#Will Reagan find something more important than work?

[swimmingcreatortyrant]

#cringe #save inside job #inside job #inside job 2 #shadow board #reagen ridley #reagan inside job #I have so many questions left #who is Orrin? #who is the Shadow Board? #what will be the future of Cognito? #will Ron show up again? #how will JR and Rand get out of Shadow Prison X? #Will Reagan find something more important than work? #what is the Death Arena? #where is Robo-Reagan? #will AB be fixed?? #and glenn's backstory please #and Gigi's backstory!! #who will answer me? #maybe shitty netflix? #спасите :((( #artist on tumblr #не с этого я хотела год начинать конечно

[howtobecomeadragon]

A ton of credit for this post goes to @dinitride-art, who pointed out Mike's discomfort being at Suzie's house in Part 13 of their lighting analysis, I hadn't picked up on that previously at all. I wanted to expand on that a little, focusing more on just Mike (not Will as we've seen him accept himself and his sexuality a lot more and as such there's just not as much here to analyze with Will) instead of the lighting, but all props go to @dinitride-art!!! Check out their lighting analysis, it's been blowing my mind!

So we've all talked about how Mike's parents being Reagan supporters definitely could have impacted Mike's internalized homophobia. But as far as I remember, there aren't any religious symbols in the Wheeler house and religion hasn't played a part in the show much before.

Suzie being Mormon played a role in s3, as an explanation for why Dustin and Suzie needed to keep in touch via radio instead of via the phone. But in s4, we see Suzie's household being a field of landmines for Mike's internalized homophobia. That lens kind of puts into context this ridiculous sideplot that felt on the first watch through like a bit of a time suck: it showed Mike's discomfort and fear of being himself.

Walking up to the house, Jonathon warns them that they need to "be on their best behavior, with Mike pointing out "they're just really religious." This is played for laughs with respect to Argyle, but that line is there to highlight something else: internalized homophobia that makes Mike hesitant to admit his feelings towards Will. Argyle says he's super spiritual, and Mike says "I think they're spiritual too, just in a different way." With the implication being that while Argyle's spirituality is free and connected with nature, Suzie's family may be more likely to judge them... maybe just Argyle and so he shouldn't talk about smoking in front of them, but it's more than that, and Mike knows that. We'll come back to these lines later.

We see in the sequence before they find Suzie that there's a ton of imagery that, pre-vol2, a lot of people theorized were death clues towards Mike's, but seeing that he remained physically unharmed in vol2, I'm guessing that this imagery instead was meant to imply how unsafe Mike feels in this house. He is gay and struggling with feelings towards Will, and doesn't want to be found out and condemned by this super religious family. @dinitride-art mentioned that entering the house, Will is on Mike's LEFT side, with Mike's heart pocket facing away from Will, which rarely happens this season. Mike is trying to appear more straight.

Back to the house being dangerous for Mike: he's hit in the head with a fake arrow, a girl drops in front of Mike, choking and bleeding from the neck (a reminder for Mike that he needs save El quickly, as well as imagery similar to El later on being choked by the vines, and this foreshadowing in this house while he's trying to appear straight also foreshadows that Mike's love confession doesn't work because it's not genuine, he can't save everyone with a lie), the knife chopping quickly with Mike emerging from the background, and then more subtly, the discomfort associated with being expected to be in love with El, reflected in Mike's annoyance at Argyle and Eden flirting: "falling in love at first sight" with a girl.

After that scene, we skip to other characters but it's important to note that directly preceding returning to Suzie's, we are once again shown religion being used against our characters: Jason basically preaches to the town about why they need to hunt the Hellfire club down because they're Satanic worshippers and murderers. Just an interesting parallel: they're really hammering home that religion is dangerous for our characters right now. These scenes are one after another to show that parallel: it's not just happening back in Hawkins, it's in Salt Lake City too.

In the next scene, we see Eden interrupt and mock Suzie's scolding about her language, saying "what, am I going to burn in hell now?" and then we see Mike looking after her, looking... on edge and holding himself stiffly. Eden's words are a reminder of punishments for sinning, including being gay. A forcible reminder that they're in a very religious house, to Mike and the audience. We then see him glancing back at Will right after that as Will speaks up to continue the conversation. Will helps him stay on track with what they need when he's distracted and Will's also there as someone to help Mike as he feels anxious in this house.

But when Suzie talks about how her dad took her computer, there's a big focus on her dating the wrong person, an Agnostic(!), and her father's anger towards her and punishment. When we cut back to our group, Mike is hanging his head, likely reflecting on how that punishment could apply to him as well, but soon after, he looks back to Will again. Just looking at Will provides comfort, maybe helps Mike feel like he's not a mistake??

Moving onto the next segment, we see Mike pressed against the wall before sneaking into Suzie's father's study, and Mike is the main focus of this shot. All the other characters hiding here are basically hidden in shadows, but we see Mike's face: he's afraid of Suzie's dad for more reasons than just the obvious.

Once inside, we see Mike censor himself from saying "holy shit," changing it to "holy heck." Going back to the opening lines at this house, Mike suggested that Argyle is the one that would have to change his behavior around Suzie's family, but no. We see Argyle act completely genuine with no suppression of how he always acts and he does perfectly okay inside the house. Mike, on the other hand, has to suppress his language, but what else? We see Mike shifting away from Will when he gets close. This is possibly the first and only time Mike moves away from Will like that in the entire show?? It would make sense that he would do this here, in the office of a man that gets angry at a kid for dating the wrong person according to his religion, with a religious painting right behind their heads.

Running down the stairs, as mentioned by @dinitride-art, Mike pushes himself as far away from Suzie's father as possible. Will on the other hand, looks him right in the face, going back to the idea that Will feels more comfortable with his sexuality now in the face of people that might disagree with it.

And then we see Will putting his hand on Mike's back, almost to comfort him, as if he knows Mike felt uncomfortable in that house.

In conclusion, being in Suzie's house with her big Mormon family was Mike's big "when you're different you feel like a mistake" moment, but he looked to Will for comfort, and Will provided it, making Mike feel like he's not a mistake at all.

#byler #mike wheeler #will byers #mike wheeler is gay #suzie's house

[unknowntoyou2205]

Scared for my life (Halstead x sister)                Jay had always been upfront to his sister about what he did when she became the age to understand the risks it took. But he never dreamed that one of his previous encounters would take his sister, the one person more important to him than his life.

Never threaten the Shelby sister                Tommy Shelby never believed y/n when she said a guy had threatened her life for something her brother did, but he soon realizes the truth when it becomes too late.

Fear turns to confession (Jay Halstead x reader)                Jay Halsteads friend in the army comes home, but feelings arise when she joins intellagence. Requested by @maybankangel

Phone call of terror (Will Halstead x reader)              While Will finishes work for the day, y/n calls him to organise plans for dinner, but during that call a bang is heard and caous soon follows.    Requested by @megafandomsxassemble

Train of fear (Gideon x daughter reader)                Gideon had raised his daughter on his own since her mother left  them, and from that she became one of the best FBI officers out there. But sometimes with the FBI comes risk, and while taking the train to work with Elle, things take an unexpected turn.

Birthday cake (Hotch x daughter reader) – song dylan conrique              It’s her moms first birthday since her death, and y/n can’t help but feel sad as she remembers the fond memories together.

Better than he ever could (Sky x reader) Y/n reveals to Sky that she is pregnant, and Sky swears he'll be a better Father than his own was. Requested by @cruesfavgirl

Tags: @dark-academia-slut @lyria-skyfall @mxacegrey @sassyqueen15 @loverofthings2425

Social media: Birthday girl (Marvel cast x platonic reader)              Y/n has been a part of the marvel cast since she was 4, and the cast can’t help but shower her with love and affection as she turns 15.

Set fire to the rain (Severide x Hermann daughter) Y/n and Severide have been married for 4 years, now trying for a baby they struggle, and fear they may never have their own child

Secrets can't always be kept to yourself (BAU x teen reader) 17 year old joins the FBI on an internship, and is holding a secret. But working with the BAU crew means nothing stays secret for long, but will they find out before it becomes too late.

Also continuing: I just want my dad (Silva x daughter)

In which the inevitable becomes reality (Reagan family x daughter)

#Fate the winx saga #One chicago #Chicago fire #Chicage pd #Chicago med #Halstead brothers #Marvel cast #Blue bloods #criminal minds #peaky blinders #shelby sister #kelly severide x wife #sky x reader #silva x daughter #will halstead x reader #jay halstead x reader #hotch x daughter #Gideon x daughter

[centauryscrubs]

ok so, there’s a LOT of reasons why inside job is one of my favourite gone-too-soon tv shows ever (fuck you netflix) and i could probably list them all and talk about them extensively (and i might in a future post!) but the couple that really did it for me were:

1. that they didn’t make reagan and brett a couple. this is SO important to me. the trope of “hetero friends to lovers” is overdone to the point of society expecting it/finding it weird when it’s not there. the fact that brett and reagan are just… literally best friends is so much sweeter than them being a couple. for me, at least. it just wouldn’t really suit them either, y’know? brett (imo) is more focused on strengthening PLATONIC bonds, because having friends isn’t something he really had as a child. and that’s the same for reagan! (plus she had ron. and EVEN THOUGH BRETT DIDNT REALLY LIKE HIM AT FIRST, HE STILL ACCEPTED AND RESPECTED THEIR RELATIONSHIP!! AND DIDNT BREAK IT UP!! in fact HE tried to change HIMSELF so that he’d like ron!!! if that’s not some serious ride or die friendship between brett and reagan idk what is! it’s not like brett was ever a third wheel when ron came along either!!)

connected to 1. — tamiko’s relationship/s is/are a perfect example of when het interactions can go well, regardless of if there are romantic feelings or not. with rand, it resulted in divorce BUT they did have fleeting romantic moments which were sweet, as well as some generally funny scenes together! the “date” with alpha-beta ended up in him learning how to love, despite tamiko being disgusted by his appearance/robotic physicality. i’ll admit i don’t even like ron x reagan that much, but their relationship worked too; the slight rivals to lovers trope was established well and it was very healthy for both of them!

