If You Haven't Seen The Movie Stardust You Should Go Watch It Because It's Adorable, Heartwarming And

Made this Expendables fan art awhile ago, but couldn’t find the time to post it till now since my life has been stressful lately.

I can easily say The Expendables franchise is one of my favorites, and I’ve been re-watching them lately to keep myself sane. Definitely a comfort series of movies for me.

Character (Barney Ross) is not mine.

Art made by yours truly, SapphireWolf100.

You're enablers, but apparently the way Thranduil was BUTCHERED fills me with such seething rage that I can’t contain myself once I start thinking about it. For real, they slandered him so badly I'm half convinced the movies are dwarven propaganda.

Okay so right here is a very short but AMAZING exploration of Thranduil’s character in the book, which I did not write but that profoundly impacted little kid me, and probably contributed to me loving analysis so much.

In a few words: book Thranduil is KIND, COMPASSIONATE, and WISE. And how do we know that? Because Bilbo likes him after spending weeks going around his halls. Because, and I quote:

He had taken his stand on Ravenhill among the Elves-partly because there was more chance of escape from that point, and partly (with the more Tookish part of his mind) because if he was going to be in a last desperate stand, he preferred on the whole to defend the Elvenking.

Because Thranduil is the one who makes Bilbo an Elf-friend. (Which isn’t in the movies. They stretched ONE book over like NINE HOURS and they couldn’t fit in that one scene??)

Because Thranduil's people are having parties and singing songs despite the growing shadow, and they're wearing gemstones, meaning Thranduil shares his wealth with his people.

Because there is every indication that Thranduil was a good father when looking at Legolas' character in LotR.

I mean, does this guy sound like an asshole?

"Farewell! O Elvenking!" said Gandalf. "Merry be the greenwood, while the world is yet young! And merry be all your folk!" "Farewell! O Gandalf!" said the king. "May you ever appear where you are most needed and least expected! The oftener you appear in my halls the better shall I be pleased!" "I beg of you," said Bilbo stammering and standing on one foot, "to accept this gift!" and he brought out a necklace of silver and pearls that Dain had given him at their parting. "In what way have I earned such a gift, O hobbit?" said the king. "Well, er, I thought, don't you know," said Bilbo rather confused, "that, er, some little return should be made for your, er, hospitality. I mean even a burglar has his feelings. I have drunk much of your wine and eaten much of your bread." "I will take your gift, O Bilbo the Magnificent!" said the king gravely. "And I name you elf-friend and blessed. May your shadow never grow less (or stealing would be too easy)! Farewell!" Then the elves turned towards the Forest, and Bilbo started on his long road home.

Like, he’s so nice, and honestly funny, and he's such good friends with Gandalf??

Just...

The Elvenking had received news from his own messengers and from the birds that loved his folk, and already knew much of what had happened. (...) "That will be the last we shall hear of Thorin Oakenshield, I fear," said the king. "He would have done better to have remained my guest. It is an ill wind, all the same," he added, "that blows no one any good." For he too had not forgotten the legend of the wealth of Thror. So it was that Bard's messengers found him now marching with many spearmen and bowmen; and crows were gathered thick, above him, for they thought that war was awakening again, such as had not been in those parts for a long age. But the king, when he received the prayers of Bard, had pity, for he was the lord of a good and kindly people; so turning his march, which had at first been direct towards the Mountain, he hastened now down the river to the Long Lake. (...) Their welcome was good, as may be expected, and the men and their Master were ready to make any bargain for the future in return for the Elvenking's aid. Their plans were soon made. With the women and the children, the old and the unfit, the Master remained behind; and with him were some men of crafts and many skilled elves; and they busied themselves felling trees, and collecting the timber sent down from the Forest. Then they set about raising many huts by the shore against the oncoming winter; and also under the Master's direction they began the planning of a new town, designed more fair and large even than before, but not in the same place.

This guy is A GOOD PERSON. (I am begging you to read the meta I linked, it's so good.) And do you know what we get in the movies????? DO YOU?!

