#love injected

[aijamisespava]

Favorite Songs From Each Country! Part 4/37: Latvia!

Hello! I'm back with yet another addition to my series! So far, I'm glad to have worked on this every day so far and hope to keep it up (I'm saying this because I like having an intro and I'm posting a little later than usual because Saturdays have become busy when I'm at home).

So...yeah. I just write about my favorite song from each 2023 Participating Eurovision Country (from 2009 forward) and discuss the 2023 entry as well. I'm still debating on whether I want to do non-participating countries, but I guess we will see when the time comes since we have 33 countries still to cover after this. Most of my rankings are out of date, and who knows, maybe I'll even go back in time for future updates! Oh yeah, for some countries, their favorite entry IS their 2023 song...for that I just mention my previous favorite.

Let's get to the fun stuff! Our next country is...Latvia!

I feel like I have a weird connection to Latvia in Eurovision. It could be that the year they captured their first (and so far only) win was the same year I was born. And with that, the first Eurovision of my lifetime would have been held in Latvia (the contest was held in May and I was born in November). And they are one of those countries with a small yet interesting list of songs, from winner material to straight up guilty pleasures. *noting here that they get bonus points for naming their NF Supernova...I just love that name*

Favorite Entry: As I mentioned yesterday for my favorite Serbian entry, there are very few songs that I've had a "love at first listen" experience. And this year, Eurovision gave me 2 experiences in a little less than a month from each other. With that in mind, my favorite Latvian entry is 2023's "Aijā" by Sudden Lights. To me, that song is literal perfection. I had the same reaction to this song to my favorite song, which I can't reveal as the artist will be a spoiler for a country we have yet to cover. I kept a sort of "diary" of my first impressions of the songs as they came out instead of ranking them, and if I shared it, you would see me fall in total love with this song. The beginning sounds like a video game, the vocals are amazing, the ambiance is stunning! I was so heartbroken when I saw they didn't qualify! However, the only way to go now is to the top of my Spotify Wrapped at the end of the year so stay tuned! RANK: 11th in 2023 Semi-Final 1 (28th Overall)/PERSONAL RANK: 1st of 37 Countries *as if I didn't make that obvious haha* **also, I'm attaching the original version of the song, but I highly recommend the acoustic version too!**

Previous Favorite Entry: This is going to come off as the biggest generalization ever, but I think that my previous entry may be the most predictable for Latvia. From what I've seen of Latvia's songs in compilations, they provide an interesting palatte (as I mentioned earlier), but with the time frame I put, I don't think that it comes as a surprise that my previous favorite Latvian entry was Aminata's "Love Injected" from 2015. For one, 2015 is my favorite year in Eurovision. It had such a stacked set of songs, gave me one of my favorite artists of all time, and you'll probably see 2015 floating around this series a lot from now on. Now for Aminata. The song sounds very experimental, and it was an experiment that worked. And the way she hit the notes in the chorus was very well done. *Side note: I was rooting for her in 2022's Supernova, thinking that she could overtake herself.* RANK: 6th in 2015 Grand Final/PERSONAL RANK: 9th of 40 Countries

[morganbritton132]

The person who knows Steve the most is Tommy. The party is annoyed every time they are confronted with this fact, because sure. They know Steve’s favorite songs and his hair care routine, but Tommy knows that too. He also knows that Steve is allergic to aspirin.

Nancy and Jonathan are standing in the middle of Melvin’s arguing about painkillers because neither can remember what Steve asked for, and decide to just grab one. They all do the same thing anyways, right? Wrong.

Nancy barely has the bottle off the shelf when it’s grabbed out of her hand, “Wow, Wheeler. Breaking his heart isn’t good enough? You wanna kill him now too? Get Tylenol.”

Steve calls Dustin up and is kinda whiny until he agrees to go to his house and watch movies. He doesn’t want to do this. He makes it clear that he doesn’t. Like, an hour and a half in, there’s a knock at the door.

It’s Tommy with a birthday cake that his mom made and insisted he drop off. Dustin didn’t even know it was Steve’s birthday. They’ve known each other for two years.

Tommy is roaming the shelves as Family Video, rolling his eyes about Steve befriending Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson and a band geek and how loudly they are just dicking off at the counter. Theyre snacking on brownies Robin brought in, and then he hears a wheeze.

Then panic. Then the thump of a body on the floor. Then without even thinking, he’s pulling an epi-pen out of his pocket and jabbing it into Steve’s thigh. Of course his ‘friends’ have no idea about his peanut allergy. Of course.

Steve has the presence of mind to blurt out, “Is that expired?”

“I don’t freaking know!” Tommy snaps, and then snaps his fingers in front of Steve’s face when his eyes start to droop. “Hey, stay awake until the ambulance gets here.”

“Am’lance?”

“Yeah, the ambulance,” He says, turning to Steve’s friends. “You did call an ambulance.”

And Eddie and Robin are like, “Yes” as they slowly back up to go do that.

