#it's a story about everybody's very individual relationships with bruce

[silverwhittlingknife]

Hi! Thoughts on Dick and Tim during Murderer/Fugitive, and their argument over whether Bruce killed Vesper?

(My interpretation was that to Dick, Robin means not only unwavering loyalty to Batman, but unwavering faith (“I’m dismayed that there can be a Robin who believes Batman could be guilty of murder”)— whereas to Tim it’s more about having faith in the symbol and the mission, not the person)

Tim (suspicious that Bruce has emotional blind spots and is about to get a case wrong): Nightwing. Channel Two. Go discreet. (Gotham Knights 1)

Dick: I don't - I don't see how you can say that and still wear that uniform... Tim: The guy who gave it to me–the guy who wore it first–HE taught me never to back away from any possibility that might lead to the truth. And he still believes that… right? (Gotham Knights 26)

Ooh, look, it’s one of my favorite comics of all time. <33

Yeah!!  I think hmmm.  Both Dick and Tim are intensely loyal to Bruce and they both care about him a lot.  But they do think about their loyalty to him in very different ways.

Also tl;dr I am biased here but also I am right dsfsfs - although I do think that Tim's loyalty is kinda to the symbol, I also think a big part of the issue here is that Tim's more unambiguous personal faith is given to Dick, not to Bruce. When Dick says, How can you wear that uniform and not have faith in Bruce, Tim answers, essentially, I wear this uniform because I have faith in you. Which is not what Dick wants to hear!

I had SO MANY THOUGHTS about this, so below the cut:

Dick and Bruce and the importance of faith

Tim and Bruce and the importance of doubt

More rambling Dick-and-Tim-and-Bruce thoughts

Dick and Bruce and faith

Dick’s notion of loyalty is pretty firm: “It's no secret Batman and I have had our... issues. But I won't be involved in anything that hurts him.”  His connection to Bruce, from the very beginning, is all about their shared sense of mission: the oath in the candlelight. Dick’s got this intense loyalty that he feels he owes to Bruce, and he feels betrayed when it seems like Bruce isn’t reciprocating, because as far as Dick’s concerned they owe it to each other.

I think you owe me an explanation, Bruce. ... We were the Dynamic Duo, don’t you remember? / If Bruce Wayne doesn’t exist, who am I the son of? / I know you have to live through restraint. I understand how brevity is your moral compass. But why lie to me, of all people? Why would you lie to me. ME. ... I trust you more than anyone. / I've trusted Batman with my life since I was eight. / On top of everything, he's my father now, too... I want to hit people just for thinking bad thoughts about him.

Dick’s first experience of Bruce is fighting by his side.  He initially conceptualizes his role of Robin as about being steadfast partners to each other, and although he'll sometimes later recategorize it as a kid's role, that doesn't change the way he thinks of his own relationship to Bruce: partners, no matter what.

Dick fights with Bruce a lot - he'll pick a physical fight in this very arc! He's not afraid to stand up to Bruce! He wants to be independent and bristles when he feels bossed around or ignored or when Bruce is dismissive or doesn't listen or doesn't call on him for help! But paradoxically, he stands up to Bruce because he has faith in him. Dick respects Bruce enough to confront him and he expects Bruce to offer him the same respect in return. He'll pour out his heart to Bruce because despite everything, some part of him expects Bruce to have an answer, to step up, to be the person Dick's determined to believe he can be.

Tim and Bruce and doubt

By contrast, Tim initially interacts with Bruce like a detective stalking a criminal.  He collects newspaper reports. He follows Bruce and takes photos of him and gathers evidence to present to Dick. He goes to talk to Dick, not Bruce, about Bruce’s problems—and Tim will pretty consistently continue to talk about Bruce to Dick (or occasionally to Alfred), to work behind Bruce’s back, to be frank with Dick in ways that he’s not frank with Bruce.  Tim’s often at pains to insist that he does respect and care about Bruce, but one of the reasons he has to keep insisting this verbally is because his actions and assumptions suggest a lack of trust.

Tim’s first experience of Bruce is of someone who could be a knight or a monster, who needs help and intervention, who can be loved but not entirely trusted.  Someone who isn’t gonna be okay on his own; someone who needs saving and fixing; someone whose sense of himself can’t be entirely trusted or listened to.  Batman needs a Robin.  No matter what he thinks he wants.

In New Titans 71, Wolfman writes Dick musing about Tim as a Robin and how he’s different from Dick himself, and thinking, “He questions more.”  Much later, in Teen Titans/Outsiders, Kory will note the same difference.  Which is a funny thing to write given all Dick’s fights with Bruce—but I also think it’s a true insight!  Tim’s default is questioning.  Almost his entire tenure as Robin is spent as Bruce's apprentice, not his kid, and that affects his attitude a lot. He never takes his trust in Bruce for granted.  It’s carefully considered—and it could be revoked.  A part of Tim is always judging and measuring Bruce, deciding which qualities he thinks are admirable and which ones not so much, what's worrisome and what's not, analyzing whether Bruce is looking after his health or not, etc etc.

You have to promise me something. You'll listen to Alfred and at least call it a night and give yourself a chance to heal. / How many times are we going to have this conversation, Bruce? You died tonight. For almost two minutes you were dead. / Maybe Batman doesn't need to know about this. / He's a hard guy to get to know. / I have friends. He has... associates. / Bruce has been on the job the longest. It’s slowly driven him mad and eaten the human part right out of him. / My boss - my teacher is gone, gone as in fled, but also gone out of his head. And now he may be a murderer as well. / I think maybe Batman has gone crazy. / Don't like the risks he's taking. Don't like the way he spoke to me. I hope it's the concussion talking. I don't want to think his edge is coming back.

It’s not that Dick never worries about Bruce in this way.  He does!  In the arc right before Lonely Place of Dying, his inner monologue compares Bruce to an alcoholic. And IMO it’s strongly implied in Gotham Knights 26 (the Dick-and-Tim fight about Bruce maybe being a murderer) that one of the reasons Dick is so forceful and so upset by Tim’s suggestion is that he’s suppressing his own private doubts.  Tim’s dragging into the open something that Dick is refusing to look closely at.  Dick's faith is an act of will—if I’m going to be Bruce’s ally, then I can’t believe he’s capable of this.  I can’t allow myself to believe it.  And if I believe he’s capable of it, then I’m not acting as his ally anymore:

Dick: "I think it’s… admirable that you can continue serving a system in which you have so little faith. But I can’t. I can’t, Tim. I cannot believe that Batman is guilty of murder. I do not believe it, and I will not believe it. And I can’t stand with anyone who does."

You don't get this upset about somebody saying that the Earth is flat, you know? Dick's not laughing the accusation off; instead, he's drawing a hard line - I will not consider this. I refuse to go there. The topic is off-limits.

(In the same comic, you've got a similar fight going on between Alfred and Leslie with similar stakes - Alfred refusing to believe it but clearly harboring secret doubts, Leslie openly suspicious.)

General Dick-and-Tim-and-Bruce thoughts

Tim to friends: "I lie to Batman" (Teen Titans 3) Dick to Bruce: "But why lie to me, of all people? Why would you lie to me. ME." (Outsiders 21)

It’s always been Tim’s instinct to strategize around Bruce rather than with him. Tim will lie and circumvent Bruce’s orders, whereas Dick will disagree to his face.  Dick respects Bruce enough to give him his say and argue back, whereas Tim tends to think of Bruce as an admired-but-unstable figure who you sometimes listen to but sometimes plan around.

And I think you get the core of that in this arc!

Tim voices his concerns pretty frankly to Dick, but is way more circumspect in front of Bruce, because he doesn't entirely trust Bruce - Tim thinks "is Bruce stable and trustworthy" is "a decision that Dick and I will make in consultation with each other," not a decision that Bruce can make.

In the past, Dick has basically gone along with this kind of thing - he and Tim gossip about Bruce a lot! So it's not surprising that Tim's first thought is that they can confer on it again. But when it becomes a question of "is Bruce murderous, criminal, immoral," then Dick's loyalty kicks in. That's too serious an accusation for Dick to feel entirely comfortable talking about it behind Bruce's back.

Generally IMO, how Dick conceptualizes his loyalty tends to vary a lot depending on who he's talking to. So e.g. in general, Dick's more likely to gripe about Bruce to Tim than he is to gripe about Bruce to the Titans, because he knows that Tim basically likes Bruce. Tim's Robin! Dick takes for granted that Tim is loyal. So it's not disloyal to complain about Bruce to Tim, because Dick and Tim are both on Bruce's side. Dick complains to Tim about Bruce abruptly summoning them into No Man's Land, but doesn't share the same complaint with the Titans. And that's because the Titans aren't friendly toward Bruce in general, and so bitching to them would be disloyal, would be airing dirty laundry outside the family.

By contrast, Tim's a safe audience... until you end up in a situation like Bruce Wayne: Murderer, when suddenly it sounds like Tim may not be on Bruce's side anymore. What are you saying, Tim?

I do think that if Tim had been right, if Bruce had been a murderer, Dick would've ultimately helped take him down. He's very defensive of Bruce because that's how Dick understands the obligations of loyalty, but... he's part of confronting Bruce and demanding explanations in the Cave, and he and Tim (and Cass and Babs) all investigate Bruce together. I think if there had been very very very credible evidence, Dick would've helped fight to take evil!Bruce down. But I also think he would've never stopped mentally searching for an explanation: mind control? body double? I think he'd have an incredibly hard time accepting that Bruce had just murdered someone.

And I mean! In Dick's defense! I don't think Bruce would! At the end of the day, I think Bruce deserves all kinds of criticism in post-Crisis, but I also tend to think that Dick's read of him is a bit more accurate than Tim's, that even though Bruce can act monstrously in all kinds of ways he is at bottom a person who would never ever ever murder a civilian girlfriend no matter how unstable he got and no matter how threatened his secret was. Dick might have a bit more faith in him than he deserves, but at the same time, Tim's jumping to the worst-case scenario pretty fast here, much as he does during Batman: RIP, and I think you could definitely argue that Dick - who's known Bruce longer and better, who lived with Bruce for years instead of just worked with him - has a better and more instinctive sense of Bruce's strengths instead of just his faults.

(And in Tim's defense, as Babs is about to point out to Dick, Bruce has not been behaving especially well recently and Tim has a lot of reasons to be frustrated with him. And Tim's not the only one - Babs is pretty suspicious too!)

.... And of course, I mean, as a Dick and Tim fan, I love that this arc makes very clear that Tim feels his own loyalty is to the symbol, yes, but also that he associates the symbol with Dick first and with Dick's sense of morals, that he trusts Dick, that he sees the costume as something Dick gave him and that's the legacy that he's trying to live up to, to never walk away from the truth, that he thinks the two of them need to be willing to consider the worst of Bruce .... and also the delightful paradox that this isn't loyalty that Dick asked for or wants or welcomes!!

Dick has always taken for granted that Tim was loyal to Bruce, not to Dick; he's not at all happy to hear the opposite. This isn't a heartwarming moment for them but instead a really fraught one, because it's a declaration of Tim's loyalty but it's a declaration of Tim's loyalty that's specifically about not offering unconditional loyalty to Bruce, so Dick feels like he's being invited to be traitors together instead of feeling touched by Tim's trust. Tim's loyalty is something he has to learn to come to terms with rather than something he's happy to have.

And I think that's great!! I love love love these kinds of complicated emotional dynamics (TM), and Bruce Wayne: Murderer is full of them. It's such a fun read.

#THANK YOU FOR THE ASK <33 i rambled for so long sdfdsfs but i really really love this whole arc #it's such a great fight and it does so many interesting things with characterization #it's a story about everybody's very individual relationships with bruce #and all the focus is on the emotional dynamics of WHY they're making particular choices #dick & tim #dick grayson #tim drake #ask tag

[zenithabovemarshland]

Just thinking aloud about fame, celebrity, and Pluto in Aquarius...

When Britney Spears was released from the conservatorship there were posts about how it's likely Britney might not be as internet-literate or socially appropriate as we'd like her to be, considering everything she went through. The posts encouraged others to be patient and understanding, and not to cancel her if she happens to make any mistakes.

Just now I saw a similar point about Gypsy Rose Blanchard. Now that she's released she intends to make herself very public online, but her entire life (32 years) has been spent in either one prison or the other. There are concerns for how she might adjust to the internet we know today, seeing as how she likely didn't get the opportunity to grow alongside social media the way the rest of us did.

In the 2024 Year Ahead Forecast from The Astrology Podcast they brought up the Pluto in Leo generation, and how that period of time and that generation relate to the making of our concept of "celebrity". They're also the generation that are holding on to power (like the presidents of the USA). Pluto in Leo gen is also unique because it's one of the only Pluto generations that is likely to live to their Pluto opposition, which is happening now. With this Pluto opposition, the pod talked about how the idea of who gets to be in power is likely to change. As well as our concept and relationship with "celebrities".

In 1991, Pluto in Scorpio (square to Pluto in Leo, if it matters. Whether it matters is still something I'm exploring here), Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's. I'm not actually sure how public illness was allowed to be previous to that. I just remember growing up how Michael J. Fox was something of a special case, and his celebrity status helped make massive leaps in awareness and research for Parkinson's.

Hollywood became big in the 1920's, when Pluto was in Cancer. While Pluto has been in the opposite sign, Capricorn, I feel like I've heard about a million celebrities coming out with illness. Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Bruce Willis. Recently, Celine Dion. If you Google it, there are lists of dozens of celebrities with chronic illnesses. Not to mention mental illness, which has become that much more public.

My feeling at this point is that there are themes of privacy, hidden and internal illness, and representation here that we've seen getting dug up from the Pluto in Cancer era. True crime stories from old Hollywood, being open about mental illness, exposing how child talents have been exploited by the industry, and of course, hidden afflictions to celebrities are changes we've seen around fame through the trine, Pluto in Scorpio, and opposition, Pluto in Capricorn.

Most obviously, though, who gets to be famous has changed the most in the last 20 years. It used to be only special, hand-picked people who got to be famous. Now it could be anybody with a cell phone.

I think of this blog post on the Aries Point by Ace (AliceSparklyKat), where they talk about how the angular points seem to manifest. They've noticed that celebrities whose Sun is at 0 degrees Cancer seem to be regarded as chameleon-like in their nationality, form, or culture, and those with 0 degrees Capricorn seem to be known for a peak example for one nationality, form, or culture. I wonder if this can be seen in this shift to influencer culture, particularly in the rhetoric that celebrities until now have been made to represent everybody. But now, after Pluto in Capricorn, we are much more aware of the consequences of not having fair representation of more nuanced, individual experiences. At first it was all about art and talent. Now, it's about the hard tacks of who gets what job and why, and the consequences of story. Very Cancer to Capricorn opposition coded.

Anyway, I feel like I've noticed a lot of celebrities becoming ill in the past, and now I feel like I'm seeing some "taboo" issues come up in influencer culture. I'm wondering about how this could be gearing us up for Pluto in Aquarius.

What do you think??? I really want to hear your thoughts!

#astrology community #astro community #mundane astrology #pluto in aquarius

[ultrahpfan5blog]

Watching Snyderverse Part 3 - Zack Snyder’s Justice League

After BvS, I was honestly not particularly looking forward to Justice League. For me, it was obvious that Snyder’s versions of these characters and his overall doom and gloom approach was not something I was particularly enjoying despite some promising elements in both MoS and BvS. Then we saw exactly how JL production went down. Despite the happy face they tried to paint, the fact that there was going to be a 2 hour mandate, the fact that Whedon basically reshot a bunch of Snyder’s film with the film being a mishmash of two directors who couldn’t be any more different in their sensibilities, and that that the actors, specifically Ben Affleck, looked like they couldn’t wait to be done with this movie and this role, made it obvious that the movie wasn’t going to turn out well. So my expectations were rock bottom for the theatrical cut. As it happens, that was a good thing. The theatrical cut of JL is a thoroughly unremarkable movie. I don’t abhor it but it is so obviously a patchwork job and a studio mandated film that there is no passion or vision in the movie at all. I mean, I didn’t like BvS much at all, but there was a vision there. Theatrical cut of JL seemed like a film that felt like WB just felt they had to put out there and then move on. And then years later, we get Zack Snyder’s full version of Justice League. I watched it in one sitting, which was maybe a mistake because it is heavy viewing for 4 hours. Without a doubt it is a better movie than the theatrical cut. Its a little tough to judge this film because this is no way a movie that would have been released theatrically. But its also impossible to judge on what it may have been if it was edited down to a 3 hour length. So best to just judge it on its own merits.

Firstly, the positives. This is definitely a more coherent and clear movie. The plot is not rushed and every sequence, be it a character moment or an action sequence, is fully realized without any weird edits. The film does have some more humor than the previous two Snyder films. Mainly courtesy of Ezra Miller and Jeremy Irons. And the humor is not awkward like in the theatrical cut. Ezra Miller in particular benefits from that because some of his cringey lines from the theatrical edition are cut. The special effects are largely impressive and definitely an improvement over the theatrical edition. On a character level, definitely Cyborg gets the most benefit out of all the characters. As we get a full and thorough backstory for him. We get insight into his relationship with both his parents. Steppenwolf also gets significantly more screen time and his motivations are definitely more clearly defined in the movie than in the theatrical. Miller and Momoa also get some more scenes to flesh out their individual characters. What does surprise me is that the film contains a lot of scenes which are essentially just alternate versions of scenes from the theatrical cut. The film isn’t radically different from the theatrical version, but the scenes included in this version feel a little more real. Like a scene with the entire League discussing Superman’s return in the theatrical cut made it obvious that the actors weren’t in the same room together, whereas the original scene in this movie has them clearly in the same physical space. The Superman scenes are also infinitely better without the CGI upper lip. Thankfully, Snyder doesn’t do what he did with the previous two movies and gives some breathing room between action sequences. Probably a bit too much time, but that’s better than no time at all. the tunnel action sequence and the climax set piece is definitely pretty cool. Flash actually having an active role in the climax was a big improvement. My favorite action sequence is still the Superman vs the League because it shows just how powerful Superman can be. Also, the color palette is a lot more consistent and better than the weird bright and red color palette that is used in the theatrical cut.

