#I should eBay more stuff…

[theres-whump-in-that-nebula]

I signed all my apartment papers, paid the security deposit, and got renter’s insurance. Groovy

#ex jw #ex cult #I should eBay more stuff… #Or maybe just drop it off at a thrift shop idk #There’s one nearby which helps neurodevelopmentally disabled people get into the workforce so I’ll donate to them #and also the public library #which has a shop and while I’m there I can get some apartment supplies

[lucalicatteart]

A new sculpture! Finally... I feel like I never sculpt anymore since I'm always sick or have some 500 other things going on or projects to finish, but I'm trying to schedule time to do it more often this year hopefully..! Just a generic fantasy creature as usual, but did try making the eyes a little more sparkly this time.. hrmm..

#sculpture #fantasy art #fantasy creature #art #elf #lol what are the tags I should use... I still never know.. EVIL social media.. hate the idea of tagging anything ever anyway. but alas.. #I also would ideally like to start selling them again and open up custom commmissions and stuff again once I can hopefully get paypal #stuff sorted out. and find like.. a good way to do things.. etc.. I did still want to sell them through auction instead of agonizing #over setting prices being afraid they're either too high or too low. So being able to just be like. Here. this is $50. or more. or less. #negotiate. the worth is whatever you feel like it is so i personally dont have to make that decision. etc. lol... But etsy doesn't let you #do auctions or like pay what you want type stuff so.. then I was thinking ebay? but idk.. ANYWAY.. I want to set things #up so I can sell stuff again hopefully. I still haven't fully recovered from the costs of when I had to take my cat to the vet and put #them down last year and etc. So it'd be good to sell a few things. perhaps.. maychance... perhamble... so on and so forthe... ANYWAY #I was going for whiter more milky sort of hair that blends in closely with the skintone but after the paint dried it seems more yellowy kin #of. which is fine. But just not exacltly like my mind vision lol.. #Also it's like... wow... someone with face spots and elf ears and a half open mouth with a gap tooth and wavy hair and kind of downturned #eyes... revolutionary... never been seen before... every sculpture I have ever made surely doesnt look licherally exactly like this... LOL #but maybe it's just a style. so what. People have their motifs lol.. Im just getting back into sculpting. I shall sameface in peace. huzzah #Just like the only thing I ever carve out of avocado pits anymore is eyes. Because that's just whats fun to do. I'm going to accumulate lik #25 similar avocado eyes and have nothing to do with them. I was thinking of stringing some together into a necklace of eyes or something li #like that but.. hrmm... ANYWAY.. Love to do the same things repetitively. :3c

[hide-your-bugs-away]

...gathering every issue of Beat Instrumental with the Animals on the cover has been a SUCCESS.

#i got the alan and eric one first..... almost three years ago now 🥹🥹🥹 i remember shouting very loudly when i saw a listing for it on ebay #JUST GOT THE ERIC AND CHAS AND DAVE ONE TODAY!!!!!! #the fruity gold suit alan fell in the ocean on the way over here two years ago b u t the cover is still in alright condition 😔 #y e s i have bought way more gay stuff from the uk then anyone should and i'm proud of it #i also got the november of 1966 issue for an alan article inside.... and an eric article inside.... YES I'M OBVIOUS #IT'S THE ARTICLE WHERE ALAN MENTIONS THE VACATION HE AND ERIC WENT ON #also the september '65 issue has an alan article inside. i am very predictable and gay i know. #THE PHOTOS OF HIM ARE SOOOO GOOD. #anyway. time to prepare for peter noone's radio show as i draw ANIMALS. eeeeeee #the animals #alan price #eric burdon #chas chandler #beat instrumental #vintage magazines #not a second mag #things i said today

[icewindandboringhorror]

I found socks with my favorite flowers on them (nasturtiums!), but they literally don't match anything I own, so making an outfit with them is difficult.. just all black with the bright shoes and a random stuffed animal for accents lol

