Really Really Hate Having To Explain To People Why Relying On Generative Ai To Do Anything Is Bad. Water

Several million real ass human occupations paying 3 crisp dollars and a pat on the ass to experience literal sisyphean torture and live in a cardboard box and you spent several small countries in money to build a robot that can shit out badly written books that nobody has the money to buy, the time to read, or the learned intellectual capacity to analyze critique and learn from

The next person who tells me to save time with an AI crapbasket is getting a Canon LS-100TS 10 digit calculator shoved up their ass

Imogene is ride or die. I love her.

Good Omens Incorrect Quotes 5

Still not mine.

Crowley as Aziraphale: *gets set on fire and screams in agony*

Crowley as Aziraphale: Nah, I’m just kidding. Fire does nothing to me.

Crowley: I'm a firm believer in "if you're going to fail, you might as well fail spectacularly."

Warlock, T-posing in the doorway: Greetings, Nanny.

Crowley, not looking up from their coffee: Good morning, problem child.

Aziraphale: Please say words of encouragement to me so I don’t murder someone right now.

Crowley: There are no books in prison.

Aziraphale: *sighs* Thank you.

Aziraphale: Jesus Saves.

Crowley: Passes to Moses, SCOOOOOORE!

Crowley: Well, if you're not at least a little bit gay for your friends, then what kind of friend are you?

Crowley: If you don't stop talking, I'm going to jump out of that window.

Aziraphale: ...We're on the ground floor.

Crowley: I know but I want a dramatic exit.

Aziraphale: I made this friendship bracelet for you.

Crowley: You know, I’m not really a jewelry person.

Aziraphale: You don’t have to wear…

Crowley: No, I’m gonna wear it forever. Back off.

Crowley: So jellyshish-

Aziraphale, laughing: JELLYSHISH!?

Crowley: You know what I meant!

Crowley: What's gone wrong, Aziraphale?

Aziraphale: Hey! That’s one heck of a thing to say to a person. Just because I’m calling doesn’t mean there’s a crisis.

Crowley: That’s technically true, I suppose. Why are you calling?

Aziraphale: Well... There’s a crisis.

Crowley, hungover: Please tell me I'm imagining that I claimed I was king of the ducks.

Aziraphale: I would, but then I would be lying to the King of All Ducks.

Aziraphale: Crowley? What are you doing here?

Crowley, wearing a hawaiian shirt, sunglasses and holding a gatorade: My best.

Newt: I’m here for the cult stuff.

Shadwell: How did you find us?

Newt: I saw your ad on craigslist.

Aziraphale: I am in charge of this disaster!

Crowley: I have a name, you know.

Crowley, wiping tears from their eyes: If you love someone, set them free. If they come back, it’s meant to be…

Aziraphale: I’m literally just going to the store.

Crowley: I have issues.

Gabriel: Finally, you admit it! The first step to redemption is accept-

Crowley: With you.

Crowley: *on the phone with Anathema* I can’t talk right now, I’m doing hot girl shit.

Anathema: You’re pulling Oreos apart and saving off the frosting to make a mega Oreo, aren’t you.

Crowley: Maybe.

Crowley: Now, the recipe calls for 2 shots of vodka.

Crowley: *upends the bottle*

Aziraphale: Sorry, I'm late to the party. I've been doing things.

Crowley, entering in an unbuttoned shirt: I got caught up doing things too.

Anathema: Wow, Aziraphale was late too! What a coincidence!

Aziraphale: You spent all our money on THIS??

Crowley, putting tiny raincoats on ducklings: They live outside. They need this.

Crowley: Where are you going?

Aziraphale: To get MYSELF a gift cause somebody didn't get me one!

Crowley: I told you I did! Its coming here on Friday!

Anathema, knowing full well that Crowley got Aziraphale an engagement ring: *eating popcorn*

Crowley: The only thing keeping me from running away and hiding from society for the rest of my life is spite. I could disappear forever, but there are some bitches whose downfalls I have yet to witness, and I wanna be around when that happens.

