#this is from yesterdays show in san francisco

[mittland]

i 🖤 girls

[octuscle]

Exchange Student: Brooklyn (NY)

Chuck was a simple country boy. He had graduated top of his class in agricultural mechanics—of course, he had. Giving your best was just the way things were. That’s what his parents had expected of him. And now, that’s what he expected of himself. He was giving his best. And now he had to give his best at the New York City College of Technology. Because he had a scholarship there.

His hometown had 684 people. More people lived on the block where his dorm was. Shit. He wasn’t built for the big city. Not at all.

His dorm room looked like the room of a guy who had never had to clean up after himself. Back home, his mom did the laundry. His mom cleaned. His mom picked up after him. And when she didn’t, his sister did. It wasn’t about patriarchy or anything (not that Chuck even knew that word)—that’s just how things were. Men didn’t clean, just like men took cold showers without body wash.

Chuck picked up a tank top from the floor and sniffed it. He’d worn it to the gym yesterday. Probably not for the first time. Good enough for today’s lectures.

By Friday, even his gym buddies had started complaining about how bad his clothes smelled. That meant there was no way around it—he had to do laundry. Somewhere between his dorm and Washington Hall Park, where he sometimes played ball with some guys, there was a laundromat on Myrtle Avenue that looked decent enough. Maybe he could kill two birds with one stone.

So, he threw on the least smelly basketball jersey he could find, grabbed his gym bag stuffed with dirty laundry, and headed out. He stopped in front of the laundromat, took a deep breath. He was nervous. Rightfully so. The place was packed. Dozens of washers and dryers spinning. He had no idea what to do. And apparently, it showed.

“First time?” A guy asked him. Slim, buzz cut, tattoos, colorful outfit. Chuck knew guys like him. Art school types from across the street. Normally, Chuck would at best spit at their feet. But now? He needed help. And this guy seemed willing to give it.

“Dude, you’re a lifesaver, bro!” Chuck said, giving the guy a fist bump. The guy returned it, amused, and told him his machine would be done soon—Chuck could take it after.

Martin, as he introduced himself, walked Chuck through everything—how to separate his mess of gray-beige towels, bedsheets, socks, jockstraps, tank tops, tees, shorts, and jeans, where to get detergent, how to use the dryer afterward, and so on. Chuck’s head was spinning.

“Relax, big guy, it’s all on the wall,” Martin said, pointing to a board covered in instructions.

Damn. Maybe it would’ve been easier to just drive home and have his mom do it.

Once his machine was running, he thanked Martin, who was neatly folding his own laundry fresh from the dryer. Chuck had to get out of here. He needed to sweat, to prove he was a bro—not some laundry-doing wimp. According to Martin, he had 90 minutes.

When he got back, sweaty from shooting hoops, his washer was already beeping like crazy. He stuffed everything into a big dryer and let out a sigh of relief when the drum started spinning. Drying only took 25 minutes—just enough time to grab something quick to eat at the Chinese spot next door.

Back in his dorm, Chuck realized laundry wasn’t over yet. He had to make his bed, shove his clothes into his locker… Damn, getting the duvet cover on was torture. Definitely women’s work. Even the pillowcase was fighting back. Maybe because Martin’s tie-dye shirt was stuck inside. Not that Chuck noticed.

He didn’t care how the bed looked. He was wiped. He crashed onto the fresh sheets and was out almost instantly. And Martin’s shirt did its thing.

That night, Chuck dreamed in wild colors. If you could paint his dreams, they’d look like some psychedelic trip. He saw places he’d never been—Paris, Berlin, San Francisco—everything spinning in a massive vortex.

He woke up drenched in sweat. Half-asleep, he reached for his sketchbook. He had to capture this. He had to paint it tomorrow—big, bold, powerful. He stumbled into the bathroom, chugged a glass of water, and caught his reflection in the mirror.

Shit. He looked awful. He needed more sleep.

If you wanted to piss him off, you called him “Chuck.” There was nothing Charles hated more than hillbillies butchering the beautiful name Charles. He was Charles—pronounced the French way, please. Yeah, maybe that was a bit ridiculous for a guy born and raised in Chicago, but ever since his semester abroad in Paris, he stuck with it.

According to his professors, Charles was an insanely talented young man. He had proved his artistic skill on his own body—most of his tattoos were his own work. A bunch of his classmates were walking around with his ink, too. That alone had made him a bit of a legend at Pratt Institute. But what really stirred things up was his latest series of large-scale, vibrant paintings—whirlpools of color with subtle critiques of toxic masculinity, as he put it.

Not that Charles had much of that in him. Unless you saw him playing basketball in the little park around the corner. There, he took no prisoners.

[keepingupwithzaynmalik]

"It's so loud in here. I think I said yesterday, I actually don't have in-ears on the stage with me, so I can just hear your beautiful voices, beautiful vibes. Honestly, I'm so glad that I don't, because it feels fucking amazing. Thanks for singing along. You guys mean the world to me, I swear, from the bottom of my heart."

— Zayn thanking the fans at tonight's show in San Francisco (credit)

[wolfjackle-creates]

Bring Me Home: Silver and Gold Edits

It's actually a Wednesday and I've finally been getting somewhere with the Silver and Gold edits! Can't believe I got stuck for so long.

So, here's a little teaser for anyone who is still following me.

I've revamped the radio interview Young Justice has in Amity to try and improve Phantom's reputation. So I'm going to share that.

Word count: 3k (They definitely went over time)

Summary: Young Justice (Tim, Kon, Cassie, and Bart) get stranded in Amity just before Walker's invasion. They stick around to help out and in the process decide to try and help Danny improve his reputation in the town. One of the ways they do that is by going on for a radio interview.

-----

The room fell into silence for a few long moments until the “on air” light lit up. Steve started speaking immediately.

“Good morning, Amity Park! This is Steve Boyce here to help you bring in the day. How are you early birds doing? Have I got a treat for you today! I’m here with the largest cup of coffee I could find because I got absolutely no sleep last night. And you’ll all understand why when I tell you who our guests today are!

“Yesterday afternoon, the studio got a very surprising email. We honestly thought it was a prank. But this morning, our guests actually turned up! Everyone, give a warm Amity welcome to the Teen Titans. We’re honored you would want to come on my little show, especially after the service you did for our town just the other night. Why don’t you introduce yourselves for our listeners?”

Each of them did as asked. Then Tim added, “We were just glad we happened to be in the right place at the right time, Steve.”

Cassie met his eyes and Tim nodded. “Robin’s right. Though I have one small correction to make. The former Teen Titans have kept the name Titans, even if they are no longer teens. So we’ve decided to re-brand and establish ourselves as our own team.”

Bart nodded. “Yep! We go by Young Justice now.”

Steve laughed. “Looks like I’ve already put my foot in it. Let me correct myself: Amity, let’s give the Young Justice a warm welcome!”

Tim put on the happy gala voice his parents had drilled into him. “Not at all! It’s a new change and we’ve never really operated out here before. Even back home in San Francisco we get called the Teen Titans more often than not. Hell, half our mentors still call us that. We’re just on a crusade to get the name change to stick.”

“Well I’m sure all of my listeners will be sure to get it right going forward. Now, let’s get down to business. We’re all thrilled that you were around to help us out the other night, but what brought you to Amity to begin with? Mayor Montez has publicly stated he never even had a chance to reach out for help before you were on the scene.”

“Pure luck, I’m afraid,” said Tim.

Kon took over the story, “We were on our way home from a mission when our transport crashed and stranded us here.”

Bart made a noise of agreement. “Luckily my old friend Phantom was here to help us out!”

