#says the arizonan

[areyoudreaminof]

If any of you watch Sister Wives, please give me your theories as to why Kody and Robyn are selling their mansion that the other wife paid for. Do we think they’ll buy Meri and Jenelle out of the Prairie Dog Plague land?

And how much do you want to bet they’re moving to St. George since the tenders are finished with college?

[inbabylontheywept]

Hey, so for context it's 3:45 AM where I am, and I'm stark awake at this hour because I had to take a nap yesterday due to eating a meal I really shouldn't have that is still wreacking havoc on my intestines. I'm definitely going to regret sending this ask HARD once the sun comes up, but I've been doing a lot of unadvisable shit on the internet over the past 3 days so why not add this to the pile.

I'm kind of having a weird emotional thing right now over your last post because it's just too ridiculous to be true, and I'm realizing the majority of your blog is probably all creative writing not intended to be taken seriously, but I've believed everything you've claimed to be a true story up until this point? And now I'm faced with either being a gullible fool, or an asshole for saying this if it IS all true, and I have to ask or I'll never know? I shouldn't be letting this get to me but it is.

So please, I ask sincerely and with no intention of being a jackass, are your life stories actually all true, or are they supposed to come across as obviously exaggerated or wholly fictional? I'm sure I could piece it together if I lay in bed and thought about it for an hour or two, but I think I'll just take the L and ask outright because fuck it.

But THEN if it truly is just a creative writing blog, would you keep the bit going and claim it's all real when it's not? Like, do you see why I'm going crazy? I am a very gullible, easily lied to person and that has lead me to be on high alert, but I almost always jump at the wrong things and come across as a distrustful asshole, so?? Will you assume this ask itself is LARP because of all the specific details I tacked on, which are intended to garner a sense of sincerity? I'm realizing I may have been playing checkers with someone playing chess all this time and I'm wigging out man

So, I'll start with the small stuff first:

The camp was in Prescott, AZ, in the mountains, over labor day weekend which is in late fall. I don't know the actual temperatures as numbers, but the people at the camp spent more time being cold than hot. The camp organizers also did bring a ludicrous amount of the pink sauce. I don't think the campsite itself was ever intended to provide potable water, just utility water for the showers and dishes and other non-for-direct-consumption tasks. So in that area, the camp people overprepared because Arizonans don't fuck around with dehydration.

I'm also pretty sure they had some water available, they were just very careful with it. I think there were a few diabetic kids, and they were making sure they wouldn't have to subsist on the weird gatorade like everyone else. Maybe. I don't honestly know.

But that's one story, and the thing that you're really asking is, are all these stories fake? Is it all just creative writing? And the answer to that is a soft no.

As a writer, I'm pretty strongly influenced by Patrick McManus. A lot of my stories are told in the American Tall Tale style - which is exaggerated, and dramaticized, but tells a story that is true nonetheless. I am going to keep the specifics of the exaggeration and dramatization between myself and God, but I would look at my stories and say that they're each more than 80% true. I hope that relieves some of your stress.

I wouldn't call what I do creative writing exercises. But I also wouldn't encourage you to take them 100% seriously. Both because I talk a big game, and because they are, at the end of the day, just funny stories. I certainly wouldn't want you to lose any more sleep over them.

You aren't a jackass for expressing incredulity. It's part of my style, and I welcome it. I also wouldn't call you a gullible fool for believing things in the past. We're good, you and I, and I've enjoyed having you as a reader. I hope you keep reading. Just, maybe not at 3:45 AM. Take care of yourself, Babylon

[enmuswife3]

Maybe its a Blessing in Disguise

Jacob x werewolf!Reader

reader moves from LA to Forks in order to reconnect with her old family friend Bella Swan and meets Jacob.

Reader is slightly Afro Latina coded I haven’t rlly said anything about reader’s hair tho so maybe just Latina, also speaks Spanish and incorporates it into random sentences but only if she knows the other person can understand it, reader wears a black juicy tracksuit and chunky sandals bc I said so Jacob does not know that reader is a werewolf reader and is in a pack ill add more as i write

Bruh he is SO FOINE GRRRR BARK BARK BARK WOOF WOOF WOOF

I yawned as I drove to my best friend's house after hearing that her pasty-faced boyfriend had broken up with her. “Bells! vine tan pronto como pude!” I said barging into the house and the young girl's room. I walked in and saw her crying in her bed “Okay pause those sheets are so tacky what the hell” I said carefully sitting down and taking her in my arms letting her cry into my velvety tracksuit. “let's get you better amor” i said kissing the top of her head and helping her stand up. I got her into the shower, washed her face, and put her back to bed as it was already 10:00.

