#and that fear vs faith is one of the bigger differences between the two

[wickedpact]

i would like to hear ur essay if ur willing to share it 👀 - 2 thoughts anon

Hokay so. the thing about joe and anger is every time we see joe get angry, or say hes angry, or lash out at someone (ie. signs of anger) we are Very Pointedly shown him afraid first, and usually the Thing Hes Angry At is The Thing That Made Him Scared/Caused The Fear

which, like i said in my tags, makes sense. anger is a secondary emotion. people are never angry ‘just because’ there is always an underlying reason for anger whether fear, insecurity, exhaustion, etc etc

so, essentially: for joe, anger is always a response to fear (long post w pictures under cut)

but anyways the first time in the movie we see joe show anything close to anger is at the end of the kill floor fight. andy asks for check ins and joe spits out a bullet and says he’s ‘very pissed off’ (which always makes me laugh cause you know. his soft little voice. anyways)

prior to this fight, what do you see? this little face

and i think it was.. really Deliberately done that when nicky died, he fell on his side facing joe, but joe died facing completely the other way, so the audience sees him slowly turn his head a whole 180 degrees. its like a 2 or 3 second shot, gives you a long second to absorb the fear -> relief on joe’s face. nicky meanwhile, when we cut to him, is already in ‘lets get these bitches’ mode. whether he had that same fear moment as joe did or not (he prolly did), the movie doesnt care enough to show us. however, the movie does show and does want you to know, hey, Joe Was Scared Here.

which, you know, this also moment functions as a little tease/foreshadowing/whatever of their relationship, for those who dont know about it going in. and its like a completely separate topic about how i love that they did that, slowly give the audience bigger and bigger hints that ‘hey, there’s Something Going On between those two’ until it becomes explicitly obvious theyre a couple

Anyways. movie deliberately shows joe being scared out of his mind when he looks to nicky, and then a few minutes later, joe’s pissed. he says as much.

(plus, not really the point of the meta, but he also got killed here, so it wasnt like he was having a good time in the first place)

but anyways thats the first example

the next time we see joe angry, he’s lashing out at the van guards. which. its not like they exactly earned joe’s respect there. (or mine) but again, we see the same pattern. joe’s angry. why is joe angry? hes scared.

i dont even need two screenshots this time bc in this example the fear event is happening at the same time as the anger

i love this line bc the words themselves come off as pretty... you know, challenging & he sounds pretty pissed when he says them. but, again, look at his little face, his brows are up, he’s near tears. it always gets me how, in this scene, joe panics so fast when nicky doesnt wake up.

honestly its never even specified whether nicky was dead or unconscious on the van (none of his bullet wounds are lethal, it depends on what kind of gas they used) and yet when he doesnt wake up, joe just immediately panics. he struggles against the guards pulling him back, his voice starts cracking, it raises in pitch, he gets near tears, and it takes.. like, seconds for him to get like that. ten seconds at the absolute most, probably less. he sounds like hes close to a panic attack to me. just utterly terrified. so: he snaps at the guards.

but only once. once nicky is awake, that all just goes. the next time the guard yells at him joe is just... super calm, super composed, mr. ‘I Need To Know He’s Okay.’ The fear was gone, so the anger was pretty much also gone. even when he’s delivering ‘youre a child’ later on, he doesnt sound that angry, just like.. disappointed and mildly annoyed, i guess.

and then, next time you see him pissed is the headbutt scene and idk if i even need to explain that one much. he and nicky were kidnapped, nicky gave joe a big fuckin scare, there were homophobes, obviously joe’s having a bad time, and merrick’s the source of all that

so again he lashes out and Oh Boy Does That End Badly For Him

and im gonna skip over booker and go to keane real quick-- ive obviously spoken All The Words In The English Language about every scene that keane breathes in, but You’ll Hear Me Say Them Again!!

