#postal highway

[autotrails]

American Auto Trail-Postal Highway/Ozark Trail (Sayre to Mangum OK)

American Auto Trail-Postal Highway/Ozark Trail (Sayre to Mangum OK) https://youtu.be/B54UQWAJKY0 This American auto trail travels from Sayre to Mangum in southwestern Oklahoma along portions of the Postal Highway and Ozark Trail auto trails.

[postcard-from-the-past]

Boqueron tunnel on the Caracas-La Guaira highway, Venezuela

Venezuelan vintage postcard

[roguekhajiit]

A man walked up to me today with his peen hanging out.

I'm a mail carrier on a highway contracted route in Alaska. I do work for the USPS, but I'm not employed with them. These are routes that are too spread out and too rural even for the USPS employed rural carriers, so they contract these routes out to independent carriers like us.

So, that's what I was doing today when I got an eye full of a 50 yr old penis. This is how it happened.

I pull up to a stop, and since this particular stop was what I consider to be the halfway point of my route, I decided to check my email. I was waiting for something important and I didn't want to miss it. I wasn't even there a minute when I looked up to see a big white truck pull up in front of my little Forester.

I decided, ok, I'll wait a little more and proceed to mess around on my phone while this dude gets out of his truck and goes to check his mail.

He gets back into his truck, and I wait another minute, but he doesn't leave. OK, I think to myself, maybe he decided to read his mail before he drives off. So, I get out, grab the next bundle of mail, and pull the arrow key out of my pocket to open the first CBU (Cluster Box Unit), and I start delivering the mail all the while I'm acutely aware of everything around me. I'm delivering mail on the side of a highway with only my car to shield me from the traffic going by 20 mph over the posted speed limit. By now I can tell by the sounds of the tires on each car if they are just driving past me or if they are going to stop behind my car and ask me some inane question like "Do you have anything for me?" You're a complete stranger to me. Am I supposed to know who you are? But on this particular day, the traffic on that road was nearly non-existent

Since he hasn't left yet, I decided to deliver the mail to each CBU before I even start on the packages. I don't care that he's sitting there as long as he stays in his truck. I get halfway done with the third unit when I hear his truck door open again. I can hear the snow crunch under his feet as he approaches me. So, I close up the CBU all the while mentally preparing myself for yet another stupid question. He doesn't disappoint, either. Upon seeing that I closed up the CBU, he asks, "I guess I have to go get my key then?" I turn to answer him and tell him that yes, he needs his key to get his mail when I see something that I never once saw in all my seven years of working retail.

Don't get me wrong, though, I've seen a lot of shit working retail. Some of it even included actual shit. But seeing a grown ass man piss himself in the produce section while snacking on grapes still could not mentally prepare me for what I saw today.

This man stood there and asked me if I finished delivering the mail for box #5 all the while free ballin with his little Vienna sausage poking out of his fully unzipped and unbuttoned pants. It was roughly 20 degrees outside today. How could he not feel his Vienna sausage shrivel up like a piece of Jerky?

I quickly told him no and finished locking up the CBU. Then, as he was walking back to his truck to get his key, I walked back to my own vehicle and fully noped the fuck outta there. It didn't matter that I hadn't finished delivering the letters, nor did it matter that I never even started delivering the parcels. I just had to get away from there. I circled back, of course, after completing all the other stops on that street. But I found he was still sitting there in his truck. So I passed the stop up again.

Later, after all my other stops had been completed, I would circle back one more time to find he finally vacated that stop. The folks got their mail and packages, just a little bit later than usual, thanks to their free ballin neighbor.

[shadowsandstarlight]

I love that the central theme of this Hermitcraft season is shaping up to be… a municipal government? Public works and infrastructure?