I woke her up bright and early and got her into the bathroom to do something to her face and hair you know to bring that Arizonan girl out and honestly, it worked wonderfully. I put on another tracksuit this time it's dark green and I give Bella a matching one “Tan guapa” I complimented her smiling softly seeing her face turn red alright let go I say grabbing my keys “Wait you driving?” Bella asked “yea silly it’s a sports car though so prepárate,” I said stepping outside and unlocking my Dodge Charger and turning it on making the engine rev like crazy. I smiled as I headed towards the school that I recently enrolled in.

I pulled into a parking spot seeing all the different people including some of Bella’s acquaintances that she showed me a picture of. I stepped out of the car looking around seeing her pasty faced ex-boyfriend through my shades looking right at me, I smirked slightly walking over and opening the door for Bella and helping her out. I chuckled seeing her stumble due to me going 30 over the speed limit. She put her arm around my waist covering up my back tattoo i did the same as we walked through the parking lot ignoring the stares. Thankfully i was able to get all of my classes with Bella so we walked to class together.

Time Skip

It was the end of the day and me and Bella were walking outside and to my car just to find a bunch of random people standing around my car “watch this” i snickered as i pressed the automatic on button and watched as the people jumped and yelped by me turning on the car. I open the door and get in and so does Bella i peered into the mirror seeing the Cullens staring at my car “they stare a whole lot” i said raising my eyebrows. I drove out of the parking lot “ hey can you take me to this place my friend wants to hang out” Bella said “sure”.

We made it to this guy named Billy’s house and when you pulled up several shirtless dudes where sitting on the front deck. I got out and immediately smelled like there were other werewolves and i guess they could smell me too because they immediately turned in my direction. “Guys this is y/n l/n” Bella hesitantly introduced me i smiled politely at the boys “well I’m Seth that’s Quill, Embry, and Jacob” the boy said smiling sweetly “n/n wanna come with us to La Push there’s gonna be a bonfire” Bella asked “uh sure i wont stay too long though a bitch needs her sleep or we wont make it to school tomorrow” i laughed “ well I’m gonna go home i need a shower” i sighed pressing the automatic button on my car key turning up the car making the engine rev. I walked to my car “you stayin’ right?” I looked at Bella as i opened the door, she nodded a few times and i got in my car and sped off.

Bella’s POV

I watched as my friend sped away in her car “soo where’s she from? I know she wasn’t born here” Quil asked “Yeah she’s from LA” I responded as I sat down next to Jacob “What’s LA?” Jacob asked with a raised eyebrow “LA stands for Los Angeles it's in California” I said leaning back and pulling out my phone to text y/n the time she can come back and where. Jacob leaned his head to the side to see what I was doing “So this y/n girl…is she single?” Quil asked as he leaned back in his chair licking his lips “Surprisingly yes” I said “Honestly I don’t even know how or why she’s single I guess the boys in California didn’t catch her attention” I shrugged.

“Are you all ready? And do we have everything we need?” Jacob called out as he finished loading the supplies into his truck “Yeah we’re ready” I called out getting into the passenger seat and the other boys got into the back seat. I dialed y/n’s number and waited for her to answer” Hello?” She answered, “Hey we’re on our way to La Push where are you now?” “Umm I’m at a shopping center right now getting Auntie Annie’s” she answered “Oooh get me a pretzel please,” I asked “ está bien I’m about to leave now no estoy muy lejos” “Okay bye” “Peace”. I hung up the phone “Was she speaking Spanish?” Seth asked “yea it’s her first language” I said looking out the window as the trees turned into cliffs and this cliff turned into the beach. It was slightly crowded but I wasn’t bothered by that. The bonfire was set up and I was waiting patiently for y/n to come with my delicious pretzel.

Y/n’s POV

I pulled into the parking lot and looked around before I got out holding Bella’s pretzel and a lemonade in my other hand I walked towards the bonfire which was actual a long distance away so I started sipping on my frosted lemonade. The soft light of the fire grew larger as I neared I scanned for a spot to sit at and slightly tensed up seeing that the only spot open was by that Jacob guy. No I don’t hate him or anything he’s actually very attractive in fact he looks like he was sculpted by a god or something. And ohh don’t get me started on his eyes and the way his brows furrow- that’s enough rambling for one day I thought to myself. I saw Bella get up happily scurrying towards me grabbing the pretzel and taking a bite happily. “Oh um there aren’t anymore seats by me so I guess you’ll have to sit with Jay” Bella said looking around “oh okay” I said sitting down on the bench by the young boy.