This absolute garbage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCY_ctV63HU&t=170s

We get Thranduil explicitly telling Bard he didn't come to help the humans. We get Thranduil being the one who wants to attack first, when in the book he's the ONLY leader out of the four involved in the Battle of the Five Armies who said he wouldn't start a war over gold.

"Fools!" laughed Bard, "to come thus beneath the Mountain's arm! They do not understand war above ground, whatever they may know of battle in the mines. There are many of our archers and spearmen now hidden in the rocks upon their right flank. Dwarfmail may be good, but they will soon be hard put to it. Let us set on them now from both sides, before they are fully rested!" But the Elvenking said: "Long will I tarry, ere I begin this war for gold."

Seriously, he'd just come to assess the situation and maybe grab some treasure if the Dwarves were really dead, and then he changed course and stayed for his human buddies and only joined his forces to theirs because Thorin didn't want to give Bard anything despite being responsible for the town's destruction. Thranduil entered the fight to support Bard's claim, not because hE wAntEd TeH HHwHitE gEmSSS!

Ffs.

Thranduil looking down on mortals, when he's a nice dude who's friends with his human neighbors, is insulting and dumb.

Thranduil being portrayed as having zero chills, when the guy canonically wears flower crowns and berry crowns, is outrageous. ("On his head was a crown of berries and red leaves, for the autumn was come again. In the spring he wore a crown of woodland flowers.")

The movie portrayed him as some sort of First Age Noldo, when he's not, he's one of the Sindar, and his people are all Teleri wood-elves/silvans, Nandor - just singers and hunters doing their thing, not great craftspeople drunk on hubris and the shine of their own reflections.

Which brings me to Tauriel, and my utter contempt for the scene where he basically tells a mere captain/a 'lowly Silvan elf' is not good enough for his son. WHAT.

1) Tauriel does not exist in the book, and by all accounts SHE SHOULD NOT. Seriously, don't tell me she's a good enough character that she deserved to be added, her name is literally Forest Maiden, because that's the amount of creativity that went into making her. She exists to fall in love with a dude she has known for three days, even though we're never given a reason why she's not prejudiced against dwarves like the rest of her people are. What makes her so special? How come a three day fling overrides her loyalty to the king who has provided for and protected his people for centuries? Is Kili that hot? Not by Elven standards he isn't. You could argue that Aragorn and Beren instantly fell in love with Arwen and Luthien, but they were literally the two most beautiful persons to ever live, and there wasn't a millennia old blood feud between their people.

2) The mere IDEA of Thranduil regarding any Elven maiden as too low in status for Legolas is BEYOND ridiculous. Elven 'nobility' is barely a thing on account of everybody knowing each other, everybody being more or less related, Elves typically marrying for love, and the Elf 'lords' mingling with their people constantly. Sure, Elves have leaders/lords/kings, who are a bit wealthier, and generally super skilled in one or several domains, but they don't really seem to have social classes. There are no Elven barons and counts, and no Elven serfs. All the Galadhrim get to see their lady. You're either one of the leaders, or you're part of the leader's people and more or less equal to everybody else, and that's that. And YES, Sindar are still kinda higher than Nandor/Sylvans, but they're close kin (and like, most of the Galadhrim are Nandor, so it's not like they're considered trash by any means), and Thranduil would definitely look down on Noldor wayyyyy more than on his woodland kin.

3) Tauriel is a high ranking warrior, and Elves place more value on personal achievements than on parentage to determine status. Beleg is Thingol's #1 guy because he's the best archer in the world, not because of birth. Also, we don't see any court ladies, so who exactly is supposed to be good enough for Legolas?

4) Elves. marry. for love. qsdsqsdfdsqsd the IDEA that Thranduil would ever try to discourage that. I just.

5) There aren't that many Sindarin from Doriath around anymore, and Thranduil's subjects are Wood-elves, so it would make sense for his unnamed wife to be a wood-elf. We're not told that the Oropher-Thranduil-Legolas Sindarin branch is related to any other big Elven family, despite the super detailed family trees, so the most plausible thing would be that Thranduil married someone from his people and not anyone related to big Elven names. So AGAIN. The IDEA. That he would think a WARRIOR MAIDEN OF HIS OWN KINGDOM WHOM HE APPARENTLY TOOK IN AS A CHILD IS BENEATH HIS SON. Is MIND-BOGGLING.

