All The Pretty Things

assume people are trying their best, want to be good and treat others well, and that when their behavior doesn’t align with those goals, it’s because of outside factors that are pushing them to their limit

i have a patron who is mean as a snake. won’t respond when you greet her, barks orders at you, and is generally nasty

i couldn’t stand her & dreaded the moment she walked in the door, until i stopped one day & went “wow, to walk around feeling unhappy enough to treat people so horribly every day. what a difficult way to live.”

and so my tactics changed. i made a point to be extra kind & friendly to her. she changed her hair color one day & when i complimented her on it, she was very caught off guard & said “oh, thank you. my whole life i’ve thought i was ugly.”

now we’re at the point where she shows me pictures of watercolor paintings she made & says hi when she walks in the door. she’s not my favorite patron, but she’s perfectly okay. most unpleasant people aren’t inherently rotten, they’re just unhappy & coping with it poorly

and when they say "have you tried SHEIN" I have to say no they operate on slave labor and also the waste they produce is ecologically significant (and also I hate synthetic fibers)

and when they say "use chatgpt to write the marketing script" I have to say actually I'm anti-ai in generative capacity, it should be used sparingly by scientific/medical communities to streamline and improve accuracy but generative ai is actually Evil

And when they say!! Are you watching the new Harry Potter I have to say NO!!! JK Rowling is a cartoon supervillain trying to actually kill trans women!!!!!

the city of los angeles

the city of new york

sex

how drinking alcohol works

how getting high works

how a child of any age speaks

how nuclear physics work

how [my job] works

how debilitating being shot in the shoulder is

how hypothermia works

things I have never before seen someone fake their way through writing about, until today:

SHRIMP COCKTAIL:

banahbanah: #flashback to that one fic where Peter Parker frets about drinking shrimp cocktail because of the alcohol

generaldeliciousness: adding: what a prawn/shrimp cocktail is

#why is your character turning it down because they're under 21 #do you think prawn cocktail is a cocktail #this lives in my brain rent-free constantly #the rest of the fic was so normal #and good enough that i'll still re-read it #but bro

And then many, MANY, people wondering if this was actually authour mistake, since Peter really would do this!

POMEGRANATES:

zhajhassa: #haha where's that post that was like someone describing someone eating a pomegranate but they ate it like an apple

thornhands: #once someone wrote persephone biting into a whole Pomegranate #had to stop and stare at a wall for a minute

sungsingsanguine: I once saw someone very confidently write about a character eating slices of pomegranate.

FRUIT TREES:

zagreuses-toast: #given a very endearing glimpse into a writers blindspots by seeing them describe someone sitting under a ''pineapple tree''

salatrash: I remember something about picking watermelons... OF A FUCKING TREE

baander: #cranberry trees

DOUGH/BATTER:

maycelium: #I'm a chef so I'm really used to people not accurately describing how to cook food #But I was surprisingly flabbergasted when someone was writing making a cake and was kneading it. Which uh #Not necessary for cake. It was interesting for sure but just bizarre

livebloggingmydescentintomadness: #the one that drove me nuts was when a character set aside a batch of PASTA DOUGH 'to rise' #pasta doesn't have yeast!! #it does need to REST but it will never RISE #you do not want an airy crumb on your noodles

lovesodeepandwideandwell: #THE ONE WHERE THEY MADE COOKIES BY LADLING BATTER INTO A TRAY

Some other topics:

Indian Bullfrog (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus), mating, family Dicroglossidae, India

In the breeding season, the males turn bright yellow.

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.

I HAVENT SEEN THIS IN A CDRAMA SINCE FATED HEARTS OMGGGggg *flails wildly*

AND THEN SHE THROWS HERSELF OVER HIM TO PROTECT HIM I —

THE WAY HE CLUTCHES HER TO HIM HELP

*sOBS*

Restarted my Fuyao rewatch and they are still my ultimate battle couple - competent x competent, deadly x deadly, metal x metal, force of nature x force of nature.

Motivated in part by my recent GWG swoon from Snowfall, I've been rewatching selective parts of Fuyao.

I totally forgot that this is why fangirl glommed onto the sexy general. It wasn't his battle fame or w/e, it's because he was the first (and only?) man she saw being considerate to a woman.

HONESTLY THERE ARE WORSE REASONS TO PICK A MAN!!!