Time Skip

Everyone was laughing and enjoying their time Jacob and I grew silent but I could feel his eyes on me. Bella and the 3 other boys were talking and laughing but I kind of just zoned them out by playing a random game on my phone. “So y/n how’s the weather there in California?” Jacob asked as he sat up straight “extremely hot I can say that” I laughed breathlessly “so do you like it over here more?” I grew silent for a moment looking back at Bella and the others joking around “I guess you could say that though I do miss my family” I smiled softly looking back at Jacob. I could see a slight hint of red in his cheeks but I dared not to say anything about it. “Alright y/n I’m ready to go” Bella said getting up “okay” I said getting up “it was nice meeting you all” I said softly walking over to Bella and turning around. “Yeah it was nice meeting you” Seth said as the others nodded in agreement I softly smiled and turned around to see Bella already walking off I smacked my lips jogging after her.

We had finally made it to my car and we got in and I drove away “soo Jacob huh~ think he’s cute?” Bella asked teasingly and laughed when I blushed “I think he’s really into you y/n~” she laughed “I should set you two up” I laughed nervously “I mean I wouldn’t be complaining he is cute” I said as I pulled into the driveway and got out the car. “Oh by the way me and Edward are okay now I guess but I don’t know if we’re back together yet, also prom is Friday night and I think you should come” Bella said as we walked into the house “okay but I don’t trust that pasty-face bastard, and yea we can go to prom can you come dress shopping with me?” I asked “sure”.

“Alright goodnight Bells” I yawned as I walked to my room, I laid down and called my mom as it was only 8:00 where she was “hi momma” I spoke sweetly “hi my sweet baby how is mare you doing?” My mother cooed “ah I’m alright schools pretty nice here and I love the weather” I gushed “that’s good sweetie now have you met anyone? Any boys?” My mother asked slyly. I chuckled nervously “there’s this one boy but when I first met him I got a whiff of that wet dog smell so I think he’s one of us including his friends or should I say pack” I whispered “another pack? Well I’m not surprised. You haven’t come across any of those cold ones have you?” She asked “unfortunately yes, I have and I think Bella has a relation shit with one of them” I sighed “god well if you need any help let out a howl and your siblings will be there in a bling of an eye” “I will momma, I’m going to go to sleep now okay?” “Alright love call me if you need anything alright? Bye now” I hung up the phone and placed it on my nightstand and rolled over to look at the ceiling. I waited for a few minutes just in case then I softly closed my eyes.

I was woken up by my 5:00 alarm and got up with a groan. I quickly got ready and headed downstairs just to see Bella introducing her so called “boyfriend” to Charlie “good morning Charlie!” I say walking up to the chief giving him a big hug somehow he was still taller than me “mornin’” he huffed “y/n this is Edward” Bella said “hi.uh nice to meet you” I said looking him up and down questionably. “It’s nice to meet you too I’m about to take Bella to play baseball ball with my family would you like to join?” The pale-faced man smiled “I’ll go if Bells wants me to” I stated as I turned to the girl raising my eyebrow. “Yeah you should come but take your car so I can have a ride home,” Bella said smiling “Okay. “

“Y/n, I trust that you’ll keep Bella safe and not let any harm come to her correct?” Charlie asked sternly but I could see right through him “She won’t get into any type of danger as long as I’m breathing” I said with a glint in my eyes. “She’s safe with me,” I said holding up my hands and retracted my claws smiling. Charlie nodded and walked off to get ready for work Bella and her boyfriend were already outside I sipped on some water and pressed the button to turn on my car “I’ll follow you guys or you could just tell me the location so I can speed how I’d like to” I said looking at Edward “I think it’d be best if you followed since I don’t know where we’re going” “erm okay I guess” I shrugged walking to my car.

The car ride there was pretty long but I understand what Edward meant by him not even knowing where we were going himself because there were three other cars in front of him at last we finally made it to the destination three women got out of one car and three men came out of theirs I opened my door and got out and walked next to Bella and rested my elbow on her shoulder. “Y/n this is Alice, Rosalie, and Esme” “Hi y/n I’ve seen you in the halls but I was too nervous to come up to you,” Alice said chuckling nervously “I know right? When I first met her she looked like she wanted to fight me but she’s a sweetheart really” Bella smiled “Looks like it” Rosalie said eyeing me up and down. I heard a twig snap and immediately turned my head to see who it was kind of surprising the three women.

After I was introduced to everyone the game had finally begun and I could tell that they were very serious about the game. I stood at one of the bases and looked to my side seeing Bella at another one then all of a sudden she caught the ball and threw it at me and I could see in the corner of my eye Rosalie running towards me using her super speed I caught the ball just before she could slide to the base “you're out.” I said looking down at her. She stood up immediately and let out a growl as if she were trying to scare me I raised my eyebrow tilted my head and watched her stomp away.