(Though I'd have some more things to say about Tauriel, and how shoehorning her in as the cliché 'badass gal that does everything like the dudes,' and hinting that Legolas' mother was the same - and it getting no raised eyebrows from anyone - kinda flies in the face of the cultures Tolkien established, and the very protective mindset of the LotR men - but this post is getting too long. ALSO! Legolas and Gimli's friendship was significant because it was the first positive bond between an Elf - especially one from the people of Doriath - and a Dwarf in FOREVER. You don't get to tell me that ACSHUALLY, an Elf almost got it on with a Dwarf not a century ago. Seriously, Elves going for mortal partners generally only happens with humans that either have Elven blood or Elven characteristics, or were raised by Elves, or all three! AND I also detest the hints of Galadriel/Gandalf and am ready to throws hands over them! ... I'm getting so off tracks.)

So yeah, it's just all preposterous, as is Thranduil being a complete d*ck to Thorin when in the books he's only really pissed that the Dwarves kept making a nuisance of themselves in his kingdom and won't tell him what they're doing there. Thranduil DOESN'T HATE THORIN.

And Thranduil being ready to commit Kinslaying for next to no reason?? KINSLAYING?? Elf-on-Elf murder?? THE ONE THING EVERYBODY - ESPECIALLY SINDAR - DESPISES THE NOLDOR FOR DOING???? The movies had Thranduil threaten to kill one of his OWN PEOPLE for hitting a nerve (and committing treason twice, but who cares? not the writers) when by all accounts he should sooner kill HIMSELF than ever do anything like that given the history of his people?!? Wtffff.

And FINALLY,

... the fact that they made Thranduil obsessed with some random white gems, that he'd go to war over them, that his entire feud with Thorin's family was started over them...

AND THAT THEY CUT THE SCENE WHERE IT'S FINALLY EXPLAINED THAT THEY WERE HIS DEAD WIFE'S JEWELS (=> meaning that the dwarves really did steal them, like it's hinted at in the first movie's intro but left ambiguous).

https://youtu.be/H1589qbXUGo

HOW DO YOU EVEN STRIP A CHARACTER OF EVERYTHING THAT MAKES HIM WHO HE IS, RECREATE HIM AS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF EVERYTHING HE WAS, HAVE HIS CHARACTERIZATION REVOLVE AROUND SUCH A CRUCIAL PIECE OF INFORMATION, AND THEN CUT OUT THE ONE THING NOW CENTRAL TO HIM OUT OF THE BLOATED MESS OF A MOVIE THAT IS BOTFA. THE HOBBIT TRILOGY IS SO POINTLESSLY LONG AND YOU INVENTED HALF A DOZEN MAIN CHARACTERS BUT YOU COULDN'T FIT IN THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT THE MAJOR PLAYER THAT YOU BUILT UP AS A BIG ANTAGONIST???

Like "yeah, we're gonna make Thranduil a bit of an ass because of the tragic past we invented for him" - "oops, we cut out half of the tragic past thing" - "yeah, we just made Thranduil an ass." "Oh no, he's not just a greedy b*tch, he's a complex character! ... If you watch the interviews and the cutscenes of the extended version."

Ugh.

(Exasperation warning for that last vid: a captain commits treasons and threatens her king for wanting to pull out of the battle that's decimating their people. Then the king all but pisses on the Silmarillion. Uuuuugh.)

(The magic fake skin/eye is also weird.)

(These movies are a mess.) . . .

But we got elk-riding, dual-wielding Thranduil out of it all, which was pretty epic I guess?

