Asking for your opinion about Wiki matters

Currently I am much too busy with my life to actually add to the Wiki or develop it, but I still guard it like the Sphinx guarded Thebes, and recently a question arosed - a question which I will ask your opinion about. It comes to “How should the Powers and abilities sections of the characters should be written?”

You see, a long time ago the Wiki decided to have the powers and abilities of each character listed in a way most Wikis choose - with a list of divided specific powers, each with a different name. This method started out mostly on super-heroes wikis (given in the super-hero world, such specific abilities and named powers exist and are part of the overall story).

But when I took over the Wiki, I decided it wasn’t fitting much the American Gods world. After all, one of the key of the story is that we don’t have given limits or strict details about how the gods powers work. They are gods! I mean you are not going to say that for example a god of metal has specifically “Metal manipulation” and “Metal mimicry” and “Metal detection” and “Metal generation”... We’re not in an RPG. You just write down that the guy is a god of metal, who has great powers over all metals, which he can create and manipulate at will. Just one sentence instead of a list of detailed cut bits of powers here and there. Of course, this is just a random example I take, but it is my opinion.

Lately however a volunteer worker on the Wiki decided to undo my work by re-creating the “power lists” in the characters’ powers and abilities section. As a result I am wondering which version people think would be more preferable. I think a list of super-powers is too misguiding as it lets you believe the gods powers are very well explained, limited and defined (which, as you know, they are not), but since it comes back in style, I want to get a secondary opinion.

So make your choice between (example taken here from the Technical Boy page):

Option 1, writing it all as one fluid text explaining the powers

Technical Boy is the god and embodiment of technology. As a result, he can influence, manipulate and control technology, electronics and the Internet (though he cannot control the content of the Internet). He can create applications and websites but cannot spread information or rewrite what the Internet contains, a power that belongs to [[New Media]].   Similarly to [[Media/Series|Media]], he can offer deals to the Old Gods, gifting them with new platforms for their worship: to Bilquis he offered the dating website/application Sheba, and to [[Argus Panoptes|Argus]] he offered a system of mass surveillance through cameras and drones.   The limits of the Technical Boy's powers are greatly discussed in the show, since several deities are co-dependant to him. While Media shows herself superior in power to Technical Boy in season one, by season two Technical Boy reaffirms his power over her, mentionning that she could not exist without the technology he represents. Technical Boy and New Media's relationship is filled with the tension due to how "redundant" and parasitic they are to each other, both representing the Internet but one as a platform (technology) and the other as content (social media). In a similar way, despite Technical Boy offering him the technology needed to evolve into the god of mass surveillance, Argus only wants to obey to Mr. World (being a god of the "system" and conspiracy theories Argus is part of).

The Technical Boy is actually one incarnation of an older and larger deity, a New God of technology. Technical Boy is the incarnation of this god for the early 21st century, however he had several previous incarnations and has shown the ability to upgrade into new entities (see [[Technical Boy/Incarnations]]). However, contrary to Media who willingly upgraded herself into New Media and thus had her next incarnation keep memories of the previous one, it seems the Technical Boy's upgrades are unwanted and caused by his own nature as a New God, resulting in each incarnation being unaware or lacking the memories of the previous one, acting more like a replacement than a metamorphosis. It has also been shown that Technical Boy's upgrades can be "forced" on the god by external manipulation: Mr. World, with the help of the [[CEO]], tried to upgrade Technical Boy into Quantum Boy. However this forced upgrade was a failure, since the god returned to his Technical Boy incarnation by season three.

Option 2, making a list of named powers instead (ignore the “the Media” instead of “Media”, it is a writing flaw of the volunteer): 

*'''Tech Manipulation:''' Technical Boy is the god and personification of technology. As a result, he can influence, manipulate, and control technology, electronics, and the Internet (although he does not control the power of the Internet). It can create apps and websites, but it cannot divulge or rewrite what the Internet contains, a power that belongs to [[New Media]]. While Media proves superior in power to Technical Boy in season one, in season two, Technical Boy reasserts his power over her, mentioning that she couldn't exist without the technology he represents. Technical Boy and New Media's relationship is fraught with tension due to how "redundant" and parasitic they are to each other, both representing the Internet but one as a platform (technology) and the other as content (social media).