Aziraphale: You’re drunk.

Crowley: Correction: drinking. Present tense. Grammar, Aziraphale.

Aziraphale: Do you see yourself as a glass half-full or glass half-empty kind of person?

Anathema: Half-full, definitely.

Anathema: Half-full and constantly rising.

Anathema: Soon the water will escape its container and consume us all.

Crowley: Okay, but what if we went to dinner not as friends this time?

Aziraphale: AS ENEMIES?!

Crowley:

I am fuming. My blood is boiling, omg.

I'm from the Netherlands, and a woman has just come forward that her likeness was used in making fake commercials. Y'all. This woman used to have a gambling problem, and since then has been giving interviews and warning people about the dangers of gambling.

A gambling website took one of these interviews about the dangers of gambling and used AI to instead have this woman say that she got this app recommended by a friend and that she won 12 million euros.

They took this woman's interview and twisted it until it's against everything she stands for. She has of course sought legal action and the case is being investigated.

I fucking hate AI so much!!! Fuck you, how DARE you?!

No actually.

First of all, Joel. He cheated on his pregnant wife. That’s the first thing we learn about him. But that’s not why I dislike him. I have way bigger issues. We learn that Midge said no when he asked her out, and he didn’t accept this. He tells her that their song is “You Belong to Me” which is so creepy. He judges her drink choice, saying he’ll “fix it”. Amaretto sours are known for not having a lot of alcohol, so it’s kind of concerning that he’s judging her for something that doesn’t lower her inhibitions. He criticizes Midge for things that aren’t her fault (show sweater, him bombing). He introduces the kids to Penny without Midge’s permission, then gets mad at her when Benjamin surprises her at the park. The first thing Midge says is that she needs to clear it with Joel, but Joel doesn’t believe her and just yells at her and accusing her of leaving him. The audacity and double standards are unbelievable.

He lies to her about having no money and not owning their apartment.

He plans to move across the country, knowing that he won’t see the kids. He brings his very young children to live in a factory which he himself points out is full of dangerous, flammable chemicals and sharp, heavy machinery. He doesn’t want Ethan to see a therapist when he’s having sleeping problems. Everyone forgets about these events, which bothers me because everyone rags on Midge’s parenting but never Joel’s.

He never apologizes for what he did. After he and Midge sleep together in 1.8, he acknowledges that he didn’t apologize, but never actually does. Then he has the gall to say that he left because she was “a lot” and claim that he “never really left”.

What’s also concerning is that the minute after Midge puts her rings back on, she starts measuring herself. Part of this is definitely just the time period and definitely her mother’s influence, but it’s interesting how the two correlate.

Deep down, Joel is an insecure child who can’t let his partner be better than him. That’s why he has that fight with Mei about the liquor license. He says in season 3, that he knows he likes “conductors” but then gets upset when they act like conductors.

When he sees Midge perform for the first time, he throws a fit because Midge is good. She tries to work it out, but he just walks away, then refuses to get back together because he’s insecure. To be fair, I do absolutely understand his position here, I just don’t like how he left Midge in limbo about it. (She mentions that he won’t return her calls). Yet, he still tries to tell her where to live because he’s controlling.

Now, I like him considerably better in seasons 3 and 4. His Catskills characterization is actually really great. His support of Midge in court is actually really nice, and I like that he comes to her defense with the panty pose picture. His support of her career is actually really great and his relationship with Mei is really interesting and does a lot to make me like him.

Then we get to the Vegas episode. They wake up together and he feels guilty because of his relationship with Mei. To be fair, I don’t think that this is cheating because it’s clear they haven’t had the exclusivity discussion. I also understand why he is frustrated with the situation, however none of that is any excuse for how he treats Midge. Midge is joking about the situation, since there’s obviously nothing they can do about it now. He tries to slut shame her for “entertaining herself on the road”. Now, Midge isn’t doing that, but even if she was, that is her business. And he is no position to judge promiscuity after having flings with all of the factory models in season 2. Once again, the double standards are absolutely ridiculous.