when joe fights keane, (like ive pointed out) he kicks keane’s gun out of his hands and drops his own. like, joe very specifically wanted to kill this dude with his bare hands, in a manner that resembled how keane killed nicky (as joe is a very passionate enforcer of the golden rule here & i lov him for it)

& like ive Also Pointed Out, in the bts footage, when keane pulls the gun he killed nicky with on joe, joe just fucking wallops him for it

like joe was just not having anything keane was selling, and as much as its important to point out that joe-- you know, its not like he’s flown into a rage here, the movie pretty deliberately shows him looking pretty horrified With Life right after he kills keane. but joe is pissed here, and he does draw out keane’s death pointedly and purposefully [good for him dot png]

........and again, what do we see before this? the image of my heart breaking in two for joe

again, joe being angry is precluded by him being afraid-- notably and specifically, afraid of nicky dying. and you know... when you make movies, its always very purposeful what’s shown and what isn’t, because theyre such relatively short forms of entertainment. a novel can take days to read and absorb; a movie doesnt have that kind of time. And Yet, tOG makes a specific point to show joe scared out of his wits after nicky dying on three(3) separate occasions, and lingers with him, sometimes for whole minutes, showing his reaction to the idea of maybe losing nicky

the reaction being: pure fucking panic

and you know, this movie is crammed to the gills with stuff. the fact that none of those 3 moments, despite all showing relatively the same thing, werent cut, is important. the movie practically waves a flag that says ‘JOE IS AFRAID OF LOSING NICKY’ in blinking lights at the viewer

(and covering my bases: that isnt to say that nicky isnt afraid of joe dying, there are a couple times its kind of implied or shown nicky has that kind of fear too, but the movie doesnt prioritize showing it the way it does with joe. and ive also got another essay in me about how nicky’s fear of losing joe and joe’s fear of losing nicky are 2 different monsters from what we see of their reactions to loss/potential loss in the movie, but that’s a different conversation)

and: And! this reaction isnt just limited to nicky! we see it with andy too, which brings me to: bastard french man

joe’s anger with booker is interesting to me ‘cause its not in the comic. neither joe or nicky’s reaction to booker’s betrayal is shown-- we never see the moment they find out. and i keep wondering-- rucka said that when he was adapting the comics he wanted to do more character work, but also, he also said he knew that the comics and the movie had to be different

and they are different; the whole business with joe and nicky getting captured is different, and doesnt become nearly as dire as it does in the movie. and i keep wondering, why does joe’s reaction to booker’s betrayal go from ‘not important enough to even be shown’ to ‘reinforced several times over the course of-- maybe 20 minutes?’

and they dont do the same with nicky! we dont get much of any reaction from nicky towards booker besides a couple frowny faces. nicky barely looks at booker throughout the whole damn movie, and that holds up after his betrayal too. and even with the frowny faces, none of those shots are even centered on nicky-- so like. thats not really changed from the comic.

nicky’s reaction to booker’s betrayal is, again, not prioritized, joe’s is.

and is that because-- character work, rucka giving joe more development, or is that because the circumstance of the betrayal is different?

if you’re inclined to believe the latter, looking at all the differences between the comic and the movie, you know what the biggest is?

andy’s mortal in the movie. andy got shot in the movie. andy nearly died in the movie. because of booker’s betrayal.

and again. joe’s allowed to be angry he got captured and tortured. but in the comics, joe gives precisely 2 shits that he was captured and tortured. movie joe, not so much.

not to mention that he very pointedly -- ive seen a lot of people imply that joe was so angry at booker because his actions got nicky tortured. and again hes allowed to be angry about that. but we see him specifically say to booker, when booker says ‘all [me and andy] had was our grief’ joe replies ‘now you have even more’. that’s not about nicky getting tortured. that’s not about joe getting tortured. thats about the possibility that andy could be bleeding out in front of their eyes.