[nepalenergyforum]

Powering Up Nepal's EV Future: NEA Commits to Adding 500 More Charging Stations

KATHMANDU, Nov 13: With the increase in the import of electric vehicles (EVs), the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is going to build 500 more charging stations. The authority has planned to spend Rs 2 billion to build charging stations on the main highways and urban areas of the country. Kulman Ghising, Managing Director of the NEA, said that with the increase in the use of electric vehicles,…

[ruinedholograms]

(2000-2007)

• Queens Of The Stone Age - Rated R

• Andrew Bird - Weather Systems

• Nine Inch Nails - And All That Could Have Been, and Still

• Clint Mansell + Kronos Quartet + Mogwai - The Fountain

• Animal Collective + Vashti Bunyan - Prospect Hummer

• Xiu Xiu - Fag Patrol

• Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Yr Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven

• Sigur Rós - Takk…

• Kanye West - Late Registration

• Queens Of The Stone Age - Lullabies To Paralyze

• Ray Lamontagne - Trouble

• Tim Hecker - Harmony In Ultraviolet

• Elliott Smith - Figure 8, From A Basement On The Hill, and New Moon

• LCD Soundsystem - Self Titled

• Xiu Xiu + Grouper - Creepshow

• Slipknot - Iowa

• Nine Inch Nails - The Hand That Feeds, With Teeth, and Every Day Is Exactly The Same

• Thom Yorke - The Eraser

• Tom Petty - Highway Companion

• Thom Yorke - Spitting Feathers

• The Postal Service - Give Up

• The Knife - Silent Shout

• Air - The Virgin Suicides

• The Knife - Self Titled

• Stars Of The Lid - And Their Refinement Of The Decline

[numberonenat]

i asked chat gpt to make a playlist based on each one of the brothers of obey me…

here's part 2 and 3: the dateables + luke / the side characters

here's what it gave me:

lucifer:

"sympathy for the devil" by the rolling stones

"smooth operator" by sade

"devil inside" by INXS

"demon" by imagine dragons

"lucifer" by SHINee

"bad guy" by billie eilish

"personal jesus" by depeche mode

"no rest for the wicked" by lykke li

"highway to hell" by AC/DC

"dark horse" by katy perry ft. juicy j

"i put a spell on you" by creedence clearwater revival

"power" by kanye West

"black magic woman" by santana

"boulevard of broken dreams" by green day

"wicked game" by chris isaak

mammon:

"can't stop the feeling!" by justin timberlake

"money" by pink floyd

"material girl" by madonna

"don't stop me now" by queen

"irresistible" by fall out boy ft. demi lovato

"i want it all" by queen

"rich girl" by hall & oates

"break free" by ariana grande

"gold digger" by kanye west

"born to be wild" by steppenwolf

"counting stars" by onerepublic

"uptown funk" by mark ronson ft. bruno mars

"i love it" by icona pop ft. charli XCX

"shut up and dance" by walk the moon

"take a walk" by passion pit

leviathan:

"nerd" by three loco

"all the small things" by blink-182

"the real slim shady" by eminem

"anime" by riton & kah-lo

"superhero" by 5 seconds of summer

"loser" by beck

"gamer" by karliene

"virtual insanity" by jamiroquai

"no tears left to cry" by ariana grande

"in the end" by linkin park

"radioactive" by imagine dragons

"the middle" by zedd, maren morris, grey

"numb" by linkin park

"gangnam style" by psy

"last friday night (T.G.I.F.)" by katy perry

satan:

"bitter sweet symphony" by the verve

"imagine" by john lennon

"bohemian rhapsody" by queen

"hotel california" by eagles

"hallelujah" by leonard cohen

"smooth" by santana ft. rob thomas

"time in a bottle" by jim croce

"wish you were here" by pink floyd

"somewhere only we know" by keane

"black" by pearl jam

"dust in the wind" by kansas

"vincent" by don mclean

"blackbird" by the beatles

"under the bridge" by red hot chili peppers

"sultans of swing" by dire straits

asmodeus:

"vogue" by madonna

"glamorous" by fergie ft. ludacris

"beautiful" by christina aguilera

"i'm too sexy" by right said fred

"fashion" by david bowie

"confident" by demi lovato

"glam" by christina aguilera

"fancy" by iggy azalea ft. charli XCX

"manicure" by lady gaga

"glamourous indie rock & roll" by the killers

"G.U.Y." by lady gaga

"primadonna" by MARINA

"supermodel (you better work)" by rupaul

"gold digger" by kanye west

"diamonds" by rihanna

beelzebub:

