#wolfinthethorns

pamdizzle: One think I think that is important to mention is that by challenging each other, they force each other to grow as people, which is something that wasn’t happening, rather obviously, between Laura and Shadow.

Perfectly stated, both of you. @wolfinthethorns - I think that’s very true, and there’s also this aspect of Laura’s foremost modus operandi being “numbness”...I think numbness, disconnect and/or apathy sort of leads one to ignore or downplay the various emotional states. Even if Laura was feeling depressed or angry or sad, it’s not as if Laura would find dwelling in those emotions or externalizing them as “useful”. It’s only when she experiences loss - loss of her life, Shadow’s love, her physical state - does she see and understand that desire, wanting things and striving for some modicum of happiness are good things, that life can be worth giving a fuck. 

And I think, with Shadow, once she got to know him better, maybe there was a part of her that decided to hide that side of her because she knew Shadow would feel burdened with that knowledge, and she didn’t want to do that to him. I think there’s something to be said about that moment Laura tells him she’s not happy, and how he goes to ridiculous lengths to rectify that. And I think Laura absolutely knew that about him, hence why she suggests they rob the casino. Sweeney, on the other hand, probably wouldn’t be as naive or self-sacrificing, but like you said, he has had the “advantage” of seeing Laura at her worst and Laura allowing herself to be at her worst, so all of that cuts through the bullshit right away. 

@pamdizzle - totally. I’m a sucker for ships where people keep each other honest. I just watched GLOW s3 (dunno if y’all watch, but it’s a great show) and I do ship the Sam/Ruth dynamic, even though there are dissenters who are like, “Omg, Sam is so mean to her!!” Um...he’s not trying to be “mean” - he’s being honest and he’s expressing his frustration towards her when Ruth’s being disingenuous, which is kinda often. It’s unfiltered communication, however unrefined it may strike you. Like, what do people want, Victorian England speak?

 And because Sweeney and Laura started off where the bar was low, like ofc things were only going to get better for them the more they got to know each other. And the more they did, the more they challenged each other and naturally offset the other’s weaknesses, e.g. 

...even if the intent was to hurt the other person,

...let it be said that it’s only because they CARE. That challenging someone can mean lots of things, but being passive and/or subscribing blindly to what the other person says or does ain’t one of them. And you only need to look at what happened after ^ those moments to see how they impacted Laura and Sweeney (even if what Laura said to him played a small part in him dying) in the growth aspect you mentioned. Laura should’ve handled that latter situation better, but we gotta cut her some slack cos she’s kind of a noob at this, lol. And it’s probably because she hasn’t been challenged emotionally for most of her life until Sweeney came along.

I reckon it's because there's a subset of people who think Dickens is High Art and thus Serious, and forget he was writing relatable content for the masses. A bit like how until fairly recently most Shakespeare productions were super serious, even the comedies. It's intellectual snobbery, basically.

Oh, it’s absolutely that. It’s Literature™, so God forbid it actually be entertaining.

Though at the same time, there also seems to be this uncomfortable awareness of Dickens’ popular appeal, because so many new adaptations seem obsessed with presenting themselves as Deeper and somehow more psychologically profound than the originals. All the interviews I’ve read about this one keep talking about how it ~reads between the lines~ and takes us into Scrooge’s past to explore what made him the way he is. (Because that’s not a huge part of the original or anything, no sir.)

Honestly, right now I’m just boggling at the idea of giving the grimdark treatment to A Christmas Carol, of all stories. The one that’s not only about the importance, but the joy of being a decent human being. 

long car rides, whiskey, gold coins, spiteful silence, stealing glances at each other and thinking the other person doesn’t notice, vast flower fields, gradually growing used to someone else’s presence, shitty motel rooms, memories of past lives, wiping blood off your face, the sense of longing for something your cannot describe, trading insults, looking at someone through cigarette smoke, angry kisses, sunlight

https://thefolklorepodcast.weebly.com/season-3

Go ooonnnn...

So I base this on the concept that magic is energy harnessed and directed by intent (which i am sure some people will disagree with, because if i may borrow an adage, get four witches around a cauldron and you’ll come away with five opinions) and futher that the energy you harness changes the character of the spell.

For instance, if I were to use my energy to cast a spell that spell could operate in perpetuity because, while my energy has a limit, I can recharge myself when my energy runs low.

However, if an energy source is finite, for instance magic that uses a candle, the spell comes to an end when its energy source has gone.

Is any of PD worth watching? I keep seeing gif sets and it looks like an aesthetic I'd dig, but I've also heard a lot of people say the plot and script is terrible.

It definitely has its moments. There are some wonderful actors, beautiful characterizations, and whole episodes or scenes where the music and the visuals are quite stunning/poignant. However, there is also quite a bit of gratuitous gore, baffling/abrupt character deaths, wasted opportunities, later character inconsistencies, and as much as it attempts to preach about how ill-treated women are they still wind up insane, murdered, miserable, bereft.

Heh, so here with you on the kholrabi conundrum - I'm a member of a community garden, and I get a veg box from a local farm, so every year they come into season and it's like "but what do I /do/ with this?" There's only so much coleslaw one can make, y'know?

I know the feeling! Don’t ask me about how much of the space in my fridge is, at this very moment, occupied by root vegetables, okay? As far as the kohlrabi goes, I recommend using it as a radish substitute, but I’m not super-creative with it, either.

vermiculated replied to your post “Cooking meme”

wait, you PREFER an electric stove? but what if you need to make s'mores? (i realize that's not so much a 'cooking project' as it is 'girl scouts!!' but still.) regardless: this is a great meme.

I know, I know: it's the sort of character flaw that would get me kicked out of some troops, but as for the specific question of s'mores: if there's no risk of getting pine needles in them or having them stolen by the counselor, then really, what is the point? (In my defense, my first - and only - gas stove was in the apartment that also had gas leaks and an ethusiastically incompetent DIY landlord.)

nasturtian replied to your post “Cooking meme”

Yay I'm so glad you did this! I love finding out about other people's cooking lives. I laughed at the bit about wanting to feel like Brother Cadfael with your mortar and pestle! :D