and that must have been especially terrifying for joe, because joe and nicky didnt know the extent of the damage done to andy, and nicky was at least red cross at some point, so he may have some knowledge of Mortal First Aid, but if andy’s reaction to the medical stuff at the corner store was any indication, the OG4 probably have a fairly vague sense of how fast Normal People heal, and what counts as fatal to them.

joe hears booker say ‘i killed her’ and ‘shes not healing’. andy’s covered in blood and already looks half dead. kozak is scrambling to hook andy up to stuff. for all joe knows, andy could be seconds or minutes from death in that scene. and shes so important to him, to him and nicky. theyve known her hundreds of years, she’s been their leader for hundreds of years, their closest friend, their oldest friend. the idea of losing her now must be terrifying.

and i think that reaction joe has when he first hears andy isnt healing is a really good synergy of that fear + anger response. you know? it’s like ‘oh god not this’ in a frightened way and ‘oh god not this’ in an vexed way. like ‘dont we have enough shit to deal with right now?’

and i think there’s something to be said about the fact that when nicky tells joe to stop, joe keeps yelling at booker. but when andy tells joe to stop, he literally doesnt say another single word to booker for the rest of the movie

and on top of that, we see joe sending andy these worried little glances throughout the penthouse fight. he was the one to tell the others to cover andy. like. he was visibly frightened for her.

and so joe finds out that booker’s betrayal was the reason for all this fear throughout the movie, and then joe has an outlet for it. so: he yells at him. so hes angry at him.

& thats what the movie keeps showing us, again and again. joe is put in a situation where he might lose a loved one, and that terrifies him like we dont see anything else scare him-- and then that fear leads to anger. i just think it was really. like. thoughtful and a precise attention to detail that that cycle was shown again and again for joe, that he didnt just, like, get pissed out of nowhere for no reason, he was given a specific and relatable reason for getting angry every time he did, and that anger also helps you get a better sense of who joe is & what he prioritizes.

ie. it all comes down to love, for him, and that’s like. the hallmark of his character (nicky’s too). like the base of him comes down to love. and.

i wuv him.

#and thats also to say that the base of him is love #but also fear #and i think in a similar way the base of nicky is love #but also faith #and that fear vs faith is one of the bigger differences between the two #anyways. #2thoughts anon #Anonymous #my_essays

[tiaramaki]

Is it always God's will for Christians to be healed?

I've seen all three sides of this issue from various people and denominations, and there's some arguments that can make sense from two of them. It is pretty difficult to word the short answer, since if I say it wrong, I risk either sounding like one of the "everything is good and rainbows" preachers, or a heretic that believes that healing is unbiblical and we sin if we wish for good health at all.

Ultimately, from some interpretations of scripture and testimonies from other ministers and people and myself, I would have to say "Like many prayers, whether we receive healing or not depends on circumstances and certain factors; however, even though healing isn't always obtained, He will never place a sickness on Christians Himself". Let me explain.

When we do see Christ healing the people in the New Testament, He: a) does express His will for healing in Matthew 8:3 with the leper (and touching him to heal, to boot), b) expresses that some people had gained the healing they wished through their faith (the woman with the issue of blood in Matthew 9:20-22/Mark 5:27-34; the centurion with the servant in Matthew 8:8-10,13; the blind beggar in Luke 18:40-42; the blind men in Matthew 9:27-30), c) although interestingly, He also does this for the people in Nazareth in Mark 6:4-6 despite their lack of faith in Him (although healing is not mentioned in Matthew 13:58's account of that moment).

We also have had healings in the New Testament after Christ's ascension, such as with Paul in Acts 28:8 and Peter in Acts 3:6. We also see instructions such as James 5:14-16 for those who are sick.