"sugar, sugar" by the archies

"banana pancakes" by jack johnson

"all star" by smash mouth

"don't stop believin'" by journey

"i want to hold your hand" by the beatles

"lean on me" by bill withers

"stand by me" by ben e. king

"with a little help from my friends" by the beatles

"three little birds" by bob marley & the wailers

"can't help falling in love" by elvis presley

"i'll be there for you" by the rembrandts

"count on me" by bruno mars

"lean on me" by club nouveau

"i just called to say i love you" by stevie wonder

"better together" by jack johnson

belphegor:

"enter sandman" by metallica

"lose yourself" by eminem

"don't wake me up" by chris brown

"sweet dreams (are made of this)" by eurythmics

"lazy song" by bruno mars

"sleeping in" by the postal service

"dreams" by fleetwood mac

"mad world" by tears for fears

"lucid dreams" by juice WRLD

"wake me up when september ends" by green day

"hotel california" by eagles

"boulevard of broken dreams" by green day

"i don't want to miss a thing" by aerosmith

"talking in your sleep" by the romantics

"no sleep 'til brooklyn" by beastie boys

this was fun lol

except for the repetitive ones, i acctually liked this - even with the ridiculous or that make no sense...

i'll definatelly make a part 2 with the side characters and maybe with characters from another fandom. i'll put the link here when i do it.

[longliveblackness]

The Negro Motorist Green Book, popularly known as the Green Book, was a travel guide intended to help African American motorists avoid social obstacles prevalent during the period of racial segregation, commonly referred to as Jim Crow.

The book listed businesses that would accept African American customers. The book was the vision of Victor Green, an African American US postal employee from Harlem, New York. The first guide focused on Metropolitan New York. The next year, in 1937, Green expanded listings to other locations.

His book would eventually include every state and several international destinations before ceasing publication in 1964.

Before its demise the book was the most popular of several tourist guides created specifically for an African American audience.

These types of travel guides were necessary during the Jim Crow era because African Americans were subiect to acts of discrimination and occasional intimidation as many businesses refused to accept them as customers. African American motorists, for example were warned to avoid sundown towns which required minorities to be outside the city limits before sundown, hence the name. African American travel could be fraught with risk and guides like the Green Book were an important resource.

Green wrote that his book would not be necessary "when we as a race will have equal opportunities and privileges." He died in 1960 and the last edition of his guide was published in 1964.

The 1956 creation of the national highway system diminished the need for these travel guides because highways minimized contact with local communities, decreasing chances for discrimination against African American motorists. Eventually, the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act made the Green Book and similar publications obsolete, just as Green predicted.

•••

The Negro Motorist Green Book (“El libro verde del conductor negro”), popularmente conocido como el Libro Verde, era una guía de viajes que tenía la finalidad de ayudar a que los conductores afroamericanos evitaran obstáculos sociales que prevalec��an durante el periodo de la segregación racial, comúnmente conocido como la era de Jim Crow.

El libro contenía una lista de negocios que aceptaban clientes afroamericanos. El libro fue la visión de Víctor Green, un empleado postal afroamericano, originario de Harlem, Nueva York. La primera guía se centró en el área metropolitana de Nueva York y al año siguiente, en 1937, Green lo amplió a otras ubicaciones.

Su libro eventualmente incluiría todos los estados y varios destinos internacionales antes de dejar de publicarse en 1964.

Antes de su desaparición, el libro era el más popular de varias guías turísticas creadas específicamente para una audiencia afroamericana.

Este tipo de guías de viaje fueron necesarias durante la era de Jim Crow porque los afroamericanos estaban sujetos a actos de discriminación e intimidación ocasional, ya que muchas empresas se negaban a aceptarlos como clientes. A los conductores afroamericanos, por ejemplo, se les advirtió que evitaran las ciudades del atardecer, estas requerían que las minorías estuvieran fuera de los límites de la ciudad antes del atardecer. Los viajes de afroamericanos podían estar llenos de riesgos y guías como el Libro Verde eran un recurso importante.

