Welcome to Reading The Big Book of Cyberpunk!
Each week we (u/FarragutCircle and u/fanny_bertram) will be reading 5-ish stories from Jared Shurin’s The Big Book of Cyberpunk, which includes a curated selection of cyberpunk stories written from 1950 to 2022! We’ll include synopses of the stories along with links to any legally available online versions we can find. Feel free to read along with us or just stop by and hear our thoughts about some cyberpunk stories to decide if any of them sound interesting to you.
Every once in a while, we reach out to people who have more insight, due to being fans of the author or have some additional context for the story. (Or we just tricked them into it.) So please welcome u/Kopratic who will be sharing their thoughts on "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick!
Section 4: Challenge
In our fourth and penultimate section, editor Jared Shurin highlights how cyberpunk looks at technology that creates harm when put into practice, and later cites Marshall McLuhan about artists as challengers. (Shurin really seems to like this McLuhan guy.) Amusingly there’s a footnote where he mentions litrpg in passing, though he says there’s no litrpg in this anthology)
“We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick (published 1966; also available in his collection Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick)
Quail’s desire to go to Mars leads him to a memory-implant company so he can remember going to Mars, but complications and revelations and twists ensue, hilariously.

• Special Guest Kopratic: So this guy really wants to go to Mars, but it’s pretty dang expensive. Fortunately, what’s not as expensive is paying a company to trick him into thinking he’s been to Mars by implanting false memories into his mind. Unfortunately, things go wrong, and before he writes up a scathing Yelp review, he gets his money back, his wife leaving him, and his life falling apart.
• It’s a story I’ve read before. Not this exact, specific story, but the bones of it. Virtually visiting another time or place. It’s never real, but they tend to beg the question: Do memories create reality? Maybe this particular story was one that inspired, even if indirectly, the others. Maybe it’s a trope that had been used before, and the author was just putting his own spin on it like the ones that came after.
• I did like it. I thought that it was annoying how the secretary was described as being topless in practically every scene she was in. It went from, “Oh in this society that’s a normal thing, and body paint is a sort of fashion item” to “...we get it.” It was a minor part of the story at least.
• The twists were pretty good, too. There’s a moment where you start to question things alongside the protagonist. Maybe the false memories did work. He’s not supposed to know they’re fake, but he does. But he also has things that can’t possibly be explained by ways of “implanted memories.” Or maybe they can. Even until the very end, the story keeps you guessing. It did a good job of keeping the tension alive.
• In a sense, the story asks the question, “What is reality?” and fits in nicely as an entry into the realm of cyberpunk.
  
• Farragut’s thoughts: We’ve read Dick before in Science Fiction. Between that story and this, if I hadn’t read two of his novels already, I would’ve thought Dick was a comedic SF writer because of how funny I’ve found his short fiction so far. I vaguely recall (ha!) having seen the movie Total Recall, but I’m not sure PKD has ever had a faithful adaptation of his works. Anyway, this is just a fun story—not as wild as the film, but just a plain fun examination of memory and reality.
  
• fanny’s thoughts: The editor points out that each filming of Total Recall gets worse and this is correct. I had never read the story and I did like it despite it being a story I have seen before. Dick did a great job of making the reader doubt memories and the reality for the character. There are a lot of careful details throughout the short story that play with this concept and add to the general confusion of what is real. The story is not the most amazing thing, but it is very well done and a bit twisty.
  

“Speed” by Misha (1988)
I think that Speed is looking for Speelyi-427 on behalf of a computer AI called Juno 888, but after that I’m lost.

• Farragut: We’ve read Misha before in Science Fiction. She’s a very cyberpunky type author, but I’ll be darned if I understand half of what’s going on here. There’s data as currency, there’s an all powerful computer named Juno 888 (I think?), there’s a car chase with a barbed-wire tripwire at neck level (ouch), there’s indigenous ghost dancers, and I had a hell of a time connecting the dots. It didn’t help that for the first couple pages I didn’t realize Speed was the character’s name, which made the story even more abstract at first. I absolutely know there’s someone out there who loves the crap out of experimental/transcendental stuff like this, but it wasn’t me.
  
• fanny: I was beyond confused reading this one. For half the story I thought the character was the computer, 888, but then I realized it was Speed. I am not sure that helped though. I feel like this was too experimental for me and it just missed the mark. The good part of this was the trading in data and the trying to steal data, which was an interesting technology application.
  

“Computer Friendly” by Eileen Gunn (1989; also available in her collection Stable Strategies and Others)
Elizabeth and other kids are tested, and while she passes with flying covers, her new friends might lose their lives unless she can figure out a way to help them in a world where the heavily computerized future uses real brains from people and dogs.

• Farragut: Gunn is an oft-nominated writer (including for this story), but ended up winning the 2005 Nebula for “Coming to Terms”. I really loved this bizarre future (she’ll play computer fetch with her dog when he has downtime from managing data traffic), and Elizabeth is an adorable character to follow as she navigates the shocking new revelations about her world. The help she gets from some of the obscure entities on the network is perfect, especially when they realize that their current world is a little too predictable these days. Highly recommended, especially for Elizabeth’s “hacking” methods.
  
• fanny: I loved this story and following Elizabeth through it all. Elizabeth is a fierce, determined little girl who doesn't want anything bad to happen to her friends. She goes to extremes for this and gets help from the weirdest sources within the network system. The net system, entities, and the world are so well thought out and carefully crafted. It felt fully realized which is unusual for me to find in a short story. Absolute loved this one.
  

“I Was a Teenage Genetic Engineer” by Nisi Shawl (1989)
The narrator is imprisoned for her reckless genetic engineering, making new incarnations of old gods.

• Farragut: Shawl is a multiple-award-winning author and has done a lot of work on promoting diversity in SF/F. A very short story (under a thousand words), it’s also got a very mythic and poetic tone to it, like a confession as a parable. Very evocative, with lots of classical allusions.
  
• fanny: Such a short story and such a unique concept. I liked that the main character made the entire Pantheon and unleashed the Greek gods back on the world. I found the description of creating Psyche the best part. This story is a bit experimental, but worked for me.
  

“The Gene Drain” by Lewis Shiner (1989)
A generation ship ends up right back on Earth, with disturbing and amusing differences between the two groups.

• Farragut: Shiner was a member of the Turkey City Writer’s Workshop which is considered a “cradle of cyberpunk”. This story was quite amusing, and you can see the differences between the overly-technological humans on Earth and the extremely weird worshippers of Johnny Carson. The author does a great job of encapsulating all the changes since the ship left in little throwaway lines, and the ending was both disturbing and funny.
  
• fanny: I found the whole premise quite ridiculous, but a nice way to show how too much technology can change society. The worshippers of Johnny Carson return to earth and manage to get a leader who has a bad experience with tech. The extremes he is willing to go to is both realistic and slightly disturbing. The ending is amusing, but it is serious too. I like how Shiner balanced absurdity with real society challenges. But also cult of Carson.
  

That’s it for this week! Check back the same time next week where we’ll be reading and discussing "Deep Eddy" by Bruce Sterling, "The Yuletide Cyberpunk Yarn, or Christmas_Eve-117.DIR" by Victor Pelevin, "Wonderama" by Bef, "comp.basilisk FAQ" by David Langford, and "Spider's Nest" by Myra Çakan.
Also posted on Bochord Online.

Load order

FalloutNV.esm
DeadMoney.esm
HonestHearts.esm
OldWorldBlues.esm
LonesomeRoad.esm
GunRunnersArsenal.esm
Fallout3.esm
Anchorage.esm
ThePitt.esm
BrokenSteel.esm
PointLookout.esm
Zeta.esm
CaravanPack.esm
ClassicPack.esm
MercenaryPack.esm
TribalPack.esm
NavmeshOverhaul.esm
TaleOfTwoWastelands.esm
YUPTTW.esm
Vanilla Enhancements.esm
Main And Pause Menus Overhaul.esm
Uncut Wasteland.esp
Rebuild the Capital.esm
Functional Post Game Ending.esm
TTW Reputations.esm
MoreMojave.esm
SSTIndustrializedSloan.esm
TLD_Travelers.esm
AWorldOfPainFO3.esm
Regulators.esm
SSTGroundedRangerStationCharlie.esm
A World of Pain Revised.esm
Sweet Pain NV.esm
A Trail of Crumbs.esm
TTW New Vegas Speech Checks.esm
Home and Safehouse Tweaks.esm
mil.esp
Functional Post Game Ending - TTW Patch.esm
TweaksTTW.esm
Tactapack.esp
mil_Add-On.esp
Bad Touch.esm
[RWM]-Complete.esm
RtC-Hotpatch.esm
DYNAVISION 3.esm
Home and Safehouse Tweaks - TTW Addon.esm
Impostors and LOD Flicker Fix.esp
TTW FaceGen Fix.esp
MigSpeedFix.esp
The Mod Configuration Menu.esp
Vanilla UI Plus.esp
FOVSlider.esp
Power Armor Holo Panel.esp
PipBoyUITweaks.esp
ItemCards.esp
3DGrenadeIndicator.esp
QuickSelect.esp
JustAssortedMods.esp
TTW Ultimate Invisible Wall Remover.esp
TTW Dialogue and Interactions Expansion Overhaul.esp
Root 'n Loot.esp
Casino Exchange All.esp
Rebuild the Capital - No Pony Express Boxes.esp
TTWZetaRewards.esp
JIP Companions Command & Control.esp
MigArmorDegen.esp
WeaponRequirementSystem.esp
ImmersiveRecoil.esp
DynamicWeaponSpread.esp
DWS_JAM_patch.esp
Reload Reloaded.esp
DynamicDetectionSystem.esp
Supplemental Ammo Crafting.esp
Enhanced Movement.esp
S6S Perks.esp
ATMOS Ambient Overhaul.esp
New Blood.esp
S6S Base Game Perks Redux.esp
S6S Base Game Perks Redux TTW Side.esp
Friends With Benefits Perk Pack.esp
SP TTW Patch.esp
MMAWOP Patch.esp
GRA Scavenger Hunt Balanced NVSE.esp
Titans of The New West.esp
Titans of The New West - Power Armor Sprint JAM.esp
S6S Ingestibles NO DLC.esp
SSTMojaveOutpostSecurityBooths.esp
AfterglowNeonIllumination.esp
Aid Addon.esp
AK112.esp
B42Dropmag.esp
B42Inspect.esp
B42Bash.esp
B42Descriptions.esp
Player Headtracking.esp
B42Inertia.esp
B42Retrievables.esp
B42 RWMS.esp
New Blood TTW Patch.esp
Natural Interior.esp
TestHK33.esp
NVRA - Uzi.esp
M1C.esp
LaserRifleReplacer.esp
127 SMG Rebirth.esp
JSRS.esp
CharacterKitRemake-Hair.esp
Interior Rain.esp
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CharacterKitRemakeHHandsFix.esp
RtC-RootnLoot.esp
RtC-TrailofCrumbs.esp
NewVegasQuickStart.esp
JustHitMarker.esp
JustHitIndicator.esp
JustHoldBreath.esp
JustLootMenu.esp
JustBulletTime.esp
JustDynamicCrosshair.esp
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dD - Enhanced Blood Main NV.esp
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HeadShotSplatter.esp
Atmospheric Lighting Tweaks TTW.esp
ATMOS Ambient Overhaul Patch - Atmospheric Lighting Tweaks.esp
FNVLODGen.esp
DNWeathers.esp
RTC-DNWeathers.esp
NeutralWeathers_TTW.esp
Realism Redux.esp
Mod list
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+NV Compatibility Skeleton
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+10 Year Anniversary Celebration Pack
+Red Rock Canyon Sign HD retexture
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+Super Mutants HD - 4k Retextures
+TTW Billboards Upscaled Pretty Good HD
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-Legacy Reborn - Quality Edition
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+Wasteland Warrior - A Melee Animation Overhaul
+Laser Pistol 3rd Person Latch animation fix
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+No Reload Cancelling
+Hit - Anti-Materiel Rifle Anim Set
+Hit - B42 Interact Skinning-Human
+Hit - B42 Interact Skinning
+B42 Weapon Inertia
+Retrievable Throwables Reforged
+MadAce's Ragdoll compatibility patch
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+B42 Melee Bash
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+B42 Dropmag and One in the chamber
+B42 Inject - Animated Item Use - ESPless
+B42 Optics - ESPless
+WAP B42 Optics Patch
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-Animations_separator
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+NVRA - Uzi-4k
+NVRA - Uzi
+NVRA - HK33-4k
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+Physically Based Plasma Rifles
+Fallout TV - The Ghoul's Handcannon
+WAP Year One and Bonus
+Laser Rifle Rebirth
+WAP 12.7 SMG Rebirth-4k
+WAP 12.7 SMG Rebirth-Reticle Fix
+WAP 12.7 SMG Rebirth
+WAP Lever Action Shotgun-4k
+WAP Lever Action Shotgun
+WAP F4NV Recharger Weaponry-4k
+WAP F4NV Recharger Weaponry
+WAP Single Shotgun-4k
+WAP Single Shotgun
+WAP 12.7MM Pistol-4k
+WAP 12.7MM Pistol
+WAP Grenade Launchers
+WAP F4NV Laser Pistol and Pew-Pew-4k
+WAP F4NV Laser Pistol and Pew-Pew
+WAP Laser RCW-4k
+WAP Laser RCW
+DKS and Friends
+WAP - F4NV .44 Magnum Weaponsmith
+WAP - F4NV .44 Magnum-4k
+WAP - F4NV .44 Magnum
+WAP Bozar and LMG
+WAP Year One and Bonus-4k
+Tactapack
+Another Millenia
+Another Millenia Gun Add-on
+T60P - Power Armor Sidearm-NVAO patch
+T60P - Power Armor Sidearm
+Classic AK-112 - The Adytum Rifle-SYNC animation patch
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+NVRA - M1 Carbine-4k
+NVRA - M1 Carbine
-Weapons_separator
+B42 Descriptions aka Pip-Info
+Character Kit Remake - Teeth
+Improved Vanilla Male Body
+Character Kit Remake - Hands
+Improved Vanilla Male Body - Seamless - 4k-f3
+Character Kit Remake - Hands-IVMB
+Character Kit Remake - Hair
-Character Kit Remake
-Character Kit Remake TTW Facegen
-Character Kit Remake - Uncompressed Faces
-Character Kit Remake-IVMB
-Character Kit Remake Facegen Patches For Many Mods-The Living Desert
-Character Kit Remake Facegen Patches For Many Mods-Uncut NV
-Character Kit Remake Facegen Patches For Many Mods-Sweetpain
-Character Kit Remake Facegen Patches For Many Mods-MoreMojave
-TTW Character Kit Remake Facegen Patches For Many Mods-Rebuild The Capital
-Character Kit Remake Facegen Patches For Many Mods-FPGE
-Character Kit Remake Facegen Patches For Many Mods-EVE
-Character Kit Remake Facegen Patches For Many Mods-AWOLP
-TTW Character Kit Remake Facegen Patches For Many Mods-The Regulators
-TTW Character Kit Remake Facegen Patches For Many Mods-A Trail of Crumbs
+IHWT - Improved Heavy Weapons Textures
+HIPControl - Weapon Idle Position Adjuster - ESPless
+TTW (D.I.E.O.) Dialogue and Interactions Expansion Overhaul
+GRA Unique Weapons Relocated
+TTW The Regulators
+TTW A Trail of Crumbs
-TTW - Wasteland Supplements-Uncut Extra Collection
+TTW - Wasteland Supplements-Uncut Wasteland
+Rebuild the Capital - A Brotherhood of Steel Expansion Mod TTW Edition-Hotpatch
+Rebuild the Capital
+MoreMojave- AWOLP
+MoreMojave
+Sweet Pain NV-TTW Patch
+Sweet Pain NV
+Improved Security Booths
+Grounded Ranger Station Charlie
+Industrialized Sloan
+A World of (Less) Pain - A Lore Friendly AWOP Revision
+TTW A World of Pain for Fallout 3-JIP CCC Avatar
+TTW A World of Pain for Fallout 3
+Uncut Wasteland
+The Living Desert - Travelers Patrols Consequences Increased Population and more
+Functional Post Game Ending
+Content_separator
+Realtime Weapon Modding System
+Essential Vanilla Enhancements Merged
+Higher Casino Bets - Jackpot Limit and Chips Exchange
+Friends With Benefits Perk Pack
+Sweet Perk Overhaul
+Sweet 6 Shooter Perks - TTW - NV
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+Enhanced Movement-Ini
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+Weapon Jamming Tweaks - ESPless
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+TTW Reputations
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+TTW - Wasteland Supplements-MAPMO
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+Better Caravan
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-Gameplay_separator
-Radiation Visuals
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+Item Cards
+Pip-Boy UI Tweaks
+High Res Local Maps
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-3rd Person Camera Overhaul
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-Scum's Considerably Cute Corner Load Wheel
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-User Interface & HUD_separator
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+Aqua Performa - Strip Performance Fix
+lStewieAl's Engine Optimizations
+Stewie Tweaks Essentials INI
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-Collision Meshes-FNV
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-Bug Fixes_separator
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+Basic Console Autocomplete
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+Yvile's Crash Logger
+FNV Mod Limit Fix
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+ShowOff xNVSE Plugin-Settings
+ShowOff xNVSE Plugin
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-Utilities_separator
+Fixed ESMs
*DLC: CaravanPack
*DLC: ClassicPack
*DLC: DeadMoney
*DLC: GunRunnersArsenal
*DLC: HonestHearts
*DLC: LonesomeRoad
*DLC: MercenaryPack
*DLC: OldWorldBlues
*DLC: TribalPack