2. that Miss Shion wasn’t afraid to show two men kissing. even if it was an accidental kiss. but also just bromances and homoeroticism in general. andre and myc being besties AND being in an orgy together??? amazing, andre getting mushroom herpes was worth it. rand and hannibal lecter lookalike being made to kiss, and then the latter going “UNLESS…?”??? so funny and much more entertaining than if it didn’t happen at all.

connected to 2. — they didn’t make characters’ sexuality their whole personality!! even the queer one/s!!! andre being described as “alwayssexual” was a funny, fleeting comedy moment and that was all! (i’m also counting the questionable quips like brett going “take your clothes off!!” at ron and ron asking reagan if she told everyone about his dingdong. btw brett is bicurious he told me)

in conclusion: canon queer characters are cool and het relationships (both romantic and platonic) CAN be portrayed very well, if done right!

#inside job #inside job spoilers #reagan ridley #brett hand #ron staedtler #dr andre lee #andre lee #magic myc #myc cellium #alpha beta #robotus #rand ridley #tamiko ridley #dietrich kluge #i have much more to say about this show generally #and certain characters #let me rant about andre #and alpha beta #and maybe brett #rant

[qqueenofhades]

I think it’s also important to admit that yeah, there might be “free loaders.” Yes, some chronically disabled people who currently force themselves to work despite pain will stop. Yes, some people who are mentally ill may quit their job to focus on healing. Some people who are burnt out may take a gap year (or five!) to find themselves and grow spiritually. And that's OK. Because people don’t have to generate capital to be worthy of life.

Can we also admit that there is inherently racially charged language in the statement “welfare queens,” specifically referring to Black women? Nevermind the racist laws like Jim Crow and segregation that kept most Black Americans in the lower class. Nevermind the fact that middle and upper class Black people who fell through the gaps of systemic racism frequently had their communities (and any generational wealth) destroyed during race riots (like Tulsa). They’re clearly ALL freeloaders.

I mean, yeah. That is exactly what I was saying: some people can't work, some people force themselves to work in terrible jobs because if they don't then they'll starve, some people want to create art or music or other things that make life worth living, and can't do it because they're obliged to work said terrible jobs. The fact is that there are some people in society who simply can't generate late-stage capitalist production, and that is fine! It is also fine if you DON'T WANT TO! Late-stage capitalism sucks! Why would anyone voluntarily choose to live like this if they didn't have to, or at least could work a little bit less and in something that they find more fulfilling? If you're literally just an algorithm and a number sized up for how much Production you can deliver, rather than viewed as a full and complete human being, that is a recipe for a deeply terrible and sociopathic society that views its robot-workers as expendable and doesn't care about anything except money, money, money. Who the hell actually thinks that is a good way to live, especially since it's so often the way we live right now? Does anyone WANT all of society to be run like an Amazon warehouse?? I think the fuck not. Jesus Christ.

As long as modern globalized society is organized around and entirely beholden to capitalism, then we have to come up with solutions related to capitalism if we intend to make actual people's lives better. In that case, giving them more money to make it through life seems like a fine idea to me. And yes, of course the "Welfare Queens!" language was wildly racist. That was the entire point. Reagan's attacks on "welfare queens" were deliberately intended to make (white) America think of a lazy (black) person sponging up their hard-earned tax dollars and living some kind of benefits-fueled high life without giving anything back. Reagan's "War on Drugs!” was intended to make (white) America think of (black) criminals Dealing Coke In Your Nice Suburban Neighborhood, so it followed that they all needed to be arrested and locked up. And so he conducted a massive racially-charged war on the American social welfare system and already-deprived Black communities, by casting it in the language of the morally virtuous Christian crusader cleaning up the country, as he did with the rest of his policy platforms. That's why working-class white people are still opposed to reforming the welfare system or voting for politicians who would help them out financially, even if they themselves would benefit. They're still fixated on the idea that some of that money might go to help Black people, and they can't have that. They would rather proudly suffer being poor, since they also learn in church that it's a virtue. The prosperity gospel, of course, only works if you give away all your money to rich people. Huh.

Anyway, as a final point: archaeologists and historians and other academics who study prehistoric humans have generally decided that the moment when Homo sapiens became recognizably human, however many thousands of years ago, was when they started caring for their elderly, their sick, their young, and other people who couldn't contribute to the strenuous physical practice of constantly hunting and gathering food in order to survive. They were able to generate enough with the able-bodied members of the group, and they recognized that not all members needed to contribute to collecting food in order to be entitled to survive, be cared for, and respected. The thing that always makes me cry is when we find ancient burials conducted with love and care, when our earliest ancestors put flowers on their loved ones' graves and laid small children to rest with favorite toys. So if you think that people's only worth or purpose is to generate Capitalist Production, and that any "freeloaders," ever, are a Bad Thing, congratulations. You literally have less inherent humanity and understanding of the basic purpose of civilization than a caveman. They painted beautiful art on the walls of their homes and they cared for those who couldn't care for themselves. So yeah. They were in fact MUCH better human beings than these social Darwinist sociopaths.

#anonymous #ask #politics for ts #history #ronald reagan burn in hell

[cognitosclowns]

I'm not sure how it would happen, but how do you think Alphabeta would deal with getting his consciousness moved over to a human body? What would he like? What would he hate? (No pressure to respond of course!)

OHOHOHOHOHOHOOOOOO THIS IS GONNA BE SO FUN.

all sfw!! references to eating + nausea

Miscellaneous sci-fi fuckery? Miscellaneous sci-fi fuckery

Accidentally transferred into the body of a clone? Some last ditch effort to save his life? The Specifics aren't really important, what matters is he hates it.

He's absolutely gonna have a Last Unicorn Amalthea 'I-Can-Feel-This-Body-Dying-All-Around-Me' moment that isn't gonna be good for anyone involved. Bone-deep nausea when he realises just how fragile he is.

It's probably the most distressed anyone's ever seen him? Lots of pure fight-or-flight reactions, if anyone tries to touch him they're getting decked (sorry Brett). It takes a solid couple hours to get him calm enough to Process Information And Start Working Out A Plan With Them.

There's definitely some stuff he deals with. better than others.

Breathing is surprisingly easy? I mean the process is automated, but also he was already able to breath before.

Granted this all feels a bit more Fleshy and Loose, but it's one of the very few things he actually finds. kinda comforting about having a body?

Eating is,, weird?? but also he doesn't hate it?? Entirely?? He definitely hates elements of it, but the actual process of eating is kinda. Soothing? He definitely likes that slight dopamine kick. He likes that his body provides Little Rewards For Taking Care Of It.

It takes a while, again, to get used to how eating feels as a human versus as a machine.

Sleep! Sleep is perhaps the only thing that feels the same. That soft feeling of slipping into unconsciousness is really comforting.

Dreaming however is weird as FUCK and nothing like it was as an AI. usually his 'dreams' were just vague colours and sensations, maybe some memories, as his servers filtered through the events of the day.

BUT ACTUAL HUMAN DREAMING?? OH THAT'S SO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT HE WAS EXPECTING. he didn't expect it all to feel so. Real.

Not,, necessarily bad, but definitely weird?

he hates having a heartbeat he hates having a heartbeat he hates having a heartbeat he hates

A solid 2 hrs post-humanification is just spent rubbing his chest with the hard part of his palm, as if he's trying to rub the heart right outta his chest alskdflsdakrlds.

It's incomparable to anything else he's experienced. There's something thumping in his chest. He can feel the blood rushing from the tips of his fingers back to his hear, and down again. He can hear it, like water rushing past his ears.

Ofc the Extreme Awareness does go away after a few days of acclimating, but whenever his heart-rate spikes up. Expect Him To Be Unwell.

Another thing he can't stand is how,, limited he is. Dear God this man is so under-stimulated he's gonna rip his teeth out KAJFKSJDAS

usually he's seeing through several wavelength of light, hearing things humans couldn't hope to hear, layering sounds and images within his own mind to keep himself stimulated.

now everything's,, quiet. really quiet. eerily quiet. He hates that he isn't as aware of his surroundings as he used to be.

He definitely has A Bit Of A Moment (tm) when he puts on several different shows at once, and realises that This Body Can't Process All That. he can't listen to music and watch a show and read a book all at once his Fleshy Human Brain can't make all those make sense.