Green escribió que su libro no sería necesario "cuando nosotros, como raza, tengamos las mismas oportunidades y privilegios". Murió en 1960 y la última edición de su guía se publicó en 1964.

En 1956, con la creación del sistema nacional de carreteras, se disminuyó la necesidad de estas guías de viaje porque las carreteras minimizaban el contacto con las comunidades locales, lo que disminuía las posibilidades de discriminación contra los conductores afroamericanos. Eventualmente, la aprobación de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964 hizo que el Libro Verde y publicaciones similares quedaran obsoletas, tal como predijo Green.

[rabbitcruiser]

Pony Express Day

Pony Express Day celebrates those brave souls who made up the unique mail delivery system of the same name. Back in the days of the wild west, there was no Fed Ex, no Postal Service that ran that far west, no planes, and delivery by ship were likely to take months if it ever got there at all.

Seeing this need for a specialized delivery service, Leavenworth and Pike’s Peak Express Company took an opportunity to expand into this void. From this important decision was born one of the most iconic pieces of American History, whose influence is felt in hundreds of Pony Express Day Festivals throughout the American Midwest.

History of Pony Express Day

The Pony Express existed for 18 months between the days of April 3, 1860, to October 1861. In these days there was no airmail, no great American Highway, all there were was hundreds of miles of wide-open spaces with not much in between but animal-filled wilderness and bandito filled hollows.

During this time, if you wanted to send a letter or small package from anywhere East past the gateway of St. Joseph, Missouri, there was only one way to go. The Pony Express was a massive employer for its time, with up to 80 young riders employed at any given stage, with stringent requirements on their age, size, and weight.

The Pony Express preferred to employ the youngest riders they could, in part for their resilience, and in part for how light they were. The lighter a man was the longer the horse could run and the more cargo the rider could carry, and since the horses were put to go full tilt for 10 to 15 miles at a stretch before changing, this was of vital importance.

The rider changed out every 75 to 100 miles, but the mail never so much as slowed even in the worst of weather. While the average trip from coast to coast (On Horseback!) took 10 days, when they delivered Lincoln’s Inaugural Address, the trip was made in a mere 7 days and 17 hours.

How to celebrate Pony Express Day

With Pony Express Day Festivals being a staple all throughout the United States, there are tons of opportunities to celebrate the bravery of these young mailmen. You can spend Postal Express Day dressed up as one of these adventurous young souls who served as the heart of America’s fast-tracked postal line while watching equestrian events commemorating the challenges they faced.

Speaking of equestrian events lets not forget the true heroes of this endeavor, the horses that carried men and post across the nation time and time again. These events often have a broad range of related events, including food-related events.

Chili was one of the staples of the old American West, and as you might imagine there was often a pot of this spicy staple bubbling to keep the riders fed as they came in and out with the packages.

If you find yourself without a local event, you can host one at your home. Make Chili and Cornbread, find logos and the like to print out online, and get the 1953 movie ‘Pony Express’ featuring Charleston Heston and Rhonda Fleming!

This is a classic about this amazing American institution and the trials and efforts of the men and women who fought to make it a reality. So get together with your friends and family on Pony Express Day, and celebrate the Pioneer spirit of the Old West!

Source

[dcbbw]

WIP Wednesday 5.24.23

Hi, tumblrs! It’s still Wednesday where I am, and I have two WIPs to share. It’s two new ideas that somehow cut the line and demanded I write something out.

One was supposed to be my submission for #WorldWhiskeyDay, although it may be better suited for Halloween; not Fingers … I had the idea, but no cohesive thoughts have made an appearance yet. Although knowing me, this will probably post Halloween 2024.

The other is yet another take on the Applewood scandal. This is what, my third or fourth one?

And just to put us all on the same page and keep my brain on track, top priorities during writing time over the holiday weekend are: NYC AU, Waiting Room, and these two stories. The MC lunch ask is still floating around in my head as well and thoughts on a companion piece to Cocktail.

Anyways, excerpts are below the cut. As usual, everything is in a rough draft and final, published version may differ. Hope you like it!