“Stop!” Alice yelled everyone walked to her “Someone’s coming”

Yall i was so excited writing this yall do not knowww anywho not rlly proof read i just used Grammarly to correct sum stuff so if it sounds weird it’s that😓🙏

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Jessica Valenti at Abortion, Every Day:

After nearly two years of losing elections, Republicans think they have an answer to their abortion problem: If you can’t beat them, pretend to be them. With Americans furious over bans, support for abortion right skyrocketing, and the issue winning every ballot measure since Roe was overturned, conservatives’ new strategy is to propose ‘pro-choice’ amendments of their own. Disguised as initiatives to protect abortion rights, these measures would actually trick voters into codifying Republican bans. In Arizona, for example, Republicans are considering a ‘pro-choice’ amendment to distract from anger over the 1864 ban and to undercut a real abortion rights measure. A leaked strategy document shows that the amendment would claim to protect abortion up until 15 weeks, but be made toothless by restrictions enshrined alongside it. Republicans are even tossing around feminist-sounding names like the “Arizona Abortion Protection Act” and the “Arizona Abortion and Reproductive Care Act.” The goal is to make Arizonans believe they’re voting to protect abortion rights while directing them away from the measure that would actually do so.

Something similar is happening in Nebraska, where a coalition of anti-abortion groups proposed a measure they hope will distract from a genuine abortion rights amendment. After the pro-choice group Protect Our Rights launched a ballot initiative to protect abortion until ‘viability’, conservatives proposed a similar-sounding amendment, Protect Women and Children. This measure would supposedly allow abortion in the first trimester. But the Nebraska amendment wouldn’t actually make abortion more available. Just like the proposal the Arizona GOP is considering, it’s a massive deception. Nebraska already has 12-week ban; that means this ballot measure would codify a Republican ban into the state constitution, making it virtually repeal-proof. Still, to trick voters, anti-abortion politicians are calling the measure “a second, better choice.” (It is not a coincidence that this amendment has been endorsed by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Nebraska Right to Life, and the Nebraska Family Alliance.)

Republicans trying to fool voters by using pro-choice rhetoric isn’t new. When an anti-abortion amendment was on the ballot in Kansas in 2022, conservative groups sent voters misleading text messages telling them to “Vote YES to protect women’s health.” (A ‘yes’ vote would have removed abortion protections.) And when Virginia Republicans were pushing a 15-week ban, they insisted the law wasn’t a ‘ban’ at all, but an effort to “keep abortion legal” for the first weeks of pregnancy. In a moment when Americans overwhelmingly want abortion to be legal, Republicans are desperate to sound as reasonable, moderate, and even as ‘pro-choice’, as possible. Their extremist talking points haven’t worked; that’s why they’ve shifted from taking about ‘bans’ and abortion being ‘murder,’ to using words like ‘consensus’ and ‘compassion.’ Conservatives need voters to believe that they’re seeking some sort of middle ground. The truth? They will say anything to ban abortion and to keep it banned. They’d rather craft elaborate, deceptive ballot measures than lift wildly unpopular and unwanted restrictions. And they’d rather frame their policies as pro-choice than risk losing another vote.

The good news is that all of this means conservatives’ current tactics aren’t working. Their messaging is failing miserably, and every effort to stop ballot initiatives has reminded Americans that Republicans are passing these bans against our wishes. 

Jessica Valenti's latest Abortion, Every Day entry sounds the alarm about the GOP's deceptive use of ballot measures to trick people into voting into codifying abortion bans using pro-choice language.

[solitarelee]

I haven't seen this on Tumblr yet and I got one today, so I wanted to mention that if you receive a text message informing you that you're not registered to vote, with a link, that is a scam. The url looks legit but those urls were just registered.

If you want to double check if you are registered to vote (which is a good idea always), go directly to your county or state elections website. Honestly you can just google it or go to vote.gov if you're having trouble finding your local elections website.

Do not click on urls from unknown texts or e-mails!

[mojave-pete]

Kari Lake

Our election was stolen in broad daylight.

Even Joe Rogan knows it.

That’s why I’m traveling across the country advocating for election reforms that will ensure what happened to Arizonans never happens to anyone again.

[rapeculturerealities]

Hobbs, Democrats blast GOP for refusing to give Arizonans a right to contraception

Sen. Sonny Borrelli, the No. 2 Republican in the state Senate, responded to a question about whether he would oppose future efforts to restrict access to emergency contraceptives by saying that women wouldn’t need contraceptives if they weren’t so promiscuous.

“Like I said, Bayer Company invented aspirin. Put it between your knees,” he said, implying that, if women hold aspirin between their legs, they won’t be able to have sex and risk pregnancy.

Borrelli, a Republican from Lake Havasu City, said the idea that contraceptive access is under attack is fabricated.

“They’re creating a controversy that doesn’t exist because nobody’s opposing — nobody has any kind of plan to ban any contraceptives,” he said.

