reaction videos regarding Christianity.

Forrest Valkai – A channel by an evolutionary biologist where he talks about evolution and science as well as reacts to creationist videos. He’s very funny and friendly and his explanations are very approachable for laypeople of all levels.

Friendly Atheist - The YouTube channel of Hemant Mehta, a former member of the board of directors for Foundation Beyond Belief. He mostly discusses news and has a playlist where he discusses “Everything Wrong In Genesis in the Bible”. He also runs a website, friendlyatheist.com in case you prefer reading to viewing or listening.

Fundie to Frei - An ex-Jewish channel on "advice and awareness about growing up with religious fundamentalism and coping in the "afterlife" transition."

Genetically Modified Skeptic - An atheist look at various issues relating to religion.

Godless Bitches - The Godless Bitches is a podcast focusing on atheist issues from a feminist perspective featuring Vi La Bianca, Jenna Belk, Jen Aldrich, & guests. The show streams every 2nd & 4th Sundays of the month at 6pm directly after The Atheist Experience.

Godless Engineer - Focuses on response to religious videos. Also has a “Bible Study” series.

Godless Granny – “Atheist commentary on the Bible, women’s issues, LGBTQ issues, legal/ political and other current events. Intent is to invite discussion leading to critical thinking about religion and it’s effects on people.” If you’re interested in hearing from an older atheist who deconverted later in life,this is the channel for you.

Gutsick Gibbon – She’s a PhD student in Biological Anthropology, so her main area of interest is human evolution and debunking creationist misinformation. According to her, in her channel you can find content  “concerning primates, general zoology, paleontology, anthropology, and evolutionary biology.”

Holy Koolaid - A channel by Thomas Westbrook (a former Jehovah’s Witness) that features news, discussions about the Bible, discussions about the historicity of events in the Bible, and more. He has a playlist for “Nothing Fails Like Bible History” and also often looks at religious cults.

JaclynGlenn -  An atheist who talks about a variety of topics.

JeGaysus – I’m not really sure if he’s atheist (sometimes I think he might be, other times I’m not sure), but his gay Jesus persona is too funny not to share.

Jimmy Snow - A show with a mix of subject material, typically dealing with atheism and LGBT+-related stuff.

John Cedars - A range of videos aimed at dissecting the various teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as new developments in the religion. In particular, he tries to keep on top of the latest propaganda released by Watchtower by way of video rebuttals as much as possible.

Kristi Burke - An ex-Evangelical who discusses religion and atheism (mainly focuses on Christianity when talking about religion).

The Line - A call-in show similar to Atheist Experience started by Jimmy Snow.

Logicked – “Entertaining responses to bad arguments, with a focus on atheism and debunking religion.”

Matt Dillahunty - Matt Dillahunty’s personal YT channel.

Non-Prophets - The Non-Prophets focuses on atheism and the separation of church and state.

NonStampCollector - Lots of fantastic little animations regarding atheism.

Parenting Beyond Belief - Parenting Beyond Belief is a live call-in show every 2nd and 4th Saturday at 1pm Central dedicated to peer support and guidance for secular parents and those wanting to learn more about non-religious families.

Paulogia -  A former Christian takes a look at the claims of Christians, wherever science is being denied in the name of ancient books.

Professor Stick - Mostly does reply videos to debunk pseudoscience on the internet.

Prophet of Zod - Everything from satirical atheist cartoons to a guy with a static head and no discernible facial features talking about atheism-related stuff. His most popular section is a series on “Dumb Things People Say to Atheists”, where he very calmly and respectfully explains why what the thing is dumb and how best to respond.

Rachel Oates - A channel which deals with a variety of sujects, from poetry to atheist news to book reviews of religious books and more. 

Secular Sexuality -  Secular Sexuality is a weekly call-in show live from Austin, Texas every Thursday at 7pm CT where they talk about sex from a secular perspective.

Shannon Q - An atheist who talks about a variety of topics.

Secular Spirit - An ex-Muslim who talks about religion and atheism.

Sir Sic – A reaction video channel where the host is a cartoon knight.

Skeptics & Scoundrels – A very new channel by an atheist ex-JW. I personally like him already. Before talking about why he disagrees with the paster he’s responding to, he makes a point of finding something nice to say about the person (“Your beard is cool – baby birds could nest in that thing!”), which I think it’s a neat and unique approach. He doesn’t have a lot of videos yet but give it time. :)

The SkepTick – A pretty fun channel of mostly reaction vids reacting to religious videos.