#self #ootd #still unsure if I should do the like.. 'saying where stuff is from' section at the end of outfit posts like I think it's popular to do #but it just feels repetitive because basically for everything is just 'it's all thrifted' occasional 'shoes from ebay 10 years ago so I don #t remember the seller' or 'socks from a random sock store in the mall 2 years ago' etc. #even the stuffed animal is from the bins lol #Shoes and tights and wigs are the only things that it tends to be harder to get from the bins. Though I still find some #except wigs. I wouldn't really wear Bin Wigs since half the bins have like mysterious wet stuff and mold in them or etc. #I've gotten some shoes and stuff there though. But most of my shoes are from online. It's just that theyre also not from #like.. brands..?? Like 'converse' or something. It's more.. some random ebay seller in 2017 or something #so then that feels weird too because I thought the point of that being popular is so people can go find the things you're wearing and #buy them or whatever. but in my case that would never be helpful ghjbjk #since I also keep things so long. I have shoes and stuff Ive had since elementary school #good luck tracking down where I got these tights on ebay in 2011. good luck going to the bins or a thriftstore and finding the same #exact dress or etc. So then in that case does it even matter?? eh #The only sense I could see it being useful in is like. people seeing that they could make looks without spending a lot of money. #since I have had some comments on costumes or makeups before like 'omg I would love to look like this if I had the $$ for clothes *sad emo #ji*' or whatever. and I always want to message them and be like.. this entire outfit cost like $2.. you can do it. Don't get discouraged #I mean depending on the resources available to you. I know not everyone has a bins type place near the #m. but still. and all of my makeup and wigs are cheap as hell. Probably full of terrible chemicals. but I wear them like. once every 5 mont #hs or less since I dont do full costumes that often so hopefully wont get an infection or something. etc. etc. #ANYWAY. I could see it being useful I guess in just letting people know most of everything is secondhand #if that's meaningful to them for some reason. but also I feel like thats obvious since I talk about it. so #still just seems repetitive to me. ANYWAY. Love nasturtiums... aaaaaa... even though it's not my colors at all and I never #wear black or anything that would match them #I had to do it. I also normally would never ever pay $12 for socks but.. it's SO specific to my tastes and I had never seen anything #with nasturtiums on it before since they dont seem as popular as like roses or sunflowers. One of my once every 2 years #impulse buys at a mall ghjhjb.. (I never go to malls and also just rarely buy stuff in general since I'm evil miserly penny pincher etc.) #Kind of like how once a year I allow myself to have one steak from a restaurant or something but that's all. Once every few years #I will go to a large mall at a not busy time of day so I can avoid crowds. just to look around for fun. and will maybe buy like. One thing

[brightokyolights]

Bro no joke, forgetting that not everyone hates capitalism and then having to try have a reasonable conversation with someone about buying things... *eye twitch*

#to explain we will have person A - person B and then me #so person B is asking me if its ok to buy stuff from ebay - because i am a person that tries to avoid buying from amazon etc #and im like yeah should be because its independent sellers mostly - to be fair though yall. i barely buy anything online because i hate #online shopping. i try to buy things in person instead #anyways insert person A whos like 👁👄👁 oH aRe YoU oNe Of ThOse PeOpLE ThAt DoESNt pUrCHasE frOm AmAzON #yall im sighing just thinking about this conversation omfg its so stupid #anyways queue me explaining that yeah. i try to avoid it if i can because i dont like my money going to some motherfucker who doesnt need #the money (person B pipes in that jeff bezos is on the way to becoming a trillionaire which is Not Good 🙃 . thank you B now i will go on) #A then goes on to explain all the benefits to amazon “what if you want something the next day” i ask if theres really anything you truly #need right away like that. we used to live in times where you would have to wait or find it in a shop. A says “oh but its so cool and #convenient“ and i say sure. because they have the money and grew their business of being more 'convenient' than other businesses #A says “oh but the customer service is so good. if i want a return theyll do it straight away with no questions and maybe even give me #credit too“ and im like yeah. because they can afford to do that. ”sometimes independent sellers are in there too“ ok so buy from them then #If You Must but i can guarantee you mostly dont. not to mentuon theyre probably only on there in the first place because amazon has made it #so its one of the most popular places to use instead of anywhere else #and it went on. i just stopped talking eventually because it eas one of those situations where the other person was not fucking listening to #the point i was trying to make. which is that if you really have to. ok do it whatever. i get that its a bit impossible to avoid sometimes #im not gonna sit here and pretend when ive not been able to get something anywhere else i havent got it from there. but the point is to #actually think about WHY youre buying stuff and WHO the money is going to. because websites like amazon especially have created such a trend #of overconsumption. that you just buy stuff and then buy prime because oh its so cheap and useful and comes right the next day! and you dont #consider why any of these things are true. whos getting fucked over in the process. that you are one of the people getting fucked over!!! #lord i could go on but i shant #point is. genuinely do what you want like deep down i do not care it does not affect me and i know its not so straightforward #but people who just BLATANTLY and actively SUPPORT rich people (forgot to mention A kept talking about how the whole site was smart and that #Jeff was a genius blah blah) can you sit and realise that this whole system and that FUCKING Imbecile of a man are!!¡! a problem!! #i wish i could articulate it better but im leaving it at that #good morning yall xD #le text post

[beehop]

ugh got an offer auto rejected on ebay and now i feel like i was an asshole for lowballing as much as i did. hate it here.

#it was my first offer i ever put in on anything on ebay so ofc i'm overthinking the shit out of it #it was for shinee's odd #a used copy #i had to ask the seller for photos and it has what looks like an f8 written on the cover with white pencil #so er i offered $15 on their $30 listing #bc not only does it have something written on it it also has used album wear and tear #significantly more than the second cheapest odd listing on ebay right now which is only $35 #if i wanted to spend nearly $40 on an used album i would get the slightly more expensive one in better condition?? #i also may have lowballed more bc this wasn't a kpop shop so i was hoping they'd accept it based on my damaged reasoning #without idk realizing its an out of print album and how kpop albums really work #bc it felt like they just priced it based off the other listings #i also dunno if i should respond to their message with the photos even though i put an offer in #feel like i don't know the ''''rules'''' of ebay at all and that's definitely adding to this anxiety and overthinking #its finnnee its finnneee #people must offer low on stuff all the time!!! #$20 total (it was $5 for shipping) is what i decided the album was worth to me in that condition #it will probably be worth more to someone else so they will probably get their $30...whatever #argh #also if you saw a significantly longer post about this no you didn't #i hated how it was worded so i deleted it haha #i will probably hate how half of this is worded too but at least its all in the tags so less people are likely to see it #not that i have that many followers or engagement anyway!!!