And he waved away concerns that emergency contraceptives, like Plan B, were the subject of attacks by GOP lawmakers in other states.

[plethoraworldatlas]

Reproductive justice campaigners in Arizona on Tuesday vowed to make sure voters "have the ultimate say" on abortion rights after the state Supreme Court upheld an 1864 ban that includes no exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.

"This is a horrifying ruling that puts the lives and futures of countless Arizonans at risk," said Leah Greenberg, co-founder of progressive advocacy group Indivisible. "It's devastating and cruel—and we're fighting back."

The court ruled that since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the right-wing majority on the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022, no law exists to prevent Arizona from reinstating a measure passed in 1864—before Arizona was even a U.S. state.

The law outlaws abortion care from the moment of conception with exceptions only in cases of a pregnant person who faces life-threatening health impacts. Such "exceptions" have been shown to threaten the health, including reproductive health and future fertility, of pregnant people in several states since Roe was overturned in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling.

Under the Arizona law, doctors who are prosecuted for providing abortion care could face fines and 2-5 years in prison.

State Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, called the ruling "unconscionable and an affront to freedom."

[thatstormygeek]

With Americans furious over bans, support for abortion right skyrocketing, and the issue winning every ballot measure since Roe was overturned, conservatives’ new strategy is to propose ‘pro-choice’ amendments of their own. Disguised as initiatives to protect abortion rights, these measures would actually trick voters into codifying Republican bans. In Arizona, for example, Republicans are considering a ‘pro-choice’ amendment to distract from anger over the 1864 ban and to undercut a real abortion rights measure. A leaked strategy document shows that the amendment would claim to protect abortion up until 15 weeks, but be made toothless by restrictions enshrined alongside it. Republicans are even tossing around feminist-sounding names like the “Arizona Abortion Protection Act” and the “Arizona Abortion and Reproductive Care Act.” The goal is to make Arizonans believe they’re voting to protect abortion rights while directing them away from the measure that would actually do so. Something similar is happening in Nebraska, where a coalition of anti-abortion groups proposed a measure they hope will distract from a genuine abortion rights amendment. After the pro-choice group Protect Our Rights launched a ballot initiative to protect abortion until ‘viability’, conservatives proposed a similar-sounding amendment, Protect Women and Children. This measure would supposedly allow abortion in the first trimester.

In a moment when Americans overwhelmingly want abortion to be legal, Republicans are desperate to sound as reasonable, moderate, and even as ‘pro-choice’, as possible. Their extremist talking points haven’t worked; that’s why they’ve shifted from taking about ‘bans’ and abortion being ‘murder,’ to using words like ‘consensus’ and ‘compassion.’ Conservatives need voters to believe that they’re seeking some sort of middle ground. The truth? They will say anything to ban abortion and to keep it banned. They’d rather craft elaborate, deceptive ballot measures than lift wildly unpopular and unwanted restrictions. And they’d rather frame their policies as pro-choice than risk losing another vote.

[e-adlirez]

Geronimo Stilton Pokemon AU

So some time ago I made a post asking about a potential Pokémon AU for Geronimo Stilton, which didn’t get much notes but y’know wut two-ish ideas was enough to get the brain juices rolling so I made this :D

Name says all, this took longer than it was supposed to ue,,, there will be a Thea Sisters edition of this post at some point

My lil’ rule for this AU: NO LEGENDARIES, because that’d be too easy and overpowered. Giving them mere mortal Pokémon is more fun because we got more flavors to play with :]

HEADCANONS:

Geronimo’s goldfish Hannibal is now a Goldeen. The two adore each other, and G doesn’t care much about getting Pokémon besides Hannibal. In fact, Goldeen is legally Geronimo’s only Pokémon, and it’s more of a pet than anything

Thea and Bruce both really love their Fighting types because of their active lifestyles (I can see either of them having at least one Flying type tho). Bruce is more of a Machamp-and-Hariyama type, while Thea’s more into the Hisuian Lilligants and Mienshaos. Th-that is to say, she likes them stronk but also pretty (Disclaimer: Thea unfortunately does not have a Hisuian Lilligant because they don’t exist in the present time anymore). Mienshao is such a Theacore Pokémon it’s literally a match made in heaven I can’t believe it and I was so tempted to give her a Miraidon because of the motorbike—

As you can see in the sketch, Thea is arguing with a Riolu. So allow me to explain that :] Thea got a Riolu egg from a breeder friend, and uh from the time of its birth onward, it’s never liked Thea. They’d argue a lot and be frustrated with each other a lot— Riolu would never listen to Thea and would always run off on its own, Thea would put it in timeout a lot, that whole thing. Then one day, Thea visits G, and Riolu suddenly pops out of its Pokéball timeout corner to vibe check G. G passes the vibe check so well that Riolu basically ditched Thea for G. G has a little blue son/bodyguard now. Riolu still has the desire to train, which G isn’t always able to satisfy, but he tries his best :’3 he even made a little gym for Riolu in his garage

