#amanda rants

[quietcuriosities]

[curiositydooropened]

Happy Valentine’s Day, my sweet, sweet lovelies!

I really miss this space. I miss the community. I miss the screeching and screaming. I miss diving headfirst into my writing.

I’ve started like 6 WIPs over the past couple of months, and I really want to share them so you can screech with me. But I’m not sure in what capacity because I’m struggling to finish them. So now I’m thinking snippets? Moodboards? I’m unsure.

Let me know if you have any ideas.

And also please just come chat with me. Because I really miss you guys. And our little rat kings. (Steve and Eddie obvs)

[initiala]

Time for Flags

My “””long awaited””” US state flag rant.

So in the US, state flags can broadly be put into two categories: flags that fuck, and flags that do not fuck. Typically, when you see someone complaining “why do they put their flag on EVERYTHING”, they’re usually from a state that has a flag that does not fuck (or they’re from a “rival” state -- look, the US is a weird amalgamation of microcultures shoved into one trench coat and acting like a single country)

Because the truth is, if the state flag fucks, it deserves to be on everything.

THESE FLAGS FUCK:

THESE FLAGS DO NOT FUCK:

We can also separate them into even further categories: this rules, this should rule more than it does, you tried?, and why haven’t we fixed this yet. 

Some of them I wavered on, because there are some states like Mississippi that had *extremely* racist flags until literally three years ago -- remnants of the rebel Confederacy flags included in the design. And it’s updated! Yay! We’re moving forward! But….. the design leaves me wanting a little more. Then there’s Alabama and Florida -- or rather, “Alabama with a seal in the middle”, still calling to the rebel battle flag in their design, who are all under the “why haven’t we fixed this yet” category. 

What surprises me most about the state flags is how many of them have their own damn name on the flag. Arkansas has little else but it’s name and some stars. Montana’s, Wisconsin’s and Kansas’ names are a third of their own flag.

Before we get into the minor categories, a quick RIP to some flags that were in use, even briefly, before the current roster. Utah’s commemorative flag should have been sworn in as the new state flag, bees rule.

THIS RULES:

Come on. COME ON. These are so immediately recognizable and eye-catching, and that’s what you want in a flag. Alaska’s flag was designed by an orphaned 14-year old Alaskan Native! You’re immediately swallowed by the huge Alaskan sky, hanging out with these immediately recognizable stars.

Wyoming was a surprise choice for me too, since it’s a state seal and most of my negative picks are state seals, but the bison turned everything around. Your state is mostly populated by megafauna, you gotta put the megafauna on the flag.

Hawaii’s inclusion of the United Kingdom’s flag is an excellent middle finger to her incorporation into the US. I was mostly impressed with South Carolina’s long dedication to both the crescent moon and the palm tree, both of which have been incorporated at some point or other throughout its history.

THERE IS A BEAR. ON CALIFORNIA’S FLAG. A BEAR. IT AUTOMATICALLY RULES.

I’ve always loved the simple but bold design in New Mexico’s flag, one of two of the only flags in the US to include Native American symbology. Same with Arizona, it gives you the feeling of a desert sunset.

And Ohio’s is a simple and common design, BUT. It is a non-quadrilateral flag, which it shares with only Nepal as an official civil flag! That automatically elevates it.

Someone in Maryland got drunk and tossed every extra scrap of fabric together to make their flag and I respect that. It’s an eyesore and you’re gonna remember it. Mostly because everyone here has the flag on their car, either as the license plate or as some sticker on the back (usually in the shape of a crab)

THIS SHOULD RULE MORE THAN IT DOES:

Honestly, Louisiana having pelicans rules. But it should rule more. It’s a little… wanting. “Union Justice Confidence”? I mean sure. But when Louisiana has a 60-40 white to black population that gets swapped in its prison systems, while boasting one of the largest prison populations in the entire country…. Does not inspire confidence or a sense of justice. Do better, Louisiana.

As stated before, Mississippi only recently got rid of it’s historically racist flag. Like, way too recently. But they did it, finally, so here we are. It calls back to the state’s first flag with the magnolia blossom, and I really like the shade of dark blue chosen. We did, however, miss out on an option to have the shape of the state carved by the Mississippi river on the flag, and I for one think that one would have ruled more:

I want to like Indiana and Oklahoma more. Oklahoma is the other state, besides New Mexico, to feature Native American symbology, with a Choctaw blue field, an Osage bison-skin shield, and a ceremonial pipe to represent other Plains nations. I think it’s just having the name of the state on the flag that throws me off. And Indiana is just. It’s there. I want to like it so much more, because they’re really trying with the symbology of “19 stars for the 19th state!” but also its name is on there, and much like the state of Indiana itself… it’s fine. It’s just okay.