[lesbianraskolnikov]

Nothing necessarily wrong with it but i hate how many independent owned goth/alternative store lists are almost if not all just Choker stores or Accessory stores. The accessories usually look great that’s not it but I’m like, I want Clothes to Wear theres almost never Clothing Stores listed 

#at best some stores have like tee shirts but i dunno... #It's hard to find the clothes that arent from corporations that everyoens like #dont buy from them they SUCK get your clothes from the Choker store GUYS #I know thrifting and DIY but the thrifting in my area it's really not the best I haven't found anything good or things i wanna work with so #i dunno! #ebay is a thing i know this and maybe eventually i should look into that more but the bidding.. sigh! #floyd.txt #also damn some of the gatekeeping and hatred in this subculture i just forget about.! #Obviously some stuff is like fine but some stuff is so.. silly... whatsamatter with a baby bat

[emlos]

Hypothetically speaking, how much would you need for a new phone?

oh, uh, i dont wanna buy a new phone cause i just bought it like a month ago, and it still works!! so i called a repair place and they told me its gonna be about 80eur in my model :/// but also i would feel awful for accepting money like that, so ill manage to scrape it together dont worry!! to replace the display

#no forreal ill be fine i always somehow am #ill just.. idk.. sell someof my stuff on ebay #like i dont really need an oven or a microwave to cook so ill manage #but thank you for the interest anon? #man im sorry idk how to respond genuinely #but that means a lot #ask #hmm come to think of it i also have some boardgames i could get rid of #like this is more of an inconveniece than anywthing especially considering that its my own damn fault #and the phone is tec hnically usable #if i plug it into my laptop #and i dont leave the house anyway that much so i should be fine #ughhh this is so annoying im sorry #i also took a look at repairing it myself #but ordering the right display is even more expensive so :shrug

[lilac-nites]

List of Lolita Resources

Someone in my comm encouraged me to make this list of resources for new lolitas. We were talking about how hard it can be to find information from Google search and there's just so much misinformation out there. I have a list of links that I've bookmarked and read over the past decade for when I finally become a lolita. I organized the list by sections in a specific order. It goes from information about the fashion and then to where to buy it.

To any new lolitas, there is so much information out there about lolita fashion that is still available. Part of the fun for me was researching the fashion, looking at coords, and learning what makes lolita lolita. There's so much information out there for you to immerse yourself in and even more stuff that's not listed in this resource list.

What is Lolita Fashion

Fyeah Lolita - This is my favorite blog and I still go back and read it. The last post was made in 2016 and the fashion has changed a lot since then, but it's pretty comprehensive and provides a good base knowledge. Imo, I think these articles (1 2 3 4) are required reading for anyone entering the fashion Lolita Fashion 101 - Bay Area Kei did several videos on lolita fashion during lockdowns. I recommend them for anyone that prefers video format. Raine Dragon's Lolita 101 series - Raine is a lolita that still updates her blog and has a lot of information on the history of lolita fashion. And she has a really great article on Chinese indie brands that should also be required reading for anyone new to using Taobao.

Costs of Lolita Manufacturing - One of the first things you'll notice is that lolita can be expensive. This resource breaks down the costs associated with manufacturing and why brands charge what they charge.

Substyles of Lolita Fashion

The below links are for the three basic styles of lolita fashion. If you research more, you'll find that there are more than these three, but I recommend starting with one of the three above to make it easier for to build your wardrobe. Classic Lolita Sweet Lolita Gothic Lolita

Where to get Lolita Fashion

Before even buying anything, you will need a tape measure to take your measurements. You'll need to measure your bust, waist, hips, and shoulder width in centimeters. That's how you will find out which clothes will fit you. Sizing can be different from brand to brand and country to country. I know many are used to buying using letter sizes, but it's best to go by actual measurements. Aim to buy clothes that are 4 - 6cm larger than your actual measurements to allow room for breathing/eating/etc. If you're brand new to the fashion, I highly recommend sticking to the sources listed in the videos below. It's very easy to get scammed if you don't know what to look for and I'd hate for anyone to lose their money on barely wearable clothes from Amazon/Ebay/Aliexpress. Where to Buy Lolita Fashion How to shop for Lolita Fashion online - secondhand is life for lolita fashion and there are so many options. PinkFakeFlowers goes in depth into the many ways to get it. I personally recommend 42lolita for anyone looking to buy from Chinese brands on Taobao.