I do wish he had told Midge about the money situation with Susie, and I blame both of their characters for keeping this serious issue hidden.

In season Season 4, I like him. I like that he wants to support Mei. This is really when I started to engage with Joel. He has great moments in season 2&3, but Season 4 has them on display more often.

Then…we get season 5. He blames Midge for Mei leaving and ending the pregnancy, something that I already analyzed earlier. He acts like he deserves a medal for being concerned that Midge is owned by the mob. He’s trading pictures of his ex-wife (specifically revealing ones where she looks younger. Ew). But the thing that bothers me most, is the set that he does at the beginning of 5.2.

He degrades her onstage, mocking her for not spending enough time on his jockey shorts. She was busy raising your children and cooking your brisket asshole. The worst part is, he does it for revenge. He says “turnabout is fair play”. Midge never talked about him for revenge. She did it because she was sad and embarrassed and needed a way to vent, because there’s not a whole lot of people in Midge’s life that actually listen to her.

All that said, I think Joel is really interesting. Michael Zegen does a great job portraying Joel with complexity and humanity, and people who send him hate mail are…rude to say the least.

However, the reason I hate Joel from a narrative standpoint, is because Midge is never able to truly get over him. He is not good for Midge, and deep down, he’s a selfish, spoiled brat who is only happy when everything is perfect for him.

Yes I’m a huge MidgexLenny fan, but I knew that wasn’t going to work. I wanted to see Midge happy yes, but not in such a reductive way. I wanted to see her stop her dependence on Joel, see her independent and thriving. That’s why Joel’s double standards bother me. He doesn’t want to be with her, but he also doesn’t want her to move on. He can move on, but she can’t.

Secondly, I hate what they did with Susie.

The gambling thing resurfacing made no sense to me. It was never even implied that she started gambling again after she lost all of Midge’s money in season 3.

I hate the fact that she went to Joel she never told Midge about it.

I hate the way she wasn’t the one to get Midge out from the mob and never told Midge about the situation. I don’t like the direction they went in with Nicky and Frank. I liked it better when they were actually supportive of another Rockaways kid. I’m not saying that they couldn’t have asked to get a taste, but they could’ve done it another way.

I hate that Susie couldn’t get through to Midge in season 4. Susie from seasons 1-2 would never have let Midge tank her career like this.

Once again, Alex Borstein is phenomenal as the character. My issues come from how the characters are being written.

I have a lot of issues with Midge in seasons 4-5. Like a lot of people, I am disappointed with the current trajectory of the show.

However, when I share my thoughts, whether they’re positive or negative, I am doing so because I have opinions that I want to share. I am not trying to diminish anyone else’s enjoyment, but rather engage critically with media I care about.

Season 5 Episode 6 spoilers below:

Gotta love how Joel went behind Midge’s back to solve the problem with the mobsters. He could’ve shown her the book or went back to her to raise his concerns again now that he had tangible proof. But no. It’s Joel, so he has to lie and go behind her back about stuff that pertains to her own life. This man has learned absolutely nothing.

Also hate that he’s trading pictures of her in prison. He specifically asks for the panty pose picture which is so gross. He got mad at someone for having it in S3 but whatever.

I almost rage-quit when Midge said she was still in love with Joel. I still hate her romance plots this season. Gordon is gross. The stalker guy is gross. Joel still sucks. The guy literally blamed Midge for Mei leaving and ending the pregnancy. Yeah Midge was probably still a little jealous since Joel was such a huge part of her life, but there’s a lot of concern for her children driving it as well. “I don’t want them calling you mom.” Is a line that especially has a lot of insecurity behind it.

I guess the rest of the episode was okay. Unsurprisingly, Alex Borstein was great, but I am totally on Midge’s side in regards to her fight with Susie. Susie should’ve told Midge the truth.

I almost cried at the ending.

I miss Lenny. But that’s why we have fanfic.