Through my extensive knowledge of MI, and research of MAW...I'm starting to come to some interesting conclusions. Season 2 of Monsters at Work was a great one...up until the finale two episodes that completely roadsides a lot of things that were being built up, and tearing down things just for the sake of shock or hate. I've expressed my INITIAL views of this insulting end already....but there is a LOT more to discover and a LOT more to say....here's one of the interesting things.
Ya know...watching the finale, bewildered out of my mind at how wrong so many things went and how so many threads went to crap...I started feeling something else. Yes, things went wrong...but there was...a wrongness in general that was...odd. There was a definitive change from S2E8 to the last two episodes that was so jarring....that it felt like they weren't actually supposed to happen. Yes, it felt like...a rush occurred or something...forcing things to come to the convoluted and impossible end we see. Like what was planned was...suddenly tossed out the window and something new was bolted in to get things done.
In some ways...the finale of MAW is not only impossible and convoluted...it's not how it was supposed to BE in the first. And I'm finding evidence of that.
Lets start with something interesting, and one of the key factors that makes this finale a bundle of crap: bringing in Randall. Sorry buddy, I mean HOW they brought you in. See, as claimed by the writers, they INTENTIONALLY kept his appearance a secret....now, before all the mess, this makes some kind of sense. He is a legacy character, one of the most popular, and a complex person with MANY options to how he will return and act.
But how was he brought in? SO WRONGLY. They even pin him as the saboteur despite the FACT that he was not put in ANYWHERE as a suspect (to a casual, unknown viewer, they had 0% chance to even GUESS this)...which kinda goes against a whole mystery thing. There has to be SOME sort of clue SOMEWHERE that hints at this...but there are none, the writers said themselves...
....so....how do they make him the guilty one? By adding in a bunch of stuff you had no way of seeing, and excluding plot threads that were pointing elsewhere. We'll get to some of those later, but I'm gonna focus on one that proves that not only is 'MAW Randall's' little story start in episode 10 more of a lie than it seems.........he was NOT meant to be in the position he's in in the first place, that the finale was made a sham!
So what is this? Well...during his little speech at the start of S2E10, 'MAW Randall' remarks about how they planned to invent a fake 'Scream Amplifier' to save the Scare Industry. We get a flashback when Tylor was taking the tour at Fear Co., when he is looking into the R&D room with the 'covered Amplifier'. But, before we get a shot confirming that this is at that precise moment, we get a shot showing the inside of the room clearer....
...now, as you would in a few seconds, we can SEE 'MAW Randall' here, in a lab coat and a red helmet. (Granted...his lower half is invisible...which is just...not correct. Randall has NEVER displayed his ability to do this, and it's not how his blending ability works, we've know how it does. One could say he somehow maneuvered his body....but, that coat is WAY too thin, and the angle to DO that would probably snap his spine, even with how flexible he can be.)
Now, take note. Randall's got some great colors, purple and blue, very obvious standouts you can't miss. This is important.
The scene goes on...'MAW Randall' reveals himself and pulls off the cover revealing junk underneath. (of course both these things pose their OWN questions---why even have this display? (I have some answers), and...did 'MAW Randall' JUST reveal himself to a room full Fear Co. scientists...?))
From there, you know...more bullcrap.
Now ok...I call your bluff MAW writers.
I looked BACK, at that scene, which we see, in S2E4. We get the other side of this flashback, with Johnny and Tylor looking in on things. Colleen, the fronting scientist, waves the two off, and Johnny calmly walks off.....giving us a better look into the room....
And though you didn't notice it before....look what's right there...
Johnny leaves, and just beyond the railing of the room, we see....someone in a lab coat....and a red hat. Wow, continuity right...? The writers MUST have planned Randall since the start! What great work to know how to end things and bring him in, they must have figured this out way back right...?
Wrong.
Remember what I said before? Randall's colorizations are obvious.
We don't see much of this person, unfortunately...but what we DO see is their NECK.
In S2E10, 'MAW Randall''s is clearly seen, and his bright colors are on full display. He's wearing a lab coat, red helmet.....and his neck is clearly seen, purple and blue.
In S2E4, we see someone wearing a lab coat, a red helmet....and having a GRAY NECK.
(And yes, given Randall's ability, which I know how it works, he NEVER changed colors either, as he remains the same AS Tylor and Johnny are looking in, AND afterward when he pulls over the cover for the amplifier trash. He has his regular colorization the WHOLE TIME, never gray.).
The monster in S2E4, the SAME monster the series is claiming Randall WAS in S2E10....ISN'T HIM! The colors DON'T match.
(Now, for you animators out there, I'm sure you're thinking 'could this just be a stand-in gray model'? Come on...if this was supposed to be a SIGNIFICANT story beat, WHY were we not given a better view of this individual? If they even THOUGHT to plan this out, there should have been SOME KIND of indication, but there wasn't. This monster is just simply a background gray one of no real significance...it's NOT Randall.)
No, in fact, this scene was CHANGED to FIT the narrative that the final episodes were going for (meaning that they weren't even THINKING of Randall in the position of 'MAW Randall' in as far as 4 episodes IN). That different monster we barely see (but can confirm ain't Randall), was taken out and replaced with 'MAW Randall' to meet the messed-up storyline that is CONTAINED within these last two episodes.
(More proof this scene was changed later to 'meet their demand' of hate for the poor reptile? There are also one or two OTHER monsters that were added to the room that weren't there in the same scene, such as, for an example, an orange monster in the upper left corner. WHY add these AT ALL if this scene was NOT altered? There is literally NO point to do that since they had the segment already, and they just had to alter 'Gray Monster' into 'MAW Randall')
Like many things I've discovered and looking at, this is one of the examples of, specifically, how Randall was done dirty in this season finale. He was NOT meant to be there in that R&D room (which doesn't even make sense that he WAS since that means FearCo. scientists are aware he's around), he was NOT meant to have it included in his whacked-out story at the beginning of S2E10, meaning he was NOT meant to be involved in a LOT of what was going on......because this was NOT how things were intending to go for him.
Things we ALREADY knew, but may not have been aware of, were CHANGED to FIT the end result....and they weren't the only things. There's a 'conspiracy' alright...but it doesn't have to do with leaking canisters and missing sugar packets.....well, it does with the latter, maybe the former but...clearly, there's more going on than you may initially think.
Stay tuned real fans...there's plenty more.

as the title saids my game crashes after i play for short time any idea as to why?
LOAD ORDER:
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Hey there, I'm Mark, 25M. Remember me?
Here's what I'm looking for: a best friend to share some interests with, hopefully to learn more and become a better person. Tell me about yourself a bit when you respond, and let's carry on from there.
Books: I like books! I find myself buying more than I'll ever read. "So many books, so little time"- Frank Zappa. I began my book enthusiasm, when I was a pre-teenager, by reading Tintin, Archie comics and short stories of Sherlock Holmes. Over the years I moved to techno thrillers (Michael Crichton) and fiction (Agatha Christie, Lee Child, Stephen King) to now where I'm engrossed in non-fiction (history, science). My current area of interests involve non-fiction accounts of espionage, spying and covert operations. I've begun to read a book about Soviet Union. Who knows where the tide of interests will go next.
Music: I like rock music. Queen. Pink Floyd. Led Zeppelin. Tom Petty. Eagles. Black Sabbath. Some non-rock artists whose selected tracks I like: Adele, Eminem, Lady Gaga. Compositions by John Williams are always a pleasure to listen to (Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Indiana Jones)
Niche topics: I am a devoted watcher of YouTube channels featuring content with regards to spaceflight, military food, weird and obscure science concepts, and interesting historical events. Furthermore, I'm a huge fan of Conan O'Brien (Team Coco forever!!), Johnny Carson and David Letterman. I'd love to talk about rockets, military food, weird incidents, catastrophes, physics, humour and much more! Seinfeld and Curb your Enthusiasm are my go-to shows!
I am recently on a reading streak of Perry Mason novels (completed 20 out of 85)!
Fun fact: I like to watch clips of Hell's kitchen, or Gordon Ramsay cooking while I'm having a meal (because I find it appetizing for some reason). Lately I've discovered a Youtube playlist where they describe making of food in big batches, which is awesome!
I'm looking forward to hear from you! Let's be best friends(?). If you have any questions (related to the above subject matter or otherwise), feel free to ask. I'd encourage you to ask some weird question at the first instance to lighten up the conversation 😂
I'm done typing this, and I'll be eagerly waiting for your response!!
P.S: There's a chance that I may be asleep or busy with something when you respond. Don't worry, I will respond to you, without fail.
This is a SFW friendship which I'm looking for.

🪞 “It's much easier to get in that it is to get out,” Emilie Autumn used to say. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4.1 - Part 4.2
She was not wrong. Welcome back to the Asylum write-up!
In this installment, we're finally getting down to the nitty-gritty of the enmity between EA and her fans.
It's time for war. It's time for blood. It's time... for tea. 🎵

THE PRESENT DAY: “ASK ME ANYTHING (WELL, NOT QUITE)”

​

"Ask me anything" titles are catchy, and that’s why I’m using one. But, obviously, don’t ask me anything, by which I mean that, if you think I wouldn’t answer it, you’re probably right. Ask me something really good. I’d love to answer you. I’d love to have comments on these posts, in fact, so that I could answer questions there regularly and ask you things as well, but insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, or so Einstein is supposed to have said, and attempting to create yet another interactive online venue after every previous attempt has ended in heartbreak—forums, facebook groups, social media accounts—it would indeed be insanity to think that this time would be any different. So there are no comments. This too is heartbreaking in the sense that, and you may not realize this, but I desperately want to connect more completely with you—to be able to intelligently converse and share and exchange. We can do that in person, of course, because the wrong people never show up in person. Isn’t that funny… So, perhaps we’ll have to arrange that;). I’ll start you off with an example question I’d want to know if I were you (I can almost guarantee that you do not want to know this). Q. Hey EA, how do you keep your wireless bodypack transmitter secure when you are leaping about in skimpy costumes and doing frequent costume changes? Also, dye your roots. A. Fantastic question, EA, and I just dyed my roots thank you very much. ... (Deleted blog post followed by a year of radio silence, 2022 📝)

Sooo. For the past five-ish years, the vibe in the Asylum has been that of a protracted Christmas dinner where everyone is tensely moving their food around in their plate, bracing themselves for whatever will trigger the screaming match. Wondering what it's going to be this time. Weary old-timers make small talk about the food because no other topic feels safe. Every glance, every forced smile, is fraught with eons-old grudges and unspoken regrets; every nervous pleasantry sounds like a thinly-veiled accusation. Aunt Emilie always insists on hosting, but not-so-secretly hates having people over. Sooner or later, she finds a way to get all of these assholes out of her house. Most of the adult children are daydreaming about going no-contact.
Everyone ready for some dysfunctional family history?
CW for discussion of bullying, online harassment, mental illness stigma.

YE OLDEN DAYS: CUCKOOS OF A FEATHER NEST TOGETHER

In the beginning, it was beautiful.
EA had the excellent instinct to start banking on her online presence📝 long before MySpace was even a thing. She had a website, several online stores, an active LiveJournal and a ProBoards forum right from the turn of the millennium.
In 2004, she attached an official forum to her website; the earliest archive shows 74 registered users. By the time Opheliac came out in 2006, that number had grown tenfold. And it was, by most accounts, a pretty dope place to be! (I should specify that this write-up focuses on the anglophone side of the fandom: there were also thriving fan-run communities in at least German, French, and Spanish. Because EA doesn't speak any of those languages, the lucky bastards were mostly left alone.)
Forum users enjoyed interacting with some of EA's closest IRL friends and associates – and with the mistress of the house herself (user flair: PsychoFiddler), when she occasionally responded to comments under her own posts. But that wasn't even the main appeal for many. For a long time, on top of all EA-related topics, the official forum had very active “Off-Topic” subforums, with lively and friendly conversation on a variety of subjects. (There was even a “Filthy Libertines (18+)” sub for a while, which was closed due to preemptive concerns about minors.) Swear words (not slurs) were allowed and encouraged, and moderation was overall pretty loose beyond basic enforcement of civility. There was a lot of mutual support, creativity, and solid banter going around.

It wasn't just about Emilie on the forums. People could chat about almost anything with near free reign, making connections and lifelong friends. ... This community mattered SO MUCH to people. They felt included, accepted, and understood within the walls of the Asylum. People invested their time and creative energy into keeping the forums a vibrant, active community, and made sure that carried over into the real world. ... I've never seen anything like it in a fan space. I doubt I ever will again. (@Asylum_Oracle - “Fandom History” Instagram highlight 🔍📝, which contains most of the sources for this segment.)

And it did, indeed, carry over into the real world. There were numerous meet-ups – a few organized by EA, many more spontaneous. People who didn't know any other EA fans in real life, or were just excited to add new Plague Rats to their friend group, would regularly connect with other forum users from their area to meet up and hang out before EA shows. “Who else is dressing up??”
In 2008, for instance, EA held an afternoon meet-up at Lincoln Park in Chicago. 📺 The event was free to attend; it featured live acoustic music and a reading from EA's upcoming book, the intriguingly-titled Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls.
On the appointed day, EA rolled up in a fabulously tousled red wig, bedazzled white corset and steampunk-altered wedding dress. She had brought friends alongs. Sporting blue hair and a pink bustle and corset was her Chicago bestie, the main forum admin. Rocking a guitar and a top hat was EA's sound engineer, the soft-spoken wizard behind the Victoriandustrial sound, who was also a forum mod. The photographer from the original Opheliac cover art was there as well; he was formally introduced by EA and got his own round of applause.

People who would never normally be involved in an artist's fanbase were in EA's world. And not only were they known – they were respected and incredibly active with the fanbase. These people who managed an online message board were willing to engage in real-world meet-ups (with no security??) because of how tight-knit the community they had built was. People turned out to this event. People traveled to go to this event. It was a short reading of a book that hadn't been released yet, and wouldn't be for some time. Why? Because not only was it a chance to meet Emilie and listen to parts of the new book, but it was also a chance to hang out with their friends from the Asylum. ... The fandom really was a family for a lot of people. (@Asylum_Oracle)

“SERIOUSLY, GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE.”

It all started with The End.
The End Records, that is! Quick refresher: in 2009, after three years or so with Trisol, EA split from the label over allegations that the owner was embezzling money from ticket sales. A few months later, she signed with The End Records. Understandably, EA still wanted to sell the album that had made her famous, and to which she had smartly retained the rights – which meant a brand new, “Deluxe” release of Opheliac. (Remember, from part 3? The one you could pre-order as a bundle with the book? Some projects are just cursed, I guess.)
At that point, Opheliac had been released three times already, as recently as the year before, with only slight variations in format and tracklist. (Yes, that is a theme in this story.) The End Records version would feature new cover art and a handful of new tracks, but overall, it was... you know... the same album.
(The following paragraphs are largely sourced from this excellent recap 🔍📝, which also provides potato screenshots for all quotes.)
One fateful day of August 2009, a user started a thread entitled “Opheliac US edition deluxe re-release??” in the “EA News” subforum. In the thread, some people were kind of balking at the re-do, pondering whether to buy the “new” Opheliac or sit this one out. Some expressed that after three years, they were jonesing for a new album. Others shared what B-sides or dream covers they would have liked to see included on the bonus disc. Just... fans being fans, in a fan discussion space.
And then EA jumped out from behind the curtains.

Fan: Okay. Before I start, I just want you to know that I think it's very good that EA is getting more popularity, and that she can release lots of albums, but - are 5 editions of the same album really needed? You may say now “ah, it's not the same, it has 2 bonus tracks” or whatever, but I mean: it's not new material. Now don't get me wrong. I'm happy for it, maybe I'll even buy it, but I'm just wondering if she shouldn't keep herself busy with other (maybe more important) stuff? * hides * EA: Nobody's forcing you to buy it. Thanks.

Record scratch.

Fan 1: is this Opheliac release version number 4? lol If she's recording NEW tracks, then surely they deserve to be sold by themselves, otherwise people are going to have to buy an album that they may have already bought twice (like me!). But... alas, I am a fool and adore everything this woman does... im buying it lol Fan 2: exactly – if it was just reissuing the last version of Opheliac to tap into new markets that would be fine (...) but if they start adding extra bits of material to albums people already have then the true muffins are going to feel obliged to buy new copies (...) EA: How exactly are you obliged to buy anything? Nobody is forcing you to spend a fucking penny, my dears. I suppose it would make more sense to you to simply not have my records available any more as the old label I just escaped from will no longer be distributing them? Forgive me for adding extra tracks. No obligation necessary.

...Okay, so I'm pretty sure that we can see both sides of the argument here. Fans are annoyed at the idea of spending money on barely-anything-new, because they love EA and buy every single CD she releases. EA is exasperated by fans acting like she's twisting their arm and somehow resenting the inclusion of new material, when she was just ensuring that her album would remain available for purchase and trying to keep things interesting.
But maybe we can also agree that those replies should have been screamed into a pillow rather than typed out on a keyboard.
EA was getting increasingly (and, I'll just say it: disproportionately) sarcastic and defensive in her replies. Enter poor FantineDormouse.
FantineDormouse meant well, I think. Maybe she thought, she's spiraling. Maybe she thought, friends don't let friends go down that road. Granted, FantineDormouse probably should have known better than to phrase it the way she did. Or to assume that EA perceived her as a friend.
Either way, at some point, FantineDormouse jumped in and posted the comment that finally made EA lose it. THE comment which, overnight, ended the honeymoon period of the Asylum, triggering a doomsday domino effect from which the fandom would never truly recover. Are you comfortably seated?

FantineDormouse: Uhm, Emilie, love, I don't mean to sound rude or anything... but maybe you should have a cup of tea and relax a little.

...
* sound of archduke getting shot *

EA: Excuse me? You can throw this onslaught of absolute cruel bullshit at me and those I work with in my own space that I own, and I can't say anything back? How fucking patronizing. Relax? Are you fucking kidding me? Who the fuck do you think you're talking to? FD: I'm not trying to piss you off even more, Emilie. And trust me, I have to deal with it myself, and as much as I would really love to punch the cunts I have to deal with in the face, I don't. You're pissed off, I get it. You're bipolar, which makes it 10x worse, I get that. I'm just not the person to stand around and do nothing when a fight where I'm pretty sure there will be a lot of regret is going on.

Famous last words. Literally! Immediately after EA delivered her irate closing statement – which includes one of my all-time favorite EA zingers, bolded...

EA: I cannot believe this... You just don't stop, do you? So just because I've shared the personal information with you all that I happen to be bipolar, I can't get pissed off at all of you being perfectly awful in the very space that I pay fuckloads a month to have up (has it ever occurred to you all that I pay dearly for this space you play around in?) Why not just tell me that I must be upset because it's my time of the month? Seriously, get the fuck out of my house. You are unbelievable, and your level of patronization is almost criminal. Don't make me write another book. With muffins like you, who needs enemies? Nothing I say or feel is legitimate, not ever ever ever because I'm bipolar... discredited before I begin... unbelievable...

...FantineDormouse got permabanned.
Jaws dropped. After days of infighting between white knights, detractors, and crossfire negotiators, several mod resignations, and general mayhem surrounding the ban, EA made a post entitled “In Which: I Invite You to Make a Fucking Choice.” 📝 For brevity's sake (cue laugh track), I can't reproduce it in all of its righteous splendor, but it's quite a read. It runs the gamut from fair and articulate points about how mental illness shouldn't be used to discredit someone's legitimate anger... to histrionic commands that “deserters to the cause” should “turn in their weapons” if they can't handle her way of doing things.

To those of you who appear not to understand why said posts, most especially those of the banned party, were offensive to me, I give you the option to either educate yourselves on your own time and in your own space (because please never forget that this is my space that I share with all of you at my own expense, and in which I generally give you all the freedom I would wish for myself), or to resign your posts in the Asylum Army – this is not the place for you, and I humbly suggest that you turn your attention and support towards other artists of a more placid, non-controversial, and less opinionated nature; there are more than enough of them out there, and I’m sure they all have forums of their own.