“That’s right. You were telling me before the broadcast started that you’ve had some dealings with Phantom before. Impulse is a speedster like the Flash. And apparently that means he’s used to interdimensional beings like the ghosts that have been plaguing our town.”

“Yep! And Phantom and I in particular go way back. So when I realized he was here, I insisted we stick around for an extra day to hang out.”

“And imagine our surprise,” said Tim, “when our very first night here, we experienced a ghost invasion!”

Cassie laughed. “Oh, come on, Robin. With our lives, it really wasn’t that surprising.”

“Yeah,” said Kon. “We’ve totally had weirder things happen to us.”

Steve pitched his town lower as if conspiring with them. “Well, I’ll definitely be asking for some of the details on what those might’ve been later.” Then, in his normal broadcast voice, said, “But first, I have to ask. Impulse, how did you meet Phantom? He’s that ghost in the black-and-white jumpsuit sometimes called Inviso-Bill, right? As far as I know, he’s only ever been seen in Amity. And you’ve certainly never been here before.”

Bart met Tim’s eyes and Tim nodded, letting him know to go ahead with the story. With Tim’s story, to be exact. “Yep, that’s him,” said Bart. “And, well, it may be strange, but I knew him before he was Phantom.”

“Before he was Phantom? Do you mean…” Steve let his voice trail off.

Bart nodded and Tim took over. “Yeah, Steve. He knew Phantom before he died. They were close friends and when Phantom died, it hit him hard. We’re so glad they managed to find each other again.”

When Bart spoke, it really did sound like he was upset. “Yeah. I didn’t expect it, you know? He wasn’t in the hero business before he died. And regular kids don’t just come back.”

Cassie sighed and clasped his shoulder. “Oh, Impulse.”

Steve made a sound of sympathy. “I’m sure I speak for everyone in Amity when I express my sympathies on your loss and how happy I am that the two of you found each other again. Will you tell us what that reunion was like?”

Tim was impressed. If Bart had been a grieving teenager, Steve successfully pivoted the topic to a more happy discussion. One that would keep his audience engaged without dragging the mood down.

He and Bart exchanged a look. They’d practiced this one, too. “As you mentioned, Speedsters tend to get involved in interdimensional situations. It has to do with how the speedforce—the thing we get our powers from—works.”

“Mind telling us about that?”

“It’s too complicated, I’m afraid,” said Bart.

“And he’s not lying, either,” added Tim. “He’s tried to explain it to me, and I’m no slouch when it comes to complicated science, but it’s just one of those things that I think is impossible to explain if you haven’t experienced it.”

“Fair enough,” laughed Steve. “Can’t blame me for being curious! But continue, please, Impulse.”

“So I was running one day, when suddenly I was somewhere else. Somewhere with a swirling green sky and no solid ground. Around me were all the islands and doors just floating in nothing. Well, it wasn’t the first time I’d ended up in an alternate dimension, so I went looking for a local to see if they’d know how to help me get back.”

“And you found Phantom?” guessed Steve.

Bart laughed. “Not first! Went to the nearest island I could see. It was this rocky canyon type place. All steep cliffs and narrow ledges. Well, the ghost who owned the island didn’t like me trespassing and we got in a bit of a fight that attracted some attention. Didn’t stop until Phantom physically separated us. Well, we recognized each other instantly. He asked if I’d died and I told him I didn’t think so.

“Took us the better part of a week for me to find my way back to Earth, but that was fine because we had a lot to catch up on. And I was lucky! Only a few hours had passed on Earth by the time I’d returned. We’ve been able to keep much better contact now that he’s in Amity. At least we experience the passage of time the same!”

“And the rest of you, this is your first time meeting Phantom?”

“Yep,” Tim said. “But we’re all getting along really well.”

Steve glanced to the sound set up. “Ope, looks like I’m being told it’s time for our commercial break. Well, I for one am certainly looking forward to continuing this show after. We’ll be back very soon.”

The “on air” light turned off as soon as Steve stopped speaking. “You’re all doing very well!” he told them as soon as it did. “I have a feeling this will be my most popular show.”

“Sorry if we ran a little long,” said Tim with a disarming smile.

Steve waved him off. “Oh trust me, the studio does not care. Will you lot be okay if we’re here a few minutes late?”

“Sure,” said Kon. “We’re not on a strict schedule now. For once.” He gave Tim a pointed look.

Tim laughed. “Oh, shut up. My schedules are important.”

“Excessive is what they are,” retorted Cassie.

Steve laughed at them. “Well, it’s great to see you acting casual. Thanks again for stopping by. Breaks almost over. I’ll reintroduce you for any latecomers.”

They all sat in silence watching the “on air” light.

The moment it turned on, Steve was going again. “For those who joined us late, let me reintroduce today’s surprise guests! We have the Young Justice team on here today! Consisting of Robin, Impulse, Wonder Girl, and Super Boy. Welcome back to the air. Before the break, Impulse, you were telling us about how you were friends with Phantom and reconnected in the Ghost Zone. Well, now I’d like to jump a bit ahead to the present.”

“Of course, Steve,” said Tim.

“Well. You all affirmed that you like Phantom, right?” Steve waited a moment for them all to voice their agreement. “Well, whenever he shows up, things get broken and we have to spend days or weeks and tens of thousands on repairs. People have been hurt. What are we missing?”

Tim spoke again, “You see, Steve, the thing that allowed Phantom to come back to Earth also allows other ghosts. And Phantom isn’t in control of it.”

Kon took over for him. “Phantom came through to reconnect with his living family and friends. But some of the other ghosts coming through don’t care about the living and just want to do what they want. Or actively want to hurt people.”

“And Phantom does his best to stop them,” finished Cassie. “The other ghosts are the aggressors causing the problems.”

“Actually,” added Bart. “You should keep an eye on the Amity Times! Phantom has written a series of Op-Eds explaining his side of some of the incidents that have affected the broader public. They’ll be published over the next few days.”

“Oh, well now you’ve definitely got me intrigued!” exclaimed Steve. “I will absolutely be looking out for those. But tell me, there’s got to be something you can share now? Give our listeners a teaser of what they can expect?”

“Do you remember how a month or two ago, a giant robot was seen in Amity?” asked Tim.

“Not something I’m likely to forget!”

Tim laughed. “I’m sure! Well, what you don’t know is that he crossed over to Earth from the Ghost Zone about three or four days before you ever saw him. Phantom kept him from gaining a physical body for days before Technus was able to get past him.”

“Really? So you’re saying that without Phantom, we would’ve been dealing with that robot for a lot longer?”

“Yep.”

Steve let out a low whistle. “Well, that will certainly give me something to think on.”

“We’re also working with Phantom to come up with techniques that’ll decrease the amount of property damage with each attack,” said Tim. “He’s new to this, though, and learning on the fly. And sometimes there really isn’t much you can do. Even our mentors don’t get out of fights without something getting damaged in most cases.”

“Food for thought for sure. Now, I also have to ask. The Fentons are the world leading scientists on ghosts. And according to their research, ghosts are all malevolent spirits hell bent on wrecking destruction on Earth. You’re claiming something different. Why should we believe you over them?”

“Well, Steve, I want to start by saying I respect the Fentons as inventors.” Tim ignored the way his teammates’ eyes bored into him. “Their weapons and inventions are nothing short of marvelous which is why we used their products the other night during the invasion.”

“We did notice! So the Fentons gave you those weapons?”

“By the time we got to their place, they’d already left. But their children were able to help us.” Tim saw Kon open his mouth and he glared and gave him a hand signal to shut up. Kon glared right back so before he could say anything, Tim kept going. “Despite their quite astounding inventions, however, the rest of their science and research is…rather lacking I’m afraid.”