When it comes down to the performances from the cast, nobody really stands out. They are all fine, but unlike in BvS, where Affleck stood out. Everybody here is just motoring along. In the theatrical cut, Affleck looked completely checked out. I was hoping the original cut would beef up his performance. While it is slightly better, he’s still just a bit too restrained in the role and doesn’t leave the type of impression he left in BvS. Everyone is at their most dour self. Gal Gadot’s WW is more serious and therefore does not get to show her more radiant side in Patty Jenkins’ movies, Momoa is also similarly more dour and serious and not quite as fun as he was in Aquaman. Ray Fisher is decent but its a role that requires him to be very robotic for large chunks of the film. So its a little difficult to assess his performance. Cavill is in far too little of the movie to give much of a performance. He’s perfectly fine in the handful of scenes he has. Miller is probably the best of the lot, even though he’s still more Peter Parker than Barry Allen. Some of the supporting cast actually fare a little better. Irons is a delight whenever he’s on screen and Affleck is also at his best when they have scenes together. That dynamic works. Joe Morton is surprisingly affecting as Silas Stone, as is Billy Crudup in his brief scenes as Henry Allen. Its always nice to see more of Willem Dafoe, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, and JK Simmons. Simmons as Gordon was great casting and its a pity we won’t get to see more of him in that role. Amber Heard for some perplexing reason has a British accent in this film as Mera. Given Dafoe and Momoa both speak in their normal voices, that must have been a choice. It did feel a bit funny. Jared Leto and Jesse Eisenberg are back as Joker and Lex and neither of them particularly improve on their performances. I mean, they have a scene each so its no harm done, but the Joker scene particularly drags on for too long. Amy Adams has a small role and she does manage to make to get some emotion out of a handful of scenes.

The film has more than its fair share of issues. Firstly, it is just way, way too long. The pacing is glacially slow at times. And I mean that in the most literal manner. There is so much slow mo in this movie, its crazy. I swear, if you removed the slow motion, you might lose 20 minutes of the run time. Snyder is clearly in desperate need of an editor here. The film has the exact opposite problem of the theatrical cut. Whereas in the theatrical cut, it always felt that every scene was just edited a little too short, in this movie there are scenes that are going on for far too long. There are some very strange edits. Like an entire scene where women in the village are singing hyms when Arthur leaves and smelling his clothes. There is a meet cute between Iris and Barry which is completely unnecessary and is frankly slightly creepy where Barry is caressing her face while she is in the process of being thrown out of her car. Some music choices in these scenes are also a little bizarre. Everything involving the Martian Manhunter is not necessary. I mean, his involvement in a crucial Martha and Lois scene actually takes away from the emotion of that moment. And then he has a very tacked on final scene which is kind of awkward. The Knightmare scene also drags for a bit too long, especially given they are supposed to be in danger while being out in the open. We still have no more clarity as to why Bruce is having these visions. The slow pace does make things boring at times as well. While I am glad that Cyborg’s backstory gets beefed up, there is a bit too much of Cyborg being angry at his father. After a while, it gets monotonous. The film takes too long to get the team together and the first JL action sequence doesn’t happen until over 2 hours into the movie. The film should have spent a bit more time with the team interacting with one another. That’s what made the Avengers movies work and some of the best parts of this movie are also the team together. There are some Snyder tone deaf moments as per usual. While WW’s entry action sequence is very cool, I do find it funny that they have her comforting a girl and the girl wanting to be just like her after she basically obliterates the terrorist into dust. Given her abilities shown in that sequence, there is no reason she wouldn’t have been able to disable him. But instead she just obliterates him. Its all very Snyder. I do also have to wonder about that sequence. I still don’t get exactly how terrorists feel that blowing up a few city blocks will bring down the modern age. I thought this was a weird Whedon thing but it turns out to be a weird Snyder thing. Also, for all the hype about the black suit Superman, its really nothing more than an aesthetic choice for no rhyme or reason. I honestly prefer the Blue and Red if the black suit doesn’t have a point, like the restorative factor from the comics. Also, for all the blame people put on Whedon about the skimpy outfits on Amazons and the weird backside shots of WW, turns out they were all Snyder. There are a few select things that the Whedon cut did slightly better. For example, there is no real major debate or conflict within the team other than minor objections from Arthur over the implications of using the mother box to bring back Superman. Also, a sequence in the theatrical cut where Bruce admits that Clark was more human that he was, is a better version of a similar scene in this movie. Also, while not perfectly executed, the theatrical cut did acknowledge that Bruce was a human fighting amongst superpowered individuals. Also, most importantly, while Steppenwolf is an improvement over the theatrical cut, this is still a movie where the plot involves a villain trying to find three boxes. Steppenwolf is still pretty boring and the main story is not interesting at all. The Darkseid angle of this story is also overhyped since he’s barely in the film. 

In the end, it feels that there is a pretty decent 3 hour movie hidden in an ok but dragged out 4 hour film. I’m glad the Snyder fans got to see it. I have had my issues with Snyder’s vision. While I feel he has grand ambitions and a sense of scale and scope, he hasn’t really got the sense of story and script to really make it work to a degree where the audience at large would appreciate it. I have seen his old storyboards and read his recent interviews about what he was going to do. It sounds very grand and very cool, but with a big potential of being a gigantic mess. Who knows what will happen in the future but at least it right now seems that they are moving on from Snyder’s vision. For this film, I am right now landing at about a 6/10, which is the highest mark out of all the Snyder DC movies. I’ve only watched it once and watching it again is a big endeavor so I won’t do it anytime soon, but maybe revisiting it will make me either like it more or less.

#zack snyder #zack snyder's justice league #justice league #batman #superman #wonder woman #aquaman #the flash #cyborg #ben affleck #henry cavill #gal gadot #ray fisher #jason momoa #ezra miller #snyderverse #jeremy irons #amy adams #diane lane #jk simmons #jared leto #joker #jesse eisenberg #lex luthor #lois lane #steppenwolf #darkseid #willem dafoe #amber heard #mera

[rivet-ing-titanic]

April 30th, 1912 - American Inquiry Day 11

Pictured: Philip A.S. Franklin (left) and J. Bruce Ismay (right) during the US inquiry into the disaster.

Day 11: A first big thing that is notable about today is the fact that the first woman witness is called to testify, a first class passenger named Mrs. Helen W. Bishop. But the morning starts with a seemingly unrelated individual to the disaster, but it comes that he had insider knowledge regarding a telegram addressed to “Islefrank” or “Franklin” on Monday morning. It is later asked that the testimony be sent to the officers of Western Union Telegraph, to advise them that one of their employees is leaking information. Another seemingly unrelated character is Deputy Morgan of the United States Marshall services who was in charge of the elusive Luis Klein. Colonel Archibald Gracie was among the first class passengers who testified today. His story is one that he later captures in books that are still read to this day. His story is definitely worth reading. 

Witnesses:

Edward J. Dunn, Salesman;

Charles H. Morgan, Deputy United States Marshall;

J. Bruce Ismay, managing director of I.M.M and Managing Director of the White Star Line (recalled later in the day);

C.E. Henry Stengel, First Class Passenger, RMS Titanic;

S.C. Neale, Counsel for I.M.M;

Colonel Archibald Gracie, First Class Passenger, RMS Titanic (recalled later in the day);

Mrs. Helen W. Bishop, First Class Passenger, RMS Titanic;

Dickinson H. Bishop, First Class Passenger, RMS Titanic;

Notable Quotes/Lines of Questioning or Summarized Testimony:

Edward Dunn, was a salesman who was speaking with an acquaintance about the Titanic disaster, at which “the question arose that there were rumors that there was a telegram delivered at the Western Union office to be delivered, or a message had been received by wireless addressed to Islefrank; and the wireless people, not knowing who Islefrank was, in turn turned that telegram over to the Western Union people to deliver to Islefrank. It appears that the telegram was delivered at the White Star office between half-past 7 and 8 o'clock that Monday morning.”  Dunn is continuously asked to give the name of his informant, but he remains steadfast and will not tell the subcommittee that man’s name.

The topic of Luis Klein comes back today as Deputy Morgan is interviewed. He presents a signed paper in which Klein waives the need for official subpoena, and agrees to come from Cleveland to D.C. in order to testify. Klein made it to D.C. with the Marshall, however he snuck out of his hotel at 7a.m. one morning and has not been seen since.

Ismay takes the stand again before the senators.  He starts by explaining all the lines held and controlled under the I.M.M. Then they discuss the relationship with Harland & Wolff, Thomas Andrews and the work they have done for White Star Line.

On their contract with the British Government: “No, sir. We are supposed to use the fastest ships we have in our fleet for the conveyance of the mails, but there is absolutely no penalty attached to our not making any special speed… I think there is a minimum; or we are not allowed to put the mails into ships that will go less than 16 knots, or something like that.” – Ismay

“No, sir. We have never built a ship with Messrs. Harland & Wolff by contract at all. They have carte blanche to build the ship and put everything of the very best into that ship, and after they have spent all the money they can on her they add on their commission to the gross cost of the ship, which we pay them. We have never built a ship by contract.” – Ismay

“She might not have sunk. I think it would have taken a very brave man to have kept his ship going straight on an iceberg. I think he should have endeavored to avoid it.” – Ismay

Ismay provides copies of all messages he sent aboard the Carpathia. 

“We have given instructions that no ship belonging to the I.M.M. Co. is to leave any port unless she has sufficient boats on board for the accommodation of all the passengers and the whole of the crew.” – Instructions given by Ismay the day following his reaching New York.

“Because there was room in the boat. She was being lowered away. I felt the ship was going down, and I got into the boat.” – Ismay, on why he boarded a lifeboat.

“Mr. Chairman, I understand that my behavior on board the Titanic, and subsequently on board the Carpathia, has been very severely criticized. I want to court the fullest inquiry, and I place myself unreservedly in the hands of yourself and any of your colleagues, to ask me any questions in regard to my conduct; so please do not hesitate to do so, and I will answer them to the best of my ability…” – Ismay (for full statement: LINK)

“I have no fault to find. Naturally, I was disappointed in not being allowed to go home; but I feel quite satisfied you have some very good reason in your own mind for keeping me here.” – Ismay. Smith has asked a number of men, mainly those of higher status, to say for the record, their opinions and confirm he was acting in a correct manner. I think you can look at this one of two ways: being extremely thorough and meticulous in this investigation, or you could see it as a CYA (cover your ass) attempt because some other people he didn’t consider their feelings or desires in the slightest.

Put into record was a letter from Ismay to Senator Smith, and Smith’s subsequent reply regarding Ismay’s departure for home. (link)

“I am working night and day to achieve this result, and you should continue to help me instead of annoying me and delaying my work by your personal importunities.” Smith in his reply to Ismay

“There was no one else around, not a person I could see except the people working at the boats, and he said, ‘Jump in.’ The railing was rather high - it was an emergency boat and was always swung over toward the water - I jumped onto the railing and rolled into it. The officer then said, ‘That is the funniest sight I have seen tonight,’ and he laughed quite heartily. That rather gave me some encouragement. I thought perhaps it was not so dangerous as I imagined” – Stengel

“There was a lady had a cane, I believe, with an electric light, and she was flashing this light, and they were going to that boat, and we were going toward that boat, and there were two other boats around, so the two or three of us kept together; that is, all the boats besides our own kept together.” Stengel (see this post about the electric cane)

A letter that I.M.M Counsel Neale sent (or directed his associate to send) to the Commissioner of General Immigration that stated the passengers would arrive in Halifax, and provided incorrect number of survivors, was put on the record. This was directed by Neale based upon a message that his office received from Franklin in New York.

Colonel Archibald Gracie  – A name many are familiar with, when it comes to the sinking of Titanic. He wrote two books about his experience, one co-authored by another survivor named John B. (Jack) Thayer (Titanic: A Survivor’s Story and The Sinking of the S.S. Titanic); as well as one he wrote himself called The Truth About the Titanic. His answers and testimony are quite long so I have provided a link to his testimony here, as I think he has a fantastic story to tell. You should read it. There are many quotes I wanted to include but for space, I have not.

“That is the boat that I came to when I came up from below. I was taken down with the ship, and hanging on to that railing, but I soon let go. I felt myself whirled around, swam under water, fearful that the hot water that came up from the boilers might boil me up - and the second officer told me that he had the same feeling - swam it seemed to me with unusual strength, and succeeded finally in reaching the surface and in getting a good distance away from the ship.” – Gracie

“There was a splendid Frenchwoman, who was very kind to us, who loaned us one of her blankets to put over our heads - that is, four of us. One poor Englishman, who was the only other passenger besides Mr. Thayer and myself who was saved on this raft - he was bald, and for that reason he needed this protection, which was very grateful to him. It was very grateful to me, too. The people on the Carpathia received us with open arms, and provided us with hot comforts, and acted as ministering angels.” – Gracie

“We thought of nothing at all except the luxury of the ship; how wonderful it was.” – Mrs. Bishop

“The conduct of the crew, as far as I could see, was absolutely beyond criticism. It was perfect. The men in our boat were wonderful. One man [a lookout, though she was not sure which] lost his brother. When the Titanic was going down I remember he just put his hand over his face; and immediately after she sank he did the best he could to keep the women feeling cheerful all the rest of the time. We all thought a great deal of that man.” – Mrs. Bishop

Mr. Bishop did not have much more to say than his wife, except to pass on some hearsay about a watertight door on E deck and that the women and children order had not yet been given when they got in boat no. 7 (the first to leave the starboard side). It is somewhat unclear to me the way in which they selected passengers to testify.  Gracie makes sense but I am unsure whether the Bishops added much. However, it is of note, that the Bishops are of Michigan, and that is Senator Smith’s state.

“I only mention that fact, because they [Butt, Millet & Moore] were perfectly imperturbable, showing their confidence in the ship, that no disaster was going to take place. In fact a great deal of my testimony is given for that purpose, to show how unconcerned everybody was about this serious disaster until the very last.” – Gracie

SEE American Inquiry Day 10 post here.

#mypost #this day in history #titanic inquiry #colonel archibald gracie #j bruce ismay #passengers #may 1 #International Mercantile Marine Co #rms titanic #sinking of the titanic #april 30

[spectral-musette]

So, the Avengers: Endgame spoiler ban is lifted, and I’ve had a chance to mull over my responses, so I’m finally going to try to write up some thoughts. I was hoping to have seen it again in the interim, but that didn’t work out, so I’m relying on memory from one viewing – it’s possible I’ve missed or misinterpreted things.

Spoilers to follow, so scroll carefully, Ye on Mobile! Also, sorry about the Long Post (TM), I apparently I had a lot to say.

 Time-wise, for its 3 hour length, the film didn’t feel long to me. It maintained its momentum and nothing felt laggy or tedious, even the big battles.

Time travel-wise… Okay, positive stuff first. I thought that revisiting the settings of earlier films was absolutely delightful and nostalgic. It felt very satisfying to have those call backs to earlier adventures and cameos of old enemies (Crossbones, Pierce, Zola, and, surprise, even Sitwell). The Cap vs. Cap fight was hilarious, and I loved seeing Steve so utterly exasperated with himself (“I can do this all d-“, “YEAH, I know.”). The scene in the 70’s was good, though some of the Tony and Howard stuff rang a little hollow to me. I think that’s mostly because I’ve always had trouble reconciling Dominic Cooper’s Young Howard Stark (who I’m very fond of, especially after Agent Carter) to the older version of Howard we see in various flashbacks. They look, sound, and act nothing alike; my friends and I always joke that Hydra replaced Howard sometime in the 60’s. So while an aged up Dominic Cooper Howard probably would’ve made me emotional, as it was, I was more moved to see 20 seconds of Jarvis than for all the stuff with Tony talking to his dad about fatherhood.

Using the “Quantum Realm” for time travel was… okay…. Insofar as the “science” of the Ant-Man films has absolutely never made any damn sense (and that’s …. fine. They’re funny and joyful, and I enjoy them a lot anyway. I don’t go to Marvel movies for “realistic” science fiction), throwing time travel into the mix felt like it just might as well happen. I guess I understand why they chose to go with the “nothing we do in the past can affect our own timelines” approach, but frankly it’s still giving me a headache. I also understand not over-explaining, but there’s a middle ground there that wasn’t quite achieved for me. I guess, based on the scene with Tilda Swinton (sorry, haven’t seen Dr. Strange and don’t know her character’s name) and Bruce, we’re supposed to assume that every journey to the past (cue Anastasia music) creates or perhaps just shifts the time traveler into an alternate reality that branches from their original reality at that point? And then when they travel back to the time they started from via the quantum realm, they return to their original version of reality. So the actions that they take in the past affect that alternate reality, but not the reality that they came from and return to. That’s the only thing I can figure out that makes sense to me at all, but unfortunately the film didn’t make that especially clear. Maybe seeing it again would clarify? So this is gonna be a big factor in how I feel about Steve’s ending, but I’ll get to that in a moment.

Also, a tangent re: time travel… While Tony (an engineer) and Bruce (a biologist) are both brilliant, this seems a little outside their areas of expertise! You know, wouldn’t it be great if we had a character who was an astrophysicist who could really tackle this type of thing - OH HEY, we do! I realize that there were probably issues with getting Natalie Portman back in a substantial role, but I love Jane Foster a lot and I would’ve loved seeing her work with Tony and Bruce to save the universe with a handful of Pym Particles.

OKAY, there’s an awful lot to cover, so I’m going to break down some of my feelings by character just to try to stay organized.

(First, a disclaimer that I haven’t seen Captain Marvel yet, so while Carol seemed like a great character, I don’t have a lot to say since I don’t really know her yet. That said, this seemed like an adequate introduction to the character and I am interested to know more. We have the problem of “if Fury could’ve called her anytime why didn’t he call her during the Chitauri attack/to fight Ultron/etc.” But all the individual titles that come after the team-ups have that problem a little bit… Where were the Other Avengers in Thor 2 or Iron-Man 3, etc.? Sometimes you just have to accept and move on.)

Briefly:

Nebula and Gamora, Tony, Bruce, Scott, with a quick note about Wanda and a very conspicuous absence

And the heavier stuff regarding:

Thor, Natasha, and Steve (and Sam and Bucky).

Nebula and Gamora:

While the Guardians aren’t really my thing, I did vaguely know that in the original Infinity Gauntlet comic storyline, Nebula takes the gauntlet from Thanos and fixes reality. I understand not following the comics exactly for the sake of surprise and to fit with the changed version of the universe, but it still felt wrong to totally take that away from her. Especially given what Thanos has done to her, personally, it seemed fitting that she was going to be the one defeat him. I’m glad she was still pivotal to the story, but it felt like an extra kick in the teeth that past!Nebula was the catalyst for Thanos catching up with our heroes rather than getting to be the one who saves the universe. And forcing her to kill her past self felt like it should’ve been treated with much more gravity than it finally was.