1 Peter 2:24 is one verse I've seen and heard many times that's used for the argument of healing being His will for us. Some people have put forth arguments of it meaning a physical healing, others a spiritual kind of healing in relation to our salvation. The older Greek word that's translated as "you were/are/have been healed" (depending on your translation), ἰαθῆτε, also is used in James 5:16. The root word of this Greek verb, which is ἰάομαι, which has two definitions according to the Strong's lexicon. One is "to make whole; to free from errors and sins, to bring about (one's) Salvation"; the other is "to cure, heal", thus both. And all variations of this word in the older Greek appears in the various verses I've already provided where physical healings have occurred (in fact, it seems more like the majority of variations are in relation to physical healing, 26 compared to the spiritual's 2 in the KJV according to Blue Letter Bible).

So from the looks of things, it seems that healing is something that God would see as good for us to have, since He has done it quite a bit in the New Testament. But not every prayer for supernatural healing is answered with that healing (I can count myself for two examples). So what would the circumstances and factors be for not receiving healing if we've asked for it?

One possible factor can be a level of faith. That's not to say that you don't have any faith whatsoever if your healing doesn't come, but different people have different levels of faith; some people need to build their faith to higher points to get a certain level of healing, like how one may do exercises to strengthen certain muscles. It's more of how we think about "big" vs "little" healings: diabetes we consider bigger than just a bad scrape on our knee in our natural minds (just to give an example) so to us, a higher level of faith could be needed. Jude 1:20 comes to mind for the instruction of building one's faith up. As for the level of faith, Matthew 17:19-21 is one example (the sickness came from a demon possessing the boy, and the healing came after it was driven out; the disciples could not drive it out themselves because, in Christ's own words, their lack of faith). For my circumstances with my health, I would say I have some need to build my faith a little further, especially considering my own fears I have because of them. I may say to myself that I have a strong enough faith, but sometimes even the words that I say regarding them make me realize I have some way to go before I get to that mustard seed level.

A second possible reason is the motive for your wish for healing. I'm going to be optimistic and say that the vast majority of prayers for healing are for good reasons and quality of life for us. But there are some reasons that can be sinful--say that someone with eyesight problems wants healing for "staring at cute girls/boys" (unironically), or to have stomach problems go away just to eat outside of moderation, or to take revenge or hurt someone. Having been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes three years ago (with it developing sometime before that), it's brought on a lot of worries and sadness and fear for me, but it also has taught me the importance of eating in moderation through a less-than-ideal circumstance; my one uncertainty is, am I disciplined enough that when/if my healing comes, will I continue eating well on my own?

Another possibility is that the physical or mental condition one has could be used to help lead another to salvation, or to help oneself be or staying strong in the faith. Say that one has an illness that requires going to a place where many people are. There are opportunities to help bring the others to Christ, or to even build up another's faith through discussion, and no one else would be a better candidate for that. Or for another example, even though Asperger's Syndrome is something that's hindered me socially in many many ways (and I do gripe about it quite a bit), it's likely been why I've been so adamant about my beliefs and my faith (even though I'm sure it's been a headache to some people).

A mighty work can be done even without healing taking place or it being done when the ailment has progressed, which could lead others into salvation that way. Take, for example, Lazarus, who did not receive healing while living. Instead, Christ brought him back from the dead, and that miracle would surely bring people to believe in Him as Messiah, if not glorify God.

It could also be an exercise in patience on His timing as well. A lot of us nowadays could be reasonably considered as impatient because of how our cultures are and how we want things to happen as soon as we want them to. Luke 11:10 comes to mind; keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking even if it doesn't come to you in the timeframe you've set for it to be there.

This factor I've only known about through one minister's secondhand testimony (which is why I've listed it as last), but it's something that I think needs to be added to the list: if, after healing is obtained, the Christian may turn away from the faith for good, in which case God would see it better for that one to leave the world while still being saved. But this is a very rare circumstance, so certainly don't panic and immediately think this may be your reasons for not having received healing.

I'm sure there are other factors that may come into play, but these are all that I can think of so far. But don't lose faith if healing hasn't arrived; just because a package hasn't come in yet doesn't mean you'll never get it. He can also use your circumstances for good, whether for yourself or for others.