There were many choices to give Ben, either to fit show!Benjamin’s nerdy aesthetic or book!Ben’s general wholesome adorableness that we all love. I went middle of the road and gave him Pichu, a baby electric mouse :3

Trap has a Munchlax. Very self-explanatory, Trap has a Munchlax. They’re both very slobby and both of them really like raiding buffets together (and then forcing G to pay the bill if he falls for that trick). Munchlax is rather independent and walks around town to beg for scraps. He’s very good at seeming adorable, so most mice cave and give him a little snack. Just like Arizonans and their relationship with javelinas, giving Trap’s Munchlax a snack once is a bad idea, unless you’re okay with this little gremlin following you all day and asking for more scraps.

Part 2 involving the Thea Sisters will be coming soon, so lemme know what you think :D

[colesabi]

26. a scenario that you’ve replayed multiple times?

34. is there a song you know every word to by heart?

43. what’s your take on spicy foods?

i hope you can rest well tonight!!

26. A scenario that you’ve replayed multiple times?

Hmm, this is kind of stumping me. I’m not sure if it’s a scenario you replay in your head multiple times, because I could go real dark here but I don’t think I want to do that lol. Since my brain is still a bit soupy, I’ll say currently, I’m replaying all of the photoshoot ideas I’m planning for the Chris & Leon dolls. :3

34. Is there a song you know every word to by heart?

A couple yeah. I know most Mariah Carey songs completely by heart along with Fleetwood Mac. I’m a 90s baby who was raised on classic rock and R&B lol.

43. What is your take on spicy foods?

As a native Arizonan, it would be sacrilege for me to not love spicy foods. I live and breathe capsaicin. 🌶️

thanks for the ask and I’m hoping I’ll pass out eventually.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

John Russell at LGBTQ Nation:

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) vetoed 13 Republican bills on Tuesday, including one that LGBTQ+ advocates say would have erased transgender people from legal recognition in the state. Senate Bill 1628, the so-called “Arizona Women’s Bill of Rights,” was introduced by state Sen. Sine Kerr (R) in February. Similar to laws introduced in other states like Indiana and Iowa, it would have removed the word “gender” from state law, replacing it with the word “sex,” which it defined strictly according to biology. The proposed law defined gendered terms like “boy,” “girl,” “man,” “woman,” “mother,” and “father” according to biological sex and would have banned trans people from single-sex environments like bathrooms, locker rooms, sports teams, and domestic violence shelters that do not align with the sex they were assigned at birth. Critics said the bill would have erased trans and nonbinary people from public life in Arizona. “This effort to erase trans people and try to force them to fit into boxes that they don’t fit into is totally unacceptable to me,” state Sen. Eva Burch (D) told the Arizona Senate Health and Human Services Committee in February. “I’m not afraid of trans people, I’m afraid of what’s going to happen to them if we keep treating them like this.”  

The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona’s Hugo Polanco warned that S.B. 1628 would have also prevented trans people from obtaining legal documents like IDs that accurately reflect their gender identity. “This bill would force transgender people to live a lie and put them at risk of harm by disclosing the sex they were assigned at birth on documents like drivers’ licenses, marriage licenses, school records and burial paperwork,” Polanco said in February. “All of us, including transgender people, need accurate and consistent identity documents that reflect who we are. That’s what IDs are for.”  Arizona’s Republican-controlled House of Representatives approved the bill in a 31–28 vote along party lines earlier this month, KJZZ reported. The bill was then sent to Hobbs, who had previously said she opposed it.  

Brilliant news from Arizona: Governor Katie Hobbs (D) vetoes trans erasure bill deceitfully called the "Women's Bill of Rights" bill SB1628.

[directdogman]

hey howdy hey! first off, i wanna say that ive been following dialtown since it was a wee baby demo and i have loved to see every inch of progress it has made. i love this game to bits. i can't accurately express how much of a comfort game it is to me, or compliment the writing enough, but rest assured that i believe it's a fockin masterpiece (even if that means i am damned to hell. i welcome u, phone-satan)

that being said! woe be upon ye, i have lore questions for ya (and i'll probably ask more at a later date)

i would love to hear more about callum crown. literally any detail(s) you can comfortably give that wouldn't spoil a potential sequel or that 30-page lore doc (tho , gotta say, i wanna see that lore doc real bad).

