#refurbished appliance

[drafty-castle]

I’ve said before but I moved from southern USA where urban sprawl has eaten everything to northern Maine where everything is vibrant Green or sparkling White depending on the season. No billboards. Minimal urban sprawl. A “large city” is the equivalent to a medium-small town in Georgia/Tennessee.

Beautiful.

Is it for everyone? No. There’s little to no entertainment that you can’t make yourself, everything closes at eight or ten (including Walmart and McDonald’s), and unless you live downtown in a city or town with local access to necessities the need for a car is dire because the nearest anything might be fifty to a hundred miles away.

But the people are kind. Not nice in the Southern sense. There’s little chitchat between strangers or automatic smiles and politeness. But there is a deep seated culture of kindness and community support. Not necessarily in the financial sense (though there are a significant amount of aid programs that just don’t exist in the south available here), but in the “stranger-helping-a-stranger” sense. I think it’s due to generations of people knowing it could be their car (and before that, horse and buggy) on the side of the road during a snow storm needing help and so people automatically go out of their way to help others in kind. No questions, no expectations, sometimes not even an introduction! Just, “Hey! You stuck? Want me to hitch up your car with my winch? [gets car out of snow ditch] All right, see around. [drives off]” (True story)

It’s a complete culture shock compared to living in the parts of the South I come from, where people are polite to your face but more likely to turn their eyes away from anyone needing help or blame misfortune on God’s judgement or just watch in glee and gossip but not help. I’ll take standoffish but genuinely kind over polite but selfish any day.

Places can be beautiful and I enjoy looking at that beauty. But people can make someplace so much more than just pretty to look at. Having both in one location is sick a blessing.

[cloudsofbluesmoke]

Kent Contemporary Home Gym Multiuse home gym - huge contemporary light wood floor multiuse home gym idea with white walls

[mvappliances]

What are the benefits of using refurbished appliances?

Because refurbished appliances are not brand new, they are significantly cheaper than brand-new equivalents because they are not brand-new. Further, you will receive your appliance at this reduced price knowing that professionals have worked on it to ensure it is in working order.

[digitalspiritco]

Buy certified refurbished electronics and open-box products from Techspirit at unbeatable discounted prices. Get the best price with the sale on the Latest Smart TVs, Refurbished Mobile Phone, & Kitchen appliances.

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Gorgeous 1889 Queen Anne Victorian in Omaha, NE for under $500k. 7bds, 2.5ba, 3,656 sq ft, with central a/c, $430k.

Look at the floors- the entrance foyer looks like it has original tile, and the new wood flooring has inlaid around the perimeter. Plus, all the wood is natural - no paint-overs.

Look at the millwork on the stairs, the wainscoting, and built-in bench. The wood looks like it's been refurbished.

Cute small sitting area in the turret tower.

They decided to go with a dark theme, but the house gets plenty of light. Look at the re-done fireplace. Beautiful original design.

This is nice, the dining room has a door to the porch.

This room looks like a dining room, also. Maybe the other room is supposed to be the 2nd sitting room, but this room has the beautiful built-in cabinet and look at the original fireplace.

The kitchen has hi-end appliances, but hasn't been given one of the horrid modern remodels. It clearly has the original footprint of the room and minimal modernization.

It still has modern cabinetry, but they did their best to keep it as original as possible- they left the brick wall and stove pipe opening where the original stove was, and put in open top shelving. Look at the staff stairs on the left, too.

That looks like a refurbished original cabinet in the corner. I would definitely have to ditch the gray walls, though.

Love this original looking sink in the guest powder room.

Beautiful wainscoting and millwork going up the stairs.

They went full-on funky with this bedroom. Looks like an original light, though.

I wish they would've papered the whole feature wall in here. There's a nice curved wall and I guess the bed goes against the black wall w/the 2 light fixtures.

This nice, especially if you need an art studio.

Not bad, they did a vintage-y redo in here. So, it needs some wallpaper and decor.

This bedroom needs some floor work. I would sand and repaint it.

The other bath is smaller and all it needs is some decor.

Nice laundry space in the basement, but that's not the best part of the basement.

They made an exercise room, but still not the best part.