And she ain't wrong, because this is them after marriage:

Cdrama : 1. Fated hearts : The FL (a red-clad general of the enemy country and known to be the best archer), shoots an arrow at the ML during a fierce battle between their countries/nations (they were opps). The ML barely survives and seeks for revenge while the FL loses her memory due to someone close to her betraying her and her falling off a cliff as a result (after the battle). They meet again after the battle but the FL doesn't remember the ML. BUT DW Y'ALL THE ML MAKES IT VERY CLEAR THAT THEY'RE ENEMIES. Y'all would be wondering if they'll ever be able to fall in love after almost killing each other like that. (No one sided torment, good communication and genuine healthy relationship between the leads, ML and FL are equals) [HAPPY ENDING] 2. Prisoner of Beauty : The FL's country betrayed the ML's country therefore the ML holds a strong grudge against them. The FL is crazy smart and a great strategist. She usually outsmarts the ML. In terms of intelligence, the ML does not stand a chance against her (the FL is not physically strong but she does not need continuous saving as she's extremely intelligent). They gradually start developing feelings for each other and overcoming misunderstandings and feud between their families. The relationship might feel a little toxic at some points (2-3 points to be specific, the rest is pretty healthy). [HAPPY ENDING]

4. All Rise : This drama is not centered around romance but the ML and FL do end up together. The ML and FL are both academically strong and equals. They're rivals who compete against each other in a training program for limited spots (1-2 spots) organised by one of the top law firms in the country. They go against each other at the beginning but end up allying. But even after they become friends they continue to compete with each other and go against the other. This is one of the best examples of academic rivals to lovers done right. It's criminally underrated. But if you want your drama's main focus to be romance then this might not be for you. (Both leads are law students aiming to be lawyers at the firm). [HAPPY ENDING] 3. Helpless without you/All consumed by you (vertical drama) : TW : SA, childhood trauma, toxic family (doesn't play much role in the FL's story, except for her stepfather) The ML takes therapy from the FL and both fall in love in the process but end up breaking up due to not very healthy reasons- Both the leads are psychotic and the FL hates the ML. The ML and FL are exes but both are koo koo in the head. The story is pretty twisted but at the end both of them (especially the ML) take therapy and heal from their traumas and end up together (they don't stay toxic till the end and resolve their problems before getting with each other). [HAPPY ENDING] 4. Threads of Destiny : The FL and her sister (antagonist) are reborn. They exchange their places as the bride in marriage (suggested by the evil sister of the FL) and as a result the FL ends up marrying the Prince who is uninterested in marriage and the ex husband of her sister from their previous life. Both leads initially dislike each other and plan on divorcing after 1 year but gradually end up falling for each other. The FL is VERY smart and allows no one to trample upon her, doesn't chase after the ML as she was not even interested in him at first, always resolves misunderstandings instantly when she is framed wrongfully and stands her ground. The ML dislikes the FL at first and considers her scheming but eventually starts falling for her. [HAPPY ENDING]

Kdramas :

Honestly I don't have many recs for kdramas as they don't fit the enemies to lovers trope that I want but these are a few that I like 1. Kiss Sixth Sense : The FL, the best account executive on Planning Team 1 at Zeu Ad, making her way up as the project manager, dislikes our ML as she views him as extremely cold, perfectionist and demanding. She looks up to him as a mentor but hates his ways as a supervisor. She possesses a secret superpower which no one is aware of, and as the drama unfolds, our male lead is revealed to have a secret of his own too. (Only last few minutes of the ending kinda pissed me off as they were bickering like teenagers which was unlike their mature personality and relationship throughout the kdrama). [HAPPY ENDING] 2. Twinking Watermelon (On Eun Yu and Ha Eun Gyeol) : They are the best example of bickering enemies to lovers done right. They both time travelled and found each other in the past. They liked each other even when they did not know that the other person was a time traveler as well. (Don't come at me but I honestly liked them more Ha yi Chan and Yun Cheong Ah) [HAPPY ENDING].

3. Queen of tears : The leads are already married but fall out of love due to lack of communication, misunderstandings and social difference. This is quite famous with famous actors and actresses as leads (I can't watch this drama again after the Kim-Soo-Hyun controversy tbh). Lot of angst but overall good chemistry b/w the leads. [HAPPY ENDING]

4. Doctor Slump : Both leads were very academically competent and academic rivals during their school life (the FL ranked higher than the ML). They both pursued different jobs in the medical field but hit rock bottom due to some reasons. They both met each other again while they were at their worst and helped each other heal. The drama does feel a little weak in the later episodes but the initial academic rivalry is a treat to watch as their is no hidden crush, just pure academic rivalry (especially from the ML's side who was hell bent on defeating the FL). [HAPPY ENDING]

5. Our Beloved Summer : Years after filming a viral documentary in high school, the two leads get pulled back in front of the camera and into each other's lives. The leads disliked each other in highschool but somehow ended up falling for each other and dating. They ended up breaking up but met again due to their work. (The FL was insufferable at some points but she had her reasons). [HAPPY ENDING]

5. The Judge from Hell : The FL is an elite judge with a beautiful appearance, but she is a demon. Her mission as a demon is to kill evil people who lead other people to their deaths and don't reflect on their actions. She sends these people to Hell afterwards. The ML, a detective, has a friendly and gentle personality. As a detective, his mind is sharp and he has a keen sense of observation (Source : MDL). I won't go too much into detail about this drama but this is peak enemies to lovers. The ML wants to arrest the FL and the FL literally stabs the ML (he survives dw plus she's not even a human so-).[HAPPY ENDING]

Broooo i would also like to have myself coolly portrayed on a wanted poster, like they didn't even spare the details of how and cool and gorgeous the enemy looked like 😂 enemy painter rent was due that day