As for Texas… look, I lived there for five years. Texas has a whole long history with flags, and this is the one they finally ended up with? Seriously, look at the Flag of Texas Wikipedia page and there have been SO MANY (also it’s where the theme park Six Flags gets its name, even though clearly there have been so many more than six flags over Texas) and so many past or proposed ones that look nicer -- I VEHEMENTLY disagree with the North American Vexillological Association ranking Texas in second place. Seriously what??

We should change Texas to these ones, just to piss off Abbott:

YOU TRIED?

Look, these are mostly unoffensive. I know I put Colorado in the large category of “this fucks” but I did say begrudgingly, because at least it’s A Thing. But now we’re getting down into like. Just a state name (ARKANSAS) or seals and stars and just regular US symbology. And yeah, Missouri also has bears on it, but they’re bears for a state seal, like how some later ones have deer or horses, and not just “FUCK YOU WE’RE GRIZZLY BEARS” like California.

Unoffensive, but not really inspiring.

WHY HAVEN’T WE FIXED THIS YET?

And then there’s…. These.

They’re just seals. I know there’s a whole “which state flags show feet or tits” thing, but said feet and tits are TINY. These are your generally uninspiring, bleh flags with just a seal and/or the state’s name. Bonus points now added because we’re seeing some reflect when the state was admitted to the union! But not many bonus points.

Also again, Florida and Alabama harken back to Confederate symbology. Blah blah blah the saltire is actually for the Cross of St Andrew and there’s nothing written down in legislative history about it being a reference to the Confederacy, but both flags have been in use as is since post-Reformation and I get to say what I want on my own damn post. (and the North American Vexillological Association ranked them pretty mid too, so there)

Anyway. These don’t fuck in the least and need jazzed up. Come on, gimme something fun to look at.

SOME HONORABLE MENTIONS:

There’s a lot of other flags for various US territories and Native nations, and some of them are really fun! I have nothing other to say other than “LOOK AT THESE I LIKE THEM”

[acrosstobear]

the absolute scenes of this Paul guy on Hinge knowing immediately that Lewis is my man 🤣 i’m sorry Paul but it’s just not gonna work if you’re a M*x fan

[amandathescarlet]

I cannot wait to move out of my parents' house. My fucking dad is such an idiot, self absorbed republican. He's supported my transition, yes, but despite saying he's not voting for President Dump, he still defends him when I argue about how much of a racist, xenophobic, homophobic, white supremacist piece of shit president Dump is.

[skyvaikers]

i’m sorry i tried to contain myself

but that didn’t happen

THE NEW EPISODE HAS ME DEAD

it’s funny, AMAZINGLY HAPPY, but the foreshadowing is depressing and has me crying. excuse me while i cry :,(

[thedruidsforest]

It’s not a joke

Okay no now I’m on a train of thought from the last text post I reblogged and I’m so pissed off.

Something that needs to change is the way that modern Pagans and witches are viewed. We have such a bad representation from tv, movies, other media and whatnot that more often than not, we are taken as a literal joke. “Oh, you’re into witchcraft? This isn’t Harry Potter, you know.” (No shade to HP, but this has literally been said to me before)

In highschool, I took a Comparative World Religions class that lasted a semester. We spent a third of the class on Christianity, a third on Islam, and a third on Judaism. On the last day of class, we talked for 45 minutes about Taoism and Hinduism, and the last 5 or 10 minutes of class was about Paganism. And all that was said?? Was comparing the pentacle to Satanism (still no shade) and saying how fundamentally, Paganism means lack of a god or belief. Which is utterly wrong in every way, shape, and form.

I’m so fucking sick of being taken like a child every time I want to talk about my religion and spirituality. It’s not a fucking joke. I’m a polytheist and I deserve every ounce of respect that is given to monotheists too. We all deserve proper representation and attention that is given to every other religion, but somehow, we are always denied that at every turn. And that needs to change.

[theravenlunatic]

Straight up if you don't support NonBinary individuals, unfollow me right now. I am not fucking playing anymore.