“In what way?”

“So. Did you know the Fentons have never actually talked to a ghost?”

“They haven’t?”

“Nope.” Tim popped the P. “The majority of their research was published before the portal between Earth and the Ghost Zone was established so it was based on whatever happened to get trapped Earth-side. Which seem to mostly be shades and animal ghosts. Non-sapient ghosts. Sapient ghosts are quite common, however. It’d be like if someone made judgments about all Earth lifeforms after seeing bacteria, insects, and bugs. There’s so much more out there.”

“Have they published anything since the portal was made?”

“Only papers on how effective their weapons are against actual ghosts. Nothing about ghost behaviors, sapience, or biology.”

“In other words, they’re bigots,” said Kon, no longer able to hold back. Tim glared at him, but Kon just stared back, undeterred.

“Well, it does certainly seem like there might be some gaps in their research!” agreed Steve without agreeing. “We might look into that claim and report on tomorrow’s broadcast.” The technician made another gesture through the window. “How fast the time goes! Time for our second commercial break, listeners! Stay tuned, though. Because we’ve got our guest for just a little bit longer.”

The “on air” sign flashed off and Kon couldn’t hold himself back anymore.

“How could you say anything good about those psychopaths?”

Tim sighed. “You forget. I’m from Gotham. I deal with Mad Scientists all the time. Right now, they’re cautiously allies. By talking up the stuff they do well, I’m trying to not alienate them so we can continue to use their inventions. If we come across too strong, they’ll bar us from using their stuff and we won’t be able to help if more ghosts invade.”

“But they talk about tearing Phantom apart molecule-by-molecule!”

“And that’s why we’re trying to keep Phantom and the Fentons away from each other.”

“Unsuccessfully,” muttered Cassie.

Tim met each of his teammate’s eyes. “Yes, well. We can’t force him to do anything.”

Kon grit his teeth but looked away. Bart crossed his arms and stared unhappily at the table. Cassie ran a hand through her hair.

Steve just watched them all. After a moment of silence, he said, “The broadcast will be resuming. I’ll try and keep this one more light hearted.”

“Ask if he’s a dog person,” suggested Tim.

Steve grinned at him and the “on air” light came back on. Steve did another brief reintroduction, then said, “Now, I’ve been told to ask if Phantom is a dog person which makes me think there’s a story there.”

Tim gestured to Bart. Sam and Tucker had gleefully told the story last night leaving them all in stitches. “A few weeks ago, you remember how Axiom labs was having those issues?”

“I think all of us here in Amity remember that.”

“Well, it’s because this ghost puppy was acting like a puppy. Have you ever had a puppy before?”

“When I was a kid we had one. My wife now is allergic, though.”

“Remember how hard it was to train them when they were still really young?”

Steve winced. “My dad was near about ready to drive him back to the pound. Took my brother and I crying to change his mind.”

Bart laughed. “Well, imagine that but with ghost powers and super strength. That’s what this puppy was like. And Phantom never had a dog. It took him a while to figure out how to train him. But once he did, the dog stopped causing problems.”

“And really,” said Cassie, “It was only a few days by his account. So I don’t even know if ‘a while’ is the right phrase there.”

Tim made a noise of agreement. “But with the property damage, we can admit the situation was a little more urgent than normal puppy training.”

“But now Phantom has a dog and he’s thrilled,” finished Bart.

“Well that is a story! Will there be more details in one of those Op-Eds you hinted will be published in the Amity Times?”

“Sure is,” said Cassie. “And Phantom tells the story so much better than we do.”

“Well, we’ve talked a lot about Phantom this interview. But what about you four? What does Young Justice hope for their future?”

“It’s in the name, isn’t it?” said Cassie. “We want Justice. For everyone, not just the powerful.”

“A lofty goal, and one I think we can all get behind. Well, I’ve had the chance to spend a little bit of time with you four now and you’re clearly very good friends. Has it always been that way?”

Tim couldn’t help but crack up, followed by the others. “Not at all,” he said through his laughter. “Super Boy and I hated each other at first.”

“Yeah, Robin can be a real stick in the mud.”

“And Super Boy pretends he doesn’t take anything seriously.”

Bart sighed loudly. “And they’re so slow. My normal is speedster fast, so I hated having to slow everything for them.”

“And we hated how he always rushed ahead,” said Cassie.

Tim grinned at his teammates. “But we figured it out. And now we’re stuck with each other for life.”

“Damn right,” said Cassie.

“They’re crash,” added Bart.

“We’ve got each other’s backs,” finished Kon.

“It’s obvious just talking to you. How long did it take to build up your rapport?”

Tim exchanged a glance with his friends and hummed. “I think three life-threatening events.”

Steve burst out in surprised laughter. “Okay, I wasn’t expecting that, but clearly I should have been. Of course superheroes would measure time in life-threatening events.” He glanced at the window where the sound technician was making another gesture. “But the rest of us mere mortals have to use clocks. And my managers are telling me we’ve already gone over time. So I guess we’ll have to wrap this up here.”

“Thanks for having us on,” said Tim.

“I should honestly be thanking you four. I’ve had a great time. And to our listeners, we’ll be preparing a recording of this interview and posting it on our website at some point today. So if you only caught part of it, don’t worry. You’ll be able to go back and listen to the whole thing shortly. Be sure and share it with your friends who aren’t morning people. This is Steve and the Young Justice wishing you a very pleasant Amity day.”

-----

I'm sure you can see how much this has changed from the original (if anyone even remembers the original. It's been how long?)

Hope you enjoy!

My rewrites are progressing quite nicely for now so I hope to get back to updating soon. I won't start updating until it's fully finished, though. Don't want to leave something half finished for almost a year again.

[beesgobzzzing]

Melodifestivalen coverage translation collection

From here

Hooja, Mårdis and Käärijä are at the arena.

The trio has spent the night together in a rented cabin outside of Luleå, where they celebrated the release of their single "San Francisco Boy" and now they have just arrived at Mello's press room to answer some questions.

We were first in line and we will post some videos, pictures, and talking points starting now. [Bees note: The article is a live commentary they kept running the whole night, I'm posting the snippets of K and Hooja that I can find]

--

The trio Hooja, Mårdis and Käärijä are soon going to perform their song live, for the first time in front of an audience. Friday's dress rehearsal starts at 19.00.

"It's not going to be just us on stage," Hooja reveals when we meet the trio at Coop Arena.

"And this choreography does demand some coordination. You almost fell down a few times at rehearsal yesterday," says Mårdis.

Is this the biggest number you've ever done?

"It's not just us on stage, like I said, it's pretty big - you can say that, yeah. With all the lights and everything happening on stage. But it is Mello, so that's how it's supposed to be."

--

Regarding the stay at the cabin I mentioned earlier, the musicians took the chance to get to know each other while they're performing at Mello. This was the third time they've met up, previously having met to record a music video and make the song.

On Thursday they rehearsed the number at Coop Arena during huge secrecy, and then they left for their cabin to have a celebratory night.

"We didn't ~party~ [Bees note: when someone up north calls something a party, it's sort of insinuating that you're getting black out drunk], but we did have a bit of a live stream into the late hours of the night when the song was released," Hooja tells us.

Mårdis turned to Jere Pöyhönen (Käärijä's real name) and said:

"Everyone was supposed to sleep at the cabin, but you didn't. Can you tell them why?"

"I don't sleep," the Finn replied, who has never been in northern Sweden before.

