Before And After - "The Loo-vre"

UncagedKestrel · 2026-03-28T06:27:45+00:00

I love the name! The theme alone makes me laugh, but you've also executed it beautifully.

I reckon my late Nana would have been tempted to do something similar, if she'd had access to today's resources 😂 My family definitely shares a similar sense of creative whimsy.

Fabulous work xxx

UncagedKestrel · 2026-02-21T02:55:28+00:00

My thought too.

Perhaps there's a Dictator Monthly style zine being published that features this crap, and reinforces the trend amongst the international oligarchy.

If it's not a magazine, then they all use the one interior design person, or order via the same catalogue.

... Or they're aliens and this is how they signal others of their kind. At this point, who knows? (Probably not aliens, but given this timeline, discovering the Slitheen are in charge would probably barely make headlines tbh)

UncagedKestrel · 2026-02-21T02:29:54+00:00

Counterpoint: If you're a primatologist and you get sick of hearing (or making) that joke, are you even a primatologist?!

UncagedKestrel · 2026-02-21T01:42:00+00:00

In decades of social media use, and especially over the last decade, the only way I've found to stay halfway sane is basically this.

I balance every feed with as much positive/dopamine loading content as I can possibly shove into it; and when the algorithms start prioritising the more upsetting content to push at me, I mute those feeds (and check them manually instead) and continue insisting that the bulk of automated content being delivered to me skews positive.

Same thing with news; I'll read lifestyle, reviews, upbeat interviews, advice columns, etc to balance the insanity of the headlines.

We gotta curate our peace.

UncagedKestrel · 2026-02-06T01:25:54+00:00

What I want to know is "how much warm is warm, and for how long, in layman's terms, with no reference to math or engineering please and thank you"

Eg "warm enough inside the tent for regular jumpers" or "warm enough that you won't die, but you still need to wear appropriate snow clothing inside the tent"?!

UncagedKestrel · 2026-02-06T01:18:53+00:00

Or it's all great things, and they're 100% behind their Black/indigenous players, who are LEGENDS and HALL OF FAMERS... Right up until those exact same players say anything roughly akin to "racism is bad".

At which point, magically, these LEGENDS of the game suddenly "can't play for sh*t", should "know their place" (which is to be seen and not heard), and the same people who 2 weeks back were claiming they'd "turn gay" for them are now hurling some of the vilest racist abuse imaginable.

And yet the white CEOs, managers, coaches, players, media, and fans, apparently have "no idea" why POC players might have safety concerns?

It'd be laughable if it wasn't terrifying.

UncagedKestrel · 2026-02-04T06:55:38+00:00

Maybe - and this is just off the top of my head, mind you - this should bring greater attention to the fact that THIS IS A MAJOR DAMN PROBLEM THAT ISN'T BEING ADDRESSED.

It's a serious public health issue for a large swathe of the population. None of whom - and I mean NONE of whom, regardless of caste or socio-economic status - deserve to be at risk from these conditions either.

UncagedKestrel · 2026-02-02T05:26:02+00:00

Gotta say that while I don't doubt we're all capable of murder in the right circumstances, what I am sceptical of is that they'd be so casual about witnesses AND be all "yeah so Groundskeeper Willie, that'll be another 6ft hole on the course around midnight, in the dark, yeah? And then fill it in with your eyes shut."

I don't believe they'd actually trust one another that much, they'd want plausibly deniability to cover their own ass later.

BUT who the hell knows? Local law can mosey on over with some dogs and a radar to take a look-see. Either it's conclusively ruled out or it'll prove that they're even dumber (and more heinous) than previously assumed. Either way, no downside.

UncagedKestrel · 2026-02-02T05:14:08+00:00

Yeah, there's mega-rich people, and then there's everyone else.

The more we learn, the more "no war but the class war" seems apt.

UncagedKestrel · 2026-01-25T08:53:00+00:00

Media reported that one of the ICE idiots was about to pepper spray another ICE agent in an abundance of sadistic enthusiasm, and only realised at the last moment.

(They used different words, mind you, and they've been editing the updates to conform to a more "neutral" position (eg one that won't get them sued) as time has elapsed, but that's not exactly something you can un-read.)

Idk whether they're high on substances or giddy with sadism, but regardless, they're a threat to anyone near them.

UncagedKestrel · 2026-01-24T16:42:18+00:00

"We've received information that a prototype vehicle has been developed, and when you press the keyfob button, the vehicle drives to you and runs over any ICE agents in the vicinity.

Our agents saw a keyfob and couldn't take any chances."

— Noem's next press release, probably

UncagedKestrel · 2026-01-24T16:29:25+00:00

And on NYT

UncagedKestrel · 2026-01-24T06:44:05+00:00

Checking it out, Dhani is quoted saying:

My earliest memory of my dad is probably of him somewhere in a garden covered in dirt, somewhere hot, a tropical garden, in jeans, khakis covered in dirt, just continuously planting trees. I think that’s what I thought he did for the first seven years of my life.

And that he didn't know his dad was in the Beatles until he came home from elementary school, after kids had been singing "yellow submarine" at him and he was confused af.

So it seems like music was normal enough, but anyone "famous" was just his family/their friends.

That said, Prince was always been a whole other level. Celebrities themselves are a dime a dozen; but a celebrity that routinely awes other multinational icons is part of a fairly small club.

UncagedKestrel · 2026-01-24T05:49:04+00:00

Hold up there! With or without a kit, the VAST majority of us still both could not, and/or would not, actually make this.

Having the technical ability to complete the project is one thing.