However, I will say one thing, and this relates to the last point of the short answer: whatever your physical or mental ailment may be, God did not put it on you. We live in a fallen world, where sickness and disease had come in by way of Original Sin. Even Christ said, "'What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead...? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?'" (Luke 11:11-12). God did not force my body to develop type 2 diabetes (that was my fault) or for me to be Aspergic (that was the fault of the natural world being as broken as it is). He does not give you or your family members cancer, or force unborn children to be miscarried, or made me get Covid to "help save someone from someplace far away through my suffering". But people who do say stuff like that (that one post about healing came to mind, and it drove me into a rage because of that one person saying stuff to that effect), we're making Him to be the thing that many, many unbelievers assume Him to be, a God that puts suffering onto us despite living our lives to Him. There's a difference between "what was done for evil, God will use for good" and "God gave this evil to you for the sake of good."

Sorry this took so long. Like I said before, I might not have covered everything (I've been working on this so long I'm starting to get hungry, oops), so I apologize if I missed anything.

#asks #tiara talks #tiara's christian theology longpost tiem

[btsandvmin]

why do u think fandom brozone vmin so much? it doesnt happen nearly as often w other ships

I have talked about this a great deal before, and for good reason. It does happen a lot, and it has always been like this. At least I can speak for the years I have been in the fandom as the first post I ever made properly was about this exact topic. (The “bromance” issue) It’s short and a bit outdated, and honestly we also have to admit that while a lot of people still keep insisting on Vmin not being shippable and being “brozoned or friendzoned” there are also a lot more people who both ship Vmin and even see actual real potential in them being more. (You can even tell by the increase in analysis here on tumblr.)

Personally regarding the “issue” of how Vmin are viewed I am no longer as annoyed with it as I used to be. I do think it’s mainly a problem when other shippers come and say it about Vmin, because that is frankly just hypocritical. I have also written  Normalizing Vmin or “Vmin” and  Shipping vs Believing that explains more about my views on the subject of friendzoning and shipping as a whole. (Personally I feel Vmin get more friendzoned than brozoned, but that’s just a minor detail.)

But your question was about why you think the fandom brozone/friendzone Vmin so much, so let’s get to that.

First of all I obviously think there are several reasons, but this is all based on my speculations after being in this fandom for so long and what I have seen. Every person could have their own very different reasons to why they think the way they do. I think all the reasons play a part, but might not be equally important and might also not apply to every single person, but rather affect the fandom as a whole in one way or another.

So let’s break it down to the things I think play the biggest role in why Vmin are seen as platonic, regardless of if they are or not, just simply compared to a lot of the other ships.

1. They have since the start used the label “friend” or “best friend” to describe each other. In particular the label “chingu” of course, which in actuality is used to described someone of the same age that you are close with. 

2. The English translation and constant use of “friend” will when repeated constantly get stuck in people’s minds and affect how they view a dynamic. Just how “hyung” gets translated to brother, but a lot less well known and noted by the fandom. Basically the western fandom will likely get even more platonic feelings towards Vmin because of the word being translated to friends.

3. Compared to the other “chingus” in the group, Namjoon and Hobi, there is much more emphasis on Vmin as the same age and as being close and best friends. Namjoon himself made a comment on this. I also think the use of “friends” or more recently “soulmates” by editors is a reply to this, basically that the editors too use these words because they are used a lot by the members first. Hence it gets doubly reinforced. Every time we hear it or read it we get another reminder of Vmin being friends.

4. Their early dymanics were less soft. A lot of their interactions were teasing like Taehyung’s “Jiminie pabo” and fans saw it as two siblings or friends rather than as the “teasing your crush”. Basically people didn't read their behavior as romantic. When BTS first started Vmin already called each other best friends, and that stuck, even more so in combination with people basically not seeing any "spark" between them. I would call this preference in a lot of cases.