Check this out- with a little work, this can be the coolest mini theatre or TV room. A sunken cinema. And they left the old theater seating.

Look at all the wonderful porches. It definitely appears that there's a big unfinished attic w/the turret. What potential. Wish they would've at least shown it unfinished.

There's parking, but no garage. (Look at all the windows in the attic space, plus that turret.)

4,356 sq ft lot

https://www.redfin.com/NE/Omaha/3524-Hawthorne-Ave-68131/home/103522512

[sunaluv]

Hi idk if ur request is open but if so can i request bonten who likes to spoil reader with so many expensive shit but reader don't want that,,, when the members treat her to go shopping—she'll go directly at the appliances store or market part not caring about the designer clothes she passed by, basically she's really not fond of expensive shit—rather spending their money they spoiled her with on a good cause?? (really love to see kokonoi go crazy coz bonten's doll don't want designer shit)

forget abt this if your ask is close

thank youu xoxo

sorry for the extremely late response lols. I'm now clearing out my asks.

Feat: your fav bonten man, ive left this open.

Bontens moneymaker was well known for spoiling whichever girl he had on his arm. Girls at the club would practically throw themselves at him in hopes that he'll get interested and throw money their way just because.

to him, it was second nature. it got to a point where he didn't think anymore, handing his current plaything his card to get them out of his hair when he was busy.

but when he met you it felt weirdly different. he wanted to know your tastes. were you a Chanel girl? Vivienne Westwood? did you even want designer clothes? maybe a car instead?

he watched you so slowly as you looked around the shopping mall seemingly overwhelmed with choices when he said you could pick anything and everything you wanted from the store.

he was prepared to buy out the latest line in all the designer stores so you can imagine his surprise when your eyes finally light up and you take his hand to drag him into a tech store.

'???' the question marks raised in his head as you picked up the pace, dragging him left right and centre through the maze of the store, finally stopping in front of a washing machine?

"out of everything you want, you chose a washing machine?" he didn't mean for his tone to come out so judgemental, his eyes widening seeing the frown on your face.

"my old one is broken, and my landlord refuses to let me call someone to fix it :("

he wanted to hide you from the world and keep you all for himself. he couldn't believe how...weird? tactical? smart? you were.

he chuckled

"...anything else you want?"

he let you lead, basically listing a whole bunch of appliances and gadgets to refurbish your shabby little apartment.

he paid for everything, as he does, though you were confused when he asked them to ship it to an unfamiliar address.

"well all these fancy new toys of yours will look out of place in your little apartment babe, don't want someone thinking you robbed someone," he kissed the top of your head. "I'll buy you a new one."

you knew how much joy he got from spending money on people. it seemed to enhance when it was people he actually cared about so you kept your protests to a minimum. knowing him, he had probably bought you your new place the minute he left yours.

you found more confidence shopping with his card, deciding to buy new electronics for when you start your last semester of uni(which he insisted on paying the debt and expenses for).

shopping trips with you were different, but it was a good type of different. he could get used to this domestic-style shopping with you and pretend he was your doting husband instead of a notorious criminal.

[levisrations]

Tw: none? Pure fluff. Modern Levi. Gn reader

Why am i thinking about you and Levi buying a home together, it’s old and needs a lot of love. So you both blow through your savings to make your dream house. You both start taking things out and down yourselves before you get to more complicated parts and that’s when you hire professionals to keep things going. You both spend HOURS and late nights planning everything, meeting with your contractors to tell them your vision to see if it’s possible.

Then when everything is rebuilt and refurbished the more exciting part begins and that’s ordering furniture and appliances. You both already had an idea of keeping things looking like the house was meant to since you both hate modern houses and white beige gray colors. Your house has a brick fireplace, intricate designs throughout the house that people just don’t do anymore. It looks like a house straight out the 1920’s but with better plumbing and electrical. And a more stable foundation.

Anyways you in particular are going nuts looking up stoves, fridges, couches, bed frames and Levi is also very much part of the decision but he lets you have a final say because of how happy you are. You’re best purchase is your classic gas stove. It has brass hardware and you’re in love. Levi loves it too. Also you get a claw foot bath tub, that’s Levis favorite thing (other than your state of the art washer and dryer WITH an agitator).