--

Hooja-time

All six competitors of the night have performed and we're closing in on the interval act. The expectations on Hooja and Käärijä are high - now we'll see if they can meet them. And how. [Bees note: I think they're referencing a Hooja song called "Levererar" here. It's about delivering a great performance on the dance floor while drunk. So lit. trans. of the wording is "we'll see if they deliver. And what." But it sounds weird to me to put it like that in English without an explanation. ]

--

Synths, inaudible lyrics and DANCE This is the first time we're seeing something this choreographed from Hooja and Mårdis.

Hooja's interval gets the loudest cheers from the audience of the night. Before the song San Francisco Boy there is a clip that shows Hooja walking across the border to Finland.

Then the treadmills start running and the trio works up a sweat (I'm assuming) as they walk briskly for the entire song. Tonight's winners.

[electronickingdomfox]

Star Trek TOS ships (but I mean starships, not that kind of "ships")

In a similar vein as this post here about the crew biographies, I made this list about the ships seen or mentioned in TOS (including TAS and the movies too), but just as they appear there. That is, this doesn't take into account info that later series or reference materials expanded upon or retconned. However, I've considered info from Michael Okuda (in charge of the remastered version), but only as it applies to such remaster stuff. The intention is, again, to offer a bare minimum of what the TOS canon actually says about this issue.

Credit to the Ex Astris Scientia site, for info about the more obscure ships. Also to Trekcore for some of the images (in particular, those of the non-remastered version).

As this post became waaaay too long, I left the TOS alien vessels, plus TAS ships, for a second post. Ships from the TOS movies are in a third post.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701

If this one doesn't ring a bell, well... I don't know what to tell you... One of the few ships with a visible registry number on-screen. The "USS" stands for "United Spaceship" (Elaan of Troyius) or "United Starship" (The Squire of Gothos). TAS episode The Counter Clock Incident specifies that the Enterprise was built at the San Francisco Navy Yards. It's a Starship Class vessel, as described in the Writers Guide, and seen (barely) on its plaque:

In TNG, however, Picard refers to it as a Constitution Class vessel, which is the name that stuck afterwards. Kirk says that there are only 12 starships like the Enterprise in the fleet (Tomorrow is Yesterday). More on this below.

Galileo NCC-1701/7

The Enterprise shuttlecraft destroyed in The Galileo Seven. It kept appearing in the series, however. This continuity error was somewhat fixed in The Way to Eden, which shows there's actually a Galileo II.

Columbus

The shuttlecraft used in The Galileo Seven to search for the survivors. Originally the same model used for the Galileo, the remastered version gives it a new registry: NCC-1701/2, and inserts it in Journey to Babel too.

Other shuttles

Several shuttles appear throughout the series, always using the Galileo model for obvious budgetary reasons, even if they don't belong to the Enterprise. The shuttle that Decker pilots into the planet killer of The Doomsday Machine was given a new name and registry in the remaster: Einstein NCC-1701/6.

The Class F shuttle in which Kirk and Commodore Mendez pursue Spock (The Menagerie. Part I), shows also a new name and registry in the remaster: Picasso SB11-1201/1, and was inserted in Court Martial as well. The SB-11 obviously refers to Starbase Eleven, which appears in both episodes.

Similarly, the Starbase Four shuttle stolen by Lokai in Let That Be Your Last Battlefield, was remastered as the Da Vinci SB4-0314/2.

USS Constellation NCC-1017

The registry number is visible in the original. Commodore Decker's crippled ship, in The Doomsday Machine.

USS Defiant

The ship trapped in the inter-dimensional space of The Tholian Web. The registry (NCC-1764) is only visible in the remastered version.

USS Exeter

Captain Ronald Tracey's ship in The Omega Glory. The registry was only included in the remastered version: NCC-1672.

USS Intrepid

The all-Vulcan ship destroyed by the space amoeba in The Immunity Syndrome. It was never seen on-screen until the remastered version, which inserted it orbiting the starbase of Court Martial (apparently with the registry NCC-1631, though I couldn't tell by my screenshots).

USS Lexington, USS Excalibur, USS Hood and USS Potemkin

The four starships participating in war games against the M-5 in The Ultimate Computer. The Lexington is commanded by Commodore Bob Wesley, and it's the only one where I could see the registry along the name in the remaster: NCC-1709. The Excalibur was commanded by Captain Harris and (supposedly) has the number NCC-1664. Its whole crew was killed in the battle against the M-5. The Hood would be the NCC-1703 (the number can be seen in the third picture). And the Potemkin, the NCC-1657. Though all of this comes from production info about the remaster, and it's not really visible.

USS Farragut

The ship, commanded by Captain Garrovick, where Kirk served as a Lieutenant, eleven years before Obsession. The crew was attacked by the cloud creature from the episode, with many casualties. This ship is never seen in the series.

USS Yorktown

A ship scheduled to rendezvous with the Enterprise, in Obsession. Never seen. There's also a Yorktown attacked by the probe in The Voyage Home. Possibly the same ship?

USS Republic NCC-1371

Kirk mentions the whole name in Court Martial. It's the ship where he served as an Ensign and reported Ben Finney for negligency.

USS Valiant

A ship destroyed while visiting Eminiar Seven, fifty years before A Taste of Armageddon

Other ships seen in a chart from "Court Martial"

Some of these registries were applied to already discussed ships (mostly in the remaster). The new ones would be: NCC-1697, NCC-1718, NCC-1685 and NCC-1700.

So, which are those twelve ships like the Enterprise that Kirk mentioned? In TOS we only see eight ships that definitely look like it (nine if we count the Intrepid from the remaster). Those would be: Enterprise, Constellation, Defiant, Exeter, Intrepid, Lexington, Excalibur, Hood and Potemkin. To further complicate matters, there's a production memo from 1967 (by Justman and Fontana) that lists the Starship Class vessels thus: Enterprise, Constellation, Exeter, Intrepid, Lexington, Excalibur, Hood, Potemkin, Yorktown, Farragut, Republic, Valiant, Constitution and Kongo. Add to the list the Defiant (not yet created) and that's a total of 15 ships! The Valiant was certainly destroyed by this time. Maybe the Farragut and the Republic (Kirk's earlier ships) had been decomissioned too?

USS Carolina

A ship near Capella IV, which supposedly sends a distress call in Friday's Child. Never seen.

SS Dierdre

A freighter attacked by Klingons, also from the previous episode. The distress call was actually fake, but the ship should exist.

SS Columbia

Eighteen years before The Cage, this old ship crashed on Talos IV. Vina was the only survivor.

SS Beagle

A ship commanded by Captain Merik, which was destroyed near the fourth planet of System 892 (six years before Bread and Circuses). It's described as a "small Class 4 stardrive vessel".

Horizon

A ship lost near Sigma Iotia, a hundred years before A Piece of the Action. It's said that the Horizon was of the same "outfit" as the Enterprise. Considering its age, this might mean that it was from the Federation, rather than being of the same class.

Antares

The ship where Charlie Evans was travelling, before being transferred to the Enterprise (Charlie X). Commanded by Captain Ramart. It was never seen in the original, but the remaster introduced a model based on a TAS ship, along with the number NCC-501.

Woden

The automated ore freighter that the M-5 destroys in The Ultimate Computer. In the original, it just looked like Khan's "Botany Bay". But the remaster replaced it with a model very similar to the Antares. Behind-the-scenes info tells us that this new Woden had the NCC-325 number, but that's not seen on-screen.

Archon

A ship that disappeared around Beta Three, a hundred years before The Return of the Archons. Its crew became known by the locals as the legendary Archons.

Aurora

A space cruiser stolen by the "hippies" from The Way to Eden. In the original, it looked similar to a Tholian ship. The remaster introduced a new model, apparently with the registry NC-17740 (not really legible).