[tinseltownie]

I died btw

[beansforlunch]

STOIC BUT SOFT LIGHT HAIRED HUSBANDS GETTING FLUSTERED BY THEIR ADORABLE AND SWEET DARK HAIRED WIVES IS MY FAVORITE TROPE

[monabee-draws]

Sometimes I remember that Ludinus' entire plan hinged on the love between two people who were ripped apart by fate for more than 30 years. Somehow he knew that, when it came down to it, not even Vax's transformation into a servant of the gods would prevent him from loving Keyleth of the Air Ashari. No amount of removal of his personhood, or distance from the person he used to be could snuff that out and prevent him from breaking the non-interference accords to be there when she was in danger. Their love was always going to be doomed by the narrative, and in the end it doomed the narrative too. Everyone talks about Delilah and her willingness to rip the world apart for love, but for Vax it wasn't even really will anymore, just the inevitability of all that was left of him other than the Champion.

[fleshlight-faces]

[basslinegrave]

[bubblu]

❤️❤️❤️

[infernoflorys]

media: narcissists only get their supply from directly abusing everyone around them until everyone is manipulated and forced to see them as god.

my friend: i appreciate that you did this task for me. you are a good friend

me, grinning, blushing, twirling my hair, getting the supply: haha no problem man

[jadedwoman]

Can a mad scientist pleaseeee strap me down and slowly give me different injections, calmly logging my reactions as my mind becomes more controlled, more blank and empty. And when my resistance is at its peak, just feeling you inject me with concentrated love hormones, making me love you, fully and completely, overwhelming my body with pleasure as I become obsessed with you, attached and oh so obedient. Now every injection feels like a gift as it's obvious I'd never even think of telling on you~

[taliabhattwrites]

you do realise that women only accept you out of fear right? TIM's like all men, have radical Systemic power over women. They don't refuse to accept you because they actually see you as women, no woman see's you that way. They "accept" you because it's a threat, because they know you'd kill & rape them if they didn't. I mean ffs there's literally evidence of it happening. trans inclusion is a disgusting compromise to hold power over women, that's what it is, do you fucking get it yet?

Leave. Us. Alone.

I showed this to my cis lesbian wife (who is both bigger and stronger than I am) and she said that if you said this to our faces, she'd kill you with her bare hands.

But that aside--most trans women and transfeminized populations over the world are disproportionately impoverished, pushed to the margins of society, and face acute levels of deprivation. They don't possess "radical Systemic power" (a nonsense term that literally means nothing, but I'll humor you and assume you meant something like societal standing or benefits from male-supremacy) because they are subject to gendered violence, brutalization, and total loss of standing under a patriarchal regime.

You don't understand the theory. You are not good at feminism, at empirical or systemic analysis, and you have nothing substantive to inform your baseless hate except feelings of disgust for a highly marginal demographic that you refuse to extend empathy to.

Which is why instead of doing anything remotely impactful, you're anonymously sending vitriol into my inbox on a Saturday.

Marvelous.

Honestly, you and I suffer under the same regime of heterosexuality and misogyny. I see that, and if you stopped seeing me as an inhuman monster and tried to just think about how trans women are treated in the real world, you might be able to see that too.

Do better.

[nonranghaes]

it's weird that you don't call out to jun when he comes into your apartment. jun knows that you know he was coming over at some point to spend time with you, and usually you greet him in some way when you hear the apartment door unlock. he's a little earlier than he planned, but you told him to 'come over whenever' and now he's a little worried that you didn't mean it. he quietly slips into the pair of slippers that stays here at your place, and makes his way further into your apartment to set down the bag of groceries he brought on your kitchen counter. your bedroom door is open, but the tiny room you use as a home office is open just a sliver.

he makes his way over, leaning in to listen for a moment... only to hear your voice. there's a little strain to it as you struggle through a sentence, and it clicks all at once: you're speaking chinese. albeit not very well (it's clear to jun that this is one-hundred percent new to you), but you're still trying. your pronunciation is a bit clumsy, but he can hear the way you try to use the right tone with what you're saying...

when did you start learning this much? jun had taught you little things in the past--the absolute basics, really, plus a few other little phrases that veer into his own cheesy need to hear you say sweet things--but this...? he steps back from the door. why hadn't you told him? you could have told him and he'd happily help you learn. but he trusts you: you must have your reasons to keep this a secret, so he won't push. he steps away, deciding to busy himself with getting ingredients put away--or set up for the two of you to cook together, in case you're hungry now.

then he knocks a cup into the sink, and immediately he hears you coming out of your office. relief crosses your face when you see it's just jun, and you lean against the open doorway.

"i didn't know you were here." you pause, and then he sees you get hit with realization. "... how long were you here?"

"i just got here," he says. it's technically the truth, isn't it? he's only been here for a few minutes. "were you working?"

you nod. "yeah. just had to answer a phone call," you lie to him, but he just nods and acts like he doesn't know that. you come up to his side, wrapping an arm around him. "is this for lunch?"

he leans over to you and presses a kiss against your cheek. "are you hungry?"