Your house feels complete. Years of saving, months of hard work, and some time sleeping and sitting on the floor and eating on trays meant to eat in front of the tv while furniture was being delivered. Oddly enough the giant L shaped couch was the one piece that took months to arrive! Levi was fed up and put his foot down and demanded it be canceled and to refund your money. But surprise that couch was then delivered in two days and got a discount. Salesman didn’t wanna lose that commission I guess.

You both created a beautiful home ready to be filled with all types of memories. Maybe you’ll start a family or maybe it will just be the two of you and your 5 cats (what a nightmare moving them in the house that car ride was filled with so much crying). Who knows what could happen in there! But you’re both 100 percent sure you’re gonna grow old in that house together.

[tmntxthings]

I. Had a thought for rise! Donnie w/ a friend whose got object empathy. This is just some thought sharing but like

Y/N: He's all alone... abandoned... what if his family is worried for him?

Donnie: ... Y/N that is a broken toaster

Y/N: And someone just left him on the side of the road, what if he's lonely??

Donnie: Inanimate objects don't have emotions Y/N

Y/N: Maybe he's an inanimate object to you, but he's just a little guy for me!

Donnie: ...

Donnie: Fine, lets take it to the lair, I'll fix it

Y/N: 🥺

Donnie: ... and well put it next to the other toaster so they don't feel lonely

In short he does not get it™️ but he's trying his best

ANON I LOVE YOU

this was so cute and I love thought sharing <3333 can i just run wild with this one? a drabble solely for you my dearest anon? yes?? no objections??? OKI XD

part two

—————————————————————————

You held back a sob, though a distressed sort of noise filtered through your lips and Donnie was quickly realizing you had stopped a couple feet back. “Dearest??” He called to see your eyes glued to the side, his gaze followed to an alleyway.

With you unmoving and unresponsive he was swiftly by your side once more. Worry seeping into his mind. “What’s wrong?” He questioned, looking at you while giving a scan to the… empty alleyway? His brows came down in confusion as he continued to look back and forth, from you to the empty space. Well it wasn’t entirely void. But there wasn’t any person, nor some villain committing heinous acts.

All Donatello could see, was a few scattered trash cans, along with.. well trash! He brought down his goggles wondering if that would help. No mystic energy. No invisible boogeyman. No heat signatures. Absolutely nothing! Pushing up his goggles his stare came back to you, wondering if maybe you were in a state of shock or perhaps a daydream when you suddenly spoke,

“He’s sitting there all alone!” You whimpered. “He??” Donatello parroted back in a bit of mild shock. He was 100% certain that no one was there, so he didn’t turn his head to look back at the dead end. He just waited for you to continue. “Mhm, he’s just a little guy, poor thing, broken and bruised,” and Donnie watched as you held back tears.

“I’m not following.” And yet as you lifted your hand to point a finger, his head reluctantly turned to see.. a toaster. He blinked. Surely there was something behind the kitchen suppliance. Nope, just trash. “Dee! He was tossed out, left for dead!! We can’t just leave him!” Donnie stood frozen on the sidewalk as you approached the toaster. Going as far to crouch down and give it a gentle pat.

“Dearest.. that’s a toaster.” He felt the need to explain. But you tossed him a ‘duh’ look and then continued to console the battered hunk of metal. “What happened to you buddy?” You were now asking it questions. Donatello held in a big sigh. This had to be some sort of a joke. Where you were about to laugh and yet… the punchline never came. And the toaster never did reply to your question as most would assume.

“Can we keep him?” Suddenly the thing was in your arms, and you were shooting the purple turtle big puppy dog eyes. “Oh Galileo!” Donnie slumped, waving a hand in defeat and you cheered as you carried the toaster all the way back to the lair. Well, Donnie ended up holding it for you. “I guess I can patch it-“

“Him!”

“…patch him up.” Donnie had corrected himself rather reluctantly. But it earned him a chaste kiss to his cheek which lifted his spirits at an embarrassingly fast pace. Like… he’d fix up any old appliance you found if it meant he’d receive such affections. “And once you get all fixed up the lair shall have two mighty toasters!!” You raised a fist triumphantly before descending into the manhole.