Middle of Nowhere (tentative tile)

Song Inspo: Death Letter, Johnny Farmer, Organized Noize

The house sits on a bluff in the middle of nowhere overlooking a large, lazy river, as it has for the past century and a half. It’s almost picturesque, gleaming white clapboard covered with blue sky and bathed in early spring sunlight. Freshly mown grass is interspersed with wildflowers; pussy willows surround the bases of moss-covered trees.

The house has no postal address; it sits on Highway 62 East at Marker 129, in the unincorporated hamlet of Tannerton, equidistant between two bigger towns; not larger … bigger. Fifteen miles to the east is Potter’s Farm where residents and visitors enjoy the movie theater, gourmet Chinese food, a public library, and shopping at big box stores. Fifteen miles to the west is Easton, home to blue collar businesses, public parks and a hiking trail, and long stretches of road filled with fast-food chains, pizzerias, an ice-cream parlor, and a combination barber shop/hair salon.

The house sits empty as it has for the past five years; rumor, legend, and lore say the domicile is haunted, the land it sits on the site of brutal and unnecessary massacres. History tells of previous occupants who met grisly ends, or simply vanished as if the house’s walls and floorboards had swallowed them alive. There is no way to separate fact from fiction. Tannerton’s population is zero; the once-bustling waterway town is no more, save for the house.

Any eyewitnesses to the horrors of the house are the disappeared.

Except for two.  

The realtor stands on the front of the house’s wraparound porch, her blue eyes taking in the slow-rolling waves of the Acheron River. In Greek mythology, the River of Acheron was known as the River of Woe and was one of five rivers that led to Hell. As far as the woman knew, no one in this godforsaken corner of the world is aware of that interesting tidbit.

But she is. Her husband is, as he should. He named the river.

She is adjusting the long sleeves of her beige linen dress when her husband joins her on the veranda.

“Is everything ready?” she asks as she turns to face him. The realtor is an older woman, but her face gives no indication of that. Her skin is smooth and unlined even devoid of cosmetics, her sapphire-blue eyes clear and alert, her mouth a cupid’s bow with pale-pink tinted lips.

Her glossy brown hair is still long and wavy, but silver liberally threads her tresses. Her hands are liver-spotted and knotty with veins; her fingers are gnarled, the brittle nails yellowed with age. She tells anyone foolish enough to ask she suffers from arthritis.

“Is everything ready?” she asks, her tone distant as if her thoughts are otherwise occupied.

The man nods stiffly. He is tall and trim; like his wife, his appearance is youthful despite his graying hair. Unlike his wife, his hands and fingers were neither aged nor disfigured.

“It is. They’ll be arriving soon, it may be best to set out the refreshments.”

She nods absently as she scans the front yard. The setting is charming, inviting. A frisson of excited energy courses through her body at the thought of selling the house. There’s a buyer; a younger couple looking to escape the three C’s of a growing city: crime, clubs, congestion. Today is the final walkthrough. The house has sat empty too long; the whiskey untouched even longer.

Annabelle Beaumont walks around her husband to pull the screen door open. “Come, Barthelemy; we have to make sure the Walkers feel right at home when they arrive.”

Come on, come on, come on home

Scandal

Song Inspo: Delusional World Champion, Jean Dawson

Tariq Keriakos stared in puzzlement between his room door and Bastien Lykel, who stood in front of it barring the minor noble’s entry.

“There was a flood?” Tariq repeated stupidly.

The head of the King’s Guard nodded affirmatively. “A pipe burst while the hunt was going on. None of your belongings were harmed; maintenance noticed it almost immediately, but at the moment your quarters are without water.”

“Just my room?”

“Yes, m’Lord. The damage was contained in a timely manner, but we are awaiting parts to arrive. To avoid further inconvenience, another room has been secured for you. It’s Room 4 South.”

“South wing? Isn’t that where the suitors are housed?” Tariq questioned while Bastien pressed a key into his palm.

The sentry was briefly taken aback; the housing arrangement for the visitors at Applewood wasn’t a secret per se, but it wasn’t common knowledge. Bastien quickly recovered.

“It is; given that this is the last night, and all rooms have private baths, I do not foresee an issue.”