5. There were in the beginning already a lot of competition between ships. Jimin often focused in a lot on JK and basically flirted with him while he at the same time brushed off Tae when he did similar towards Jimin. Meanwhile Tae and JK had a very physical relationship as well and JK often seemed the most open and comfortable with Tae. I think both of Vmin kind of pushing themselves on and teasing JK was a dynamic many shippers like. Meanwhile you aslo had Yoonmin getting popular due to Yoongi seeming a bit soft on Jimin and Jimin being very open and loud with wanting attention from Yoongi.

6. Some people find Vmin's dynamics boring. To a lot of shippers “too” obvious closeness might be a little boring and get labeled as just being friends or bros. This was in particular evident in the early days of Vmin. It also matters for fan content, and we can see a lot of Vmin fiction use a bit more “soft” tropes and might not get as many readers as more conflict driven plot. For me I would also include Vmin’s bias towards each other as another point here, that people might see as too much if they are a couple and have to hide. Basically a lot of people don’t see friendship to romance as the most interesting, or the "obvious and equal dynamic" as interesting. BTS said Vmin were the closest or the “best duo” etc. but since all of them were close people picked based on preference for their ship. Of course this still applies to shippers now, they fall for the type of dynamic they like, but now they also have a easier time getting convinced by material from other shippers. Having analysis is another thing that can make a ship more appealing as well.

7. Speaking of, fan content getting created and spread will reinforce certain images. Reading BTS fanfiction or watching moment videos you will see a lot of Vmin being “the best friends”. Basically once the image is used a lot, it will get more spread and used even more. It will be a constant in many places and when talking to a lot of people. It will also of course pull people in to other ships that makes Vmin impossible. Not to mention the big ships will get bigger and spread more easily.

8. Now this might not be true for a lot of people. But I have come across a lot of fans who seem to think being a friend is something that makes romance less likely. For me I want my partner to be my best friend as well, but a lot of people do see these two things as mutually exclusive. Many see friend and lover as two very different things and that you have one best friend and one partner, not someone that are both. Basically just the view on friendships and labels and how that might lead to some feeling being romantically involved is something separate from a close friendship. 

9. Other ships spreading the narrative even further. It’s easier to just call Vmin friends, honestly. It’s often hard to deny their closeness (not that you should have to just because you ship something else, doesn’t change reality). But Vmin being so close and being part of the three biggest ships in BTS of course their label as best friends will be spread and used even more by those shippers. And because of the size of those ships it eventually gets turned into not just those shippers views, but the whole fandom’s.

10. More recently I would also say fear is a reason why people push back and try to remind the fandom that Vmin are “just friends”. Because we have very bad examples of what happens when shipping goes too far, basically it makes many non shippers try to protect Vmin from the same faith. Not a bad thing (again, as long as you don’t ship something else and is a hypocrite), but it surely does further the narrative of Vmin being very platonic. (A bad group is of course included here, which are homophobic fans, but since they feel the same about all ships it’s just a sidenote.)

11. Lastly, and probably most influentual, is the fact that Vmin and BTS friendzone Vmin in many ways, constantly. 

I won’t go into all the examples, but I think we all know a few moments even at the top of our heads by now.

I mean.... They called their song about being soulmates and wanting to be together for eternity "Friends". And maybe that's what they are, but they sure like to remind us.

So we have times when BTS or Vmin basically remind us and spells it out even more clearly that Vmin are FRIENDS. They use it very very often, and personally to me sometimes at very weird moments. Even so, the things most fans see will of course be what they say. Vmin are friends and that is it.

And at face value that is true. I just personally don’t see being best friends (and soulmates) as meaning they can’t be more as well. Especially since they wouldn’t even be able to say more than that. I mean, if Vmin are basically described as the closest in BTS, then why does that mean they have less odds of being real? Being friends doesn’t have to equal being only friends.