I’m really glad we “saved” Gamora by bringing the version of her from the past into the current timeline (however that works), but I feel so bad for anyone who’s really invested in Gamora/Peter Quill. It’s so heartbreaking that their entire history never happened as far as she’s concerned, that we’ve not only removed that very key relationship, but her character growth over the past how many years. It is at least hopeful; Peter remembers, and has the chance to woo her again, but that’s still got to sting.

Tony:

So Tony Stark sure did die.

I’m not sure… he really needed to? I mean I don’t think I get the rationale of the Infinity Gauntlet killing/maiming the user. I recall the handwavey line about gamma radiation, but if you don’t immediately die after using it, couldn’t you juuuust, say, use the Reality Stone to be like, “hey what if I wasn’t mortally injured”? Couldn’t somebody ELSE do that? I’m not sure I get that.

So that said, I’m not sure if RDJ was really pushing for “you gotta kill me off” for dramatic effect or just to step out of the franchise? It would’ve been kinda cool to see retired Tony working as Avenger-support, working on suits for Rhodey and future Iron-heroes (Iron Patriot? Iron Heart?), mentoring Peter and other youths, and living his nice life with Pepper and their munchkin.

But what a way to go, huh? Dramatic self-sacrifice saving the the planet(/universe?), and a funeral that almost everybody who’s anybody shows up for.

Bruce:

I’m with Valkyrie that I preferred EITHER version to PermaHulk Bruce. Honestly, the Hulk himself had sort of become an independent character, especially after Ragnarok (my issues with Ragnarok aside). So by Bruce settling into this “I look like the Hulk but I act like Bruce” limbo, are we … essentially killing the Other Guy? I don’t like that. I mean I prefer Bruce obviously, but I’m really uncomfortable with that solution.

Scott:

I really love Scott and he was delightful as always in this film. I’m heartbroken for him that he missed (another) 5 years of Cassie’s life, though. I’m also pretty sad we won’t get to see the little girl who has played Cassie so far in any future films since we’ve aged the character up to a teenager. Also, I would’ve liked to see more of Hope! I loved Scott and Hope’s little moment when Hope calls Steve “Cap” and they trade expressions between Scott going “SEE, HE IS REALLY COOL, RIGHT?” and Hope being like “Yeah, okay”.

Overall I guess the Ant-Fam is sorta tangential to the main MCU Avengers cast, so while it was nice to have everybody play together, briefly, I’m pretty content that we’ll see more of Hope (and Janet!) in future Ant-Man/Wasp titles.

 - Similarly, while T’Challa and the Wakanda fam were definitely underused in Endgame (especially the entirely absent Nakia), Black Panther 2 is happening. It’s disappointing to not get a substantial amount of characters that you like in the big team-up films, but it’s good to know they’ll be returning later.

Wanda:

We are really leaving Wanda in a rough place of having lost her twin brother and her android boyfriend within a pretty short amount of time (that’s rough, buddy). Plus, one of the characters that we’ve seen her have a pretty strong bond with is Steve, and he’s out of the picture too. I’m not sure where we’re going with this character, honestly. Hopefully it’s not continuing to hurt her.

It really seemed conspicuous that nobody so much as mentioned Vision by name in this film. Wanda referred to him indirectly, but that was it. I get that Vision isn’t immediately able to be saved since he didn’t vanish in the Gauntlet event, but, yikes, can anybody besides Wanda please attempt to give a damn about him?

I know sometimes we like to pretend that Age of Ultron didn’t happen to us, but Vision was still an interesting character, and some major plot points of Infinity War focused on the value of Vision as a person. I feel pretty bereft that he’s (apparently) gone beyond recall with so little mourning.

Thor:

*heavy sigh*

Thor’s characterization was….???

Unpopular Opinion: despite its good points, I overall didn’t really like Ragnarok, and Thor already sort of felt out of character to me at that point.

Another Unpopular Opinion: I actually really love The Dark World. Thor’s relationship with Jane, and his characterization of gentleness and humility in that era really were important to me.

And I get that Hemsworth is genuinely good at comedy and probably likes doing it. But Thor has always been a funny character. We just used to be laughing with him instead of at him.

I was so uncomfortable with the way the film framed Thor’s brush with depression and alcoholism. Because Thor has lost so much at this point, he has every reason to struggle. I want to say that Thor wouldn’t have given up, but the same time I can believe that this almost unimaginable weight of loss (Frigga, Odin, Loki, Heimdall, The Warriors Three, Asgard itself) would take some toll. And yet the framing of his scenes treats his grief and despair as cause for humor. We’re expected to laugh about an unkempt beard and a big belly instead of being concerned about the fact that a character that we loved considers himself a failure. And there’s nothing funny about this situation to me. It just made me uncomfortable and sad. Revisiting Thor 2 and having him talk to Frigga was on the better side, but I’m disappointed that we couldn’t save her.

Natasha:

*heavier sigh*

Okay, I think a lot of the problem here is that it’s just really difficult to kill a main character any time other than in the last act (we also saw this problem in Star Wars Rebels, but that’s another can of worms). So because Natasha died at such a midway point in the movie, I still can’t shake the feeling that she’s not really dead. Nothing about it felt final to me. Clint trying to emphasize that, because Red Skull said so, it was impossible to bring her back (it’s freaking RED SKULL, why would we trust him???) just made me think even more that she was definitely coming back. Everything seemed to point to her dramatic reappearance and then it just … didn’t happen. That’s not to say it won’t happen in a future film, though, but it still feels deeply unsatisfying and unceremonious now, and that feeling really was a blow to my overall enjoyment of the film.

It also sat really badly with me that Natasha made this choice not just to save Clint (which I would believe; their friendship is really great and I love seeing Natasha’s extremely profound but non-romantic bonds with Clint and with Steve (though I would’ve preferred Natasha/Clint to Natasha/Bruce)), but because she fundamentally felt less worthy than Clint. I don’t like the idea that Natasha went to her death still feeling such guilt, still feeling like a monster (according to that awful scene in AoU), for the things she did as a very young person under the influence of brainwashing. I don’t like that at all.

I’m also really disappointed that we didn’t pursue Natasha and Bucky’s relationship from the comics in the MCU. Because the idea of two people with very similar emotional wounds coming together to support each other as they heal is just really appealing (#looking for baggage that goes with mine). That throwaway line in Civil War (“at least you could recognize me”) really had me convinced that we were going there. I guess we still could, but there are a lot of “ifs” standing in the way now.

Steve:

Another disclaimer: Steve is absolutely my favorite Avenger, and I ship Steve/Peggy really hard.

Aaand I still felt uncomfortable with the resolution.

Maybe it’s just the difficulty I’ve been having getting my head around the time travel shenanigans.

So a lot of the criticisms I’ve heard/read about Steve going back to the 1940’s to Peggy seems to be functioning under the assumption that Steve is living within the timeline as we know it in MCU canon, staying completely hidden, and just not changing any of the bad things that canonically happen: Bucky becoming the Winter Soldier, Hydra infiltrating SHIELD, etc.

But we’ve been told that time travel doesn’t work that way – that Back To The Future, Doctor Who way – in this universe, right? This brings me back to my Alternate Reality take. So my understanding is that after Steve returns the infinity stones to the points in time that the Avengers yoinked them from, he basically occupies an Alternate Reality for a lifetime (Tilda Swinton’s thing about the branched off timelines being consumed by the ~forces of darkness~ only applies IF the infinity stones aren’t returned, and he took care of that). And he could’ve done anything in that Alternate Reality – married Peggy, saved Bucky from Hydra, prevented any wars and disasters he could. Basically it was Steve’s own personal Happiness AU. And then, (presumably after Peggy’s death), he uses the Pym particles and the Quantum Realm to return to his original reality.

Except, in that case, shouldn’t he have returned on the platform instead of dramatically showing up on that park bench?

So…I’m confused and I don’t like it.

Even from the Alternate Reality take, the situation of that choice is complicated. In choosing to be with Peggy, he’s tearing himself out of the lives of all of his loved ones in his Original Reality – Bucky, Sam, Wanda, (whatever the situation was with Sharon Carter that we absolutely never resolved?), etc.

And we’re not completely sure it was a choice, exactly. It’s possible that in the ongoing work to return the infinity stones, Steve somehow got trapped in the past (don’t know why he would’ve had to go to the 40’s, but I guess he could’ve run out of Pym particles there and had to wait for Hank to invent them to even be able to make the trip back).

Also, narratively speaking, it feels a little like we’re invalidating Peggy’s grief, and her character growth that went on in Agent Carter (even if her happy ending with Steve is going on in an Alternate Reality). I wasn’t totally sold on Peggy and Daniel Sousa yet (though I do like Daniel as a character a lot), but Peggy had a whole lifetime that didn’t involve Steve except as a beloved memory. Where is she in that arc when Time Traveler Steve comes back into her life?

Also, even if it IS an Alternate Reality, there would STILL be a version of Steve frozen in the ice in the 1940’s in that reality. How do we deal with that?

And how do we deal with the fact that Steve isn’t the man that Peggy lost anymore. He still loves her, but he’s changed, he’s lived almost a decade since then. How do they find their footing with each other? I’m sure it isn’t impossible, but it’s interesting, and it’s not addressed at all.

I think that’s what bothers me the most – that this is a whole huge adventure – Steve’s entire LIFE – that we’re shoehorning in at the very end of the movie without showing any of the really interesting bits or answering any of our questions about it. I guess that leaves the situation as a fertile ground for the imagination, and maybe that’s a space that the MCU intends to explore someday? I would absolutely watch the hell out of Steve’s Time Travel Romance with Peggy, somebody take my goddamn money.

Anyway, I’m happy about Sam taking up the Shield as Captain America. Bucky-Cap also could’ve been great, but I feel like, with the place we left Bucky in his recovery, he doesn’t need that responsibility yet. Let him rest. Wherever we’re going with the series featuring Sam and Bucky is going to be really interesting, and maybe we’ll get to the point where Bucky really wants to work towards atonement and is ready to share the burden of the Shield with Sam? I’m looking forward to finding out.

Overall, most of my feelings about the movie were pretty positive. It was a complicated story to tell with a lot of characters, and mostly it was handled pretty well. Some of those threads did fall flat for me, but they didn’t totally invalidate the parts of the movie that worked.

#spoilers #Avengers Endgame spoilers #Endgame spoilers #long post #I had in my outline that I was going to talk about Clint #but I accidentally skipped that #it's briefly in Natasha's section #I could go into it more but this is already too long

[aion-rsa]

Jupiter’s Legacy: Mark Millar on the Genesis of His Superhero Story

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This article is presented by:

Superheroes have a long history. After flying onto the scene more than eight decades ago, led by Superman, along with fellow octogenarians Batman, Wonder Woman, and Captain America, the pantheon of capes-and-tights characters has expanded to include countless more. And as legendary creators made their mark across decades, the origins and powers of these icons transformed almost as frequently as their costumes.

Meanwhile, the superhero team The Union, from the comic book saga Jupiter’s Legacy, have 90 years of consistent fictional history, with a singular overarching story, envisioned by one man: Mark Millar.

After discovering both Superman and Spider-Man comics the same day, at the age of four in Scotland (where he grew up), the now 51-year-old writer would go on to make a significant impact on the superpowered set. But he wanted his own pantheon.

And with Jupiter’s Legacy, Mark Millar has created a long history of superheroes of his own—now set to be adapted as a Netflix series.

“I wanted to do an epic,” he says. “Like The Lord of the Rings, or Star Wars… the ultimate superhero story.”

Co-created with artist Frank Quitely and published by Image Comics in 2013, Millar calls Jupiter’s Legacy his love letter to superheroes—and part of his own legacy.

The story begins in 1932 with a mysterious island that grants powers to a group of friends who then adopt the costumed monikers The Utopian, Lady Liberty, Brainwave, Skyfox, The Flare, and Blue Bolt. Told on a grand scale with cross-genre influences, the story spans three arcs: the prequel Jupiter’s Circle (with art by Wilfredo Torres), Jupiter’s Legacy, and the upcoming June 16, 2021 release Jupiter’s Legacy: Requiem (featuring art by Tommy Lee Edwards). With the May 7 debut of the Jupiter’s Legacy series on Netflix, the story will now also be told in live action.

Millar established himself in the comics industry in 1993 and crafted successful stories including Superman: Red Son, Wolverine: Old Man Logan, The Ultimates, and Marvel Comics’ Civil War—all of which have inspired adaptations and films, and led to him becoming a creative consultant at Fox Studios on its Marvel projects. His creator-owned titles Kingsman: The Secret Service, Kick-Ass, and Wanted, have likewise spawned hit movies.

But compared to Jupiter’s Legacy, none of those possessed such massive scope and aspiration as the story that explores the evolving ideologies of superpowered individuals, and how involved they should be when it comes to solving the world’s problems. Relationships are forged—and shattered by betrayal—with startling violence and titanic action sequences (both part of Millar’s signature style).

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“From Superman and the Justice League to Marvel to British comics—inspired by guys like Alan Moore, and so on, I’ve thrown it in there… it’s got a bit of everything,” he says.

That “everything” extends beyond comic books. Millar drew inspiration from King Kong’s Skull Island, and references the cosmic aesthetic of 2001: A Space Odyssey, which informed the “sci-fi stuff.” The writings of horror author H.P. Lovecraft “were a big thing for me,” when it came to The Island, created by aliens, “that existed before humanity, and that these people are drawn out towards where they get their superpowers.” The character Sheldon Sampson/The Utopian is a Clark Kent/Superman type, but his cohort George Hutchence/Skyfox is more than a millionaire playboy stand-in for Bruce Wayne. Rather, Millar based him on British actors from the 1960s—Peter O’Toole, Oliver Reed, Richard Burton, Richard Harris—who were suave rascals.

“I loved the idea of a superhero having a good time, getting on with girls, drinking whisky, smoking lots of cigarettes,” Millar said.

At the risk of sounding “so pretentious,” Millar jokes, he also pulled from Shakespeare. Indeed, the comics are as much a family saga as a superhero one (and written by the much younger brother of six whose parents died before he was 20). Utopian is a father to his own disappointing children, and a father of sorts to all heroes. He is Lear as much as he is Jupiter, the Roman god of gods. The end of his reign approaches, and various factions have their own appetite for power—such as his self-righteous brother who thinks he should be a leader, or Utopian’s son, born into the family business of being a hero, but who could never live up to his father’s expectations, or his daughter who is more interested in fame than heroism. 

He views Jupiter’s Legacy as more thoughtful than Kick-Ass, Kingsman, or Wanted. The plot’s driving action hinges on a debate about the superheroes’ philosophies and moral imperatives. It seeks to address a question Millar asked when he was a kid reading comics.

“Why doesn’t Superman solve the world’s problems?” he recalls thinking. “Why didn’t he interfere and stop wars from even existing?… Is it ethically wrong to stand aside and just maintain the status quo, especially when the status quo creates so many problems for a lot of people?”

On one side of the debate, Utopian believes interfering too much with society’s trajectory is a bad move. It’s not that he is cynical; quite the opposite. He thinks things are actually improving in the world. His viewpoint is there are less people hungry across the globe than ever before, and less people with disease. Millar describes Utopian as a “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” kind of hero, to borrow a phrase associated with Superman, and believes capitalism works. As his hero name suggests, Utopian thinks a better world is within reach, even if it takes generations, and encourages even the heroes to be patient and trust people to do the right thing because they are innately good.

“He says, if you look at the difference somebody like Bill Gates has made in Africa—just one guy—if you look at capitalism taken to the Nth degree, then it pulls everybody up, and poverty in places like India, is massively better just compared to a generation ago.”

Besides, as Utopian says to his impatient brother Walter/Brainwave, in Jupiter’s Legacy #1, being a caped hero doesn’t make them economists and, “Just because you can fly doesn’t mean you know how to balance a budget.” Plus, the notion of using psychic powers or brute force to simply make the world “better” is out of the question. Or is it?

The mainstream awareness of superheroes baked in from more than 80 years of stories, and the shorthand that especially comes with 13 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe commercial juggernaut, has provided Millar with a set of archetypes to lean into. It was true of the hero proxies in the Jupiter’s Legacy books, and he says it’s true of the show. In fact, he says audiences are so sophisticated with regards to these types of characters they’ll be able to immediately slip into his universe, and that “a lot of the hard work has been done for us.” He adds that audience literacy with superhero tropes also provided him something to push against.

“The Marvel characters lock these guys up in prison at the end of these movies,” Millar says. “Everything’s tied up neatly with a bow, the rich are still the rich, the poor are still starving, and the superheroes aren’t really doing anything for the common man in any very global sense. These guys have just had enough of that.”

Millar’s comics technically kick off in 1932, when Sheldon first brings his friends on a journey to The Island, but his story goes back to 1929 when the stock market crashed, and the Great Depression began. This is likewise when the Netflix series will begin, and Millar says it’s because of the historic parallels between then and 2021.

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“We’ve been in a similar situation as we are now: there’s impending financial collapse coming out of a global pandemic,” he says. “The idea is that history continues and repeats itself, and people make the same mistakes over and over again, and the superheroes are saying, ‘Let’s actually fix everything.’”

Continuing the theme of parallels, when discussing the inception of Jupiter’s Legacy with Millar, The Godfather Part II comes up more than once because of the film’s dual storylines following Vito Corleone and son Michael, separated by decades. However, while the comics contain some flashbacks, the plot doesn’t unfold across different time periods simultaneously. But the Netflix series will shift between eras, with half of the show during the season taking place in 1929, for which Millar credits Steven S. DeKnight, who developed the series.

“The way Steven structured it was really brilliant, because I saw these taking place over two [different] years,” Millar says. “[But] The Godfather Part II track shows you the father and the son at the same age and juxtaposes their two lives.”

As a result, he says the series is a visual mash-up of genres that’s both classical and futuristic.

“It just feels like a beautiful period movie, then when it gets cosmic, and it gets to the superhero stuff, it’s a double wow… it’s like seeing Once Upon a Time in America suddenly directed by Stanley Kubrick doing 2001.”