Sound of Science – Mostly a reaction video blog regarding unscientific beliefs.

Suris the Skeptic - He tackle issues of religion, morality, philosophy, and a touch of science.

Talk Heathen - Talk Heathen is a weekly call-in television show in Austin, Texas geared toward long-form and on-going dialogue with theists & atheists about religion, theism, & secularism.

Telltale - Typically looks at cults and religion-related news.

The Thinking Atheist – Typically video essays and the visual version of a podcast by the same name. The host’s voice sounds exactly like an old-timey radio announcer. lol

TMM – A channel mostly featuring reactions to Christian content.

Truth Wanted - A show similar to Atheist Experience and Talk Heathen, it focuses on how and why people believe what they believe, and how you can talk about beliefs in more effective ways.

Viced Rhino - Response videos to pseudo-scientific nonsense on YouTube.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Jonathan Cohn at HuffPost:

One of the Biden administration’s biggest legislative setbacks came when Democratic leaders had to give up on their “caregiving” agenda. The idea had been to transform everyday life for tens of millions of Americans by guaranteeing access to child care and paid leave, as well as home care for seniors and people with disabilities. And while the concept enjoyed plenty of support among high-ranking officials, few (if any) made it as much of a priority as Vice President Kamala Harris.

Harris had championed all three policies as early as the presidential transition, according to several sources inside and outside the White House who spoke with HuffPost. Later, Harris and her advisers advocated internally for including major new investments as part of what eventually became known as the “Build Back Better” legislation. “Her policy team really fought for it,” said Ai-jen Poo, who, as president of the National Workers Alliance, worked closely with the administration. And when efforts to enact the reforms eventually came up short because two members of the Senate Democratic caucus wouldn’t vote yes on the full legislative package, Harris made sure her allies knew the fight wasn’t over. “The vice president personally said to me that she is really committed to moving this agenda forward,” Poo said, “that she’s not going to give up, and we shouldn’t give up, either.” At the time, it felt like a promise for what President Joe Biden might pursue in a second term if he got one. Now, with Biden stepping aside and Harris the Democrats’ presumptive 2024 nominee, Poo cites that statement as one of several signs Harris would make caregiving a priority if she wins in November.

That feels like a pretty good bet. Election Day is less than four months away, Inauguration Day less than two months after that. But the unique circumstances of this campaign mean the elements of Harris’ prospective agenda are less clear than they normally would be at this point, at least by Democratic Party standards. On the one hand, Harris is part of an incumbent administration, running on its record and previously announced plans for new initiatives. But while Harris has certainly helped to shape both, she has never been the ultimate decision-maker. It’s safe to assume Harris has some different ideas about what to do or, at least, how to prioritize. Had there been a normal primary campaign, Harris would have sketched out that governing vision.

That never happened, and it’s probably not going to happen now. With her candidacy not even two weeks old, plus a running mate still to name and a convention still to stage, Harris doesn’t have the time to put together a bunch of new policies, let alone introduce them with speeches, white papers and expert testimonials. Her press team, meanwhile, isn’t saying much about policy ― except to confirm that Harris is no longer committed to some of the more progressive positions of her 2020 presidential bid, like promising to ban fracking or promoting a kinda-sorta-Medicare-for-All plan. Not that big new agenda pronouncements would get a ton of attention anyway. Threats to democracy and attacks on abortion rights are understandably much bigger preoccupations right now, and for much of the electorate, the most important thing about Harris is that she would fight both.

But Harris could win, putting her in a position to lay out a legislative agenda. And there’s plenty of reason to think caregiving initiatives would be a bit part of that, including the fact that policy conditions — in particular, the expiration of Trump-era tax cuts that could free up trillions in new funding — could give Harris a shot at ambitious, even historic reforms if she has a willing Congress to go along. “She could walk away from that first term saying that I brought America its first paid family leave and universal pre-K, and a refundable child tax credit that basically ends child poverty ― that’d be a hell of a legacy,” Bharat Ramamurti, former deputy director of the National Economic Council, told HuffPost. “That’s really within grasp.”