Plus Size Lolita

Unfortunately, many of the Japanese brands and even some Chinese indie brands are not size inclusive. If you can't fit into the mainstream brands, don't worry there are still options. I always recommend Meta since they have a Plus Size and occasionally a Plus Plus size of their dresses and blouses that goes up to 160cm or even 200cm in some releases. Plus Size Lolita Crash Course Where to Start as a Plus Sized Lolita - This is a wonderful resource listing brands that are size inclusive.

Online Spaces for Lolita Fashion

Lolita fashion is pretty spread out now compared to the EGL (still recommend reading livejournal because its a cool time capsule of the lolita comm) days, but there are still groups on Facebook BSoLF - Great for beginners to ask questions and be helped by others. It's hard to search here but I recommend looking through the group for info. Your Local Comm (if applicable) - most are still on Facebook even if they still have a Discord. You can search for your local one on this list.

More Resources for New Lolitas

Lolita Tips for New Lolitas Three helpful tips for coordinating an outfit Lolita Tips Tumblr - I don't recommend Fanplusfriend anymore, but 42lolita is a good replacement. This tumblr is a great resource for inspo and there are many answered asks to reference. Unfortunately, polyvore is no longer a thing and many pictures are missing as a result.

Bonus

These are just a mishmash of links to resources/lists/blog that I like. Lolita Collective

Lolita youtubers ask

Lolita tumblrs ask 20dollarlolita and her post on replicas

More plus size lolita brands ask Japanese Wikipedia entry for Lolita fashion and list of brands

Azuki Mikan

Buttcape

Old School Lolita

#lolita fashion #sweet lolita #classic lolita #gothic lolita #lilac talks #i'll try to update regularly and may even make a more stable version on my website #tbh a lot of these are the ones i like and enjoy and continue to go back and read all the time #i'll also update this page if i find anything else interesting or if i find more videos that i like #edited to change taobao to chinese indie #they are not the same thing

[ghibli-collector]

Today I’ve been admiring my official Studio Ghibli museum/park cel art reproduction collection which lives in its boxes to keep them brand new of course 😁 and considering if i should list it on eBay to be able to afford more life stuff 🤣🤣🤣

#studio ghibli #ghibli #hayao miyazaki #spirited away #totoro

[icewindandboringhorror]

Trying to find something to go with these tights? I don’t have a lot of bright clothes that match them, so went more in a mixing it with lighter colors sort of direction, maybe sort of sky themed (rainbow with the blue and white clouds)?

#self #ootd #should I start tagging things as that?? lol.. I mot sure how to tag things like this that are. not costumes really. just outfits. but not a #specific style or anything. just like experimental #I need more cloud print items also.. there just arn't many of them. OR actually. There are not many of them if you're someone like me who #pretty much exclusively gets clothes at places like the bins and thrift stores. All of the cloud print items I have are the small like 0.5% #of my wardrobe gotten from ebay in the past 10 years. I have never seen a cloud print thing out in the wild actually #OR sometimes you finally find stuff that's sky/cloud themed but it's like... a washcloth for babies. instead of a shirt. ... sad #they probably do have them and you can maybe get them at stores sometimes but. hhhh..... #Buying things new is so stinky. everything costs over $10 >:( why.. why cost mony >:( #I think once you get used to everything being like 25 cents an item to MAYBE $8 or something at a real thrift store #going to online or in person stores and seeing stuff like a cloud dress but it's $65 is like.......... I could never. I could never fathom #I mean. I WOULD pay $65 for a dress if it was literally like. Exactly every specific thing I love all in one and I know I would never find #it again in my entire life and could not make it myself and etc. etc. Like a pastel blue and white historical style dress with #puffy sleeves that goes down to the ankles and has a high ruffled collar and also has a pattern with cats and clouds and stars on it and the #sleeves and striped and there's lace and bows and things dangling from the cuffs and part of it is irridescent and there are long buttons or #lacing or some other elaborate details and tassles somewhere also and it's layered and 3 sizes too big for me so it's not tight #or etc. etc. I would pay maybe $80 for that. Perhaps $100 if it came with accessoriy bits (like a ruffled fancy apron or shawl or hisorical #bonnet or matching gloves that also had cats on them etc. ) - but otherwise. No. #ANYWAY. for someone who loves clouds SO much. I have so little actual cloud themed clothing and house things lol #If I had a billion dollars though... >:) I would give 80% of my money to charity obligatory but what I had left I would use to have like. #the most Themed house ever. so much clouds and also cats. rug shaped like clouds. a cloudy sky mural on every cieling. #full wardrobe of cloud print cloaks and stuff. so on and so forth lol

[imagines--galore]

Okay HI hello I hope you're doing well!! I haven't been on tumblr for a few days, been so distracted with stuff but I've had an idea in my head for so long now I gotta share it.

Stephen Strange x Reader (ofc lmao) where Reader and him are in a secret relationship cause they know it would cause problems within the Avengers and their dangerous jobs.

