#rough take

[madewithonerib]

RE: April's BOTM: The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) || via p-spidey Directed by Terry McCabe; performed by Pauline Brailsford, Thomas James Carroll, Colleen Crimmins, Martin Duffy, Steve Juergens, Roger Mueller, Jim Ortlieb, Rush Pearson. Los Angeles, CA. Theatre Works, 1992, 1hr 37m [SPOILERS]

The biggest take away I found is in the general misconception of ppl who have never gotten into this novel is that it was largely about beauty vs disfigured into a grotesque visage—but really it's about how his portrait transformed from innocent to harsh or severity, like how his smile & eyes become less welcoming—which I find to be a much more worthwhile thing to write about. And the other is how ppl kept saying it was bc he was becoming more and more of a playboy but it was little things like dismissing others in preference to s/o who was more exciting/discerning/insightful—so this assessment of his friend's significance and verbally acknowledging his admiration for the one & removal of presence to the lesser which we see progresses when he's found his first love. This relationship doesn't last long but exists as an impressive nod towards the fact that words can kill, a concept that stands in stark contrast with the sing-song defiance of "sticks & stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me." It escalates to deadly proportions when Dorian scolds his lover for embarrassing him, and Oscar's craft weaves in how unstable this mc is by showing how easily he is toppled from his stance the moment his friends cringe at how awfully perfect her enunciation which reminded me of Dr. Doolittle in My Fair Lady, a very British way of subtly tearing others down—Dorian folds practically instantly. Initially I thought his insistence on staying to the conclusion of the play while his friends insisted he leave with them signalled that he was growing a pair, no, he only did so he could confront her & break-off his engagement with her. All the while he is bent on the approval of his one friend, who later becomes his enabler & constant cheerleader. This book is surprisingly about a great many things like the death of everyone close to this mc, who sees each person as a pawn to be used when needed.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is a traditional adage often taught to children to encourage resilience against teasing or bullying. It implies that physical injury is tangible, while verbal abuse can be ignored. However, the adage is frequently considered a falsehood, as hurtful words can cause lasting emotional pain

Key Aspects of the Phrase:

Original Purpose: It serves as a protective mantra, teaching children not to let insults affect their self-esteem or psychological well-being.

The Counter-View: The sentiment is often disputed, as psychologists and many people acknowledge that emotional abuse can cause deep, lasting damage to confidence and trust.

The Full Expression: The phrase is often quoted as "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me," though variations exist, such as "names will never hurt me".

Historical Usage: It was recorded as an "old adage" as early as 1862, according to Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sticks_and_Stones

In contemporary discussions, many now focus on the lasting emotional damage words can cause, often reversing the phrase to emphasize that words can hurt more than physical bruises, say the insights from this Facebook post.

[chxsn1]

your thoughts swirl and fade in your head like smoke rings. your stomach locks up as you feel my finger tips trace down your sides and your legs. fighting to stifle a giggle as i kiss your body, leaving behind a cold trail of prints from your panty line to your neck. you're slowly turned over and the kisses proceed down your back and ass, becoming playful bites.

i lay my full weight on you, arm hitched around your waist, pulling you close as i grind. gathering your hair, softly tugging so you'll lift your neck. licking and whispers and desperate groans, telling you how good you feel, rolling my weight harder into you. when i can feel you pushing back into me, i hold your chin, taking forced kisses and sucking on your tongue, pulling your waist and ass higher into the air. you moan into my mouth when you feel my fingers slide in, the other half of my hand gently cupping and rubbing your cl*t. i play with you in this position, edging until your knees are shaking and you can't keep your eyes open.

i slowly roll you, pulling your legs over my shoulders, admiring and praising your skin and your body and the sounds you make when you let me touch you. i pull your hair behind your head as i finally enter you, taking my time to let you stretch around me, kissing your chin as your eyes roll back. rocking back and forth deep inside you i tell you how much i love making you cum. how good you feel all gushy and wet. how you deserve to cum your brains out every night. you work so hard all the time, can't i just make you feel good for once? i thrust deeper and increase my pace because i don't actually want you to answer. i want you to give in. i want your back curled up and your moans louder and a smile on your face cause you're finally getting what you deserve. isn't that right, princess? tell daddy you deserve it while i pound you silly

[alexamenos-the-faithful]

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Some original tunes at midnight! A short clip of a song I wrote under the working title "I Could, I Do, I Will". Enjoy. I sure do. https://www.instagram.com/p/B6kDsmcgJ8V/?igshid=jgh40u1f2onv

[alexamenos-the-faithful]

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I would cover this again but last time I tuned down my guitar, I broke a string. Waitress song covered by a Waitress fan in a Waitress jacket. Is it my best? No. But I had fun doin' it. https://www.instagram.com/p/B7RwqOYAGjP/?igshid=9j3i1sy6beov

[kristytphotography]

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A song I’ve been working on (for a while...)

[cypriotsmusic-blog]

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I've been wanting to something more alt-country for awhile, but I'm not sure what. A Cypriots album? A band? A concept album? Here's the first thing I've done with it explicitly in mind. 

Roaches

You said you can feel the tension in my shoulders

And if I told you why you’d want to put me away

I don’t do much with my body these days

Except for sleeping

  I’ve been delicate with the words that I use

Because, put the wrong way, it will bother you

And I make it sound important

But where I’ve been is not worth keeping track of

    It’s a two hour drive to the edge of my organs

So once it goes out, I can’t swallow it again

But one day soon all my friends will be roaches

And I’ll have to learn not to step on them

  Oooh they’ll be coming soon

Ooooh for my hide

And my best advice

  Well guilty is a shorter word than innocent

So I’ll try to save us some time

And you can get your overdue eyerolls over

  And the satisfaction gained from seeing me write

Will be partially undone by my cynical smile

That I’ve hoarded in my cheeks for just such an occasion

  Well the lemmings that I followed off of the cliff

Said that they weren’t even sure of it

but the fall isn’t nearly quite as frightening

When you aren’t the first one to land

  The wisdom for the life that I was living

Was from a movie that I only half-finished

And if I can swim my way to freedom

I just might finish it

[nerveleak]

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sum synth

[nerveleak]

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This tune is going through many different forms... here's a snippet of one.

she built an ocean of trust  but the earthquake in her mind  blows through  until her hands shake  and the flood takes hold  of it all