The political environment has shifted a lot since then, with challenges tied to care for children, elders and people with disabilities getting more attention. A driving force behind this shift has been the arrival of so many more women in so many more positions of authority. Kamala Harris is one of them. The well-being of children has been an area of focus ever since she was a district attorney in San Francisco and, later, the attorney general for California. Her legacy in the state includes the creation of a Bureau for Children’s Justice, which used the attorney general’s authority to investigate and (when appropriate) punish private and public sector organizations that serve children. Harris’ work to protect foster kids and juveniles in the justice system won praise from child welfare advocates, although an initiative to prosecute parents of truant children drew sharp criticism. (Harris later said she had regrets about it.)

[...]

Stories Of Working Mothers, Including Hers

Harris took an even bigger swing when she signed on to the “FAMILY Act,” a Democratic bill to guarantee paid leave — and then, as part of her presidential bid for 2020, rolled out an even more ambitious proposal that envisioned six months of paid leave. “I’ve been saying she is, in a lot of ways, the strongest paid leave elected [official] or candidate we’ve ever seen,” said Dawn Huckelbridge, founding director of Paid Leave for All. To make the case for paid leave, Harris frequently invokes the story of somebody close to her heart: her mother, who in her final years was battling cancer. “These issues have always been part of her agenda,” said Vicki Shabo, a longtime gender equity policy expert now at New America’s Better Life Lab (though speaking in her personal capacity, not for the organization). “She talks about her mother, her mother being such an important influence, and then pivots to her mother being sick and needing to care for her.” As a senator, Harris also cosponsored the Child Care for Working Families proposal, which sought to create “universal child care” by giving states enough money to cap child care costs for any family at 7% of household income. It was a vision for the largest expansion of the welfare state since the Affordable Care Act, one that would require hundreds of billions of dollars of new government spending in just the first 10 years.

[...]

The Caregiving Agenda’s Policy Questions

One reason to think these interests might carry over into a Harris presidency is that she has made early, clear references to both child care and paid leave in her speeches since becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee. [...] But actually passing major legislation on any element of the care agenda, let alone the entire package, would require more than commitment. It would require settling on the right policies — and rounding up enough votes. [...] The latter would obviously be a lot easier if Democrats get a majority in the House while holding on to the Senate ― which, although hardly likely, is certainly possible. If Democrats do keep control of the Senate, they will no longer have to deal with the two most conservative caucus members (Democrats-turned-independents Joe Manchin from West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona), who stood in the way of passing Build Back Better’s care agenda last time. Democrats would also have some money at their disposal, thanks to the looming expiration of the massive tax cuts Donald Trump signed into law when he was president.

[...]

The Message And The Messenger

Harris’ ability to manage such a situation with Congress ― or any situation with Congress ― is arguably the biggest question mark on her resume because it’s a skill that even gifted politicians take time to master. And Harris, frankly, hasn’t had that much time. She had been in the Senate for just two years when she announced she was running in the 2020 presidential election. During her unsuccessful bid to win the Democratic nomination, she struggled to explain and defend her health care plan in ways that raised questions about whether she fully understood ― or believed in ― what she was proposing. And while she’s now had three-plus years in the White House, it was Biden, the veteran legislator, who took the bulk of the negotiating portfolio. Harris, by most accounts, spent more of her time coordinating with outside groups or steering policy from within the White House.

But a big part of passing legislation is selling the product to Congress, to interest groups, and ultimately, to the public at large. And as Harris’ supporters are fond of noting, winning over everyday Americans is a lot like winning over a jury — a skill Harris demonstrated back in her prosecutor days. “When we were advocating for changes that we were seeking,” Martin said, “she really pressed us as staff to be able to not speak like the policy wonks that we are ― to be able to translate what we were talking about so that people in the midst of their busy lives could understand why it was important, how it would be important to them, how it would be important for other people and have impacts on our economy or our society.”

If Kamala Harris is elected as President, she will give priority to child chare, paid leave, and home care issues.

Read the full story at HuffPost.

[warping-realities]

Life Adjustment

“Did you want to see me, Jack?” Said Stu, throwing himself into the armchair next to the window in his brother's huge office room.

Jackson, Stu brother and the current president of the construction company founded by their father, looked with sharp eyes in his younger brother direction.

"I'm glad you were able to attend our meeting, Stuart, as you've been busy every day for the last few years doing nothing." Was the answer given by the obiviously less than happy older brother.

"Come on Jack, that's not fair, you know everything I've been through!"

“Whatever you've been through? Please Stuart, getting dumped by your college girlfriend is no excuse to let yourself go and become a slob who still lives in the basement of your parents' old house, you're 30 years old and you haven't done anything useful with them. ”

“I didn't get dumped, Jack. She died, you asshole!”