*'''Semi-Artificial Intelligence:''' Bruce Langley explained that Technical Boy has a partially artificial mind, an artificial intelligence faster than any computer in the world and thus allowing him to process information quickly and deduce quick statistics and logic.   +*'''Immortality:''' As one of the New Gods, he is an immortal being and is immune to disease and age. +*'''Shapeshifting:''' He can change his physical form to a holographic appearance in constant technological motion and vice versa. Technical Boy accomplished this feat when he first met Shadow. +*'''Regeneration:''' When Media hit Technical Boy's mouth telekinetically, knocking out two teeth, the god was able to fully regenerate his dental arch in Season 2. When S.r World attacked him, digging his thumbs into his eyes, he felt some pain despite healing his injuries quickly. +*'''Electrokinesis:''' The god of technology has been shown to have a degree of electrical control and manipulation. As Shadow walked down a deserted street, the streetlights went out one by one before he was intercepted by Technical Boy. +*'''App Creation:''' He told Bilquis he could create a dating website/app for her to adore under the name Sheba. *'''Upgrade (Limited):''' Technical Boy is a larger, older incarnation, a New God of technology. He is an incarnation of this god for the early 21st century, however he has had several previous incarnations and has demonstrated the ability to upgrade to new entities (see Technical Boy/Incarnations). However, unlike Media updates, their updates tend to be unwanted and inconsistent. It has also been shown that Technical Boy upgrades can be "forced" on the god by external manipulation: [[Mr. World]], with the help of [[CEO]], tried to upgrade the Technical Boy to the Quantum Boy. However, this forced update was a failure as the god returned to his Tech Boy incarnation in season three.

squeals and giggles and blushes and hides my face when i spot my crush (a city i have never been to, and know next to nothing about)

Okay so maybe I'm an idiot but who was gonna tell me Dolores Dei's name roughly translates to God of Sorrows

Wasn't Fontaine meant to be released last night???? Istg I'm missing something lol because apparently it's put tmrw?

Here is a bit of a cheat sheet to The Boys universe without having to watch The Boys, and still get the context of Gen V.

Spoilers under cut

Vought International is a mega corporation on steroids. It’s like if Amazon, Disney, ConAgra, and Pfizer had a baby. They have their hands in everything: movies/television, food, theme parks, any kind of merchandise they can stick a Supe’s brand on, and drugs. They are ultimately a pharmaceutical company, and they are responsible for everything to do with the Superhero “Supes” community.

Compound V is a serum that gives people abilities. Vought produces this serum and runs secret experiments trying to perfect an affordable version of Compound V that works safely on adults, while making billions exploiting their experiments as Superheroes.

The serum has its roots in Nazism and eugenics. Long story short, the Americans got their hands on the creator who defected from the Nazis, Frederick Vought, and created the first Supes. The origin of the powers was kept secret, and Vought sold the idea that the powers were gifts from God, specifically towards Americans.

The current formula only has a 20% survivability rate in adults. The “better” formula is too expensive to produce, so to cut costs they give the serum to babies in utero, infants, and very young children.

Once a Supe, the drug can boost their powers temporarily and gives them a high. If you’ve ever seen The Gifted, it’s the equivalent to Kick for mutants.

The powers are totally random, but durability and super strength appears to be the most common “base” powers.

Vought gives the serum out across America and basically at random. Parents accept dosing their children in order to exploit them for fame and money. Think stage moms, momagers for child stars, dance moms, and family vloggers type of narcissistic, greedy assholes. The children themselves are told that they are special and chosen by God to have these powers.

The powers are strictly only within America.

Supes are basically treated as movie stars/influencers. It’s not enough to have powers, they have to be likable and marketable.

Supes can get contracts to “protect” specific areas. The bigger cities offer the most money, with New York being the top city as it’s protected by The Seven. These are Supes that are at the highest level of Superhero fame. They get their own whole floors as apartments in the Seven Tower, and all the big blockbuster movies and merchandising revolves around them.

Any protection for the city is basically staged, and their whole life is a Truman Show/Reality TV/completely on social media.

By the time Gen V starts, it’s revealed to the public that the powers are not God sent and that Vought created Compound V.

The Red River Institute is a Vought sponsored and monitored orphanage for minor Supes. Some end up there because their child’s parents died when their powers manifested, like Marie, the parents were casualties of Supe’s using their powers in the line of duty, or because the parents choose to dump them there when the child’s powers are weird or not marketable and have no future as a Superhero.

See https://the-boys.fandom.com/wiki/An_Animated_Short_Where_Pissed-Off_Supes_Kill_Their_Parents

Unfortunately I bet Rachel is not going to give any Greek authors and creators the opportunity to tell about myths from...Greek mythology xd.

Considering hiw she treated the culture and myths in Lore Olympus as an downgrade American version is fair to say how she will treat as well other mythologies.

Also Rick is shady as well by saying how "Greek gods went to America because they go to advanced civilizations" as if saying Greece (their place of origina) is not :/

TBF, actual Greek authors and creators likely wouldn't go to her for help anyways.

It's gonna be interesting to see how the whole "Rachel Smythe Presents" thing works out, though as I mentioned already, I'm not really interested in continuing to analyze her stuff after LO. I'm trying to transition myself from hatred to apathy - I'd much rather just not give her more of my time and attention and thus allow her to fade into obscurity in my mind.