Donnie watched as you climbed down, chuckling to himself. He was holding a broken toaster, planning on refurbishing it, (definitively gonna get some upgrades) and now following after you like a love-sick buffoon. But alas, he was your love-sick fool. He listened intently as you told the toaster he wouldn’t be lonely any longer. That he’d have a cool toasty buddy. And that they would live side by side happily.

Now this purple turtle might not understand what was going on. But damn it, he was buckled in and ready for the ride. If you wanted to help a broken toaster… so would he! Truly he was your fool. And because he was yours, he didn’t really mind.

[plumbobbro]

Exquisite Cotswold Style Manor in Henford-on-Bagley

Discover the epitome of luxury living in this stunning Cotswold-style manor, meticulously refurbished to blend historical charm with modern comforts. Nestled in the picturesque village of Henford-on-Bagley, this expansive estate is perfect for a large family seeking a tranquil yet opulent lifestyle. The main floor features a grand living room spaciously designed for both relaxation and entertaining, an ideal office room for remote work or a private study, a formal dining room perfect for hosting dinner parties and family gatherings, a cozy family room for everyday living, and a sunroom where you can bask in natural light while enjoying views of the beautiful gardens. The huge kitchen is equipped with state-of-the-art appliances and a convenient laundry area. Upstairs, the primary suite boasts a luxurious bathroom, walk-in closet, and an adjoining nursery designed for two infants. The upper floor also includes four en suite bedrooms, each with its own private bathroom, providing comfort and privacy for all family members. The basement is a true highlight, featuring a connoisseur's dream wine cellar with ample storage for an extensive collection, an indoor pool complete with locker rooms for year-round enjoyment, a fully equipped gym for all your fitness needs, and comfortable maid's quarters. The outdoor space offers a huge backyard, a private oasis with plenty of space for outdoor activities, a swimming pool perfect for summer fun and relaxation, and an English-styled garden featuring a serene pond ideal for peaceful strolls and reflective moments. This magnificent manor offers an unparalleled lifestyle, combining historical elegance with modern luxury. The extensive refurbishment has retained the estate's timeless beauty while enhancing its functionality and comfort. Don't miss this rare opportunity to own a piece of Henford-on-Bagley's rich heritage, perfectly suited for a large family seeking the best of country living. Schedule your private tour today and envision yourself in this breathtaking residence.

available on the gallery under ID : plumbobbro

FLOORPLAN DOWN BELOW

[johannestevans]

So you finished Our Flag Means Death…

What show do you want to obsess over now?

Also read on Medium / / Read on Patreon.

So, Our Flag Means Death, unexpected workplace romcom chock-a-block with anachronistic 18th century fun, piracy on the high seas, gay and trans and otherwise genderweird and queer characters, not to mention neurodivergent and disabled ones, is over for at least another year. You’re aching for something of a similar flavour to fill the gap — especially if, like many of us, the finale has left you disappointed and eager to watch a show with a bit more care for its queer audiences.

Want recs?

After finishing Our Flag Means Death, I’m in the mood��for…

Ed cradling Stede’s face in S1 of Our Flag Means Death. Via IMDb. 

… more (relatively) light-hearted queer comedy!

The most obvious example I can start with is, of course, What We Do In The Shadows. While its fifth season was weak, its sixth season was in my opinion its best ever — a spin-off of the Taika Waititi-directed (and starring) mockumentary film of the same name, WWDITS is a fun-filled, ridiculous and deeply silly show starring a variety of incompetent and bumbling and blood-thirsty vampires and their various friends, enemies, and companions. It’s constantly and continuously queer, with the majority of the cast of characters being openly bisexual, and one of them being gay and having an emotive coming-out arc with his family.

Nandor (Kayvan Novak) and Guillermo de la Cruz (Harvey Guillén) in WWDITS. Via IDMb. 