Class J ships

The small cargo ship, piloted by Mudd without a license in Mudd's Women, is said to belong to this class. There's also a cadet vessel, an old Class J starship, mentioned in The Menagerie. Part I. Mudd's ship was merely a blob of light in the original. The remaster introduced a model similar to the new Aurora.

Astral Queen

The ship, commanded by Captain Jon Daily, that was scheduled to pick up the Karidian Company of Players, in The Conscience of the King.

SS Botany Bay

An old DY-100 model from the 1990's, that transports Khan and his followers in hybernation. It's said to be even older than the DY-500 class.

SS Valiant

Not to be confused with the USS Valiant above. This far older ship encountered a magnetic storm that threw it to the galactic barrier, 200 years before Where No Man Has Gone Before. This ship would be about as old as the Botany Bay, and it seems it only had impulse engines.

[wintersoldierwhore]

covet — joel miller

Chapter Two — “Ya like the look ‘a this?”

You’d woken early today, unaware of what time Joel would even arrive to pick you up, as he had promised to yesterday. And you were an early riser anyway, due to the past three years working in San Francisco, you liked to enjoy the sunrise on the drive to work.

”Mornin’ dad,” you chirped, passing him by the kitchen island, “want some breakfast?”

He’d put his mug down atop the morning paper, “my personal chef, him?”

”Watch it.” You laughed, instinctively grabbing the pan from the rack above the island. “Eggs? Bit of protein?”

”I’ll take whatever ya’ offerin’.”

You’d scrambled some eggs, alongside some bacon and toast. Simple, filling for whatever you’d be building the rest of today.

“Jus’ gonna grab my charger from my truck,” your dad declared, “smells lovely, kiddo.”

You’d plated some up, some left over as you’d overestimated how much you’d actually needed. You haven’t cooked for another person in a while.

”Look who arrived at the asscrack ‘a dawn.” You heard, your dad strolling in with a very grumpy looking Joel following behind him. “Want a plate, bud?”

”No, don’ wanna intrude. I’ll take a coffee.”

”I’ll be offended if you don’t,” you interrupted, “come on, I got plenty spare.”

Joel looked over to you, his eyes grazing over yours as if to look for meaning in them, the meaning of what he’d never know.

You’d plated up the leftovers and brewed him a coffee, finally sitting down opposite both him and your dad. You got a kick watching people try your food, it never happened often, sunny San Fran was a lonely place for you. Money, some financial freedom, but no real friends. Just some colleagues you’d go out for happy hours with, some parties, but you felt so disconnected. Like an impostor.

You lifted your coffee mug to your lips, eyes slightly peeking over the rim to watch Joel as he took a bite of your eggs.

The look on his face was pure sex, a knot in your stomach squeezed.

His eyes closed, a slight furrow in his brow, and the groan escaping his lips was… dangerous.

“What’d you do w’these eggs?”

“Where’d ya’ learn to cook like this?”

You shrugged. “Sour cream is the secret. And I spent my weekends cookin’.”

Joel Miller, your gaze was going to get you in trouble.

An hour later, you were sat in the passenger seat of Joel’s truck. Still acclimatising to the Austin heat again, you had the window cracked and rested your arm on the door. The sun warmed your skin, the breeze of the fast-moving truck felt like being on vacation, Oh, how you longed to go on vacation.

“Ya’ look half asleep over there.”

You opened your eyes, peering over to Joel, and rolled your eyes. “Am not.”

”That’s exactly what an asleep person would say.”

You laughed, you couldn’t believe Joel was funny. It sounded ridiculous, but seeing such a stoic man making you chuckle was a rarity.

“What ya’ lookin’ for today?” He asked, the moment you shut your eyes.

”Need a new bed frame, I dragged my queen mattress from San Fran, she’s the reason for every great night's sleep, and I just need a refresh.”

”Don’t believe it.”

”Don’t believe what?”

”Y’sure talkin up this mattress, darlin’.”

”You’ll have to try it out some time.” You took yourself by surprise, you couldn’t believe you were being so forward.

Joel’s grip on the wheel tightened, he remained silent. You felt awful. You just, albeit accidentally, flirted with a married man. Well, not so happily married. But the point still stands.

The walk around IKEA wasn’t as awkward as you expected, stopping every once in a while to admire a bed frame. Joel went full-on builder, hands on his hips, glaring at the dimensions and knocking on the wood. You stood back, half-admiring the bed, most of your attention on the way his hands rested on his hips, calloused, skin kissed by the sun, he looked good enough to eat.

“Ya like the look ‘a this?”

Yes, hell yes.

“Oh, uh, yeah. Looks comfy.”

”The beds for show, jus’ the frame, darlin.”

He chuckled, picking up a flat pack from beside the show bed and carrying it, with ease, to your cart.

He’d chosen some fake plants, and other miscellaneous decorations for your room makeover, and you were some help, comparing the different mirrors and whatnot. It seemed whatever happened on the way here, was just a small bump in the road, nothing to call the mechanic about.

“Who knew Joel Miller had such an eye for interior design?” You joked, returning to the truck after dropping the cart off.

“Easy,” he drawled, “I care more about t’ foundation, not what it looks like. I build the house, y’decorate it, sweetheart.”

You don’t remember the pet names being as prominent as they were now. However, you haven’t seen Joel in 7 years. You’d both changed a lot.

Silence fell upon the truck, and you had to get it out there, you had to mention it and make sure nothing was swept under the rug.

“Joel,” you whispered, “what I said earlier, I didn’t mean for it to come off the way it did. It was— I jus—”

”Quit it, darlin’,” he chimed in, “nothin’ wrong with a little bit ‘a flirtin’.”

”I didn’t mean—not that you’re not—you know, attractive, y’are. But y’got a wife an’ it wasn’t right, no matter what you got goin’ on with her.”

Back to silence.

”Y’dad told ya then?”

You nodded.

He didn’t say another word till he turned onto your street, blocking your dad’s truck in the driveway. And you awkwardly shifted in your seat as he turned the engine off.

”Thanks for today, Joel.”

”Don’t mention it, darlin’.” His voice was quiet, you felt awful. “I’ll bring it in for ya.”

You grabbed smaller things, like your plants, your mirror, and your belongings. Joel lifted the heavier things, and you were like an animal in heat. You watched from the kitchen window, the way his arms flex as he lifted the flat pack box from his truck, the wince on his face as he adjusted his grip, carrying it like it weighed nothing.

“Hey, kiddo, got everythin’ ya need?” Your dad had taken you out of the trance his best friend had you in.

“Yep. Now to build.” You wheezed, forcing out a laugh and quickly vacating the kitchen to give yourself a moment.

“Where am I puttin’ this?” Joel asked, carrying the bed frame box.

“My room.”

You walked ahead of Joel, it taking everything not to watch your hips sway as you ascended the stairs, he’d cleared his throat and chosen to fixate on the carpet runner on the staircase. Hm, yes, very soft. He’d followed you into your room, resting the box beside the door frame, and stretching his arms over his head. Your eyes had dragged over to his lower stomach, making an appearance as his shift lifted.

“Right, thanks Joel. I’ll have to make you dinner sometime—as in to pay you back—for the help. Not in a flirty way—fuck—sorry.”

You were a sputtering mess, and Joel had a lazy smile on his face. He’d approached you, hands on both of your cheeks, a playful look on his face.

“You ain’t gotta apologise, sweetheart,” you could feel his breath on your cheeks, “get buildin’.”

And just like that, the contact was gone. You could feel his hands linger on your skin, you felt like a fangirl.