In which I tell Legends of Tomorrow how to do it’s job regarding the Legion of Doom

The Legion of Doom story line could have been so much better if they actually played to the differences between the members and recognized the established canon qualities of those characters. (It’s not that I disliked the season, it’s just that it could have been so much more if they hadn’t decided that a watered-down Eobard Thawne was the best thing since sliced bread)

For one thing, all three of the main Legion members have wildly different motivations for wanting to change reality. Thawne is acting out of a very primal survival instinct- he’s being hunted and he wants to prevent being erased. It’s immediate and urgent and it’s going to make him dangerous and desperate. Darhk is the most supervillain-esque in his motivation- he also wants to avoid dying but it’s a very distant abstract thing for him (he knows he’s going to die 30+ years down the road- that’s a far cry from seeing a corpse-like monster coming for you every time you stay in one place for too long) but beyond that he wants power. Merlyn, on the other hand (ba dum tss), is actually primarily motivated by loss- most recently that has been loss of power, but his bigger concern has always been his family. Arrow 3x12 indicates that Merlyn is actually a lot more remorseful than he lets on, and when you come right down to it, losing his family is what changed him and given the option, he would potentially undo a lot his choices in order to regain his family. Merlyn wants his wife and son to be alive, and to repair his relationship with his daughter (he goes about these things in a horrible perverse way, of course, but the underlying idea isn’t evil. And of course he would definitely grab power along the way if he could. He was a billionaire ceo who was best friends with the Queen’s- he was never a saint).

Keep reading

Walk in Their Nursing Shoes

Before criticizing the nurse you’re receiving report from; listen to the whole report - consider they may have had a rough shift. Consider how many times you’ve been there.

Before criticizing the way another nurse practices; consider you have your way and they have theirs.

Before you become irritated at the nurse you’re trying to transfer a patient to - for taking too long to come to the phone; consider what’s happening on their floor. Consider how many times you have been in with a patient and the phone is for you. Consider how many times you’ve had two or three admissions at once and just can’t take another one right now. Consider that there are some tricksters, but not every nurse is trying to pull a fast one.

Before you argue with the nurse who’s actually trying to send you a patient; consider what’s happening on their end. Consider they’re probably receiving an emergent patient, and need to get this one moving fast. Consider their charge nurse is pushing them to move fast, consider admin is pushing them, consider they are going back to a shit show of their own, since no one was really free to watch their patients while they were transferring one to you. Consider they know what it feels like to be you, but too stressed to say it just now. Consider they’re just trying to do their job as best they know how, just like you.

Before you try to palm off the worst patients to the float nurse, per diem, or traveler - think about how it felt when you floated etc. Think about how you had no idea where anything was on that unit, think about how it felt to be frustrated.

Before gossiping about a fellow nursing student’s failure, consider how devastating this may feel.

Before blasting another nurse for not handling a code well, think about how frightened you’ve been when it was your patient, think about how it affects you differently each time, think about how it takes time to build resilience.

Before passing along personal information another nurse had shared with you; consider the level of trust he/she had to confide in you in the first place.

Before mocking another nurse’s mistake, before you tell the world about his/her error; remember you aren’t perfect. Remember you have made mistakes, and will again. Remember how it felt when you did.

Before you exclude someone, consider how it feels to be on the outside.

Before criticizing the doctors for making stupid mistakes, remember they are human too. Remember all the times you felt like an idiot, or embarrassed for making “stupid” mistakes.

Before you complain and demand to know why another nurse called out; consider they have a right to do so, without having to provide an explanation to anyone.

Before you get impatient with a graduate nurse, or nursing student, remember your own beginning.

Before you say something mean, and chase it with “don’t take it personal” or “you won’t survive if you’re weak” consider this; do you want to be remembered as the person who taught lessons by cruelty? Consider we all learn under the toughest of circumstances, but retreat under bullying. Consider a tough person can still have weak moments, consider you’re not the person who decides if they’re going to survive or not, consider tough love is correcting errors, correcting mistakes, tough guidance in emergent situations, tough love is being able to say what you mean without resorting to jibes - and it isn’t an opportunity to tell them they don’t belong in this arena. Consider the wealth of your experience as a positive guide to their learning, consider they may be weak now, but with support they will go on to be an extraordinary caregiver.