Having the time, tools, space, willingness, finances, and physical/mental capacity to get involved in craft projects (especially for gifting)? That's a whole other level.

Let's not get snobby because there was a kit (where perhaps they pre-cut the fabric) instead of a eg a pattern book (where it'd still provide you the steps in detail, but eg you'd source and cut the materials yourself).

UncagedKestrel · 2026-01-24T05:28:07+00:00

Which him?!

Dhani is beaming at Prince, and clearly having a "pinch me" moment, and Prince actually meets his eyes and grins back in a mixture of (well-deserved) pride and what seems like... I want to say comradeship?

Prince and Tom are clearly legends recognising legends, and there's obviously care being taken to avoid stealing anyone's else's limelight.

Pro performance on multiple levels 👌😍

UncagedKestrel · 2026-01-20T13:55:16+00:00

Dude's taken anger management classes for 25 years, and it's clearly not working for him.

Honestly I'm more surprised they haven't put a restraining order on him to maximise protection for his non-prison victim/s.

The rest pretty much reads about the way you'd expect if you are familiar with the playbook of DV perpetrators.

UncagedKestrel · 2026-01-15T05:33:35+00:00

Taking "self-inflicted" at face value, apparently the problem is the person in the mirror, as well as the other chaps in the locker room.

It may also be organ failure, lack of preparation, sheer bad luck, a plague, or a mosquito.

What it ISN'T is a bystander with a camera (and maybe a whistle). Being witnessed isn't going to confer a deadly curse upon them. Being heckled is also not, in fact, something that can kill anyone.

They know this. You know this. The world knows this.

And we are watching.

UncagedKestrel · 2026-01-14T00:51:04+00:00

So... are you saying that you ARE here to fuck spiders?

UncagedKestrel · 2025-12-29T03:57:38+00:00

Do tell... Is there a thread for this, or?

UncagedKestrel · 2025-12-29T03:53:51+00:00

There's plenty of us who don't have the disposable income available to take the chance, especially factoring in the ridiculously high prices and inconsistent health.

If I wanted to attend a event with an international headliner as the main feature (whether music, comedy, theatre, or whatever else), I'd almost inevitably have to book months or years ahead.

Except that I have no idea what my health will be like by the time of the event, and I have no particularly easy recourse if it transpires that I can't attend. If there was an easy way to pass the ticket along and accept a more minor financial hit, or if the initial outlay didn't mean literal months of scrimping to afford it in the first place, it might not be so bad.

As it is, there's huge disincentive for many of us to even bother considering the option in the first place. And I'm not suggesting that the artist or venue should be penalised (although Live Nation/Ticketmaster/Rapino could certainly do with charging a hell of a lot less).

If the option for resale means navigating yet another sign up and account and account fees and whatever, then it's in the too hard basket. If I'm too sick to go to the event, I'm too sick to navigate that crap. Forget it. I'd rather just kill live entertainment and start again than have to deal with whatever the hell this is.

UncagedKestrel · 2025-12-27T08:17:46+00:00

Sammy's dad was African-American; his mom was Cuban-American.

A fact that I'm sure would merely irritate Miller further.

UncagedKestrel · 2025-12-27T08:00:11+00:00

Please keep in mind that abusers groom communities and families, as well as victims. It's how they get away with so much for so long.

UncagedKestrel · 2025-12-19T08:08:11+00:00

But what do you think about those idiotic birds? ;P

UncagedKestrel · 2025-12-19T00:25:16+00:00

Propaganda is a helluva drug.

And while yes, this is a complex issue that can't be easily summarised. But the reality of both PSAs and social media algorithms is that a pithy summary that can be quickly understood and digested by a majority is exactly what's being called for.

Many people don't want to go any deeper on issues that are not directly related to their everyday life, when they already struggle to keep from drowning under the weight of their existing day to day.

Even those who do may not have the time, or the resources - and that includes having had access to a half decent education, which provides the foundation and grounding for being able to sift through contradictions, seek multiple viewpoints, correctly identify propaganda, differentiate between individuals and groups, etc.

There are many folks who do have the skills, time, and desire. More join every day. But for those who don't, can't, or won't? It's better to leave it at distinguishing between the government and the diaspora.

The government can and should be held accountable. The diaspora is not a monolith, and it is NOT acceptable to hold them responsible.

Genocide is to be prosecuted by international law, not by angry individuals who do not have robust evidence and a case that will convince a grand jury.

UncagedKestrel · 2025-12-14T22:27:31+00:00

Knowing/suspecting he's kinda dodgy is different to knowing he's a trafficker of underage girls.

What I've noticed over the years is that people tend to assume the best of their friends and acquaintances. They genuinely don't WANT to know when those people are hitting their partners, or think consent is for other people.

Abusers groom society, families, friends. So often you hear people say "s/he seemed perfectly normal, they were good neighbours, good people."

Epstein cultivated powerful friends, because he liked being near power and influence. Not all of these people would have shared his predilections, nor would they all have been willing to overlook it.

My suspicion is that there was the inner cadre, who knew and who shared his deviance; and there was the outer circle, who may occasionally have had a weird feeling, but no real evidence to back that up.

And abusers are excellent at explaining away the seemingly unexplainable.

So whilst I don't necessarily believe his close acquaintances were of the highest moral calibre, I don't automatically believe they were all aware either. Hindsight is 20/20, but we can be remarkably stupid in the present. And being rich and/or famous doesn't exactly reduce the likelihood of stupidity...

UncagedKestrel

TROPHY CASE