However, Vmin have in fact said things against being interested/denied the other, I don’t want to lie. I am sure some would see this as 100% truth and use it againt the possibility of Vmin being real. Like when Taehyung basically said he would rather date Hobi.

However, Jimin said he would definitely choose Taehyung to date, but that gets ignored by people who ship Jimin with others, so it’s really just about choosing what fits your narrative. All ships have contradicting moments or statments or answers where they answer two different things at two different times in general.

We also have how Jimin answered back to Taehyung about liking men by saying he isnt “like that” to Taehyung.

There are moments like this, and even though they might be small and forgotten by most I think they could in a sense still have registered in some fans who then basically managed to spreak the “vmin are just bros/friends” into the more common perception. 

However we also have opposite moments when they try to appeal to each other, or like when Taehyung asks Jimin to be the girlfriend etc. and personally though I do take these things into account it’s a bit like when you see members say “men can’t do this or that” and it doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t be queer. To me even though there are things against most ships, there are still a lot that speaks for some, and that’s why I remain unsure.

Sometimes you might get more defensive or nervous if there is some truth in there as well. It’s all about interpretation, even though I don’t want to blatantly ignore what they say. But since they have said and done directly contradicting things (like how Jimin said he would choose to date Tae while also saying he doesn’t act like “that” to Tae, or how they have changed a lot of answers in general) I also don’t see it as something definitely against them being more. Not to mention time can change things as well. 

In the end though this isn’t about what other things there might be that show Vmin might be more than friends or not, but simply reasons for the fandom’s view of them as platonic. (Personally I think they do a lot of things not normally seen as platonic, which is obviously the reason for me having this blog and writing anlysis on them.)

So, Vmin is friendzoned by the group, and by shippers of bigger ships, and even by themselves at times. Then everything else is reinforcement and inability to view them as anything more than friends.

There are some other things I think might play a part in it as well, but most comes down to personal preferences or what you get exposed to. Like who is the bias of the shipper and what things do they come across to make them a shipper, what kind of dynamics do they like etc. (It's more likely for someone who "falls" for JK to have JK in his ship, for example. Because they will focus on him and notice his interactions and then likely fall for a certain dynamic.)

History is a huge factor in general, and trying to change the perspective of the fandom might not be easy. But with a lot of new fans coming in and seeing with their own eyes how Vmin have behaved the last two years in particular, I think we can see a change.

Vmin are loved by the majority of this fandom, and that’s far better than them having people be anti them because of their ship being too big or too toxic. So in the end I do feel it’s a good things for them and for us that Vmin is being viewed as mostly platonic while they manage to slowly include more “normally not platonic things” into their platonic box. (I mean we are at a point where they can casually mention sleeping together and sing about being soulmates and hold hands in public).

Thank you for the ask and I hope you found this interesting. This is a topic I have a lot of opinions on and think is interesting myself, so I hope you enjoyed this post. No matter what we all know that one truth won’t change; 95z is love!

#vmin #vmin analysis #vmin friendzoned #vmin friends #vmin bromance #btsandvmin ask #btsandvmin answer #btsandvmin

[liveshaunted-moved]

headcanon dump; varian

In canon verses, Varian never takes any training, therefore all the things he learns is through doing, and reading himself. In Modern verses, when Varian is tasked with Homework, it is generally done when he gets home. He does it first, so he can spend more time on doing the things he loves and researching things he likes over things he has too do.