Some fans did leave. Most stuck around, whiplashed. Soon, the storm quieted down, and business as usual resumed on the forum. But something had been damaged beyond repair. The FantineDormouse fiasco had erected walls and drawn lines in the sand, both around EA and among her fans; its sad specter would haunt every Asylum crisis that spiked up forever after. “Fucking Patronizing Fucking” or “FPF” 🔍 became memetic shorthand in the fandom for overreaction and self-righteousness. 🐀
...And now you understand why, in the following years, some fans were so delicate and diplomatic in voicing their very legitimate complaints about messed-up orders, unsigned books, and puzzling lies... while unofficial platforms like Tumblr flourished with pent-up resentment and snark. 🦠

A NOTE ON HARASSMENT: “MAD GIRL, CAN YOU BELIEVE WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO YOU?”

Wouldn't they stop When you asked them to leave you alone? (“Mad Girl”, 2008 🎵)

Now, let's be clear, because it should not be minimized: EA has also been the target of genuine online harassment. Based on the simple fact that she is a woman with a public presence on the internet, I have zero doubt that EA has received (and perhaps continues to receive) more than her share of truly vile, bigoted, creepy and threatening messages – and, knowing what I know about the darker recesses of the Asylum, a terrifying amount of emotional blackmail and obsessive projection from people who hold her to punitively high standards. I'm also inclined to believe that it started way before she ever did anything that warranted any backlash. And that fucking sucks. It's repulsive and inexcusable, and the people who harass her should crawl into a hole and live among the worms.
Notwithstanding. In my decade-plus of following EA drama, the public comments on EA's own platforms (where people knew she was likely to be reading) have been, for the most part... civil and nuanced, and relatively mindful of the human? Even very confrontational comments (some clearly written from a place of anger and desire to shame) rarely resorted to outright name-calling or cruelty. When abusive or bigoted language did crop up, it was often promptly shut down by other fans as gross and uncalled for. In short: I have, with mine own two eyes, in real time, read some of the comment sections that EA described as cesspools of blind rage and odious attacks, and... I just couldn't see it.
If anything, for a long time, a lot of the angry comments directed at EA during any given controversy read more like break-up letters to an ex-best friend: harsh, curt and targeted in a way that cuts deep.... but also kind of screams how much love you still have for this person, against your better judgement.
Not that it wouldn't mess a person up to get hundred of those in a matter of hours, even if they don't individually qualify as “abusive”.
It's worth noting that prior to becoming semi-famous and regretting it, EA was also (by her own account and among other forms of abuse) a victim of intense childhood bullying. It feels like the two situations are closely connected in her mind when her focus seamlessly transitions from one to the other. 📺 I don't think that tremor in her voice is put on.
Based on her writings, I get the feeling that over the years, EA has developed a very black-and-white view of two monolithic groups of people. There's (an idealized vision of) her “real audience”, well-dressed, well-read, kind-hearted, and Asylum-savvy, who she fully trusts to “get it” – and buy it, and love it, unquestioningly, whatever “it” may be at any given time – because that is the true measure of love and loyalty. These are the people she makes art and merch for, the people she writes heart-emoji-filled newsletters to, and desperately longs to see in person again.
And then there's the lynch mob, those who really don't “get it”: the trolls, the faceless creeps, the basement-dwelling mouthbreathers, the ones who stalk her every move obsessively, waiting for any chance to spam her with vicious abuse and slander and obscenities. The latter only exist online (they are manifested into arbitrary existence by the internet itself, not by anything EA said or did), and there is zero overlap between the two sets of people. That seems to be the official narrative.

The "public eye" isn't an [enviable] place to be, and the closer I've come to it, the more horrified I've been. Because, for starters, who is "the public?" Is "the public" my audience? Hell no. My audience is special. They are not the general public. If they were the general public I would be a lot wealthier. The "public eye" means getting stalked, harassed, viscously judged, and put in danger. If I do things in the future that gain notoriety, I will do them in spite of fame, not because of it. I am out for world domination, but not fame. (Interview for The Moaning Times, 2014 📝)

In real life (well, mostly online, but I mean: on this shared plane of existence), things play out slightly differently. The Venn diagram of “true blue fans” and “people who criticize EA" and "people who know way too much about EA” is a circle. The call is 100% coming from inside the Asylum, and I think EA rationally knows that. But here's the thing: no matter how many shows and meet-and-greets you've dressed up for, how many loving and supportive comments you've left, or how many family heirlooms you once pawned to purchase a copy of the not-for-sale 2003 DJ pressing of Enchant... the instant EA feels attacked, everyone is a saboteur and a bully until proven otherwise, and suspected treason is dealt with on the spot. One strike, you're out. Unfortunately for everyone involved, her threshold for bullying seems to be “any remotely thoughtless opinion from any stranger on the internet”.
It makes for outstanding human-interest entertainment... but it also sounds an awful lot like the unhealthy patterns of a person suffering from all sorts of PTSD. 🔍 So, please bear that in mind as you read through this write-up. It's easy to make EA out to be the sole villain, a paranoid and delusional drama queen, based on her extreme reactions to things that often “weren't that bad”. Anything can, in fact, be “that bad” when you're thrown back into the very worst moments of your existence every time your brain decides that the situation is even remotely similar.
PTSD takes over your rational mind and actively distorts your perception of reality. That can be how a person ends up impulse-reacting to “a few people expressing an unfavorable opinion” as if the entire internet had just ganged up on them with knives. Which makes their audience feel unjustly accused, which makes them hostile, which gives the person actual good reason to feel attacked... and so the cycle of hurt continues.

You know the games I play And the words I say When I want my own way You know the lies I tell When you've gone through hell And I say I can't stay You know how hard it can be To keep believing in me When everything and everyone Becomes my enemy, and when There's nothing more you can do I'm gonna blame it on you – It's not the way I wanna be I only hope that in the end You will see: It's the Opheliac in me... (“Opheliac”, 2006 🎵)

And YES, it is extremely regrettable to have this as a trigger, when you're a public figure and you're bound to receive more negative feedback than the average citizen. “It's what she signed up for”, “it comes with the territory” and all that jazz. I really don't think EA was unaware of that fact when she decided to become a musician, share her personal life, and form an intense parasocial bond with her audience. But maybe she underestimated how hard it would be to process and recover from.
Just because you expect something unpleasant to happen, doesn't mean your psyche will be ready to handle it when it does – or that you'll pick the best and most effective strategy to deal with it.

A MADHOUSE UNDER MARTIAL LAW: MARCHING INTO THE FORUM WARS

There are two sides to every story... except for this one! (“If I Burn”, 2012 🎵)

You may have noted the military imagery in EA's “Make a Fucking Choice” response post – “resign your post in the Asylum Army”! What do psychiatry and the military have in common? They're both institutions of top-down social control. 🔍 EA's mixed metaphor may be a bit clunky, but it did foreshadow the evolution of the Asylum – in terms of aesthetics and power dynamics – in the years that followed the FantineDormouse incident and the release of The Book.
EA's next big release after the Asylum book came in 2012. It was a new album, an outline of the soon-to-be Asylum musical, called Fight Like a Girl (FLAG for short). As the name suggests, the main mood was bellicose. Incidentally, in the interim years, EA's communication style generally became noticeably more combative, incendiary, and (within her own spaces) controlling.📝 You remember those quirky word filters on the forum, that would change “fan” to “muffin” and “bra” to “teacup holder”? They kind of took on a Nineteen-Eighty-Four-burlesque flavor when you realized that one filter automatically changed “Fischkopf” to “Liddell” - and that circumventing the rule to address her totally real last name would get you banned, as would any discussion of her family. (“Wikipedia, random internet sites and heresay are not credible sources.” - Mod reminder of forum rules, 2010.)
Also, you try sustaining a serious, grown-up conversation among concerned fans about how Emilie Autumn should “take ratsponsibility for her mistakes out of ratspect for her muffins”. Thus, the official Asylum forum kept a tight grip on overt criticism of EA's claims and actions.

The Emilie Autumn forum is a dystopian hell. Truth be told, when I decided to leave you could not do anything but gush about Emilie. Otherwise all of her extremist arse kissing fans will be down your throat, ripping you apart in seconds, if you so much as questioned her behaviour. So much for freedom of opinion, let alone the idea of creating a harmonious community for ‘outcasts’. Hahaha. (2014 🐀)

The word filter thing really wasn't a big deal – I'm just pointing it out as one goofy expression of EA's need to control the narrative and rhetoric, which became especially noticeable in those post-book, pre-FLAG years. By that point, EA's fuse had been shortened by near on half a decade of non-stop touring / recording / writing / promoting / adjusting to the pressure and demands of an ever-growing fanbase, while also dealing with a horrorshow of personal turmoil and health issues behind the scenes. In other words: she was done taking any shit, in any form, or humoring anyone's ridiculous feedback regarding anything.
To be fair, it was never her forte to begin with. Will it come as a shock if I tell you that EA doesn't have the greatest track record for successful collaborative work? Let's do a quick-cut montage!
EA's very first corporate sponsor was her mother's “Enchant Clothing & Costume” online store 🔍; she went on to claim that her mother was dead. She sessioned for Billy Corgan, that went super well. 🎵 She liked Courtney Love for a minute, but that didn't work out because she felt that Courtney only valued her for her pee. 📝 (It probably didn't help that in early 2006, while EA was recording her post-break-up-tell-all album about Corgan, C-Love was recording her post-rehab-redemption album with Corgan. 🔍 Either way, EA didn't seem to like Courtney anymore after that. Courtney likes her, though! 📝) The one artist EA has ever approached for a duet (and by approached, I mean she recorded a demo and threw the CD on stage when he played Chicago in 2004) was, of all people, Morrissey. That never came to pass, thank mercy 🔍 – this fandom has suffered enough. In 2005, EA recorded some haunting vocals and violins for a potential collab with the frontman of Attrition. When, three years later, they were used on one track 🎵 of Attrition's All Mine Enemies Whisper, she alleged 📝 that the recordings had been obtained from her under the false pretense of a different project, then hideously altered to sound “out of tune”, and used without her permission. She enlisted her fans to boycott the album and the band, and threatened legal action. Meanwhile, on LiveJournal and Attrition's message boards, band associates were appalled: according to them, EA had been aware of the project's nature from the start... and had been completely unreachable, even through her label, during the months of its development. (Besides, Attrition is a semi-obscure English darkwave band from the 80s, whose micro-distributed albums don't even have their own Wikipedia pages... so I wonder what EA was hoping to get out of that theoretical lawsuit. These people own nothing but vintage gain pedals!) The song “Cold Hard Cash” 🎤 by Angelspit (who contributed a remix to one of her EPs in 2008) may or may not be an EA diss track. 🐀 Back when indie jewelry brand RockLove (which now has licensing deals with Disney, Marvel, and DC) was still someone's bedroom project, their first drop was an EA-inspired collection 🔍, which appears in many early Opheliac photoshoots. The partnership was terminated on bad terms, for unclear reasons; the RockLove owner shared in a statement that EA had “drunk the cool-aid” of Trisol Guy's shady business practices, and that the two of them had been spamming her with “crazed angry message[s]” for days.
Why am I talking about this? Because it was precisely one such ill-fated business partnership that triggered the Great Asylum Secession.
One fine day of spring 2010, the owner of vegan make-up brand Aromaleigh popped onto the Asylum forum to announce that they were cutting ties with EA, with damning receipts of copy-pasted emails (lost to time). Basically, the brand had been sponsoring her for half a decade, and while Aromaleigh had been actively promoting her music and tours, EA hadn't exactly been returning the favor. (Indeed, the extent of EA's sponcon seemed to have been a banner link to their website on her front page, and a single “random drunken endorsement” LiveJournal post that kind of reads like satire📝, from 2005.)
EA responded by banning the owner's account, deleting the thread, and posting this flippant statement a few days later:

Dearest Plague Rats, To be honest, I have no idea of what the hell happened with Aromaleigh, and I don't care to find out – the whole drama is a complete mystery to me, as I've been away for months touring and have not been in contact with anyone. All I know is that I've been promoting the company for ages and have not asked them for anything in years. (...) Please focus on more interesting things. I am. (“Save the Drama...” forum post, March 2010)

Posts questioning her good faith in the conflict were deleted from the forum. Shortly thereafter, citing how prolific and labor-intensive the Asylum forum had grown, EA shut down all non-EA related subforums – which, among many other topics, included a pretty active thread about Aromaleigh products.
So one Plague Rat decided to create a separate, members-only forum 📝, where users could recreate some of the now-defunct off-topic threads... and also freely voice their critical opinions of EA's behavior without fear of backlash from mods or rabid stans. Thus, “The Reform” was born. (Reform [n]: amendment of what is defective, vicious, corrupt, or depraved.)
For a few weeks, the two-state solution seemed to work fine. And then word spread among forum mods and other diehard fans that there was this horrid other forum, where obsessive haters gathered to spew disgusting lies and vitriol about EA... and soon enough, it was bedlam in the Asylum.
Any explicit mention of the Reform was forbidden on the Asylum forum. Suspicion of participation in the Reform would get you banned. The party line was that The Reform was the enemy 🐀 – even though a number of people were active on both forums, because they liked freedom of expression almost as much as they liked EA. Double agents would lurk on the forum and report back with snark material; sycophants would infiltrate the Reform to identify traitors – much to the amusement of the “haters”, who mocked them and their ilk for “licking EA's pink sparkly boots”. There was no containing the seething, or the sass, among Asylum ranks.
Pretty soon, the insubordination spread to Tumblr. There was the “Ask the Reform” Q&A blog, where questioning fans could interact with “Rebel Rats”, get more details on past drama, and make up their own minds about the people EA called bullies.
And then, there were the “confession blogs”, which published anonymous submissions about EA, positive, negative or neutral, with little censorship. Finally, you didn't even have to pick a throw-away username on a private forum to voice your hottest / strangest / most controversial EA takes. Fans could vent, rant, lament, wonder, shitpost to their heart's content, anonymously. Obviously, given the context of frustration and censorship in the fandom, a lot of the first waves of confessions were EXTREMELY negative.
EA's acolyte Veronica managed to get the first one shut down. If memory serves, she misunderstood the confession blog format, and may have believed that all the posts on “Emilie Autumn Confessions” came from one or a small group of individuals. She was genuinely devastated, and wrote the blog admin to let them know that they were a terrible person who said terrible things. The admin was mortified, apologized profusely and deleted the blog of their own initiative. (Which goes to show that the concept did not come from cruel and malicious anti-fans, as detractors often claimed.)
But a new blog sprung up almost immediately, with a different mod team, and did not surrender. And much like in EA's own book, once the Plague Rats found out that they possessed the gift of speech... well, they really took to it.
Established in 2011 and passed on through generation after generation of mod teams to the present day, Wayward Victorian Confessions would turn out to be the longest-lived institution in the EA fandom. For over a decade now, through all the bleakest nights and dankest debacles of the Asylum, and despite its initial reputation as a troll den, WVC has acted as a kind of neutral ground and vox populi for the active fanbase and anti-fanbase. (The last nominally-active EA fansite to date, She Fights Like a Girl, is actually an offshoot of WVC: one of the old admins created it as a database to answer “frequently asked questions” about EA.)
Wayward Victorian Confessions has now outlived every other EA platform, official and unofficial. Were it not for the continued existence of the “troll den”, what little fan community survives in 2024 would be non-existent, plain and simple. To quote from late 20th century Canadian philosophy: isn't it ironic?

I feel like [WVC] is the only place I feel any of that old Asylum community kind of feeling I felt before EA got so focused on the book. It sucks that it’s so full of unhappiness, and I wish she hadn’t poisoned the sanctuary she claimed to have built. It’s just kind of fallen apart, like a crumbling building. (🐀 2016)

CONTINUED IN COMMENTS

Megapost: A list of statements, press releases, and other sources reporting and expressing concern and criticism about Israel's war in Gaza and related aspects of the war. (Part 3)