you've said before that you'd like to expand on the singular timeline (how all of the routes coalesce in chapter 3) in dialtown, but that it's tough to put the words you have on paper into words on tumblr. i've got time. lemme read info on the timeline i beg of you

is there any particular reason that phonegingi's head resembles callum's, to the point that callum's 3D model head uses gingi's as a base?? there are hints (i use that term loosely) on your blog that gingi might have modeled their head after callum's. is there anything to that?

moreover, i'd like to know if there's more of a connection between callum and gingi than the heads alone. i mean, gingi literally hears callum's voice before hearing anything about the guy, and they can also somehow read his postcard (without the narrator) DESPITE being illiterate?

finally, a silly one, since winter is upon us! how does norm handle dialtown's winters, being a native arizonan/texan and all? as somebody who lived in arizona, lemme tell ya, the folks there don't take kindly to winter.

i know this is a lot, so thank you if you even took the time to read lol

Some really interesting questions here. I could write an essay in response to some of these questions, which means you’ve undoubtedly asked some good questions heh. You're a sharp one. Lemme answer these as best I can without anticlimactically revealing essential lore in this random tumblr post heh heh

> "i would love to hear more about callum crown. literally any detail(s) you can comfortably give that wouldn't spoil a potential sequel or that 30-page lore doc (tho , gotta say, i wanna see that lore doc real bad)." The stupid thing about that lore doc is that it should be even LONGER. While parts of the Dialup are explained, parts are left out, because I realized that explaining it would require adequately explaining a piece of very strange context regarding another character. Long story short, it connects to something that should ordinarily be very far removed from Crown's tale, so I left it out. I actually left entire pages out to avoid having to explain who someone previously unmentioned in the doc was. Crown's story is funny in the sense that so much of it is why Dialtown (both the game and the city) is the way it is, but the main story of Dialtown is so far removed from it, the only connections to it remaining being Mingus/Norm's beef. Norm's account of Crown's life isn't exactly inaccurate, no one thing he says is technically incorrect, but it misses vital context that completely changes parts of it. Norm missed the end of Crown's presidency, so he also had to learn from revisionist/secondary sources. Some parts are overly detailed, while other parts aren't. EG: Crown's early life has a LOT of focus, but as the timeline gets closer to the end, the detail slows down. Crown's two years of 'honorary leader of the UN' is brushed over, a title that implies he had control over the entire world briefly. As Norm's extras menu implies, Norm is (just like in Mingus) in partial denial about aspects of Crown's leadership and is also in the dark about the behind the scenes stuff from Crown's presidency. Crown's vice president (and best friend, Milton R. Wallace) ended his life after falling out with Crown over the Dialup, and the postcard read in chapter 3 heavily implies that Marla had returned to Dialtown without Crown after he left office. Since Mingus exists, we know Marla + Crown had at least one kid together. Could you imagine trying to raise a young family with the most powerful man in the world, a man who plans his day down to the hour, all without even having a permanent address? Crown’s final days were lonelier than Norm knows and I’d love to discuss them more one day.    

> “you've said before that you'd like to expand on the singular timeline (how all of the routes coalesce in chapter 3) in dialtown, but that it's tough to put the words you have on paper into words on tumblr. i've got time. lemme read info on the timeline i beg of you” There isn’t much I can really say about the timeline without just calling attention to what’s already seen in-game. Any instance in-game where time seems to be falling apart, there’s common visual signs that reality itself is tearing apart at the seams, hell, even outside of the main endings. Only one character in the cast seems to be really aware of this and... Well, seeing God binge-drinking on the curb is usually a bad sign of what’s to come. Hitchcock’s advice for writers who wanna add suspense to a scene is to make people unaware of something significant that’s about to happen. Example: Two men sitting at a table in a diner, talking about something, say, like football... Not a massively suspenseful scene. However, add a live bomb underneath the table, and establish that neither of the men know that it’s there, and every second of that scene will feel like hours, as you hope to GOD that one of the men will look under the table and notice the bomb before it goes off. The bomb under Dialtown’s ‘table’ has a long fuse, but the clock’s ticking down. A lot of what people have noticed regarding Dialtown’s time fuckery is a symptom of something (or someone?) desperately trying to plug up holes in a sinking ship. Anyway, I think I’ve said enough.    

> “is there any particular reason that phonegingi's head resemblescallum's, to the point that callum's 3D model head uses gingi's as abase?? there are hints (i use that term loosely) on your blog that gingi might have modeled their head after callum's. is there anything to that?” Fun question, and a tough one to wrap your head around. Callum Crown’s fame makes it impossible to tell if there really is any connection between him and Gingi’s appearance outside of an eerie coincidence. If Gingi’s head resembled a frankensteined JFK, I don’t think anyone would think for a moment that it meant that JFK and Gingi shared a direct connection, of course, and same for say, Mr Bean and the like. But Crown himself also being connected directly to Norm + Mingus makes it strange. Maybe it’s just the universe’s weird way of doing things, or maybe caused by an intrinsically unknown force? Maybe whoever built Gingi’s phone head just felt that it should look like the most powerful man on earth? Lotta possibilities. I mean. Like, I know the answer. But, for you guys, maaany possibilities!  