One day, everyone is in the tower discussing stuff. And idk how it would lead up to it. But essentially goes like

Stephen: I'll have to ask the wife.

Tony: you have a wife. You of all people? What- did you buy some bimbo off ebay?

Essentially just absolutely dissing him not at all believing that he has a wife etc etc. And Stephen is all annoyed and says something in defense. And eventually reader goes

"The wife says no." While glaring at Tony

Pairing: Dr. Stephen Strange x Reader Rating || Genres || Warnings: T. Romance. A/N: How do you come up with these brilliant ideas?!

You knew the meeting was important. It was the only time when all the Avengers were on planet, in dimension and with no missions.

A rare occurrence.

Which was why Tony Stark had decided to call in all the Avengers to discuss their most recent missions and take notes. In case there was some other threat looming over the horizon that could potentially destroy the planet.

So far, no one had reported anything out of the ordinary. And you were glad. Not only because the world was at peace for the time being, but also because it meant your husband didn't have to run off on a mission that required his expertise.

Your husband was none other then Dr. Stephen Strange.

And when it came to the nature of your relationship, no one knew.

Or perhaps some of them knew. But if they did, no one had revealed it to anyone else. Which was just how the both of you preferred it to be.

Mostly because it provided you two with the privacy that you needed, and given your line of work, the more secretive a relationship the better. If Barton could hide his entire family from the rest of the world as well as the Avengers for a good many years, then you and Stephen could hide the nature of your relationship as well.

Not that you were ashamed of it or anything. Nothing of the sort. The decision was made on behalf of the fact that the nature of your jobs was life-threatening. He had his fair share of enemies, and you had yours. And while both of you were capable of holding your own against the opposing forces, there was no harm in taking extra precaution.

Hence the secrecy of your relationship.

Though for the last few days or so, you had been discussing about getting it out in the open. At least to the rest of the Avengers.

At present you were listening to Captain America as he assigned the next set of missions to everyone. There were only a few, and you had been paired with AntMan who had waved at you. You smiled and waved back. You liked working with Scott, he was always fun to be around.

However, you did not miss the way Stephen's eyes found yours. You only gave him a small smile and a wink, knowing how much he preferred that the both of you take on missions together.

But hey, he couldn't always get what he wanted.

Just then Tony asked Stephen a question, to which your husband was a little late with his response. Prompting Tony to gaze quizzically at him.

"Feeling alright there Dumbledore? Don't want you flaking out on me during the mission." Apparently Stephen had been paired with Tony Stark aka Iron Man himself. The realization prompted you to hide your smile behind your hand.

"Stop calling me that." Stephen stated in a deadpan voice, which only served to make Tony goad him further.

"Oh lighten up. Or should I say Lumos?" This time a giggle did escape you, but you weren't the only one. Anyone who got the reference let out a small laugh at your husband's expense.

"You need to learn to take a joke Strange, but think about it? You're a single fella going on a mission where the majority of the population on the planet is female, should double your chances of getting laid wouldn't it?" Since he was already married to Pepper, Tony of course made no mention of himself being in the same category as Stephen.

You frowned, your previous mirth forgotten as you glared at Tony. You knew it wasn't his fault for making such a remark, but you still couldn't help the small sliver of jealousy as well as anger that burned in you at the thought of Stephen being around all those women. Not that you didn’t trust him, you just didn’t trust females you didn’t know.

Stephen, ever the observant husband, was quick to pick up on your mood, even from sitting across the table on opposite ends. Perhaps your reaction was what compelled him to say what he did next.

"I don't know Stark, I'll have to ask the wife."

Instantly the whole atmosphere of the room changed. Everyone, even those who had their suspicions, turned to stare at the Sorcerer Supreme with a gobsmacked expression on their faces. You were one of them. You certainly hadn't been expecting him to come out and say it like that.

Tony was the first one to recover. "You have a wife? You?!" He let out a laugh of disbelief at which Stephen raised an eyebrow at him. "What did you buy her off E-Bay or something?" He continued to joke. Somehow he didn't think it possible for someone so uptight as Strange to have a girlfriend, let alone a wife.

"I mean come on Strange, if you want to lie, at least make it a convincing one." He continued with a roll of his eyes.

Stephen glared at Tony. “And why would I lie about having a wife?” The man shrugged. “You tell me. You’re the one who’s lying.”

“How about I just call her and ask?”

So saying Stephen drew our his phone from a pocket dimension and pressed dial on the number that was saved under your name.

Everyone could hear the phone ringing at the other end. What no one had been expecting was for your phone to start ringing within those first few seconds.

Your gaze was fixed on Tony’s as you picked up your phone from the table and accepted the call. Stephen instantly hit the speaker button, while you raised your phone to your ear and calmly spoke into it.

“The wife says no.” Your voice rang loud and clear, live as well as from the speaker of Stephen’s phone.

The reactions were instantaneous. While some only stared in disbelief, others were more vocal about it. Tony was the former, staring at the both of you, his brain unable to process what had just occurred. You ended the call before standing up and pretended to dust off the front of your skirt. “Husband? Would you mind taking us home now? I believe the meeting is over.”