Notes: This is a work that is currently in progress; please check back for updates. Titles have been edited to provide details.
Part 1 is here: https://www.reddit.com/Social_Democracy/comments/1clx1uc/megapost_a_list_of_statements_press_releases_and/
Part 2 is here: https://www.reddit.com/Social_Democracy/comments/1cmjhpk/megapost_a_list_of_statements_press_releases_and/
Part 4 is here: https://www.reddit.com/Social_Democracy/comments/1crvrde/megapost_a_list_of_statements_press_releases_and/
Ayanna Pressley, Interfaith Coalition Hold Vigil for Lives Lost in Gaza and Israel, Renew Calls for Ceasefire ["Joining Rep. Pressley at the vigil was Rev. Carrie Ballenger, University Lutheran and Lutheran Chaplain at Harvard; Rabbi Rebecca Hornstein, Boston Workers Circle Executive Director; Imam Ahmad Barry of the Islamic Institute of Boston; Reverend Darrell Hamilton of the First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain; Hadar Ahuvia, Rabbinical Student at Hebrew College; Rev. Willie Bodrick, II of the Twelfth Baptist Church; Rabbi Becky Silverstein; Rev. Otto Concannon of First Parish Malden; Rev. Elizabeth Carrier-Ladd, First Parish Dorchester; and hundreds of faith leaders and community members from across Greater Boston."] (January 25, 2024): https://pressley.house.gov/2024/01/25/pressley-interfaith-coalition-hold-vigil-for-lives-lost-in-gaza-and-israel-renew-calls-for-ceasefire/
Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EuroMed Rights): A conditional ceasefire is not sufficient – The EU must call for an unconditional, immediate and permanent ceasefire (January 25, 2024): https://euromedrights.org/publication/a-conditional-ceasefire-is-not-sufficient-the-eu-must-call-for-an-unconditional-immediate-and-permanent-ceasefire/
Communications Workers of America Executive Board Statement on the War in Gaza (January 26, 2024): https://cwa-union.org/news/releases/communications-workers-america-executive-board-statement-war-gaza
Bernie Sanders: The US must act to end the Gaza disaster (January 27, 2024): https://www.sanders.senate.gov/op-eds/the-us-must-act-to-end-the-gaza-disaste
Black Pastors Pressure Biden to Call for a Cease-Fire in Gaza: Black congregants’ dismay at President Biden’s posture on the war could imperil his re-election bid. (January 28, 2024): https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/28/us/politics/black-pastors-biden-gaza-israel.html
Right-wing Israeli ministers join thousands at event calling for the resettlement of Gaza: Several ministers within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government were among conference attendees, with two delivering keynote speeches. (January 28, 2024): https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/right-wing-israeli-ministers-join-thousands-event-calling-countrys-res-rcna135863
Israel and Russia Have No Place in the 2024 Paris Olympics: The International Olympic Committee has declined to curtail Israel’s involvement in the 2024 games and has placed half-hearted limits on Russia. The IOC claims it opposes the politicization of sport — but the Olympics are a historically political institution. (January 29, 2024): https://jacobin.com/2024/01/israel-russia-war-invastion-olympics
Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: “Gaza is a massive human rights crisis and a humanitarian disaster” (January 30, 2024): https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2024/01/gaza-massive-human-rights-crisis-and-humanitarian-disaster
Texas AFL-CIO becomes first state labor federation to call for ceasefire in Gaza (January 30, 2024): https://www.tpr.org/government-politics/2024-01-30/texas-afl-cio-becomes-first-state-labor-federation-to-call-for-ceasefire-in-gaza
Former U.S. Representative Andy Levin: Military action won’t solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It’s time for diplomacy. (February 1, 2024): https://www.stripes.com/opinion/2024-02-01/military-diplomacy-israel-palestinian-conflict-12863912.html
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and Anglican Church of Canada: Church leaders urge Canadian government to support ICJ ruling (February 2, 2024): https://www.anglicanlutheran.ca/statements/church-leaders-urge-canadian-government-to-support-icj-ruling/
US city councils increasingly call for Israel-Gaza ceasefire, analysis shows (February 2, 2024): https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-city-councils-increasingly-call-israel-gaza-ceasefire-analysis-shows-2024-01-31/
Sister Nabila's appeal from Gaza: ‘We want peace, respect for human rights’ (February 3, 2024): https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2024-02/sister-nabila-gaza-holy-family-parish-appeal-peace.html
CNN staff say network’s pro-Israel slant amounts to ‘journalistic malpractice’: Insiders say pressure from the top results in credulous reporting of Israeli claims and silencing of Palestinian perspectives (February 4, 2024): https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/feb/04/cnn-staff-pro-israel-bias
Young Taiwanese go against the tide to amplify Palestinian voices (February 4, 2024): https://www.arabnews.com/node/2453726/world
Bosnian genocide researcher warns Israel repeating ‘same patterns’ in Gaza war: ‘We are seeing a genocide unfold before our very eyes,’ says genocide researcher and war survivor Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura (February 6, 2023): https://www.aa.com.ten/europe/bosnian-genocide-researcher-warns-israel-repeating-same-patterns-in-gaza-wa3129741
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO): Statement on the Situation in Israel and Gaza (February 8, 2024): https://aflcio.org/press/releases/afl-cio-statement-situation-israel-and-gaza
Green Left: Rojava revolutionary leader Salih Muslim warns escalation could lead to World War III [Salih Muslim "declared his support for the Palestinian people and condemned the genocide they were being subjected to in Gaza by Israel under Benjamin Netanyahu's regime."] (February 8, 2023): https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/rojava-revolutionary-leader-warns-escalation-could-lead-world-war-iii
Human Rights Watch: How to End America’s Hypocrisy on Gaza: The Biden Administration Must Assess Israel’s Conduct—and Hold It to Account (February 8, 2024): https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/02/08/how-end-americas-hypocrisy-gaza
Carter Center Calls on Israel to Halt its Plan to Force 1.3 Million Palestinians Out of Rafah (February 9, 2024): https://www.cartercenter.org/news/p2024/israel-020924.html
International Rescue Committee: The collapse of Gaza’s health system (February 9, 2024; Last updated: May 6, 2024): https://www.rescue.org/article/collapse-gazas-health-system
J Street’s Pro-War Stance Prompts Staff Departures (February 9, 2024): https://jewishcurrents.org/j-streets-pro-war-stance-prompts-staff-departures
Bishop William Barber on the “Moral Case for a Ceasefire” in Gaza (February 12, 2024): https://www.democracynow.org/2024/2/12/rev_william_barber_gaza
CHURCHES FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE (CMEP) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOINS 22 CHURCH-BASED DENOMINATIONAL LEADERS IN A LETTER TO PRESIDENT BIDEN [Signed by: Joyce Ajlouny, General Secretary, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC); Rev. Eddy Alemán, General Secretary, Reformed Church in America; Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Ecumenical Director and Diocesan Legate Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern); The Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, President, Unitarian Universalist Association; Rev. Bronwen Boswell, Acting Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A); Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, Executive Director, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP); Rev. Emmett L. Dunn, Executive Secretary-TreasureCEO, Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention; Ann Graber Hershberger, Executive Director, Mennonite Central Committee U.S.; John Hill, Interim General Secretary, The United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society; Sr. Teresa Hougnon, M.M., President, Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic; Rev. Dr. Gina Jacobs-Strain, General Secretary, American Baptist Churches USA; Bridget Moix, General Secretary, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL); Rev. Teresa Hord Owens, General Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada; The Rev. Dr. David Peoples, President, Progressive National Baptist Convention Inc.; Elvira Ramirez, Interim Executive Director, Maryknoll Lay Missioners; Richard Santos, President and CEO, Church World Service (CWS); Andrea Smith, Founder and Board Member, Evangelicals4Justice (E4J); Rev. David Steele, General Secretary, Church of the Brethren; Nikki Toyama-Szeto, Executive Director, Christians for Social Action (CSA); Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, General Minister and President, United Church of Christ (UCC); Stephen M. Veazey, President, Community of Christ; Archpriest Thomas Zain, Vicar-General, Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America; Reverend Elijah R. Zehyoue, Ph.D., Co-Director, Alliance of Baptists] (February 13, 2024): https://cmep.salsalabs.org/pr-feb152024
Senator Peter Welch: I cannot, in good conscience, support sending billions of additional American taxpayer dollars for Prime Minister Netanyahu’s military campaign in Gaza (February 13, 2024): https://www.welch.senate.gov/welch-i-cannot-in-good-conscience-support-sending-billions-of-additional-american-taxpayer-dollars-for-prime-minister-netanyahus-military-campaign-in-gaza/
Bishops of the Church in Wales support call for Gaza ceasefire and release of hostages (February 14, 2024): https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/news-and-events/bishops-endorse-call-for-gaza-ceasefire-and-release-of-hostages/
‘Lead or Lose!’ Young People Arrested at Biden’s Campaign Headquarters Call for Climate Action and a Ceasefire: The youth-led Sunrise Movement warns Biden that he’ll lose the votes of the young people he needs to win the presidency without decisive action on global warming and Gaza. (February 14, 2024): https://insideclimatenews.org/news/14022024/young-people-arrested-at-biden-campaign-headquarters-call-for-climate-action-and-ceasefire/
The Council of Bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church Calls for Immediate Withdrawal of Financial Support from Israel (February 14, 2024): https://mailchi.mp/6640b1d7ce56/council-of-bishops-calls-for-immediate-withdrawal-of-financial-support-from-israel
Unitarian Universalist Association: UUA Condemns Violence Against Gaza, Urges Immediate and Total Ceasefire (February 14, 2024): https://www.uua.org/pressroom/press-releases/uua-condemns-violence-urges-ceasefire
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and Anglican Church of Canada: Call for a day of prayer and fasting for Israel/Gaza and Ukraine (February 16, 2024): https://www.anglicanlutheran.ca/statements/call-for-a-day-of-prayer-and-fasting-for-israel-gaza-and-ukraine/
Mandate Trade Union donates €5,000 to UNRWA (February 16, 2024): https://mandate.ie/2024/02/mandate-donate-e5000-to-unrwa/
New national labor network formed to “end the death and devastation” in the Israel-Hamas war. National Labor Network for Ceasefire aims to further expand unprecedented ceasefire support. (February 16, 2024): https://www.laborforceasefire.org/new-national-labor-network-formed-to-end-the-death-and-devastation-in-the-israel-hamas-wa
Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association: A letter from the UUMA Board of Trustees (February 19, 2024): https://uuma.org/latest-news/a-letter-from-the-uuma-board-of-trustees/
Open Letter: Humanity & Inclusion and 61 other non-governmental organisations urge MPs to support the motion for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza [Signed by: Action Against Hunger; Action For Humanity; ActionAid UK; Age International; Amnesty International UK; Amos Trust; Bond; Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu); CAFOD; CARE International UK; Christian Aid; Climate Action Network UK (CAN-UK); Convivencia Alliance; Development Initiatives; Elrha; Embrace the Middle East; European Centre for the Responsibility to Protect; Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS); Greenpeace UK; Humanity & Inclusion UK; Inminds Human Rights Group; International Alert; International Health Partners (IHP); International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF); International Rescue Committee UK; Islamic Relief UK; Jewish Network for Palestine; Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights; Mercy Corps; Mines Advisory Group (MAG); Minority Rights Group; Muslim Aid; Muslim Community Helpline; Muslim Hands; Na’amod; Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC); Omega Research Foundation; Oxfam GB; Peace Direct; Peacemaker Trust; Penny Appeal; Plan International UK; Protection Approaches; Quakers in Britain; Resistance Kitchen; Sabeel-Kairos UK; Saferworld; Save the Children UK; Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF); Scotland’s International Development Alliance; Stamp Out Poverty; Tearfund; Trócaire; The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK); UK-Palestine Mental Health Network; United Nations Association - UK (UNA-UK); War Child; War on Want; Welfare Association; Womankind Worldwide; Women for Women International; Women’s Platform] (February 20, 2024): https://www.humanity-inclusion.org.uk/en/open-letter-hi-and-61-other-ngos-urge-mps-to-support-the-motion-for-an-immediate-and-permanent-ceasefire-in-Gaza
Presbyterian Church USA: Calling for a stop to the destruction of Gaza (February 20, 2024): https://www.pcusa.org/news/2024/2/20/calling-for-a-stop-to-the-destruction-of-gaza/
Stand Against Genocide and Imperialism, from Palestine to Ukraine: Statement of the Ukraine Solidarity Network on the Second Anniversary of Russia’s Full-scale Invasion of Ukraine (February 20, 2024): https://newpol.org/stand-against-genocide-and-imperialism-from-palestine-to-ukraine/
National Priorities Project: United We Dream and Allies Demand Permanent Ceasefire and Immigrant Protections (February 21, 2024): https://www.nationalpriorities.org/blog/2024/02/21/united-we-dream-and-allies-demand-permanent-ceasefire-and-immigrant-protections/
The Animation Guild / IATSE Local 839: In the struggle for human rights and the protection of innocent lives, The Animation Guild stands for justice across the globe, and officially calls for a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine. (February 21, 2024): https://twitter.com/animationguild/status/1760448111611097419
‘We will not be complicit in this’: Hill staffers challenge their bosses on Gaza (February 21, 2024): https://rollcall.com/2024/02/21/we-will-not-be-complicit-in-this-hill-staffers-challenge-their-bosses-on-gaza/
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference's Office for Social Justice: End the Violence in Gaza (February 23, 2024): https://socialjustice.catholic.org.au/2024/02/23/end-the-violence-in-gaza/
Beto O’Rourke supports uncommitted campaign in Michigan’s Tuesday presidential primary (February 24, 2024): https://michiganadvance.com/2024/02/24/beto-orourke-supports-uncommitted-campaign-in-michigans-tuesday-presidential-primary/
Hindus for Human Rights: Indians For Palestine: A Call to Action for Peace (February 26, 2024): https://www.hindusforhumanrights.org/en/blog/indians-for-palestine-a-public-meeting-on-the-icj-ruling-for-palestine
‘Stop the massacre’: Hong Kong activists call for ceasefires in Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Hamas wars: Demonstrators read out a statement calling for Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukraine, and for Israel to order a ceasefire and end its blockade of Gaza. (February 26, 2024): https://hongkongfp.com/2024/02/26/stop-the-massacre-hong-kong-activists-call-for-ceasefires-in-russia-ukraine-israel-hamas-wars/
Waiting for ‘pro-life’ legislators in Kansas to call for a ceasefire in Gaza (February 26, 2024): https://kansasreflector.com/2024/02/26/waiting-for-pro-life-legislators-in-kansas-to-call-for-a-ceasefire-in-gaza/
67 Vermont lawmakers sign letter calling for Gaza cease-fire (February 27, 2024): https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2024-02-27/65-vermont-lawmakers-sign-letter-calling-for-gaza-cease-fire & https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/05/b8/3d1901af417499640d96288a716a/final-draft-of-letter.pdf
Liberal Jews for Justice in Israel/Palestine: As British Jews, we call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza (February 27, 2024): https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/27/as-british-jews-we-call-for-an-immediate-ceasefire-in-gaza
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&Ds): Palestinian lives matter! We call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza (February 27, 2024): https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/newsroom/sds-palestinian-lives-matter-we-call-immediate-and-unconditional-ceasefire-gaza
IBEW Local 48: Resolution Against the War in Gaza (February 28, 2024): https://www.ibew48.com/sites/default/files/files/gaza_resolution.pdf
It is time for US Catholics to take significant risks for Gaza (February 29, 2024): https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/guest-voices/it-time-us-catholics-take-significant-risks-gaza
Japanese student urges Gaza cease-fire as U.S. universities quiet dissent (February 29, 2024): https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/02/0db05a4f79ab-japan-student-urges-gaza-ceasefire-as-us-universities-quiet-dissent.html
Malala Yousafzai: "It's heartbreaking that this school — a place for children in Gaza to learn and dream — is now home to thousands of people fleeing Israel's attacks. Every Palestinian child deserves to live in peace and be back in their schools as students. We cannot wait another day for a ceasefire." (February 29, 2024): https://twitter.com/Malala/status/1763265614985003421
Senator Jeff Merkley: U.S. “Complicit in Starvation and Humanitarian Catastrophe” in Gaza (February 29, 2024): https://www.democracynow.org/2024/2/29/jeff_merkley_gaza_ceasefire
Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights Calls for Immediate Ceasefire to Safeguard Children in Gaza (February 29, 2024): https://www.theyoungcenter.org/stories/2024/2/29/young-center-for-immigrant-childrens-rights-calls-for-immediate-ceasefire-to-safeguard-children-in-gaza
A Statement from Jewish Americans Opposing AIPAC’s Intervention in Democratic Party Politics (March 2024): https://usjewsopposingaipac.org
European Trade Union Confederation: Grave and worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza calls for more urgent EU response (March 2, 2024): https://www.etuc.org/en/node/24119
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Conference of Bishops calls for permanent bilateral cease-fire in Gaza (March 3, 2024): https://www.elca.org/News-and-Events/8217
Israel/Palestine Conflict: Over 100 Americans in Taiwan Send Letter to American Institute in Taiwan: Urgent Appeal for Ceasefire and End to Occupation in Palestine (May 3, 2024): https://newbloommag.net/2024/05/03/ait-gaza-lette
Die Linke (The Left party) MP Nicole Gohlke: Germany Should Be Supporting a Cease-Fire, Not Israel’s War (March 4, 2024): https://jacobin.com/2024/03/germany-die-linke-cease-fire-gaza
Some Black and Latino voters to back Democratic candidates who want a permanent cease-fire in Gaza: They say their solidarity with Palestinians reflects the struggles they experience every day. (March 4, 2023): https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/black-latino-voters-back-democratic-candidates-want-permanent-cease-fi-rcna141241
Brazilian Trade Union Confederation (Central Única dos Trabalhadores; CUT) demands an end to Brazil's military cooperation with Israel (March 5, 2024): https://www.workersinpalestine.org/news/brazilian-trade-union-confederation-demands
Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference: ‘Let us all say: enough … Stop the War!’ (March 5, 2024): https://www.catholicbishops.ie/2024/03/05/let-us-all-say-enough-stop-the-war-irish-bishops/
Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem: Gaza ceasefire more urgent than ever (March 5, 2024): https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2024-03/patriarch-pizzaballa-gaza-ceasefire-christians-church-peace.html
PREPARED REMARKS: Senator Bernie Sanders Calls Out the Absurdity and Hypocrisy of Continued U.S. Support for Netanyahu’s Horrific War (March 6, 2024): https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/prepared-remarks-bernie-sanders-calls-out-the-absurdity-and-hypocrisy-of-continued-u-s-support-for-netanyahus-horrific-wa
‘We can no longer be silent’: New York’s Latino faith leaders call for cease-fire in Gaza (March 6, 2024): https://religionnews.com/2024/03/06/we-can-no-longer-be-silent-new-yorks-latino-faith-leaders-call-for-cease-fire-in-gaza/
Democratic former senator Patrick Leahy warns US is violating aid conditions law known as the Leahy Law by sending money to Israel (March 7, 2024): https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/patrick-leahy-israel-gaza-aid-b2509035.html
Protesters outside American Institute in Taiwan say US aiding genocide in Gaza (March 7, 2024): https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/5109362
Artists Call for Ceasefire Now [Including: Bryan Adams; Ben Affleck; Eric André; Christine Baranski; Jon Batiste; Cate Blanchett; Billy Bragg; Priyanka Chopra; Bradley Cooper; Brian Cox; David Cross; Alfonso Cuarón; John Cusack; Rosario Dawson; Diplo; Drake; Brian Eno; Francesca Fiorentini; Judah Friedlander; Liz Garbus; Andrew Garfield; Richard Gere; Lily Gladstone; Selena Gomez; Amanda Gorman; Tom Hardy; Simon Helberg; Oscar Isaac; Tony Kushner; Padma Lakshmi; Cindi Leive; Simu Liu; Jennifer Lopez; Macklemore; Zayn Malik; Miriam Margolyes; Ewan McGregor; Adam McKay; Alyssa Milano; Hasan Minhaj; Michael Moore; Viggo Mortensen; Ebon Moss-Bachrach; Cynthia Nixon; Frank Ocean; Rosie O'Donnell; Sandra Oh; David Oyelowo; Mandy Patinkin; Jordan Peele; Kal Penn; Joaquin Phoenix; Boots Riley; Mark Ruffalo; Susan Sarandon; Jean Smart; Noam Shuster-Eliassi; Jon Stewart; Kristen Stewart; Jeremy Strong; Wanda Sykes; Channing Tatum; Michelle Wolf; et al.] (Updated as of March 8, 2024): https://www.artists4ceasefire.org
T'ruah, the Rabbinic Call for Human Rights: U.S. Rabbis and Cantors Call on President Biden to End War in Gaza [+450 signatures] (March 8, 2024): https://truah.org/press/north-american-rabbis-and-cantors-call-on-president-biden-to-push-for-end-of-war-in-gaza/
Middle East Studies Association Board Joint Statement with Committee on Academic Freedom regarding the ongoing genocidal violence against the Palestinian people and their cultural heritage in Gaza (March 11, 2024): https://mesana.org/advocacy/letters-from-the-board/2024/03/11/mesa-board-joint-statement-with-caf-regarding-the-ongoing-genocidal-violence-against-the-palestinian-people-and-their-cultural-heritage-in-gaza
Writers Guild of America members criticize union for silence on Gaza: Some WGA members signed on to an anonymous letter criticizing the union for its silence on Israel’s genocide in Gaza (March 11, 2024): https://prismreports.org/2024/03/11/wga-members-criticize-union-silence-gaza/
Amnesty International: NGOs sue the Danish state to stop arms exports to Israel ["The organisations involved in the lawsuit are Amnesty International Denmark, Oxfam Denmark, Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke (Action Aid Denmark) and the Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq are suing the Danish National Police and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to stop Danish arms exports to Israel."] (March 12, 2024): https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/03/denmark-ngos-sue-the-danish-state-to-stop-arms-exports-to-israel/
Gaza medics tell BBC that Israeli troops beat and humiliated them after hospital raid (March 12, 2024): https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68513408
Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EuroMed Rights): Annihilation of education: 100 European academics sign Euro-Med Monitor petition against systematic Israeli destruction of Gaza Strip’s educational system (March 12, 2024): https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/6220/Annihilation-of-education:-100-European-academics-sign-Euro-Med-Monitor-petition-against-systematic-Israeli-destruction-of-Gaza-Strip’s-educational-system
NEWS: Senators Bernie Sanders, Chris Van Hollen, Jeff Merkley, Mazie Hirono, Peter Welch, Tina Smith, Elizabeth Warren, and Ben Ray Luján Urge President Biden to Enforce U.S. Law with Netanyahu (March 12, 2024): https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-van-hollen-merkley-and-five-colleagues-urge-president-biden-to-enforce-u-s-law-with-netanyahu/
Rabbis for Palestinian Rights Counter 'Warmongering' AIPAC in DC: "We refuse to be bystanders as the Israeli government wages a genocidal campaign in our name," one rabbi said. (March 13, 2024): https://www.commondreams.org/news/rabbis-dc-lobby-aipac
United Methodist Church Council of Bishops calling for ceasefire in Gaza (March 13, 2024): https://www.unitedmethodistbishops.org/newsdetail/united-methodist-bishops-call-for-ceasefire-in-gaza-18303396
Vermont progressive Senator Peter Welch warns Biden Israel-Gaza will be election issue: ‘Young people are just horrified’ (March 14, 2024): https://www.welch.senate.gov/vermont-progressive-senator-warns-biden-israel-gaza-will-be-election-issue-young-people-are-just-horrified/
Anita Nikaj: Voices in Solidarity with Palestine from Prishtina, Kosovo (March 15, 2024): https://kosovotwopointzero.com/en/voices-in-solidarity-with-palestine-from-prishtina/
Great Irish Famine historians issue St. Patrick's Day statement on Gaza: A group of historians is urging Irish Americans to use their influence to avert a Famine in Gaza as severe as the one faced by their Irish ancestors. (March 15, 2024): https://www.irishcentral.com/opinion/others/irish-american-famine-gaza
Thirteen Town Meetings in Vermont Call for Ceasefire in Gaza, No More Weapons to Israel (March 16, 2024): https://www.rakevt.org/2024/03/16/thirteen-town-meetings-call-for-ceasefire-in-gaza-no-more-weapons-to-israel/
International Labour Organization: Palestinian unemployment rate set to soar to 57 per cent during first quarter of 2024 (March 18, 2024): https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/palestinian-unemployment-rate-set-soar-57-cent-during-first-quarter-2024
Israeli Assurances to Use US Arms Legally Are Not Credible: Oxfam and Human Rights Watch provide evidence of Israel's violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza, undermining credibility of assurances for President Biden's NSM-20 arms policy (March 19, 2024): https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/03/19/israeli-assurances-use-us-arms-legally-are-not-credible
Irish National Teachers' Organisation statement on Palestine – critical action vital to prevent famine (March 20, 2024): https://www.into.ie/2024/03/20/into-statement-on-palestine-critical-action-vital-to-prevent-famine/
Right-wing media have spent months disparaging liberal and anti-Zionist Jews to undercut support for Palestinians: Trump channeled and echoed a long-running trend in conservative media when he said Jews who vote for Democrats “hate” their religion (March 20, 2024): https://www.mediamatters.org/middle-east/right-wing-media-have-spent-months-disparaging-liberal-and-anti-zionist-jews-undercut
Humanists UK: Call for ceasefire in Gaza (March 21, 2024): https://humanists.uk/2024/03/21/call-for-ceasefire-in-gaza/
Gaza Strip in maps: How life has changed (March 22, 2024): https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-20415675
Association of Legal Aid Attorneys: CONGRESSIONAL SUBPOENA OVER PRO-PALESTINIAN SPEECH VIOLATES FREE SPEECH, ALLEGES ATTORNEYS' AND LEGAL WORKERS' UNION IN ITS RESPONSE (March 25, 2024): https://www.alaa.org/media-releases/congressional-subpoena-over-pro-palestinian-speech-violates-free-speech-alleges-attorneys-and-legal-workers-union-in-its-response
Franciscan Action Network: 12 Christian leaders arrested in Senate calling for ceasefire in Gaza ["The endorsing organizations include Christians for a Free Palestine; Churches for Middle East Peace; Church of the Brethren, Office of Peacebuilding and Policy; Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces; Dorothy Day Catholic Worker; Fellowship of Reconciliation; Festival Center; Franciscan Action Network; Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA); Georgetown University Medical Students for Palestine, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns; National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd; National Council of Churches, USA; Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace; Pax Christi USA; Quixote Center; Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Justice Team; Sojourners; United Church of Christ; The United Methodist Church — General Board of Church and Society; US Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph; and the Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics, and Ritual (WATER)."] (March 25, 2024): https://franciscanaction.org/12-christian-leaders-arrested-in-senate-calling-for-ceasefire-in-gaza/
NEWS: Bernie Sanders on State Department’s Statement that Israel Has Not Restricted Humanitarian Aid to Gaza (March 25, 2024): https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-on-state-departments-statement-that-israel-has-not-restricted-humanitarian-aid-to-gaza/
Russian actions in Ukraine to pave way for Gaza war crimes case in ICC: Lawyer leading investigation draws parallels between crises facing Ukrainians and Palestinians (March 25, 2024): https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/europe/2024/03/25/russian-actions-in-ukraine-to-pave-way-for-gaza-war-crimes-case-in-icc/
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights: A/HRC/55/73: Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 - Advance unedited version ["After five months of military operations, Israel has destroyed Gaza. Over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 13,000 children. Over 12,000 are presumed dead and 71,000 injured, many with life-changing mutilations. Seventy percent of residential areas have been destroyed. Eighty percent of the whole population has been forcibly displaced. Thousands of families have lost loved ones or have been wiped out. Many could not bury and mourn their relatives, forced instead to leave their bodies decomposing in homes, in the street or under the rubble. Thousands have been detained and systematically subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment. The incalculable collective trauma will be experienced for generations to come. By analysing the patterns of violence and Israel’s policies in its onslaught on Gaza, this report concludes that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold indicating Israel’s commission of genocide is met. One of the key findings is that Israel's executive and military leadership and soldiers have intentionally distorted jus in bello principles, subverting their protective functions, in an attempt to legitimize genocidal violence against the Palestinian people."] (March 25, 2024): https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/country-reports/ahrc5573-report-special-rapporteur-situation-human-rights-palestinian
In New Letter, 140+ Global Christian Leaders Call for Permanent Gaza Ceasefire, Halt of Arms Sales to Israel (March 26, 2024): https://cmep.salsalabs.org/ps-mar262024letter
Over 1,000 People Join 22-Mile Interfaith Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage (March 26, 2024): https://oaklandvoices.us/2024/03/26/over-1000-people-join-22-mile-interfaith-gaza-ceasefire-pilgrimage/
Former State Department official Annelle Sheline: Why I’m resigning from the State Department (March 28, 2024): https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/27/opinions/gaza-israel-resigning-state-department-sheline/index.html
I Could Not Stay Silent: Annelle Sheline Resigns from State Dept. over U.S. Gaza Policy (March 28, 2024): https://www.democracynow.org/2024/3/28/annelle_sheline
‘We cannot be silent’: A statement from the Jesuits on Gaza (March 28, 2024): https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2024/03/28/jesuits-gaza-israel-ceasefire-247605
'I kept on saying goodbye': Gaza hospital reports rise in stillbirths and neonatal deaths: Doctors in Gaza are reporting an increase in adverse pregnancy outcomes, with staff members at a Rafah hospital saying they no longer see "normal-sized babies." (April 2, 2024): https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/gaza-hospital-stillbirths-neonatal-deaths-rcna145582
Rosa Luxemburg Foundation: The Unprecedented Destruction of Gaza Demands an Unprecedented Response (April 2, 2024): https://rosalux.nyc/the-unprecedented-destruction-of-gaza-demands-an-unprecedented-response/
'Unprecedented In Modern History': U.S. Aid Experts Warn Gaza Likely Already Experiencing Famine: The officials made the comments in a government cable sent within the Biden administration on Tuesday and obtained by HuffPost. (April 2, 2024): https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gaza-collapse-famine_n_660c96aae4b0328a72be47f5
A Former State Department Staffer on Why She Publicly Resigned Over Gaza: “There are people working very hard inside State to try to hold Israel accountable, but none of that will actually go into effect unless Biden wants it to,” says Annelle Sheline. (April 3, 2024): https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/04/former-state-department-official-regisns-joe-biden-gaza-israel-palestine-annelle-sheline/
The Independent: It’s time to stop: Editorial: The seven aid workers killed by an Israeli air strike have become symbolic of the lawless, reckless manner in which Benjamin Netanyahu has prosecuted this war. The moment has come to do whatever it takes to force the government of Israel to end it (April 3, 2024): https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/editorials/aid-workers-gaza-israel-killed-air-strike-b2522745.html
UK Judges’ and Lawyers’ Open Letter Concerning Gaza [1000+ signatures] (April 3, 2024): https://lawyersletter.uk
Former officials speak out against Biden’s Israel support after aid worker killings: ‘No one can change his mind’ (April 4, 2024): https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/joe-biden-israel-arms-gaza-b2523435.html
Trócaire: The people of Gaza are Starving; for Food and for Justice (April 4, 2024): https://www.trocaire.org/news/the-people-of-gaza-are-starving-for-food-and-for-justice/
Elizabeth Warren says she believes Israel’s war in Gaza will legally be considered a genocide: “If you want to do it as an application of law, I believe that they’ll find that it is genocide, and they have ample evidence to do so,” Warren said of the case before the ICJ. (April 8, 2024): https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/08/israel-gaza-war-elizabeth-warren-00151120
Letter to the Editor: Don’t downplay the realities in Gaza (April 8, 2024): https://baptistnews.com/article/letter-to-the-editor-dont-downplay-the-realities-in-gaza/
DENMARK: ‘Many are eager to see tangible action to address the situation in Gaza’ ["CIVICUS speaks with Vibe Klarup, Secretary General of Amnesty International Denmark, about the joint civil society lawsuit brought against the Danish state to stop Danish arms exports to Israel."] (April 9, 2024): https://www.civicus.org/index.php/media-resources/news/interviews/6954-denmark-many-are-eager-to-see-tangible-action-to-address-the-situation-in-gaza
Labour Party of Ireland Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Words on Gaza must be matched with action (April 9, 2024): https://labour.ie/news/2024/04/09/words-on-gaza-must-be-matched-with-action/
Ex-Obama aides become Biden critics on Gaza (April 10, 2024): https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4583525-obama-allies-expose-dem-rift-over-bidens-israel-hamas-war-strategy/
Israeli strikes killed 7 humanitarian workers with World Central Kitchen. Right-wing media responded by attacking founder José Andrés. Conservative media figures have accused the WCK founder of “blood libel” and called him “self-aggrandizing,” a "swamp favorite,” and a “political radical” (April 10, 2024): https://www.mediamatters.org/middle-east/israeli-strikes-killed-7-humanitarian-workers-world-central-kitchen-right-wing-media
Los Angeles County Federation of Labor joins labor groups calling for cease-fire in Gaza (April 10, 2024): https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-04-10/l-a-county-fed-joins-labor-groups-calling-for-a-ceasefire
Young European Socialists (YES) calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. More than 30.000 civilians have been killed in Gaza following Israel military actions. We recall that the protection of civilian lives is a fundamental principle of international law. (April 10, 2024): https://twitter.com/YESocialists/status/1777993174654275791
Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EuroMed Rights): 13,000 Palestinians reportedly missing in the Gaza Strip (April 11, 2024): https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/6264/13,000-Palestinians-reportedly-missing-in-the-Gaza-Strip
Feroze Sidhwa and Mark Perlmutter: As Surgeons, We Have Never Seen Cruelty Like Israel’s Genocide in Gaza: We urge anyone who reads this to publicly oppose sending weapons to Israel as long as this onslaught continues. (April 11, 2024): https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/surgeons-cruelty-israel-gaza
Former State Department official Annelle Sheline explains resignation over US support of Israel (April 11, 2024): https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/former-state-department-official-explains-resignation-us-support/story?id=109083137
Democratic Coalition Sends Biden a Demand on Military Aid to Israel: In a letter, a dozen groups and labor unions called on the president to enforce a law that bars military support from going to any nation that restricts the delivery of humanitarian aid. (April 12, 2024): https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/12/us/politics/letter-biden-israel-gaza.html
Meeting between Norwegian Prime Minister Støre and Spanish President Sánchez on the war in Gaza (April 12, 2024): https://www.regjeringen.no/en/aktuelt/meeting-between-prime-minister-store-and-president-sanchez-on-the-war-in-gaza/id3033979/
Senator Bernie Sanders Statement on the Escalation in the Middle East (April 15, 2024): https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-statement-on-the-escalation-in-the-middle-east/
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland: Prayers and statements on violence in Israel and Gaza (April 16, 2024): https://ctbi.org.uk/prayers-and-statements-on-violence-in-israel-and-gaza/
Amos Goldberg, professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem: Yes, it is genocide (April 18, 2024): https://thepalestineproject.medium.com/yes-it-is-genocide-634a07ea27d4
Georgetown University Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine hold second vigil for Gazan academics killed by Israel (April 18, 2024): https://georgetownvoice.com/2024/04/18/faculty-hold-second-vigil-for-gazan-academics-killed-by-israel/
New Hampshire Jews say “Not in My Name” [67 signatures] (April 20, 2024): https://www.nhgazette.com/2024/04/20/n-h-jews-say-not-in-my-name/
Statement from U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Joaquin Castro, Nydia Velázquez, Lloyd Doggett, Ro Khanna, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Becca Balint, Greg Casar, Mark Takano, Jim McGovern, Barbara Lee, Earl Blumenauer, Judy Chu, Hank Johnson, André Carson, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Jesús “Chuy” García, Jonathan Jackson, and Jill Tokuda on the Israel Security Supplemental (April 20, 2024): https://jayapal.house.gov/2024/04/20/statement-from-jayapal-castro-velazquez-doggett-khanna-ocasio-cortez-balint-casar-takano-mcgovern-barbara-lee-blumenauer-chu-johnson-carson-watson-coleman-jesus-chuy/