I have nothing really to say about Rick, he's also not someone who's from the culture attempting to write a "modernized version" of Greek myth, but that in and of itself was never really the root of the issue. I'll give him credit that he knows he's writing fiction for children and you won't see him advertising himself as a "folklorist" (and then using first page Google searches as his references LMAO). That probably seems like bare minimum at this point but he seems to have far more humility than Rachel.

I put PJO in the same camp as Hercules. They aren't Greek but you can tell they put in deeper levels of research and are writing Greek myth inspired stories with passion, effort, and respect for the source material. They might not be 100% accurate, but that's the fun of it all and they know they're just having fun with it (and they're still doing so relatively responsibly). And most of all, they make it clear they're making it for kids, not for legitimate educational purposes. Rachel tried to make that clear in episode one by saying not to use LO as a scholarly source, but then she never followed through on that by bragging about how she's an educated folklorist and averting her eyes when her fanbase harassed Apollo worshippers and edited Wiki articles about Greek myth to match LO. There's zero accountability happening and it seems more like Rachel used Greek myth as a way to make herself famous rather than as a way to tell stories and connect with an audience. I've said it tons of times before but she writes Greek myth like she despises it for existing.

Was Qubo actually coming back?

So I heard a rumor that's been going around that The Qubo Channel, an American children's tv channel that ran from 2007-2021, was coming back in 2023 and this idiot fan did everything they could to make it seem real, videos and everything but it all turned out to be fake. They said that the company E Scripps announced it but they never did and this random person made an entire wiki page of it too. Qubo is officially never coming back, although I hope someone will have a solution or come up with a replacement kids channel. It's sad that kids have nothing that genuinely teaches them good lessons, besides Bluey. Don't get me wrong, I love Bluey, Bluey's awesome but it's like the only thing that kids can watch nowadays that's good for them. In my opinion, you need MORE THAN ONE SHOW! You don't have to have as many shows as I did growing up, but you can't only just have one show either.

I'll admit I was more of a tv kid, but I grew up in a small, dumpy town in Pennsylvania and I had no siblings or kids in the neighborhood to play with. I also never really had close friends at school who I got to hang out with outside of school, because school days lasted long and we were private people. When I got home, I'd most likely draw, watch tv, or take a nap. I did spend time outside but not in the autumn and winter as much because I hated cold, especially when I got older. I did watch a lot more tv than most kids did but it wasn't an unhealthy amount. I also wasn't really a Disney movie kid as much either. Disney channel? Yes, but I didn't really watch much of their animated movies growing up, especially not the older ones that everyone else grew up with. I had older parents and also was raised by my grandma, and no siblings so it's not like we had family movies nights like some families. Being an only child, I was basically the boss of the tv and my mom grew up playing outside and not much of a tv kid, so she just let me watch the kids shows that were playing on tv. Just to clear things up, I was born in November of 2002 and my mom gave birth to me when she was 42 years old, so a lot of stuff from her time wasn't really meant for kids. So yeah, I mostly just grew up watching tv channels. I was lucky enough to have Qubo, Sprout and the Nickelodeon and Disney channels. Lucky for me, I didn't watch much Cartoon Network, which in my opinion was kind of a good thing because a lot of stuff back then was inappropriate. Thank God I had more relaxing and... less unhinged shows to watch on channels like Sprout and Qubo. I know Qubo had its fair share of weird shows like Grossology and Being Ian, but most of the Qubo shows were good. In fact, some of my favorite shows ever came from Qubo!

Let's have a little talk about a well known Canadian show that was based off a book series, called "Scaredy Squirrel". If you were in Canada, you probably watched Scaredy Squirrel on YTV or Treehouse, but us Americans watched it on Cartoon Network, Disney X.D or Qubo. I was the kid who watched it on Qubo because I ignored the Cartoon Network channel growing up and I think around 2013 was when I started to hate Disney so... yeah. I became a fan of Scaredy Squirrel through Qubo and that show means so much to me. Another show that means a lot to me is called "Marvin the tap-dancing Horse" which originally aired on PBS kids for like 2 years, as part of a block called the "Bookworm bunch" which only lasted a short time and plus, I wasn't even born yet. I got introduced to Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse through the Qubo Channel and I absolutely fell in love with it. Honestly, those are both very underrated shows and deserve an actual FANDOM rather than 3 fans. A few people I know have at least heard of Scaredy Squirrel barely anyone has heard of Marvin the dancing horse (and yes, Marvin is based off a book too). I highly recommend those shows, as well as many others!

Cable tv is kind of shutting down now anyway, and it's sad. All we have now is streaming services and a lot of them just don't have those nice kids shows that Qubo had. A lot of those shows were cute and not too overstimulating for the younger kids, and almost everything they have now is for older kids. Sprout became Universal Kids, which is more for older kids and they didn't need to do that. We need more things for little kids too. Also, as a 21 year old with trauma, I don't like rough adult shows like South park and Hazbin hotel, I want more calming shows like Scaredy Squirrel and Toddworld. (Also, I'll put a list of my favorite shows from Qubo in my last paragraph).