“Yes, very sad, but it's been almost ten years, ten years that I've supported your filthy habits, your gym, your whole lazy life. That’s enough!"

“ I have a share in this company…”

“Then take your responsibility!”

"... and you don't understand, Jen was the love of my life." Concluded Stu as if he hadn't been so rudely interrupted.

“Jen, who is Jen, Stuart?” Jackson asked with a slight smirk.

“Who is Jen? You've got to be kidding, Jack!"

“You know I don't tolerate childish habits, especially in my workplace, Stuart. So I ask you again, who is Jen, I never heard you talk about any Jen, brother.”

“Jen, Jeniffer, my girlfriend who… wait, no, I don't know… who's Jen?”

“Precisely.” Jackson replied, the sly smile widening but never reaching his cold eyes. As he watched an impossible transformation unfold before him. In the blink of an eye, with a flash, in place of the brother he knew and had come to detest deeply over the years, was a better-groomed version, with a smoother beard and cropped hair, with more defined muscles in gym clothes. Still, a far cry from what Jackson considered ideal.

“So, Jack, why did you call me here? I have a client booked at the gym, so I don't have much time.”

“A client… at the gym?”

“Yeah, what else would a personal trainer do?”

Assimilating that information, Jackson decided on one more correction.

"I don't understand, why waste a college degree working as a personal trailer, Stuart?"

“Maybe because I studied sports science, Jack”

“But your major was in business, Stuart.”

“Business, no way… or… maybe…”

Another flash and another Stuart in front of Jackson. Much better, he thought, as he saw the figure in front of him, dressed more appropriately, with a toned physique, belonging to someone who clearly cared for himself, but didn't scream "gym rat." Still, there was certainly space for improvement, but he decided to let this new version of his brother talk.

“I imagine you want to talk about the status of the new building downtown, I can assure you I'm in direct contact with the guys and everything is going according to the plan, Jack.”

“Guys? What guys, Jackson? ”

“Our construction workers of course.”

“And why would you have direct contact with them Stuart?”

“Ahn, maybe because that's my role at the company? Supervise the progress of the works, ensure that everything is allright, walk among the boys and know if they are satisfied with they jobs.”

“Perhaps that was the case a few years ago, right after you finished college, but a couple of years ago you came to me asking me to take a position in the office because you couldn't stand to hang out among lower class people.”

“What? No, I would never be so snobbish, no, or… did I… ask, no… ask?

Another flash, another Stuart. Almost there, Jackson thought as he saw this version of his brother. At least he's wearing a suit, but that stubble, that relaxed demeanor, he will need a few more tweaks...

"So tonight I'm having another business dinner with some clients, I've been thinking of dropping by a club with some of them, you should come along sometime , brother.”

“I actually called you here precisely because I'd like to discuss those little outings of yours, Stuart, I understand social connections are important, but we have staff for that, plus it's a waste of your MBA . Só I’m moving you to the head of financial control, right under me.”

“MBA? Jack… not me… finance department? I don't want that...or do I?"

“Of course you do, so much so that you took the job last year.”

"Last year?"

A new flash and a new version of Stuart. This Stuart was impeccably dressed, with a charcoal suit with a black tie, a smooth shaved face, and a neatly combed hair. Still, that carefree attitude wasn't ideal.

“The acquisition of the lot near Fifteenth Street was a success, Jack, so much so that I arranged a dinner with the responsible team, in addition to the bonuses they will receive.”

“If they're already getting a bonus, why host a dinner, Stuart? Furthermore, you have never been given to this kind of frivolity, your life has always been extremely rigid and regimented. Taking care of your body to present an imposing and assertive image, dressing appropriately and behaving with dignity at work, keeping yourself at adequate distance from employees, after all you are the boss. And I don't think I've ever seen you smile in their direction, let alone go to dinner parties with then. It's not like you, you know how to be sociable when you want to be, of course, but always when there's an interest for the company, after all, profits and the company's image are your biggest concern.” Concludes Jackson, thinking that finally this time the result would be the expected.

“I… don't… smile… of course I smile… no…. image… profits… yeah… knowing how to behave…”

One last flash and finally the perfect version of Stuart was in front of him, Jackson thought. Standing rigidly next to the office window, with a stern face and serious expression with the same cold eyes as his brother, making him look like a younger version of Jackson.