Hey there, I'm Mark, 25M. Remember me?
Here's what I'm looking for: a best friend to share some interests with, hopefully to learn more and become a better person. Tell me about yourself a bit when you respond, and let's carry on from there.
Books: I like books! I find myself buying more than I'll ever read. "So many books, so little time"- Frank Zappa. I began my book enthusiasm, when I was a pre-teenager, by reading Tintin, Archie comics and short stories of Sherlock Holmes. Over the years I moved to techno thrillers (Michael Crichton) and fiction (Agatha Christie, Lee Child, Stephen King) to now where I'm engrossed in non-fiction (history, science). My current area of interests involve non-fiction accounts of espionage, spying and covert operations. I've begun to read a book about Soviet Union. Who knows where the tide of interests will go next.
Music: I like rock music. Queen. Pink Floyd. Led Zeppelin. Tom Petty. Eagles. Black Sabbath. Some non-rock artists whose selected tracks I like: Adele, Eminem, Lady Gaga. Compositions by John Williams are always a pleasure to listen to (Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Indiana Jones)
Niche topics: I am a devoted watcher of YouTube channels featuring content with regards to spaceflight, military food, weird and obscure science concepts, and interesting historical events. Furthermore, I'm a huge fan of Conan O'Brien (Team Coco forever!!), Johnny Carson and David Letterman. I'd love to talk about rockets, military food, weird incidents, catastrophes, physics, humour and much more! Seinfeld and Curb your Enthusiasm are my go-to shows!
I am recently on a reading streak of Perry Mason novels (completed 17 out of 85)!
Fun fact: I like to watch clips of Hell's kitchen, or Gordon Ramsay cooking while I'm having a meal (because I find it appetizing for some reason). Lately I've discovered a Youtube playlist where they describe making of food in big batches, which is awesome!
I'm looking forward to hear from you! Let's be best friends(?). If you have any questions (related to the above subject matter or otherwise), feel free to ask. I'd encourage you to ask some weird question at the first instance to lighten up the conversation 😂
I'm done typing this, and I'll be eagerly waiting for your response!!
P.S: There's a chance that I may be asleep or busy with something when you respond. Don't worry, I will respond to you, without fail.
This is a SFW friendship which I'm looking for.

I just found this on genius.com, it's only listed as additional comment but it's such a shame since this interpretation fits with the song and album:
I also believe this song pays homage to her Destiny’s Child era. When she was in her Destiny’s Child era, “no designers would dress 4 curvy, country girls” as she stated during her CFDA’s Fashion Icon Award speech in 2016. Her mother and ‘uncle Johnny’ (who she is referring to in act i, Renaissance) made their clothes.
Except for 1 brand: Levi’s. Destiny’s Child were famous for their low rise jeans, by Levi’s. I think she pays respect to them with this song.
She sings lyrics like: “And be nostalgia-like”, “Love it when you tease me in them jeans, girl, you don’t need designer”.
Just goes to show you can't take any song from CC at face value.