Stephen stood as well, the triumphant look in his eyes was visible to everyone as he began to walk towards you, pulling out his sling ring as he went and sliding it on.

“Of course, my dear.”

He opened a portal to your shared rooms right behind you. Once he reached you his arm came to wrap around your waist, pulling you close to his side as he smiled at you.

“Oh and Stark? Do refrain from making remarks about my wife in the future.”

“I didn’t know you had one!” Tony defended himself. Which was true.

You smirked at him. “Well, now you do.”

With that you stepped through the portal. Though you couldn’t help but glance back one last time, if only to catch a glimpse of their still stunned faces.

Good thing your husband had a flair for the dramatics just as much as you did.

#dr strange x reader #dr stephen strange x oc #dr strange x y/n #dr strange #dr stephen strange x reader #marvel imagine

[ohblackdiamond]

the story of mandate

I have wrestled with sharing this in detail for many months, both because it is a goofy story and because, well, it is a goofy story.

I went on a protracted hunt for a number of months for the issue of Mandate (a gay pornographic magazine) in which KISS have an article, because Peter's book explicitly states it was the first magazine they ever got an article in (this is actually incorrect, but I wasn't aware of that at the time) and because I could find absolutely nothing online about the writeup itself, and I was very curious. (The text is here, and some rather lazy scans are here, if you are interested.) KISS fandom has a bit more focus on stuff like the guitars and albums (imagine that), and if there is a repository of old KISS articles, I've never found it. I've never even found where anyone posted the full text of Paul's Playgirl article, although that issue used to be easy enough to find.

That, I thought, was the end of it. It's a puff piece, even if the picture of Paul in particular is pretty nice and even if they refer to them as "boys" and their look as "spicy." An offbeat piece of KISStory (incidentally this was not KISS' first or only foray into gay magazines-- Paul, as mentioned, was in Playgirl, which while ostensibly marketed to women, had a majority gay male audience, and KISS was featured in After Dark in July 1974), that I could never unload on ebay with anywhere near the ease or success of, say, the KISS Hello Kitty Beanie Babies.

That was it, until over two years later, when--

I went to a Gene event with my dear friend @elrohare in May 2023. On a whim, I had brought the magazine along with a couple other more traditional things (the RARO and Love Gun albums), trying to decide which of these I should get him to sign for me. @elrohare as anticipated/hoped, encouraged me to get him to sign Mandate.

I was extremely torn. Mostly, though, I was worried he'd take it in a way I didn't mean it, like it was an attempt to embarrass him. I didn't, and don't, think there's anything shameful about them being in the magazine. It is not an indication of their sexuality.

But wouldn't it be neat to have a signature on Mandate, instead of a signature on, say, Rock and Roll Over? At the very least, it probably wasn't something he'd had thrust in his face often, if ever. Probably ever. While Gene is known for being exceptionally friendly regardless (at a price), I thought it might, if he was receptive, start an interesting conversation.

And if not, I had those stupid KISS baseballesque (bubblegum) cards he could sign instead.

The day came and we both were starting to regret what we had decided to do. Cynthia suggested I just turn the magazine straight to the page he was on so that Gene would hopefully ask no questions and simply, blindly, sign. I did exactly that. My nerves were so bad in general that I was shaking and Gene's handler was having to wave his little Gene-hand-puppet (he'd drawn Gene's makeup on his fingers and thumb) to distract me and Cynthia into calming down.

Not only did Gene know exactly what magazine it was, even with it turned to the correct page, he exclaimed "Mandate!" got a big smile on his face, said, "I'm texting Paul right now," stopped the entire meet and greet to text Paul, had me hold up the magazine for him to take a picture, which he then sent to Paul, and simultaneously made and ruined my life right then and there.

"Paul's in this. They thought he was--" and he kind of waved his hand.

"You're in it, too!"

"No, Paul is in it."

"But you're... okay, okay, Paul is in it..." One does not simply argue with Gene Simmons. I tried. "I...if you don't want to sign it I have baseball cards!"

He opened the magazine and then declares it to be sticky.

"It's not sticky..."

He licked his thumb and proceeded to smear it on the pages as he turned them. Slowly. He just kept on going and going and going. Page after page of black and white vintage pornography.

"Okay, where is it?" he said after awhile (apparently, even Gene can eventually tire of seeing naked people).

"Page eight!" I said, very, very, very quickly. Everyone laughed. "And Gene's on page 9!"

Gene did turn to page eight and nine. But instead, he proceeded to deface my copy of Mandate with his artwork. The mostly-naked blonde on the front cover suddenly and incredibly was graced with Paul's 1970's hair and star on his eye. I wailed "Geeeene" in a pretty pathetic squeak.

"Where do you want me to sign?"

"On your picture...." (inside the magazine) (which he did). I think, had I stopped with his signature, I would've preferred he sign it on the cover, by his artwork, but already I had an idea. An awful idea.

