Paris Giachoustidis (Greek, B. 1990)

Poison Ivy #17 preview

I have not been the same since Zheng Yi Sao became a character in our flag means death. It means so much to me that pirate-related media is representing her more because I never would have known about her and she is too cool to be forgotten.

For years pop culture either portrayed her as the racist "submissive asian woman" stereotype or ignored her completely. It's infuriating. Now though we have a strong portrayal of her in both doctor who and our flag means death!! Let me tell you a few things about the rightfully named "Pirate queen".

On average, most pirates died 2 years after starting piracy. Edward Teach died after two years, Stede Bonnet died after one and Israel Hands impressively died around 8 years after starting, all executed. Our pirate queen died at 68 after a successful 9 year career. In fact, she only stopped because she was made to surrender and lived the rest of her years in effective retirement.

She inherited her late husbands pirate fleets and commanded around 1,800 ships. Blackbeard is believed to have a maximum of 5- likely because he didn't get along with people well enough to amass enough crews to run them. She had the largest fleet in history.

Zheng Yi Sao was a leader and undoubtedly one of the most successful pirates ever and yet we dare to forget her.

You know the marshmallow experiment?

So there’s this experiment where researchers take a bunch of preschoolers and give them a marshmallow and they say, “ok, you can eat this now, or you can wait thirty minutes and then we’ll give you two marshmallows.”

And they leave them alone with hidden cameras and watch the struggle of willpower and it’s supposed to say something about delayed gratification.

And this thing gets used to explain why some people are better with money than others, or make various other better life choices. The Aesop here is if you can delay your satisfaction, you’ll get ahead.

But here’s a proposed version of that experiment that’s more realistic.

Give the kid the marshmallow and explain it all as above. Then come back 30 minutes later and say, “Sorry, actually we ran out of marshmallows, so even though you didn’t eat yours, you’re not getting a second one. Other kids got two, but you don’t. Also, every kid with fewer than two marshmallows has to give back their original marshmallow. Sorry we didn’t tell you that earlier now hand it over.”

Then call them back for a repeat experiment where you give them the same offer. See how many kids scarf that marshmallow down in two seconds flat because like hell they’ll trust you again.

VAMPIRE CHAPPELL ROAN 📸 Ryan Clemens

she's so fun to study

Flower and Sword by Anna Tsvir

So my thoughts the The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 2

-First of all what a season, I laughed, I cried, it was truly great

- Rose’s “I’ve missed me too” hit me so fucking hard like she needed that storyline

-Also Abe was a standout character this season like Tony Shalhoub deserves all the awards if not for that romper alone Oscar Worthy

- Midge was great as per usual I mean WOW what a gal

-that phone call in Simone had me actually crying I mean the sencerity between Midge and Joel when she realizes there isn’t a way it can work and she says I love you and he says I love you too honey I mean TEARS

-honestly I really enjoyed seeing Joel so supportive of Midge with her comedy, like he realized he was never that good but he knew she was amazing and her wanted her to have that and he knew she could do

-Imogene meeting Susie while she’s high in the bath was iconic

-every part of the Catskills was great

-SUSIES PLUNGER HAD ME FUCKING DEAD NOT TO MENTION HER LITTLE DANCE

-also wow that lifeguard really never wore a shirt and I’m not complaining

-all the Joel/Susie scenes were pure gold like Suzie discovering she might respect Joel when he punches that club owner had me dead

-Okay not to be that bitch but like I’m okay with Midge not ending up with Benjamin, like it was pretty clear the whole point of this season is that Midge can’t go back to who she was before and he was part of the idea in her head

-Abe and Rose thinking Noah is someone super secret spy assassin was deadass the weirdest storyline I loved it

- I’m really glad they had that scene where Midge got in trouble for talking about pregnancy on stage bc like damn the shitty reality of a mans world

-So the ending, now I know imma get some hate on this, but I actually thought I’d was really good like Midge finally realized and accepted that she couldn’t go back to that #housewifelife but it’s make sense that she went to Joel like he knows her better than Benjamin and he does love her and that’s what she needed not her new boo who she’s still trying to woo but the person who wants her success and happiness more than his own (Joel really does support her career guys) and she made it clear that it was just for the night bc she knows that she can’t go back to who she was

Anyway that’s the tea… Season 2 was fucking great

Knowing that trans women of color started the movement in the united states and were literally immediately erased and excluded from what they started is the most deeply jading knowledge.

It is the original sin of the so-called queer community and it damns it from the cradle.

Rest in power, Andre Braugher (1962-2023)