I hope one day I can make my own tv channel or streaming service to replace Qubo or Sprout, but nothing can really "replace" my favorite channels growing up. Also, if you want some relaxing kids shows from Qubo to watch, I'll give you some;

Scaredy Squirrel, Toddworld, Stella & Sam, Timothy goes to school, Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse, Maggie & the Ferocious Beast, Harry & his Bucket of Dinosaurs, Miss Spider Sunny Patch, Babar, Veggietales, Gofrette, I Spy, My Friend Rabbit, Sandra the Fairytale Detective, Willa's Wild Life, Pecola, Turbo Dogs, Sidekick, and Stickin' Around (although there's a trigger warning).

Tell me what you think and if you agree! Are you too a Qubo or Sprout fan?

Fargo: This Useless Hand!

This post will contain some spoilers for events beyond episode 5.3.

Apparently episode 5.9 of Fargo will be titled The Useless Hand. I puzzled over the meaning of this, but have found a possible source. It's the poem Tiresias by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Part of it goes: "This useless hand! I felt one warm tear fall upon it. Gone! He will achieve his greatness. But for me, I would that I were gather’d to my rest, And mingled with the famous kings of old On whom about their ocean-islets flash The faces of the Gods—the wise man’s word..."

Tiresias was a blind seer from Greek mythology. He played a part in several stories, including that of Oedipus. He also famously lived as both a man and a woman. He was given the gift of prophecy as compensation for his loss of sight, often serving as the source of uncomfortable truths for Greek heroes. Sam Spruell calls Ole Munch a truth-sayer, noting that "Fargo has a history of truth-sayers that sit slightly outside of the story, that become kind of woven into the story..." He also says that Munch is “the kind of truth-sayer who reminds characters who are the spine of the story, what the world really is and how it really works and if they are suffering delusions and what their behavior means.” https://www.tvinsider.com/1112309/fargo-season-5-ole-munch-explained-sam-spruell/ I suspect that Munch is a Tiresias figure in season 5. We have seen the subject of gender non-conformity play out in several ways. Scotty Lyon, for example, is a girl who displays many stereotypically male personality traits. We also know from previews that Munch and Dot will begin to mimic each other's appearance, with Dot donning a long coat like Munch's, and Munch wearing not only a kilt, but also a plaid coat with a fur collar, much like the one that Dot has worn in the first three episodes. There will also be an IRS agent investigating Lorraine, whose name is Chip Boygan, which sounds like Sheboygan, a city in Wisconsin that has an interesting urban legend about its name. The story goes that a Native American chief had many sons, and wanted a daughter. When his wife delivered the newest child, the chief was informed, "She boy again." There will also be a male character with the unusual first name of Vivian this season. And it's definitely worth noting, given all of the Wizard of Oz references, that the character of Princess Ozma was kidnapped as a baby and transformed into a boy named Tip by a witch named Mombi. Eventually, Glinda discovered Ozma's whereabouts and forced Mombi to turn her back into a girl. During Ozma's life as a boy, she created the character of Jack Pumpkinhead, who was the inspiration for Jack Skellington. We know from interviews that Noah Hawley sees Gator Tillman as a Jack Skellington figure. And Jack Pumpkinhead considered Ozma his mother. Put these stories side-by-side and you get a potentially very interesting picture of the relationship between Nadine/Dot and her stepson, Gator. We know that Gator will, at some point, be blindfolded and that Oedipus blinded himself after discovering the truth about himself. Will Ole Munch be Tiresias to Gator's Oedipus? It was also said that Tiresias lived either seven or nine generations, which may explain the fact that Munch is over 500 years old. I highly recommend reading the Wikipedia page about Tiresias and all of the events of his fascinating l̶i̶f̶e̶ lives. It even involves snakes, and Gator has been compared to the snake in the Garden. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiresias Here is Tennyson's full poem: https://www.telelib.com/authors/T/TennysonAlfred/verse/tiresias/tiresias.html

Psychonauts, but make it 1988

I have officially calculated that Psychonauts canon takes place in 1982 (the ten year olds were all born in 1972 according to the wiki). Which means that this teen-au thing I’m playing with would take place in 1988.

Why did I decide to do an honest to god period clothing study with the funny little guys from the funny little brain games? Why did I spend an entire day on it? Who knows. Enjoy.