Also the limits of his strength?? He used to be able to like,, lift tables with ease. Now he gets tired when he walks up too many flights of stairs. Experiencing Being An Old Man.

The limits of his memory ohhhh that freaks him out like nothing else

The fact that he's able to forget things is so eerie. He's never had that problem before. Reagan asks him how his day was, and when he realises he can't remember what he had for breakfast, or what colour his slippers were? Oh Boy.

He does need a. well I don't wanna say babysitter. Chaperone?

After Reagan realises that this man is 100% gonna forget to fulfil most bodily functions necessary to keep him alive along enough to transfer him back into his body,,,, yeah she makes sure there's ppl keeping track of him.

not up his ass or anything, he's allowed to go about his day as normal,, just,, around. to make sure he doesn't accidentally give himself a kidney infection or starve to death.

He won't admit it, but it's kinda?? nice?? having somebody around?? who understands what the fuck is going on??

'Why do my joints hurt?'

'You're old.'

'Mm. Don't like that.'

Generally? Worst experience of his life never make him do that again

Alright, there were some upsides - hindsight is 20/20, and once he's actually back in His Body,, he has,,, maybe,, just a slight,, appreciation for human resilience?

Because Dear Fuck he had to experience it for a month and barely came out of it with his sanity intact he has no idea how these freaks exist day to day managing all of that. How does anyone manage to get anything done.

The robot went through a Bad Experience and gained a little more empathy. Look At Him Go.

ABWBABW THIS WAS SO EXTREMELY FUN <3 lmk if you had something else in mind, and as always feel free to add your own ideas, I love hearing other ppls thoughts <3

#AB experiences the Horrors of Having A Human Body </3 poor thang #I have so many thoughts about this oh this is such a fun concept. love putting my littleguy through the horrors #alpha-beta #robotus alpha-beta #inside job #I may need to write smth proper about this. this concept has some JUICE some MEAT some FLAVOUR some POWER to it its giving me fevers #sfw

[radioactivebowtie]

In the depths of night, I realized that I never wrote a dedicated post for Finn and Reagan’s lil relationship?? Not very fair for it to only be discussed in big long posts about other stuff when others get their own if you ask me!

Warnings: Rand Ridley is in this- (I’m so sorry) -Like very toxic parental relationships, and mental health issues (code for project jellybean being mentioned) Other than that just spoilers for the show and mayhap references to other posts you can find on my blog? 

Ok! So I have mentioned in my post about project Jellybean (And how it would affect Finn and such-) that Finn and Reagan used to be friends. I do however have an amendment to that- They absolutely acted more like let’s say,,, partners, something like we could say we are dating and you wouldn’t bat an eye, that kinda shit.

So something about the fact that these two were close enough to shatter Finn’s heart when they think Reagan doesn’t remember them, or that they weren’t important enough or something is just SCREAMING- “We had a fucking dope friendship and Reagan was basically adopted into our family!” Isn’t like it would be the first adoption-

But even despite that, JR would absolutely eat these two up? It would be pleasing for him to know that Reagan genuinely wants to be Finn’s friend, unlike the kids who go to their school. So she would be over all the time, whether or not he would tell Rand the real reason is debatable.

OK so I don’t like Rand who does?? BUT he would actually have some part in this unfortunately so let’s get this sorted.

So Finn just wants to hang out with Reagan, and Reagan wants to hang out with another friend who likes them for them and treats her like her actual age. And let’s be honest, JR knows Rand isn’t the best with kids, especially his own

So when Finn comes to him literally BEGGING to have a sleepover with her? 

HE ABSOLUTELY LIES SO THAT HIS BABY CAN BE HAPPY!

So Finn and Reagan act like she just lives there with them, like she is their best friend and just do regular kid stuff!! It helps to make them feel normal. 

So they make dinner! And then have to get someone on the staff to make it because WOWZA can Finn ruin a fucking meal- Everything they try and cook burns so fast ISTG

They watch movies and cartoons in their jammies! Filling the entirety of downstairs with joyous and genuine laughter.

And honestly? JR treats her better, He enjoys seeing Finn so happy, and even if he has to lie to make it happen - honestly not that big of a deal-breaker - He absolutely will, he will do it as many times as they need him to.

So, when Finn isn’t sneaking Reagan over somehow for a sleepover? Finn is hanging out with her in the still, somewhat empty halls that are outside of their dad’s offices. Reagan has her nose buried in whatever textbook she has for her class and Finn is desperately scribbling in their math homework Albeit mostly with Reagan’s help- But Finn brings her candy, specifically sour patch kids! 

It is the most Reagan candy and you cannot convince me otherwise

So Finn is sharing candy with her in the hallway, head-bopping to Sk8ter Boi by Avril Lavigne the year after it came out. Singing along happily and off-key to the song playing through their iPod mini, a single earbud in one of their ears each. Only pausing when Reagan throws it out of her ear the moment Rand comes into the hallway to make sure she’s doing her work.

But then it happens, Finn is just barely out of Fifth grade when it happens. Fresh out of elementary school and- now their missing their friend.

Finn knows how hard it is for them to make school friends, especially now that Cognito is really getting off the ground and their fathers’ reputation seems to mean more to the kids in their private school than Finn’s feelings and friendship, But it gets even worse when all of a sudden they aren’t allowed to see Reagan.

Now Finn isn’t stupid by any means, but they weren’t ever going to guess the real reason why Reagan didn’t remember them or could no longer talk! And there was no way in HELL that JR was about to try and explain to his 12-year-old kid who is already very traumatized that he isn’t going to bring Finn to Cognito or anywhere NEAR Rand now that he’s seen how he treats Reagan.

And especially not after Reagan suddenly doesn’t remember Finn. He doesn’t even mean to find out, it was inevitable though. JR asking her passively how she’s doing and whether or not she’d like to come over to study with Finn.

His eyes widen and his heart drops to his stomach when she asks who that is. He can’t get an answer out of Rand, the room full of smoke from Rand’s god-awful cigarettes. He goes home early that day, taking Finn out for Ice cream but not telling them why. It’s awful to have to lie to his kid, he knows it’s fucked up. He doesn’t give a shit about lying to the public, but this is his kid! They’ve been through hell and back because of him! They deserve better than this, better from him.

So even if Finn is confused and missing their friend? They don’t know what they can do about it so, they just,, continue on.

They go to school and talk to people, but none of them are as nice and genuine with Finn as Reagan. But they make it work. They keep playing soccer and doing their work and before they know it, they see that Reagan’s already passed college, already heading to the finale, working at Cognito.

They remember it was something they had talked about as kids, popping sugary candy into their mouths as they watched cartoons on the couch in their living room. Reagan’s smart, they both know that. No matter how normal Finn treats her it’s hard not to notice the friend your age being in high school before you’ve hit middle school. So when Reagan tells Finn that their dads letting her work in the company Finn’s totally excited for them! It’s just that,, they just don’t think they’ll make it there. They know they COULD get in just by asking their dad but that felt like cheating, no matter HOW much they’d want to work with Reagan. How much fun they think it’d be.

So, when they see she did make it, and that she’s doing super well with the stuff she’s been good at for as long as Finn can remember is exciting. And then once they graduate JR asks if they want to work at Cognito- and Finn hesitates? They kind of did? But they didn’t think they deserved to? But they tell him as long as it’s for something they’d be good at and they have to actually apply. No special treatment. So they - and by they I mean JR - trial Finn in a bunch of different areas, and while none of them quite fit they all notice something.

Finn notices things, really specific things that others would probably not? Like they can’t focus, something that’s very much not a new problem. But the stuff they notice during the parts where they can’t focus on the main thing that they’re supposed to be working on is shocking. Finn will just casually know who’s walked by and can probably say all their names, they can tell you how many times someone would get up during a meeting to get water, and they will know the exact time someone will turn into the media manipulation hall when they try learning in there. So, they put them into the security team! And Finn does great! They keep tabs on everyone in a way anyone else barely anyone understands if they’re honest. But they get the job! Fulfilling half of their childhood dream to work at Cognito with Reagan.

But then they figure out what the power of the cameras bring. The chance to see their old childhood bestie in action!! They see a lot of people on the cameras sure - A true people watcher at heart - But now they get to pretend that they both did it together, like sure! Technically they are co-workers, the plan still happened! They just didn’t get there the way they intended to. And they very much assumed they would be working together which didn’t end up happening either. So instead, Finn sits on the sidelines in their monitor office, watching the gang and cheering them on! They respond to any audio they can pick up as if they were there and are in a constant state of “GO RAE GO!!”

But then they actually cross paths. 

And despite how it totally may seem, it doesn’t go great- fuckin shocker

So okay, Finn will absolutely not clock onto the fact that something has been done to Reagan- We cannot blame them, Rand is too evil for their sweet mind  -So Finn is sad when she introduces herself. Just like she was a stranger, as if Finn didn’t already know them. And honestly, as sad as it is. They just assume that Reagan forgot about them? Finn’s mind just assumes that they weren’t important enough, and it isn’t like JR goes waving around that their related so that wouldn’t help them. Plus they don’t exactly look like the tiny feminine brunette they used to be anymore. none of this is true-

But they can’t prove that their theories are wrong? Because even if they did ask Reagan she would have no fucking clue what they were talking about. So Finn doesn’t say anything in fear that if they do Reagan will just stop talking to them fully, thinking they’ll annoy her away again. So Finn’s just being themselves, overly excitable and talkative. Reagan thinks Finn is nosey, but they do their job.

Finn shows up in Reagan’s office a lot. Something that annoys Reagan to no end, at least at the beginning! So in the beginning there were some missteps! Like Finn going to touch something and Reagan throwing something at them to try and stop them, or Finn overstepping personal boundaries and trying to act like they did when they were kids! Something that probably would have been fine if Reagan actually remembered them- Something that Finn is aware of they do not blame Reagan and they have adjusted to her needs and wants - And eventually Reagan just expects them to show up at some point in the day? It feels weirder when they don’t stop in at all if she’s honest. But she can’t tell you why

And she guesses that Finn doesn’t really do anything? They just talk? Like a lot. It becomes some honestly really nice white noise while Reagan works on stuff? And Finn doesn’t really mind if Reagan isn’t fully listening while they talk! They don’t really need that, for them being around Reagan again is enough. Sometimes Finn brings Reagan little gifts? Reagan definitely appreciates them, even if she’s unsure how Finn knew her favorite kind of candy? She doesn’t think that she’s ever mentioned that she likes sour patch kids? 

At least she doesn’t remember doing so- 

Finn doesn’t explain it to her until y’know, The mindscape trip. Suddenly all the things Finn does and did do in the “beginning” of their interactions. Even the little things, like the candy and the nicknames, start making more sense.

But there’s a lot going on and neither of them has literally any time to figure out their friendship issues when Reagan’s worried about the fact that her entire childhood is a lie and that Rand has taken over the company, and Finn has to worry about the fact that their dad might now be dead and that they may now have lost their only family for the second time. Y’know just their worlds being on fire. 

So instead, they don’t talk about it until it’s at least a little calmed. I mean nothing is correct or fixed. But when they do get to have an actual talk it absolutely is full of tears? Finn is overwhelmed and happy okay. Reagan remembers them! She remembers all the things that they used to do! Finn doesn't feel fucking insane anymore! Even if they now have a million more reasons they want to both die and absolutely throttle Rand fucking Ridley.

But eventually, they would have some talks? Like, the first few are tenser. Finn’s still dealing with losing their dad and Reagans still reeling over basically her entire childhood and the fact that her dad is now running Cognito inc. something that she had thought was her dream since she was little. Both are what would be described as a more than reasonable excuse to ignore your relationship issues! So when they do get to actually have that talk that kind of, explains the feelings and emotions that they’ve been feeling since y’know childhood.

It honestly goes well? Like at the very least, better than either of them was expecting? I don’t think that it would change much at all if I’m honest,,

They both talk and Finn discusses how they felt while Reagan didn’t remember them. But I might go over their talk in another post-

Okay,,, that’s all for now,,,, I spent a month or two on that I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did <3

#This was honestly really fun #Like I love these two sm #Reagan deserves so much like ISTG #Mwuah #I kith her #we can eat lucky charms and watch cartoons #I love them sm ISTG #AND I FUCKING LOVE WRITING LORE #LIKE JESUS #THIS WAS SM FUN #OKOK IM ACTUALLY GONNA POST IT #inside job oc #inside jobsona #inside job sona #The Lockbox📼🔓

[glassmarcus]

Vampire Survivors was funded by the Reagan Administration in order to destroy the Black Community

*Played in October 2022, written in December 2022

The second I got all the achievements for this game, I uninstalled it and deleted all traces of it from my PC. Not that I dislike the game at all, it's just unhealthy for me to have in my life. Vampire Survivors is a Potent Substance. I'd wake up in a cold sweat, begin my morning rituals, only for them to be disrupted by its dissonant allure. I'd think, "I can squeeze in a run and still be able to make breakfast, stretch, and start work on schedule", only to be wrong every single time for the entire week I played it. Every feature of this creature is engineered to tempt further play sessions because all it wants to do is drain you of your free time. Seducing you, to feed off your essence. Its title seems misleading as there are no vampires in the game. But when you remove its long fangs from your soft tender neck, it becomes clear that you are the real Vampire Survivor. Every player who can put the game down and do something productive instead can claim this epithet.

The game is simple, but efficient. All you do is move around in an area and avoid monsters while auto attack takes care of them. People have referred to it as a Bullet Heaven, due to you eventually getting so powerful, that you are constantly launching a flurry of attacks that no enemy could possibly deal with. This is a valid descriptor, but my first thought when playing it was "Balloon Tower Defense... with movement". I look back on 14 year old me, decimating scores upon scores of enemies while playing Balloon Tower Defense on coolmathgames.com. That same satisfaction I got back then is present here. The only major elements added are movement, progression and luck which end up elevating it far higher than I expected.

Moving just adds a method to interact with the game outside of long term decision making. Being able to weave through enemies and find the optimal position for damage is just as important as deciding which build you need to make. Movement itself isn't particularly fun on its own, but it gives you a means to reach your goal in a more interactive way than waiting.

So the movement assures you are somewhat engaged while the progression maintains engagement. This is a Rogue Lite where you have to play through it in one sitting. With Survivors, you don't beat the whole game, just five long levels that are hard to complete initially. A complete run takes 30 minutes. Not as long as a full game, but enough to where it feels like you are going through an ordeal. Runs are long enough to make it feel meaningful when you win, but not so long that you are discouraged from trying again. And each time you try you are near guaranteed progress. You gain money to improve stats and unlock characters that make each run easier for you. But more importantly you learn more about how the game functions.

Winning isn't always your objective. Experimentation and exploration have more value long term. Throughout levels you pick up weapons and buffs that seem like regular power ups. But further into the game you figure out weapon fusion and the game is no longer about hitting that 30 minute mark, it's about concocting the most busted combination of abilities possible. In the same way copy combinations elevate Kirby 64 to being one of my favorites, this game ascended to greatness the second I pulled off my first fusion. I truly felt like a mad scientist. And you don't just learn about mechanics, but the levels themselves. Despite being pretty bland maps, there are details in each level worth remembering. They all have hidden secrets or items you can find and once you find them, you get a permanent character or ability. Having multiple ways to progress other than not dying for 30 minutes makes every run have value. Though the value of each run may vary.

I've learned to begrudgingly accept RNG in video games. I'd rather things be consistently reproducible than chaotic and unaccountable. The real world is frantic enough as it is, so I don't really look for that shit in my spare time. Yet I can't deny that there's an unparalleled joy in seeing a treasure chest and having no clue what is in it. While a Zelda game can only give me that feeling once per chest, Rogue Lites can pull it off an infinite amount of times. Vampire Survivors takes this inherent boon of the genre and polishes it to perfection. Opening chest in this game feels euphoric. All the correct visual and auditory bells and whistles are added to induce maximum kid in candy store vibes. What you get won't be a big deal probably, but it might be, and the game acts like it is every single time. And if the whimsy ever wears off or if your build is complete and the chest can only offer minor effects, you can just skip the animations and make the gratification instant.

It's not just the chest though. Every aesthetic detail is handcrafted to be as delicious as possible. Every experience point you get, every enemy you kill, every coin you pick up, and every attack you fire off gives you a sliver of glee just by looking and sounding like something was accomplished. This all adds up at the end of the game where you are killing chiliads of chilling monsters by the second. You feel the product of every aesthetic trick the game has up its sleeve aggressively multiply together. You start to think "Wow this must be how God feels when he smites mere mortals for fun, right?".

Soon that movement used to slightly engage you is no longer necessary and nothing can touch you. You can reach such ridiculous heights in this game and that makes you only want to reach the presumed top.

And that's basically why it's so addicting to me. Getting stronger in Vampire Survivors is amazing and it always feels like I can get a little bit more power in the next run, so I can't resist the urge to immediately try again. It is high grade digital dope and I could feel the junkie inside me awaken. It's also a Castlevania inspired game so I basically had no chance of escaping from its grasp until I got all the achievements. And now that I do have those achievements, my desire to go back is subdued. So what’s the issue then? Why do I still see this game as a grand threat to my lifestyle? Well, as I expected, DLC just got announced in the middle of me writing this. It nearly doubles the amount of weapons and I refuse to look this game in the eye, as I know I will be hypnotized once more. Basically, it's crack, and I’m going cold turkey.

#vampire survivors

[meret118]

In "Fighting for Recovery," Vine shares the stories of patients and activists struggling with disabilities that include schizophrenia, depression, addiction issues and more. Starting in the 1970s and continuing over the following half-century, Vine — a former Sarah Lawrence College faculty member and founding member of the New York State chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) — traces the individual journeys of patients and reformers alike. While doing so, Vine finds an important narrative thread that unifies her work and allows it to make an important contribution to the historical literature.

. . .

In another important contribution to the existing literature, Vine also shines a spotlight on people among the rich and powerful who are frequently overlooked as heroes for disability rights. For instance, while President Jimmy Carter is rightly hailed for his work on behalf of disabled individuals, his First Lady Rosalynn Carter is often cast over — and unfairly so.

. . .

"When he was governor, she approached her responsibility as the first lady of Georgia as having something to do that she found compelling, and she decided to work on improving mental health conditions in Georgia," Vine expressed with admiration. "By the time they got to Washington, she was really well prepared to assume the leadership of reforming mental health in America." This ranged from urging the president to heed a 1977 Government Accounting Office report saying the government had to do more to help people being dumped out of mental hospitals to pushing for legislation like the Mental Health Systems Act of 1980.

Yet once Carter had left the White House, America was left with a very different type of leadership — that offered by President Ronald Reagan. In true Zinn-ian fashion, Vine's book doesn't hesitate to rip a beloved American leader down from a pedestal in order to relay the facts.

"Ronald Reagan comes from an entirely different mindset as governor of California," Vine explained. "He made it clear that he did not have much regard for the needs of the Californians who were hospitalized in these vast overcrowded fire traps. As far as he was concerned, being hospitalized was the equivalent of going to some kind of a hotel. It was where people luxuriated. His appreciation for the lives of people with needs and wants was sorely compromised."

This spilled over to his presidency, during which he rolled back the Mental Health Systems Act, repealed laws and regulations to help disabled people and cut funding for programs that couldn't be outright eliminated. He did this because he viewed them "as not only unnecessary but as a gesture to people who are users, users of a system. He had all sorts of contempt for people with disabilities, people with needs other than he could understand, and that contempt was up and down the socioeconomic ladder."

#Books #Disability

[ericac318]

Unexpected 

Summary:

Adley Benson is a young Data Analyst for Starfleet. She met Jean Luc Picard at 10 Forward three years before this story begins. They began a relationship and now she lives with him at Chateau Picard and works from the vineyard. When Picard gets a distress signal from Beverly Crusher, what happens next for the couple? Picard x OC/Kirk x OC/ Shaw x OC

Chapter 13

A/N: We’re here for episode 9 and I’m sure you all think I’ve added way too much into this fanfic for my own reasons, but I’m going to make it work. I promise. Start from the beginning here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45696184/chapters/114994717

Adley found Picard once he was out of his meeting with the original members of his crew from so many years ago. “Do we have a plan? Where’s Troi?” she inquired as she felt his arms move around her waist.

“Deanna took Jack to the counselor’s quarters to find out what darkness is following him,” Picard answered after he placed a kiss on her forehead, “She’s convinced that he is good but there is something bad surrounding him. We’ll know more once they’re through. How are you? All of this has been a lot for anyone and you are special compared to the rest of us,” he added as he, once again, placed his hand on her small baby bump.

“I’m good,” she replied, “I promise You’ll be the first to know if anything feels off.. Do you have any idea what kind of darkness Deanna Troi saw around Jack? I can’t imagine it could be anything worse than the things we’ve been facing,” she replied as she looked at him, hoping for an encouraging thought.

Picard shrugged, “I wish I knew, but I honestly, have no idea. Why don’t you go rest while we wait to find out what happens next for all of us,” he suggested, his lips curving into a timid smile as he knew it was always better not to tell Adley what to do.

She wasn’t tired but she nodded for him, “I could lay down for a little while. Frontier Day is mere hours away so I won’t be gone for long. Wake me if anything important happens?” she requested before she placed a chaste kiss on his cheek.

“Of course,” he agreed as he placed his lips to hers before she removed herself from his embrace and headed to their shared quarters on the Titan.

An hour later, Picard was standing in sickbay with Beverly, Kirk, and Reagan when Troi nearly sprinted through the sliding doors to find Picard and Beverly.

“What is it?” Beverly asked, her tone urgent when she saw the look on her friend’s face.

Troi took a moment to catch her breath before she responded, “I am sorry to be the one to share this with you, but Jack is a part of the Borg collective. Somehow, a part of Locutus remained in Jean Luc after we saved him and it was transferred to Jack. I’m sure that same piece is why the Changelings stole his body,” she shared, causing Kirk’s ears to perk up as he released Reagan’s hand and moved closer to the conversation.

Beverly was beside herself as Picard replied, “How can that be? You all ensured that there was no Borg technology left inside of me…”

“This could have been something different,” Beverly finally spoke, “The Borg are smart and, clearly, they placed something in you that we were not able to uncover. Something that presented as Iromodic Syndrome later on. Jack isn’t sick,” she added as she placed her face into her hand.

Reagan got up from her bed after she heard what they were discussing, “We have to send him somewhere where they can’t activate him. He’s been exhibiting abilities given to him by the Borg anytime we’ve been in a situation that caused distress,” she added as she felt Kirk wrap his arm around her waist to help stabilize her. She hadn’t had enough time to recover from her concussion yet.

“I will handle this,” Picard responded as he felt Beverly reach for him, “There are protocols that we have to follow in a situation like this,” he added as he disappeared from sickbay leaving everyone wondering what the future held for each of them.

Thirty minutes after Picard left Sickbay to talk to Jack about sending him somewhere safe on Vulcan, Adley found him standing alone where Jack once stood awaiting the answers to his time with Deanna.

“What’s going on?” she questioned as she saw him leaning against a table with his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. She, immediately, moved to wrap herself around him, to comfort him in any way she could think to.

Picard wasn’t sure how to voice what he’d learned about himself and his son over the past thirty minutes. He took a deep breath before he replied, “Jack doesn’t have Irumodic Syndrome as we previously thought. He is plagued by something much worse.”

“What could be worse than the disease that killed you? I was there when you ‘died’ and it was one of the worst moments of my life,” she added as she waited for him to explain further.

Jean Luc closed his eyes briefly before he continued, “It turns out the Borg left something imprinted on my DNA which appeared to be Irumodic Syndrome, but it wasn’t. Based on everything we know, at the moment, Jack belongs to the Borg and he’s left here on a shuttle that we cannot trace to go to them,” he added as he felt her arms wrap around his waist, pulling him against her body to offer the only comfort she knew how to give.

“We’ll find a way to free him from the Borg,” Adley stated, confidence emanating from her voice even though she had no right to feel it. She continued, “Your crew got you back even when you were designated to be their voice so we can get Jack back. I know it,” she added as she leaned in closer to him until she placed her lips to his neck.

Picard took a deep breath as he felt her lips against his skin, so gently and soft it was as if she was afraid she would break him if she wasn’t too careful. “You’re right. Let’s go reconvene with the others and figure out a plan. Wallowing in all that I’ve learned over the past two weeks won’t help anyone so there’s no need for it. Thank you,” he glanced at her, his eyes conveying how genuinely he felt those words.

“What do we know?” Picard questioned as he and Adley stepped onto the bridge to find the others waiting on them.

Kirk let go of Reagan’s hand as he stepped closer to Picard, “We know that Starfleet has added technology to all of their ships that link them together. What we need is a ship, or ships, that aren’t tethered to the rest of the fleet. I suggest that we head to the Fleet Museum and steal a few ships that can’t be detected. Once we have them, we can meet with the rest of the fleet at Frontier Day. This plan will give us, at least, a fighting chance,” he added as he felt Reagan move back to his side, grasping his hand and giving it a squeeze.

“He’s right,” Reagan agreed, “The Titan can be detected even though we’ve dropped the transponder and added the cloaking device, but an old Starfleet ship would be undetectable. We have more than one capable Captain among us to help in this endeavor,” she shared as he resisted the urge to steal a quick kiss from James T. Kirk.

Adley nodded as she moved closer to Picard’s side, “The Changelings and the Borg are expecting us to show up in the Titan to take them all on,” she began, giving his hand a confident squeeze before she continued, “But, if we were to show up in older ships that can’t be traced then we can use the element of surprise to our advantage. And, if the Borg is behind all of this, then Jack will be there too, or at least on his way, so we can get him back too,” she added with the same unearned confidence she’d displayed before.

Picard began to nod as he glanced around him at the rest of the crew, the members of the Titan, and the others from his own past who hadn’t voiced their opinion yet. “What do the rest of you think? Is this plan a feasible option or is it just as insane as everything else we’ve tried?” he questioned as he looked around the bridge at all the crewmembers and non-crewmembers surrounding him.

Delaney spoke first, not really knowing where she fit into all of this since she’d just joined this crew and rekindled her romance with Shaw, “Based on what we know about the Changelings and the Borg, so far, this is the best plan. We have to take into account any element of surprise we have. I have a bad feeling that the Borg has found a way to assimilate Starfleet without their knowledge,” she added, causing Beverly’s mind to start turning as she grabbed her tablet and started comparing Jack’s scans with what they’d recovered from the work being done on Picard’s body on the Shrike.

Shaw let out a long sigh before he replied, grabbing onto Delaney’s hand and giving it a squeeze, “As much as I’d like us to just head back to Earth and let someone else handle this situation, that’s no longer an option. We have to face this crisis head-on, goddammit,” he added as he looked down, causing Delaney to run her fingers along the hairs on the back of his neck, comfortingly. Shaw continued, as he addressed his crew, “Plot a course for the Fleet Museum because that plan is truly our best bet in this situation,” he agreed before he let out a long exhale as he sat back up and wrapped his arm around Delaney’s waist, pulling her against his upper body as he sat in the Captain’s chair.

#star trek picard #startrekpicard #star trek the next generation #jean luc picard #picard x oc #james t kirk #james t kirk x oc #liam shaw #shaw x oc #fanfic #archive of our own #spoilers #patrick stewart #william shatner #todd stashwick

[realhankmccoy]

The most interesting thing about Twin Peaks remains its function within empire as a shiny snow globe --

people of all political persuasions have no clue what the artist is saying, and will go to great Gumby lengths to say that THIS PARTICULAR SNOW GLOBE STANDS FOR EXACTLY WHAT I STAND FOR, LYNCH MAY HAVE MET WITH REAGAN BUT ACTUALLY THE SHOW IS ANTI-REAGAN

Huh? You wish. Keep dreaming.

Imagine if you dreamt for something more real, more important, more useful, than 'defence of 'quality' television that is in no way compatible with my political beliefs'.

Defense of 'quality' television... what a world. This is what's dear to the hearts of dad, Bruce, Boi...

I didn't realise television -- especially dated, conservative programming, programming that was willfully anti-diverse even in its own time -- was such a victim that it needs boychilds to come to its rescue.

I mean, the absurdity of America -- but that's what's really going on in these people's 'hearts'.

I've seen so many absurd and ornate writeups in which some leftist with wishful thinking to append this shiny snow globe to be compatible with leftism goes and even makes it feminist, pro-black, a commentary on racism...

such writeups are utterly ridiculous. It's almost impossible to find a Twin Peaks writeup in which the person understands the spirit of the work and the artist's intentions one bit.

it's not hard. David Lynch is very comfortable showing us a scary word so that we retreat into safety and internal meditation and 50s normativity -- Lynch's boyhood, for all such type of males see the world of their childhood as 'the way it should be'. And why wouldn't they, as uncondtionally loved and supported by adults as they were? To be a spoiled boy in the 50s vs as an adult on his own two feet during the 60s revolution -- which he did not partake in -- are two very different things.

Bruce does a similar thing as Lynch -- the world is a mysterious nightmare, so one is called to retreat to an inner deep spirituality and meditation and find oneself dutifully being the cop one wants to see in the world, one who can clear up all the chaos and prevent the bad things of the political left and non-white from happening.

Boi doesn't understand the show, Lynch or what's going on at all.

What's different about the approach Marianne Williamson takes lately is though while she may paint the world in nightmarish tones, she's calling for something quite different than a retreat to silence and safety at the white fount of a source. Part of this is she's a woman and part of this is that she really cares.

#twin peaks

[solatgif]

TGIF: Roundup for December 30, 2022

This week Thomas Sugimura explained The “Problem” (and Proclamation!) of Christmas, I shared My Favorite Asian American Christian Books I Read in 2022, and Hannah Chao revealed SOLA Network’s Hidden Gems of 2022. Happy New Year!

We recently hit 400 subscribers on our YouTube channel! Our Most Popular Videos is a good place to start. Check out our Author Interviews and The Asian American Church playlists. In case you missed it, you can find all of our Advent Devotions on Substack.

This newsletter is one of the many ways you can keep in touch with us. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For more, check out my Asian American Worship Leaders Facebook group and TGIF Playlist on Spotify. You can reach me on Twitter and Instagram.

Enter to win this wonderful book! Read my review. Thanks to Reagan Rose for providing this book for our giveaway, in partnership with my newsletters for @diveindigdeep and FCBC Walnut.

Articles From Around The Web

Ray Ortlund: 5 Myths about Porn

You aren’t stuck with porn. The One who made you can recreate you as a person standing tall, walking in integrity, lifting others up. Why repeat this past year? Your gracious Savior is offering you freedom in this new year. Why not go for it?

Related: How to Help Someone who Struggles with Pornography: An Interview with Deepak Reju and Jonathan Holmes by Tim St. John

Will Standridge: 10 Tips for Faithful Student Ministry in the New Year

“It is easy to lose sight of what is important in your planning and program to impress instead of disciple.”

Related: Serving in Asian American Youth Ministry: An Interview with Pastor Danny Kwon by Daniel K. Eng

Joanna Kimbrel: Why I’m Staying on Social Media

“By God’s grace, I’ve become increasingly aware of social media’s potential for evil as well as good. My prayer is that I’ll walk wisely through the world of social media for God’s glory and the good of others.”

Related: Telling Her Own Story: An Interview with Ruth Chou Simons by Aaron Lee

In case you missed it, you can find all of our Advent Devotions on Substack!

Books, Podcasts, Music, And More

TGC Bible Commentary: 1 Timothy by Paul Jeon

“Rather than being a manual that offers random nuggets for a variety of theological and practical issues, the letter coheres around the rhetorical aim of discrediting the false teachers.”

Dive In Dig Deep: 2022 Book Awards

Inspired by Tim Challies, here is my collection of 30 links around the 2022 year in books! Featuring Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Mere Orthodoxy, and more.

Aaron Lee: Related Works

Book Reviews: Jesus Through the Eyes of Women by Rebecca McLaughlin, Take Heart by David Powlison, and Biblical Reasoning by R. B. Jamieson and Tyler R. Wittman. Listen to our TGIF playlist on Spotify. Join my Asian American Worship Leaders Facebook group.

Subscribe to our podcast for our interviews, messages, and article reads! Available for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Featured This Week On SOLA Network

Hannah Chao: SOLA Network’s Hidden Gems of 2022

“As the year draws to a close, I’d like to highlight some of my favorite articles this year that didn’t make it to the most-viewed articles of the year and yet were so powerful to me. I hope these hidden gems will be an encouragement to you as we enter the new year!”

Aaron Lee: My Favorite Asian American Christian Books I Read in 2022

“I was blessed to see the work that God is doing through books. Here at SOLA Network, we are happy to support Asian American authors and their ministry of words.”

Daniel K. Eng: An Untraditional Bible Reading Plan

“While a traditional plan restricts me to the task of ‘getting through’ the reading, a one-book-a-month approach allows me to slow down and investigate something I find interesting or confusing.”

Patreeya Thorn: A Letter to the Lonely

“For many of us, the longing of Advent is very real. Because while we may have places to go or people to see (perhaps less so this year), there is nothing like the insistence that all must be merry and bright to illuminate the hardest parts of life.”

Tom Sugimura: The “Problem” (and Proclamation!) of Christmas

“This Christmas, proclaim the good news that Jesus takes away any fears related to your sins or sorrows. Jesus offers you peace with God and peace in your relationships, then fills you with his joy even in a fallen world.”

TGIF: Roundup for December 23, 2022

Is Christmas a ‘Western’ Holiday in Asia? / Lessons for Missions from the Ministries of John G. Paton and Wang Ming-dao (王明道) / Gleanings from Ruth: An Advent Reflection / Faithful Disobedience: The State of Christianity in China with Hannah Nation / MacArthur and His Successor

General disclaimer: Our link roundups are not endorsements of the positions or lives of the authors.

[iejust]

Upper volta with missiles schmidt

#Upper volta with missiles schmidt series#

#Upper volta with missiles schmidt free#

Bush took American power to its high point. But it was one of his critics, Ronald Reagan, who set the scene for the ultimate triumph: peaceful victory in the Cold War. Henry Kissinger's challenge was to reverse that, and in many ways he succeeded. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, mainly because of Vietnam, it ebbed. "As the Soviet Union recovered from wartime devastation and entered the nuclear arms race, that lead shrank, and it has continued to shrink as other economies?€”e.g., Europe's, Japan's, China's?€”have grown relative to the U.S. power was immediately after the Second World War," explains Ferguson. "In economic and military terms the zenith of U.S. Does Ferguson think the State Department has declined in the degree of global influence it has now compared to when Kissinger was a massive figure on the world stage? Ferguson's most recent publication, "Henry Kissinger: The Idealist," arrived in bookstores during the autumn of 2015 to much acclaim and interest as a re-assessment of the former (and perhaps most famous) Secretary of State. "I am no expert on this," says Ferguson, "but it is clear that Russian support is finding its way to a wide range of populist parties throughout the EU, including the French National Front." The U.S: A Weakened Global PlayerĪrguably, the Cold War ?€” more than anything ?€” defined America's post-war strength. What are the Kremlin's links with far right parties in the EU? In the days of the U.S.S.R., Kremlin money tended to support the far left in Western Europe, but today there is speculated Russian support for far right parties such as the National Front in France. To withdraw now, at this moment of vindication, would be a huge strategic blunder." Our arguments have been vindicated by events. The UK then ?€” correctly in my view ?€” argued against a monetary union and borderless travel. This was a crucial achievement, and the result of British leadership in the 1980s.

#Upper volta with missiles schmidt free#

It came late to the process of European integration, but played a key role after 1973 in steering Europe away from protectionism towards free trade and the creation of the world's largest single market. "Britain eased its post-imperial 'shrinking pains' by playing leading roles in the institutions that emerged after 1945 as the framework of the post-war global order. Is this an accurate summary of Britain's contemporary global role and would a British withdrawal from the EU diminish it?

#Upper volta with missiles schmidt series#

Would Russia like to see Brexit? You bet." Shifting Power Structuresįerguson's 2003 book and TV series "Empire" was subtitled "How Britain Made the Modern World." The UK's post-imperial role has been to define itself through membership of the international community - be it the UN Security Council, NATO, the Commonwealth, the WTO and, of course, the EU. While it is true that NATO has been more important to West European security than the EU, Britain's membership of the EU has been an important source of strength to both the UK and the EU, and EU expansion has been one of the key Western successes of the post-Cold War era. The foreign policy dimension gets overlooked. On the other, the argument for exiting is based on a fantasy that the 19th century sovereignty of parliament can somehow be restored. On the one side, the argument for remaining is mostly about the economic risks, which in my view are very real, but not the most important point. Unfortunately, the debate in the UK has become rather narrow. So would a British "Leave" vote on June 23 be to Russia's advantage in weakening the EU, something the Kremlin sees as an institution which resists and works against Russian power in Europe? Ferguson said, "Yes, I believe so ?€” though like David Cameron, I haven't asked Mr. He respects strength and unity, not weakness and division." In an interview which Prime Minister David Cameron gave to The Independent on Sunday's political correspondent in March, when asked if President Putin would back Brexit, the PM replied: "I think he probably would…I don't know, I haven't asked him?€¦.Putin has an interest in trying to divide and weaken the West.

#Upper volta with missiles schmidt

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“It takes radio signals more than a decade to reach this offworld colony. (Something about the speed of light.) So, having lived through the eighties at Reagan’s ground zero, I get to live through them again out here. The worst of all Reagan’s horrors, the Drug War, is just hitting its stride here, even as it’s losing steam back in Vampire Central. Back there, even bloodsucking monsters like Henry Hyde are deciding they might have been a bit excessive in mandating the death penalty for anyone caught with a quarter-gram of powder. Hyde got a cameo role in Traffic and, like any red-blooded American, changed his convictions instantly in exchange for a bit part, a moment being petted poolside by a bevy of Malibu Stacies. A repellent tableau, certainly; but if that’s all it takes, why not find a bit part for every Republican drug warrior? Have Soros fund huge fake Hollywood parties for every slavering Phalangist in DC! Rent a few blondes, a cheesy Elks Hall, deck it out with limos and fake cameras! Stage an entire fake Academy Awards ceremony at which Hyde, Jesse Helms and Ashcroft are the leading contenders for Best Actor, nominated for their role in dueling anti-DEA epics! Let them make tearful acceptance speeches that go on for hours, if only they’ll stop sending harmless nerds to a lifetime as the maytag of D Block.

But here, the nightmare has years to run. The old radio signals keep hitting us, and the zombie colonists do exactly what America circa 1985 tells them to do. So right now they’re busily destroying the lives of those who are desperately trying to find a few hours’ warmth in the poppy.

The poppy is the literal, chemical answer to that Philosophy 101 question: What is happiness? Happiness is, chemically speaking, opium—is the poppy. Not a syllogism but a resin, a sap, dark brown and smelling like milkweed.

It came here with the Chinese. While the Anglo settlers were bashing each other with whiskey bottles, the Chinese were growing the poppy behind their shacks. They were expelled, but the poppy survived. It fought for its life, a tough plant which loves marginal soil, high altitude, scanty rainfall.

It knows what things are like here. It wants to help. It’s a very beautiful plant, the original of Marty in Little Shop of Horrors, as well as the pods in Body Snatchers. The flowers are so beautiful—frail crimson or lavender panels around a yellow core, at the end of long gray-green stalks—that old gardening bastards still grow them here. And then stay up all night with shotguns, waiting for a desperate loser to try to steal them.

That’s what separates the drug war here from the real thing, back in Reagan’s California: at least people there had real drugs to risk their lives for. Here, where bleakness and raw pain are the background of every life, the authorities have managed to block any import of processed opiates. It’s like banning fire in Alaska, or pools in Arizona. And yet they’ve made it work. That’s the beauty of an offworld colony: the officials really can control who, and what, gets in.

So those who can’t find solace in rugby and booze—that is, the people with some decency in them—must become gardeners, or thieves. They become little Johnny Poppyseeds, planting the tiny lousehead seeds in the most remote gulches. Or they simply tour the place, noting every garden where the poppies grow. And when the plants are finally ripe, they drop in late at night to grab the crop and boil it up to make crude homebake morphine.

Unfortunately, most of these people are not exactly ninjas. I found that out myself a few years ago. I bought this house from some hippies who had planted the odd poppies among their feral cabbages. I had little interest in the cabbages, which seemed to serve mainly as slug cities, but the poppies drew me back for some quiet summer nocturnal gardening. I knew what you were supposed to do, thanks to hours spent drooling over old National Geographics showing Turkish women moving among head-high endorphin-bulbs, shaving the sap and collecting it on wooden trays. I knew you were supposed to slit the pods, let the sap ooze overnight, then come back and collect it. I was worried about the neighbors, though, so I only did my slitting late at night: a fat James Bond stalking through my own back yard with a paring knife, imagining infrared cop cams watching me stumble through the wet grass feeling for pods.

All that stealth was for nothing, because the National Geographic articles failed to mention that the pod-slitting method doesn’t work in a climate where it’s always windy and always raining. There was never any sap on the pods next day. It ran down the stalks. There may’ve been some remarkably relaxed grubs in the soil beneath, but I was getting nothing out of it. A more crude and effectual method was called for: I snuck out at night, cut the bulbs off and boiled them. This yielded a truly foul-tasting tea, which I drank…and then waited. That’s the worst thing about these homemade opiates: the drug itself is so modest that you can’t always tell if it’s working. When you’re using weak unfiltered versions, you really can’t tell at all. And if it’s that weak, it’s probably not worth doing.

Apparently, one needs to collect hundreds of poppy plants and boil them up to get any effect. That’s why those enterprising collectors go on long night runs, sucking up all the plants in town like magic gophers. Except that, unlike cartoon gophers, they make a lot of noise. One summer night I was awakened by an elephantine crashing in the back yard. Something was stomping around in the high grass, grazing or dancing. I assumed it was what they call a “possum”—a nasty creature not at all like the pink-footed, white-haired possum of Earth. The only way to deal with these offworld possums is to bluff them hard and fast. So I got out of bed, ready to blast the door open and stun it with a scream like sperm whales do. I didn’t bother to put on any clothes: what’s modesty to a possum? Just leaned naked against the double glass doors and slammed them open, roaring at 747-takeoff volume.

A moment of social awkwardness ensued, because it wasn’t a possum out there. It was a tall thin human in black, with the standard lowlife haircut: short on top, long Rod Stewart rat tail down the back. This human was holding a big bunch of poppies—my poppies!—and preparing to pick more.

I took all this in quickly, while pushing the door open and screaming as loud as I could. The scream, or the sight of my naked body, which must have seemed at that instant a terrifying barrel of hair, fat and noise, discomfited the ninja harvester enough that he threw up his hands, turned and ran. The poppy bouquet went straight up in the air and landed right where he’d been standing. I ran outside, grabbed the uprooted poppies, took them inside and spent the rest of the night patrolling with a butcher knife. My poppies. Nobody gets my poppies, my little desperate hope for a couple of hours of warmth on this bleak rock. Thus one desperate wretch is made to fear another, to arm against another. That’s why the drug people all have pit bulls. After that night, I wanted to rent one myself, and tether it around the poppies.

This sort of undignified, desperate behavior is one of the great pleasures of the drug war for the Imperial drones who run it. They enjoy seeing the desperate writhe. Yachts are legal; Private tropical islands, casinos, concubines, betrayals…all not just legal but admired. But those are the pleasures of the victors; the pleasures of the defeated will always be illegal. And the poppy, the plant brought by Prometheus, will always be illegal.

When they get caught and put on trial by the peasants, everyone enjoys it. There was such a trial here a week ago. Three men got caught trying to boil up some poppies to make a few hours of respite from the wretchedness of life here. It made the papers. Here’s the story, from the Otago Daily Offworld Times of April 14, 2001:

Three Jailed for making opium from poppies

“Three men convicted of producing the class B controlled drug opium were each jailed when they appeared at Dunedin District Court. Before Judge John McDonald were Aaron Gourlay (28), unemployed, Walter Philip Poutama (29), solo parent, and Martin Douglas Upton (30), employed. Gourlay and Upton received 18-month prison terms, while Poutama’s sentence was 15 months. In each man’s case Judge McDonald took two years’ jail as the starting point for sentence.”

Two years. For gathering poppies and trying to make an ersatz opiate from it. Three poor losers trying to brew up a few hours’ respite from the bleakness here—and you can’t imagine that bleakness until you’ve spent a winter or two in the wind, in the rain, the decaying Calvinism, a bleached and contemptible evil gnawing the ends of its old plot.

That’s the difference, really: in California, the heroin is real. But these poor bastards could well have spent the day brewing and baking and stewing and fricasseeing—and ended up with nothing. It takes a field of poppies to yield even a few hours of relief.

But one is not supposed to want relief. Maybe that’s the real logic of the drug war: it’s unpatriotic to want relief. Alcohol is in tune with the horror, celebrates it, wallows in it. The poppy is truly an alien plant, a Promethean import, a subtle Asian critique of rugby and coalsmoke and crosses and false-toothed, double-tongued meanness. Perhaps they’re right to suppress it. But they can’t tell you to say No. The poppy has preempted that. That’s why they hate it: it is a quiet and complete “No” unto itself.”

- John Dolan, “Live From The Witch Trials.” The eXiled. March 2001, issue #111.

#poppy #opium #war on drugs #live from the witch trials #john dolan

[froggy-frogz]

Inside Job requests ? Awsome !

Best budd reader (gn) taking care of Andre while he’s sober, either for a work related mission or family dinner/event (reader considered Andre’s plus one)

A/N: I'm so excited to write this ahhhhhhh- Congrats on being my first Inside Job request ahfskhs. Andre's probably one of my top 3, though you can probably guess my other 2 favorites. I wanted to write this during the wedding ep [ep 6? I think] but I might do that as an alternative fic if yall want! [In the middle of this I got a really cool idea for like, a family dinner thing with his s/o type deal]

The gang had an interesting mission for this week. JR was sending the seven of you to a fancy gala to spy on some rich dude. You weren't honestly listening, you were more concerned with the more important mission you were given with your favorite coworker and friend, Andre. Well, the more, personal mission came more from Reagan pleading with you to make sure Andre was sober the entire time. She might as well have asked you to steal the Queen of England's jewels. That would be easier than making sure Andre was sober for an entire night.

"Can't I have just a bit?" Andre shifts in his seat, and you groan. It would have been fine if this was the first time he asked, but once the number had grown above like, 15, you had stopped keeping track and it was getting more frustrating.

"No, Andre. This is important. Trust me, I rather you be hyped on drugs. I don't like when you're a nervous wreck, it stresses me out too."

The car stops, and you gulp, it's one giant ass manor that you were currently parked in front of. You were sure it was bigger than the building you were at when at Yale-

"C'mon. The others are probably here." You open the door and offer Andre your hand, which he takes and squeezes. "Hey dude, you'll be good. I'm not going to leave your side."

You can tell that makes him feel better, as all tension leaves his shoulders and he pulls himself next to you, "Ok, let's go in before I want to get back in the car."

One hour in and you were sure Andre was going to snap. You were all in what you assumed was the dining hall, standing right next to him. He was sweating and you swear you could feel it. You weren't even that close to him.

"[Y/n]. I need something. Please- Let's just run over by Myc or something-" He stops when you shush him when the smartly dressed man at the front of the room clears his throat and steps up to a microphone.

"Let's not." I ignore everyone else for a second, grabbing an extra napkin from my pocket before dabbing the sweat droplets on Andre's face. "We're almost done. Then I swear we can both go get shitface drunk, but I need you to stay here with me."

He was quiet, like, eerily quiet for even sober Andre, and then after like a minute, he lets out a soft groan, "Sure. Okay, I'm sorry. It's just that my head is swarming and it feels like I'm going to explode."

"I'm sure we're almost done, Andre," You whisper, looking up at the front of the room.

"Oh shit it's getting worse." Andre rubs his eyes, and you wince, he wasn't doing it in a gentle way either, "Oh Jesus fucking Christ. [Y/n] I cannot stay sober, they all know this."

You take one of his hands again and squeeze it, and he squeezes it back, and you wince. He wasn't kidding. He really need something and needed it fast.

This seemed a bit worse than the accident on the boat... but he was holding himself together better, despite the sniffling, coughing, and tiny movements you could feel next to you.

"Fuc... Fuck, [Y/N] I can't breath."

Well shit. It'd probably be a good idea to get him out of here.

Your eyes shift around the room until you find Reagan, and make a gesture that you're going to leave the room, and she nods. There. Getting him out of the room for a moment should help.

You grab Andre's hand again and drag him out of the highly populated room until you find your way outside again, and thankfully, it was just the two of you.

"If I'm being honest, I was going to sneak you a blunt." You snort, once you were sure you two were alone.

Andre coughs and slumps against the wall, "I wish you would of. This fucking sucks."

Sitting next to him, you bonk your head into his, "I have a couple of ideas of what we can do to help calm you down. It's a couple of things my old therapists would tell me to do. Hell, one might work for you."

There was that silence again, and then you could feel him watching you.

"Alright [Y/n], let's try them, not like we can do anything else."

Tonight sure had been interesting, but at least he was calming down some.

#inside job #netflix inside job #inside job x reader #x reader #x gn reader #x male reader #andre lee #andre x reader

[asteroiideae]

How about Roy?

Sorry I sat on this for a day or so! I worked yesterday and it wiped me out. ALSO before I dig in, I'm going to put in a couple of caveats: 1. My Fanon!Roy experience is fairly limited to the RP communities I've been involved with for the last 10-15 years. 2. I haven't read any Roy content more recent than RHATO's early days. 3. I'm going to drop this under a read more for length, because I really popped off.

All of which to say, Roy is an interesting one, and I'm glad you asked! I think in order to address my feelings about Fanon, I once again have to dig into Canon, because a lot of the ways in which Fanon fails some of my favorite characters is closely tied to the ways in which Canon fails them? I think Roy is maybe the most blatant example of that.

So, Roy Harper's Canon, prior to 2011's New 52 reboot is basically that of a fallen hero who has clawed his way back up. We've watched him clash with his mentor, be effectively left by Ollie to deal with a task that is Too Big[tm], and suffer some consequences for it. As an aside, I think Roy's narrative immediately following Hard-Travelling Heroes - beginning with Snowbirds Don't Fly - is one of the more important comic arcs we see in the 1970s.

(Gonna pause to apologize for the vague historical overview that follows.) Snowbirds Don't Fly was published between August and November of 1971, and that's an extremely significant overlap between two events: Nixon's (and later Reagan's) War on Drugs announced in June of 1971, and the Vietnam War which spanned from 1955 to 1975. I won't go into why these two events coexisted TOO much but I will note that the Vietnam War created various subcultures associated with war (among anti-war hippies, and returning veterans who were deeply fucked up by their experience and had no PTSD to be diagnosed with, and had to self-medicate.) Nixon's creation of the War on Drugs was, of course, inherently racist. One of his staff members (John Ehrlichman) is on record saying as much, but I won't share his quote here to avoid triggering anyone. TL;DR at the height of the Nixon administration using their new "War on Drugs" to go after left-leaning anti-war protestors, Black people, and traumatized veterans, we get THIS storyline. The side-kick of a well-respected, left-leaning hero develops an addiction and the pair of them have to grapple with how it happened and the consequences of it.

I can't speak for the intent OR the landing in 1971 because I wasn't here for it; but I will suggest, as I referenced in my Ollie hot takes, that Oliver Queen prior to this had been consistently written as a left-leaning character (and would continue to be afterwards.) So I imagine the point was to bring the issue of addiction into the homes of Americans (specifically white, middle-class) in a way that was more humanizing than threatening. Look! Here we have all-American Speedy! Battling a drug addiction! This is a struggle and an issue that can impact anyone!

But what I think is so important about Roy Harper's pre-2011 Canon is what happens next. Because what we get is a little over three decades of a DC hero, who works through the fall out of his addiction, and actively lives in recovery. Snowbirds Don't Fly wasn't a one and done storyline! We don't erase this traumatic, life-altering thing that happens to Roy! He gets back on his feet, and he relapses, and he makes questionable choices, and he pushes away his friends and has to mend bridges. He finds out he's a father, and vows to turn his life around.

NOW there's some ish around Roy's taking on of Lian Harper full-time (which @thequiver has talked about a LOT, and if you want a breakdown of that Roy and Jade dynamic, I'd refer you there for something better than I can provide.) But setting that aside, here we are in the middle of the 90s and 00s ramp-up of The War on Drugs[tm] and Roy Harper is a single father, trying to stay clean to raise his daughter.

I can't stress how powerful of a counter-narrative Roy Harper must have been for those who live with addiction - because, as every addict I've ever met has said, that is something you always live with.

Then, in 2011, DC pretty much erased all of Roy Harper's growth and development and the power of his story. For anyone still reading this novel, let me tell you - when I read the first volume of RHATO I was deeply upset. That reset button hurt in a similar way that seeing Babs magically "healed" hurt.

So a lot of Fanon!Roy follows that same trajectory - I see a LOT of angry, distressed, bitter, anti-hero Roy emphasized over and over and over again. Which is probably Roy at his least interesting, for me? That is an incomplete picture of who this character became, and part of WHY he was so good??? His relationship with Ollie hits so hard because these are two men who have hurt each other in the past, and loved each other enough to work through it and overcome that damage. His relationship with Lian is one of wanting so badly to be the person that little girl sees when she looks at him. His relationship with Dinah is that of a boy who found warm arms to hold him when everyone else had turned him away. His relationships with Connor and Mia are so protective because he KNOWS what this job can do to you, despite Ollie's best efforts.

Of course there's pockets of the internet where Roy gets to be fully-developed; and even in the areas where he's not - where we're right back to brooding, bitter, broken Roy, I can't blame Fanon because they're right back where DC dumped them a decade ago and insists on leaving them. If, after all this, you'd like to jump into this ask game and see me pop off about a fandom character of your choice, just send me an ask with the character and fandom names!

#ask game #Roy Harper #dc comics #tw addiction #tw racism #tw american politics