“Staff cuts were executed Jackson, there was some crying from the others about the increased workload, but I told them they will handle it, or they will be replaced by whoever does.”

“Excellent, Stuart, and how do you feel about that?”

“Sorry, Jackson, but I don't understand your question.”

“Don't you feel bad about sending all those employees away?”

“Why would I feel bad about that? My role is to think about the good of this company and that's what I did.”

“So cold, brother. I have to be careful otherwise you'll end up taking my place."

“If you lower your standards, brother, I won't think twice.”

Quickly thinking that he might have overdone it, Jackson intervened one last time.

"I would believe that if I didn't know that since you were little I've been your biggest example, and that above all you are loyal to me, Stuart."

This time there was no visible flash, but a clear change in Stuart's eyes, which now showed a glint of admiration towards his older brother.

"Of course, brother, if I am what I am today, it's thanks to you!"

Jackson couldn't help but flash the closest thing to a smile that his non existent emotional ability would allow as he responded to what, in his eyes , was a much improved version of his brother.

“Indeed brother and I am glad you recognize it.”

[grayheartart]

Democrat Propagandist "Circle-back" Jen Psaki Hypocritically Urges Not to be Political About Assassination Attempt.

So, wait. According to Democrats, its okay to ham-fist their myopic political beliefs into all facets of life; be it games, movies, television, tik-tok, YouTube and more, because, you know "everything is political"

But politizing the attempted assassination of a former president is off limits. Fuck that and fuck Democrats for suggesting it.

[elvain]

MK'S FIC MASTERLIST

hi all! after almost a year of sporadically/regularly posting various fanfic chapters, one-shots, and announcements, i have decided to add a masterlist to my blog of all my writing thus far! this post will be updated as needed and then reblogged. please note all my fics on AO3 are locked/restricted.

Chaptered Fics

Me, You, And The Multiverse, Too - ongoing for 20 chapters, 616 Canon Divergent, Multiverse Travel, AlisonJen. Jen and Alison are forced to hunt the warlock across the multiverse. In searching for him, however, the two women just might find something else. Something way out of this world.

A Semblance of My Soul - ongoing for 10 chapters, 616 Canon Divergent, SteveTony + HankSimon, Documentary Style. Dating in New York is difficult for anyone. Dating in New York as an Avenger is something else entirely. Can love truly be blind? Or are there some realities you can never escape from after all?

Performance Of The Dead - completed at 6 chapters, Canon Divergent, Flashbacks, JimNamor, Namor + Betty, DormaNamor. The diary of the the Sub-Mariner is discovered many years after his time among the humans. Namor of Atlantis lived a long life - this is but a glimpse into it.

(sometimes goodbye is a) second chance - completed at 4 chapters and 8.6k words, 616 Canon Compliant, Pietro Maximoff + Family. In the wake of Magneto's stunning revelation, Pietro Maximoff tries to cope with his past, his present, and his future.

dream a little dream of me - completed at 13 chapters and 26.8k words, 616 Canon Divergent, Johnny-centric, JohnnyPeter & JohnnyWyatt. After months of tiptoeing around each other, Johnny and Peter have finally put things right between them. Their relationship is everything Johnny hopes it would be. He should have known better, really.

The Beau Monde - completed at 26 chapters and 68.7 words, Regency AU, X-Men, CarolWanda and BobbyWarren. In a slightly Briderton-adjacent world, the X-Men we know and love must navigate scandal, sex, and, worst of all, society.

Good Food, Good Mood - completed at 6 chapters and 10.9k words, 616 Canon Divergent, WonderBeast. Five times Hank McCoy and Simon Williams got dinner together, and the one time they got breakfast.

Almost - completed at 25 chapters and 59.5k words, 616 Canon Compliant, Spideytorch. Having been good friends and often times coworkers for years now, Peter and Johnny are about to find out that sometimes, almost is not enough and that it is okay to want more.

One-Shots

Some Type Of Love - completed at 4.6k, 616 Canon Divergent, Snapshots, JanWanda. According to the Ancient Greeks, there are eight forms of love in this world. For Janet Van Dyne and Wanda Maximoff, this is that love.

I Never Let You Know - completed at 2.9k, 616 Canon Compliant, Getting Together, Set After X-Force #50, HankSimon. Hank and Simon must deal with the aftermath of… Well, of all of it, really.