Charlie:
He has a clear story- and he is introduced to us immediately with an opening confessional that states his strategy, highlights his personality and gives us his background.
He has a consistancy theme of keeping his threat level low and managing his social game, and an overall being underestimated (wrongly) theme. In ep 1 he has a good episode, his storyline of playing the middle begins, as Jem and Moriah and Maria all underestimate him and bring him in to an alliance “Charlies angels” - that goes nowhere but is highlighted unnecessarily to boost him. They underestkmated him bc they brought him in due to jem and mo saying “i feel like charlie is more swayable”. Meanwhile Tim and Ben create a boys alliance with him bc tim is worried about the girls scheming. And he gets a great confessional about how he likes women and can work with them. But also he could go with the boys ans has options “oh boy, oh boy oh boy, oh girl?” Additionally, his relationship with ben “the dumb and dumber alliance” is mentioned and established. We also learn where he is from “manchester-by-the-sea” and that he lives in a bubble of predominantly white straight people and on survivor theres so much diversity and he wants to burst that bubble (which is a theme he is backed up by edit doing all season).
In ep 2. Charlie gets a MAJORLY POSITIVE scene. TSwift vs metallica is a scene about Charlie executing his strategy and connecting with Siga members and Ben. This scene was MASSIVE for him. It starts out with an awkward comment, then a charlie confessional along the lines of “im a dorky nerdy and awkward guy and i knew that coming out here i could struggle socially”. In this confessional he states “Ben is a musiv servant, and so i wanna use some of my own pop culture knowledge of TSwift to to try and connect with him and improve my social standing”. He then does the TSwift vs Metallica game, and the whole tribe essentially has confessionals in a positive way about it, moriah is shown loving this in particular, maria is into it. Jem is into it. Tim is into it, and Ben then says “charlie is an adorable goofball.. and raves on about how much he liked it, likes charlie, and wouldng wanna play with anyone else outside of this siga tribe on any other season”. Basically, Ben confirms that Charlies strategy here worked perfectly, and that charlie is in great social standing with Siga and especially him, and that builds on Ben and Charlies relationship. In this same episode, Charlie further breaks down sigas dynamics, tim and Ben - and him on one side, Charlies angels on the other, but if they lose 3 times hes 4th in the angels alliance, he wants his own alliance and partner out there, and noticed Maria is in a similar swing position, so he goes to maria and creates a duo alliance with her, mentioning how malcom and denise are his fav players and he thinks that they could be a malc/denise type duo, maria then has confessionals stating she loves the idea and it reminds HER of malc/denise, and we get a flashback to malc/denise (they only did this once before - for Dee/Austin in 45 with rob and amber). Then tehres a scene again highlighting that this duo can go either way on siga - with the angels or with the boys. And either way they will do whats best for them. And decide together.
Ep 2 was an excellent Charlie ep The edit also shows maria to be a great player and the perfect person for him to create a duo with too btw.
Ep 3 - is a much needed cooldown, but in this ep its the Bhanu/yanu disaster show and siga/Namk get thrown to the side - however we DO check in with Charlie, he further highlights his game position, and Ben making fire. Maria Tevin Soda ans Tim were all skunked with 0 confessionals this ep. But not Charlie!
Ep 4- siga idol hunt: i watched this siga scene over and over. Its good and bad but mostly good for Charlie - he correctly states that the group idol hunts are fake and guarantees us that “ i guarantee u that ANYONE else finds this idol, tehy are gonna keep it to themselves!” Whixh is EXACTLY what happened. He states he wants it to be his idol and outlines what hed do IF he found it. Could be bad he didnt but he never says “im gonna find it” he just states that he wants it and how hed play it and is shwon to be correct in his read as he described exactly how jem went about it. If he never finds an idol this season and wins - this could be a scene shown to us to highlight what his strategy woulda been surrounding the idols if he found one. Siga doesnt get too much content this ep, but we do get reassurances of Charlies position and duo with Maria, and also we get further Charlie and Ben development. Oh i forgot, Moriah Cannot Jump! This was narrated by CHARLIE! And he gives the breakdown and the strategy of helping mo explode and learn to jump, and is shown teaching her - whicb subtly continues to highlight him effectively bonding and socially playing well with siga (these camplife scenes in siga ALL relate to charlie too which is a massive positive for his winner chances). Contrast this with Jem sorta looking a little lowkey bad with the whole moriah jump thing “jem we are trying to be positive! Its getting better (while laughing) ” - charlie
Also in ep 4 is Jems idol trick - where she successfully tricks maria and Moriah. But Ben comments that maybe someone found it and is playing em. Yet Charlie is the one giving confessional being suss of the thing and says that too, then he makes a “this is suspicious” face tk the camera jim halpert style during them all digging - thats the edit sorta protecting him from being “fooled” by Jem. He also critiques marias idol play strategy
Episode 5: BREAKOUT EPISODE FOR SIGA AND CHARLIE/ben
Okay so Siga is finally gonna go to tribal - Charlie and Maria is re-assured as the swing vote position and decision makers, Ben and Charlie relationship is highlighted massively again, TSwift vs Metallica is referenced againin a seperate game too - again highlighting his social game and personal TSwift theme, Charlie has a scene helping Ben thru a tough time. Moriah Maria and Jem are wary of this Charlie/Ben relationship but never consider Charlie an option. Only consider Ben as a threat to steal away charlie from them and so target Ben. Jem Mo and Tim and Ben all think the have Charlie guaranteed number.. they underestimate his power and strategical thinking. Maria wants it to be Ben. Its made clear, its Ben, but Charlie is super clsoe with Ben, and likes ben, and also views ben as an asset and potential social shield. Its clear that maria/charlie are picking between jem/ben and theh want to be on the same page subtitled “this is the end for some but a new beginning for us” Maria says she wants jem and cant trust Ben/Tim. Charlie states why he wnats Jem out. Why it could be Ben, but ultimately he doesnt want it to be Ben, he convinces maria to do Jem (she never explains why or how). Awesoem episode for him jem over Ben helped his game tremendously and hurt marias numbers outside of him! Oh also theres a major camplife scene that is another CHARLIE FOCUSED SCENE. Salsa dancing - maria is the one who does the salsa lesson but Charlie is the one who narrates it as strategy, and also he gets the personal and character moments of the scene TOO! He gets to solo shake those hips, he has the funny bite, he narrated the whole thing and also got his strategy behind it! Maria didnt even comment on salsa. Like wow. This ep was awesome af for Charlie. Incredible episode for him.
Ep 6: mergatory: POS highlights charlie salsa scene yet again! Then gives charlie/maria credit for blindsiding Jem, goes out of its way to rehighlighy she had an idol too, narrated by charlie also. And that subtitled line “this is the end for some, but a new beginning for us”.
This ep Charlie gets a cooldown - strategically we hear his thoughts on Venus, siga gets outplayed big time but maria and Charlie are shielded and hidden from that - Tim and Ben and Moriah get all the focus for how siga is misplaying. Good ep to have few content imo. In addition we get Tim actively protecting Charlie (social game baby) and throws Mo under the bus, charlie states his strategy of being a goalie and on the defence since he is one of 6 people eligible to go home and Yanu has all the power, he also is called out to be the better option and bigger threat by Venus and literally nobody even considers him an option - speaks to his social game again. Critically hes the ONLY siga who gets a confessional stating that he needs to cut moriah in order for him to advance and so hes willing to do that and is fine with it. The edit supports his stray Venus vote but showing her gunning for him so we know why hes putting a stray on her to protect himself. Overall a lowkey but good mergatory episode for him tbh.
Ep 7: charlie has some funny character moments all episode with the camera looks, his devious smiles, Baltimore joke, tim shouting out his family. He is royally screwed (so he shoulda been) by the split. Its 4 nami maria whos immune and him. He has no adv or idol protection. Hes an obvious vote. He states that he wants to strategise and talk. But he keeps it lowkey bc he needs to play this well, and all the Namis state that they like him and hes loyal and they wanna keep him and make a move on eachotehr. I think him telling venus at the start of this ep he voted for her gave him this loyal and honest image that made Soda (especially her since she was copping heat) and Tevin REALLLY trust him. This whole episode he plays it very well - he allows maria to decide which way he and maria goes as hes in defence mode and shes safe, he also plays it off with Venus way better than Maria did imo. Somehow he escapes this without getting any votes at all. And gets no heat either. Adding to charlies underestimated theme - Tevin soda and Q all underestimate him this episode big time.
Ep 8: hide n seek- charlie is brought into this Q 6 alliance - but he gets awesome confessionals about his thoughts on the 6 (contrasted with us never hearing kenzies thoughts on this depsite her saying “ive heard about the 6”). We get his accurate read that the 6 is a horrible alliance. Whilst maria is gung ho, he thinks its a weak alliance that is going nowhere, correctly, He also states a tip for how in survivor get up early and make the strategical convos then bc that when people have them (a great winnery confessional) He quickly knows that Q is interviewing him for an alliance, so he wants that job bc Q is so polarising and he wants to be on Qs side due to the power Q is holding at this point. He has good content during hiden seek. In fact (due to him being the seeker i guess) he is one of the only people who Q doesnt reference to as making a big mistake. Interesting. In this episode charlie wants Tevin and or tiff, but prefers Tevin, maria really wants tiff gone bc she heard tiff threw out her name. Its good to point out that again Charlie and maria are deciding in the middle, and Charlie once again narrates it not maria. Also again this episode Tevin and Q underestimate charlie “he doesnt have that killer instinct to turn on us”. Meanwhile charlie has confessionals “am i what goes awry” and he votes out tevin. He also got his way over maria again here.
Episode 9: with the fallout of Q - everyone is roasting him, calling him names and all kinds of stuff. Except for Maria and Charlie. They i noticed both didn’t have confessionals talking about how bad Q is etc. they just have camplife scenes saying things like “i didnt understans that” or “he shouldnt have done taht”. Everyone else outright sh*ts on Q. Q goes to Charlie and underestimates him once again basically saying. You will never beat hunter in this challenge. Heres ur chance to throw it and lose so hunter can go home. Charlie then talks about how quitting and throwing challenges is “YUCK” and that he wont ever do that. Basically getting that Kenzie and Dee anti-quit commentary. He says again later this episode condescendingly “no more quit talk, we play this game hard”. Not only does charlie talk about not throwing the challenge, he then WINS the challenge and is the reason Hunter is eligible to go home. That + with maria once again in the middle he gets to decide between Hunter and Q and they vote out Hunter. His motives around Tiff and Hunter and this vote is all laid out in the ep.
Episode 10: a great cool down and with ep 11 it makes the reason hes quieter this ep retrospectively really really really good! His content this ep is all about wnating tiff out with the idol. In order to do that he needs Q and Tiff to both lose, and he says he need to make sure that happens, he then wins immunity himself beating tiffany in a showdown himself, to ensure this can happen. Once again maria and Charlie are at the helm of the decision and teh edit makes it clear that charlie wanted this and was a part of it, whilst also showing it as a maria move (which people dont respect so thats good for him + his plan was to have it be this way) Also i noticed the edit creditted Charlie for bringing in Liz. Maria wanted Venus but Charlie says no, venus will cause random chaos we cant trust her, Do liz. And maria says “charlies right…” and tehy get liz successfully and once again blindside tiff.
Ep 11: charlie is AGAIN. Underestimated by Kenzie Venus, Q and Liz this ep. They all think Maria is running the show and kingpin and hes just followed her. He outplayed everyone tenfold this ep - whetehr u think this ultimately may lead to his downfall later by not taking Q out, is irrelevent he was shown all episode to outplay his castmates at every single turn. And his reasoning for booting venus was shown and backed up by 1. Venus entire season edit, and 2. That scene of her stonewalling him and him correctly discovering she has something, whereas kenzie states she thinks venus doenst have anything earlier in ep.
I dont wanna dive too much into ep 11. It was either a why charlie lost or a coronation ep and the jury is out until we see what happens next imo. I think it was a good ep for him though.
Also in addition to all this - his TSwift theme is always getting shoved in there, in jeffs mat chat speech “believe you can win” pans go charlie central with maria in the shot next to him whilst “one of you cant win, you wont get the votes at the end” pans to kenzie for those words right after. A weird trend is the NTOS for ep 7 (post mergatory) for s43-45 showed gabler dee and yam yam last on screen and speaking last too, this is the case for Charlie for this season. It also shows erika tommy ans tony last for theirs but i feel the trend from 43-45 is more relevent.
When tevin monologues ep 1. Charlie is soley shown in the “you have to be authentically yourself” quote. Whereas kenzie is “overcome and adapt” ben is “be vulnerable”. Maria was “deceit” liz was an irrelevent camplife one and Q was “deceit” too i think.
Charlie has a clear startegy and theme of being authentically himself (tswift), being underestimated and keeping his threat level low And the edit is backing him up on all fronts for this theme.
I think i can make a whole argument like this for Kenzie too! But i also can make one like this for hints why she lost.. im not gonna though bc this took so long to type!
Rn i think kenzie and Charlie and Maria (bc if she does get ftc shes winning) all have similar odds to win. Edgically speaking and game logic wise too.
I do think Charlie has a very very strong winner edit - if he loses hes the dragon but they took SO MUCH CARE in his edit this season regardless. Way more care than Carson and even Jesse, and other FMC losers or players of his archetype.

1. Johnnie Weber - Stabbed through the back with a sharp knife while walking home alone from a party
2. Emily Cartwright - Suffocated with a plastic bag in her apartment
3. Max Delaney - Thrown off a balcony and onto a pool of rocks below
4. Chloe Martin - Throat slashed while working in her home office
5. Oscar Finch - Strangled by his own weightlifting belt
6. Rachel Harris - Impaled on a spike fence while trying to escape from her backyard
7. Ethan Cooper - Electrocution in the garage after losing control of a circuit breaker
8. Jessica Lee - Lured into an abandoned warehouse and stabbed multiple times
9. Derek Shaw - Killed with a blow from a sledgehammer in his garage
10. Vanessa Collins - Pushed down a flight of stairs, breaking her neck
11. Paul Anderson - Drowned in his bathtub, unable to break free from the killer's grip
12. Alicia Stevens - Shot with a crossbow while walking her dog in the park
13. Micheal Jensen - Crushed by a bookshelf
14. Samantha Cruz - Attacked with a machete
15. Dylan Rhodes - Stabbed in the chest
16. Gabrielle Knight - Poisoned after having dinner with friends
17. Blake Ramirez - Thrown through a window and impaled on a fence post
18. Liam Porter - Attacked
19. Charlotte Fields - Crushed by a falling chandelier
20. Harper Wells - Trapped in a sauna and overheated until she dies
21. Miles Benton - Strangled
22. Natalie Preston - Pushed in front of a speeding car
23. Zachary Bloom - Hanged
24. Bethany Cooke - Pinned against a wall by a speeding car
25. Jason Palmer - Stabbed in a parking garage
26. Emma Saunders - Killed with a crowbar
27. Nick Spencer - Dragged behind a speeding car
28. Tara Daniels - Pushed off a bridge into the river
29. David Carter - Beaten to death
30. Katie Michaels - Stabbed in a elevator
31. Alex King - Shot and thrown off a building
32. Megan Rivers - Ran over by a truck
33. James Knight - Pushed onto a bed of sharp tools
34. Lucy Carson - Crushed by a car

This is a list of my personal top 10 bluegrass and country songs and the years they were made, I’d like to hear y’all’s!
1)Old Blind Barnabas- Johnny Horton- 1969
2)When The Angles Carry Me Home- Third Tyme Out- 1994
3)Prayer Bells Of Heaven- Jimmy Martin & The Sunny Mountain Boys- 1963
4)It Won’t Be Long- Flatt & Scruggs- 1957
5)Can The Circle Be Unbroken- The Carter Family- 1935
6)Church By The Side Of The Road- Johnny Horton- 1969
7)I’ll Fly Away- James & Martha Carson- 1951
8)King Jesus- Larry Sparks- 1972
9)I Am A Pilgrim- The Country Gentlemen- 1963
10)When The Saint Go Marching In- Flatt & Scruggs- 1966

American Values2024 (AV24), the super PAC supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for president, will file a lawsuit later this week against Meta, the social media behemoth that owns Facebook and Instagram.
The action follows Meta’s blatant censorship of “Who Is Bobby Kennedy?” –– an intimate, 30-minute film about Kennedy and his campaign to become the next president of the United States.
The legal complaint includes this statement: “In violation of the First Amendment, of civil rights laws dating back to the Civil War, and of the American people’s fundamental right to a presidential election decided by voters, not by trillion-dollar corporations, Meta Platforms is brazenly censoring speech supportive of Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.”
Despite the censorship on Meta, the film is currently trending on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, where is has been shared by thousands and viewed more than12 million times.
Conceived, filmed and produced by Apple TV +’s The Morning Show creator Jay Carson and director Mike Piscitelli, the film tells Kennedy’s story in an eloquent, candid, motivating, and entertaining way. It details how the prevailing narrative about him – “crazy,” “dangerous,” “unhinged” – bears little resemblance to the reality of who he is and the work he’s done as a successful environmental attorney and corruption fighter.”
One prominent influencer called the film, “one of the best videos I’ve ever watched.”
The super PAC purchased the film and launched it on May 3, using YouTube as the host, on the website: https://whoisbobbykennedy.com/
But as Facebook and Instagram users tried to share the film link, many discovered they couldn’t. They were notified that there was a problem with the link, which isn’t the case; later, they were informed that the link was removed because it goes against Instagram’s “Community Guidelines” due to one of the following transgressions: “spam”; “support or praise of terrorism, organized crime or hate groups”; “solicitation of sexual services”; and “sale of firearms and drugs.”
The film is none of the above.
In addition, the film’s reach on Facebook and Instagram has been minimal, a sign of “shadow banning,” a method that platforms use (relying on algorithms) to suppress the organic reach of content they don’t want to spread.
The film censorship went beyond Meta: Internet and social media czars quickly slapped the video with a COVID-19 Vaccine disclaimer, referring users to the World Health Organization (WHO) website.
“When social media companies censor a presidential candidate, the public can’t learn what that candidate actually believes and what policies they would pursue if elected,” said Tony Lyons, co-founder of AV24. “We are left with the propaganda and lies from the most powerful and most corrupt groups and individuals. This is the hallmark of an oligarchy—not a democracy.”
However, Lyons praised X for allowing its users to share “Who Is Bobby Kennedy?”
“American democracy needs X,” Lyons said. “Our country was built on the principle of enabling free and open exchanges in the marketplace of ideas. Today, X is one of the only platforms upholding that vital tradition.”
Of the censorship on Facebook and Instagram, Jay Carson said, “There is no form of speech more carefully protected in America than political speech. Silicon Valley companies blocking political ads with which they don’t agree, while giving shifting and dissembling answers as to why they’re doing it, strikes at the heart of our democracy.”
Continued Carson: “From Ross Perot to President Obama, political infomercials for presidential candidates have a rich and effective history in American politics. We set out to make a modern version of that format, and Facebook and Instagram then banned it, blocked it, and made it impossible to see. Had cable TV turned off Perot’s infomercial in 1992 or Obama’s in 2008, it would have been viewed with outrage, and Facebook’s and Instagram’s actions are similarly outrageous.”
Late Sunday, Andy Stone, a spokesman for Meta, claimed to The New York Times that the link to the film had been incorrectly flagged as spam.