Tariq exhaled a long breath. The time at Applewood had been exhausting, this day more than usual. Between Lady Penelope passing him letters from Lady Riley, the horse ride to and from the Ruins, and now his room unavailable to him, Tariq was pretty much done.

“Fine. But my clothing? My toiletries?”

“Already moved and set up in your new quarters,” Bastien assured him.

With a resigned nod, Tariq made his way from the east wing, thinking only of a hot shower and a long sleep.

In the south wing, Riley Brooks, the suitor from America, sat at the vanity in her room re-thinking and possibly regretting every life choice that led to her being in Cordonia.

Tagging:  @jared2612 @ao719 @marietrinmimi @queenjilian @indiacater @kingliam2019 @bebepac @liamxs-world @mom2000aggie @liamrhysstalker2020 @twinkleallnight @umccall71 @superharriet @busywoman @gabesmommie1130 @tessa-liam @beezm @gardeningourmet @lovingchoices14 @mainstreetreader @angelasscribbles @lady-calypso @emkay512 @princessleac1 @charlotteg234  @alj4890 @yourfavaquarius111 @motorcitymademadame @queenmiarys @walkerdrakewalker​ @choicesficwriterscreations​

[postcard-from-the-past]

Hotel of the highway rest area in Bernau am Chiemsee, Bavaria, Germany

German vintage postcard

[carolrain]

Trivia Wednesday

Creators: give a “behind the scenes” look at one of your works. This could be things that got removed or changed, the origins of ideas/details, whatever you like!

I am delighted, delighted by this whole thing. I love “behind the scenes,” love talking about writing, love learning about other kinds of creating.

I love @mostlyinthemorning’s post about making graphs—it answered about a dozen questions I wanted to ask and more questions I didn’t realize I wanted answers to but I did. I love metadata, love that kind of analysis. I am so pleased to be tagged, thank you.

Here is a list I started keeping of things I've researched/googled as I’ve written my work in progress. I’m copying it straight from my notes without cleaning it up or explaining so I don’t get perfectionistic about it. (I actually would be happy to explain, elaborate, or tell you what I found out about anything, as long as you promise not to laugh at those many items that reveal a basic ignorance about Canada or life in general.)

Things I've Researched for “Piecing It Together” (still a WIP)

amnesia in general

amnesia in fiction

amnesia in fanfiction

types of memory in general—muscle memory

prematurity circa 1983

nicus in toronto in 1983

30 weekers

adults who were born preterm

weather in that part of Ontario for fall 2020

weather in that part of Ontario in general

vegetation in that part of Ontario—garden, trees, planting

butter and how it’s packaged and referred to in Canada

what measurements are used for babies in Canada

head injuries in general

healing times and staples vs. stitches vs. glue on head wounds

who was the prime minister in March 2016

Covid and hospital emergency rooms in Sept 2020

Blue Jays schedule for August 2020

OHIP cards and how health care works in Canada

lockdown and non-essential businesses in Ontario

pandemic-related business help from Ontario government

timeline of Covid/lockdown guidance and rules in Ontario

if you could actually donate money to Teen Vogue

SC timeline

nosejobs circa 1996 and if they could be outpatient

psychology—compartmentalization

fall Canadian holidays

fall Jewish holidays

the geography of that part of Ontario

wildfire smoke in Sept 2020

what Alias Grace is about

timeline of Canadian elections

kilts vs skirts

MRIs vs CT scans

what was popular to watch in Sept 2020

names of colors

lyrics to songs

John Prine’s concert history

planting times for gardens in Ontario

what flowers mean

what scents go well with apple

“good baseball news website canadian”

do they eat peanut butter in Canada

meghan markle’s bouquet

episode of friends looking out the window u2

what do people do on labor day

tundra animals

the color of the motel walls—what did Dan call it?

details of baby Patrick Kennedy—include a footnote?