“Darlin’,” he spoke quietly, “I’ll arrange that dinner, show me how thankful y’are.” He winked at you, before disappearing downstairs.

What the fuck.

[souptastical]

💾repo update (big one)

The collection hasn't just passed over 200 GB from yesterday's 190, it has now reached 307 GB as of this morning & now includes 22 recordings✨ Thank you to the person who helped us reach this jump❤️ And to the rest of you that answered the call to send over files, thank you so so much❤️ I also would love audio, it doesn't always have to be video! Some people like audio too, especially from certain shows they haven't been able to find in video.

Notable file mentions/directory changes:

5 new 4k recordings

1 Toronto recording: also 4k

Last showing of Year 3 Broadway

Another year 2 San Francisco recording: higher quality

Changed directory formatting a bit

Added an "incomplete/files as is" section. This is for showings with missing parts/i dont know the play well enough to label which acts are which if there are multiple files

Added a new "low quality" recording

My friends find it hilarious that though i'm over halfway to half a TB of performances, I still haven't finished the play/am not in this niche of our fandom- im just collecting these like pokemon cards at this point lol. This is worth the cloud membership fee though tbh- I love how happy ive made so many of you💖💖💖

[keepthisholykiss]

yesterday we went to see San Francisco Ballet's Manon (which is apparently the first time the company has ever done it??) and it was my first time seeing an SF Ballet in person and holy. shit. here are my thoughts featuring a bunch of press photos I could find

the costuming and sets for this production were literally from the 1974 ballet at the royal opera house so I spent a large portion of the show using my lil opera glasses to just stare at the designs on the fabrics which felt so delightful! some of them are very worse for wear but the production utilized them in a cool aesthetic of like the rot underneath the glamour kind of way???

the principal dancers at SF ballet are insanely talented and I was very familiar with their level of quality before but nothing prepares you for what it is like to be in the room with that much talent. I was SO overwhelmed by how fabulously the Lescaut and des Grieux were specifically. Each of them are phenomenal dancers obviously but their acting is just... AAAAAAAA. I kept watching the des Grieux in the scenes where Manon is hanging around but the light/focus is not on him and he just told such a story with the way he looked at and reacted to her and the world around him.

The orchestra at SF Ballet is also like.... out of this world amazing. Hearing the Massenet with such a large orchestra was electrifying, I really did not want intermissions to happen I just wanted to sit there listening to them forever!!

And finally, the Manon in this production was everything I could have wanted and more. Her skill is obviously incredible but her ability to convey the entire story SO well throughout just.... AAAA! I loved watching her tackle some of the more acrobactic-esque choreography and her transformation between acts II and III was unreal? It had me thinking that was a completely different dancer but no, she's just that talented!

If you ever have a chance to see ANY Manon ballet in person I obviously think you should. And if you ever have a chance to see an SF Ballet in person absolutely jump on it. The War Memorial Opera House is so lavish I really felt like a fish out of water but at the same time it felt like such a fun experience. This was my first time ever going to a show in the super high balcony seats (because SF Ballet is quite pricey) and my fear of heights was uhhh VERY MUCH THERE but I completely forgot about it the moment the orchestra started playing, they were that good at making me feel like I was right there by the stage watching!!

[peaterookie]

I'm making this to have it off my chest. I don't want this to turn into a drama or whatever, but kind of like a PSA to maybe avoid this person and not support him

Oranges, the translator who's known in the manga community as the one who does most of the translation work for MP's manga is a bit of a dubious guy, let me explain

It starts with Me, Idien, and Aisterion who are planning to translate the San Francisco Arc around August 2023, we paid Ai to translate it and we're gonna be responsible for the scans.

Flash a couple months later, we decided to alert Oranges about our project on his server, because we worried if he didn't know then it would appear that we wanted to compete and we didn't want to flood mangadex with two groups doing the same chapters. Keep in mind this was around the time where he didn't release any chapters in a while so we thought it was fine to do our own.

The dryness of the response sorta irked me but we decided to continue our work since we've paid Ai already

Days after, I found out Oranges then uploaded his own translation of San Fran, and I was banned from his server.

He then went on a frenzy, uploading San Fran chapters at insane speed. In addition, he also skipped about 20 chapters just to upload San Fran, which goes to show he is doing this in response to my project.

I was very bothered with this since this is a clear act of pettiness and trying to one-up our well meaning efforts. I really didn't understand why he was doing this, I think he wanted to maintain this monopoly he has over Shin Lupin and anyone that tries to do their own translation will be his enemy of some sort.

Interestingly, when we finished our translation and are currently posting them on Mangadex, he then- again- uploaded more chapters in a frenzy, which is why you now have those Yapland chapters.

And just now, as I was planning to translate Welcome to Adultland with Ai yesterday, Oranges then proceeded to upload HIS translation of Adultland TODAY.

Interesting pattern of event don't you think...?

To me, Oranges is trying to stamp out whatever effort from others to translate anything Shin Lupin related. It really upsets me because I am completely doing this out of good intentions for the fandom, but it seems to me that he wants to only do this to have all the credit of translating a series all to himself. What kind of person takes a 2 year hiatus, only to come back from the dead when he's heard that there's someone else trying to do his work?

It's been extremely frustrating seeing this, so yeah, that's it. Take these stories however way you want.

[keepingupwithzaynmalik]

"This is the last show of the US and UK tour, Stairway to The Sky. You guys have been incredible from beginning to end, from the beginning of the tour all the way to the end. I can't thank you all enough. You guys have been fucking insane. Yesterday's show was incredible too. I don't know if some people were here yesterday too, but that was insane.

I owe all this success to you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thanks for being patient, thanks for waiting."

— Zayn thanking fans at last night's show in San Francisco (credit)

[callisto-the-silly]

I had to make an actual post about this:

Yesterday evening, i saw a clip from the IOF that showed a soldier in an inflatable dinosaur costume refilling the ammunition of an M109 howitzer. Later in the same clip, the howitzer fires into Gaza, causing (presumably) unspeakable damage.

Absolutely appalling. These are people so void of emotion and empathy that they turn the ruthless murder of thousands of innocent civilians into sport. How can a human being voluntarily do such a horrible thing? It boils down to psychology. People are more likely to inflict suffering when being ordered or threatened to do so. That may be true for some, but not for the Zionists. They truly, deep down, in every soldier, ingrain a sense of what can only be described as Nazism. The State of Israel truly has become what tried to kill them. They have technology that detects trucks with aid, or innocent people trying to escape, and annihilates whatever it detects as "other" with an automatic cannon. The Zionists have turned the Gaza strip into the largest death camp ever seen in all of human history. 2 million people, all with stories, lives, and hardships. people who lived, loved, laughed, learned and lost. They are systematically eliminating the Gaza Strip and attacking and erasing it's history and culture.

The worst part: Nobody cares. Israel can just slip by international law like sand through your fingers. The ICJ has tried and failed on numerous occasions to stop Israel, but to no avail. So if the government won't do it, we will. Regular, average people with a sense of decency should rise up and protest for Gaza. And not just at universities and at major events.

Everyone, everywhere, should protest. New York, Boston, LA, Vegas, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, Portland, Seattle, Atlanta, Nashville, Orlando, Jacksonville, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Austin, and countless others. Boycott. Be loud, be memorable.

But don't get violent. Fighting violence with violence is not the right thing. Think about something similar to the March on Washington in 1963. We must send a clear message to America and its European vassals that we do not stand firm this. The Nakba did not end in 1948. It is a 76 year long catastrophe for millions.

From The River to the Sea, Palestine WILL BE FREE

this post kinda deviated a lil bit but i got the point across so its fine

[bandcampsnoop]

1/30/25.