Before you criticize a younger inexperienced nurse for no other reason than being new, before you cut them down for asking questions, consider the impact your words will have on their career. Domino effect.

Please watch Stardust (2007) dir Matthew Vaughn

Highland Coo, her bairn and her human.

Me: *Removes my cat from my lap to do something else.*

My cat: Father is...evil? Father is unyielding? Father is incapable of love? I am running away. I am packing my little rucksack and going out to explore the world as a lone vagabond. I can no longer thrive in this household.

Congratulations for getting into nursing school! I put together a list of supplies you may need. There are also a few tips for surviving that no one else will really tell you until you’ve been through it. Keep in mind that every one’s experience is different. What applies to me may not apply to you.

MUST HAVES:

Blood pressure cuff (was provided to me through school via lab fees)

Compression stockings/socks

Bandage/dressing scissors

Drug handbook (pocket size)

Lab coat (ordered through the school)

NCLEX-RN Study guide (Saunders or Kaplan)

Tote bag for clinical/hospital/lab (separate from your lecture backpack!)

Nursing shoes

Watch - simple, waterproof, inexpensive!

Penlight (was provided to me through school via lab fees, but I purchased extra)

Scrubs (ordered through the school)

Stethoscope

Retractable badge holder

Nursing care plan book (we were given a specific one to order)

Clipboard and BLACK pens

Extra hair clips/bobby pins, hair ties

Medical dictionary

Lecture Supplies:

Binders

Looseleaf notebook paper

Black pens (or colored if you are the type to color-code notes)

Highlighters

Drug guide (App available if lecturer allows electronic devices)

Textbook (IF you need it)

Tips for Surviving LECTURE:

Read the assigned text BEFORE class. I don’t mean skim. Understand it. Make this mandatory in your homework routine.

Come to class with questions. Mark down the answers as the lecture goes on. If there are unanswered ones, get them answered before class ends. If you don’t understand something, don’t be afraid to raise your hand and ask. Chances are that there is someone else with the same question.

Star, highlight, underline, circle, etc. any topic that the professor repeats. I usually put a star down for each time it is said. I can’t tell you how many times they put this information on exams.

Avoid using electronic devices. I always use pen and paper. I have e-textbooks, but I only pull my tablet out when I absolutely need to. Silence your cellphone and only use it during breaks or emergencies.

Keep your energy up. Eat a high-protein breakfast and drink plenty of water. Snack on nuts or other nutrient dense food. I usually eat almonds and/or apples with peanut butter.

Be courteous to your neighbors. Avoid opening loud snack packaging, using your phone, talking, or doing another classes’ work during lecture. Anything abnormal that you do during lecture is a distraction to others around you. Don’t be afraid to move seats during break if you can’t concentrate.

Wear comfortable clothes. Nursing school is not a fashion show. I wear sweats most days because I am sitting for 6+ hours at a time. I usually have a jacket because I get cold very easily.

If you are given a break, USE IT! Go walk around, go outside, walk up and down some stairs, etc. Just get your blood flowing.

Tips for Surviving LAB:

Lab is for PRACTICING skills, not learning. Usually you will be assigned a video or reading assignment that explains how to perform the skill. The professor will demonstrate the skill, but you are more than likely expected to already know the steps. Don’t make a fool out of yourself by not preparing. We were given step by step instructions for most skills. If your school doesn’t provide these, then make your own.

Come to lab in uniform and with all of your supplies. Make sure you wash your hands before beginning.

Try performing the skill on your own before asking too many questions. You will learn more by making mistakes than by avoiding them.

Don’t overthink anything. You are practicing skills to perform them on a human being. Put yourself in their shoes. Practice compassion. Talk to your mannequin as if it were a real person. It will feel silly at first, but it will help you in clinical.

Explain every step out loud in lab. This will not only help you, but it will help your lab partner and others around you. It is also easier to catch mistakes this way.

Take advantage of open lab hours if your school provides it. Get together with a study buddy and spend an extra hour or so each week practicing.

Tips for Surviving CLINICAL:

Congrats, you’ve made it to clinical! You will probably be nervous, but that’s okay. I was nervous AND excited. That is normal. Take some deep breaths and go with it!