Let's call this the Mandate Reunion and leave it at that.

Several months later, immediately after an Ace concert, I found myself in front of Cynthia in line (we had to do this one individually). Ace's entourage gazed at Mandate magazine with great interest and murmuring. They were accustomed to records, posters, comic books. They had not seen it before. I have rarely heard great things about meeting Ace and was anticipating total silence, and Ace to just blindly sign as I'd thought that Gene would.

Ace did not.

Ace took one look at that magazine, recognized it immediately, and looked me dead in the eye, even with the sunglasses.

"That's gay." (His tone was as a statement of fact, not as a judgment/anything derisive.) "Paul is in it."

"You're in it, too. Page nine."

Ace did not acknowledge that he was, in fact, in it.

"Do you really want me to sign this?"

No, Ace, I just brought this to you so you could look at it. You never have seen a picture of yourself before.

"Yes!"

Ace acquiesced, signing by his picture (making sure his signature was larger than Gene's), and was so distracted he forgot to switch pens or ask my name (he will personalize one autograph for you and typically swaps pen colors throughout autographs), though he wished me a safe trip home.

Two out of four. Now I was obligated to try for Peter, who, happily, had deigned to do Mad Monster Atlanta, which would not require me to fly out or book a hotel. Unlike the other adventures, I couldn't do this one with Cynthia and had to fly solo. I had met Peter prior at Creaturesfest and he was incredibly kind to me-- even teased me, gently, for my high, somewhat squeaky voice. I did not think he would object too hard, but was curious. Would he, like Gene and Ace, immediately go to, "That's gay, Paul is in it," and never really admit he was in it, too? Would he have some odd inside information about how Bill had gotten them the magazine space?

None of the above.

Peter looked at that magazine, immediately said, with great interest, "Is that guy on the cover naked?"

"No, no, he's got a rug-thing... he's not naked."

"Who is that, is that David Lee Roth?"

"No, I actually don't know who it is." (Apologies for my less than stellar responses-- I should have, obviously, told him that Gene had been the one to doodle on the front cover-- but I could not believe he was responding like he was responding!)

"He's got a nice ass, though. I've seen all kinds of asses." He continued to talk about asses for a solid bit of time there, looking quite pleased with himself (I think I told him there were lots more in the magazine), though I don't remember what he said exactly.

Peter was so far removed from the gentleman-of-KISS image that, for some reason, Kissfaq enjoys espousing. It's almost like they think not trashing the rest of the band equates to sainthood and erases all memory of hotel romps, threesomes, orgies, and asses. It was incredible. Gigi looked completely and absolutely appalled, but she did manage to ask if I wanted it signed in black (to match the others), and I said yes, ma'am, and she handed him the pen. Then she said that I was "too nice a girl for this [I think she meant to hear this/have the magazine]" and I said, "Oh, I dunno about that, it is my magazine" as I departed.

I guess the real KISStory was the porno the OGs signed along the way.

In summary, I'd like to thank the wonderful @elrohare for aiding and abetting and being a thorough part of both this very ridiculous quest and throughout so many of my KISS misadventures. Something weird always happens with KISS, guaranteed.

#kiss the band #gene simmons #paul stanley #peter criss #ace frehley #mandate magazine

[seat-safety-switch]

All the degenerates know what day of the week the local thrift store puts out its new merchandise. We would join up in the parking lot, queuing for the door, ready to put an elbow into each others’ faces for the first whack at a timing light, obscure videogame, or an industrial-strength blender some normal person just didn’t know how to maintain. Now, though, buying stuff at a thrift store in order to list on eBay for double or triple its official price is a job. And if there’s one thing I hate, it’s a job.

That’s what the internet says, at least. If your boss isn’t paying you enough, you shouldn’t go into his office and open him up with a straight razor. You shouldn’t even ask for a raise while balancing a heavy cleaver dangerously close to his index fingers, after you and the other shop techs handcuff his wrist to his desk drawer. No, you should just use up some of your free time on a “side hustle.” Sure, you’re still working for a pittance, but it’s your pittance. If your hobby doesn’t make money, then fuck off. Only the rich can afford not to be profitable doing the things they love.

So, all across this great nation, we see folks driving hundreds of kilometres to buy new things from Walmart, and then sell them on Amazon. Now, when you go to Walmart, all the Recycled Engine Oil Product® from Hyun-seung Heavy Industrial Concern has been raptured up into the internet, where folks will pay approximately seventeen cents more per bottle in order to get it delivered. And that’s just new stuff – now, when I throw my fist into someone’s face at the thrift store, I’m no longer just worried about what reprisals will await me in the parking lot, but also if I am starving the children of the family which depends on eBay’s PowerSeller® reduced-fee incentive structure. Not enough to not throw that punch, mind you, but maybe just a little bit softer than I used to. Dental work is expensive, even if you do it yourself. Some asshole keeps buying up all the two-part dental epoxy that gets donated to the industrial surplus store and listing it on eBay, too.