WWDITS follows the adventures of Guillermo de la Cruz, fat and gay and badass and so fucking pretty, the familiar to a vampire named Nandor the Relentless, a big himbo ex-warrior plagued by insecurity and ready to enter in power struggles with anybody from a fellow warrior to a household appliance, and the rest of Nandor’s household — Laszlo Cravensworth (once an English aristocrat, still a dandy, charming, slutty, and well-spoken — and often tinkering with experiments or DIY), Nadja of Antipaxos (once an impoverished member of a Mediterranean village, dramatic, intelligent, sharp-witted, and wry — and often getting involved in various misadventures), and Colin Robinson (an “emotional vampire” who feeds by boring those about him, dull, mundane, and painfully cringe at all times in the best of ways). As a mockumentary, its tone is silly and light-hearted, but it’s not without its emotional stakes, and there’s so many references to other pop culture vampires. 

The BBC’s sitcom, Ghosts, is a great sitcom to go for if you’re in the mood for more of a neurodivergent found family vibe, with sumptuous costumes and a complex and intriguing cast who have a lot of wonderful moments with each other. The show follows Alison and Mike, who inherit a manor house and find when they start to refurbish it that it’s full to the brim with silly, ridiculous, and unrelentingly friendly — not to mention antagonistic — ghosts. Ghosts, like Our Flag Means Death claimed to be prior to its S2 finale, is a tremendously loving and kind show — it spends a lot of its time building up flawed characters and encouraging them to change and grow, giving you time as a viewer to love them. 

See any familiar faces? Many of the Ghosts cast also appear in Horrible Histories. Via IMDb. 

The show is not as continuously or constantly queer as WWDITS, but it does have elements of queerness dotted around the main cast, particularly in the character of the Captain, the ghost of a WW1 soldier who was never deployed abroad, but spent his time in service yearning for the intimate company of a fellow soldier. 

Brendan Scannell and Zoe Levin in Bonding. Via IMDb. 

Want something a little weirder, a little kookier? Crave a bit more of the BDSM flavouring around Our Flag, more whips, more leather, more latex, more kink? You might like to try Bonding — this show features a woman who begins moonlighting as a dominatrix and then employs her gay BFF as her assistant. It suffers from the tendency shows like this have to sideline Pete a bit as the gay BFF, with some of his characterisation being squandered to prop up the less interesting protagonist, but it’s really funny and honestly super heartfelt. 

And if you want really weird, really kooky, and unabashedly and delightfully and wonderfully queer, there is always The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo, which is a gorgeously funny and loving gay comedy that you can watch online!

Apart from those above, you might like to try Special (a sitcom exploring the romantic and sexual misadventures of a deeply selfish and flawed character a la Stede Bonnet, this one a young gay man with cerebral palsy), Schitt’s Creek (a sitcom about a posh family falling on hard times and featuring several queer characters, particularly the bisexual David Rose, played by Dan Levy), and Grace and Frankie (a show about two ageing women who are best friends, and whose husbands leave them to start a romance with one another). 

… more of the stunning cast!

You’ve watched Our Flag Means Death and you’re craving more of the spectacular and incredibly skilled cast. 

If you want more of Nathan Foad (Lucius Spriggs) particularly, you’re in luck — last year, Foad wrote and served as executive producer on a show loosely inspired by his early life as a weird boy growing up gay in Nottinghamshire, Newark, Newark. It’s very silly, funny, full to the brim with love, and also deeply silly and willing to get in touch with the cringe side of life. It’s only three episodes, but starring the unparalleled Morgana Robinson as the harried mother of Leslie, the closeted-but-not sixteen-year-old who is trying desperately to lead the tragic gay life he’s seen on TV, it really makes the most of that limited runtime, and it’s so fucking good. Nathan Foad even has a cameo in it as a freaky and overfamiliar employee at the bowling alley. 

He has a cameo in another great show, too — Bloods is an incredible sitcom about two NHS paramedics working in an ambulance together. It’s rapid-paced, it’s messy, it’s horrible and hilarious, and it stars Jane Horrocks as Wendy across from Our Flag’s Samson Kayo (Oluwande) as Maleek. The two are chalk and cheese in the front seat of their ambulance together, and Kayo is so incredible in the lead role balancing Maleek’s own desire to appear as cool and tough whilst also being vulnerable and having his own insecurities, especially because Wendy challenges him on so many points. Wendy is great as well, the two an exercise in contrasts, but Kayo and Horrocks are spectacular among an equally spectacular cast — you get to see so many different dynamics at the depot and in other settings, amongst other NHS staff, and the show is non-stop with the punches and the punchlines. If you really enjoy how well-balanced and how fitting the soundtrack to Our Flag is, you’ll love the music and its pacing in Bloods. Foad’s cameo in this is as Wendy’s neurotic and kind of a fuck-up son, and he’s so messy.