Man, it's almost been 20 years since Peter Bjorn and John (Stockholm, Sweden) released "Writer's Block", accurately described by Tim Sendra as a masterpiece. I learned that the band will be doing a small tour of the United States to play "Writer's Block" in its entirety. I plan on going to the show in San Francisco at the Great American Music Hall (tickets went on sale yesterday).

In Sendra's review, he mentioned how Peter Bjorn and John's earlier work rocks harder and is more straightforward than "Writer's Block". I'd never really listened to their early catalogue. So, here we are.

This S/T debut is everything I could have hoped for. Is it better than "Writer's Block"? No - and it's not really close. But, this is very good, and reminds me of Elvis Costello and Split Enz. I'll add a shout out to a contemporary musician who's more quietly mining a similar aesthetic as PB and J - Paddy Hanna. This single just dropped from his new album.

Peter Bjorn and John "S/T" was originally released in 2002 on Beat That! and has been reissued on vinyl by Peter Bjorn and John's own label PB and J Recordings.

[cottagecoreloreee]

Chapter 3 will be up later this week! Catch up on the first two chapters in the meantime. ❤️

-Snippet-

Lestat could not be dissuaded. The next day he called again, and telling myself that he would continue to call if I did not answer, I picked up my phone. Modern technology had provided Lestat with a partial bridge to the sacrifice he took as my maker. While he could not read my thoughts, we could communicate across large distances and I believe this comforted and flustered him in equal measure. I was accessible at the push of a button, but then I would not answer, further proving my detachment. Though if I answered, it signaled my care for him. 

I was the cold-hearted Louis; I was the adoring Louis. I was demon and angel, tormentor and savior–the dichotomy he claimed to love even in his most crazed states. As soon as I answered, I knew I shouldn’t have. I thought to hang up, but my breath betrayed me. 

“Mon cher, how are you?”

I swallowed. “We talked yesterday.”

“I am, how did you say it, Daniel? Oh yes, clingy.”

“You sound like an old man if you phrase it like that.” I laughed and so did he, and the question he asked on our last call weighed on me–his charms hadn’t been lost on me.  “And yes, you are.” 

“I was a recluse for seventy years, Louis. I am still adjusting to the times.”

“That would explain the rockstar stint in those ridiculous outfits. Who’s dressing you?”

“So you’ve watched my shows?” And Lestat made an ungodly sound, a single-syllable laugh that inflamed me. “I could send you a ticket to see me live. VIP, if you like, so I’d see you backstage.” 

We spoke for an hour–our longest conversation since New Orleans. He detailed life on the road, observing how humanity had changed. Gone were most superstitions that forced him into the shadows–the fear of vampires had faded. In the media, we are brooding, fraught creatures, embroiled in romance. Lestat was both awed and disappointed by the development, and I could not point out the irony. 

And time lent fondness to the past. We reminisced over the old traditions, and how laughable they were to us, even then. He mentioned her once–and only once–the name Claudia slipped from his mouth like the first leaf that falls from a tree in autumn, by surprise and almost unheard.

“Claudia kept the dolls,” he sighed, the strain of pride in his voice.“But she gave one to a baby just to watch the mother scream in horror.” A moment passed where neither of us could speak. It was something of her that didn’t reside in my memory. But he remembered. Lestat: her maker, her uncle, her brother, her keeper, her torturer. Lestat, the actor, filled every role. And he was her father, despite his limitations. 

“We should stop here,” I said. 

There was a pause. The world around me shrank, and the distance between Dubai and San Francisco became a stone’s throw. I felt the ghost of his hand on the back of my neck, his breath summoning goosebumps on my flesh. “My Louis,” Lestat’s voice broke, and how it unwound me–I wished to drag my fingers along his cheek, and promise him a day in the future I couldn’t guarantee. “Always short on time.” 

“I’ll call soon,” I found myself saying. 

“You will?” Lestat cleared his throat. “I’ll be patiently waiting for your call.” 

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Women's march

* * * *

Harris and Walz shift the vibe!

August 19, 2024

Robert B. Hubbell

As we look ahead with hope and anticipation to the Democratic National Convention, the Harris-Walz campaign continues to surprise everyone with its effectiveness and nimbleness. On Sunday, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz took a bus tour through Pennsylvania—a complete “vibe-shift” from the enthusiastic crowds at packed stadiums that fueled the campaign over the last four weeks.

The bus tour was terrific! It highlighted Kamala and Tim in “normal” situations that voters can relate to—buying chips (Doritos) in a convenience store, talking to a high school football team, and chatting up the employees at a restaurant. Both joined a local field office’s phone-banking efforts! Kamala Harris even petted a firehouse dog after delivering pastries to the firefighters! (Can you imagine Trump petting a dog?)

There is no way in the world that Trump or JD Vance could have negotiated those situations with anything other than awkward stiffness as they pretended to know how to talk to everyday Americans in normal situations. Both Trump and JD Vance are stuck behind podiums with dwindling or non-existent crowds, while Kamala and Tim turned the “small group” interaction into a show of strength and normalcy.

That is a feat that Trump and Vance cannot replicate. The GOP nominees are comfortable among billionaires and sycophants but not among people who are feeling the pain of Trump’s tax cuts for billionaires, assault on personal liberties, and culture wars.

Harris also asked reporters questions at various stops on the tour. Those reporters—perhaps local reporters(?)—asked the Vice President substantive questions about her economic proposals released last week. No notes, no teleprompters, no “hand-picked” reporters who are afraid of Kamala Harris. Her answers were “okay” to “good”, but they were orders of magnitude better than Trump's meandering words-salads. She answered the questions head-on; not everyone accepted her responses, but that’s politics! Kamala Harris is speaking to voters, not to pundits.

While dwelling on Trump is becoming tedious, he made things worse for himself and JD Vance on Saturday with another unhinged speech that focused on pettiness, grievance, and hate. In the speech, he criticized Kamala Harris for her laugh, dating history, and “looks” before stooping to call her a “communist.” See Trump zigzags between economic remarks and personal insults at rally in critical Pennsylvania. In a sign of supreme insecurity, Trump repeatedly said that he was “better looking than Kamala.” Geez! What kind of person does that?

And then Trump proceeded to have an epic meltdown on social media on Sunday, posting at least fifty-two (52) times, with each post worse, more offensive, and delusional than the last. Trump posted fake “photos” of “Swifties for Trump”, and posted doctored photos of Kamala Harris holding a sign that said, “I am a moron.”

Below is one of Trump's most unhinged posts

Again, apologies for repeating Trump's post, but it is important to understand what the media is not reporting about Trump's descent into madness. At the very least, let your eyes graze over the Unabomber-esque quality of the prose:

We had to turn away lots of people yesterday in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, but Comrade Kamala Harris’ Social Media Operation showed empty seats, long before the Rally started, early in the afternoon when, in actuality, we had to turn away 11,500 people! She’s a Crooked Radical Left Politician, and always will be! Everything she touches turns bad, just like California, and San Francisco before it - as is the case with all Marxists. She should have never been Vice President, and had to stage a COUP of Joe Biden, with her America-hating friends, Barrack Hussein Obama, Crazy Nancy Pelosi, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, and the rest. Comrade Kamala is a STONE COLD LOSER, she will FAIL and, if she doesn’t, our Country will cease to exist as we know it, turning into a Communist, Crime Ridden Garbage Dump.

As Trump is off message in the worst possible way, Democrats are heading into their convention more united than ever. Are there potential problems? Of course! Protests over Gaza will give the media a counter-narrative to dampen the enthusiasm that will greet President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, former presidents Obama and Clinton, Secretary of State Clinton, and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff. Then, the main event will be Tim Walz and Kamala Harris.