This is a notable advantage to bringing the story to television, as opposed to making Jupiter’s Legacy three two-hour films as he originally planned with producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura in 2015. Millar says that to tell the Jupiter’s Legacy story properly on screen would require 40 hours, and with a series, what would have been a one-minute flashback in a movie can now be revealed in two hours of its own. 

It was another director who has since made a name adapting ambitious comic book properties that extolled to Millar the benefits of television: James Gunn. When Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad) had a chat with Millar about the project, Gunn said it could never be done as a movie. “The smartest guy in the world is James Gunn,” Millar says.

An exciting challenge of adapting his work for television is that the series will expand on the backstories and concepts of the books. For example when Sheldon Sampson and his friends head to The Island in the first issue, it takes up six pages. Within the series, half of the first season is that journey, and what happens when they arrive.

“Six issues of a graphic novel are roughly about an hour and 10 minutes of a movie; for something like an eight-part drama on TV, you really have to flesh it out,” he says. “It just goes a little deeper than what I had maybe two panels do.”

He emphasizes, however, that these flourishes won’t contradict the comics. Though he sold Millarworld to Netflix, he remains president so he can maintain control of his creations.

Overall the series has made the writer realize the value of television, and while a second season has not yet been confirmed, he’s already thinking about a third and fourth, and how it will dovetail with the upcoming Requiem. The story that began in 1929 continued through 2021, and collected in four volumes, will soon continue far into the future in the concluding two volumes.

“We saw the parents, then we have the present, and then we see their children in the next storyline,” he says. “That storyline goes way off into the future where we discover everything about humanity, superheroes, all these things. It’s a big, grand, high-concept, sci-fi thing beyond that.”

Listening to the jovial Millar discuss the scope of his Jupiter universe, which is imbued with optimism, one might not think this is the same person known for employing graphic violence in his works.

He thinks his films especially are violent yet hopeful, and fun. Kingsman is a rags-to-riches story, and “you feel great at the end of Kick-Ass, even though you’ve seen 200 people knifed in the face.” But he doesn’t consider his writing to fit under the dark-and-gritty label, and he’s not interested in angst, which he finds dull. With Jupiter’s Legacy, the comic and the show, he views the tone as complex but not “overtly dark.”

Additionally, Millar says he thinks society needs hopeful characters such as Captain America, Superman, and yes, The Utopian in 2021—as opposed to an ongoing genre trend of heroes drowning in pathos.

“The Superman-type characters are just now something from a pop culture, societal point of view, we need more than ever,” he says. “The last thing you want is seeing the world as dark, as something that makes you feel bad. Never forget Superman was created just before World War II in the midst of the economic depression by two Jewish kids who were just scraping a living together… I just think it’s so important when things are tough to have a character like that that makes you feel good.”

Even though Utopian suffers for his idealism in the comic, Millar says his ideas are passed on. This is The Utopian’s legacy. 

“Ultimately, he wins if you think about it,” ponders Millar.

After a successful career spent creating characters and re-shaping superheroes with 80 years of history, the new pantheon of Jupiter’s Legacy may become one of the defining and lasting features of Mark Millar’s own legacy. 

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Jupiter’s Legacy premieres on Netflix on May 7. Read more about the series in our special edition magazine!

The post Jupiter’s Legacy: Mark Millar on the Genesis of His Superhero Story appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3ts8eCS

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

[dcwomenkickingass]

DC Women Kicking ...the Flu?

A chance to hear about a bunch of the ladies of DC Comics coming together was what it took for me to return to posting after a few months. Today DC Comics released Batgirl and the Birds #15 which starts a new arc “Manslaughter” which sees the DC women coming together after an outbreak of flu downs the men. I spoke with the writers, sisters Shawna and Julie Benson about what readers can expect, the return of Oracle (!) and which Bird is has a big take out bill!

I'm so excited to see DC women coming together and kicking ass in the Manslaughter arc. How did you come up with the idea of a flu that hits only the men?

We wanted a story that would allow us to bring together a lot of women in the DCU. It seemed like the best way to bring both heroes and villains together was to give them common cause. Taking out ALL of the men of Gotham felt like a way to do that. Once we landed on that idea, the rest of it clicked into place. A story like this hasn't really been done before in DC. Sure, there are a few BoP/Sirens team-up's and individual cross-overs, but this felt unprecedented and well overdue. To their credit, DC JUMPED on the opportunity when we pitched them the idea. We weren't sure how they would take, "So... all the men in Gotham are sick and out of commission." But they were down from the start.

I was super excited to see Lois Lane in this because she's always fun when she hangs out with the Birds once every decade. Which lady or ladies were you most excited to get to write and include?

We love writing all of the characters! But we were very excited to try our hand at Gotham Girl, Batwoman, Orphan, Harley Quinn, and Wonder Woman. Coming up with a way to bring Lois Lane to Gotham was a huge victory for us. We knew there weren't many non-Gotham women we'd be able to include due to canon and availability, so getting her felt like a big win.

Anyone you wanted to include that you couldn't?

There were so many -- when you think of writing a story like this, the "ultimate female team-up" you want to have everybody -- but we knew we'd have a tough job balancing the 13 or 14 we were already jamming into the issue. Supergirl would have been a lot of fun. We talked about others like Hawkgirl, Power Girl, and Barda... But again, their availability was limited to  us, so we took who we could and ran with it!

One of things I'm looking forward to are the alliances between characters who don't often get together. Are there two characters you were excited to put together.What's the most interesting team-up that you think we'll see?

We've had such fun with unlikely pairings, like Poison Ivy and Huntress. Bouncing these other women against our core Birds of Prey team was such a fun idea, so we couldn't wait to mix them up a bit. Batwoman going toe to toe with Catwoman felt fun -- especially since there's another level of relationship there that can't be discussed (see Tom King's "Batman" to understand that!) Harley with everyone was exciting as was getting to play with Gotham Girl, who Tom King created and we felt was a really good fit here.

The men of Gotham seem to be handling their illness in different ways. Who were you most excited to send to their sickbed? Who is the biggest baby? (Say Bruce, it's Bruce isn't it?)

We definitely felt that Jim Gordon would be the worst patient ever. But Bruce probably comes a close second. He'd be the guy too stubborn to realize he's really sick. We included Grayson because if someone was going to be a big drama queen about it, it would have to be him!

So I noticed that Barbara was back at the keyboards in this issue, with Gus gone will she start doing double duty as Oracle and Batgirl?

Yes! That's been a slow story burn for us through the series. We wanted to get Barbara back to being Oracle, but without losing her Batgirl side. It's an issue that causes a lot of conflict for Barbara, which for us means, great stories to tell.

You've been writing the Birds for 15 issues. Do you feel you have a good feel for the characters? Care to answer a few questions?

These ladies live rent-free in our heads now. We love them as if they were real people -- they ARE real people, to us. They are living, breathing, heroines and we are SO LUCKY to get to hang with them every month. We have enjoyed writing every issue of this book and are excited for people to see where we are taking them. As for questions, ask away!

Which Bird spends the most on delivery food?

Dinah. We estimate she burns like 3000 calories a day, more if she's busting out the Canary Cry. She needs to stay fueled. Tacos, pizza, kale salads, she's open to it all.

Which Bird spends the most time on SnapChat?

Now that she knows all about those kinds of apps, Dinah, for sure.

Which Bird takes the most selfies?

Dinah. (Sensing a pattern?) Helena wouldn't want her face too be out there on too many facial recognition apps and Barbara is probably too busy to care.

Which Bird has the most unwashed laundry?

Once again, Dinah. She kinda got used to living out of suitcases when she was on the road. Helena probably has the most drycleaning, what with her professional day job.

Thanks Julie and Shawna!

issue #15 is out today and it is a fun read; pick it up.

#Birds of Prey #Oracle #DC Comics #DC women #Batgirl #dcwkasave

[silverwhittlingknife]

Idk if you read ao3 but if you do…….. got any Dick fics to share?

afdsf You have come to the right place. I read so much ao3, anon.

Dick Grayson Fanfic Recs

General notes: This is a mix of fics I associate with Dick, so some are straightforwardly "this is Dick's POV and a story about him" (like a soft place to land) whereas some are more loosely "this is the POV of one of his siblings who's just thinking about Dick a lot." Post-Crisis is my favorite continuity/tone, so everything is post-Crisis unless otherwise noted, but I happily read nu52/Rebirth or WFA-style fics when I like the authors, so there are some of those in here too.

I just skimmed through my bookmarks and picked out some fics I have fond memories of, so I tried to add content warnings when I remembered, but caveat lector - check the warnings in each individual fic before you read! (Mostly: be advised that there are both Good Dad Bruce and Bad Dad Bruce stories.)

Things I like include plotty long fics, timeline shenanigans like de-aging (and broadly, anything that emphasizes change over time), angst and hurt/comfort, characters with flaws and interpersonal tensions and misunderstandings (and reconciliations <3), explorations of trauma and grief, and Dick and Tim's relationship. So, uh, this rec list is going to be pretty shaped by those preferences.

Okay! Let's do this.

Organization:

Plotty ensemble fics with Dick in a lead role

Dick & Tim fics

Dick & Bruce fics

Dick & Jason fics

Dick & Damian fics

Fics that didn't fit into the other categories

Plotty ensemble fics with Dick in a lead role:

Exactly How This Grace Thing Works by irnan: Dick gets de-aged. You'd think this would be a routine thing. This fic is so great, you guys.

How Far Love Goes by flybynightwing: This one isn't just about Dick - it's an ensemble fic with great plotting and great writing for everyone, especially Steph - but at its heart is a very careful consideration of Dick and Bruce's relationship in all its complexities, from the bonkers highs of Golden and Silver Age comics to the darkest parts of post-Crisis and new 52. (cw: parental abuse, read the content warnings carefully)

from the till-then to the ever-since by kieron_oduibhir: This isn't precisely Dick-centric so much as it's mostly Dick-POV, but it's really good! Everybody meets their younger selves, and I especially enjoy the contrasts between Robin!Dick and Nightwing!Dick.

'no' and other four-letter words by a_good_soldier: Dick reassessing everything with Catalina, much later. (cw mentions of rape)

the man with guns for eyes by 8sword: Dick comes back from the dead. New 52 continuity, post-Spyral. Angst.

bad signal by prismatic-et-al: Not Dick's POV, but it's a great ensemble fic with Dick at the center. Hard to say more without spoiling the plot.

Dick and Tim fics:

a soft place to land by bitimdrake: Tim gives Dick a gift on the One Year Later cruise. Possibly my favorite Dick and Tim fic in the history of time ever. Perfect character voices, perfect story, perfect everything. <333 I reread it regularly.

long distance by bitimdrake: AU where Bruce is really dead and Dick finally gets a phone call from Tim. It's so sad and lives in my mind rent-free. (I also really love pain/release, which is hurt/comfort for Tim.)

Holding the Line by birdchild: Dick having anxiety dreams and getting comforted by Tim. ;_; Very canon-conscious with lots of thoughtfully-integrated references. Part of a really wonderfully-written Tim-and-Damian-centric series, and you probably have to read the series in order to understand this one-shot - and if you like those characters at all, you should!

When It Rains by vellaphoria: After Cass and Tim return from Paris, something seems… wrong. Dick investigates and ends up facing memories of his own. Really nice balance of dealing with ignored-by-canon traumas but the characters still sound like themselves (cw mentions of rape)

We've Taken Different Paths, Traveled Different Roads by sohotthateveryonedied: A moment of reconciliation post-Blackest Night ;_;

The Center Cannot Hold by kieron_oduibhir: Dick having a bad day and getting comforted by Tim and Bruce. New 52/Rebirth continuity.

the oracle at delphi by kieron_oduibhir: Future fic. The POV characters observe Dick and Tim. Hard to say more without spoilers. Trust me, it's very clever!!

Choco Bombs by lurkinglurkerwholurks: Tim POV, but the focus is on a moment of Tim comforting Dick in the Red Robin era. Mostly WFA-style but with post-Crisis influence. (The same author also has some excellent longer ensemble fics where Dick plays a minor role but is consistently well-written when he shows up.)

wake me up before you go go by incogneat_oh: short one-shot: Tim sneaks into Dick's apartment, Robin-era. General note - I only picked out two one-shots, but this author has done a bunch of WFA-style fics which are universally charming and lots of fun.

there'll always be a few things, maybe several things by incogneat_oh: short one-shot: Dick seeks out Tim after a nightmare, Red Robin-era. ;_; Low-key angst.

Road to Damascus by irrelevant: dark AU where Batman kills Zucco and Dick's parents don't die. Fascinating world-building and great character voices. (cw: explicit sex scene between Dick and an OC early in the fic - it's not important and you can skip it but just generally think of this fic as an r-rated movie)

There in the sudden blackness by camsthiSky: Dick and Tim tension in the Batman: Reborn era. Dick and Tim POVs.

things that don't kill us by polsvoice: This one's really Tim-centric but it's all about Tim missing Dick ;_;. After the events of Batman #71, Tim makes a visit to Ric. Nu52/Rebirth era, Tim POV.

and the shapes that you drew may change beneath a different light by popsunner: Tim-centric but I think of it as being about Dick because his absence is the hole that the whole fic's shaped around. ;_; Nu52/Rebirth era, Tim POV, Tim and Damian bonding in the aftermath of Dick's death.

spill of the war by 2012bookworm: "You dosed yourself. With Joker venom." Tim-centric, but Dick is a major character, trying to fix Tim while not-so-secretly crumbling himself. Dick's a barista, but not done in the way you'd expect. Very angsty.

exit wounds by Shari Deschain: very short one-shot in the very early days of Tim-as-Robin

Dick and Bruce fics:

almost right by bitimdrake: Bruce-centric, but it's about his relationship with Dick. (cw mentions of parental abuse)

in the dark of the night by fanfictiongreenirises: Dick & Bruce, through the years. AU where Dick gets adopted last.

deep roots are not reached by the frost by fanfictiongreenirises: in a future where everyone gets along, Dick gets de-aged to several different ages and has to process how the world has changed. I love how different the various incarnations of Dick feel. (cw mentions of rape and parental abuse)

shoulder to shoulder by lurkinglurkerwholurks: Dick and Bruce at Janet Drake's funeral.

the lower and coarser soul by dustorange: absolutely perfect slice-of-life with Dick, Bruce, and Tim (cw mention of Bruce punching Dick)

Dick and Jason fics:

Recollect, re-collect by Ptelea: A spell gone wrong leads to Jason reassessing some things. Jason-centric, but it's mostly about his relationship with Dick. Fantastic writing and plotting. New 52/Rebirth continuity (Spyral, Tim's close to Jason instead of Dick, etc.).

The 70 Days After Groundhog Day by Ptelea: Fascinating concept - Jason experiences a traumatizing Groundhog Day, but the whole fic is from Dick's POV in the aftermath as he pieces together what happened - and wonderful slow-burn writing. New 52/Rebirth continuity. (cw: mentions of rape).

Dick and Damian fics:

the primacy of personal conscience by birdsofthesoul: Brilliant concept (a wishing well that grants wishes - but it might be evil!), whirlwind plot, and a great take on Dick that doesn't lose his edge. Damian is a minor character but an important part of Dick's motivations. Read if only for my favorite take on Talia ever in the last chapter. New 52/Rebirth continuity.

3:16 by partingxshot: With faltering steps, Dick and Damian become Batman and Robin. Lovely writing. Canon notes: closely tracks Morrison's B&R and Leviathan.

Fics that didn't fit into my other categories:

It's a Wonderful Earth-218 by flybynightwing: I asked for an It's a Wonderful Life-style fic starring Dick and then I GOT ONE, proving that miracles are real and flybynightwing performs them. <3

If you just call me by flybynightwing: Dick and Donna, through the years.

continuous tense by batofgoodintent: Fix-it for the Mirage plotline. DickKory.

Let Us Be Brave and i want to wake up (i hate this dream) by camsthiSky: One-shots with Dick-as-Batman, depressed and grieving.

Don't You Forget About Me by sohotthateveryonedied: Everybody forgets Dick. ;_; One-shot.

touch starved by envysparkler: Dick is touch-starved and then gets hugged a lot. WFA-style.

feast by envysparkler: The Batkids are magical creatures that feed on pleasure from cuddle piles. Gen ensemble; ch. 1 is Dick & Jason and ch. 4 is Dick & Tim. WFA-style.

Also, I write stories about Dick & Tim sometimes, so, uh. If you're interested, there's

the WIP where Dick meets Tim for the first and second and third time and finds him really annoying,

the one where they spend Christmas Eve together and inch closer to being brothers,

the one where Tim is a wimp,

the one where Dick catches a falling Tim in RR 12, and

the WIP where Dick's trying to solve a mystery and everybody's mad at each other (this one's gonna be heartwarming eventually I promise!! later).

Snippets: Tim's imprisoned in fantasy!Russia and Dick has to disguise himself as an interrogator to rescue him, outline of an angsty fic of Dick and Tim in a world with soulmarks.

In conclusion

Dick is the best blorbo ever to blorbo. There are more fics in his character tag than for any of the other Batkids and yet there will never be enough <3

#ask tag #fic recs #dick grayson #<333 the BOY #there are even more fics that i like but this has taken wayyyy too long already asdfsdfa #anyway these are all ones i like a lot #also both fantastic-nonsense and upswings have good rec lists if you want to check those out!! #by the way wfa-style doesn't actually mean ''set in wfa continuity'' #it's more ''probably loosely au / you're more likely to enjoy this if you also like wfa / cute things probably happen'' #this is not a scientific category it's just based on ~vibes~ sdfdsfs

[buddaimond]

”Chris Hardwick, stand-up comedian, actor, voice actor, television host, writer, producer, podcaster, and musician, CEO of Nerdist Industries interviewed Robert Pattinson for 50 minutes. Listen to this great podcast:

Highlights of Rob’s interview & my notes *Rob’s quote in bold:

Starts at 8:00

Explaining the current press tour, how the Safdie brothers (directors) are more focused than him.

Vaguely embarrassed about talking about his acting process “What if someone doesn’t like it?”

“Pretty much all of my drive and enthusiasm for anything is born out of chronic insecurity and self-hatred. It's kind of annoying. it's a vicious circle if you ever get out of that then you’ve succeeded in something, like you ain’t gonna be lost forever”

Shared that even Bruce Springsteen felt similar chronic insecurity and “visions of grandeur and sickness in equal measure”

His admiration for The Band, which he wanted to do a movie on, where these people who wrote “massive stuff” and “spectacular pieces of art” at only 22, recollected that he doesn’t even know what he was doing at 22.