Susanna Moodie

busy highway toronto

what shows were on tv in spring 1996

patrick’s actual outfits patrick bluer

herbal remedies for memory problems

tomato cages

how to help someone with retrograde amnesia

the canadian postal system

how to dry curly hair

teenagers late 90s

koolaid hair 1990s images

“where do rich people hang out in spain”

where to buy tennis balls—canadian tire—do they ship them

what’s a postal code I can use for research

gardening zones canada

videos man throwing ball

sunset sunrise times ontario 2020

moon phases sept 2020

amplifier vs receiver

neck anatomy massage

what is made out of beeswax

link to fuse bead examples?

do they sell pyrex in canada?

adrenaline is the hormone I mean, right?

harpsichords

canadian cheese crackers

do they have lucky charms?

movies september 2020

disney movies released to video dates 1990s

lion king scary for seven year old

scary parts of lion king

kindergarten in ontario

soho live-work spaces images

art in galleries 2014 new york

photographers 2014 art shows

expensive cool beauty inventions 2014

vodka made in canada

how long do bouquets of flowers last

do they have best buy and the geek squad in canada

is soho in manhattan

what the creek would look like

various locations, etc.

what trees would be there, when their leaves change

fall smells

gourmet chocolate flavors

Tagging @five678patty @apothecarose @beaiola @chelle68 to share a deleted scene or other behind-the-scenes content from their creations. 

[journaloftomfooleryandjapery]

If I had an autism diagnosis I could make my work make incredibly minor adjustments to my working conditions that would make it so that being in the office wasn't completely unbearable, but the waiting list for a diagnosis is 8 years so I will just have to put up with being on the verge of going postal over minor shit no one else there understands. With the kind of cunt my boss is I know if I bought it up without something like that I'd just get a my way or the highway lecture even though it is such a small change. I wish I could kill her. If it wasn't for the work from home days we get I would of left just because I hate being in the office so much

[excalibent]

Good Omens

I saw a post about Good Omens, so I’m making a post about Good Omens, and none of you can stop me.

Not that you would, I guess.

Spoilers for Good Omens, and slight spoilers Making Money, and Going Postal.

Searching out something in the text to have a say on is a bit difficult, given that it does an extremely good job of presenting complicated and important ideas in ways that are damn near impossible to miss when you come at it with a sledgehammer and a magnifying glass. I’m not overly familiar with the works of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, but I’ve read Making Money and Going Postal, and loved them both to bits.

The kind of symbolism that seems to hang about in the background of Good Omens is stuff like the part of Making Money where - beyond the explicit, direct, unapologetic claim that money is a representation of value rather than value itself - a character pulls a lever in a simulation of the economy, and literally makes a bunch of gold appear out of thin air. The statement is clear: money is fake, and value is fake, and the only reason valuable things exist is because we made up that value from literal nothing. We just looked at it, thought ‘hey, that’s valuable’, and so the inert, shiny chunk of rock became valued. Then, the part of Going Postal that actually planted this idea of value being linked to things with qualities beyond their material properties, that the letters themselves were indescribably valuable to the people that received them and some could have been traded for hundreds of dollars for the simple fact that they were so valued, and in this, the revelation that stories can and will impact the people that read them - not just in general, but especially if it’s a story that they were meant to hear.

Where can we find these moments of stark, important - yet, in some way, abstract - statements in Good Omens?

Frankly, they’re all over the place; there’s the idea that you don’t win if you don’t fight, and if you truly believe in your principles - healthy food, peace, a cleaner earth - you can fight, and even win. But winning doesn’t last forever, and you can’t fight forever. You’re only human. It’s a point that Death underlines, in the end; creation doesn’t mean anything without destruction. As much as we value things that are, we also need to reconcile that these things are also defined by everything that they are not. And, additionally, if you are going to ‘win’ in any meaningful way, it has to be because your children fight for that future, too. The point that, in the end, the anti-christ is human above all else, the idea that celestial beings - in the realm of human experience - are interchangeable, that fate is a book that was written centuries ago that doesn’t even end when the end of all time arrives, it’s all very interesting to think about, but it’s hard to really describe without stating what feels obvious. Again, Good Omens was very good at getting its ideas across.

The thing I’d like to look at with a more critical lens is probably a theme that does pop up explicitly, but sometimes only in the background: you reap what you sow.

For Crowley, this happens explicitly when the entire highway bursts into flame because it resembles the sigil of the great devourer of worlds. As per the text - “Crowley had built it, and now he was stuck in it.” This also hits Aziraphale; his bookshop burns down because of the candles that he lit. Obviously, he didn’t intend them to burn it all down, but the consequences of our actions are rarely apparent until you come back to see where the kindling was.