[ID: Two splash pages of digital art of characters from Psychonauts wearing American fashions from the late 1980s. Razputin Aquato wears (1) a black and white sweater with intersecting stripes, blue jeans, and grey lace shoes; (2) a yellow shirt with blue vertical stripes, loose grey shorts, suspenders, and light grey sneakers with red decals; (3) a neon pink sweatshirt with a black horizontal stripe through the center, baggy dark purple pants with colorful firework print, and black sneakers with white soles. He thinks: Pink so bright. I’m an autumn. Help. Lili Zanotto wears (1) a black sweater with pink trim and a blue undershirt tucked into high waisted blue jeans, tied with a big belt. She wears black mary janes with white socks; (2) a brown trench goat, beige sweater, black hat with pale green brim, dark green leggings, and heavy black lace-up boots. She gestures at her head as psychic auras surround her; (3) middle shot of her in a faded denim jacket with gold studs, black band shirt, two long necklaces, a gold bullet belt and gold chain, and her hair teased out in a vintage punk look. She’s wearing red eye shadow. Caption: Courtesy of Lizzie. Dogen Boole wears (1) a simple black hat, white sweater with vertical red stripes, grey knit undershirt, grey slacks, and black loafers with white soles; (2) middle shot of him in a green sweater with yellow sleeves and red trim, and a scarf folded many times around his neck that’s pale green, red, and white plaid. He holds it close to his face comfortingly. Caption: Warm <3. A sweater with stripes that grade from black to light blue, grey pants with stitch lines through the knees, and simple blue shoes. Frazie Aquato wears black leggings and a brown shirt with green squiggly-patterned arm warmers, and green, yellow, orange, and pink striped leg warmers; (2) a royal blue ruffly dress with matching headband, gold earring in the shape of a triangle inset with another triangle, and black heels. She dances with her tongue out. (3) Oversized pink sweater, blue high-rise jeans, white sneakers with purple squiggles, two long necklaces with purple jems, a purple rectangulare earring, a white scrunchie with purple spots holding her hair up, and heavy pink and blue bracelets; (4) a bust of her wearing square brown oversized sunglasses and a long complicated gold earring. Her hair is braided and tied around her head as if they were a loose bun. Dion Aquato wears (1) a brown plaid shirt tucked into pristine white jeans, white tennis shoes, and simple black shades; (2) middle shot of him in a pale denim jacket, dark yellow shirt, and grey belt. He pulls the popped collar closer to him as Frazie shouts, “NERD,” behind him. Dion: Ignore her, Dion. You’re very cool. Milla Vodello wears a short black long sleeve dress with red stripes down the center and grey trim, dark red striped tights, grey platform shoes with red soles, aquamarine gloves, and earrings made of clusters of silver rods. Her eyeshadow matches the tights. Sasha Nein wears a cream business suit and matching pants. The suit folds over with two rows of buttons. He wears a white undershirt, red tie, and white gloves. His glasses are light brown with highly reflective lenses. His hair is a little permed. Sasha: My hair... it’s... wavy. Milla: Hee hee. End ID]

Gods' Man is a wordless novel by American artist Lynd Ward (1905–1985) published in 1929. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gods%27_Man

               Frans Masereel            My Book of Hours                     https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/frans-masereel-my-book-of-hours

Just to know if I am not the mad one here

This is a small explanation/rant about a difficult case I have on the Wiki, so if you want to skip this, do - but if you want to know what kind of thick-minded persons we can have around, go ahead. It is just that it is something I am stuck over with for several years - and when you realize it is the only person that comments regularly on the Wiki (or that comments AT ALL outside of spam-bots) you realize why working on the Wiki can easily burn you out. All real fans are gone elsewhere and there’s thus... this kind of things left behind.

So... There is this person that is hanging out on the American Gods Wiki for several years now - commenting. They just dislike the show. Plainly. They have nothing kind to say about season 2 or season 3 (which is not in itself surprising as these shows were polarizing) - BUT more surprisingly they also have nothing kind to say about season 1. All the questions they keep asking are about basic world-building facts you would get from just looking up a bit or paying attention during the show/novel ; when they first arrived they kept blaming the wrong persons while clearly misinformed about who was in charge of the show (for example they thought Neil Gaiman was the maker of the show and the writer of all the scripts)... And of course, they also actually refuse to read the novel because they are no book-readers, and don’t understand why I don’t want to just tell them the whole story of the novel on the spot because they are too unbothered to read it. 

Anyway, you see the kind of person.

The thing is that I first tried to understand their position, their likes, what they came from. And it became very apparent they weren’t the kind of person that would love or enjoy American Gods (or honestly any of Neil Gaiman’s work or related-work). They were the original person that kept complaining the show wasn’t more “action” turned, didn’t have more special effects, more battle, more fights... I saw that they were misled by the promise of a “war” and felt robbed upon watching a show that wasn’t actually depicting a war - so I tried to explain to them how it was more of a supernatural road trip, an exploration of a supernatural world, an urban fantasy type of story... Only to realize that this wouldn’t work either because they wish to have stories a la Marvel with “big flashy special effects” (their words, not mine). But here is the mad thing - despite American Gods clearly not fitting their tastes and likes, despite them not actually putting any effort into trying to read the novel (I don’t think they even were aware there was a novel), despite them only having bad things to say about the show and complaints... They kept watching it all. And they keep returning to the Wiki, just to express their dislike, again and again. I even thought it was a troll at some point - but at this point I think they are just the real deal (or a very dedicated troll). For example, they consider American Gods “the worst fantasy show of all times”. They did not felt or saw any difference between each of the seasons - in fact, they thought it had been made by the same person all along. They literaly disliked the first season - and then the second season - and then the third - and yet they still act as if the show let them down, when it was clear they never liked it in the first place?