He only thought he wanted to be an actor “ACTOR” at 25. "I always just think I approach everything thinking it's going to be my last time every single time, and a lot of my decision-making processes “is this the one you're going to go down for? Is that amazing decision for the right reason?”

Making movies whether it is a hit or whether people like it or not, at least he could take aways two things that were important to him from his past endeavours, prior to Twilight,

He was getting jobs up until a point that he thought "this is going to be my life” and then just suddenly hit a brick wall. Twilight came along to be his big peak, but he could quite successfully disassociate myself from that, because he could psyched himself in thinking that it could just be taken away, and it was another nut down the road of his career.

Praising the Safdie brothers for their incredibly organazied minds, phenomenal people skills (both of which he does not have), how they could imagine a movie in their head and know technically they could put it together, and he is only beginning to understand the relationships between a director and the actor.

“You just had to have more trust in yourself and because when you don't have trust in yourself then you can't trust a director either. And so I think I would constantly be thinking that I somehow needed to mold a story from inside. As the performance rather than just accepting that it's their medium, and also I just got better at choosing directors as well. I sort of realized because sometimes you do you work with a director and they're just not in control of it... You try and control it but you literally can't control as a director at all. It's impossible well...you have one small piece... you're just a cog and if you try and do your own thing you'll just break the machine”

“I guess now I just have quite a smooth relationship with everybody I work with, it's just way less contentious than it used to be.”

He recalled having to read the teleprompter the other day and having read his speech 15 times from his card (in the car) before finally understanding it.

”I get nervous when I think there's any kind of expectation that's in any form of my life. If there's any expectation then I'll freak out and fail. I just have to set up my entire life to make sure that I'm in my own lane and not competing with anybody. Otherwise I know, I can't compete. As I was talking about auditioning, I don't like it. but if you realized if you just invent your own game and no one else knows to rules aside from you, then its fine.”

He has auditioned twice and gotten one of them so far (post Twilight)

It is not a pick and choose situation at all for him when it comes to his projects. The big projects with well-known directors that he’d want to work with, he hasn’t done enough to be really recognized or sought after. For those that wanted him “to get financing” he doesn’t want to work with them anyway. He has recognized over the years that he really like to be the A&R (artiste and repertoire) kind of person who is trying to find something with true potential that the majority of people have not realized yet. Then he will “completely go in on them, committing a million percent” which is what he did on Good Time. 

His love for movies, he watched a lot of them. Sometimes doubting himself imagining that he will ruin the movies if he were to play the roles he has his eyes on. He chose script by finding a fit to the kind of zeitgeist, the idea of the type of character that he wants to play and will search for it.

His preparation process before a project: his anxiety builds up before a project starts, when he gets really obsessed with the script and thinks everything is going to be amazing. When the date draws closer he just reaches a point of not understanding anything “it doesn’t even make any sense, it is not even written in English…the directors’ previous works are all shit…” and gets worse and worse spiralling out of control, and he will start to act out on everyone around him, getting their sympathy etc. Then one day his agent told him “you just like this feeling, you get high from anxiety” which he admitted about feeding on the adrenalin from anxiety.

In making the “fear” real. “The most real thing in the world is pain, and if you somehow figure out some kind of psychological or physical pain which is associated with the job” ….many artists or actors set up walls when they feel the devastation from pain (even when faking it) or doing it as an addiction, “whatever you still have to do it, ....you have to figure out a way, to trick yourself... to use everything inside of you...now I am going to make it real”

Funny story : My dad has always given me relationship advice. And my mom and dad have been married for nearly 40 years, and my dad said “You know, at the end of the day, love is just a fancy you’ve created for yourself. It’s only in your own head”…and I said “you shouldn’t this right in front of her (his mom). And his mom said “he’s right you know”

Living in character: “That is generally why I kind of stay in isolation if I’m trying to do something. It got so much easier because you create real arguments with everyone in that situation”

“I have those conversation the whole time (with my brain) every single decision I made, I consult my brain and especially like  “is the yes bigger or the no bigger?”…. I don’t know, I think that’s a yes…”

"I always find it strange when someone's saying “oh yeah well this is because of this, and this or that” it's like, if you say something and someone acknowledges your unique individuality I think it's much more comforting.... It is scary to think you are part of a herd and you're just a number. I think I would almost prefer to be unique and alone.”

“I am very very in my own head like almost constantly. Since I was a kid. Need to be in therapy to be less afraid of confrontation. I hold grudges and never tell people because I don’t want to piss them off. I just don’t talk to them again, just ghost it!”

“I remember growing up, my dad was like “you can do anything you want, just don’t be loud” I was just very uncomfortable with that kind of people not thinking things through all the time, and I think that’s why now I’m very attracted to parts where people are very upfront, not really second guessing themselves.”

He never understood that acting to be fun (for some performers). It is a kind of hybrid therapy for him. “Some people see it as a job, but I think that’s crazy. What you’re doing there, so you’re making faces, practice making faces so people are able to hire you? I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing, I have no idea what the skills are, I literally just know there’s something which I want to confront in my real life, I am going to use the excuse of this fictional situation, which is like a kind of reality safety net so I can do all these stuff, because it is not real.”   

“It is just a way to experiment, how you would feel in a situation and you can have a safety net. Most of the time you avoid doing certain thing because you don’t want to have to deal with the consequences afterwards, whereas in a movie, you can do things and then sort of not really deal with it.”

He talked about Netflix, Cinephile videos where he can get an entire catalogue of directors from that place a lot of which is not on Netflix. He loved doing that. “I'd like being a sponge the things”

He felt Ciro Guerra’s Embrace of the Serpent (a Columbian movie) is an insane and magical thing from the first shot. He was mesmerised, and he doesn’t understand how it was made. He hassled Gueraa to give him a job which is happening early next year “How can you make something so magical?” “I want to know how you make it so magical!”. He doesn’t think anyone can really explain their thing in creating magic, he knows some will have innate talent. In general, it is putting in tonnes of time and practice and work till you get it right.

The story about his sister’s magician friend who did this card trick of always getting the right card (90% accuracy) he picked. He knew it is about certain patterns and work put in, and concluded that “if you are a true magician, then you are actually looking for the thing which is real...then the real matter is not a trick.”

He has waited for years to work with Claire Denis. “I think all these things are just like having a relationship with someone. You have that initial moment, you only fall in love with people of things so many times or that find something, you just get that feeling of falling in love with it, you might not necessarily know what it is but you should 100% chase it down afterward.” Like this next thing (Claire Denis project) “I remember seeing it, as it is directly clear to me, who is one of my favourite directors, but I remember seeing her first movie when I was shooting the last Twilight movie in Louisiana and it was on TV. I remember being so struck five and a half year ago, and I tracked her know. She’d never made a fully English language movie before and I just kinda stay involved...”

He was going to Jimmy Kimmel later and his mind is going crazy. What goes through his mind where there was a fans-”grabby period”. Luckily, when he is in a calm situation, his brain will be filed with anxiety and panic and then when he is in a panic-anxiety-inducing situation, his brain completely calms down (totally zen). He has no idea why and it is kind of helpful, like he gets dumped of serotonin. When something feels really nerve wrecking, his heartbeat will slow down and have this weird out-of-body-experience. In those situation (similarly to being on social media), he would have a desperate need to make everyone like him. “just like me, like me!” That is why he will never have social media, he will never go off his phone and will be staring at it all day which is 100% complete waste of energy.

Fight or flight situation. He is either zen and calm, or (a few times that happened) when someone confronts him said one thing, then he has compressed rage (built up from 5 years) thrown out at that person.

“To maintain any kind of career for long, somehow it will get out, people will get a feeling of who you actually are, it is impossible to keep something contained, especially now. Unless you literally never leave your house, but then, it reflects on what type of person you are”

#robert pattinson #The Nerdist #Chris Hardwick #Good Time Interview #Podcast transcript

[spicynbachili1]

Please do not play The Quiet Man with sound

Precise deaf individuals have performed The Quiet Man and located it very a lot wanting; whenever you play it you clip into virtually each floor obtainable and through fights could instantly teleport from one punching animation to a different with a block of frames lacking in between; the principle character Dane isn’t a Quiet Man in any respect and he truly makes loads of noise. Sure, certain, all that’s true. You’ve seen everybody tear into it already, and say why you completely shouldn’t purchase it till it’s approx. £three. However I additionally need a go doing that.

Human Head Studios’ interactive film punch ‘em up (full with stay motion bits) is basically devoid of sound, to mirror the deafness of protagonist Dane. However a couple of days from now the sport will probably be receiving a NG+ replace that provides the principle story once more, however with sound this time. And it’s my solemn plea that you just by no means, ever do this.

There are severe causes to not play it in any respect, in fact, expanded on in One Odd Gamer Woman’s evaluate linked above. In one of three developer letters, producer Kensei Fujinaga says that the idea on the core of The Quiet Man is casting apart phrases and enthusiastic about whether or not we “have been capable of perceive each other by means of connections shaped coronary heart to coronary heart, soul to soul, and will as soon as once more look into each other’s eyes and type a bond so pure?” From this I assume that Fujinaga believes deaf persons are magic, or the human type of the galaxy mind. This assumption is supported by occasions in The Quiet Man.

He’s taking a look at a DVD menu display screen on the audio choices. Do you get it?

My argument immediately, nonetheless, is from a unique standpoint, which is: there is no such thing as a actuality I can think about the place understanding for certain what occurs in The Quiet Man improves it in any means. Spoilers forward, should you have been raring to play it unspoiled.

The Quiet Man is a sort of masterpiece as a result of so many people who find themselves good at their jobs have been concerned with this at each stage, and at no level did one in all them say, “Hey everybody, is that this truly horrible?” Like no one, throughout a gathering, was like “Are we certain none of that is an excessive amount of? After the reception Quantum Break obtained, is that this the title that’s going to succeed at mixing stay motion video seamlessly right into a sport?” Including audio that pretends to clear up plot holes – however will in all chance nonetheless depart some large enough to drive buses by means of – isn’t going to assist.

The one piece of dialogue you hear for certain within the sport, earlier than absolutely inhabiting Dane’s world, is an trade with some ruff and tuff lads in an alleyway. A lot of this trade is, and please interpret this phrase utilizing its full vary of meanings, superb.

There isn’t any model of the sport with extra of that dialogue that’s the improved model. Dane steals a bunch of cocaine from these dudes, and somebody will certainly say “koh-CAY-een” within the model with sound, ese. Having sound doesn’t matter, as a result of you possibly can decide up a lot of the plot anyway, like after I watched the film 2012 on a aircraft and the display screen and headphones have been damaged:

Dane is deaf. His mom was unintentionally shot when he was a child, as a black teen and a latino teen fought over some new trainers, a scene that was shot and edited and included on this sport on function. Everybody concerned spiralled into a lifetime of crime. His greatest pal and now obvious employer, Taye, is a gangster, whereas Dane beats individuals up for him, and the third child concerned within the taking pictures is the chief of the gang of aforementioned alley lurkers. The exception is a police detective who seems to be like Bruce Willis by the use of Phil Mitchell; he’s both Dane’s literal or metaphorical father determine, however the distinction is nearly meaningless for the story.

Taye has a girlfriend who’s being threatened in a Hollywood-voodoo kinda means – lifeless birds, you already know the vibe. Dane fights his means across the similar few buildings in New York, chasing down the Chook Man (a person in a chicken masks) who has a creepy culty obsession with the unnamed woman, as demonstrated by his bizarre Chook Lair. Ultimately Taye goes off cracked and ties up his girlfriend on a roof, for some motive, and Dane defeats him and the Chook Man while additionally confronting inside demons. The top. These are the info we all know. However the info we don’t know are additionally higher with out sound, as a result of they’re open to liberal interpretation.

The primary kicker that I haven’t talked about but is that Taye’s girlfriend is a pianist, and is the spit of Dane’s mom. Which is the place the liberal interpretation makes The Quiet Man far more attention-grabbing than the reality will ever be. My studying is that Taye will get actually offended at each his girlfriend and Dane resulting from their betrayal, i.e. these two have undoubtedly been getting busy behind his again, as a result of, fuck, man, the framing is a bit a lot for a platonic relationship. Photographs of current day mum-crush cradling Dane are intercut with photographs of latter-day lifeless mum doing the identical. He’s continually conflating his reminiscences of his mom with this girl’s actions within the current. It’s bizarre, dude.

Secondarily, and even betterly, there’s a bit on the finish the place Dane is briefly actually truly magic. In flip it looks like the Chook Man often is the gang chief, then Taye, then, in an unsurprising twist, Dane himself, earlier than turning out it was your father determine police detective. Which truly was shocking, as a result of should you have been requested “What’s the most nonsensical plot transfer this factor may do proper now?” then you definitely would reply: “It seems the dangerous man was the police detective all alongside, the one which simply obtained shot within the again a couple of minutes in the past, and now there will probably be a closing boss struggle with him.” The Chook Man masks appears to be half the Masks masks from the film The Masks, as a result of whoever is in possession of it goes bit bizarre, and half the Crow from the film The Crow. as a result of when Dane places it on and is shot by Taye he turns into an invincible smoke chicken monster.

This will increase the already troublesome movement blur on-screen in fights to near-indecipherable ranges.

After this Dane reverts to being regular once more…? I select to not interpret this as a manifestation of his childhood want to guard his mom that he in the end failed at (and now has a second likelihood at due to his mother-girlfriend’s plight) however moderately to learn it actually. Within the sport world, due to this fact, each deaf individuals and masks have magic superhero talents. This doesn’t change the truth that he was shot within the again, nonetheless, and the ultimate struggle within the sport, the place each characters have been shot, is thus like two drained drunks flailing at one another and falling over within the carpark.

And the perfect half is that that is solely my interpretation! You’ll be able to give you your individual! Possibly the masks is a haunted one which possesses individuals. Possibly Chook Man is like James Bond, and there are a great deal of Chook Males. Possibly it was all a dream! Possibly the sport isn’t filled with stereotypes! With out sound, something in The Quiet Man is feasible. As a result of the factor is, a wildly over-the-top and bizarre Oedipal vigilante smoke chicken monster is means higher, extra attention-grabbing and fewer offensive than no matter model of The Quiet Man with sound is about to reach.

from SpicyNBAChili.com http://spicymoviechili.spicynbachili.com/please-do-not-play-the-quiet-man-with-sound/

[marysocontrary1]

Supergirl: Katie McGrath Is in Love With 'Badass' Lena Luthor — Aren't You?

By Matt Webb Mitovich / April 11 2017, 11:20 AM PDT

“So, so sorry to keep you waiting! But there were puppies.”

Supergirl’s Katie McGrath comes shuffling around the corner toward her setside trailer, having just made some furry friends over in hair-and-makeup. For someone so enigmatic both on-screen (Is Lena so different from brother Lex?) and off (Why doesn’t she have a birth date?), the Irish actress is wonderfully warm and welcoming, veritably champing at the bit to give her first in-depth interview since making her debut on the CW series last fall.

McGrath led TVLine on a quick iPhone tour of the puppies she just played with (peppered with some commentary on canine couture), before sitting for a cozy Q&A. Weeks afterward, she would earn a promotion to series regular for Season 3 — news she surely reveled in, given her girl crush on Miss Luthor, detailed below.

TVLINE | First of all, tell me what you’re shooting today. What am I shooting today? We are on [Episode] 218, so it’s a storyline with Rahul [Kohli], from iZombie. He plays Jack Spheer, who is a love interest for moi.

TVLINE | Jack is Lena’s ex, though, right? Yeah, but if there’s an ex, there’s still [with a flourish of the hand] frisson there, you know? We were together for a while. I feel very privileged that they thought enough of my character to give me a hot man to play with for an episode (airing Monday, April 24, when Season 2 resumes).

TVLINE | It sounds like a big episode for you. It is, actually. What’s nice about it is you’re getting quite a bit of backstory for me as a character. You haven’t really seen storylines for Lena outside of her being a Luthor and all the stories to do with her family…

TVLINE | It always seems to come back to her mom. Exactly. Or her brother… all of that kind of stuff. And this is separate to that, which is nice. It gives you more of an insight of her as an individual rather than her as part of her family.

TVLINE | But as Lena reconnects with Jack, Kara (played by Melissa Benoist) gets to investigating one of them…? There is the release of some new technology that to Kara seems a bit suspect and seems to be connected to a few dastardly dealings going on. She’s attempting to investigate it, on one hand, because journalistically she thinks that it’s interesting. And then on the other hand, she’s investigating it because she’s worried about me as her friend. So, there’s both of those going on.

TVLINE | So, you think Lena and Kara are friends at this point? They’re like bezzie mates.

TVLINE | Yeah? Yeah! Yeah! See, everybody’s got this idea that…. It’s always hard when you’re playing a character that everybody thinks is going to go one direction. They’re convinced she’s going to go down the road of Lex—

TVLINE | I’m not. But the two of them have bumped heads a bit. No, but they bump heads like anyone. Don’t you ever bump heads with your friends? But they always come back to, you know, a place of mutual respect of each other.

TVLINE | What might Kara’s investigation do to that dynamic? I can’t give away the ending. [Laughs] But ultimately, we’ve spent 18 episodes over the season building a friendship between the two of them, and it’s not going to be able to be destroyed in one episode. That’s one of the things I’m most proud of actually on this show, and I didn’t think that’s where it was going to go, because when I came in, I only came in for a few episodes. And [the friendship] has slowly and very realistically, I think, built up over this season. We’ve all put a lot of work into it and I’m glad that they’re taking the time to get there, and keeping it.

TVLINE | You were talking about how everything always loops back to Lena’s mom or the whole Luthor thing, but is there a bigger picture to ultimately be revealed? Might Lena have a scheme of her own percolating that we’re completely oblivious to thus far? I don’t think so…. I think Lena is a very genuine person. What you see is what you get with her. She is honestly trying to do the best she can, and she is honestly a good person. That’s not to say that other people don’t use her for ills, because she’s the head of this company, she has all of these other relationships that people can manipulate — like her mother — and get her into these situations that…. A normal person isn’t going to be b put in jail by, you know, Cadmus with giant green ray guns! It doesn’t happen to people that are not a Luthor, but it’s how Lena reacts to it differently than the rest of her family which makes her interesting to play. You think she’s going to “be a Luthor” about something, but then she turns around and completely surprises you, which I guess is what makes her an interesting character to watch — and definitely an interesting character to play.

TVLINE | So, at the end of the season finale she’s not going to let out a maniacal cackle and say, “At long last, Project Leviathan can be unleashed!”? You know, she might! I haven’t read the end of the [season], so anything is possible. [Laughs] She could decide to move to a giant moon made of cheese. I mean, at this point, who knows!

TVLINE | Who have you been working with lately besides Melissa? Besides Melissa? I’ve been working with Rahul. I have been working with Brenda [Strong], my mom, who is just so delicious.

TVLINE | And tall. [Nods] God. I swear. But just, like, perfectly, elegantly in proportion. [Sweeping her hand from head to toe] She’s like a dancer. It’s unbelievable. I then rock up like an Irish potato going, “This is great. I am so not your child.”

TVLINE | Have you worked with Jeremy Jordan lately? You two have had a couple of fun scenes. I haven’t worked with him since our little meeting underneath the stage. It’s funny because I seem to play these characters, generally, that are separate from the main storyline. So most of my stuff actually is just with Melissa, which is really nice, and it always tends to be real character stuff…. Us sitting down talking about things that are important…

TVLINE | And it always passes the Bechdel Test. Yes! Exactly. It does. It’s proper scenes between two women, do you know what I mean? And it’s rare, generally, that you get to do that on TV. I think that’s why the relationship resonates with so many people — and it’s definitely why I love to play it.

TVLINE | Speaking of the Lena/Kara relationship, what do you think about the whole “Supercorp” thing? You’re not out there on Twitter…. I’m not on Twitter, no. But I’ve had people tell me about it.

TVLINE | How does a person who’s not on Twitter hear about it? Well, Melissa will tell me, or anybody else on set. My brother mentioned it a few times.

TVLINE | Do you remember the first time you heard the term, or who from? Who did I hear it from…? I couldn’t even tell you…. I think it was Melissa, actually, who first told me. I’ve played quite a few characters that have either been gay or they’ve had, you know, some very obvious gay undertones, and to be completely honest, this was the first time I was like, “Well, this role doesn’t have any!” You’re laughing now — how naive was I? And then after the first episode… I go back and I watch and I was like, “Oh, yeah, now I can see it. That makes sense to me.”

TVLINE | On Buffy’s anniversary, I read an interview where Joss Whedon talked about people who would see lesbian subtext between his female characters and he at first was like, “What are you talking about?” But once he looked for it, he was like, “Ohhhh, yeah.” It’s funny because sometimes it’s so obvious when you’re playing it. You read it and you’ve got the characters and you’re like, “Oh, yeah, I know this is going to happen.” And then there are other times… and [with Lena/Kara] honestly, it just didn’t even enter into my head. But then you get the response and you go back and you’re like, “Yeah, I can see where that came from.” It doesn’t bother me at all. I think it’s great, because what really makes me feel good is that they can see the characters are working on more than one level. Do you know what I mean? It’s not just what we put into it. It’s what the writers put in, and the directors, and then what people can take from it. It means that the characters we’re playing are not just one dimension, they work on so many levels.

TVLINE | You’re stirring people’s imaginations. You want to do that with a character. Exactly. Of course, it makes you feel really good to know that what you’re doing is quality.

TVLINE | What’s your dream casting for Lex? If Katie McGrath could grab anybody to play Lex for one episode…. One episode? Bruce Willis, the most amazingly, good-looking, bald man there ever is.

TVLINE | I just saw him at the end of M. Night Shyamalan’s Split. Right? Was he delicious? He’s delicious. He’d be a good Lex.

TVLINE | If you could give Lena one piece of advice, what would it be? “Keep doin’ what you’re doin’. Don’t stop. Don’t second guess yourself.” She’s honest, she’s true to Kara, she’s true to her friends, she’s doing her best…. She’s trying, in the face of all the things people keep throwing at her, and all the expectations that people have, and she’s defying them.

TVLINE | You’re in love with Lena. [Cocking an eyebrow] Wouldn’t you be…?

TVLINE | [Stammering, some blushing] [Laughs] There is only one answer to that, and that is, “Yes, Lena’s a badass.”

http://tvline.com/2017/04/11/supergirl-season-2-interview-katie-mcgrath-lena-luthor/

#Katie McGrath #Lena Luthor #Supergirl #2x18

[mayacatmaster]

“Student”(solar): “My Master, why we need ‘Unfuckwithable’ and  what ‘The Most Simple Formula For Living’ is?”; *** *** *** "Master"（Mr. Bean）:” Well…:

【The Most Simple Formula For Living】is…:

Just don’t kiss any kind of dark-tyrant-ruler’s-ass by blind-obey. *** *** *** No matter of it’s on religion, morality-belief-system, political, education, social-family-belief-system, personal-belief-system or in country, in home, in one’s body-mind-heart-belief-system. *** *** *** Just don’t kiss any kind of dark-tyrant-ruler’s-ass by blind-obey. *** *** *** Because…: The spirit of the individual is determined by his domination thought habits. ~Bruce Lee Kushandwizoom  *** *** *** No matter it’s in a world, a country, a home, a mind-body. *** *** ***

Why we need ‘Unfuckwithable’ ? My dear solar…:

"Remember when we were kids and wanted to grow up what were we thinking…!" "Solar, ...Your happiness cannot be dependent upon any other, it has to be self-discovered, it has to be self-assigned. You were born happy; you were born as extensions of Source Energy, you were born knowing your worthiness, you were born knowing your value, you were born feeling that connection. ...But unfortunately, little by little, you let it erode as people around you said, “Look at me and please me.” Your parents say it, your teachers say it, your lovers say it."  *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** Via and Thanks for “Abraham” *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

So…:

No matter how many people may lose faith in you, think you're not good enough or don't believe in you, never stop believing in yourself.

No one else can live your life, make your decisions or go after your goals, only you can!

Train your mind to let that negativity better you, but never break you.

The moment you take control of your life, nothing can stop you! ~ Vivek Mehra

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Via and thanks “Spiritual Awakenings ”:

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

My dear solar, in this world…:

The greatest teacher will send you back to yourself. The greatest teacher always send you back to yourself. Let your Life itself can Source-like function, working in every area, in every topic, in every leverage, in outer world, in inner world. Let your Life itself can Source-like Mirror the most simplest “Cosmic Principle”(Tao; Source; Ma at; Brahma) in every area…: And as alignment-deliberate-creator. *** *** ***  If you can not find one, be one for yourself, for your life itself…. By follow your “Inner-Ultimate-Guru”(Source; Tao; True Self; Brahma). *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** Via and thanks “The Wobble Free Zone”:

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** Now, sometimes you all have the good fortune of meeting someone else who is a “steady one”(who can as an alignment-deliberate-creator, let their life can Source-like Mirror the most simplest “Cosmic Principle”(Tao; Source; Ma at; Brahma) in every area…: ). And when you meet someone who is a steady one - who, no matter what you do, they remain steady - you're really attracted to that, because your dominant desire is to be tuned-in, tapped-in, turned-on, and when they stay that way, it's easier for you to stay that way. But don't assign that responsibility to anybody else - you be that one, which means you're going to have a good time no matter what they're doing. You're going to feel good because you're going to have clarity, and don't you want clarity? When you are in a state of clarity, you can see down the road, you can feel how much of this relationship as it is in the state of becoming is satisfying the majority of intentions that are in your Vibrational Reality. It's really a delicious thing to be all tuned-in, tapped-in, turned-on, and to have such clarity that you can feel, almost from the beginning of an encounter with anyone, whether it fits or whether it doesn't. And if it doesn't, then don't pursue it - there's no point in trying to teach someone how to get into alignment who has been practicing not being in alignment. And of course, as uplifters you want to influence as many as you can into alignment, but just don't let it be everybody that you date (Fun) - it's so tiring. You can be under the influence of loneliness and have the impulse to go find a partner, but that's not a good idea. Or you can be under the influence of alignment and have an impulse to find a partner, and that's a much better place to be coming from, yes? Q: I felt that way - I felt like I was doing pretty good on my own and I wasn't feeling that... A: Alright now, is this story going to put you under this influence or this influence? Yeah, you probably don't want to tell that story. (Fun) Right? There's this wanting to explain where you are that holds you right there. "I'd like to explain to everyone how I've been doing and where I am." And we say then get used to where you are because that's where you're staying - if that's what's coming out of your mouth all the time, then nothing else can change. Q: So leave when it's not fun anymore. A: Yeah, at the very beginning of it not being fun. But do you know where that beginning is? Before you even meet the person. That's what we just encouraged you to do, leave that story before it isn't fun, leave that conversation before it isn't fun, leave the retelling of this story and the recounting of this relationship - leave it all - because when you tune in to who you really are, you change the past. And this is because when you see through the eyes of Source, you see every bit of that past as your advantage because it was growing your Vortex, so you don't feel bad about any of those fractured relationships or relationships that blew up because you know that every one of them helped you to realize who you are and what you want, and you're appreciative of every one of those. ~Abraham speaking on the Caribbean Cruise in March 2018

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

My dear solar, if you realized need others approval is Al Qaeda for your alignment...so you need became unfuckwithable, never consider your alignment with your “Source”(True Self; Tao; Brahma) product or don’t product from another, you need do it by yourself, no more need others approval.

*** *** ***

So...You need do it for yourself, became unfuckwithable, became one who can as an alignment-deliberate-creator, let you life can Source-like Mirror the most simplest “Cosmic Principle”(Tao; Source; Ma at; Brahma) in every area…:. *** *** *** 【Unfuckwithable】: ***  [adj.]  When you're truly at peace and in touch with yourself,  When you're truly alignment with your "True Self"(Source; Tao; Brahman),  When you're truly love and alignment with your “Source”(True Self; Tao; Brahma),  And as a deliberate-alignment-creator  To help yourself get rid of painful & misery-vicious circle-life fruits,  To help yourself beautiful-dream-come true, to help yourself to get Sweet-fruits of life.…! *** *** *** No long as or became a brainwash sheep, no long let your mind been “indoctrinate”(brainwash) into, believe in…: Obey and you can't question it, self-inquiry it,...no matter what, just Kiss-any kind of Dark Tyranny Ruler’s-Ass. *** *** *** 【Unfuckwithable】: ***  [adj.]  No matter it’s in a world, a country, a home, a mind-body….: Nothing anyone says or does bothers you, no negativity of drama can touch you. Never have to follow anyone’s rules. No expectations of who you should become. No rules to abide by.  *** *** *** And you just know this, realized this…: ***  Follow the force that is guiding the whole universe is in you.  Pledge allegiance to your "Source"(God; True Self; Tao; Logos),  everything is done! ~Huangdi Yinfujing 「觀天之道，執天之行，盡矣！」: 黃帝陰符經； *** *** ***

Because…: You are never along or helpless.  The force that is guiding the whole universe is in you too! *** *** ***

Because…:

No matter how many people may lose faith in you,…:

***

The depth in someone's eyes reflects how long and how far their soul, their heart has traveled. *** *** ***

Because…:

No matter how many people may think you're not good enough or don't believe in you,…:

*** People can only meet you as deeply as they have met themselves. *** *** *** If they don’t understand who or what-really-they-are, you only a mirror reflect them. If they can’t alignment with their “Source”(True Self; Tao; Brahma), and as an alignment-deliberate-creator you only a mirror reflect them. *** *** *** And most important is if they just only know how to Kiss any kind of Dark-Tyrant-ruler’s-ass, no matter of it’s in a country, in a family, in a body-mind, in a religion-belief-system, or in a morality-belief-system, ….: Maybe they also want you to do something, just like them. *** *** *** Specially when they all said blind-obey and Kiss any kind of Dark-Tyrant-ruler’s-ass is my fate and my life itself only meaning and the most highest value …: *** *** *** Are only built to Kiss-any kind of Dark Tyranny Ruler’s-Ass, And I follow orders like a dog, it's what made me a "man"(woman; children). *** *** *** Because…: Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation. ~Qscar Wilde *** *** ***  You get what you expect, have you noticed that?  And so, how have you been programmed to expect?  *** *** ***  The spirit of the individual is determined by his domination thought habits. ~Bruce Lee Kushandwizoom  *** *** *** The most dangerous creature on this earth is a fake "friend"(no matter of it’s in country; family; mind-body-belief-system or religion, morality, education, political-belief-system). *** *** *** But no matter of outer-world what it look seem to be…: Make sure yourself is your true-honest-sincerely-heart-friend, because you will company yourself in every lifetimes, in every day, in every area ….^^ *** *** *** Because…: Humankind is the only virus cursed to live with the horrifying knowledge of its host's fragile mortality. *** *** *** And ~~~! The host kills the virus, or the virus kill the host. *** *** *** Because…: If this is all a dream, a Maya, a mirage, it's long as fuck....: Because lesson repeats until it is learned….: It has 5000 years in China. It has 7,000 years in India.  *** *** *** I consider I am the giant stone statue of Easter Island. As seer…. Observing the heavens and the earth, the sun and the moon, the planet, human beings, billions of years. *** *** *** And…: I don't know you through your past, I know you through your heart. ~Mooji *** *** *** Between egoism and "Source"(Tao; True Self); Between man-made-rules and "Source"(Tao; True Self); Between desires and "Source"(Tao; True Self); Between your-origin-face and "Source"(Tao; True Self); *** *** *** Between your heart, my heart and another heart; *** No matter what... You learn more about someone at the end of a relationship than at the end beginning of it. *** *** *** Life is "Tao"(True Self；Brahman) back to itself. I observed the sun, moon, stars orbit operation life. *** *** *** Because…: "Nature"(Tao；Ma-at；Logos; Source) never did betray the heart that loved her. *** *** ***

[worldtopnewsoftheday]

Ohio State puts Urban Meyer on administrative leave

Ohio State puts Urban Meyer on administrative leave

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer was placed on paid administrative leave Wednesday, as the school announced it is investigating Courtney Smith's claims that several people close to the coach knew of a 2015 allegation of domestic violence against her ex-husband, former Ohio State assistant football coach Zach Smith, who was fired in July.

Offensive coordinator Ryan Day will be the team's acting head coach during the investigation.

"We are focused on supporting our players and on getting to the truth as expeditiously as possible," the school said in a statement.

Courtney Smith told college football reporter Brett McMurphy her allegations in a story posted on his Facebook page earlier Wednesday.

"All the [coaches'] wives knew," Smith told McMurphy. "They all did. Every single one."

Smith told Stadium, a multiplatform sports network, that she believes Meyer also knew at the time.

"I do believe he knew, and instead he chose to help the abuser and enable the abuser and believe whatever story Zach was telling everybody," Smith said.

Ohio State opens practice Friday.

"[Athletic director] Gene [Smith] and I agree that being on leave during this inquiry will facilitate its completion. This allows the team to conduct training camp with minimal distraction. I eagerly look forward to the resolution of this matter," Meyer said in a statement.

Meyer's contract extension signed in April includes language requiring him to report any violations by staff members of Ohio State's sexual misconduct policy to the university's athletics Title IX coordinator. Also, as an Ohio State employee who supervises others, Meyer is required by the university's sexual misconduct policy to report knowledge of domestic abuse by a university employee. According to the policy, "An individual need not be charged with or convicted of a criminal offense to be found responsible for domestic violence pursuant to this policy."

Meyer's original contract required him to promptly report any violations of university rules by assistant coaches to Gene Smith and the Office of Compliance Services. Failure to do so could result in termination with cause.

Meyer's contract states that if Ohio State is considering terminating with cause, he has the right to "explain the circumstances with his point of view before termination, unless the circumstances are so heinous that, in Ohio State's reasonable judgment, it would be impossible for [Meyer] to justify his actions."

Several calls placed by ESPN to Ohio State's Title IX office were not returned Wednesday.

Shelley Meyer, Urban's wife and an instructor in Ohio State's College of Nursing, was among the coaches' wives who knew that Courtney Smith had reported a domestic violence incident in 2015, Courtney Smith said. Smith added that she was never told that Shelley Meyer had told her husband about the allegations.

Urban Meyer's relationship with Zach Smith dates to 2001-02, when Smith was a walk-on for Meyer at Bowling Green. Smith, the grandson of late Buckeyes coach Earle Bruce, was an intern for Meyer at Florida and joined the head coach at Ohio State in 2012.

Courtney Smith said that Hiram DeFries, who is the special assistant to the head coach at Ohio State and has been a confidant of Urban Meyer's for years, told her in 2009 not to pursue charges against Zach Smith after an incident in Florida. Meyer was the Gators' head coach at the time.

"[DeFries] said, 'If you don't drop the charges, Zach will never coach again,'" Smith told McMurphy. "'He's never hit you before. He was drinking. He'll probably never do it again. You should think about giving him a second chance.'"

She did not press charges in 2009. Zach Smith was investigated in 2015 for suspicion of felony domestic violence after an incident that resulted in unspecified injuries and showed evidence of sustained abuse. In the Powell, Ohio, police report regarding that incident, Courtney Smith said she had been a victim of habitual domestic abuse. Cleveland.com on Wednesday identified nine reports from Powell police involving domestic disputes between the couple from 2012 to 2018.

Bradley Koffel, an attorney representing Zach Smith, told ESPN: "Zach Smith wants to be as transparent and honest as possible, but it is not going to be done today through the media. It will only be after he and his ex-wife are sworn in to testify. Once he gets his chance to tell his side of events, don't be surprised when it is corroborated by every police who ever responded to Ms. Smith's calls."

The 2009 and 2015 accusations came to light last month, when Zach Smith was charged with criminal trespassing after he dropped off their children at Courtney Smith's home, which led to his firing as wide receivers coach on July 23.

On July 25, Urban Meyer denied knowing that Zach Smith had been accused of domestic violence in 2015, saying at Big Ten media days, "I was never told about anything." Meyer said the decision to fire Smith was a "very tough call."

Koffel said Wednesday that Smith never informed Meyer about the criminal-trespass charge, even after Koffel told Smith to do so.

"I now understand why Zach compartmentalized the info: to protect Urban," Koffel said. "You cannot impute every family argument involving an employee and his wife to the CEO of a company or the head coach of a large football program."

Courtney Smith told McMurphy that Shelley Meyer knew about the 2009 and 2015 allegations and that they often discussed Zach Smith's abuse of her, including sharing pictures.

"Shelley said she was going to have to tell Urban," Courtney Smith said. "I said: 'That's fine. You should tell Urban.' I know Shelley did everything she could."

But in the Stadium interview, Courtney Smith said that Shelley Meyer never confirmed that she told her husband about the abuse.

"She did not. She did not," Smith said. "She would reach out to me, ask me how I'm doing, tell me she was worried, if I needed anything, she was there."

Urban Meyer placed on paid administrative leave by Ohio State [reaction & analysis] | ESPN

College GameDay host Rece Davis, ESPN college football analyst Trevor Matich, ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy, ESPN college football insider Adam Rittenberg, ESPN college football analyst David Pollack, and former Ohio State WR Joey Galloway join SportsCenter to discuss the breaking news that Ohio State Buckeyes football coach Urban Meyer was placed on paid administrative leave by OSU in the wake of assistant coach Zach Smith being fired amid domestic abuse allegations. Smith's wife, Courtney Smith, has said Meyer might have known about those allegations back in 2015. Offensive coordinator Ryan Day will be the team's acting head coach during the investigation.

#Blogger

[jstanley1998-blog]

Holding All the Roses – A Thorn to Mainstream Music Too country to be rock? Yet too rock to be country? This is the definition commonly used to describe Blackberry Smoke, arguably Southern Rock’s hottest act since Lynyrd Skynyrd emerged in the early 1970’s. They’ve toured with the likes of Skynyrd and ZZ Top, as well as other huge names in country and southern rock to boot. Prior to the release of ‘Holding All the Roses’ in early 2015, Blackberry Smoke had made a name for themselves by touring almost constantly, as well as releasing 3 albums and an EP. To kick this off, it is worth noting that this album is most ‘produced’ of all Blackberry Smoke albums at the time of release. The band hired legendary producer Brendan O’ Brien (AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen etc), and this led to the album having a heavily, almost overproduced sound; there was less emphasis on the instruments individually, and it generally remixed in a more ‘pop rock’ style. Fans were split about this, as previous Blackberry Smoke albums have had a somewhat ‘raw’ quality, notably 2012’s ‘The Whippoorwill’. However, I, as the writer here, am a big fan of the likes of Meat Loaf, and Def Leppard, so I dig heavy production. I believe it makes for a better sonic experience, and with the case of Blackberry Smoke, THE LOUDER THE BETTER! The album artwork is also worth discussing. ‘Holding All the Roses’ is an analogy meaning ‘you’re the winner’. Just listening to the album, you may assume this is a reference from the band to the fact they finally are starting to hit the big top. However, the album cover and rear tell a different story. The front cover is a donkey adorned with roses; it has just won an event. But the background exhibits near empty stands, and nobody is looking; does anybody really care? And the rear cover of the album shows two unkempt, older hillbillies waving their roses in the air. These two are seemingly the only fans and supporters of the donkey, leading us to question whether it’s worth celebrating the donkey’s victory. This sarcastic display is a perfect set up for the album, particularly once you start digging into the lyrics. The first track off ‘Holding All the Roses’, ‘Let Me Help You Find the Door’ is the best example of straight up, loud anger on the album. Dripping with sarcasm and loaded with a guitar riff that could cause an earthquake, singer Charlie Starr belts out a protest to the music industry of today. He’s not gonna take any shit from anyone. ‘Why’s it got to be the same damn thing? Same damn song that everybody wants to sing… Same Sons of Bitches still rigging the game, they sell the same old faces with a brand-new name’. Admittedly, this is a rarity for Blackberry Smoke. They’ve managed to remain neutral and politically correct for their entire career, so a sudden outburst is, if anything, slightly out of character. Nevertheless, if they felt the need to write it, then something must be going on behind the scenes to encourage it. If anyone can find a more damning view on today’s chart music than this, then I owe them a drink. I challenge you. Continuing down the hard rockers aisle, we come to ‘Rock and Roll Again’. This is completely different to ‘Let Me Help You Find the Door’, though it retains the punch and attack from the first song. ‘Rock and Roll Again’ is a classic ‘man loves girl’ rock song, characterised by its thumping shuffle feel. Play this song, and close your eyes. It is almost as though you’re in 1977 watching Status Quo bash through their 3 most iconic chords. Yet open your eyes to the music video and you’re in a Southern American strip club. The music video caused a large amount of controversy among fans due to its heavy reliance upon nudity. Whilst Blackberry Smoke play on the stage of the club, nude cowgirls play with snakes and swings. Through all of this though, the video does have an element of humour, as we see when [insert spoiler alert here] the protagonist, a tattooed cowboy of about 35, tries to slap one of the strippers’ bum. This results in a bar fight (what American music video is complete without one?) during which he makes an escape. All in all, everything about this song is good fun, whatever your outlook. For those of you who are interested (as I’m sure you all are…), be sure to check it via the link provided link. ‘Wish in One Hand’ is one of my personal favourite tracks. Lyrically it is another brash dig at society. Its written about those among us who are loud, obnoxious and just want to be the centre of attention. Yeah, we all like a degree of attention, but this is about the kind of people you see on the front of gossip magazines. ‘You wish you could be everybody’s best friend, know the whole story from beginning to end’. Let’s be honest, we ALL know somebody like this! Musically this song is also a stand out on ‘Holding all the Roses’. The solo section features some beautiful twin guitar work, very reminiscent of the Allman Brothers Band with Duane Allman and Dickey Betts on guitar. The actual improvised solo part is equally mind-blowing. It almost feels like a different song. It doesn’t feel like a conventional solo section, with odd chords and notes regarding the original key. Throughout it though, Blackberry Smoke manage to keep their thrashing mood, and whilst it may feel a bit out of place, it works, and that’s Blackberry Smoke for ya. In my opinion, the most un-Blackberry Smoke song on the album must be the title track. ‘Holding All the Roses’ is a loud, relentless track. To the date the album was released, this was the heaviest track the band had ever laid down. Though saying this, it is tinged with a few bluegrass inspired licks. ‘Holding All the Roses’ is a bit of a musical oxymoron. The chorus is heavy and loud, yet the ‘middle 8’ is based on some chicken pickin’ acoustic guitar and a violin trading licks, and the actual guitar solo is huge. It sounds like Charlie is setting the fretboard on fire, and this is why I love the heavy production. If you haven’t played this song on full volume, then you may need to rethink your life. One of the most memorable tracks on ‘Holding All the Roses’ is a standalone on the album. It’s a short instrumental played on solo acoustic guitar called ‘Randolph County Farewell’. Clocking in at just 1:17, it is by a large stretch the shortest piece on the album. Played by lead singer and co lead guitarist Charlie Starr, ‘Randolph County Farewell’ is a welcome break from the rollicking rockers. It’s also a nice nod to Charlie’s influences with guitar, as its clear that he’s a Merle Travis fan. That ‘Travis Picking’ style is unmistakeable in bluegrass, and we almost expect to hear ‘Cannonball Rag’ in the same piece! Blackberry Smoke may typically be a southern rock outlet, but there’s no denying their roots in country music. The EP they released in 2003 entitled ‘New Honky Tonk Bootlegs’ consisted of 5 songs which are undeniably country infused. Considering that and the fact they managed to record the iconic ‘Yesterday’s Wine’ with Jamey Johnson and the late, great, George Jones, Blackberry Smoke really haven’t done too bad for themselves. There’s a couple of very country infused songs on the album. The first I will talk about is one of my personal favourite tracks, ‘Lay It All on Me’. It’s a predominantly acoustic track which appears towards the end of the album. In my opinion, the lyrics are incredible. Just the opening verse with the continuous rhymes ‘Ruby’s got a brother, her brother’s got a lover, his lover’s got another on the side’. What a way to open a song. Again, this song also shows off Blackberry Smoke’s musical prowess, as the chords make heavy use of chromaticism. Now, most people who know music will think of Stravinsky and Schoenberg when someone says chromaticism, but Blackberry Smoke aren’t like that. Not even close. ‘Lay It All on Me’ is full of interesting turnarounds, most notably the unexpected chord progression at the end of each section. Behind all this is some beautiful electric guitar playing. We’re hearing tasty country licks that sound like something straight out of a Merle Haggard track. Beautiful stuff. The other country laced track is also the only other track with a supporting music video. ‘Too High’ is a stunning track. It’s clearly very bluegrass inspired, as we can hear notably in the chorus. Co-guitarist and backing singer Paul Jackson’s high harmonies take us right back to the times of Hank Williams. It’s enough to bring a tear to a grown man’s eye. It is said that the song is written about Charlie Starr’s first experience away from home, where (unbeknownst to him), his housemates were cooking meth in the basement. ‘Too High’ is a story about trying to get away, but struggling in the process. ‘That mountain is too high for me to climb, the river is too deep and it’s too wide’. Its something that a lot of people these days can connect with, not necessarily directly, but with the basic premise. And that’s the true beauty of this song, we’re all the same deep inside. Preach. ‘Living in The Song’ is southern rocker. No other way about it. If there’s any song on ‘Holding All the Roses’ that wouldn’t be out of place on a Lynyrd Skynyrd album, it’s this one. Despite it’s moderate upbeat tempo, this is lyrically one of the saddest songs on the album. It’s about the protagonist struggling to get by post-relationship. ‘Tell me that the darkest hour is just before the dawn… Whoever said that never spent so many nights alone’. To read the lyrics alone would make for a very stark and moving poem, but set it against loud guitars, a moderate tempo and the key of A major, oh and have Charlie Starr sing it, and you get southern blues. The guitar solo has a sense of melodic prettiness, whilst still having the bite of Charlie’s single p90 pickup, and again, Paul Jackson’s high harmony backing vocals remind us of when country music was good, before the times of so called ‘bro country’ and ‘country rap’. Who even likes Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line anyway? I’d far rather crack open a cold one, and listen to Blackberry Smoke, like a real man (as internet sensation Uncle Rob might say). ‘Payback’s a Bitch’. It’s all in the title, straight there in front of you. Everything you need to know about this musical opus. It’s the complete opposite of ‘Living in The Song’ in that the subject matter is the same, but its taken completely differently. ‘Living in The Song’ is the protagonist lamenting about the past complaining about the fact ‘lonesome finds me everywhere I try to hide’. ‘Paybacks a Bitch’ is a protagonist post-relationship vowing to get their back on their not-so-significant other. ‘Don’t think you wrecked it, I’ll get you when you least expect it. And tear down that old tangled web you weave’. It even contains my favourite line on the whole album ‘Karma is about a step behind me’. ‘Payback’ is quite a scary song. Not the kind of scary you associate children’s music boxes and dolls with, I mean it has a presence. You don’t mess with Blackberry Smoke in this one. Easily my favourite part of the song though is at the end. The final time around the chorus. Charlie starts belting out the chorus, but with new lyrics, and there’s extra added instrumental parts to REALLY fill out the texture. To listen to this bit on full volume is an experience, and I really recommend you do it. Right now. ‘Woman in the Moon’ is the slowest song on ‘Holding All the Roses’. I particularly like the production on this song because everything has been given a respectable amount of reverb, and it sounds almost as though we’re listening to it through a tunnel. But it works. It’s also very bass heavy, particularly in the guitar solo. Listening to the guitar solo is quite an experience, as there’s quite a lot going on. Keyboardist Brandon Still is playing something very haunting, and I’m sure there’s an orchestral bass drum thrown in there too. Here we (again) hear a beautiful, melodic solo played by Charlie Starr over the top of it all. ‘Woman in the Moon’ is also in a calm waltz time, which adds perfectly to the haunting feel of it. Despite the reservations you may have after reading that it’s kinda haunting, it’s incredibly laid back, and the lyrics appear to me to be about being different. ‘A Little off kilter, just left of centre, bent just a little out of round’. Charlie Starr has stated that the woman he sees in the moon is Marilyn Monroe, which he states was the ‘weird’ that inspired this song. Further down ‘laid back lane’ we come to ‘No Way Back to Eden’. Generally considered a fan favourite, this is the only ALL acoustic song on ‘Holding All the Roses’. It’s also the calmest song on the album, and has its own little corner on my ‘Relaxed’ playlist. The two most standout things (to me) on this track are the percussion and the backing vocals. From the outset we hear that this track makes use of more traditional sounding percussion over the standard drumkit. I don’t know exactly what was used the recording, but there’s no doubt that drummer Brit Turner’s ‘Shitar’ came into it somewhere! (those who are unaware, the shitar is Brit’s percussive guitar, adorned with all sorts of bells and noisy articles. He usually plays it during acoustic sessions). I also love the backing vocals in this as I feel they’ve been used to brilliant effect. Notably on the first and third lines of each verse, they really seem to bring out the mood of the song. And in the final chorus, the high harmonies really fill the space left in every previous chorus, it builds up to something truly incredible. The final song on ‘Holding All the Roses’ is an upbeat track named ‘Fire in The Hole’. Everything about this track screams Blackberry Smoke. And yet you can still hear the influence of some hard rock bands. The opening chords and verse riff sound like every AC/DC song ever released (coming from a huge AC/DC fan, no offence intended), yet with enough Southern blood to keep it Blackberry Smoke. Lyrically the song is fantastic. It’s quite obscure, I had to really think to understand them, but it seems to me that the song is about people in the world who just go out of their way to f**k things up. People who lie. Its about the kind of people we could do without. ‘It’s a bitter pill, it’s a hard old row to hoe. You’re standing in the way, fucking up the ebb and the flow’. ‘You cross your fingers when you look me in the eye’. Its right there in front of you once the idea hits. That’s one of the beautiful things about Charlie Starr’s song writing, the songs are often obscure until you listen in depth. All in all, ‘Holding All the Roses’ scores a solid 10/10. It’s the perfect blend of country and rock, and never strays too far from the original southern rock formula. It’s like they say, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.

#blackberrysmoke #holdingalltheroses #southernrock #blog #assignment

[watchingthesuperbowl]

Notes taken during Super Bowl XXXVI

PREGAME

This is a Sky Sports simulcast of a Fox production. No more Channel 4, it appears.

The Sky Sports pre-produced open is just absolutely awful. The guy is using words that don't mean what he thinks they mean.

Sky Sports open: "They are underdogs personified, led by Tom Brady, a backup quarterback who nobody had heard of before he stepped out of the shadows to get a grip on a team of unknowns and has-beens to become overachievers." Dude, he threw for 369 yards and four touchdowns while winning the Orange Bowl as a starting quarterback when he was at Michigan. If you hadn't heard of him, you weren't a football fan.

Patriots are one of the biggest underdogs in Super Bowl history. 14 points, it appears.

"Kurt Warner was the Cinderella story of the 34th Super Bowl. Is Tom Brady to be the Cinderella story of the 36th?"

Sky Sports package about the Rams. This is actually well-written and well-conceived. They should have let this reporter do the cold open. Martz discusses the offense. Martz runs plays based on what the defense does. They break down the winning play in XXXIV. Trips right, single coverage with a safety. They knew the safety would help on the slot receivers, leaving Bruce one-on-one.

Drew Bledsoe: Not surprised at how well Brady has played. I've seen him in practice.

Bledsoe: Didn't like losing my job due to injury. Didn't agree with it, but we're in the Super Bowl now.

Bledsoe: We're friends, but it's awkward sometimes and changed our relationship.

Bledsoe drives a Mercedes, Brady drives a Dodge Ram pickup truck.

Bledsoe: Impressive to see how well Brady prepares, and his preparation is meticulous. Has as good a command on what we're doing and what the defense is doing as anyone I've ever seen.

Back to the Sky Sports studio. Analyst calls Brady "What'shisname".

Analyst: Brady has a bad ankle. I'm the Rams, I blitz him. And if Bledsoe comes in, I blitz him too. Brady is nervous. He could be great, and he could be real bad. They've got Bledsoe if he's bad.

Oh, hey, there's Paul McCartney. He's performing before the game. Fox runs a graphic describing him as a 13-time Grammy winner, as if he needs an introduction. "Okay, everybody clap your hands for freedom!" He does a song about his rights given by God to live a free life. It's apparently called Freedom and is his response to September 11, 2001. It's sort of garbage, and I say that as someone who loves most of McCartney's work.

Now a bunch of Patriots sound bites about Belichick. This is a Pam Oliver Fox package, chopped up and rebuilt.

The studio "expert" is apparently Mark Collins, former Giants DB. I am decidedly not a fan of his media work.

Patriots WR Terry Glenn is holding out, may not get a ring if New England wins.

One-on-one interview with John Madden, which is awesome. Madden says the Rams are the better team, but the winner is always the team that plays better on the day. Both interviewer and Madden say special teams may be big for the Patriots.

Madden describes Rams offense as the best ever assembled. I'm not going to say he's wrong, but IMO the Niners were better circa Super Bowl 29. This Rams offense is awesome, though.

Introductions: Rams offense. 40% of the starting offensive line played in the MAC, so that's cool. Pat Summerall doing the introductions.

Introductions: Patriots. They come out en masse, not introduced individually.

Star Spangled Banner: Boston Pops and Mariah Carey

Coin Toss: Roger Staubach and George H.W. Bush. Rams win the toss and will receive.

Rams beat Patriots 24-17 in Week 10.

Dick Stockton and Darryl Johnston in the booth, apparently. I think this is a Sky Sports-specific commentary team for this game.

FIRST QUARTER

Yo Murphy back to receive the opening kickoff. A big deal is made of his time with the Scottish Claymores. Heck of a return, out to the Rams' 39.

Fox using the umlaut in Tom Nutten's name. Cool.

Rams doing Ram things, across midfield quickly and nearing field goal range within the first minute.

2nd and 18, Warner goes deep into double coverage to Torry Holt. Apparently Holt beat CB Tebucky Jones and Law was there to assist. Drive stalls at the New England 40. John Baker will punt, and for once this strategy pays off. He kicks it out of bounds inside the 5.

First play for the Patriots, Brady to Troy Brown for 21 on a slant. That's very Rams of them.

Brady is the third QB to lead his team to the Super Bowl in his first year as a starter. Kurt Warner and Vince Ferragamo (both Rams) are the other two.

Johnston: When the Patriots go shotgun formation, left guard Mike Compton plays center and center Damian Woody plays left guard. They've been doing it all year. He's never seen that before. Neither have I.

Patriots stall near midfield and punt. Ken Walter, one of two recent NFL players to go to Kent State and not play football there. (Antonio Gates is the other.)

Patriots in their third Super Bowl, all in New Orleans.

Four of Warner's first five pass attempts have been to Holt.

Cool play alert: Running back Marshall Faulk lines up as a wide receiver, then goes in motion and runs a jet sweep.

Warner converts a third down in which he's pressured and improvises a pass. One play later, they're across midfield.

Huh. Rams run a middle tight end screen. Johnston says the Rams have used that play all season long and it's one of their favorites. Mike Martz knows more about offense than I do, but that seems like an ugly play.

Rams stall just inside the New England 35. Jeff Wilkins comes on to attempt a 50 yard field goal, and it's right down the middle. 3-0 Rams.

Cutaway: Trainer working on Kurt Warner. Cramp? Back muscle issue? The commentary team doesn't even reference the shot, so I have no idea. 

Team that scores first in the Super Bowl is now 25-10.

Patriots go three and out. Defensive end Grant Wistrom with great coverage on running back Kevin Faulk to prevent a third down completion.

Stockton: People are talking about Marshall Faulk as if he's one of the greatest, or maybe even THE greatest of all time. Pump the brakes, Dick. He's great, but he's not Brown or Payton. Rookie LaDainian Tomlinson is about to replicate Marshall Faulk's career, albeit without the Super Bowl ring.

Quarter ends with Rams on top 3-0.

SECOND QUARTER

First quarter stats: Rams 89 total yards and 5 first downs, Patriots 50 and 2.

Sky runs a graphic of World Bowl champions.

Third and 15, Warner throws to Az Hakim, who's surrounded by four Patriots defenders. Two of the Patriots crash into each other and Hakim gains some additional yardage.

Wait, did the Rams just call a quarterback draw with Kurt Warner? They did. Bananas. It gains five yards on 2nd and 10. After an incomplete third down pass, Jeff Wilkins is on and misses a 52-yard field goal wide left.

Third down, Brady deep for David Patten. Knocked away by Kim Herring, who won a ring last year with the Ravens. Doesn't matter. Holding, defense, first down.

Patriots don't accomplish much and punt. Rams will take over at their own 20.

Coming up at halftime, a live performance from U2. "Music" from Barenaked Ladies, which means it's...not live? I dunno.

First and 10 Rams from their 39. Warner under pressure, tosses it up, a terrible throw under pressure and Ty Law picks it off. He's gone with a pick six. 7-3 Patriots.

Stockton: Patriots felt like if they could get out of the first quarter with the game close, they'd be in good shape.

Johnston: Nobody beat the St. Louis Rams this sesaon. They've beaten themselves when they lost.

On a first down play, Az Hakim makes a catch past the first down marker but inexplicably runs backwards behind the marker. Second and inches, but a run is stuffed on second down and Warner throws incomplete on third down. Hakim blew it. Rams will punt.

A promo for www.NFLJapan.co.JP. Huh.

Stockton: There is no question the Patriots have stolen the momentum.

Marc Edwards getting the ball here. Three touches for the fullback on this possession.

Fox graphic: Fewest points the Rams have scored this year in the first half: 9, twice.

Promo for NFLEurope.com. Sky shows video of Kurt Warner as an Amsterdam Admiral.

Patriots punt and the Rams take over with 1:52 left in the half. They're deep in their own half of the field.

Inside handoff to Az Hakim! Clock running, Rams at their own 20 with around 90 seconds left before halftime.

Warner completes a pass deep downfield to Ricky Proehl, who almost immediately fumbles. Terrell Buckley recovers and runs it back to the Rams 40 or so. If you're a Rams fan, you're beginning to feel some indigestion.

Patriots driving in the two-minute drill. A big third down run from Kevin Faulk makes it first and goal from the 8 with 36 seconds left.

First down, Brady throws into the end zone to David Patten, who makes an incredible falling, off-balance catch. Perfect throw, perfect catch. This is a stunning turn of events. The Rams were two-touchdown favorites.

They're going to review it to make sure he had the ball and was in bounds. He did. It's a touchdown. 14-3 Patriots. This is the Rams' largest deficit of the year.

Rams take a knee after the kickoff. It's 14-3 New England at the half. The team leading at halftime is 27-7 all-time in Super Bowls.

 HALFTIME

U2 performs. "Beautiful Day". Then a tribute to September 11, 2001 victims as they play "MLK" and "Where The Streets Have No Name". Victim names are projected onto a screen behind the band and scrolled. U2 lost me in the early 90s and has never really gotten me back, but they absolutely nailed this halftime show. Perfection.

Back to the Sky studio. Mark Collins shows off his Super Bowl rings.

THIRD QUARTER

Patriots receive the second half kickoff. Decent return to the 30 or so.

A couple of big runs from Antowain Smith to start the half and the Patriots have moved into Rams territory.

The drive stalls near the Rams' 45 and Ken Walter will kick it away. Rams take over inside their 20.

After a penalty, the Rams have a 1st and 18 from their own 8, but they take care of it right away. Warner hits Hakim, who weaves through defenders for a first down. Next play, Warner to Bruce down the middle of the field, and they're out to the 50.

That's more or less where the Rams' first drive of the half ends. They'll punt. Patriots take over near their 15.

New England feeding Antowain Smith. 17 yards on the first play of the drive. He's gotta be up near 100 yards now, midway through the third quarter.

End around! David Patten for 22. Looked for a moment like he might score.

Smith: 14 rushes, 84 yards. Now 15 for 85.

Drive stalls near the Rams' 35. They punt, and it goes into the end zone. Net of 15 yards. Whee! Belichick was thinking field position, I assume.

Stockton: Rams' deepest penetration is to the Patriots' 32 yard line.

Promo for American Bowl 2002 in Osaka: Washington vs. San Francisco. The first preseason game of the year, next August.

Marshall Faulk beginning to heat up. Rips off a couple 8-12 yard chunks outside. Rams get to midfield.

Patriots defense looking a lot like Belichick's Giants in XXV. Allow catches, but no yards after the catch.

Warner with a terrible throw, picked by Otis Smith, who returns it to the 33. Torry Holt fell and Warner was throwing to a spot.

Run/pass option to Kevin Faulk, but he's sacked. I guess it'll go down as a three yard rushing loss, but that was a sack. He wanted to throw. (As it turns out, this was recorded as a sack.)

Another trick play with Kevin Faulk. Direct snap to the running back as Tom Brady acts like the snap went over his head. Nearly enough for a first down, but sets up Adam Vinatieri for a 37 yard field goal. Got it. 17-3 Patriots, with 1:18 left in the third.

All 17 Patriots points have come off of Rams turnovers.

Video of Adam Vinatieri kicking for the Amsterdam Admirals.

Johnston: I like the calm St. Louis is showing on offense. They don't seem shaken, there's no sense of panic despite a 17-3 deficit.

Rams out near midfield again after a couple of completions. Third quarter ends with New England up 17-3.

FOURTH QUARTER

Team that's ahead after three quarters is 30-5 all-time in Super Bowls.

Third and 6, Warner finds Hakim across the middle to convert. They're unside the 45. Next play, Kurt Warner scrambles, buys time, and somehow finds Ernie Conwell for nine yards.

Rams still not panicking, doing their thing, taking their time. This is a big drive, but they're not forcing anything.

BIG play to Marshall Faulk coming out of the backfield. He gets man coverage against Mike Vrabel, which is a huge mismatch. Gets to the 9. First and goal.

Warner throws into traffic on second down. Lawyer Milloy nearly picks it off. Not a great throw. Next play, nearly picked off again. Ty Law probably should have had that ball for the Patriots. Bruce was running a fade route and never looked for the ball.

The Rams will go for it on fourth down, needing two touchdowns in the next 10:29.

Rams have scored on 37 consecutive Red Zone possessions. 27 TD, 10 FG. Last time they didn't score was against New England in Week 10.

Fourth down, Warner can't find anyone open and scrambles, eventually decides to take off and run with it. Tackled at the 1 yard line and fumbles. Tebucky Jones scoops and takes it 97 yards for a touchdown...but there's a flag on the field. Defensive holding. First down, Rams. Huge, huge play. Replay shows Willie McGinest essentially tackled Marshall Faulk while Faulk was trying to run a pass pattern.

First down from the Patriots' 1, Faulk up the middle, stuffed.

Video of Paul Tagliabue with a personalized FC Barcelona jersey. It's soccer, Paul. It's sort of like football with no hands.

Second and goal, Rams spread the defense and Kurt Warner waltzes in on a quarterback sneak. I don't think I've ever seen a quarterback sneak up the middle from the one yard line where the QB goes in basically untouched. 17-10. Rams are alive.

Daryl Johnston and Nick Halling chat about FC Barcelona playing exhibition games in the US. Halling snarkily asks Johnston if he'd go to the games and Johnston emphatically says yes. He says soccer was the first sport he played. Halling is audibly surprised and a bit impressed.

Patriots go three-and-out. They'll punt with 7:55 left in regulation and the Rams down by 7 points.

It's a good punt, and there's a penalty on the Rams. St. Louis will start at its own 6.

Rams convert a third down inside their own 10 with a clutch pass from Warner to Bruce. It's only five yards, but it's good enough for now.

2nd and 10, Warner with a beautiful pass downfield to Ricky Proehl. The Patriots blitzed and paid the price. Rams nearly out to midfield, needing a touchdown to tie the game. Less than 6:00 left in regulation.

Huge sack on second and 10. Willie McGinest sacks Warner for a loss of 16! Rams now facing 3rd and 26, around 4:00 on the clock, no timeouts.

New England calls its timeout. Wow. That's odd. They're giving Martz and Warner time to think. Neither team has any timeouts left.

Stockton: This would be the second-biggest Super Bowl upset of all time, behind the Jets in Super Bowl III.

Neutral zone infraction on the Patriots. Five yard penalty. 3rd and 20 or 21 from midfield. Warner throws into traffic. Incomplete to Torry Holt.

Rams will...punt? Okay. They'll punt. It goes into the end zone. 3:44 left, Patriots with the ball, Rams have no timeouts and might not get it back. 17-10 New England.

Smith run, loss of 2. Clock will be under three minutes before the next snap. Dump pass to Smith, gain of 4. Clock will be below 2:20 before the third down play. Pitch to Smith, gain of 2. Two minute warning, Patriots to punt.

Holding against the Patriots on the punt. Penalty declined. 30 yard punt gives Warner great field position on their own 35.

Complete pass underneath to Az Hakim, who shakes a tackle and gets an additional 12 yards. They're inside the 40.

Now it's Yo Murphy! A swing pass for 12, getting out of bounds. Yo was lined up in the backfield and it confused the defense.

Next play, a fade to Ricky Proehl, who gets away from Tebucky Jones and weaves his way into the end zone. The Rams are an extra point away from tying this game. They get it. 17-17. This could be the first overtime Super Bowl in history.

Johnston: "The only question is, did St. Louis score too quickly and give New England too much time?"

Good coverage on the kickoff. Troy Brown tackled inside the 20. 1:21 left, tie game.

Johnston: The Patriots have plenty of time and a great kicker.

First play, dump pass to J.R. Redmond. Patriots at their 20 as the clock ticks under 1:00. Another short pass down the middle to Redmond gets 10. They spike it and stop the clock with 0:41 left. 2nd and 10 from their own 30.

Another pass to Redmond, this time for 11. Clock stops because he got out of bounds. 0:33 left.

Vinatieri's long is a 55 yard field goal. Postseason long is 46.

Brady rolls and throws to...nobody. Rams sideline freaking out because it probably should have been called intentional grounding. The call is not forthcoming. Brady was inside the tackle, but outside of where the tackle originally lined up.

Now Brady finds Troy Brown for 23 yards. Clock stops at 0:21. Ball at the Rams' 36. Would be a 53 yard field goal right now.

Brady to Jermaine Wiggins, a dump pass over the middle. Clock ticking at 0:15, this is tempting the fates...They have to spike it. 10...9...8...7...they spike it with 0:07 left.

Here's Adam Vinatieri, trying to win it. He's never missed a kick indoors. 48 yarder. GOT IT! The clock runs out and New England wins, 20-17.

POSTGAME

Stockton: This is the most dramatic Super Bowl game ever played. Did dude see the one two years ago? Because that was every bit as dramatic.

Johnston: Great representation by NFL Europe today. Vinatieri and Warner.

Stockton: Patriots lost three of their first four games, their quarterbacks coach had a heart attack, and then they lost their starting QB (Bledsoe) to injury. Won the Super Bowl anyway.

Stockton and Johnston both talk about how fitting it is that the Patriots would win the first Super Bowl after 9/11. *insert wanking motion here*

Sky Sports studio host: AFC East had lost its last eight Super Bowls. I don't wanna talk about it.

Studio analyst Mark Collins: Doesn't matter if there's one week off before the Super Bowl or two weeks off. All you're doing in the extra week is going to parties and getting free stuff.

Collins: Game-tying touchdown was an illegal pick play that wasn't called.

Collins: Vinatieri has to be the MVP. Only Patriot who stood out. Otherwise, everybody played very well but nobody was great.

Patriots owner Bob Kraft: New England fans have waited 42 years for this day and we're world champions. Happy to be associated with coaches and players who put team first. Talks about "this time in our country" and the "spirit of America". "We are all Patriots", he says. I can't speak for anyone else, but I was a Ram that day.

Bradshaw: People thought you were crazy when you traded a first round draft pick for Bill Belichick. Kraft: Best deal I ever made.

Belichick: Credit to players and coaches, and if we played next week, we'd still be the underdogs.

Belichick: Decided we needed to cover receivers more than rush Warner because he gets rid of the ball so quickly.

Belichick: We have two good quarterbacks - three, with Huard - and you can't have too much depth at QB.

Brady: Incredible. This is what happens when guys believe in each other. Gives credit to all his teammates. Dream come true.

Brady named MVP, wins a Cadillac Escalade. Says it's a team car and everyone's using it. Bradshaw says Brady will pay the taxes on it.

Vinatieri: Never been so proud to be a member of anything in my whole life.

Promo for NFL Europe coverage. April 13, Barcelona Dragons at Scottish Claymores.

Closing montage: U2, Beautiful Day.

#super bowl #super bowl xxxvi #rams #patriots #nfl #football #st louis rams #st. louis rams #st louis #st. louis #new england patriots #new england

[bluewaterehab-blog]

Four Simple Ways To Help Your Friend Through Drug Addiction

You have a longing to both help others and to experience love. We cherish the relationships we have with his closest friends as family. In a world where we are constantly told how different we are, we hold tight the ones we perceive a deep connection for. A feeling that rips in the middle of millions of individuals is to view one of their closest friends end up on drug addiction. The true love has been torn for their love of something stronger. We perceive helpless, seeming it really does not come with to be special the assertion that little or nothing we will do. Sadness is judgment, which turns into anger. "How attempt to do that to your loved ones?" "What would be incorrect along?" "Where is the historic [insert name]?"

Eventually, there began serious cracks inside close friendship with an admirer, and those cracks changed into gaping holes. Eight months went by before we spoke again. In that time, I would felt guilt, and consumed with the idea that there is something I could've done differently. Although nearly all of it are likely to remain away from your hands, I some adjusting be astounded to comprehend all of the methods I some adjusting be going about "helping" my friend were wrong. These were flat out wrong.

I began to lean about how exactly social circumstances promote use as much as chemical hijack no matter the brain. That every time a baby experiences a traumatic event they're two to four times going to become an admirer because a adult. That almost all materialistic and electronic consumption driven society leaves us empty on purpose but eager for greater "highs".

What is a bit more important is that, however, I learned tips regarding the best approach to communicate with with a whole lot of love any one that is battling addiction. This story and list starts with my first visit to a rehabilitation center.

#1 - Humanize them

At this stage rehabilitation centers fail. Instead of usually being one source for hope and having quite a lot of affection, it becomes a spot where they may be treated as animals. It's like prison, solely food products are worse. They're limited on things they can do and banned from basic activities derived from previous actions from different addicts. Very few rehabilitation centers have trained staff that have a longing to help. Addicts can see this, and know they definitely are in a place that does not truly necessarily enjoy them.

#2 - Provide them other pursuits

You may be informed about the Rat Park experiment presented scientist Bruce Alexander. The experiment was a principal responds to the an industrial Mr. Alexander had present in the 80's whereby a rat was placed in just a cage with two water bottles; one containing water you laced with heroin and cocaine. Naturally, the rat became addicted and died. However, Mr. Alexander disputed these findings, claiming which it was much more since the rat had there isn't any other options. Surely enough, in the party the experiment was conducted generate wonderful selection tons, tunnels, and food, not one in all the rats became addicted.

All of us thrive when we have now activities that individuals can focus on. Activities that motivate us, distract us away inner thoughts, and make moments where time seems to fly by. It is much more important for addicts to seek out these activities. This is much more than one that is to preoccupy their mind, but additionally to seek out purpose and pleasure in other avenues. When addicts feel there's simply no other to wake up to, why would they ever quit? No matter when it is learning a new language or taking up a new sport, there is something on the market to excite them. I promise you.

#3 - Be an individual won't leave

Addicts expect you to surrender on them. Why wouldn't you, when everybody else has? Whether it is a parent who abandoned them, or perhaps a mother who said excitedly they might never end up anything. They are actually left to dry all of their life. Many addicts cohere drugs as sense of love that they never felt before. Show them that you simply do feel inspired by them so you are here to stay. Consider joining conversation. Most addicts will be frightened to examine at the first, so build up their trust is important. However, once you are able to analyze that wall, addicts you will observe comfort in sharing things they thought they couldn't.

#4 - Decrease this pain and don't stress these

As discussed in the introduction, social circumstances resembling childhood trauma and abuse help contribute to addiction. Many people seek drugs to help them forget these painful memories. It's natural for humans in as a way to operate from pain and start to get pleasure. Therefore, when you judge them and produce them feel guilty, you up your pain they feel. If you up the pain, their mind investigates something that feels good. It is at this stage that many addicts relapse. Taking this one step further, relapses happen more frequently when an exponent is stressed, so prefer to not stress them out. It's a shame that just about all of our current war on drugs seeks to guage, ostracize, setting addicts into jail or poverty. In reality, we strip get take out the people who could provide them love and compassion, limit their life pursuits, and place them in very low places that limit any chance for future success and happiness.

Are you interested in changing on earth, or not less than loading your life who have purpose? Call us now and help the one you love in changing their life.

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