The convention will be historic. It will serve three purposes:

It will lift and inspire a formerly weary base who can finally celebrate with a sense of confidence and optimism.

It will help unify Democratic messaging—finally!

It will extend the period of enthusiasm that has propelled the campaign thus far.

If the unprecedented enthusiasm continues into September or October, it will solidify the momentum that Kamala Harris is building among the electorate.

Joe Biden’s speech alone is reason enough to hold a convention that has already elected Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. It should be Biden’s finest hour in his half-century of public service.

I resolve to not allow the media’s desire to deflate Democratic enthusiasm to interfere with my enjoyment and appreciation of a historic moment.

And a special note to readers who will be attending the convention: I would love to hear from you about what it is like to be “in the room where it happens.” With your permission (and not for attribution), I will share comments with other newsletter readers who are not at the convention. Feel free to post in the Comment section or email me at rbhubbell@gmail.com.

Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter

[captainsophiestark]

The Best-Laid Plans

Platonic!Annabeth Chase x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for my personal fic writing challenge for 2024, Sophie's Year of Fic! Featuring a new fic being posted every Friday, all year long :)

Fandom: Percy Jackson

Summary: Annabeth's best friend and older sibling figure since she ran away at seven helps her execute the perfect birthday surprise for Percy in their first year at college.

Word Count: 1,306

Category: Fluff, Humor

A/N: To those new to the fandom from the tv show, weclome! This fic has hella spoilers for future books, so be warned

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

"I just want to do something special for him. It's his first birthday away from home, and I can tell it's bothering him."

I hummed, twirling my dagger and staring at the ceiling while kicked back on my couch. Such was the life of a demigod, that we fiddled with weapons like fidget toys.

"And there's no way you guys can go back?" I finally asked. Annabeth, my little sister in every way but blood, shook her head.

"We've got orientation for the next week and a half, including his birthday. It's the only reason we're here so early in the first place. We can't miss it."

I frowned. Annabeth and her boyfriend, Percy Jackson, had just started college at New Rome University. They'd gotten to the Bay Area yesterday, which I'd been incredibly excited about. Annabeth and I had been attached at the hip since I was eleven and she was seven, when we'd met as runaway demigods. Out of our little group, Annabeth and I had stayed the closest. After the Titan War, I'd decided to go USF, the muggle university in San Francisco. Leaving her had been the hardest part.

Now, luckily for me, she and Percy had moved out here too. Annabeth had finished unpacking and setting up her dorm room within a few hours of arrival, and so had some free time this morning to spend hanging out with me. Percy had not, so he was otherwise occupied on their last day before school activities started.

"Well, I'm happy to help with whatever you want to do, Annabeth," I said. She sighed, chewing at her lip and staring out the window of my apartment as she thought. "Maybe you could show him around the Bay Area? He probably hasn't spent much time out here, has he?"

"I really haven't either," she said. "I've barely been back since I was a kid."

"True..."

"Maybe we could go on a tour of New Rome? Percy told me he wanted to show me around, but I don't want to make him be the tour guide for his birthday."

"Yeah."

The two of us fell silent for a moment, thinking things through. Then, like a blast of lightning from Thalia, an idea hit me.

"What if you baked him some cookies or something? He's probably already missing his mom's baking."

Annabeth shot up straight in her seat, staring at me with wide eyes.

"That is the perfect idea. Can I make them here?"

"Of course! I'm not going to make you use the shared freshman kitchens."

Annabeth grinned, then stood and headed to the kitchen table. I watched her go with interest as she pulled out a notebook and pen and started scribbling away.

"Uh... Annabeth?"

"Making a plan. Don't worry about it."

I grinned to myself. My little sister was nothing if not predictable.

A few days later, Annabeth managed to sneak away from Percy and orientation to come back to my place for a baking party. Percy's birthday was tomorrow, so we only had tonight to get everything ready.

"I came up with the perfect plan," she said in lieu of greeting as she pushed past me and into the apartment. I smiled after her, joining her in the kitchen as she plopped down a massive bag of baking supplies. "I got the recipe, I timed everything out, I got a ton of blue food coloring. By the end of the day, the perfect birthday surprise will be completed."

"I'd never doubt a plan from Athena," I said, giving her a smile. "Just tell me what to do, and I'm on it."

"Right. Well, first we need to preheat the oven."

That was about the only part of the plan that ended up going off without a hitch. Annabeth didn't bake often, and she'd happened to choose a pretty difficult cookie recipe. I did my best to help, but I didn't have a lot of experience in the area either, so things went quickly off the rails. Just under two hours later, the two of us stood in the kitchen covered in flower, eggs, and bits of way too watery dough, staring at the absolute disaster of a mess we'd created on the counter.

"This was not part of the plan," she said. I couldn't help it—I burst out laughing.

"I don't know, I think sugar cookies are supposed to be so wet we can't pick them up," I joked. I turned to see Annabeth with a very serious frown on her face.

"I haven't had a plan fail this miserably in... a long time."

"Well, I think it's probably time for plan B. That can be your redemption."

Annabeth's frown just deepened, so I did what any good sibling would do and took it upon myself to cheer her up. By throwing a wad of dough in her face, of course.

Her mouth dropped open in shock as sugary, goopy dough dripped off her chin. Then she whirled on me with a fierce look and fire in her eyes that I recognized from the few times she'd really been on the warpath for capture the flag.

"That was a mistake."

She picked up the nearest glob of dough and chucked it at me as I tried to dodge. It hit me in the back with a thunk, and I cackled before turning around to reengage with a clump of flour.

The baking battle raged for a few fierce minutes, before Annabeth and I slipped in some dough on the floor while wrestling to smear more of the stuff on each others' heads. We collapsed in a heap, both of us laughing like crazy people.

"That was so worth everything that came before it," I declared, slumping against the nearest kitchen cabinet. Annabeth immediately followed suit, leaving us shoulder to shoulder in the middle of the mess.

"What about the cleanup that comes after?"

"Also worth it, especially since I have you here to help me."

Annabeth snorted, but didn't say anything. After a minute of comfortable silence, she sighed.

"What am I gonna do for Percy's birthday tomorrow?"

"Well, were the cookies the only plan?"

"No... He took me to one of his favorite spots in the city a few days ago, so I planned a picnic for the two of us there. The cookies were going to be the final surprise."

"Well, there you go then. The rest of the plan remains intact. If you wanted to, you could even make him a little coupon or something that promises 'one day of baking cookies' or something like that, and the two of you can pick an easier but still delicious recipe to try."

Annabeth looked at me with a skeptical eyebrow raised.

"Would you let us use your kitchen again?"

I shrugged. "Sure. Maybe Percy's better at baking than us. And even if he's not, having someone who can control water to help us with cleanup will at least make a round two of this easier."

Annabeth smiled and huffed a laugh, leaning against me.

"Thanks. For this, and for everything. I'm really glad you're here in San Francisco with us."

I smiled too, reaching out to put one arm around Annabeth. We'd known each other more than a decade, and we'd both changed so much. But our relationship had stayed the same.

"Any time, Annabeth. You know I'm always here for you." The two of us sat there for a minute, taking a breather and appreciating each other's company, and then I sighed. "Alright, time to get the cleaning stuff out. This is going to take hours."

"You know, I actually have a lot of coursework I need to get started on-"

"Nice try, but it's orientation. And even if you were in the middle of finals, you wouldn't be getting out of this."

"Fine. But next time, let's plan to avoid the massive kitchen food fight."

I grinned. "Sure. We can plan on that."

****************

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