Also, I know it was a joke, but Midge says she and Susie had sex in Pensacola and refers to their fight as a “break-up”…so…I want to see that story.

Marvelous Geeks Media

School Spirits' 'Anatomy of a Fallout Shelter' Gives Viewers Moments of Tender of Longing

School Spirits Season 2, Episode 7, "Anatomy of the Fallout Shelter" delivers some of the sweetest moments of intimacy.

As people continue to argue that intimacy isn’t necessary on TV, we’ll keep championing more of it. Intimacy matters. Romance matters. Consensual sex scenes that, yes, elevate the plot (and even if they didn’t) matter. We wrote about it for Severance’s “Attila,” and now it’s important to address it in School Spirits‘ “Anatomy of a Fallout Shelter.”

Continue Reading

I was thinking about the “I’ll never speak to you again” line. Yes it’s emotional manipulation (but Aziraphale thinks that’s what he - an angel - is supposed to be because…well…er…literally almost all of the angels he regularly interacts with are). Yes he would also hate not talking to Crowley.

But the thing is…it’s just kind of a fact. It is literally what will happen if either side wins, no matter which side wins, they won’t see each other. One or both of them might be permanently destroyed in the battle (with the latter possibly probably a worse scenario for both of them). At the very least they will never see each other. 6 millennia of at least having the knowledge that their paths will eventually cross will end.

Aziraphale is finally realizing that it doesn’t matter what side wins, that both are willing to destroy his home of 6,000 years, and he has no idea how to plan for this. What he does know, is that Crowley had figured this out long before he did, and would be better able to come up with some sort of plan.

Absolutely (Not) the Same Man

Regeneration and Identity

I really l like way Christmas Invasion presents regeneration and how Rose and Ten in-universe seem to understand.

Harriet Jones says that Ten is “absolutely the same man”. Rose does not agree despite being in the scene.

She agrees that 10 is the Doctor, but…not the same. She still loves him and sees the fundamental values being retained but she sees them as different.

She unequivocally says “you’re so different”. She’s beaming when she says it, clearly not missing Nine but rather mystified by Ten. It’s so subtle, (and a lot comes from Billie’s delivery) but even after accepting it, there is something alien about the process lingering.

It’s why I don’t fault her for being upset by the potential regeneration in Journey’s End, it’s the same reason we all are sad to see a Doctor go.

Because the fundamental character traits that we love will be there (you know…hopefully) but everything else will change. Their personalities and the ways they interact with the universe and the way they see themselves all changes. All the quirks and eccentricities that make up the characterization specific to one incarnation of the Doctor as a character, which are what we latch onto change.

We may like who gets tagged, whoever is now ‘it’. But there’s still a friend we’ll miss.

This Doctor wears pinstripes and trainers, instead of leather and combat boots. He willingly wears a paper crown.

He is domestic in a way Nine would never be. He doesn’t tempt Rose from a family dinner, he joins her at one of his own volition, then relishes in it while wearing a paper crown.

I do think this works particularly well here, because it feels like a character arc. It helps Ten feel like an actual extension of Nine. I think this why that it works for them to have the same TARDIS and first companion. It makes the change easier.

Nine was reminded of the beauty of living through Rose and humanity, and reminded ordinary humans that there was no such thing. I love the moment he has with the couple in Father’s Day for this reason.

Ten, in concept and practice, takes this love for humanity and runs with it. (Sometimes way too far depending on the writer. But that’s another meta). He’s more open with his feelings while still being deeply, deeply repressed.

Arguably, I think there’s a moment he tries to learn from his mistakes with Rose. He tries to relay the happy memory of Christmas dinner to Donna before it becomes something else he’s lost. All of her other attempts at connection are shut down.

Later, he’s able to find some respite with Donna in series 4. He’s able to live with his grief and heal for a bit. And he gives Donna a chance to realize that there’s no such thing as an ordinary human.

Then he has to take it all away. All of the edges Donna had softened out, the self-confidence she built up so she didn’t need to scream at the world to feel heard. Gone.