"mhm," you just snuggle in for a moment, enjoying his presence. "you should teach me more recipes you learned from your mom sometime."

jun finds himself smiling already. was that what this all was...? an attempt for you to understand him better? to show that you care for him so much that you want to know his culture, too? "i'd love to," he says softly, and wraps an arm around you to tug you closer to his side. "only if you teach me things you learned from your family, too."

then he'll make more efforts to understand you and your background, too. just to show you that he loves you as much as you love him.

[missmitchieg]

[jiyaneru]

i love, mine mine mine

[yellowocaballero]

Miguel is Fine, Actually (Being Spider-Man's Just Toxic As Hell)

Before I watched ATSV I said that I would defend my man Miguel O'Hara's actions no matter what, because he's always valid and I support women's wrongs. I was joking, and I did not actually expect to start defending him on Tumblr.edu. But I'm seeing a lot of commentary that's super reductive, so I do want to bring up another perspective on his character.

Miguel wasn't acting against the spirit of Spider-Man, or what being Spider-Man means. Miguel isn't meant to represent the antithesis of Spider-Man. Miles is the antithesis of Spider-Man. Miguel represents Spider-Man taken to its extreme.

Think about Miguel's actions from his perspective. If you were a hero who genuinely, legitimately, 100%, no doubt about it, believed that somebody is going to make a selfish decision that will destroy an entire universe and put the entire multiverse at severe risk - if you had an over-burdened sense of responsibility and believed in doing the right thing no matter what - you would also chase down the kid and put him in baby jail to try and prevent it. He believed that he was saving the multiverse, and that Miles was putting it in danger for selfish reasons. Which is completely unforgivable to him, because selfishness is what he hates the most. And then he goes completely out of pocket and starts beefing with a 15yo lmfaooo he's such a dick.

But why did Miguel believe that? Why did he believe that Miles choosing himself and his own happiness over the well-being of others was the worst possible thing? Why did he believe that tragedy was inevitable in their lives, and that without tragedy Spider-Man can't exist?

Because he's Spider-Man.

Peter Parker was once a fifteen year old who chose his own happiness over protecting others. It was the greatest regret of his life and he never forgave himself. Peter's ethos means that he will put himself last every time, and that he will sacrifice anything and everything in his life - his relationships, his health, his future - to protecting and helping others. Peter dropped out of college because it interfered with Spider-Man. He destroyed his own future for Spider-Man. He ruins friendships and romantic relationships because Spider-Man was more important. If Peter ever tries to protect himself and his own happiness, then he's a bad person.

That is intrinsic to Peter. Peter would not be Peter without it. A story that is not defined by Peter's unhappiness is not a Spider-Man story. If Peter doesn't make himself miserable, then he's just not Peter.

That is a Spider-Man story: that not only is tragedy inevitable, that if you don't allow yourself to be defined by your tragedy then you're a bad person. If you don't suffer, then you're a bad person. If you ever put anything above Spider-Man, then you're killing Uncle Ben all over again. Miguel isn't the only one that believes this - as we saw, every Spider-Man buys into what he's saying. There's no Spider-Man without these beliefs.

Miguel attempted to find his own happiness, and he was punished in the most extreme way. He got Uncle Ben'd x10000. He tried to be happy, and it literally destroyed his entire universe. It's the Spider-narrative taken to the extreme. Of course Miguel believes all of this. Of course he believes this so firmly. He's Spider-Man. That's his story. And the one time Miguel tried to fight against that story, he was punished. And like any Spider-Man, he'll slavishly obey that narrative no matter the evil it creates and perpetuates. Because if he doesn't, the narrative will punish him. The narrative will always punish him. It's a Spider-Man story.

I don't think the universal constant between Spider-Mans, the thing that makes them Spider-Man, is tragedy. I think it's the fact that they never forgive themselves. And Miguel is what that viewpoint creates. He doesn't believe this things because he's an awful, mean person. He believes them because he's a hero. He's a good person who hates himself.

Across the Spider-verse isn't really a Spider-Man story. It's a story about Spider-Man stories. Miguel's right: if this was a Spider-Man story, then Miles acting selfishly really would destroy the universe. But Miles' story isn't interested in punishing him. It pushes back against Peter's narrative that unhappiness is inevitable and that you have to suffer to be a good person. It says that sometimes we do the right thing from love and not fear, and that Peter's way of thinking is ultimately super toxic and unhappy. ITSV was about Miles deciding that he didn't need to be Peter Parker, that all he needed to be was Miles, and ATSV is about how being Peter Parker isn't such a good thing. Miguel shows that. Whatever toxic and unhealthy beliefs he holds - they're the exact same beliefs that any Spider-Man holds. He's a dick, but I don't think he's any more awful a person than Peter is.

TL;DR: Miguel isn't a bad person, he just has Spider-Man brainrot.

[territorial-utopia]

Huzzah! It's birthday time! I'm slowly accumulating more and more things I like (latest additions this vest I made and a travel typewriter! Still need to fix the latter one though)

Sure has been a year.