Eat a high-protein breakfast. You will probably have to wake up at an hour you’ve never been awake for. If you’re like me, I can barely eat in the mornings to begin with. Force yourself to eat. Don’t go for a high-carb breakfast. You will crash before 9am. Bring snacks for the commute. I usually eat egg/bacon/potato breakfast burritos and I bring an apple to eat on the way.

Be prepared. Your school will have different requirements for pre-clinical. If you are assigned a patient the day before, make sure you know which drugs they are getting and WHY.

Stay busy. If there is a lull in the day, ask your nurse if there is anything you can do. If he/she says no, then that’s the perfect time to go talk to your patients.

Ask to perform skills you have already learned. Already learned how to put in a Foley? Ask your nurse if you can do the next one. Injections? IV starts? ASK!!! You will never learn if you don’t ask. The worst they can say is no.

Talk to your patients. You will learn more about them through conversation than by reading a chart.

Don’t think of yourself as a shadow. You are a student nurse who is there to help, not follow. Although you will be “shadowing” a nurse, your confidence will give your nurse more confidence in letting you take the reign!

When it’s time for lunch, eat something healthy. You already know how high-carb/high-fat meals make you feel. Plan accordingly. Take the full break. If you get 30 minutes, try to sit and rest for that full amount of time. Make sure you wash your hands before and after, and use the restroom before going back.

Enjoy yourself! This is what you’ve been working hard towards, right??

We always had a debrief with our instructor after clinical. It was an open “round-table” discussion about our day. Be honest about how your day went. Not every clinical day is unicorns and rainbows. Other students will appreciate your honesty.

Tips for READING your textbooks (BEFORE lecture):

Turn off your phone, TV, etc. I have a classical music station that I listen to when I study.

Skim the chapter and pay attention to titles/subtitles. Count how many pages you have to read and allow yourself enough time accordingly.

Start reading from the beginning. Look up any words that you don’t know. Read slowly and carefully.

Take breaks every 30-50 minutes.

Write down any questions or unclear topics.

Tips for STUDYING material (after lecture):

Review the lecture notes from each class when you get home that day. Make sure everything is organized to make studying easier.

Go through the assigned reading again and highlight or underline the main topic/sentence of each section. This will make it easier to find information.

If you have a homework assignment for this chapter, do it now.

The next day, review your notes and skim through the book again. Look for different sources of information for main topics. I like to find YouTube videos that explain topics.

Rewrite important information on notecards or in a notebook.

If you can, on a different day, get together with a study buddy or group to discuss the information. Don’t do the homework together unless there’s a question that you couldn’t answer on your own. Study groups are not for learning, they are for discussing and solidifying concepts.

Notice that now you have reviewed/heard the material 5 times.

Tips for studying for an EXAM:

Although I study every day, I usually start my “exam” studying a week before the test.

Practice NCLEX-style questions.

Answer the questions at the back of the chapter.

Get any unclear topic resolved at least 48 hours before an exam.

Top 10 Study Tips!

1. Make a study schedule and stick to it. 2. Pace yourself. Study every day, even if it’s just for 30 minutes. 3. If you don’t understand something, find a different resource (ask a friend, find a YouTube video, email the instructor, etc.). 4. Study for 50 minutes at a time and take a 10-15 minute break in between. 5. During those breaks, don’t just be on your phone or computer. Get up. Move around. Get your blood flowing! 6. Make time for yourself. If you like to read leisurely, do it. If you work out, do it. 7. SLEEP. for the love of God. Get 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Here is an article explaining why this is so so so important. 8. Find a method that works for you. Flashcards, outlines, Quizlet, recording yourself, drawing pictures, etc. It’s all trial and error. 9. DON’T CRAM. If you don’t know the material the night before the test, chances are you won’t know it for the test. 10. Studies show that you need to review material 7 times to retain 90% of the information.

I hope that this information is useful! Feel free to reblog and add anything I may have missed. Also excuse any grammar/spelling errors. I am not an English major. Also feel free to message me with any questions!