His best friend, just like the love of his life. Gone. And this time it’s like never happened at all.

It’s the last important arc before Time Lord Victorious for a reason.

(it’s honestly more thematically satisfying to go straight to Waters of Mars after series 4)

It’s why he comes to see regeneration as dying.

It’s how we get from “All I did was change” in Born Again, to “It’s like dying.” in the of End of Time

He just watched the identity of his best friend be ripped from her. Plus he feels emotions with more humanity than any incarnation. He feels the fear of identity loss like a human fears mortality.

(This was also before the Doctor had been given more regenerations, and post-war he was burning through them, and was over half through them, so there’s an added layer there)

I never for a second felt he was “throwing a tantrum” in Journey’s End.

I hate when people, including the in universe 11th doctor, say that Ten is vain.

I mean he is. Sometimes it’s done for laughs, but he is arrogant too. Usually it’s well-meaning. He does have more knowledge than anyone and wants to use that to help.

He might be a genius, but he doesn’t understand every intricate detail of human experience. And to be fair, 11 is talking about the metacrisis, but even before Donna’s fate, Ten has begun to project the human fear of death he’s adopted along with all the other emotions onto regeneration.

Journey’s End is the end of a vanity trip. He is stripped down and deeply, deeply scared. And he is allowed to be. And he can react in an intense, emotional way.

There is no hesitation between the knocks and the resignation falling across his face.

There is no doubt what he’s going to sacrifice for Wilf no matter how afraid he is.

Because as intensely as Ten feels fear, it is nothing to how much he loves.

It Needs Saying:

How Regeneration informs character

Christmas Invasion is off for Rose because the man she loves, the only person she knows that thinks she’s fantastic explodes in front of her with a really vague explanation after she wakes up from passing out with her memories missing. She is scared at first because she reasonably assumes that this could be a threat. She’s encountered malevolent shapeshifters and dangerous teleportation rays fairly recently.

And now, there’s this younger, flirty, seemingly happier man promising that he remembers everything, that swears he’s same man. Except this too-good-to-be-true man whispers seductively as he grabs her hand, and smiles like Casanova, and gives her the impression that he definitely dances and wants to with her.

Nine wouldn’t do any of this even if she wished he would, but she knew he loved her, thought of her more highly than anyone she ever met. He loved her so much that a Dalek felt it.

She’s beginning to believe him but then he passes out.

“The proper Doctor would save us” is a weird thing to say about someone who woke up from a coma because you whispered help me. It’s not a weird thing to say about someone who less than twelve hours ago didn’t need to be asked to save people. (Obviously Rose still hasn’t been told what regeneration sickness is because Nine gives a really vague explanation as it’s happening and Ten does explain it but not how to help him because he has ADHD and can’t focus even to literally save his life)

This is also Rose learning the lesson that the Doctor is not a perfect hero in a practical way. She has by now learned about the Time War, about what he did, witnessed his dark rage in Dalek. But now she’s seeing him physically vulnerable, having to take him down off the pedestal in a different way.

He’s getting worse and aliens are invading and she doesn’t know how to help him. She tries running away and saving the people she cares most for (which still includes him) but that fails. She then tries to use what information she’s picked up even if it costs her life. There’s always been a hero in Rose. She risked life in Rose, Dalek, Parting of the Ways and World War III, she does the same now.

Then the Doctor returns and saves the world, with the same fierce protectiveness as Nine. And she doesn’t have a smidge of doubt.

It used to bother me that he yelled at her for giving up on him, but in all fairness “Can you change back?” Probably deeply hurt his feelings, even if it’s hilarious now in 2023.

But she’s leaving out an important part of the question.

She’s asking, “Can you turn back into the person who thinks I actually have worth? Who I know wants me?”

In the end of the Episode, she admits that her concern was that he wouldn’t want her anymore.

It isn’t until he gives explicit verbal confirmation that he still wants her to travel with him (something he hadn’t done before) that she relaxes. (Ironically this is how the love confessions go for them too).

how much fun are we having in this timeline folks?