And what’s more interesting, above all, is Adam. He builds a circle of friends, and as he comes into his power, he starts trying to control them, to reshape them from the group he had lead into a group he could lead into Armageddon, but they don’t agree with any of it; regardless of the greater circumstance, Adam and his friends had assembled because of like minds, more or less, and that’s exactly what he got when his powers came to him - people that cared about health, peace, the world around them, that would really rather not burn it down - and when he rejects his powers, they return to him, because as he had chosen them, they had also chosen him. There wasn’t a greater hand moving pieces into place, it just kind of happened, and the friendship that they had was overwhelmingly more important than staying angry after Adam started going all funky in the head, when it turns out that he falls down and might be hurt.

They’re right to leave when he had taken away their freedoms, but the kindness they gave him when he needed it more than anything else was probably the most important part of the story; the people around you will support you when you treat them well.

(Obviously, Heaven and Hell had not treated Aziraphale and Crowley very well; sure, they only brought down punishment in the end, but all throughout, aside from being treated as menial workers poking about on Earth, their disagreements were entirely dismissed out of hand the moment they - Aziraphale, mainly, and repeatedly - meant to bring up whether what they were doing was what they should be doing, besides.)

[melmac78]

The good thing about detours is I get to go to a coffee shop I’ve wanted to go to again for a while but unable to.

And I get to enjoy far prettier scenery than I do on the normal route.

Bad is our detours literally double my drive to pick up papers. Also, for a bizarre reason it created a situation I heard the EAS test twice.

(Detour was due to road flooding causing highway closure).

•••••

I posted this yesterday but I felt it was a tad too snarky.

It’s been a very strange couple of weeks for me.

I’m just hoping the labels computer plays nice next Wednesday or I may scream at it. (Not exaggerating - I was stuck at the office for 1:30 because it had to install the new postal guides and fees).

[pepperdee]

please dear god show me what literature is again.

Alright lads I'm going to compile a reading list. under the cut is books i already plan on reading. my goal is 12 for all of 2023, which seems like a low goal until i tell you that I don't think I read a single book for pleasure in all of 2022. so. yeah.

if anyone has and recommendations feel free to drop them in the replies/tags

in no particular order, based off the books on my bookshelf:

The Lightning Thief Rick Riordan (specifically because i want to be Read Up when the show comes out)(this is the only book on this list that I have read before)

The Lincoln Highway Amor Towles (specifically because i bought this at work an i want to make it worth doing so)

Scarlet Marissa Meyer (I got like halfway through in 2021 but then it mentioned quarantine and the generational trauma hit my like a truck)

Red Queen Victoria Aveyard (I bought this in 2019. have not cracked it open even once.)

The Rise of Kyoshi F.C. Yee (I bought this avatar book and GOSH DARNIT AM I GONNA READ IT)

Six of Crows Leigh Bardugo (I bought the box set and then Shadow and Bone came out and my middle school rejection of popular media took over)

Catching Fire Suzanne Collins (to combat my middle school rejection of popular media)

The Stray Spirit R.K. Ashwick (AKA @ashen-crest)(i was gonna make a post about acquiring it but then i um. didn't. sorry)(it was blessed by dedrick tho my bitchass mailman left it in the leaky postal box)(i'm preordering a rival most vial as soon as i can i'm too invested in The Boys and i'll probably preorder this one's sequel)

books i'm considering (want to read but i do not currently have them Acquired)

I'm Glad My Mom Died Jenette McCurdy (i would've bought this earlier but i was hoping someone would return it so i could get it half off.......alas i forgot that this is jenette mccurdy)

Gideon the Ninth Tamsyn Muir (the memes are *chefs kiss* like i dont even feel like ive been spoiled because it's so chaotic i can't tell what's happening)

The Cruel Prince Holly Black (ok listen.....there's this fic writer that writes for this series and it got me invested ok.)

Sequels of any of the books i have mentioned (some i have some i don't and the ones i have are taking priority)