If you want more of Joel Fry (Frenchie), he stars in the first few seasons of Plebs — this is a goofy comedy set in Ancient Rome, and it’s not dissimilar to The Inbetweeners in its tone and content. Some of the jokes are funny, sometimes. I don’t recommend it because it really gives Joel Fry his full acting chops — but he’s hot and he’s funny and he’s cute in this, and even if you’re not super passionate about the show, if you like Frenchie, you probably will like Stylax too. 

Joel Fry and Con O’Neill (Izzy Hands) also both play characters in season 2 of Ordinary Lies, which is an anthology series, so you don’t need to watch season 1. The premise of the show each season is that the narrative jumps between characters in a workplace and explores the ramifications of the small lies they tell themselves and each other. While O’Neill’s role is a more typical set of lies that concerns adultery (or not), Fry’s involves vigilanteism and attempts at superheroism, and the plot is quite fun. This show is obviously a drama, and is tragically heterosexual on many points, but for all that, has its good and intriguing elements too. 

But what about Con O’Neill doing what he’s good at — playing wet, pathetic men? Very wet, very pathetic men? In Happy Valley, O’Neill plays a gloriously wet and pathetic man named Neil Ackroyd, who enters into a relationship with the protagonist, Catherine Cawood’s, sister, Clare. Clare is an alcoholic in recovery, as is Neil, and they have a really sweet and mutually supportive relationship — Neil’s particularly gorgeous in the most recent series, where he really dotes on Catherine’s grandson, Ryan, and he and Clare play a great duo. Neil is introduced in the beginning of season 2. 

The premise of the series is that Catherine Cawood, a police officer in Yorkshire, is attempting to solve crimes while at the same time her grandson, Ryan, is curious about and desires to make contact with his father, whom he has never met. Ryan’s mother was raped by his father and died by suicide after Ryan’s birth, whereon Catherine raised him alongside her sister. Happy Valley is a cop show, and Catherine Cawood is really funny as a character. She’s a deeply conservative and cruel, reactionary woman who constantly engages in police brutality whilst trampling over people’s rights — she believes that people are born evil and bad, effectively, and while she often talks about the effects poverty have on people’s outlooks, lifestyles, and actions, she can’t quite make that connection with her beliefs. As a cop show, it’s really interesting because it’s very pro-cop and tries to be on Catherine’s side for much of her crueller actions, but at the same time is so starkly blunt about the awful shit she does that it doesn’t exactly make you put faith in cops no matter the intent. Clare Cawood, and then Neil, are naturally far more critical of Catherine’s perspective. 

But if you really loved Izzy at his best in S2, if you love Izzy full of love whilst also being precise and cold and calculated in the defence of his family, if you love him beautiful and wonderful and unabashedly queer, you’ll undoubtedly adore Val, who appears in Uncle as the transfem and gorgeous dad of Gwen. Uncle isn’t a great TV show, it’s an example of one of those shows where they give a deeply dull cishet white dude who feels insecure a show where he sort of masturbates about how much he sucks and how he’s unlovable, but really, isn’t it on the people around him to love him anyway?

But Val is great. She’s so much fun, she’s funny and sharp and full of quips, she’s flirtatious, she’s hot, and she has some tremendous gender stuff going on as well as some gorgeous costuming throughout. If you like Uncle’s humour, watch all the episodes — if you don’t, just skip everything that doesn’t have Val in it. Val is where the good stuff is. 

Or don’t watch it at all, and just watch this scene pack on YouTube: 

Taika Waititi appears far more in great movies than he does TV shows, although he’s also one of the producers on Reservation Dogs, which is excellent — it’s a native-led and starring comedy series, and it rocks. Most of the time when Waititi does TV, it’s in cameos. 