From Dusk Till Dawn - completed at 2.4k, 616 Canon Compliant, Explicit Sexual Content, SamSteve. A superhero’s full and undivided attention was a daunting prospect.

Angel With A Shotgun - completed at 2.4k, 616 Canon Divergent, AlisonJen. When Alison is taken hostage by AIM agents, She-Hulk swoops in to rescue her damsel in distress.

Indecent Encounters at the Ritz-Carlton - completed at 2.1k words, Canon Compliant, ReedSue, Explicit Sexual Content. Reed and Sue shake things up a little for Valentine's Day.

only you, darling - completed at 2.6k words, Canon Non-Compliant, JeanOroro, Explicit Sexual Content. Ororo has a bad day, but Jean knows just how to cheer her up.

a swift burning inside - completed at 4.8 words, Not 616 Canon Compliant, JohnnyPietro, Explicit Sexual Content. Johnny and Pietro get heated during an Avengers barbecue. And things only get hotter after that.

the edge of night - completed at 2.1k words, 616 Canon Divergent. Thor seeks a place to mourn the loss of his father. Hercules follows.

visions of the self - completed at 2.6k words, 616 Canon Compliant. A study of the ties that bind Jim Hammond, the Vision, and Simon Williams throughout the years.

Hell on Earth - completed at 3k words, 616 Canon Divergent, JohnnyWyatt, Explicit Sexual Content. A lonely road, a long history, and a little car trouble makes things a whole lot more complicated for Johnny Storm and Wyatt Wingfoot.

sick little games - completed at 6.1k words, 616 Canon Divergent, SteveTony, Explicit Sexual Content. Steve wants to maintain at least some professionalism. Tony thinks professionalism is overrated.

Another World - completed at 4.5k, 616 Canon Divergent, Multiversal AU, O5 X-Men. “Do you think we’d still be friends in another life? If we had never been X-Men, if Xavier had never put us all together on the original team?”

should my people fall, surely i'll do the same - completed at 3k, 616 Canon Compliant, JimNamor. At the edge of the world, Namor and Jim choose what the future will bring them.

Sweat, Sand, and Somethin' Else - completed at 2.5k, 616 Canon Compliant, Explicit Sexual Content, Two-Gun Kidd/Clint Barton. A hot day in the desert ends even hotter for Clint and Matt when the pressures of the desert become a little too heavy for them both.

liquid dreams - completed at 3.9k, 616 Canon Compliant, Explicit Sexual Content, PeterGwen. After sustaining a minor injury as Spider-Man, Peter must now face his concerned (and breathtaking) girlfriend.

Messily - completed at 4.1k, 616 Canon Compliant, Explicit Sexual Content, SteveTony. Date night ends with a bang. 'Nuff said.

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reblogs are totally encouraged! catch you around

[thewhumpcaretaker]

“philosophical outlook/belief” for nik, messenger, & jens perhaps👀?

Thank yooooou this is so fun to talk about!!!!

Nikandr

Nikandr is an egoist. He believes that independence and competence in accordance with one’s own desires are the markers of a successful life, and that might makes right. Any ideology or external morality is a mere distraction from this self-fulfillment.

The philosopher most similar to him is Max Stirner. He has definitely read Stirner and had a phase of talking too much about him.

Messenger

Messenger is an idealist (in the sense of German idealism) and a romantic (in both the sense of the romanticism movement, and in the sense of being loving/sentimental). It believes that the value of life and any true understanding of self must come from genuine connection with others. The freedom of living beings, and their inherent worth, should be respected above all else. Fate is not sealed for anyone, but is instead a developing process that depends on how people relate to one another.

The philosopher most similar to them is maaaaybe Hegel (but he was anti-romanticism) or Schelling, but it follows the work of Alxi philosophers that humans don’t know about or understand. Alxi philosophers can’t openly talk about these ideas due to the current utilitarian regime, but some hint at them.

Jens

Jens is an extreme sort of pessimist who believes that there is something fundamentally wrong with the universe and with existence. Suffering is at the core of what it is to live, and it would be better if most things and people were destroyed. But he’s not willing to just accept this - he’s very angry about it and wants revenge on whoever is responsible.

The philosopher most similar to him is Philipp Mainländer. He’s not that well known, so I’ll say a little about him - basically he believed that existence is fundamentally bad. The universe is the body of a god who is trying to decay in order to escape existence. Because god is eternal and can’t die, it has to split itself into smaller parts which can.