Don’t worry, though. I’m in it for the love of the game. There’s no way I’d ever – wait a minute, people are paying how much for intact Volare dashboards? I sure hope I have enough sawzall blades to get all these out before the post office closes.

[chickadooz]

tl;dr I've made a new goal for a replacement laptop again because my current one sucks so much that it actually became a hindrance when we were recently threatened with evacuation from a nearby wildfire. While that was thankfully thwarted, it was a violent reminder that I really, really need a new one. You can support me by tipping me, buying digital photos from my Ko-fi shop, or in my INPRNT shop. Every little bit helps immensely, so even if you can only spare $1, I would really appreciate it. 🧡

The full post that I made on Ko-fi is under the cut. I'd really appreciate it if you read it all for full understanding of the situation.

It's been some months since I had to give up on my goal of saving up for a new laptop in order to buy new equipment and expand my horizons, but we're back here again because things are even more dire.

When I talk about how my current laptop is literally being held together with tape, I'm not kidding:

Without the tape, the monitor is slowly cracking and peeling apart. And it's been through the ringer with a lot of internal components including (but not limited to):

A RAM card slot dying, forcing me to get a new stick that combined the total RAM of the other two and pray the other slot never dies

Replacing the wifi card

Replacing the battery

And it has a whole host of other problems too, including some that just came pre-packaged with this specific model.

As well, recently having to pack all my belongings while anticipating an evacuation order due to a nearby out of control wildfire, I was really wishing I had a laptop in better condition. Because of the monitor/lid cracking and coming apart, I can't actually close it normally. It's permanently stuck in the open position because trying to close it will likely break it permanently. I can't fit it into a case, so it would've just been free-ballin' it in the car, at risk of even greater damage.

When I talk about replacing it, it doesn't come from greed or the need to have the hottest new tech every year. I take good care of my belongings, especially the more expensive ones like this, but unfortunately when you buy bargain bin stuff, well, that's what you get.

So I've brought back my goal for a replacement, and intend to cover the cost of the lens filter I want through selling some stuff on eBay that I no longer want. I've set the goal to $800 USD because that should be enough to get one that won't fall apart and can actually run stuff like Photoshop and Lightroom. Y'know, so I can stop editing stuff on my phone like a zoomer.

If you're interested in helping me achieve this goal, here are a number of ways you can help, along with sharing my posts, of course:

Leaving a tip on Ko-fi

Buying something from my Ko‑fi shop

Buying something from my INPRNT shop

Thanks for reading, and I appreciate any and all help I get. Everything I get to do is because of people like you. 🧡

#photography #animal photography #wildlife photography #nature photography #lensblr #photographers on tumblr

[prettycottonmouthlamia]

I'm on my specific brand of bullshit again but I'm getting kind of depressed that this is probably it. F/SN is finally getting an official translation, and that probably means that it's over for the original version ever getting a retranslation huh? It kind of sucks that pretty much purely because of the sex scenes alone (which are poorly translated its come out) that the original version is just considered...not important by so many people.

When I was a teenager suffering through the end of my high school life I got really big into Stephen King, which I think happens to a lot of people, but I read The Gunslinger and enjoyed the book so much that I immediately read its next two sequels and then waffled on reading anymore after Wizard and Glass. But I think a lot of people might not know that there are two pretty different versions of the novel.

The version I read was its older print run, before Stephen King revised the novel pretty heavily. A lot of these revisions make sense in hindsight: the book is from 1982, and the series went on for a lot longer than that, so there's a lot of attempts to fix contradictory information. There are also some edits that are not that but I'm trying not to get sidetracked.

This all sounds well and good but it also removes a lot of what I really enjoyed out of The Gunslinger. There is an uncanniness to novel that's lost in an effort to redefine the world. It's a really unique novel to read and I think bringing it in-line with the rest of the series hurts it. This isn't really to say I don't think Stephen King shouldn't have revised his work. It's more that I'm happy I actually got to read an older version. When King revised his work, older versions of his book were not burned. They're still available. I can probably buy one on ebay or something right now.

If you understand Japanese, that's also true of F/SN. The original version of F/SN is infinitely available in its original text, and that's inherently kind of great. But, if you don't understand Japanese, or just not to the point of being able to digest a visual novel, this isn't really true. The Mirror Moon translation does an overall good job and its a really important effort I never want to disrespect, but it does get stuff wrong and the translation of the sex scenes in specific is now known to not be great. F/SN Realte Nua already got a high effort retranslation recently, it's now getting an official translation (although they are 100% calling her Altria, be prepared for that), and that's cool.

It just feels weird that people have kind of decided one version isn't worth knowing about, or even experiencing. It's the version I originally read a decade ago in a furious fever over a week. The original PC port had existed for a couple of years by that point, but everyone I knew in the fandom was an old head. The version of F/HA I read was the original, the Vita re-release didn't exist by that point (I didn't even know this release was SFW until very recently, which I have honestly very mixed feelings about).

One day I hope the OG version gets some love again. It's something that...should, on the virtue of its very existence.

#fate stay night #fate #fate series