Apart from the cameo he makes in the What We Do In The Shadows TV show, I mentioned in the sitcom section, Taika Waititi also appears in the Flight of the Conchords TV series, starring the band members of the band of the same name. Rhys Darby also appears in every episode as Jemaine and Bret’s fictional manager, Murray Hewitt, and Murray is such a fun, bizarre character — and with a wholly different facial hair situation than you might have imagined for him before. 

Wholly different facial hair. Via IMDb. 

… more sailors!

Pickings are slim for a good pirate show, or indeed, any good show with nautical flavours to it — scenes at sea are high budget and hard to shoot, and as was evident with much of Our Flag Means Death’s second season at the hands of HBO Max, many studios do not want to proffer the budget for such things. 

Let’s start with the best of recommendations — a show that’s unapologetically queer, anti-imperialist, anti-establishment, and full to the absolute brim with pirates, historical and fictional. Interested in Mary Read, Anne Bonny, Calico Jack, Benjamin Hornigold, Israel Hands, or of course, the inimitable Edward ‘Blackbeard’ Teach, real historical pirates who are portrayed and played with in the course of Our Flag Means Death, and want to see a very different take on them? Enjoy lesbians constantly scheming to kill each other, torture each other, and generally make one another miserable (sexual)? Read Treasure Island, perhaps, and ever wonder what came before?

Not-Yet-Captain Flint (Toby Stephens) and Thomas Hamilton (Rupert Penry-Jones) in Black Sails. Via IMDb. 

Black Sails has all of the above and more — while it is very queer and anti-establishment, I will say that it’s far more similar in tone to Game of Thrones than to OFMD. The comedy bits are hilarious in part because the stakes are so high, but Black Sails is firmly a drama, and a gritty, violent one at that. It lacks the escapism present in OFMD — there is constant and continuous sexual violence, brutal gore and brutality, racism, classism, deep misogyny and homophobia from the society around the characters. The characters on offer are varied and complex, flawed, and interesting, but your mileage may vary with how much you vibe with them. 

Making use of some of Starz’ old set pieces for Black Sails, including some of their ships, the new One Piece live-action reboot — an adaptation of the anime of the same name (itself an adaptation of the manga) — is a fast-paced, fantastical, and colourful new release. If what you loved about Our Flag was its playful relationship with real-life piracy and chronistic details, its flexibility with “reality” and its eagerness to play around with tropes and expectations, with its creation of found family through a ragtag and varied mix of individuals. What it isn’t, unfortunately, is textually or explicitly queer, let alone as unabashedly queer as Our Flag and Black Sails are respectively. 

HMS Terror and HMS Erebus sailing through the surface ice in The Terror. Via IMDb. 

If you’d rather have queer sailors at any cost than having ones that aren’t explicitly queer, there is, of course, season 1 of The Terror. Based off of Dan Simmons’ magical horror reimagining of the real events of the lost ships in the Arctic, the HMS Terror and HMS Erebus, the first season of this anthology horror series is itself a deeply anti-imperial story following the events of two British ships that become stranded on the ice whilst attempting to discover the North-West Passage, and in so doing poison themselves and the land and people around them. Stuck in place in a cold and unfamiliar environment that does not have sufficient resources to sustain them — and in any case, an environment and resources that as invaders of, they do not know how to live in relationship with — they are hunted by an Inuit spirit, a representation of and manifestation of the imbalance they’ve caused by their mere presence. 

The Terror has a few more explicitly gay dynamics in the book than in the TV show, but the show does feature an unstable, cannibalistic bastard of a man whose favourite hobbies are identity theft, violence, and emotional manipulation — and he’s gay. Representation win! 

As you might imagine from that description, The Terror is not a cheerful, happy show — it’s deeply violence and very at home with hopelessness, but has some fascinating exploration of British imperialism, whiteness, class dynamics, queer men on ships, and chilling horror. 

And it’s not a TV show, but I would be remiss if I did not mention and recommend Taika Waititi’s favourite romance movie — Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003, dir. Peter Weir). Based off of Patrick O’Brien’s long-running Aubreyad, starting with Master and Commander, this film is about Captain Jack Aubrey and his duet partner and best friend (wink wink) Stephen Maturin, the ship’s surgeon. It’s a gorgeous film and while of course not explicit, it’s pretty fucking gay — although unlike the other pieces I’ve mentioned, as Napoleonic-era fanfiction about British navymen, it’s not nearly as critical of British imperialism as one might like, with the majority of the criticism coming from Maturin, and might leave a poor taste in the mouth compared to pieces more critical of the British imperial evil. 