The Holly J we all know & love is finally HERE!! Oh I just remember how these next two seasons are hers I missed my Queenie so bad 🥰🥰🥰 yall can keep that season 8 girl idk.. THIS IS NEW YORK HOLLY J BITCH!
“Hi I’m Jenna, a boyfriend stealer from backstabber high, want to be friends???” Yeah if I was Alli I’d be like hell no too?? 😩😭 and true to the fake ass intro, she took Clare man too. Sure tf did 😩 like that’s crazy asf to me.
Clare was biting people necks at one point this season like girlllll don’t piss me offffff 😭😭 that filler episode was so funny, younger Clare was a hoot girl I tell ya 🤣
Sav & Anya don’t piss me off yall are simply incompatible. Sweet people tho, and they genuinely love each other which is why it’s hard…
I do however think Anya & Peter probably would’ve been perfect. Their attachment styles are similar. Anya wants someone who’s gonna put her first and support her and be their entire world, that’s Peter hands down. He’s not the best person but he is straight up the best boyfriend out of any of these degrassi men. The only thing is Peter likes a girl with passion, someone who’s about something & Anya really isn’t that so idk but it’s just an observation and a nice thought.
Fiona is definitely troubled pls get this girl some help stat 😭
TOO BAD YOU CAN’T CURE BITCH is genuinely insane like omg?? Imagine being in that hallway just walking by and you see that outburst directly following a gay bashing and yall still wanna vote Riley degrassi’s most eligible bachelor… 😐 next!
Alli is my girl I love her downnnnn.
Tbh I think Johnny & Alli were always doomed to fail, the age difference was too big a gap at this point in their lives. I think they could’ve survived the pics thing, Johnny felt like the most vulnerable state he could be in, (without his reputation as a bad boy / people shield) was being plastered on the walls by someone he trusted more than anyone, he reacted the way he reacted (MASSIVE RED FLAG) but Alli didn’t really seem too deterred, but the moment she found out he had something?! Baby it was a WRAP. It should’ve been a wrap at the pic thing but she wasn’t gonna dump that man over that, which to me showed he was never really gonna respect her because of the difference in the way they saw the situation. Their values were just too different and they’re in vastly different stages in their lives and both very immature for different reasons. Just weren’t ready and the entire situation was just a huge mess.
Declan actually doesn’t have any social skills, if you ever listen to what he’s saying and not to his vibe or like just looking into his eyes or whatever makes him so dreamy to everyone there, they would think he’s a class A weirdo. It’s like that meme where a hot guy says something insane and it’s flirting but an ugly guy gives a basic compliment and it’s harassment. Still he’s like… ok I guess.
Peter keeps losing all his gfs to other continents id be SICK!!!
The way chantay and Danny get together is so jsjdhdjdjd ?!??!?!?!
Also unpopular opinion I think the amount of screentime/the role chantay plays is fine for her personality, they gave her character big storylines constantly yall would hate her. She’s intrusive, nosy, talks too much, does not mind her own business, which makes for a GREAT side character because it’s funny in small doses and makes for good drama. Imagine this character on a much larger and consistent scale yall never would’ve left that poor girl alone. That being said I love Chantay she’s so messy 🤣💀, also Danny was being weird as hell about her kissing PETER in the play, it’s not something to break up over but he definitely would’ve owed me a full free date, since he don’t like paying so much.
Poor KC im glad he reported Creep Carson before it escalated even more, it actually hurt watching that because this absolute pervert got to know KC, got close to him, made him trust him, rely on him, and then started to prey… just sick and twisted and calculated and the fact that he was like “I never touched you” at the end to try and discredit shows that it was like always the plan, it was just so insidious and sick like Jesus….
Spinner & Emma uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh that’s not my business…. I think they’ll be happy, I love you was a little much, I probably would’ve continued the marriage and had the wedding because I live my life for the plot but they uhhh that was a bit much. If they like it I love it tho, not mad at the pairing at all.
This is all I have to say, this season was actually mad inconsequential. A filler season akin to season 1 in a way but a little more interesting. It’s almost like
1-7 era 8 was a bridge to smoothly transition to the next era 9-13 era 14 a bridge season Next Class era
Idk if I just cracked a code or if someone’s already pointed that out but JSJDJDJ
Ranks :
3 > 2 > 8 > 9 > 6 > 5 > 4 > 7 > 1

I work at the Lone Star Diner, off the road from Carson City to Reno. Diner name has of course been changed for obvious reasons–more on that later.
Why do I work at the Lone Star Diner, off the road from Carson City to Reno? Well because, kind stranger, my life plans didn’t work out. Generally, if you’re caught working at a diner past college–specifically, one in the middle of nowhere, it might mean that things aren’t going so hot.
But still, why this diner? Why Lone Star specifically?
I’m aware you probably aren’t actually asking these questions, but I nonetheless believe they deserve a response.
Of all of the diners in the world, what makes Lone Star so special is…
The pay.
The pay is fucking great.
There are maybe ten other diners within a 30 minute drive from where I live. Most of them average out to a little over minimum wage.
Meanwhile, Lone Star is whipping up a mean $50/hr.
And that hourly rate is due to one, single, solitary reason, no matter what anyone tells you.
Because of him.
My first day on the job was fine, more or less? I’d worked customer service before, so I felt like I could run with the strange surprises that came unique to diners. I was able to adapt to the inconsistency of the rules pretty quickly. Unwritten rules like–some areas in the restaurant need to be spotless at all times; others, boss lady couldn’t give less of a shit about. Serve customers quickly! But not too quickly, asshole. Customers here don’t actually like it when you show up too fast. Give them some time to feel the floor under their boots, to miserably stare ahead, and mourn what could’ve been. Y’know, diner stuff. They’re here because they want to be alone. Pardon the contradiction.
Of course, vaguely defined, ‘whispered only by ghosts’ rules extended to the cooks as well. If you were, somehow, secretly, celebrity chef Marco Pierre White in the flesh, your mandate was to keep your damn prowess to yourself. Your job is to make the classics as decently as possible. Not bad, but not amazing. Just poor enough to be really good–that’s what the customers are here for.
As the weeks unfolded, I rose, or I suppose–crouched–to the occasion quite well. You want intentional, pinpoint precision mediocrity? You’ve come to the right person. Most of the patrons just wanted coffee and brunch, brought to them at medium speed, with a semi-predictable cadence of waiter or waitress check-ins afterwards. Done, done, and done.
Not one for subtlety, one day I finally decided to ask my boss the question in the middle of a shift. I didn’t want to ruin a good thing by doubting it, but fuck me if I wasn’t a little curious. Not a full ‘look’ at the gift horse’s mouth, more of a skeptical side-eye…
“Why $50/hr?”
She didn’t even look up from her task at the register, methodically counting out bills. “Said it on your first day, ya gotta be good at following the rules. And when it’s an important rule? You’d better be damn well perfect. High expectations here.”
I made a face. “Right. High expectations.”
“You think I’m joking?”
“No ma’am, I guess, I just,”–Why did I even speak up?–“I just think you’re running a really cool operation here. Cooler than you might realize. It’s still work, but the whole thing seems… fair?”
Christ, my waffling skills were abysmal. Add that to the list of intentional mediocrity! Booyah.
She looked up from her duties and shot me a stern look. “I don’t run this ship. And following the rules here means that you take care of yourself.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I am your employer, sure, and I’ll pay you well to be here, sure, but you should be aware–there is plenty more going on here than just you and this diner.”
She glanced down at her watch, then sighed. “I usually save this speech for the end of the month, but you already caught me halfway through it. So, the Cole's notes: if you don’t think you have it in you to follow instructions clearly, without protest, and without asking too many questions, then you should leave. Quit. No harm, no foul. A week’s worth of pay on the house.”
The conversation sputtered shortly after that. I tried to find an opening to ask more about what she meant, but she was closed off to the topic moving forward.
And you know what? That was fine–if she wanted me to put my head down and just do the work, I could do that.
And work I did. And things were good. Mundane small talk with the customers was fun, my coworkers were friendly, and I was getting paid well. I’d found a place to park the failures of my life. A place to build from.
It must’ve been a Saturday, I think, when I first noticed him. An occupied seat in the far corner of the diner. No idea how long he’d been sitting there and waiting, though he certainly looked patient. I had the strange inkling that he’d been left hanging for quite some time, though I couldn’t actually remember seeing him enter.
Brown corduroy shirt. Short hair. Mid 50s, it seemed. A reasonably calm smile. Normal looking dude.
I started making my way out from the back and headed towards him.
Immediately, I felt a tight grip on my arm–
It was Melanie, my boss, with a forceful clutch–enough to make me drop my notepad. Her fingers tightened around my forearm, sharply pinching my skin.
“Important rules,” she said.
“What?”
“You ‘member our chat about rules? Well this is the most important one. Okay?”
“Okay…?”
“That man, over there, in the corner.” She motioned to the man who had caught my attention– sitting upright, hands softly clasped together, coy smile across his face. “You don’t go up to him. You don’t say a word to him.”
“But he’s… a customer?
Her hold intensified–she was hurting me. Almost as if she was taking out some sort of unseen anger on me.
“I’d like to ask you right now to be smart enough to not ask questions and just follow instructions. You don’t go to his table, you don’t talk to him. You can look at him. You can shout across the room at him if you’d like–though I can’t imagine why you’d ever need to do that. But you do not approach him, and you do not take his order.”
“Or…?”
A sharp exhale through the nose, a shake of the head, and a glare from my manager. “It’s different every time. But, it ain’t pretty.”
I watched him from the short distance I’d been afforded. It was hard not to. She did too.
Unlike the other customers here, I didn’t get a sense that he was here to be alone, to reminisce, or to take part in the comfort ritual of a lackluster Eggs Benedict over rye. Instead, I had the sense that he was just… curious. Mild-mannered, content, but curious.
My shift ended not too long after, so I didn’t actually get a chance to watch him leave. Regardless, the experience of seeing him and learning about the rule he was connected to left a bizarre, dampening feeling on my mood.
I liked my job. I liked coming home and unwinding. I didn’t mind being in the middle of nowhere.
It felt nice to look up at the empty sky filled with stars. To see them shimmer and shine, and even occasionally shoot across. I made a wish that things in my life would stay simple.
___________________
I started to get a sense of his cadence. He’d usually show up once a month.
The rare times I got to see him, I’d try to squeak in the odd question to my boss. Questions like, ‘Who is he?’, ‘Where does he come from?’, and ‘Has anyone spoken with him?’–all mechanically met with ‘I don’t know,’ ‘I don’t know,’ and ‘If you’re scared, you’re welcome to quit.’
Then, as fate would have it, one day boss lady fell incredibly ill. My coworkers and I had to convince her to go home midway through her shift, her sickness falling, uncomfortably, within the usual 1-3 day window at the end of the month when our ‘customer’ would typically appear.
And of course, there he was, right after she went home.
To my benefit, the other waiters and waitresses working the rounds were well aware of his presence and knew exactly what to do whenever he arrived. All of them knew to steer clear of him.
Nevertheless, driven by a foundational curiosity that I just couldn’t shake, I used this opportunity to go for it. I shouted a single thing across the floor, knowing Melanie wasn’t there to chide me–
“Hello sir! What brings you here?” I asked him.
He turned his head from his fixed position in his seat and put a hand to his ear. Clever.
“I said, what brings you here?” I called out again, a few notches louder this time, garnering some odd looks from our Thursday patrons.
To my surprise, he spoke back. I’m not sure why I was expecting his voice to carry the tone of some twisted, demented demon–maybe the fear Melanie had instilled in me? The man sounded exactly how he looked.
“I’m sorry dear,” he said, “I’m afraid I’m not sure what you’re saying. Can you come over here and ask me again?”
Nope. I was good.
“And I don’t mean to be rude, about the service,” he continued, “But it feels as if no one has taken my order for quite some time now.”
I let the exchange end there, diverting my attention back to the other guests. As always, he’d eventually disappear without fanfare, without the clatter of the entrance bell or any sight or sound of his steps across the diner floor, our backroom conversations about him remaining dreadfully short while he was there–just: ‘He’s here,’ and ‘He’s gone,’ and the odd, when we really needed to say it, ‘I feel really weird about this.’
It took me a while to understand where my brazenness to address this strange middle-aged man came from. In truth, I was just afraid. His presence and all of the questions tied to his being at our diner were disrupting this otherwise great arrangement that I felt I had. It seemed right, in the moment, to stand at the very edge of my bravery and say something to him. Of course, now that he was gone, I just felt worse.
The next week, I was invited to something pretty interesting at work.
I generally have a good amount of visibility into what Melanie, ‘boss lady,’ does on a daily basis. The only element that remained elusive was her bi-weekly check-in with a particularly sharp-dressed agent-looking-fella. There was a pretty consistent presence of state troopers, agents, and similarly uniformed men and women dropping into the diner, though I seldom paid it mind beyond simply noticing it.
Midway through wiping down the tables, only an hour or so into my shift, Mel swung by and said:
“Hey, want you in the meeting with the big boss, if you have a few.”
The big boss? “Uh, sure. Yeah. Coming. Just uh, if you don’t mind me asking, who is–”
She let her eyes speak her unwritten rules to me: ‘questions’ equals ‘generally bad’. Thank you for the reminder, ma’am.
We maneuvered to a backroom and sat at a table. Across from us, already seated, was a man in a sharply tailored suit with a subtle earpiece in–the aforementioned agent. The table was littered with a small, messy stack of notes, papers, and documents.
He made it a point to size me up, staring me down uninterrupted, like a deer to headlights, no concern at all about how awkward he was making it for me.
Then, he turned to Melanie.
“How long she been here?” he asked her in his gruff Western drawl.
“Six months,” she said.
“Y’trust her?”
“I trust her. Yes.”
He let his eyebrows say ‘If you say so’ then went on with it.
“Alright, so, apparently y’had a visit from the wandering man last week. You,” he said, motioning to Melanie, “were out. But you,” attention now shifted to me, “weren’t. Give me the lowdown.”
The wandering man?
The agent caught the confusion in my eyes.
“Jesus, you’ve told this girl nothing, haven’t you?” he said to Melanie.
“Sir, I know it sounds weird,” she said, “But I personally feel as if the man is almost, I don’t know, drawn to curiosity. Like, maybe the less I say to those not already in the know, the bett–”
“Wandering man,” the agent cut her off, “Is our nickname for the fella that sits in the corner of your fine little establishment. Or should I say, the state’s fine little establishment.”
“I’m sorry?” I asked.
“That’s correct. The state’s. Congratulations, ma’am, you’re part of a government operation. The wandering man, not just a cutesy little nickname but our legal definition of this tricky little problem, is a phenomenon we discovered many years ago. At the time, he’d just walk the desert landscape, chatting up unsuspecting strangers with bizarre questions. Everything fine, all hunky-dory. A little weird, sure, but nothing illegal. However…”
However…?
“Sometimes… things would happen because of him. Bizarre things. Grizzly things.”
I could see Melanie groaning, concerned at the picture being painted. Would this pique my curiosity?
“Have you guys, y’know, taken him in for…” I almost wanted to cut off my own stupid question, but he ran with it–
“Nope. Not because we don’t want to, but rather, because it… might not be safe.”
The cozy mental image I’d held of this diner was starting to fracture.
“We have reason to believe that he’s a visitor,” he said.
“From…?”
___________________
I didn’t attend another debrief after that.
Not because I was barred, mind you.
Rather, I just didn’t want to know anymore. My gut no longer held curiosity. There was just a low, aching dread there now.
The agents and troopers–spaced out and seated amongst the eatery–were now just a glaring reminder of what my dingy diner job really was.
The government cavalry would mostly show up around the end of month window the wandering man was set to arrive in. When he’d appear, they wouldn’t do much more than examine him from their distant tables, subtly scribbling notes into notebooks.
He’d always act the same. He would just sit there. He wouldn’t give them, or us–the diner employees–much to go on.
Speaking of employees, I remembered something Melanie told me after my first month of working here–that the worker turnover at this diner was incredibly high. Knowing at the time what everyone got paid, it made absolutely no sense to me.
Now, seven months into the gig, alongside a completely new set of cooks, waiters, and waitresses from when I’d first started, I’d seen firsthand just how true her statement was. None of the leavers claimed as much, but I’m sure the underlying premise of who the diner was really for became subconsciously clear to them during their time here. And it probably didn’t sit all too well with them.
I stayed. But not because of the pay. I’m actually not sure why I did.
We had a new cast of rookie employees now. The ones who understood the vague terms of the situation, just as Melanie, I, and all former employees did, stuck around. Those who couldn’t reconcile the situation with their inherent curiosity, naturally filtered out.
And then there was Malcolm.
It was only his first week. He was a keener. Mega-keener. He’d bulldozed through a giant list of tasks and was already asking for the next batch of work to chew through. Anything he could get ahead of, anything he could step in for, anything he could learn, he was on it. He wanted to be as helpful, helpful, helpful as humanly possible. I think the salary of the role, for a guy his young age, was just too alluring for him.
For our part, Melanie and I tried our best to get him to pace himself.
We were both giving the spiel now. By this point, we’d more or less perfected it.
“There are things about this diner that are strange. Rules you will have to follow and not think about. Rules that are concrete, immutable, and non-negotiable, like gravity.”
He nodded. At that moment, I really believed he was internalizing my words.
“And if that doesn’t work for you, and if you don’t think you can take care of yourself, then you shouldn’t work here,” I continued.
There was always a visceral feeling in my stomach whenever I saw the wandering man in the corner during the same week that we were onboarding new staff. I’m sure Melanie felt it too.
On those days, Mel and I would both work the till, and if we saw anyone coming out from the back, we’d stop them. With a simple grab of the arm.
Malcolm stepped out, and I did just that–a rough grasp of his forearm, just like Melanie had done to me when I’d first started. He recoiled in surprise.
”Remember that little chat about rules we just had?” I said.
He nodded meekly, as if he was already in trouble.
I pointed to the man seated at the far table in the brown corduroy shirt, staring straight ahead, with–what I believed at the time–no real reason to be here, and I said, “You will not, under any conditions, serve that man. Don’t go up to him, don’t talk to him. Pretend he doesn’t exist.”
Malcolm lifted the garbage bag he was holding in his left hand. In my nervousness, I hadn’t actually clocked what he was stepping out for.
“Just doing garbage duty, ma’am,” he said. “But, understood.”
And then he left out the front door with his usual swagger. The dumpster wasn’t as close as we would’ve liked so I appreciated his willingness to take on this duty so soon into his employment.
I turned back to observe the wandering man. We had a crowd of agents in attendance that day, scattered about the restaurant.
The man wasn’t one to speak up often. Today was an interesting exception.
“Officers,” he said, “If you have any questions, feel free to join me at the table to ask them.”
The agents around the room reacted mainly with snickers.
“Seriously, if you come sit with me, I’ll be happy to spill it all. Truly.”
Even more laughs. But no one bit.
And yet he continued, pointedly. “I know you’re curious, I know you take notes, I know you talk about me, I know you built this establishment for me, I know you–”
As I reconciled the fact that this was the most words I’d ever heard him string together in succession, I heard the chime of the bell–a door had opened.
Malcolm was dusting his hands as he entered through the diner’s side door. A door which was situated right beside the table the wandering man was seated at.
It all happened so fast. And yet, it played out in front of me excruciatingly slowly, as if there was a moment–a single solitary second–where I could’ve stepped in.
The wandering man dropped any pretext of an exchange with the agents, stopping his sentence midway and adopting a completely new demeanor. He played the role of a low, miserable, tired man and said, “30 visits, terrible service every time,” in a pathetic tone just as Malcolm walked by.
Malcolm, instinctively, plucked a notepad out from his chest pocket and turned his head to face the man.
“Hey, I got you chief, I can have ‘em ring something up for you, what are you–”
And then Malcolm froze in place.
And the wandering man’s expression turned Cheshire cat wide. His neck alternated between tensing and fluttering, with what seemed to be undeniable excitement.
The man started getting up from the table, and then, immediately–
Both of them were gone.
Malcolm and the wanderer had vanished out of existence entirely.
The insanity of the moment was interrupted by the coded language I heard blared over a megaphone: nonsensical agent-speak that has been seared into my memory forever.
“Alert Level Black. Wandering target has compromised a civilian. I repeat, civilian has been compromised.”
And that was that.
Melanie quit in the days after.
She wasn’t mad at me.
She told me she always knew she’d leave after the tenth disappearance. Why that specific milestone was required, I have no clue.
All I could do from that point was continue to work. On my commutes home, or during lunch breaks, I would look up at the stars, and put out the wish that Malcolm be brought back home. Back from wherever he’d been taken.
The debrief with the agents brought me no solace. The exchange with them was simple and short. ‘Where was he taken to?’, answered with ‘He’s gone now.’
With a perpetual dagger in my soul now, I had only the smallest of silver linings, if you can even call it that.
A lesson.
The lesson that I needed to be even more watchful. Even more diligent. And on days when the wandering man was visiting–the only server at the diner. No exceptions.
I knew the agents weren’t happy about that. None of them said it to me explicitly, but I could tell that they would learn something new about him every time he whisked someone away after a mistake was made. It was a weird, Darwinian set-up they had created. We were a zoo they could use to learn more about a specific animal. A specific entity. A specific visitor.
No dice. They’d just have to watch him sit now. Or wait for him to do something different.
I waited for the three day stretch at the end of the month that he usually appears in. Things were quiet up until that point.
When he finally showed up, it wasn’t what I expected.
For the first time ever, I saw the wandering man walk right through the front door.
In the dead of night, at the tail end of my shift.
I was at the till, paralyzed, as he took step after step to close the distance.
And then, he was right there. Standing in front of me.
And I was sure, absolutely sure, that I was going to die.
He smiled.
“Don’t worry. I have my own little set of rules I play by,” he said.
I didn’t say a word. This was no man’s land right now.
“I know you’ve been curious about me. I’ve admired it from the moment you first spoke up to address me. Cautious curiosity is a great thing to see in someone. Especially in such a reckless species.”
Please. Please just go.
“I’d like to answer a question about why I’m visiting. I’m sure you’d like to know why I’m here, right?”
I’m not curious anymore. I swear I’m not.
He laughed. “The answer is really, painfully simple. This little game, this little charade I’m playing. It is just so unbelievably, fun.”
Please don’t kill me. Please.
“You truly have a wonderful planet. I will return again soon. Promise. Give me a month, maybe two this time.” A sincere, kind smile delivered with kind eyes. “I’ll come back with a new game.”
And then he was gone.
It took me a minute to realize that there was a cake box sitting on the counter beside me. Maybe it was there the whole time he was speaking to me. Maybe it materialized right after he left.
I opened the box to find Malcolm’s severed head, a blank expression on his face, sitting on a bed of poorly and confusingly organized flowers. Almost as if there was an intention to create a floral arrangement, but no understanding of what something like that would look like.
On top of the horrific display, written in an almost childlike handwriting, was a note that read “I brought him back, just like you wished.”
The worst thing about being trapped at a diner, in the middle of nowhere, is that you realize that there really is nowhere else to run to.
Every single part of our planet is blanketed by stars, by open sky.
Someone could drop in anytime.