Anyway once again, for maybe the third time, I asked them why they kept returning to the American Gods Wiki. Because, for the fourth or fifth time, I kept telling them “THIS SHOW IS NOT FOR YOU! THIS NOVEL IS FOR YOU! YOU ARE CLEARLY HITTING YOURSELF ON THE HEAD AT THIS POINT! And on top of that ruining everyone else’s experiences” (oh yeah because they also keep saying stuff like “Whoever made this show is incompetent” - talking about Fuller and Green included - they basically have the mindset of “If I didn’t like this thing, it means it is bad and the people that like it are stupid” - including season 1). And they gave me this answer that sums up their entire mindset and their tastes - while also explaining clearly how incompatible it is with American Gods.

I liked mad sweeney, I liked some of the characters just based on their personalities, there was some decent action moments but for the most part no I didnt enjoy the show, I told you it was one of the worst shows I ever saw. I kept pushing myself cause I had in my mind maybe this season would be better than the previous but by the time I got to like 2 episodes in season 3 I couldnt take it anymore and I did some scene skimming through season 3 and I was still bored. You can think Im dumb in terms of taste that is fine but I am not a fan of these tv shows and movies and just stories where the supernatural is in the background its like a minor thing and the story is mostly  about the human experience and philosphy, I dont care for that, that in my opinion is in some ways worse than a story that has no supernatural elements. I'd probably hate shakespeares work cause from what people have told me that is sometimes the type of story he'd make. And im not saying character development is a bad thing, Im saying to me it seemed like the supernatural themes always took a backseat in this show. Thats why I was always like if its this big war between gods, why do they spend 99% of the show just talking? If its some situation of where oh we dont have the budget for big spectacle flashy fights then as harsh as this sounds they had no business making this show at least not on tv.

Yep. This is a person that believes a story “where the supernatural is in the background is worse than if there is no supernatural at all”, and yet they still hold on the delusion that somehow they will like at some point American Gods? And again - the television series, because they flat out refuse to read the novel. (But even if they did, I know they will dislike it, because obviously)

Oh yeah and have I mentioned that this exact same conversation has been happening different times, under various forms, across the last years? The person just won’t leave, and will keep repeating the same things again and again. All I could manage so far was to redirect them from the comment sections (which became clogged up with debates) from personal message walls, but that’s not much.

So... if you have any opinion or advice about the situation, please go ahead, because at this point I don’t know what to do anymore. I tried to be nice, I tried to be mad, I tried to bargain, I tried to explain, nothing works. I am considering a ban at some point because I don’t want to deal with another year of “This show is the worst thing I ever saw and I never liked it, this is why I hang exclusively on its Wiki!”

Okay am I the only Gen z who got the messages of hunger games and Percy Jackson?

The pjo books pointed out how the Titan Kronos exploited the shitty system the main 12 Olympians created and the much needed reformation the Greco-Roman pantheon needed in their treatments of lesser gods and demigods

The hunger games pointed out how BOTH sides exploit people like Katniss and was as bloodthirsty the capitol leaders.

Y’all remember how district 13 hides bombs in packages which lead to the death of innocent CHILDREN including Katniss sister prim right

Oh and the revolutionaries were planning on doing another hunger games with capitol kids as revenge.

Almost like revolutionaries are as shitty as the oppressors?

*cough* Killmonger *cough*

I mean PJO and Hunger Games gave as much nuance as they could while being published under Disney Hyperion and Scholastic .

But y’all didn’t get the memos

Oh right right my family issues so that why I got it.

Also another thing, the majority of enemies Percy Jackson and other demigods are monsters and gods going like “Your godly parent did something terrible to me so I’m going to take it out on you!”

Just like how for some goddamn reason, a poor white trailer boy is responsible for the evil shit the pilgrims did

But the Benin and Muslim people are A okay despite being the direct descendants of the Dahomey and

*check wiki*

Hmm, the Kashmir genocide, 9/11, the on going rampant killing of Nigerian Christian children by Muslim extremists

Obviously not all of them, but a lot of Gen z doing understand they have the mentality of VILLAINS rather than good people

Oh and my generation saying Osama Bin Laden was right. As a military brat and if I was heard someone say that in public

I will make the hunchback of Norte dome look like Prince Charming after the face rearranging I would do to those wokies

I never read any of those and only saw the first movies of the series's so I can't comment much on that.