> “moreover, i'd like to know if there's more of a connection between callum and gingi than the heads alone. i mean, gingi literally hears callum's voice before hearing anything about the guy, and they can also somehow read his postcard (without the narrator) DESPITE being illiterate?” Again, gotta commend your sharpness, I’ve heard very few people really ask about this. The big issue with the question, of course, is how utterly abnormal Gingi is. God outright implies that Gingi is some sort of time anomaly, since he’s never seen anything quite like Gingi before, and with some of Gingi’s 4th wall breaking dialogue, it seems Gingi has some fleeting awareness of events in other timelines, somehow. That’s excluding Gingi’s weird biology or the fact that Gingi can hear sentient voices. Gingi is unique. You’re right that Gingi being able to hear Crown is abnormal, and combined with, like you said, them having similar appearances (and hell, I’ll add fuel to the fire: how transfixed Crown was with Gingi in that memory Mingus tearfully recounts during the climax, the one where Crown stares at Gingi while Gingi rummages through the garbage outside his window at the nursing home), there’s enough of a connection to be weird, but not enough of one to say anything conclusive. In my eyes, though, I reckon that some universal force could be drawing these two weirdos together, almost like a moth to a lamp. Birds of a feather.   

> “finally, a silly one, since winter is upon us! how does norm handle dialtown's winters, being a native arizonan/texan and all? as somebody who lived in arizona, lemme tell ya, the folks there don't take kindly to winter.” I imagine when he lived in the cabin, during the winter, Norm CONSTANTLY had a fire lit and basically didn’t leave it. Probably had some kind of insane insulation through hunting animals and shoving the pelts into the walls, or something. I guess he wouldn’t had the time to kill, alright.

Thanks for the great questions. Sorry for the vagueness, but hope you got something out of these answers regardless! Some of this stuff will for sure be coming up in future Dialtown stuff! Knowledge is pain!

[marlshroom]

arizonans say they want to go to oregon like they’ve ever had an original thought in their life

[barbie-necromancer]

ultimately by saying you’re not going to vote, you’re actively telling the world around you that you don’t care about any down ballot issues. I don’t care if you vote for president or not (although if you’re in a swing state, I’m side eyeing you), but by not turning up to vote for other issues that do directly impact your community, all you’re doing is saying you don’t care about where you live.

Maybe Im just an Arizonan who now lives in California, but Voting is really easy here in CA. I don’t need my ID, I just need to verify who I am with words from my mouth. In Arizona, I would continually be pushed away from the ballot box for not having my address match or that I moved too soon to the election date and I didn’t count for some reason.

what I am saying is, if voting wasn’t so damn important, they wouldn’t make it this hard to do it

[tomorrowusa]

You know things are not normal when cacti are dying off in Arizona because of the heat.

Record-high temperatures in Arizona, combined with a lack of seasonal monsoons, have caused saguaro cactuses at the Desert Botanical Garden to become “highly stressed,” according to Chief Science Officer Kimberlie McCue. She said a saguaro can appear “fairly normal” or feel somewhat squishy before it suddenly collapses and reveals it has been rotting from the inside out due to heat-related stress. Every February, the Desert Botanical Garden takes inventory of its saguaro cactuses and assesses each one’s condition. McCue said since 2020, when record temperatures caused stress in many of the saguaros, she and her team have seen more of the garden’s cactuses die. Present-day heat records are sending some of those previously affected cactuses over the edge, causing them to lose limbs and even collapse.

For the overwhelming majority of people on Earth who don't use Fahrenheit: 90° F = 32.2° C and 110° F = 43.3° C.

Wednesday night ended a record streak of 16 days above 90 degrees in Phoenix. The city is forecast to see temperatures over 110 degrees again on Thursday, which would make for the 28th consecutive day.

^^^ That's a bit awkwardly worded. To clarify, that the record of temperatures above 90° F pertains to overnight low temperatures.

The blue plot on this chart for official NWS data for Phoenix shows conditions for the four day period from July 23rd at 6 PM to July 27th at 6 PM local time. The lowest recorded temperature for that period was 87.8° F/31.0° C and the highest was 118.4° F/48.0° C.

No matter what Arizonans like to say about "dry heat" such temperatures are not good for our physical or mental health.

Sick and dying cacti in Arizona are yet another warning sign about the declining health of our planet.

Climate-denying Republicans like Ron DeSantis who flippantly claim that concern about the planet is "politicization of the weather" should not be allowed to hold any public office.