Hey there, I'm Mark, 25M. Remember me?
Here's what I'm looking for: a best friend to share some interests with, hopefully to learn more and become a better person. Tell me about yourself a bit when you respond, and let's carry on from there.
Books: I like books! I find myself buying more than I'll ever read. "So many books, so little time"- Frank Zappa. I began my book enthusiasm, when I was a pre-teenager, by reading Tintin, Archie comics and short stories of Sherlock Holmes. Over the years I moved to techno thrillers (Michael Crichton) and fiction (Agatha Christie, Lee Child, Stephen King) to now where I'm engrossed in non-fiction (history, science). My current area of interests involve non-fiction accounts of espionage, spying and covert operations. I've begun to read a book about Soviet Union. Who knows where the tide of interests will go next.
Music: I like rock music. Queen. Pink Floyd. Led Zeppelin. Tom Petty. Eagles. Black Sabbath. Some non-rock artists whose selected tracks I like: Adele, Eminem, Lady Gaga. Compositions by John Williams are always a pleasure to listen to (Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Indiana Jones)
Niche topics: I am a devoted watcher of YouTube channels featuring content with regards to spaceflight, military food, weird and obscure science concepts, and interesting historical events. Furthermore, I'm a huge fan of Conan O'Brien (Team Coco forever!!), Johnny Carson and David Letterman. I'd love to talk about rockets, military food, weird incidents, catastrophes, physics, humour and much more! Seinfeld and Curb your Enthusiasm are my go-to shows!
I am recently on a reading streak of Perry Mason novels (completed 17 out of 85)!
Fun fact: I like to watch clips of Hell's kitchen, or Gordon Ramsay cooking while I'm having a meal (because I find it appetizing for some reason). Lately I've discovered a Youtube playlist where they describe making of food in big batches, which is awesome!
I'm looking forward to hear from you! Let's be best friends(?). If you have any questions (related to the above subject matter or otherwise), feel free to ask. I'd encourage you to ask some weird question at the first instance to lighten up the conversation 😂
I'm done typing this, and I'll be eagerly waiting for your response!!
P.S: There's a chance that I may be asleep or busy with something when you respond. Don't worry, I will respond to you, without fail.
This is a SFW friendship which I'm looking for.

It seems that my GPU is being strained at about 85+% utilization which doesn't make sense because I thought New Vegas being as old as it is would be purely CPU bound. Instead, my i7 is sitting at about 10-20% utilization. They're both getting pretty hot at around 85-90c even though I have my HP Omen laptop set to balanced mode.
To preface this, I’m using a gaming laptop and have followed the VNV and best of times modding guide to a T (or at least I hope so). I’ve also done the optimizations recommended and enabled flipmode with DXVK and capped my framerate to a nice 120fps with specialk along with installing a variety of performance tweaks to reduce draw calls. I've even added little raisers to my laptop for better air flow.
Graphically, the most I’ve added are the reshade vibrance preset, some texture mods, weapon replacers, and desert natural weathers.
This doesn't really make sense to me unless I'm missing something in my load order, because even modded FO4 at 120fps with reactor ENB and NACX doesn't go that hot.

1. # This file was automatically generated by Mod Organizer.
2. +Misc Audio Tweaks and Fixes
3. +Unofficial Patch NVSE Plus
4. +Items Transformed - Enhanced Meshes (ITEM)
5. +Better Booze - Fallout New Vegas
6. +Light Up and Smoke Those Cigarettes - Dead Money patch
7. +Light Up and Smoke Those Cigarettes (and Cigars and Cigarillos)
8. +SWEEP - Stars patch
9. +SWEEP - Sweet Weapon Enhancement and Expansion Package - VANILLA VERSION
10. +NillaPlus MIRROR MIRROR 4K 2K 1K
11. +NMCs_Texture_Pack_For_New_Vegas
12. +Textures Over Time - Sandbags
13. +Better Grass
14. +Nut Vegas - Landscapes
15. -WAP B42 Optics Patch
16. -B42 Optics TTW Patches
17. +Titans of The New West
18. +Fallout 3 HD Overhaul
19. -Wasteland Flora and Terrain Overhaul
20. +Landscape Texture Improvements
21. +MetroMapReplacer
22. +Collision Meshes
23. +TTW Ultimate Invisible Wall Remover
24. +Improved AI (Navmesh Overhaul Mod)
25. +Smooth True Iron Sights Camera
26. +Viewmodel Shading Fix - NVSE
27. +More Perks Reimagined
28. -More Perks
29. +JohnnyGuitar NVSE - INI Presets
30. -WAP Bozar and LMG
31. +New Vegas Animation Overhaul Guns
32. +Pointlight Flashlight (and Piplight)
33. +Faster Main Menu
34. +Enhanced Movement
35. +Instant and Faster Pipboy (No Stutter)
36. +VATS Lag Fix
37. -MagicSewer.esp
38. +WAP Year One and Bonus
39. +Auto-Save Manager
40. +Blended Locomotion
41. +B42 Dropmag TTW Patches
42. +C.A.R and OUR Friends
43. +Another Millenia - Chinese Pistol Replacer for TTW
44. +AWO - 10mm Pistol Replacer (Colt N99) - A Better TTW Patch
45. +AWO - 10mm Pistol Replacer (Colt N99)
46. +22 SMG retexture
47. +Varmint Rifle - Retextured - updated
48. +DKS and Friends
49. +R91 and Friends
50. +lStewieAl's Tweaks and Engine Fixes perk per level
51. +Enhanced Bullet Impacts
52. -Combat Enhancer
53. +Reload Reloaded
54. +FPS Dashing
55. +Modern Stagger animations
56. -360 Movement
57. -Ragdolls
58. +Iron Sights Recoil Animations
59. +Subtle Camera Motion
60. +Immersive Hit Reactions - Makes Combat Responsive
61. +B42 True Leaning - Contextual - ESPless
62. +Walking Inertia
63. +SUP NVSE
64. +Hit's Anims - Animation Fixes
65. -Neutral Weathers - DNW for NVR - NV - TTW
66. +Weapon Enhancement Pack
67. +WTH - Weapon Textures from Heaven
68. +Tesla Armor Mods x consistent pip-boy icons - Classic Tesla Armor Icons
69. +PipBoyOn Node Fixes
70. +WSGDC STARS TTW - Sweet's Total Armor Rework System
71. +STARS TTW - Sweet's Total Armor Rework System
72. +SSS - Sweets Simple Settings
73. +Classic Leather Armor Replacer for Leather Armor
74. +Salvaged Armor
75. +Modern Gunslinger Armor
76. +Bone Harvester - Tribal Cannibal
77. +Wasteland Stealth Armor NV
78. +The Road Warrior Armor
79. +Psycho Armor and Mask
80. +Metal Armor MkI
81. +WW2 M1 Helmets
82. +AKIRAMORI Tactical Gloves
83. +Altyn Helmet - Retro Tactical Headgear
84. +Wasteland Seeker Armor
85. +Geonox Riot Armor - Female Version -
86. +Geonox Riot Armor
87. +KORs Pistol Harness
88. +Fallout Tactics Brotherhood Metal Armor Integration
89. +Classic Tesla Armor
90. +Mercenary Wanderer
91. +Searchlight Firefighter Outfit
92. +Fallout Revelation Blues Mega Armor Pack
93. +Fallout The Odyssey Mega Armor Pack
94. +Arsthetiu's Armoire - A Nif-Bashed Armour Collection
95. +Classic Fallout Tesla armor
96. +DVA - Distributed Variety Armors - Hats Headgears Accessories
97. +Petal Gasmask
98. +Canvas Backpacks - FNV - TTW
99. +Waster Gear - TTW - FNV
100. +The Lone Wanderer - TTW and NV
101. +NCR Commando
102. +GP-5 Gasmask
103. +Courier Duster Replacer
104. +Ballistic Skull Mask
105. +Tribal Power Helmet - Definitive Edition
106. +Classic Combat Armor Replacer Combined (TTW)
107. +Classic Replacers for TTW
108. +Classic Combat Armor Replacer Redux
109. +Veronica Outfit Replacer
110. +Classic Fallout 2 combat armor Mark 2 (remastered)
111. +Classic Fallout 2 Metal armor Mk II
112. +Classic Fallout Metal Armor
113. +Unique Troublemaker Outfit-Nightstalker Set
114. +DogTooth Enclave Officer
115. +Power Armor Visual Enhancement (PAVE)
116. +The BLACKJACK pack - Tons of armors for VANILLA bodys
117. +Deus Specs
118. +Spice of Life - Variety Armor and Clothing Robert Breeze Type3
119. +Tammer's NIF-Bashed Armor Mega-Pack v4.8
120. +Book of Steel - Compatibility Edition
121. +aMidianBorn NV Book Of Water
122. +skinned mesh improvement mod
123. +Wasteland Soldier Redux NV
124. +Wasteland Soldier - NV Edition
125. +Tranquility Lane Pipboy Glove and Custom Race Fix
126. +No PipBoy in Power Armor - Mapmo patch
127. +No PipBoy in Power Armor
128. +JIP Localized Damage Fix
129. -NewVegasReloaded
130. +Energy Visuals Plus 2.0 - NV and TTW
131. +Afterglow -- Neon illumination
132. +Lumen - Ambient Lighting
133. +B42 Optics - Real Time Reflections Patch
134. +Real Time Reflections - NVSE
135. +Sal_FX_Editor
136. +M.U.X. Series - OX Toolkit
137. +OneTweak but Really Updated
138. +B42 Weapon Inertia
139. +Desert Natural Weathers - NV - TTW
140. +Climate Control NVSE
141. +Atmospheric Lighting Tweaks (Interior Lighting for FNV and TTW)
142. +Anniversary Anim Pack
143. +Simply Upscaled Grass
144. +Improved LOD Noise Texture
145. +High Resolution Water Fog - Water Aliasing Fix
146. +High Resolution Bloom NVSE
147. +Dynamic Pip-Boy Light - NVSE
148. +Improved Lighting Shaders
149. +MoonlightNVSE
150. +Viewmodel Shake Fix - NVSE
151. +Pip-Boy Shading Fix NVSE
152. +Muzzle Flash Light Fix - NVSE
153. +Fog-based Object Culling
154. +Fallout Alpha Rendering Tweaks - NVSE
155. +External Emittance Fix - NVSE
156. +Aqua Performa - Strip Performance Fix
157. +TTW - Wasteland Supplements
158. +Meshes and Collision - Totally Enhanced Nifs (MAC-TEN)
159. +MoreMojave
160. +The Living Desert - Travelers Patrols Consequences Increased Population and more
161. +Functional Post Game Ending
162. +New Blood
163. +Better Damage Multipliers
164. +Faster Pip-Boy Animation
165. +Casino Exchange All
166. +Better Caravan
167. +Supplemental Ammo Crafting
168. +Tweaks for TTW
169. +Consistent Spread - Firearms Accuracy and Wobble Fix
170. +Iron Sights Aligned
171. +Immersive Recoil 2.0
172. +NPCs Sprint kNVSE - ESPless
173. +Just Sprint Plus - Expansion for JAM and JVS
174. +Bullet Time Improved - a JAM addon
175. +Clean Just Assorted Mods (JAM)
176. +JAM - Just Assorted Mods
177. +Root 'n Loot TTW
178. +Nail Gun Semi Auto Rework
179. +(Benny Humbles You) and Steals Your Stuff
180. +Weapon Requirements System
181. +Wasteland Starting Gear DC
182. +Bottlecap Flip and Dice Roll
183. +TTW Quick Start Item Remover
184. +Tale of Two Wastelands Quick Start
185. +Delay DLC Redux
186. +TTW - Mothership Zeta Rewards
187. +Sweet 6 Shooter Perks - TTW - NV
188. +Sweet Perk Overhaul
189. +TTW New Vegas Speech Checks
190. +TTW Reputations
191. +Tutorial Killer
192. +MAPMO - High Res Icons
193. +MAPMO - Main and Pause Menus Overhaul
194. +AnhNVSE
195. +High Res Local Maps
196. +Vault Boy Paper Doll
197. +TTW Goodies
198. +Map Marker Icons
199. +Consistent Pip-Boy Icons v4
200. +Consistent Pip-Boy Icons v5 - Framework Plugin
201. +High Resolution Screens
202. +Clean Vanilla Hud
203. +ySI - Sorting Ycons
204. +yUI - User Ynterface
205. +Vanilla UI Plus (New Vegas)
206. +FOV Slider
207. +Console Paste Support
208. +Basic Console Autocomplete
209. +FNV Mod Limit Fix
210. +ActorCause Save Bloat Fix
211. +Combat Lag Fix (NVSE)
212. +Stewie Tweaks Essentials INI
213. +NVTF - New Vegas Tick Fix
214. +Yvile's Crash Logger
215. +ROOGNVSE Plugin
216. +lStewieAl's Engine Optimizations
217. +Tale of Two Wastelands
218. +Vanilla Animations Weapon Scale Fix
219. +UIO - User Interface Organizer
220. +The Mod Configuration Menu
221. +ShowOff xNVSE Plugin
222. +Recent Loot Log - ESPless
223. +NV Compatibility Skeleton
224. +lStewieAl's Tweaks and Engine Fixes
225. +kNVSE Animation Plugin
226. +KEYWORDS
227. +JohnnyGuitar NVSE
228. +JIP LN NVSE Plugin
229. +ISControl Enabler and Ironsights adjuster (now ESPless)
230. +Improved Console (NVSE)
231. +Hit's Anims - Season 3
232. +Hit's Anims - Season 2
233. +Hit's Anims - Season 1
234. +Hit - RPD
235. -Hit - Locomotion
236. +Hit - Single Shotgun Anim Set Redux
237. +Hit - Assault Rifle Anim Set Redux
238. +Hit - Anti-Materiel Rifle Anim Set
239. +Hit - 9mm Pistol Anim Set Redux
240. +Hit - 10mm Pistol Anim Set Redux
241. +HIPControl - Weapon Idle Position Adjuster - ESPless
242. -EVE - Essential Visual Enhancements
243. +Diagonal movement
244. +Depth of Field Fix - NVSE
245. +B42 Wristwatch
246. +B42 Quickthrow - an alternative grenade hotkey mod
247. +B42 Optics - ESPless
248. +B42 Notify - Corner Messages Overhaul - ESPless
249. +B42 Melee Bash
250. +B42 Loot - Animated Physical Item Pickup - ESPless
251. +B42 Interact - Animated Items and Interactions Framework - ESPless
252. +B42 Inspect - aka Animated Ammo and Weapon Condition Checking
253. +B42 Inject - Animated Item Use - ESPless
254. +B42 FireMode - Selective Fire and First Shot Precision - ESPless
255. +B42 Dropmag and One in the chamber
256. +B42 Descriptions aka Pip-Info
257. *Unmanaged: VM_Recoil