Contra~cat

NATALIERSO’S FOLLOWERS CELEBRATION 

“Pouring” a drink (forgive the pun, I love them)

Offering a drink

Assessing drunkeness

All the men in these examples are clearly looking to take advantage of Wine, if not actively contribute to putting her in a more vulnerable position. All great examples of how misogynistic men see women as opportunities that can be manipulated to get their desires met. No wonder Wine isolates herself. Creepy men have honed in on her in a disturbing way.

Lal, on the other hand, is constantly assessing what Wine needs, wants, and how to ensure she has the best time. She’s obviously attracted to Wine, but even before she develops deep feelings, she cares for her with her actions. She sees her as an actual person who has, and should have, agency. I actually couldn’t find any instance of Lal even offering Wine alcohol. When Lal offers Wine a drink it’s been “vitamins”, yoghurt (lol), and water. Or, as pictured above, to give her an opportunity to feel included without having alcohol pushed on her.

I don’t think this is ground breaking analysis or anything, it’s just a something that fits well into the themes of the show. People and relationships are not always what they seem. Pleasing words and apparent kind actions are meaningless when they are grounded in selfishness and manipulation. Real care is valuing other people, as people, and cultivating connections.

The heat’s been brutal this summer but we still gotta eat! If you’re like me, heat might suppress your appetite, and the last thing any of us want is to sweat over a hot stove and oven when it’s already boiling outside. Here are some of my favorite hot-weather recipes to keep hydrated and fed with when the weather is unbearable! (All recipes should be un-paywalled).

NYT’s best gazpacho (lives up to its name!!)

Persian cold cucumber soup (if you like tzatziki you will like this!)

Eric Kim’s cold noodles with tomato (infinitely riffable Korean flavor profile — for a creamier and less brothy take, try these cold sesame noodles too)

Vietnamese chicken and herb salad (this is an excellent time to get a rotisserie chicken so you don’t have to turn the oven on)

Radish sandwiches with butter and salt (and in a similar vein, if you dig this flavor combo you should try this Polish cottage cheese dip on some good rye bread or even crackers)

It’s still a little early in the season, but you can never go wrong with a BLT (or, if you don’t eat bacon, try this tomato furikake sandwich in its place)

Infinite iterations of pasta salad! You can use anything you got but here is a template I like.

Assorted dense bean salads. This back pocket canned salad is a weird combo of jarred ingredients but it slaps, this hoagie-inspired one is super satisfying, and cowboy caviar is a classic for a reason.

Poke bowls! Canned tuna mixed with some kewpie mayo and sriracha is a budget-friendly riff on the usual ahi and makes everything taste like a spicy tuna roll, but use whatever proteins you like, this is more of a loose template.

then I looked in the notes and y’know.

some people seems confused.

Why a shopping cart with stained glass? 

or This would be cool to shop with

or something about religion and NO

NO

THIS. Is about HOMES.

That style stained glass? Those diamonds? They speak to me, and they say “Townhouse”. and FANCY townhouse, at that. They say “City home, old home, a home that is RICH, a shelter from the storm and a safe place for a family”.

But on! a! shopping cart!

That evokes - to me - Homelessness.

The person on the street who had no other choice but to steal the best cart they could from a store’s corral just to have a way to transport the meager belongings that are all they fucking have in this world. And it’s NOT a home or a safe place or a shelter but it’s all you fucking have!

And this piece goes and puts them fucking together! AND NAMES IT.