Just like how for some goddamn reason, a poor white trailer boy is responsible for the evil shit the pilgrims did But the Benin and Muslim people are A okay despite being the direct descendants of the Dahomey and *check wiki* Hmm, the Kashmir genocide, 9/11, the on going rampant killing of Nigerian Christian children by Muslim extremists Obviously not all of them, but a lot of Gen z doing understand they have the mentality of VILLAINS rather than good people

With the not all of them, yes you're 100% right it's a oddity we get people online making 30 tweet threads about how black Americans are not a monolith but individuals each one being the sum of their own lived experiences which are different from each others.

And then Simone Biles smashes through the record books again (girl is unreal, just wow) and all of a sudden it's melanin power and all that jazz firing right back up. Or god forbid Tim Scott says something

the root: we don't do the HN shame

Also the root: but......

Not so bad as Atlanta Black Star can be but still. ______________

the people cheering on the various Islamic groups confuse the shit out of me, if they think white Europeans were harsh with them they should look up slavery in the middle east.

there were some bright spots yes, but mostly it was slave labor till you could labor no more and then you get left to die

Last place to make slavery illegal was Mauritania in 1982, it was lip service though since having slaves wasn't actually criminalized till 2007.

Still "bonded" servants there too, fancy name for slave/indentured servant for those that may not know that one.

pumpkins

Halloween just wouldn't be Halloween without large pumpkins grimacing and grinning at us from steps and railings, glowing from within with a ghastly light as the night falls thick around the neighborhood. The pumpkin jack o' lantern has become almost synonymous with Halloween, from the grinning pumpkin head worn by Ichabod Crane's Headless Horseman to Pillsbury's ready to bake tubes of colored pumpkin faced cookie dough. The pumpkin isn't just for jack o' lanterns either! The second the weather gets the first sharp bite of autumn to it out comes the pumpkin spice everything! Pumpkin coffee, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie - its not even just for food. Pumpkin candles and tiny decorative pumpkins everywhere! If there is one overwhelming symbol of autumn, at least in most of the Western world, surely it must be the pumpkin. In fact, the pumpkin is so overwhelmingly 'autumn' themed that both Halloween and US Thanksgiving claim it as a vital part of the party.

So would it surprise you to learn that the pumpkin we recognize these days is a North American plant and its autumnal rein of power is fairly new?

Would it surprise you to learn that the jack o' lantern once looked very different than it does today?

(not if you spend time in certain circles of tumblr but we're going to dip in anyway)

Once upon a time, so the Irish story goes, there was a very lazy man called Stingy Jack. If he had only been lazy, this story would be shorter but he was also desperately clever. There are quite a few versions of the story but the basic of it follows a familiar route. Man has done something that either puts him in a spot of trouble with his neighbors or else is just feeling so lazy that he can't even fulfill one of his wants. Either way, the Devil sees an opportunity and shows up, offering to help Jack with his problem. Jack, like most folklore heroes, agrees. The Devil then turns himself into a silver coin, or climbs an apple tree or something of the kind, fulfilling his part of the bargain. Jack, however, has the power of God and anime crosses on his side and proceeds to use them to trap the Devil in his shapeshifted form or up a tree. Jack keeps him there until the Devil agrees to never bother Jack again. The Devil agrees, life goes on for Jack as per normal and one day he dies. He's been a shifty, stingy Jack so Heaven won't take him but now, pride still bruised or promise still in place, neither will Hell. All Jack gets from behind the closed fiery gates is a single thrown coal and the order to 'get lost'. And so, rejected by the afterlife yet still very much dead, Jack must wander the Earth forever, the single glowing coal the only light to guide him where he's put it in a carved vegetable to help light his way. Traditionally, people put out jack o' lanterns each Halloween or Samhain or All Saints/Soul's Day to both ward off evil spirits and to help guide the friendly dead, like wandering Jack, home.

Thing was, this story is older than the European discovery of the New World. Jack and his will o' wisp lantern, and the subsequent 'lanterns' left out by others later on, was a carved turnip.

Yep. That would scare me away too if I saw it left outside someone's house. Anyway, the carved turnip, or other useful tuber, stayed the go-to vegetable when it came to carved jack o' lanterns lighting up the late October nights until the mid 1800s when the Irish Famine drove many to immigrate to the United States. Traditions are adaptable and who would bother with a turnip when there were great, round, bright and easily hollowed out pumpkins right there? In no time at all, the idea of pumpkin jack o' lanterns had spread across the US and bam! A new king of autumnal vegetables was born.

Except the pumpkin is a fruit. A berry in fact.

Yeah, I had to wiki that one too.

The jack o' lantern isn't the only superstition around pumpkins.