… more queer period dramas and historical shows!

Anne Lister (Suranne Jones) contemplating her hat and gloves. Via IMDb. 

Let’s start with a historical drama — Gentleman Jack, starring Suranne Jones, is set in the early 1800s and is an biographical look at the life of the cryptic diarist and all around delightfully butch lesbian dirtbag, Anne Lister. Apart from the obviously intriguing concept, the show has some sumptuous costuming and set designs, and there are so many different characters and dynamics throughout. I’m always a sucker for an epistolary piece, and as it’s based off of Lister’s diaries, this show has a lot of epistle work throughout. 

If you’re a sucker for lesbians in period dramas, though, you might just like Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries — the eponymous Phryne Fisher is not the lesbian in question. She’s a flapper and private detective in 1920s Melbourne, complete with a little golden gun, and is very hetero — but her best friend, a doctor named Mac (short Elizabeth MacMillan), is gay, and she’s so much fun. Where Phryne is really high-energy and excitable, constantly jumping from idea to idea, Mac is a lot chiller and more smooth, and she’s so suave and so much fun. Miss Fisher is a fun show — alas, a cop show, but it’s a lot more light-hearted, and it does a lot of playful stuff with the period and particularly with costuming details and things like cars, weapons, and various inventions. 

Getting dressed and leaving the boytoy still abed. Via IMDb. 

If you’re open to a miniseries that’s a lot dirtier and nastier than much of the above, have I got the recommendation for you: A Very English Scandal. Starring a relatively innocent and easily manipulated Ben Whishaw across from the deliciously greasy and depraved Hugh Grant, this is a dramatisation of the Thorpe Affair — a political scandal in the UK in the late 1970s — and it’s so fun and so sexy. If whilst watching Our Flag you’ve been giggling and kicking your feet whenever the more fucked up shit goes on in intimate ways, you will almost certainly delight in this one. 

… more of… something. Surprise me!

You might have heard of NBC’s Hannibal, which is a gay take on the dynamic between Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham, but the same creator, Bryan Fuller, also did Pushing Daisies, which is a gorgeous 2-season show that was cancelled long before it ought have been. It explores intimacy at a necessary distance, and has some wonderful queer themes throughout, and stars Lee Pace. 

The new TV adaptation of Anne Rice’s books, Interview with the Vampire, is glorious — it’s openly and unabashedly gay, it’s so full to the brim with depth, and unlike other shows I can mention, it really doesn’t try to shy away from the cruelty of abuses in intimate relationships, or try to shift the blame for abuse entirely onto the back of the victim in a last-minute attempt to foster more sympathy for the abuser. Interview goes so deep into the loneliness and isolation of being separated from society’s mores and expectations, of how that isolation leaves you at much more risk of leverage and abuse by intimate partners, of the brittleness of found family under heavy pressure, and alongside all of that, like… 

It’s a vampire show! It’s sexy! It’s full of blood and horror and misery and grief — the grief of being alive when you should be dead, and at the same time, being halfway dead when you seem to be alive. It’s funny and it’s dark and it’s just full to the brim with poetry, has some honestly gorgeous dialogue, and on top of all that, it’s well-paced, beautifully costumed, and tremendously shot and scored. Watch!

Looking for queer movies, as well as TV shows? I have a big rec list of gay movies here:

[aniseandspearmint]

Got the Microsoft 'lol you need to buy a new computer so we can spy on youuuuu <3!' message on the desktop today.

Gawd i hate them so much. How DARE they.

'We're not gonna maintain protections on windows 10 anymore so you need to shell out the money for an expensive appliance, so we can put our own spyware on you!'

Like, eventually my cheap dell will go out, and I'll have to replace it with another cheap dell, but that's probably not gonna be for a few years (hopefully, since its around 200 dollars for a new refurbished one), so I guess I'm just gonna have to deal with it.

[lackeyhenchman]

I love coming back to this appliance refurbisher. And today somebody made it extra special: