#2020 has been a big F so far

[pedripics]

Barça's Little Buddha - Champions Journal Issue 16

Sometimes it's not just what you say, but how you say it, and as Graham Hunter discovers, Barcelona wonder kid Pedri is as cool, calm and collected in conversation as he is on the pitch.

For everyone involved, the atmosphere of a TV interview at the training ground of a major football club is usually at the rarefied end of the scale. This one is with Pedro González López - better known as Pedri - so it's important that everything is spot on. In truth, the empty room we've been given is functional and dull - two things we don't want the interview to be. However, there's nothing dull about the activity taking place: there's a whirl of moving parts and participants, busy constructing the 'studio' where part of this interview will be filmed. It's an intricate, intense and necessarily efficient business. A cameraman, two cameras worth tens of thousands of pounds, a producer, spotlights, backdrops, microphones, three club press officers, an interviewer (me) and ... the player.

Pedri appears to be in the eye of this hurricane of activity, unruffled and unperturbed. It makes a great metaphor for how Pedri plays - what it looks like when rivals fret and flock around him, trying to shackle his elegant imposition of intelligence upon Europe's football fields. But, right now, accompanying that preternatural calm is a gently amused smile. It is neither sardonic nor condescending; rather, it is the smile of someone who is deeply self-assured. And importantly, it reaches his eyes.

"My first club in Tenerife, Tegueste, were big on values. They instilled in us the idea that we shouldn't get angry during matches or argue with the referee - there's no point. They also taught us to have fun. Now, these days I do get angry occasionally. That's normal. But the self-discipline to stay calm and to do better next time you're on the ball can make the difference."

Not to overdo the theme, but Pedri's self-possession also helped him govern the emotions of moving to the Camp Nou in 2020. Just over two and a half years before, he'd been on trial at Real Madrid's Valdebebas training ground, which was a miserable experience: it was snowy, training was disrupted and those in charge told him he wasn't yet at their level. So, turning up at Barcelona with the impression that he might be put under contract only to be immediately loaned out meant guarantees were in short supply.

"When my family and I arrived at our hotel, I made a deliberate effort to stay calm. I knew that, at any time, the club might tell me they weren't going to sign me."

He was 16, small and slight, joining a great club in great turmoil. At the time of signing, he had only started for Las Palmas, in the second division, three times. After completing his first full senior season with the Canary Islanders, the best option that staying put at Barcelona seemed to offer was joining Barça B. But that's not what happened.

"The day Ronald Koeman told me that I could stay with his first team, that I might get a few minutes, was a huge shock - I really didn't expect it. The surprise opportunity filled me with determination to keep training hard, to compete fiercely and to immediately try to grab as much playing time as possible."

From his Barcelona debut (September 2020 against Villarreal) until the end of that season, Pedri played 73 times for club and country. He scored his first Champions League goal at 17; at 18 he won Spain's Copa del Rey and was named in the EURO 2020 team of the tournament (he also won the Young Player award for good measure). And now, aged 20, he has won his first Liga title.

No offence to the great sides that Pedri has faced across Europe, but his most ferocious rival so far might still be his own grandmom. The González family run an eatery in Tenerife and, as a kid, Pedri, his brother and mates would move the tables and chairs to play 2v2 football. One time, a wayward shot smashed a glass lantern; Grandma González was so furious that she tried to burst the ball with a knife. You soon learn tight control after a fright like that. So, is Pedri's ability to be surrounded by four or five opponents but skip free with the ball innate, or was it learned in the family restaurant?

"It's a bit of both. I was able to do some things like that when I was younger, and it's down to the work with all the coaches. But certain things stick with you and often you do things naturally, without thinking."

Champions League defenders, you have been warned: the boy's a natural.

#such a beautifully written article #finally came around to writing it all down #pedri #pedri gonzalez #fc barcelona #fc barça #barça #*interview

[scrunkore]

Scrunkore Media "Thread" 2023: Part 6

the scrunko core has burned out, rebooting

63) Cassette Beasts (PC, 2023)

This is a really cool monster tamer RPG, it came up with a really fun type interaction system and there are are excellent designs in it especially with the eldritch-style bosses, that's super fun. Big fan of the setting and its unique vibe too, if you've played the game you'll know what I mean about that. Great indie I enjoyed my time with, though the romance feels tacked on and I thought the ending was just Fine. [4★]

64) Doctor Who, Series 6-10 (TV, 2011-2017)

Moffat's entire tenure with the greatest TV show in Britain, knocked out within the year, and honestly I think it was quite good. Plenty of flaws, like his messy ambitions, how weird he is about women sometimes, and how some episodes just genuinely fucking suck, but you get that with every era of the show really. The highs are damn high, especially with Capaldi's Doctor in episodes like Heaven Sent and The Doctor Falls, and I think that's enough to outweigh the bad. And I feel like series 10 in particular is often overlooked more than it should be, pretty strong one that is. No rating, but I love Doctor Who when it's good.

65) Mad Rat Dead (Switch, 2020)

MAD RAT MONDAY!!!! I played this game because of the soundtrack, which totally bangs and of course you need that in a rhythm game like this one. Fun one it is too, it has options to make it less challenging and the story is unexpectedly pretty cool. I'm not very good at it, but I beat it and I had a fun time doing so. Rats rule. [4★]

66) Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins (Switch, 2021)

This is apparently the only good Doctor Who game still officially playable, and yeah, I can see it. Immersing yourself in a mystery contained within a smartphone featuring an iconic monster and fun appearances from existing characters is pretty cool, though it can be kinda janky and there's not that much to it in the end. Certainly an alright experience though. [3★]

67) F-Zero 99 (Switch, 2023)

My only experience with F-Zero so far, the surprise announcement that jumpscared fans of the series before turning out to be a battle royale type game that's actually... kinda good? Chaotic fun with decently engaging gameplay, it's something you pick up and play for a bit before doing something else but don't play for hours once the honeymoon phase wears off. Sure helps add something to NSO, sure hope it doesn't get taken down in a year. [3.5★]

68) Sonic Superstars (PC, 2023)

A good new Sonic game! From Sonic Team! The series really has been popping off lately, and though some people complained about this one, I genuinely think it stands at least close to the classic titles it's following up from. Levels are fun and creative with the only real bullshit being in the optional postgame (which does kind of suck if you're not good), and though the soundtrack has plenty of duds it's still pretty decent overall. Cool cast of playable characters too, and it's great seeing Fang come back, with the new character Trip also being a fun addition. I don't think this is peak Sonic, but for me it was a good time that I enjoyed for the most part. [4★]

69) Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch, 2023)

Oh 2D Mario is so fucking back, this takes the formula that the "New" series was running with and gives it a super aggressive shake-up and an injection of creativity that it really needed. It has a really nice visual look, actually cool level design that is great to run through, fun powers, and a large roster of playable characters including Daisy finally. Not to mention it sounds good, the music is a great important part of it and the talking flowers in every level are honestly just fun. One of the best platformers on Switch right now, I like it more than Odyssey honestly. [5★]

70) Shaun the Sheep: Farmageddon (Movie, 2019)

Bit of a silly watch this was, but in all honesty I'll always be a fan of Aardman's work and this is a pretty fun movie that all ages can enjoy whether they like Shaun the Sheep or not. It's animated as well as you'd expect, does some cute stuff, and honestly I kinda like the music in it too. Just a funny little adventure with that silly sheep and his weird cute alien friend. [3.5★]

71) Suika Game (Switch, 2023)

Suika Game.

72) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Booster Course Pass (Switch DLC, 2022-2023)

Dropping a two-year DLC that doubles the track list and adds a bunch of new characters and balance updates to a Mario Kart game we thought was over was a fucking wild thing to do, but Nintendo did it and honestly it worked out quite well. Sure, it's clearly all Tour ports and a lot of them don't look too hot, but for the sheer quantity of it I don't think I can complain too much. They even chose pretty good tracks for the most part, with only a few favourites being left out that I can only assume will be remade in the next game and therefore end up better than ever. I think the game is actually done now, and I think it's probably the best Mario Kart at this point. Not bad at all. [4★]

73) PLUTO (Anime, 2023)

An anime that took ages to get made, and it shows all the polish that much time of production should have you expect (perhaps too much polish with all those unnecessary digital effects). It's a pretty complete adaptation of a much-praised manga about war, robots and consciousness, some strong science fiction with quite good writing based on an old arc from Tezuka's Astro Boy manga. It's pretty tragic how things turn out for most of the characters, but it's so good how it goes about things, and I think it was worth the wait. One of the best Netflix-distributed anime, I'd say. [4.5★]

74) Super Mario RPG (Switch, 2023)

Geno fans have not shut up for years, so how does his game hold up now that it's been polished up into HD? Not bad, honestly. It's a solid RPG experience with simple yet engaging battle gameplay that laid the foundations for other Mario RPG titles to come, and now it's all shiny and stuff. It's a fun journey through a whimsical Mario setting with the quirks you'd come to expect, apparently a pretty faithful remake with only a few new additions and script edits that it sort of needed. I don't think this game is really that special in 2023, but I liked it plenty. Funny that Geno is barely a character though. [4★]

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#scrunkore media 2023 #mario #pluto anime #sth #suika game #shaun the sheep #f-zero #doctor who #mad rat dead #cassette beasts

[drkineildwicks]

A bullet point list of things I have observed thus far about the new writers’ strike, in no particular order:

now is a bad time to be seeking a writing job because corporations respect no one

now is a bad time to have been fired from my existing writing job because no one is hiring or even sending you an f u you didn’t get the job

seeing as how I was fired for sticking to my principles, good on these writers

the fun thing about capitalism is that these strikes work, you don’t get gunned down for your trouble like you would in, say, china

people really out here saying eff capitalism when it’s legit the only system where the bourgeoisies dictate the market instead of the proletariat

meantime socialism is for the corporations to get fat

but I digress

Jay Leno is delivering donuts to the writers on strike, which he did before

also I remember the OG strike, he mentioned then that he was writing his own monologues and kept waking his wife up at odd hours to pitch the jokes to her

TIL that Doctor Horrible’s Singalong Blog was written during the OG writers’ strike, this is amusing to me because Full Sail used it to teach students how to write scripts

corps really do be underestimating people’s backlogs

people be realizing that hard copies are desirable for a reason

laughing because we’re going into summer, when people won’t be watching TV anyway

really happy that people are finally channeling the energy of the captain from Wall-E, i.e., “I don’t want to survive, I want to LIVE”

I have legit watched no new TV since Big Hero 6: the Series went off the air and seeing what disney is doing makes me glad BH6 avoided that bullet

Thanks to the great pause of 2020 people have realized that yeah, we can wait for new if the new is good, no we don’t have the spare funds to pay for garbage

We got DVD copies of shows that are 10+ seasons long and crates of movies to watch, we’re fine

I got milk crates full of books I got from when all the bookstores in my area shut down for various reasons (stupid-high land rent being one of them) and games I haven’t even tried yet, plus I write

Fanfictions will be getting an upswing soon, I’m guessing

also I finally started playing DST with friends, that’s fun

we have a new puppy who is 1000% more entertaining than what’s on the TV

also torrents and downloads exist if the thing doesn’t have a DVD release

on that happy note, if anyone knows a link to the full series of shows like Tangled, Amphibia and the like please hit me up

I got BH6: the series downloaded I need others

Please send your money to the indie companies and the small businesses and individual artists instead of the corporations

yes you can vote with your wallet and it would be wise to do so

Also make sure it’s like an actual indie company instead of, you know, game freak

It’s a multi-billion dollar franchise, they can afford to hire more workers to keep their existing ones from dropping dead in the traces, they just…don’t

say it with me: there are other games in the monster-capture genre, I do not need to pay for a substandard unfinished game that literally kills people

Appealing to the one-percents alienates the majority money, trying to turn around to get the majority money alienates the one-percents, people prefer genuine jerks over two-faced shills

I’ve had the opportunity to work in California and New York before and passed it over because the cost of living versus what I would make would have me living in my car and I don’t want to get murdered

Yes John Lasseter slept under his desk but he was also heading a new company specializing in an art form in its infancy, also I bet his office had a lock

And the fact that people are abandoning Hollywood for Las Vegas, AKA sin city, should tell you everything about Hollywood that needs to be said

Focusing only on checklists to please the DIE, blackrock, vanguard, and the esg means soulless material that has no return on investment

No writers means no material to act for means no one works, considering how everyone is expected to work to the bone I fail to see a problem with them not working

love the fact that no new stuff means people will go to the old stuff and finally realize that no, it’s not the nostalgia filter talking, things were literally made better back in the day

There’s so much genuine indie stuff being put straight online by creators that Hollywood will hopefully die its much-needed death

also disney please die already it’s unpleasant watching the corpse flail about

On that happy note I’m working on new stuff and updating my old stuff, stay tuned and friendly reminder that I have both a ko-fi and Patreon

Also college debt

#wga #writers strike 2023 #so as a writer this is all of this very interesting #time to start working on generating content #you know #more than I already do

[underthebrightmooninterests]

5 great Kdrama’s you probably haven’t seen

#1. At A Distance Spring Is Green

At A distance Spring Is Green: 2021, 12 episodes

coming of age, college romance

main lead: Park Ji Hoon & Kang Min Ah & Bae In Hyuk

summary: A coming of age story about young people in their twenties and the problems they face in university. Nam Soo Hyun and Yeo Joon, two boys with contrasting personalities, unexpectedly become friends when working on a project together.

Depicts the realistic worries and conflicts of university students in their 20's, centered around 1st-year student Yeo Joon. Even though Yeo Joon has an attractive appearance and comes from a wealthy background, he carries pain inside. His character is a puppy-dog freshman who takes a liking to a sunbae and follows him around, leading to an unlikely friendship between two very different boys.

opinion: (Can you tell I went through a Park Ji Hoon phase? lol) This drama really doesn’t have a revolutionary storyline which is why I think so many people didn’t watch it. But, I can name multiple reasons for why you should watch it, even if it’s only once. The warm romance between Park Ji Hoon and Kang Min Ah, the brotherly love between Bae In Hyuk and Park Ji Hoon and the dynamics of the trio together were all big reasons for why I enjoyed this drama as much as I did. Furthermore it has a meaningful plotline that you can analyze to your hearts content and watching the characters heal their traumas through their friendships with each other was very heartwarming. I haven’t read the webtoon it was based on but as far as the drama goes, I definitly enjoyed it and would recommend you give it a shot.

#2. 18 Again

18 Again: 2020, 16 episodes

romance, fantasy

main lead: Lee Do Hyun & Yoon Sang Hyun & Kim Ha Neul

After nearly twenty years of marriage, Jung Da Jung and Hong Dae Young seem to be well settled in their domestic lives. The proud parents of a pair of eighteen year old twins, the devoted couple have worked hard to build a happy home together. But what seems like an ideal life on the outside is really anything but. Fed up with Dae Young’s incessant nonsense, Da Jung is at her wits’ end. When Dae Young announces that he’s been fired, Da Jung gives up completely. Convinced life would be better without her husband in it, Da Jung wastes no time in filing for divorce. 

Shaken by his wife’s decision to leave him and utterly disappointed in where life has taken him, Dae Young takes a hard look at his life. It doesn’t take him long to see all the places where things went wrong, and soon he finds himself regretting absolutely everything about his life. The moment the thoughts of regret enter his head, his body is instantly transformed into that of an eighteen year old, while his thirty-seven year old mind remains intact. Suddenly given the chance to re-do his entire life, Dae Young changes his name to Ko Woo Young and enrolls himself in his children's’ school. Seeing life from an entirely different perspective, Dae Young soon finds that despite keeping his middle-aged brain, he still has a lot to learn.

opinion: This drama really had no right to be as good as it is. I watched this purely because a drama based on the 2009 Zac Efron movie ‘17 again’ just sounded so stupid that I just had to check it out. Someone please tell me why this was one of my favourite drama’s from 2020? The acting was great, the plotline kept you hooked and the drama managed to capture the story of life choices and regret better than the 2009 movie did. Also, it doesn’t have a weird incest plot line like the movie did which is a plus ig. Highly enjoyable story that makes you love and root for all the characters involved, there’s not really any huge negative points to note in my opinion.

#3. Hit The Top/ The Best Hit

The Best Hit: 2017, 32 episodes

Comedy, romance

main lead: Yoon Si Yoon & Lee Se Young & Kim Min Jae & Cha Tae Hyun

Lee Ji Hoon and Choi Woo Seung are two childhood friends who also happen to be preparatory students for the civil service exam, although Ji Hoon has a secret dream to be a singer and songwriter. One day they meet Yoo Hyun Jae, a popular but problematic member of a popular '90s idol group who accidentally traveled through time to the year 2017 from the year 1993. Thus begins the story of passion, love, and friendship among 20s youth in the entertainment industry.

opinion: I feel like I have to preface this recommendation by saying that it has been YEARS since I’ve seen this and I’m purely going by my memory of really loving this when I first watched it. I also don’t remember it being 32 episodes but the episodes are only half an hour so it’s basically just 16, one hour episodes. This drama was enjoyable, very entertaining and had a unique concept but there is a part of me that feels like they didn’t quite know what they wanted it to be. At some points it felt like a sitcom and in other points I felt like they spent so much time on the mc that it was just straight up romance. That being said, I don’t think any of those elements really take away from this being an enjoyable viewing experience none the less.

#4. A korean Odyssey

A Korean Odyssey: 2017, 20 episodes

Comedy, fantasy, romance

main lead: Lee Seung Gi, Oh Yeon so, Cha Seong Won

In 2017, Son Oh Gong and Ma Wang are in conflict with each other as they look for a true light in a dark world where evil thrives. Having made a contract with Seon Mi 25 years ago, entitling her to seek help from Son Oh Gong whenever she calls him in exchange for letting him free, the two meet again in a fateful encounter. From there, Son Oh Gong is bound to his protective role towards Seon Mi, the little girl he had met years ago.

opinion: When I tell you I was OBSSESSED with this drama while watching it, I really mean it. The acting is good, the comedy hits and the dynamics between the characters are very entertaining and probably one of its strongest selling points. Every scene between Lee Seung Gi’s character and Cha Seong won’s were GOLD. That being said, if I’d have to note one down side to this drama it would probably be the fact that the later half starts dragging a little and the drama could’ve probably been told in 16 episodes. I’m also still not sure how I feel about the ending. All of that being said, this is drama was good overall and fueled my Lee Seung Gi obssesion to what it is today.

5. Tomorrow

Tomorrow: 2022, 16 episodes

Action, fantasy

main lead: Kim Hee Soon, Rowoon, Lee Soo Hyuk

Choi Joon Woong seeks a job, but it's hard for him to get hired. One night, he witnesses a man trying to end his life and decides to stop him. He gets acquainted with grim reapers Koo Ryeon and Im Ryoong Gu, who belong to a crisis management team. Their purpose is to prevent people from committing suicide. After Joon Woong ends up in a coma and becomes half-human and half-spirit, he is employed by a company of grim reapers as the newest member of the crisis management team.

opinion: South Korea ranks fourth in the world when it comes to suicide rate. This drama explores that heavy topic with fantasy elements and surprisingly funny comedic moments. The topics in this drama are HEAVY but the drama does a good job at not becoming gloomy or depressing to watch. ‘Tomorrow’ does a great job at both tastefully discussing serious matters and undercutting the heavy stuff with sweet moments and comedy. minimal romance but maximum trauma.

#kdrama #kdrama recommendations #tomorrow kdrama #at a distance spring is green #a korean odyssey #hit the top kdrama #the best hit kdrama #18 again #18 again kdrama #2022

[onekisstotakewithme]

🔥 bisexuality, in MASH or in fandom in general or just in life in general 0w0

In general, I meant what I said before, I think bisexuality is still seen in fandom as "not queer enough" (let's not get into bi characters in m/f relationships still being considered 'boring' or 'het' which, whatever).

But I'm putting the rest under a cut so. proceed at your own risk.

I genuinely don't understand the opposition to bi!BJ, because like. that literally means you can ship him with Hawkeye while also acknowledging his canon attraction to women (not just his wife, but also other women. See: Hanky Panky, War Co-respondent, his attraction to Lana Turner, saying he'd like Nurse Able if he wasn't married). It can only be a net gain!

and frankly. as a bi woman (and I'm not speaking for all of us or all bi people at all!), the past two years of having it be that he can only be repressed and gay has been incredibly invalidating and actually detrimental to my mental health. Like I try and laugh it off or just ignore it, but it's true.

But I guess that would then invalidate this whole thing that BJ can somehow only have ONE true love and it HAS to be Hawkeye. (I used to ship them a lot more strongly but fandom leaning so hard into the 'one true ending' actually majorly turned me off shipping them at allll.

And it happens to Margaret too. She has a lot of canon attraction to men, but it HAS to be comphet, it can't actually just be bisexuality.

Fandom be fighting demons, but those demons are just bisexuality.

AGAIN. I am ONLY speaking for myself and if anyone who read this far decides to come after me, that's on you because you read this post. I'm also not tagging it, so if people want to get mad, that's on them.

And also, I really don't care if there's a big contingent of fans who want BJ to be repressed and gay. I have friends who enjoy BJ goes to Maine and that's their prerogative, I'm glad they have so much content to enjoy! that's whatever to me. ship and let ship. it's more the whole narrative of it being 'accepted canon' or 'the default' and people who think he actually loves Peg getting shut down that I hate.

Finally, I know I'm obnoxious about having been here since 2018 but that's because I was shipping BJ/Hawk and the triad and enjoying Peg content two years before any of hte BJ goes to Maine stuff happened, and it's incredibly frustrating - much as I'm glad there's been an influx of fans, I've made several wonderful friends - to have people act like this is the only way, and that the fandom started in 2020. When I started writing Hunnihawk, there were less than 100 works in the tag. I wrote like 30 stories for them my first two years. That's why it matters. it doesn't have anything to do with bisexuality but it matters to me.

anyway thank you for the question, sorry for the mini rant.

#remember i said that last post would get me cancelled #well boy do i have a show for you #🔥 #unpopular opinions

[peachypizzicato]

can you believe they’re making a threequel to 2020. crazy (year in review after cut)

i know i did my whole big dramatic comic thing last year but uh. i’m not really feelin it this time

im gonna keep it a buck with you guys, i love y’all so im gonna make this real honest; my year was not very good, like honestly pretty awful for the most part.

that’s not to say there WEREN’T good things, they just felt overall more few and far between than the bad times.

i struggled a lot with mental illness- most visibly my adhd- and even had to take a huge break from creating and posting because it was just adding to the growing fogginess up there. i didn’t feel like i achieved much in work or in recreation (in some ways i still don’t). i didn’t achieve a single one of last year’s “resolutions”. i dealt with a LOT of self doubt and insecurity that seemed to only pile on as the year progressed. i faced a personal loss. needless to say its been a rough one for me.

but it hasn’t been all bad. i found a number of new sources to bring me joy (and of course, the new f/os that come with them). my favorite series in the world got a new game (and i got a new comfort blorbo, hi big man). i spent a lot of time with some of my closest friends, some of that time dedicated to working on personal passion projects both new and old together. i turned 21 and experienced a rite of passage i had been looking forward to. i discovered something about myself that i had been made to hide away, and i’ve started to feel more like i can be myself. i got to share things with all of you. for as much time as i spent this year in painful lows, i did get to experience some really high highs, and i’m really grateful for that.

as for my hopes this time around, i just want to spend as much time as possible just doing things that make me happy and not worrying about trying to win anyone’s approval. i’m beginning a major i’m excited for too, so i also hope to prioritize that and let that lead me wherever it goes.

i’d also like to give some thanks again, if that’s quite alright:

@sin-pestilencia, for continuing to be one of the best friends i’ve ever had despite any distance. here’s to nine years (or something like that, right? lmao)

@femininelookingmale, for supporting me no matter what and always making me feel heard and loved and appreciated even when i’m convinced the world is crumbling around me. i love u man /p

@toasty-self-shipping, @dead4non, @jils-things, @candyheartedchy, @fluffyselfships, @moss-self-ships, for reminding me that what i do has purpose and someone out there does care. i hope someday i can give back the amount of joy you all have brought me

and to everyone who i can’t think of because i’m really tired, thank you for supporting me even through all the turmoil this year has brought. i can’t even begin to articulate how much it means to me.

thank you everyone for being here for me, and for letting me have this platform i love for nearly two years now. see you guys in ‘23

#not ship related #yea this is super early in the day but whatever who cares #tldr it didn’t go well but i love you guys #bad year good company #hope u guys have a good new year #no real solid plans yet but #we’ll see where the year takes us y’know #end of year post #new years 2023 #peachymisc #moneposting #sorry if i missed any muts i am so tired

[meret118]

These are not serious people dedicated to good-faith oversight. They're a nihilistic carnival act run by folks who are desperate for attention. We're in for a gruesome train wreck of a congressional session.

The problem with having insurrectionists within your own caucus is that they care nothing for the party, much less the country. They looked at the last three losing elections and now feel liberated to do their worst. All the anti-McCarthy members come from deep-red districts that voted for Trump by double digits. They have nothing personally to lose by acting out their darkest political fantasies. They didn't come to Congress to do anything but wreck the place and if that means taking their own party down with it, they couldn't care less.

. . .

Let's hope that all those swing-state voters who came out in 2018, 2020 and again in 2022 will now understand that this isn't just about stopping Donald Trump, as worthy as that is. They need to make sure that Republicans are kept out of power until they demobilize this destructive faction and reinvent themselves as responsible, patriotic participants in the political process.

Calling Republican renegades "ultraconservative" doesn't cut it: This clown show is a symptom of the big F.

It's been entertaining, in a dark sort of way, watching the mainstream media try to explain what is fueling the conflict between Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House Republicans' supposed leader, and the 20 or so members of his own caucus who are preventing him from becoming House speaker. The New York Times called the anti-McCarthy faction "ultraconservative" and the Washington Post noted that most are full-on election deniers. Not only are these euphemisms for what they actually are — a bunch of fascists — it also falsely implies that the disagreement is ideological. It's not.

McCarthy is in full agreement with the anti-democratic views of this group. He was among the 147 House Republicans who voted to overturn the 2020 election in the immediate aftermath of the Capitol attack. While McCarthy was initially cranky about the violence of Jan. 6, 2021, he has done everything in his power to shield the powerful conspirators who incited it, including Donald Trump himself, from any accountability.

There's no real daylight between the foaming-at-the-mouth fascists and McCarthy, much less other GOP leaders like Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, a shameless coup booster and reborn Trump loyalist, and Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, who once described himself as "David Duke without the baggage." Recognizing this, some political observers have started describing the fight as "personal," as if the anti-Kevins just don't like the guy.

But that's not plausible either, since the common factor uniting the 20 or 21 holdouts is not personality type but the fact that they come from safe seats in deep-red districts. These folks are far more worried about losing a primary to someone who runs on a more-fascist-than-thou platform than about losing to a Democrat.

. . .

So if this godawful mess is not personal or ideological, then what is it? Ultimately, it's not about Kevin McCarthy at all. It's about the Republican Party's self-conception in its exciting new fascist iteration (which was forged under Donald Trump but doesn't really have much to do with him either). Fascism needs to be understood less as an ideological movement and more as a movement devoted to the worship of power for its own sake, and also a dramatic aesthetic of constant warfare and performative purification of an ever-narrower conception of the body politic.

. . .

Fascists are a bunch of trolls who are never satisfied. They must always prove their power by ganging up on someone who's been cast as an "outsider." As the Atlantic's Adam Serwer famously observed, "The cruelty is the point." Most of the time, the targets are racial and sexual minorities, liberals or immigrants. But sometimes, that restless need to constantly bully someone manifests in purification rituals, where a once-trusted or even beloved insider is deemed an outsider who must be ritually purged. It's just Kevin McCarthy's turn in the proverbial barrel, though he almost certainly hasn't helped his cause by constantly debasing himself before the hardliners. He's marked himself as a weenie, and that just makes his tormentors enjoy watching him suffer even more.

. . .

In his "Ur-Fascism" essay, Eco laid out 14 features of fascism, which add up not to a coherent political philosophy so much as a series of antisocial impulses. It's worth reading in its entirety, but the McCarthy debacle illustrates some of Eco's most important observations: Fascism is deliberately irrational. Indeed, it makes a fetish of irrationality. It's a "cult of action for action's sake" that believes thinking before acting "is a form of emasculation." The fascist believes that "life is permanent warfare" and therefore there must always be an enemy to struggle against. That's why fascists love conspiracy theories. Their "followers must feel besieged," and since they have no real oppressors to rail against, they make up imaginary ones.

More at the link.

-----

I would say the difference between mccarthy and the 20 voting against him is the difference between someone who's using fascism to gain power, and someone who's a true believer. One is in touch with reality, and one isn't. In practical terms there is no difference of course, because what they put out into the world is the same.

#News #GOP

[mceproductions]

How to do a reboot injustice. (What Rugrats 2021 Has Taught Everyone)

Hello once again.

I come back on before the 2nd decade of my annual countdown to revisit a popular entry I did.

6 years ago with the reboot wave cresting, I took a look at what I now realize was its peak (with Animaniacs close behind)

DuckTales (WooHoo!)

How it encapsulates the old with bringing in the new.

Yet the wave despite it cresting San Andreas style still kept going. Although we did get some other great continuations with the notables being ICarly, Doogie KameAloha, Queer Eye, and Twilight Zone 2019. There is one that manages to undo so much in a short period.

Rugrats aired from 1991-2004 with its spin-off All Grown Up going until 2008. In it we saw the babies learn the lessons of life while in their own world and mindset.

With 2 movies that saw the group expand and continue to grow.

But also a finale that just seemed more to fulfill a fanfic than tell what seemed to be building up as a well defined final chapter of a story.

No matter how much 4am pudding or baby doing what a baby has to do we got to see a crown jewel of Nickelodeon thrive.

Until being overtaken by a certain cleanup item from underwater that is now like the energizer bunny.

But here is where this twists. Like the aforementioned SpongeBob spinoffs Paramount+ decided to bring back the babies into the modern era of the 2020s.

Now the main 5. Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil and Angelica keep the same traits and wonder that was prevalent all those years ago.

But our deep dive begins here as changes are made.

Beginning with the aging down of Susie Charmichael. Now no longer the foil of Angelica, she is placed into the playpen with the other 4 as she was intended to have been around the pickles since she was born. Sometimes this is good but she worked as a foil and wise older spirit, now she’s just another member.

Taking her place age wise is Kimi, and although Chas still dates Kira now Kimi is mainly thrown in where Susie once was.

But the big stuff comes with the parents. And surly enough has been said about a certain person who has been written off.

But Howard DeVille deserved better. Especially considering the original that had him meek but caring parental wise. Especially with Betty being the strong willed maternal figure for Phil and Lil.

Also prevalent is Grandpa Lou, who goes from Golden age veteran to Middle Aged spirit.

Even the normal traits of Stu and Didi seem more like box checking than homage to a classic.

There is only so much of a reboot that can be twisted before it actually starts to harm the original’s legacy.

And with Rugrats here that is the case.

Now is this a bad show. No the stories are still good. With the highlights being the recreations of classic moments in the preview shorts that came out before the release.

You have an iconic property that has been around 30 years and you just fit them into modern standards. When some were curious to know how those babies would have been if they had grown up into today.

Tommy being a director, Chuckie getting together with Susie and being a risk analyst. Phil doing his own Mike Rowe style look at Americana. Lil with her sense of determination inherited from her mom becoming an entrepreneur. Dil hosting his own podcast on SoundCloud and Spotify about the mundane and weird things in our world.

Even Angelica getting over her upbringing to become an important figure in the world with a loyal duo of Kimi and Harold by her side running her day to day operations. That would have been far more interesting to see.

More so if they continued to stay close and have a next generation of their own to have their own adventures like they once did.

All that we could see glimpses of here potential for something better but bogged down in 2 things that play large into calling this injustice.

Familiarity and modernization.

(Note I have no issues with characterization here I’m just pointing things out as I see them.)

And I’ll see you all in November for the countdown.

#rugrats #rugrats reboot #reboot #injustice #eg daily #Kath Soucie #cree summer #nancy cartwright #tommy pickles #chuckie finster #phil and lil #angelica pickles #dil pickles #Howard DeVille #ducktales #Susie charmichael #pickles #tara strong #Lou pickles #modernist

[agreatandhonorablesoldier]

because @salemfrogtrials and @brabe encouraged it here are some things about growing up in texas that don’t come up in media as texas things from someone who grew up in Texas since so much of the fandom headcanons Hangman as from texas (myself included, thank you glen for your twang)

Disclaimer: these swing wildly from serious shit to “are you shitting my dick” levels of ridiculous. Welcome to Texas

Texas is not a monolith. This, specifically, extends to accents. I know a lot of media likes to portray it as there is One Texas Accent but honestly some places have more of accent than others. I grew up in Houston and have a very generic to non existent accent (i get asked all the time why I don’t twang), someone who grew up somewhere else might have a stronger accent but by and large, we do not all sound like McConaughey. (I personally sound a lot closer to Matt B.omer, who is from 20 minutes up the road from where I lived)

I’m putting the rest under a cut because this is getting long

We don’t measure how long a trip is going to take in Miles. That shit is in hours or minutes. I have no idea the mileage between Houston and Austin or Houston and San Antonio but I know it’s four hours 

Getting out of Texas takes a ridiculously long time. When I would go to New Orleans, it was a six hour drive. Literally half of that drive was getting out of Texas, the other half was crossing the WIDEST part of Lousiana. 

Most Texas do not live on ranches. If someone lives in a city, they’ve most likely never even been on a ranch.

We refer to highways by their numbers. (example, if I’m going to Galveston I would say I took 45 the whole way).

Texas History is taught seventh grade year. The entire year we learn about parts of the state history. (parts because they definitely gloss over the whole confederacy is one of the ‘six flags over texas’ thing, among other shit.)

texas has it’s own pledge of allegiance, don’t ask me it, I don’t remember. I just remember having to say it. 

It is a pavlovian response to clap three times if someone says in any kind of sing songy way “The stars at night are big and bright.” because of the song deep in the heart of texas.

The rivalry in Baseball between the (Houston) Astros and (Texas) Rangers is very real. The rivalry in Football is SIGNIFICANTLY stronger with College Football. (the A&M - UT Rivalry is real and intense)

Some colleges have beef simply because of who they’re named after (looking at you Stephen F Austin and Sam Houston Universities). SFA and Sam had real life beef back in the 1860s that was so strong, SFA moved the capital of Texas to Austin from Houston.  

The Alamo is a lot smaller in person than you expect it to be. It’s been built up around. There’s literally a Ripley’s museum like right across the street from it. 

It is super common to not travel that far from where you live. I grew up in Houston and have only been to Austin, San Antonio and Dallas once respectively. They’re all a four-five hour drive away and I would dead ass rather go to New Orleans. 

East Texas has a lot of Louisiana influence, West Texas has strong Mexico influence because -gestures at how close they are to the respective borders-

Rodeos! Houston has the Largest Livestock show and Rodeo in the world. It also offers the biggest payouts. The Rodeo events are televised. Other Rodeos in Texas are not as big but some places still have decent sized rodeos. (if you want me to ramble more about rodeo events, lemme know)

Texas has large population of BIPOC. As of the 2020 census, it was only 42.5% white (39.3% non-hispanic white). Contrary to popular belief! Smaller towns are likely to be predominately white but the big cities like Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and El Paso are Minority-Majority areas. 

Speaking of, Austin is left leaning. Austin is the reason the state said cities can’t defund their police. Austin’s (unofficial ?) slogan is “Keep Austin Weird”. 

Houston is also a very democratic area.

Houston is the fourth largest city in the entire US and largest in the state. It’s also sprawled the fuck out and that makes Dallas try to claim the largest city but then again Dallas tries to claim Fort Worth’s population as it’s own. (There’s a rivalry here.)

It is very common for Texans (of long established families) to say that you are not a Texan unless you are born there. It doesn’t matter if you moved when you were four almost five and lived there for 27 years (-raises a hand-), it’s not enough to be considered Texan unless you were born there. The only exception most people give is military brats. 

The Texas Flag is the only state flag that is flown at the same height as the US flag because it was a country (the Republic of Texas) from 1836-1845. Being able to fly the flag at the same height is one of the few things left in the post reconstruction constitution. 

Hurricanes! They suck if you live in coastal areas but aren’t as bad of problem further inland. Most hurricanes run out of steam before they it places like Dallas, Austin or San Antonio. Most. Particularly strong ones will barrel on through and dump a shitton of rain in those places. 

With Hurricanes comes flooding, Much bigger problem in areas like Houston that are basically swamp. 

Texas is very diverse in it’s geographical types. There are plains, mountains, plateaus, hills, swamps, bayous and deserts all in the same place. 

It snows in north texas but typically no anywhere else unless there’s a ~freak~ storm like that blizzard that blew through. 

Air Conditioning is in every public building. Most homes come equip with AC. 

After Hurricane Katrina, a lot of people from Louisiana moved to Texas. Katrina hit right at the start of my senior year of high school and my graduating class was 200+ people more than my cousin’s who graduated the year before (*coughs* y’all can keep Javy from NOLA and still have him in high school with Jake *cough*)

for clarification, my graduating class was 600+ people. 

Country music is a given. George Strait is King. Johnny Cash has all the respect. From there, opinions change based on where you’re at. In Houston, there’s a lot love for Clay Walker because he’s our local boy but that’s not necessarily true for everywhere. 

HOWEVER, Texas also has very large scenes for other genres. The Chop and Screwed style of Rap is from Houston, Tejano has a huge music base, Zydeco has a huge base. 

Selena is the Queen. We still will do anything from the Selenas. 

Tex-mex is not Mexican food but you will hear it refer to as such. We all know it’s fusion food. We frown on people who bitch about that. 

There is a healthy LGBTQIA+ Community in Texas. I promise. There’s still a lot of problems to be faced but I swear to god, we’re there. 

Speaking of problems, there are still sundown towns in Texas. 

That’s all I got for now but lemme know if you want more?

#jake hangman seresin #jake seresin #*Texas

[usafphantom2]

F/A-18’s Infrared Search And Track System Plagued By Delays

Manufacturing quality issues and testing delays mean that the Navy is still waiting for its much-needed infrared search and track pods.

Thomas NewdickPUBLISHED Jun 9, 2023 2:28 PM EDT

F/A-18F IRST POD

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. James Merriman)

The U.S. Navy’s Infrared Search And Track System, or IRST, intended for its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter jets, is still to join the fleet, more than four years after it entered production. The podded IRST, seen as a critical tool to retain the Navy’s air-to-air advantage over potential adversaries, was first flown on a Super Hornet in late 2019, but operational testing is not now expected to begin until early next year.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), in its latest Report to Congressional Committees, provides an update on the status of the IRST pod, which is still dogged by production quality issues and which officials worry could be subject to more delays in the future. All this is happening at a time when an IRST capability is arguably more important than ever.

A Lockheed Martin infographic showing different applications for its IRST2 1 sensor, including the podded version for the Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Lockheed Martin

In the past, we have looked extensively at the advantages an IRST pod will bring to the Super Hornet community and the Navy’s tactical aviation branch as a whole.

To summarize, an IRST sensor is entirely passive, using the infrared spectrum alone to detect and track airborne targets, including those at far beyond visual range. With no radio-frequency emissions, the target won’t be alerted to the fact that they’ve been detected and are being tracked.

As stealth technology and advanced electronic warfare capabilities continue to proliferate, the arguments behind introducing an IRST become even more compelling. By their nature, IRST sensors are immune to electromagnetic jamming and other electronic attacks and can literally see through radar-evading stealth technology.

IRST21 built into the centerline tank on the Super Hornet during tests. U.S. Navy

As well as operating as a standalone sensor, an IRST can furthermore make use of sensor-fusion capabilities, adding a critical sensor data stream to enhance a flight crew’s situational air-to-air ‘picture’ in conjunction with more traditional sensors.

The Super Hornet’s IRST — which is installed in the nose of an external fuel tank — is clearly a big deal and an item that is only becoming more essential as potential foes like China and Russia expand their stealth and electronic warfare capabilities.

Some iteration of the pod has also been deployed on operations, carried by Super Hornets in the Middle East, with photos emerging of this in late 2020. The results of these combat trials remain unknown, and it’s not clear to what degree the pods used were actually functional, but it was a significant step to test them in this way, regardless.

Equipped with an IRST pod, a U.S. Navy F/A-18F flies over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility during a mission in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, September 30, 2020. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. James Merriman

So why, exactly, is the Navy having to wait so long for its IRST pod?

According to officials, “between 20 and 30 percent of the manufactured components [in the IRST pod] failed to meet performance specifications due to microelectronics issues.” More worrying still is the fact that these issues are persisting more than four years after limited manufacturing started and they are continuing to push back the launch of developmental and operational testing, as well as full-rate production.

It appears that the components affected were fiber-optic gyroscopes, considered “critical to delivering IRST capability.” To address the problem, the Navy is now meeting with manufacturer Lockheed Martin on a biweekly basis, “in an effort to improve manufacturing efficiency to support the planned rate of production.”

The Lockheed Martin IRST21 sensor, as used in the Navy Super Hornet IRST pod. Lockheed Martin

In more positive news, however, the same report does note that the program has “matured its one critical technology and has a stable design.”

But that won’t be much comfort for the Navy tactical aviation community who clearly want to get their hands on what is a potentially game-changing air combat tool.

Exactly when production IRST pods might start to reach the fleet is also unclear at this point. In January this year, the Navy received its first Block II production representative articles — known as infrared optimized configuration (IROC) pods. That was a full 10 months later than had been anticipated as of last year.

A conceptual diagram of how the IRST21 sensor is mounted in the fuel tank for the Super Hornet. Lockheed Martin

Once the IROC pods became available, the Navy was able to begin developmental testing, to verify that the system’s design meets all technical specifications and that all contract requirements have been met. Developmental testing is the precursor to operational testing, in which the IRST pod will be evaluated in an operational environment, and procedures and tactics developed for its use.

Completion of developmental testing is reliant upon sufficient pods being delivered, but officials are confident this will be achieved, to enable the start of operational testing in two locations in April 2024. That major milestone, if met, will be 44 months later than planned under the previous schedule.

The delays related to the launch of full-rate production also make for sobering reading. Due to the production quality issues and delays in operational testing, the full-rate production decision has been pushed back by 33 months.

To mitigate that, and keep the production line running to some degree, a seventh low-rate initial production (LRIP) lot has been added, and it may also be followed by an eighth. In the process, the number of pods acquired under the LRIP could leap to 73 — around 43 percent of the total quantity planned. However, until production quality issues are ironed out, there’s little option other than to extend the LRIP phase. The production line needs to be kept active, but at the same time, it’s too risky to move straight into full-rate production if more design changes are needed.

A render of Block III Super Hornets equipped with IRSTs. Boeing

Other factors that have led to holdups in the program include “staffing challenges” at a critical software development contractor, and delays in the delivery of hardware, which has had a knock-on effect on software development. This meant that, by August 2022, less than half of the total software development effort had been completed. In October last year, six new software releases arrived, but, as the report warns, “significant development and testing of functionality, maintenance, and security features remains to be completed.”

However, with the delivery of the first IROC pods, the hardware issue is now considered resolved, at least until the operational testing phase.

Last year, delays with the IRST pod were already bad enough that the program was deemed to have breached its baseline schedule and a risk assessment was launched to help get it back on track.

The risk assessment led to the Navy approving a revised schedule in May 2022, which included delaying the start of operational testing by 36 months to August 2023. Of course, that has now slipped further still, until April 2024. Program officials have said there could be more delays on top of that, as well, depending on progress with software development and flight testing.

F/A-18F equipped with an IRST. Lockheed Martin

All these delays not only mean that the IRST’s long-awaited capabilities are yet to be fielded by the Navy but also push up program costs.

According to the GAO, the estimated procurement costs have risen by about 12 percent, with inflation and global supply chain disruptions also having an effect here.

Furthermore, the delays mean that the planned service life of the IRST pods has also taken a dramatic hit. Not only will they arrive far later than planned, but they will become surplus to requirements more quickly, once the Super Hornet’s successor has begun to be fielded, planned for the 2030s. The anticipated net result is a 44 percent decrease in the planned service life of the pods. While a reduced service life would also bring down operation and support costs, the saving is expected to be only 33 percent, since upfront costs for support equipment, training aids, and initial spare parts will still need to be covered.

An artist’s conception of a sixth-generation stealth combat jet for the U.S. Navy, as well as an advanced companion drone design. Boeing

The program office responsible for the IRST pod has meanwhile taken other actions to try and improve the situation. These include building in 45 days of schedule margin prior to operational testing and making more use of commercial aircraft to support testing.

Efforts have also been made to increase synergies between the Navy’s IRST pod and a similar pod ordered for the Air National Guard. In this way, the program office says it’s reduced unit cost between the fourth and seventh LRIP lots by 29 percent. It does, however, beg the question as to why this path wasn’t taken to start with.

Speaking to The War Zone back in 2020, Capt. Jason Denney, head of the Super Hornet and Growler program for the U.S. Navy, explained some of the differences between the Lockheed Marin IRST set-up used by the Navy and that for the Air Force:

“We haven’t done anything specifically, co-development-wise with the Air Force. There are certain [common] aspects of the IRST, what they’re developing and ours. So, with the hardware modifications, things like that, we’ve kept a lot of those common, and commonality helps us when it comes down to configuration management or being able to buy huge blocks of them. If we all had, say, the same circuit card, for example, then, hey, we combine the Air Force and the Navy buys and then we all get a better price for it. But other than that, we really haven’t done a whole lot of close coordination because their requirements and their implementation are very different than ours.”

Meanwhile, we are not aware of any significant issues encountered with the Air Force versions of the Lockheed Martin IRST, although this cannot be ruled out.

All in all, the slow progress made by the Navy’s IRST pod program is clearly a concern for the service. While the Navy may already be quietly at work on a sixth-generation successor to the Super Hornet, the fact remains that the fourth-generation jet remains the backbone of the carrier air wing and will continue to do so for years to come.

It’s also worth noting that even the contractor-operated adversary community is flying jets with IRST sensors, with Tactical Air Support announcing that it had completed initial flight testing of the Lockheed Martin-designed TacIRST, an integrated IRST sensor, on its F-5 Advanced Tiger aggressor jets late last year. While there is a capability gap between the staring-type, fixed-senor TacIRST, and the full-spec Navy system, if Lockheed Martin is able to work with Tactical Air Support to bring this capability to the threat-replication community, it begs the question of why things have been so much more difficult with the Navy.

A zoomed-in shot of an F-5AT flight testing the TacIRST. The forward-staring device can be seen directly in front of the cockpit windscreen. TacAir

Many potential real-world adversaries of the United States are already regularly flying with internal IRST systems, including most Russian-made high-end fighter jets, such as the Su-35 and Su-30 Flanker series, also operated by China.

A Russian Su-35S with its IRST sensor on the right side of its nose in front of the windscreen. Russian Ministry of Defense

Delays in giving the Super Hornet a type of sensor that has already been deployed on many other fourth-generation platforms (as well having been retrofitted on Air Force F-15Cs and F-16Cs) is a serious issue, especially as low-observable threats are only going to proliferate and electronic warfare capabilities become an even bigger concern than they are now.

Contact the author: [email protected]

[sketch-shepherd]

rambling some RWBY stuff

I said I needed a hiatus for a while because March has been a terrible month for me but I gotta get this off my chest. I’m gonna be talking stuff about RWBY ship discourse and a new direction I’m taking in regards to enjoying the show. 

I know I said I moved on from openly talking about RWBY ship discourse since like 2020 so I’m only gonna make an exception this once because the events of V9E6 are too big for me to ignore (spoiler warning I guess cuz the episode is still super new at the time I’m writing this)

So if you’re not interested in hearing me reflect on my fandom experience and where I’m currently docked in terms of my RWBY ships then don’t read the rest of the cut. 

Those who know me know that I really, really don’t like B/umbleby. Both in terms of actual writing because I find it forced with poor buildup and the toxic fanbase ruined any appeal the ship had for me literally since my early days of being in the fandom. So it should come to no surprise I’m not happy with it officially becoming canon in this episode

Though... frankly I normally wouldn’t have put much thought into how well B/umbleby is written or not because I generally just have low standards for ships in general (ffs I’ve gushed over ships from other shows that had like overall two minutes of buildup), but it’s mainly the toxic fans who really destroyed the appeal the ship had for me which is why I started to care about it way more than I should have. But I’m getting off topic, the point of this wasn’t to write an essay about my thoughts on B/umbleby. 

Likewise, those who know me also know I’ve always had a strong preference for its rival ship B/lacksun. Things are little complicated with that right now, but after some careful consideration I think I’m ready to dip out of the B/lacksun community too. 

Now, I’m not saying I no longer support B/lacksun, far from it. I still like B/S as a ship itself since I consider it way better written than B/B and it has more actual communication and chemistry. But frankly from my experience I just haven’t had any fun in the B/S community for a really long time. While not as bad as the toxic B/umbleby fanbase, I’ve dealt with too many B/S shippers being so outright toxic and overwhelmingly negative... I’m at the point where I’d rather just not contribute altogether. 

So yeah, being in the crossfire of both of these ships, dealing with stupid toxic fans/antis alike and giving myself more paranoia and anxiety than I asked for for five whole years straight really hasn’t done favors for my mental health. So at this point I just think my enjoyment of RWBY will be easier if between the two I just don’t add anything to either community. 

So what does this mean for me? Like I said, I definitely don’t hate B/lacksun as a ship itself. I might just ship it silently and maybe still include it in my AU’s or something. I’m just not gonna openly contribute to the B/lacksun community anymore

Sorry for anyone who’s liked my B/lacksun content back when I was really passionate about it in my earlier days of the fandom (if any of said people are somehow even reading this since I’ve disbanded from the fandom so much over the years).. but for anyone who cares I guess, you’re just gonna have to get used to me just straight up not engaging in B/lacksun publicly anymore. No longer drawing fanart (probably not even for a commission), liking/reblogging any posts related to the ship, writing about it, just overall making actual content. 

I still like the ship for what it is, but I’m not gonna openly invest in it anymore. Definitely not compared my other RWBY ships I casually talk about like R/osegarden, L/adybug, F/reezerburn, M/onochrome, etc... That’s basically what’s become of B/lacksun for me. B/umbleby on the other hand... yeah I still dislike it like I always have. 

Sigh... but I digress. This weekend has basically given me a reason to reset. Half a fucking decade is not a good period of time to worry so damn much about ship discourse to the point it came at the expense of the real reason I enjoy RWBY... which is the plot and characters. 

That’s all. THAT was the real reason I became drawn to RWBY when I first started watching it back in 2018. Not the stupid fucking shipping. Shipping was never going through my mind when I first bingewatched Volumes 1-5. Hell, my interest in shipping didn’t come until way later as like a second thought until I started looking at fan content more. 

And now that I’ve seen what worrying over shipping so much did for me for five years straight... I’m turning a new leaf. A “stop giving a fuck” leaf. My experience of loving RWBY in the past five years would have been so much different if I didn’t prioritize ship wars over everything. 

But, like I said. I’m undoing all that now. Going back to the mindset I had when I was new to the show before I learned of ship discourse and fandom drama. And I’m gonna see if it works for the rest of V9, as well as the rest of the show. 

This is also NOT an invitation to talk about ship discourse or r/wde shit in my dm’s (something I unfortunately HAVE to say based on past experiences of people taking my words as r/wde or criticism shit). I wrote this ramble as a means of explaining that I still truly love RWBY despite some of the narrative choices I don’t like and cutting the fandom drama out. 

To conclude in words of moistcr1tikal, that’s about it. See ya. 

#sketch text #rwby #ship discourse #<-- i hope this is the last fucking time I use this tag for this fandom

[xtruss]

As US Prepares to Unveil B-21 Stealth Bomber, Meet the World’s Other Strategic Bombers

B-52H Stratofortresses from the 2nd Bomb Wing line up on the runway at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Oct. 14, 2020. The B-52 is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions and has been the backbone of U.S. strategic bomber forces for more than 60 years. - Sputnik International, ©Senior Airman Tessa Corrick

— Fantine Gardinier | Sputnik International | December 2, 2022

The US Air Force is set to unveil the first of its forthcoming stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider, which is being built by military aerospace firm Northrop Grumman, on Friday evening after years of secretive development.

The new aircraft will become the US Air Force’s (USAF) newest strategic bomber, a class of heavy aircraft rarely seen in the world today. Just the United States, Russian Federation, and People’s Republic of China still operate such bombers, each of which has a unique story.

Northrop B-2 Spirit

B-2 Stealth Bomber. ©Photo : Northrop Grumman

The B-2 is the spiritual godfather of the B-21, also built by Northrop and bearing a very similar “flying wing” design. When the B-2 was unveiled to the world in 1988, it was the first stealth aircraft the public had ever seen and it shocked the world, which is why its nickname is simply “The Stealth Bomber.”

The Spirit’s stealthy design disperses or absorbs most radar waves that hit the aircraft, making it look like a small bird on enemy radar screens. Despite its sneaky ways, the Spirit packs a massive punch, able to carry 80 JDAM 500-pound laser-guided bombs or up to 16 B83 thermonuclear bombs before they were retired. It can also carry large cruise missiles in its internal bomb bay.

The B-2 project was controversial because it was top secret, was redesigned during development as a low-level terrain-following infiltration aircraft instead of as a high-altitude bomber, and became hard to justify after the Cold War ended in 1991. Just 21 were built, at a cost of $1 billion each.

Rockwell B-1B Lancer

B-1B Lancer. CC0/United States Air Force/Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III/B-1B Lancer

The B-1B or “Bone” (B-One) was built by Rockwell, now a part of Lockheed Martin, in the 1970s. While the Bone is an impressive, swing-wing bomber with stealthy characteristics and terrain-following technology, the initial plans for the aircraft were far grander.

The B-1A was envisioned as the nuclear bomber to end all bombers. It was to be big and ultra-fast, with a large bomb capacity, able to sprint past Soviet air defenses just above the treetops and deliver a nuclear bomb to a target that would never see it coming. It would be the spiritual successor to the Mach-2-capable B-58 Hustler nuclear bomber, and replace the bulky B-52 Stratofortress, too.

However, the Lancer project lived in the B-2’s shadow: US President Jimmy Carter canceled the B-1A project in 1977, officially because it was over-cost and seemed to be made obsolete after the West became aware of the Soviet Union’s ultra-advanced MiG-31 interceptor, but secretly it was because the Stealth Bomber program was showing promising developments. The program was later revived in 1981 after the B-2 encountered new delays, and the B-1B was reimagined as a less ambitious version of the B-1A. After the end of the Cold War, the B-1Bs were converted to carry conventional bombs, and they were used so extensively in a close air support role during the US war in Afghanistan that the fleet required extensive repair.

Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

Munitions on display show the full capabilities of the B-52 Stratofortress. ©US Air Force; Tech. Sgt. Robert J. Horstman

Affectionately known by its crews as the “Big Ugly Fat F**ker” (BUFF), the B-52 has been a mainstay of the US Air Force since the 1950s. This lumbering beast, with a 185-foot wingspan, can carry 70,000 pounds of weapons and has an 8,800-mile range without refueling.

It may look obsolete today, but when it first flew in 1952 its swept wings and turbojet engines were state-of-the-art. The bomber’s massive load capacity and huge fuel tanks enabled it to perform “loitering” patrols with nuclear bombs on the edge of Soviet airspace, ready to fly towards their targets at a moment’s notice. However, it has only ever dropped conventional bombs in anger.

In the 70 years since it first flew, the B-52 has seen almost every one of its systems upgraded and replaced, enabling it to keep up with 21st century aircraft and carry new weapons like cruise missiles, hypersonic missiles, and jamming pods.

The US Air Force expects to continue using the B-52 until the 2050s.

Tupolev Tu-95/Tu-142 “Bear”

A Russian Tu-95 Bear 'H' photographed from a RAF Typhoon Quick Reaction Alert aircraft (QRA) with 6 Squadron from RAF Leuchars in Scotland in April 2014 © Flickr/Defence Images

Perhaps no other aircraft epitomized the image of Soviet Air Forces during the Cold War like the Tu-95, which NATO assigned the reporting name “Bear.” However, Soviet air crews called it the “Mixer,” because of how violently the aircraft shook.

Introduced in 1956, the “Bear” was intended to threaten the US mainland with a nuclear strike in the same way US bombers were able to threaten the Soviet Union. Its debut shook the West, which pushed forward on a new generation of surface-to-air missiles, interceptors, and nuclear missiles to meet the challenge.

The Tu-95 has continued to serve in the Soviet, and now Russian air forces in the decades since. It has been extensively modified to serve in reconnaissance and maritime patrol, where it was designated as the Tu-142, and was even adapted into the Tu-116 passenger airliner. The aircraft was most recently used in the opening stages of the special operation in Ukraine.

When the Soviet Union was dissolved in December 1991, a number of Tu-95s and Tu-142s were inherited by the Ukrainian Air Forces, which later traded them to Russia as part of a gas deal, or dismantled the rest. The Indian Navy also operated several Tu-142s until retiring them in 2017.

It is the only turboprop-driven bomber still in service today. It is the loudest aircraft in existence, thanks to its double-propeller engines, which are so powerful their blades break the sound barrier.

Tupolev Tu-22M “Backfire”

Russian TU-22M3 Backfire bomber ©AFP 2022/Norwegian Air Force/HO

The Tu-22M (NATO reporting name “Backfire”) emerged from a redesign of the earlier Tu-22 (NATO reporting name “Blinder”), which suffered major design flaws making it difficult to operate and maintain. However, the Soviet Union needed a powerful, long-range, Mach-2-capable bomber capable of carrying the deadly Kh-22 anti-ship cruise missile - a major threat to American aircraft carriers. The new design was much more capable and featured variable geometry “swing wings.”

The name deceived Western observers, who only realized it was a new aircraft when it was unveiled to the public in Warsaw Pact war games in 1980. It was used extensively during the Soviet War in Afghanistan, and in the Chechen Wars by Russia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Ukraine also inherited several dozen Tu-22Ms, which were later scrapped under an agreement with the US aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons during the USSR’s dissolution. The aircraft remains in service with the Russian Air Force, and has been modified to carry hypersonic missiles.

Tupolev Tu-160 White Swan

Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bomber ©Sputnik / Aleksey Nikolskyi / Go to the mediabank

Like the US’ B-1B Lancer, the Tu-160 can be a “penetrator,” despite its immense size, and can sprint at twice the speed of sound while hugging the ground with a special terrain-following radar. However, its primary mission is serving as a massive platform for launching standoff weapons like cruise missiles and hypersonic weapons, and its internal bomb bays can be fitted to carry a rotary launcher for nuclear missiles.

Its NATO reporting name is “Blackjack,” following a simple formula used by the alliance, but is known affectionately as the “White Swan” in Russia, due to its elegant shape and color, which mimic the graceful water bird.

The Tu-160 is an aircraft of superlatives: it’s the largest, heaviest, and heaviest-lifting bomber aircraft ever put into service by any nation. Its Kuznetsov NK-32 afterburning turbofan engines are the most powerful ever built.

The graceful weapon entered service in 1987, and due to the financial difficulties of the late Soviet and early Russian Federation period, just 35 were built at first. Production was later resumed in recent years, with the first new bomber being delivered in early 2022.

Ukraine inherited 19 Tu-160s from the USSR, which it then tried to sell back to Russia. When Moscow refused the high price, Kiev scrapped several of the massive bombers, although it did decide to sell seven of them back in the early 2000s.

Xi’an H-6 “Badger”

In this Feb. 10, 2020, file photo and released by the Republic of China (ROC) Ministry of National Defense, a Taiwanese Air Force F-16 in foreground flies on the flank of a Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) H-6 bomber as it passes near Taiwan ©AP Photo / Republic of China (ROC) Ministry of National Defense

China’s strategic bomber, the H-6, began as a copy of the Soviet Tu-16 bomber from the late 1950s. However, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has keep the planes up-to-date with modern avionics, equipment, and weapons, and constructed several new designs for the bomber, including for maritime patrol and for carrying ballistic and hypersonic missiles.

NATO gave the Chinese H-6 the same reporting name as the Soviet Tu-16 - Badger - but the modernized version, the H-6K, is called the “God of War” by Chinese pilots. The H-6K can threaten American carrier fleets and bases across the region, being able to carry a wide variety of cruise, hypersonic, and nuclear missiles.

Xi’an H-20(?) & J/H-XX(?)

A teased image of China's forthcoming H-20 stealth bomber taken from a People's Liberation Army Air Force promotional video ©Sputnik Screenshot

A Chinese stealth bomber in known to be in development, which has been provisionally called the H-20, but little is known about the program. A PLA promotional video in January 2021 teased its future debut, suggesting a flying-wing design similar to the American B-2 and B-21 aircraft. It is seen as a potential replacement for the aging H-6.

Rumors have also swirled about a second stealth bomber in development in China, which has been provisionally dubbed the J/H-XX, but little is known about the aircraft.

[lizardtracks]

H. R. 1808 Weapons of War

7/26/22: The House of Representatives is currently preparing H. R. 1808 for a House vote. More specifically, the Democrats are rushing this bill through before the August recess. The bill’s stated purpose is to “ban assault rifles” so that we can “get weapons of war off our streets.” As a Second Amendment Democrat who votes here is one way of looking at this:

We can name the day in 1988 when the term “assault rifle” entered the American lexicon. It was coined by Josh Sugarmann, founder of the Violence Policy Center, and a gun control activist. His created that moniker to manipulate you. This is not hyperbole. He wrote:

“The [AR-15’s] menacing looks, coupled with the public's confusion over fully automatic machine guns versus semi-automatic assault weapons—anything that looks like a machine gun is assumed to be a machine gun—can only increase the chance of public support for restrictions on these weapons.”

Assault carries the idea of an attacker, of being evil or criminal. The gun, of course, is a neutral, inert, mechanical object. Left on a workbench it can neither assault nor defend. So Sugarmann is applying his image to the user. Sugarmann wants you to think of me as evil or criminal. Sugarmann wants you to think that no sane person ever uses a gun for defense, protection or resistance. What kind of maniac defends their loved ones, their home, their country or themselves with a weapon designed only to kill? Wouldn’t you rather let your family die first?

Of course, he can’t ban me. You. Us. So he must ban that inert mechanical object: the gun. Does his adjectival sleight-of-hand work? In a world of surfaces he succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. Reflect on the AR-15 image he has created in your mind. Now go check that image against its role in crime statistics collected by the FBI or the NSSF. The image and the data have few categories that align.

But you are unreliable. You push past surfaces. Half of the states in the country have embraced constitutional carry. More states are on the way. Millions of citizens became first time gun buyers in 2020, 2021, and on into 2022. And recent surveys of American’s opinions about the AR-15 shows that Sugarmann, despite 34 years of a constant drumbeat, has not garnered a notable majority. Even the Associated Press is no longer on board. Their stylebook has been updated to deprecate “assault rifle”—a political term—in favor of “semi-automatic rifle”—a functional description. So Sugarmann needs someone more reliably obtuse: Democratic congressmen.

This brings us to the photo above. The smaller bullet is from an AR-15. The larger bullet is from an actual weapon of war. In fact, that round arrived at my house in a military spam can from—as James McMurtry wrote—“some East Block nation that no longer needs ‘em”. Both kill. That’s what bullets do. And if you’re above average in math you can see which one has more killing power. But which bullet makes Biden’s ban? It’s not the bullet with more killing power. Why pick on the little one then? The short answer is because of Sugarmann’s adjectival sleight-of-hand. But even congressmen don’t want to look like sheep. So their ban fabricates three reasons. These are: 1) the extraordinary velocity of the .223 round; 2) the rate of fire of the AR-15 rifle; and 3) the magazine capacity of the AR-15 rifle.

Argument 1 is easily dispatched. The .223 round does not have extraordinary velocity. In terminal ballistics velocity is indicated as feet per second. Bullets leaving rifle barrels between 2800 and 3200 feet per second is ordinary, not extraordinary. The larger bullet above leaves a barrel at roughly 3000 feet per second. The same velocity as the small bullet. (So in the formula f=ma the big bullet has just as much “a” but far more “m.”)

Argument 2, in terms of a weapons ban, is pure canard. The goal here is to make you confuse the United States military’s M16 with an AR-15. The AR-15 is a civilian weapon. It is prevented by the National Firearms Act of 1934 from firing like an M16. Josh Sugarmann knows this. He knows it fires only one round with each trigger pull. Just like any semi-automatic pistol, rifle or shotgun. Just like your double-action revolver. None of these can fire faster than you can pull the trigger. Yes, the AR-15 looks like it can fire faster. But it simply doesn’t have the firing rate of an M16.

Argument 3, magazine capacity. The basic idea is that if an AR-15 magazine holds 30 rounds that is too many. Too much killing power. So the authors of H. R. 1808 pulled a number out of their collective ass. Ten. Back when I knew nothing about guns, fear and ignorance strolled around in my head hand-in-hand. So I am not sure which emotion the “killing power” of the 30-round magazine plays to. Maybe it doesn’t matter. Do you really believe that a mass shooter is a gentleman gunner who will show up with a 10-round magazine to avoid violating the law? Best case scenario would be that he hadn’t thought to duct tape two 10-round magazines heel-to-heel. More likely he will just have illegal 30-round magazines. But under Biden’s ban do you know who won’t have 30-round magazines? You. A law-abiding citizen.

Trained shooters—like policemen—routinely debunk this number, this ten round limit. They don’t set out to. They simply fail, often enough, to make anatomically significant hits within ten rounds. If trained LEO’s can’t get it done in ten, will you? Jerrold Nadler and David Cicilline know the truth. A ten round limit is their way of disarming you. It is their way of handing victory to better armed criminals.

And that’s the part most difficult to fathom. Weapons bans don’t disarm criminals. Mexico has very strict statutes for gun control. Last I checked it has one gun store in the entire country. The background check takes months. Yet, their murder rate is three times that of the United States. Why? Because it has sunk into a narco state. The cartels can afford any weapons they want. And not just guns. The cartels don’t shop at that one gun store. Or wait for the background check.

Why does Sugarmann want this for our country? Why does he want guns only for criminals. Why does he want the criminals in control? Why does he want the chances of you being murdered to triple? Because he wants a handgun ban at any cost. This semi-automatic rifle ban is just the trap door—icing on the cake. Getting that makes getting a handgun ban far easier. He is determined to get your pistol. Read his book Every Handgun Is Aimed At You. Then take a look at what he did in Connecticut.

If a narco state, or tyranny, lies at the end of his myopic, quixotic goal, he is willing to let you pay that price. And why do Jerrold Nadler and David Cicilline want a Mexican-style narco state? They don’t. They’re not monsters. They’re just stupid. They want political brownie points for mid-term re-election. It’s all about ambition. So when Sugarmann and the Democrats criminalize your means to be safe in your own home, then, you, my friend, are merely the collateral damage of their ambition.

#second amendment #democracy #biden administration #congress #stupidity

[missfortune-xyz]

why i can't wear ballet flats.

If you had told my 15-year-old self that ballet flats would return in the early 2020s, I don’t think I would have believed you. I adored the Valentino Tango pumps and had tried styling ballet flats with my school uniform on multiple occasions throughout my secondary school career (ah, the 2010s), unfortunately to no avail. In my mind, the ballet flat was too ill-fitting for me , and was an item that only my mum (or maybe Alexa Chung) could wear and actually look good in.

Skip to 2022, and as a shock twist (although is it really a shock?) the ballet flat is back. Or should I say the ballet pump? The 2022 revival of this classic item expands to formats outside of the flat slip-on that we’re all familiar with – heels, tabis, flatforms, and even sporty styles have hit the market and have skyrocketed the shoe back to its former status.

A very valid argument could be made that the ballet flat never really went out of style, that the ballet flat is simply a classic item that’s wearable regardless of the current it-style. I’m inclined to agree, but we can all see that the trend cycle was not particularly kind to this shoe over the past 5 years.

So why is the ballet shoe back? To no one’s surprise, TikTok currently dominates the trend cycle. Catalysed by the F/W 2022 Miu Miu collection, as well as other brands such as Simone Rocha and Molly Goddard, an updated version of hyperfeminine clothing aesthetics are at the forefront of the modern trend cycle.

I can’t say that I don’t love this trend. Personally, I’m a big fan of rounded toe shoes as opposed to the square and pointy styles that have been popular in recent years. Moreover, I believe that this reincarnation of the ballet shoe brings variations to the shoe that, at least in my mind, were sorely needed. As I mentioned briefly earlier in this post, I grew up seeing my mum reach for a classic ballet shoe (mostly in a patent black, or a funky leopard print) for easy casualwear, and whilst I also tried wearing this style myself, it never really stuck.

The return of the ballet shoe begged me to think – why did this not work for me?

The classic ballet flats, in my opinion, hold two major issues:

The silhouette that the ballet flat creates, whilst simple, can often feel unbalanced.

They’re deeply uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time.

I am a flatform shoe enjoyer, and so the minimal silhouette of the ballet shoe brings an unsettling lack of balance when used in tandem with the rest of my clothing. For some, the original silhouette works harmoniously with the rest of their look – think the ‘French Girl’ style, for example. For those of us with a clumsier disposition, or need more support in a shoe, the ballet flat may also seem impractical to wear on a daily basis. Thus, a classic ballet shoe just does not fit with the rest of my wardrobe or my lifestyle, and there is no purpose in investing in a trend that simply does not suit.

I don't think these feeling is uncommon. The resurfacing of the ballet shoe has not been without its scepticism.

Having said all of this, I still, like many others, enjoy the aesthetics and vibe of the ballet shoe, and this design revival brings the perfect opportunity to finish what my younger self started. As much as the styles put out by Miu Miu and Simone Rocha are something out of a dream, I’m a university student and at ~£600+ there’s simply no room in my life for that price point right now unless anyone wants to sponsor me ;) . I’ve tried similar silhouettes through the ‘A Warrior’s Heart’ style by KOI footwear, but found that the material simply did not withstand my constant lack of physical coordination and scuffed far too quickly.

Even amongst the heeled variety, Nodaleto and Carel’s mary janes still sit outside of my price bracket. It felt as if this revival, despite all its improvements and positives, still remained inaccessible to me. The lower price point provided styles that would not work aesthetically or practically in the long-term, and the higher price point would not work financially. Even second-hand sales proved too expensive. For a while, it felt as if I would have to sit this one out, despite evaluating that the right shoe would be able to remain in my closet rotation beyond its trend time.

Now, I want to make it clear that I will not be providing a list of potential buys. It’s important to me that I’m avoiding the endorsement of unnecessary purchase, and so instead of showing my ‘buy list’, I’ll be walking you through the process I undertook to complete my mission. As a 19-year-old in the process of transitioning from the wardrobe of my 'teenage self' to my 'young adult self', it’s important to me that I buy items that will fit in my wardrobe long term as opposed to trend items. For this very same reason, I’ll be avoiding fast fashion shops when selecting a shoe, as my aim is to find something more timeless that will last longer (plus, it’s better for the environment). I don’t buy shoes very often, so I’m more focused on investing in pieces that will last longer as much as I am able to afford to do so.

As the overcomplicater I am, I decided to formulate a 3 stage plan to find the perfect addition to my shoe collection.

the plan:

Step 1 – Trial

I’ve mentioned my mum prior in this article and how growing up I saw her wear ballet flats often. My first port of call was to message her and see if she has a pair she no longer uses. I wanted to affirm that the traditional version of the style was not right for me, and as opposed to buying it, it would be much better to borrow and try it out first.

I was in luck. (it’s a good thing we’re the same size)

Step 2 – Analysis

At the end of my trial, I decided to take a step back and analyse what aspects of the shoe worked, and what didn’t. I compared the flats I borrowed, to any shoes I previously owned that share similar characteristics, as well as my ideal styles to identify what I liked and what I didn’t. From there, I could formulate exactly what I’m looking for.

Step 3 – The Hunt.

Now, in all honesty, this step is what I want to focus on the least. I could give a list of my ‘top 50 ballet shoe variants’, but that’s contrary to what I actually want to do with this post. My intent here is not to provide product placement or outright promote overconsumption, but rather to offer commiseration and problem-solving to those of you who may be in the same boat as I am. To those of you who aren’t, I hope this provided a little entertainment at least.

For anyone who does want to know about the shoes I ended up choosing – I spent a lot of time scrolling through WConcept and eventually found a cute pair that fit the criteria (and my budget) well. I’ll be putting aside some money from Christmas and my next payday so that hopefully I’ll be able to buy in time for the new year.

If anyone wants an update once I've got them - let me know!

resolution:

As of the moment, I haven't managed to order the shoes. I'm pretty broke, so for now they'll stay at the top of my bookmarks list for another time. It's not entirely a negative thing though.

It's pretty cold in the UK right now, so I'm mostly sticking to warmer boots that I can layer thick socks under to keep warm - it's not like these shoes are going to help keep me warm. Waiting thus means that I'll get a cute new shoe just in time for the spring which, in my opinion, is perfect timing considering the style and aesthetic of the shoes anyway.

All in all, I'm not too bothered by waiting. It's not exactly as if I have a choice, and this process was an exercise in informed buying as much as it was a chance to find the perfect shoes.

In that case, this was a job well done.

#fashion #balletcore #ballet flats #cute shoes #shoes #ballet fashion #style #fashion writing #fashion writer #fashion blog #fashion blogging #styleblogger #fashion journal #fashion journalism #blog #blogging #fashion style #fashion student #ballet sleaze #xyzwrites #missfortunexyz #london college of fashion

[yourreddancer]

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

June 6, 2022 (Monday)

Today the Justice Department filed a superseding indictment charging Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio and four colleagues with up to ten criminal counts, including seditious conspiracy and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, in relation to the January 6 insurrection. Sedition is the crime of inciting a revolt against the government, and conspiracy means there was an organized group of people with a plan. 

A grand jury indicted Tarrio and Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola, all of whom had already been charged with crimes; this filing adds to those charges. The indictment says that the five men “did knowingly conspire, confederate, and agree, with other persons known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to oppose by force the authority of the Government of the United States and by force to prevent, hinder, and delay the execution of any law of the United States…. The purpose of the conspiracy was to oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power by force.”

Wow. 

The DOJ is acknowledging that the insurrectionists were trying to overthrow the government. As retired Harvard law professor Lawrence Tribe tweeted, “Seditious conspiracy is huge. No more serious federal crime short of treason.” 

( They SHOULD HAVE been tried for treason!!  Every last one of them,  right up to the Combover Caligula!!!!)

The indictment alleges these Proud Boys members used their social media platform as leaders of the gang to stir up anger about the election. “It’s time for f**king War if they steal this s**t,” Biggs wrote, referring to the presidential election. Nordean posted on social media: “We tried playing nice and by the rules, now you will deal with the monster you created. The spirit of 1776 has resurfaced and has created groups like the Proudboys and we will not be extinguished. We will grow like the flame that fuels us and spread like love that guides us. We are unstoppable, unrelenting and now…unforgiving. Good luck to all you traitors of this country we so deeply love…you’re going to need it.” Rehl posted: “Hopefully the firing squads are for the traitors that are trying to steal the election from the American people.”

  They urged others to join the insurrection, raised money for their trip to Washington, D.C., bought paramilitary equipment, met secretly and used encrypted communications, hid their gang colors to appear incognito, led the crowd to the Capitol, stormed the barricades, destroyed property, and assaulted law enforcement officers, all to prevent Joe Biden from becoming president.  

This indictment mirrors that of January 13, 2022, when the Department of Justice indicted the leader of the Oath Keepers, Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, and 10 other members of the group, a far-right antigovernment militia that specializes in recruiting veterans, for a number of crimes including seditious conspiracy in relation to the January 6 insurrection. 

Today’s indictment says that Tarrio and his gang coordinated with the Oath Keepers. But there are pretty broad hints here that they coordinated with others, too. There is still hanging out there that at the presidential debate on September 29, 2020, about a month before the election, Trump told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.” Then, on December 12, 2020, Tarrio published on the right-wing social media site Parler a photo of himself at the White House, saying that he had received a “last minute invite to an undisclosed location.” White House spokesperson Judd Deere later said: “He did not have a meeting with the president, nor did the White House invite him.”

But the Tarrio indictments have always indicated there was something big afoot, and now that seditious conspiracy charges are on the table, they are worth revisiting. Both an earlier indictment and this one have this paragraph: “Between December 30 and December 31, 2020, TARRIO communicated multiple times with an individual whose identity is known to the grand jury. On December 30, 2020, this individual sent Tarrio a nine-page document titled, ‘1776 Returns.’ 

The document set forth a plan to occupy a few ‘crucial buildings’ in Washington, D.C., on January 6, including House and Senate office buildings around the Capitol, with as ‘many people as possible’ to ‘show our politicians We the People are in charge.’ After sending the document, the individual stated, ‘The revolution is [more] important than anything.’ TARRIO responded, ‘That’s what every waking moment consists of…I’m not playing games.’”

There is also this: As these five Proud Boys were near an entrance to the Capitol, “[s]econds before 12:53 p.m [on January 6], BIGGS was approached by an individual whose identity is known to the grand jury. The individual put one arm around BIGGS’s shoulder and spoke to him. Approximately one minute later, this individual crossed the barrier that restricted access to the Capitol grounds. This was the first barrier protecting the Capitol grounds to be breached on January 6, 2021, and the point of entry” for the Proud Boys.

Both the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers storming the Capitol appeared to fancy themselves as heroic revolutionaries defending America. Clearly egged on by someone talking about “revolution,” they took up a great deal of space in social media and on private chats thumping their chests about “revolution” and “1776.” Charles Donohoe, who was not charged here because he is cooperating with the Department of Justice, wrote that Washington, D.C., officials were limiting access to the city “so that they can deny Trump has the People’s support. We can’t let them succeed. This government is run FOR the People, BY the People…. Congress needs a reintroduction to that fact.” 

The Proud Boys—and the Oath Keepers, too—also talked about civil war. When president-elect Biden called for unity after he won the election, Tarrio posted a message on social media saying: “F**k Unity. No quarter. Raise the black flag.” On November 25, 2020, when Biden said, “We need to remember: We’re at war with a virus—not with each other,” Tarrio reposted the statement and added, “No, YOU need to remember the American people are at war with YOU. No Trump…No peace. No quarter.” 

And January 20, the day of Biden’s inauguration, one Oath Keeper messaged another: “After this…if nothing happens…its [sic] war…Civil War 2.0.”For all their heroic talk, these men were not the good guys. They were plotting “to oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power by force.” That is, this ragtag crew plotted to take away from the majority of Americans their right, one of the four rights our Founders called “unalienable,” to consent to the government under which we live. That freedom to choose our own leaders was what 1776 meant, not the imposition of the will of a tyrannical minority on the rest of us.

Seventy-eight years ago today, on June 6, 1944, Americans and their leaders stood not for but against those determined to replace democratic government with tyranny. One hundred and fifty-six thousand U.S. and Allied troops and 195,000 sailors and at least 23,000 airmen with 5000 ships and 11,000 planes stormed five beaches along a heavily fortified five-mile stretch in the Normandy region of France to defend the concept of democracy against the tyranny of fascism. The assault was known as Operation Overlord and more popularly known as D-Day. 

The day before, knowing that many of the men would not survive the assault, General Dwight Eisenhower reminded the men that they were fighting for the right of individuals to determine their own futures. “The eyes of the world are upon you,” he wrote. “The hope and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.”“Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely. But this is the year 1944!... The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory!”

[90363462]

The Tale of Kanye West, From Dropout to Letdown

The story has gotten so far that not even fashion can save him now.

Original photo by Ron Sachs/Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images. (Digital COMPOSITE BY SARA DELGADO)

In this op-ed, writer Shelton Boyd-Griffith examines how Kanye West’s recent behavior has affected his influence in fashion and beyond.

How did we go from this, “We shine because they hate us, floss ‘cause they degrade us/ We tryna buy back our 40 acres.”

And this, “I say f— the police, that’s how I treat ‘em/ We buy our way out of jail, but we can’t buy freedom.”

To this: “EVERYONE KNOWS THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER WAS A SCAM, NOW IT’S OVER, YOU’RE WELCOME.”

And then this: [questioning the cause of George Floyd’s death] “They hit him with the fentanyl. If you look, the guy’s knee wasn’t even on his neck like that.”

It’s the tale of Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, from a radical artist of the people to a mouthpiece of anti-Blackness.

When I originally started this essay, the thesis centered around Ye and his recent problematic antics within the fashion industry. I wrote that, if we’re being honest, Ye feels safe and at home in fashion because, systematically, fashion has always been a safe space for anti-Blackness, misogyny, fatphobia, and all-around bigotry. More often than not, the industry has bought into the same tropes and ideologies he believes in. Brand and corporate accountability have become especially important in recent years, a welcome sign of progress — particularly after the 2020 racial justice protests — though it doesn’t always last. In my view, the success of the demand for accountability has been hit or miss.

Things may be finally taking a turn, as storied fashion house Balenciaga has said they are severing all ties with Ye, as reported in WWD on Friday. In response to a query from WWD, the parent company Kering said, “Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist.”

Of course, while this is big, Ye’s antics have ballooned beyond the fashion industry recently and, well, I have some thoughts about that too.

As for those shirts from Paris Fashion Week, this kind of anti-Black trolling is relatively standard for Ye. He is addicted to attention, and the folx of the internet and the fashion industry, in particular, kept fueling him up to that point. I personally believe he’s so incredibly focused on distancing himself from the notion of average Blackness that it does not matter with whom (45) or what (white supremacy) he associates himself with. He loves to exist within the “other” space. Somehow he’s convinced himself that he’s not like the rest of us [Black people] because he is supposedly somehow “enlightened.”

It’s apparent that Ye feels safe in right-wing-adjacent spaces, which is why it was unsurprising when he appeared on Fox’s Tucker Carlson Tonight, a platform known for its controversial takes on matters around raceand misogynistic rhetoric. Ye likely felt comfortable that Carlson and his fan base would provide a haven for him to spiral out, spewing his harmful ideologies and soundbites. “We’ve rarely heard a man speak so honestly and so movingly about what he believes,” Carlson said as an introduction to the interview (?—if you can call it that). It’s likely that a viewer would see Ye’s appearance on the show as a green light for the anti-Blackness Carlson regularly churns out.

During that self-administered interview (because Ye basically spoke to himself), the rapper continued to double down, offering up even more stomach-turning hot takes. From continuing to let the masses know that Trump was his “boy” (even with the current legal, moral, ethical, and antidemocratic storm surrounding 45, Ye still doesn’t show any desire to distance himself), to weaponizing religion and going on a fatphobic tirade.

“The media wants to put out a perception that being overweight is the new goal,” he says, using Lizzo (yet another Black woman) as a target for his internalized self-hate. He then went on to say that being overweight was neither in fashion nor in vogue, and — here’s the kicker — that promoting body positivity is “demonic.” As a Black fat body in the fashion space, I know this conversation all too well, but him weaponizing religion in this way takes on a whole other meaning. It’s dangerous. But at this point, that’s his intent. He seems to want to use shock and awe and weaponize his ideologies, which contradict the inclusive steps the fashion, media, and culture spaces must continue to take.

Following his Tucker Carlson performance, Ye took to his platform (social media), going on a series of antisemitic rants based on historically dangerous tropes, which resulted in him being locked out of Twitter and Instagram. Adidas recently announced that its Yeezy partnership was “under review,” and JPMorgan Chase also severed its relationship with the rapper weeks before his most recent tirades, according to The Daily Beast. We need more of this. More action.

He continued his press run, this time on Revolt TV’s podcast Drink Champs, dishing out several antisemitic comments (again) and disparaging falsehoods about the death of George Floyd. After the show aired, and Ye’s disgusting comments reached the masses, the family of Floyd stated their intent to potentially pursue legal action against the rapper. N.O.R.E., the cohost of Drink Champs,has expressed “regret over allowing Kanye West to make controversial comments during the podcast,” and Revolt has removed the episode from streaming platforms. Though there are questions around why the episode even aired in the first place (and why Ye was left unchecked about his tasteless comments in real time), I want to reiterate that this should be the end result. There should be repercussions for his rhetoric.

If, after seeing those shirts and after witnessing him double down on his anti-Black, antisemitic hate speech, you still choose to support Ye, you are making a bold statement. As a former fan, I’ve gone through the full scope of trying to dissociate the art from the artist, making excuses/creating dissertations about his actions, etcetera, but to loosely paraphrase The Devil Wears Prada, Ye sold his soul to the devil when he put on his first MAGA hat. From then on, it was clear that this was a deeply troubled man with some internal issues with his identity. I believe it’s the same space in which Black right-wing extremists (like his co-conspirator Candace Owens) thrive.

It’s dangerous to associate his ideology with mental illness. He’s no messiah. He’s not a genius. He’s an insecure man plagued with internalized self-hate who has reached a certain station in life that he feels somehow excuses him from the realities of being a “typical” Black person.

It hurts to see the complete lack of regard for Mike Brown, Manuel Ellis, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Philando Castile, and the countless Black lives that systemic racism and oppression have taken from us. And what’s even more painful is that he doesn’t care. In the past, he used his platform to shine a light on the issues and injustices disproportionately affecting Black people,and now he’s willingly a mouthpiece for the very things he used to rap about. It was even announced this week that he was in talks to buy the controversial conservative platform Parler (which is quite interesting, considering Ye’s friend Candace Owens’s husband, George Farmer, is the CEO). This is who he is now. He’s all in.

I want us collectively to let him and others like him exist in their own orbit and not feel the need to engage continuously. That’s what men like him want. It’s like his life force counts on the engagement, the clicks. As we push for more inclusive, safe-affirming spaces, there’s no room for this behavior. After weeks of watching him spiral, my message is this: Let’s all agree to leave him (along with other problematic voices in the industry) to his own devices, in his own orbit, and shift our focus instead to creatives using their practices and platforms to effect change, fashion brands that represent the world we aim to see, and issues that matter.

Way to self destruct your own career. Shutting up is free for a reason