In Appalachian tradition, if a cow eats pumpkin seeds it will stop giving milk. Pumpkin seeds are also used to get rid of tape worms in a process that involves fasting, milk and castor oil.

Pumpkins should always be planted on Good Friday for the best results.

Pumpkins are seen as signs of fertility, prosperity and abundance.

and finally, eating a pumpkin stalk will make you foolish (because eating it in the first place wasn't already proof)

A TOAST TO THE NEW YEAR -- GOBLETS OF WINE FROM THE HYBORIAN AGE.

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on promotional shots of Queen Taramis (portrayed by English actress Sarah Douglas), dark sorceress and primary antagonist of American epic sword & sorcery/fantasy film, "Conan the Destroyer" (1984), directed by Richard Fleischer.

EXTRA INFO: Taramis is the Queen of the City of Shadizar and a prime worshiper of the Dreaming God, Dagoth.

Costume design by John Bloomfield

Sources: https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Queen_Taramis, X, Pinterest, various, etc...

This is just my personal experience with them as a jewish person, but the edgy anti-theist people who claim to have read other religious texts never actually interact with the communities that follow those texts. I've met so many, almost always, white and edgy athetists who read or at least claim to have read the Torah and then try to "debate" or "educate" me like they're talking to a Christian. Yes, there's hundreds of similarities between the Bible and the Torah, and the Quran but that doesn't mean our communities are the same or have the same discussions as white American Christians do

Oh one MILLION percent of anti-theists haven’t engaged with communities because they have a superiority complex.

Another secret is that they just read the Bible and go to sparknotes to find key differences between the Bible and the other books or read a wiki article.

When someone tells you they have read the religious texts of several faiths, they’re almost always lying, and even when they aren’t they just skimmed it and took the literal meaning to heart rather than understanding how people interpret and evoke those words.

Religions are very important to a lot of people and the sooner you outgrow whatever edgy god is dead phase you got stuck in during middle school the better.

The fact there’s grown adults acting like that is just embarrassing.

Hey, my mind keeps going back to how the Cullen clan is barely known as the "Olympic Coven" (idk why but I think of Greek mythology). I feel like if they HAVE to have a title, not including last names, it should represent an aspect they all share rather than where they live or came from.

They travel like every decade or so, right? Different aliases are used every time they do so it doesn't really make much sense to name the whole group after ONE place (even if it is a favorite of the family).

So, what about the "Golden Coven"? Or maybe something related to the lion on their family crest? (I like to think it's kinda canon but not too in-your-face a la SM's style.) It can be a symbolic word or a term for transformation, rebirth, peace, faith or hope, family...

We could go all day talking about this and maybe even make a poll tbh.

I am firmly in the "it makes NO SENSE to call them that" camp. I fully blame the Twilight fandom wiki; they really latched on to the term (that, again, was used one single time in the back of Breaking Dawn) and people who look up Twilight info online usually get it from that source, so everyone uses "the Olympic Coven" even though the actual Illustrated Guide does not use it. Seriously, open the guide. It's "The Cullen Coven" all the way through. Also literally no one in the actual text of the books calls them that, either (source).

It also bugs me because it's, again, so Bella-centric. The only two members of the coven who are actually FROM there are . . . Bella and Renesmee. Naming it after them erases all the earlier history.

I fully believe that SM came up with that name when writing BD being like OH HOW COOL! LIKE THE GODS OF OLYMPUS! and then later, as she worked on the guide, realized like "oh hmm kinda weird to name them after a place they have only lived for three years when canonically most of these vampires have known Carlisle for way, way longer than that." And for me it's like, how many international vampires would associate "Olympic" with the Olympic peninsula in Washington state, USA, and not, like, Mt. Olympus in Greece? I'm American and I STILL think Greece when I hear 'Olympic.'

No, sir, I don't like it.

The Denali and Volturi are named after a very specific place, but they notably have been there for a very long time and don't move. The Denali coven has been there since at least the 1930s, probably longer, and the Volturi have been in Volterra for centuries. So it makes sense to tie them to such a specific place. Doesn't make sense for the Cullens.

They could be "The American Coven" or the "North American Coven" since they have lived in Canada. Technically the Denali would also fit there, but they do consider them extended family so it sort of works? Like it's the North American Coven with the Denali and Cullen branches. In this way it would mimic the Egyptian, Irish and Romanian covens.

But the Golden Coven is kind of cool, too! Meeting them for the first time, that's obviously what any vampire is going to notice about them.

"Those animal-eating weirdos" is probably what most vampires call them tbh.

I do kind of like Cullen Coven though--I think Carlisle is famous enough in the vampire world as the strangely charming weird vegan friend that naming the coven after him works; it also reinforces the family vibes by having them use an actual human last name, which none of the vampires really do. Because this dude's weird and has a job and a house and a wife and kids and pays taxes.

But literally anything but the Olympic Coven I'm begging. Sounds cool but makes no sense.