Doing his homework is a tiring task asked of him, he actually hates it which is also why he would do it first, to get the things he doesn’t like out of the way to leave room for the things he does enjoy.

you know that mocking thing people do when someone they don’t like is talking, when their back is turned? yeah, varian does that when king fredrick talks, quirin has caught this and chide him, but varian has caught him giving the biggest eye rolls ever when the king isn’t looking

Sleep? Him and sleep didn’t get on for a good four to seven years from the moment he saw his father encased in the amber. There were constant nightmares, and he would force himself to stay awake. Other times, he just wouldn’t sleep because he was too focused on his works and couldn’t stop, because he had to finish it. He has been forced to go to sleep by those around him.

despite varian feeling hurt, or like there was some wrong sense of justice when concerning cass’ punishment compared to his, he doesn’t HATE cass or rapunzel. he can’t bring himself to hate them, because at different times they both have helped him. he just needs to work through his feelings, and talk about how the events make him feel instead of bottling it up like last time

varian, concerning his feelings about the whole cass seemingly getting away with her crimes deal, as well as specifically with cass the whole kidnapping ( and others ) thing. he will talk about those feelings first with any of these ; quirin, lance or eugene, before talking about it with rapunzel and cass, just so he doesn’t make them feel bad for his feelings bc yes he still loves and cares for them, they’re like his family even if they’ve had rough patches, he doesn’t want them to feel bad for what he is feeling, even if what he’s feeling is valid.

varian is a quick learner, when it comes to skills. and he can actually pick things up quickly, especially if he enjoys the task / activity

varian masters his potion to enlarge ruddiger to make it more safe for ruddiger

varian also learns about the things fredrick does and redirects his blame ( bc that doesn’t just go away, even if he felt guilty for what he did - he still has the right to feel HURT by rapunzels actions in the show ). but, upon learning that the king is the reason for the rocks in the first place, how the king made his father feel like he won’t listen to reason so therefore making his father lie to try and fix what he could - varian realises the problem is with the king and the system the king has put in place. and because of this, he won’t listen to orders from the king at all even as the ‘royal engineer’, NOR will he listen to nigel.

quirin’s wife, and varian’s mother actually left them when varian turned five / when the blue streak in his hair developed. quirin was open about what had happened in the dark kingdom, and that he feared the streak was something like the lost princess’ hair, his wife couldn’t take it - so left them, under the rouse of ‘going to get some food’ from the town.

varian can lie quite well, he just can’t if he’s put right on the spot or even feels slightly confronted with one of his lies. he does manage to trick rapunzel, all while lying because he doesn’t beleive that raps ‘did what she had too’ at that point in time ( later will truly believe it )

i feel like, it wasn’t just the ‘three interactions’ before varian turned, it was small interactions that garnered a friendship. it was small, ‘hi’s and hello’s’ and a few bigger talks, especially after raps & cass find out about varian knowing about the rocks. it wasn’t a huge friendship in the eye of let’s say the fandom or even maybe cass or raps eyes, but varian it was different, he saw their friendship as a lot because they were the only ones to be his friends ( which aids in varian’s hero worship crush on cass ).

his friendship with eugene and lance doesn’t grow or strengthen until the third season, bc eugene is shown to be sceptical of varian in the first season which is valid because varian’s inventions have been not so safe.

i’ll expand a little on why i said eugene would be someone varian going to about his feelings regarding rapunzel and cass, despite him being close with the two. from this post here

and it is to do with his trust. eugene didn’t have to speak to varian alone about his worries about quirin potentially being a cass minion ( that’s what i’m calling it now ), eugene could have called it out in front of everyone, could have said something while everyone was around, but instead he waited for when he and varian were alone and that made varian feel like, even though he was kind of mad at eugene for it ( bc who wouldn’t ) but he takes it into consideration, because it made him feel like on some level eugene cared about his feelings enough to do it one on one.

and i feel like, over the course of season 3, they developed a friendship which he doesn’t have much of, and he holds it in high regards.

reminder that varian does hold a bitterness towards rapunzel and cass after the events that transpired in the last ep but unlike in season one, he’s grown and is learning to speak about how he feels about it. so he could be a little guarded around these two, and even the king and queen themselves.

he might confinde in his father, eugene, lance, angry or cat first about these feelings because he knows what bottling it up and trying to sort it out himself is like… it doesn’t work out well for him

varian isn’t afraid of heights, not even after cass encased him in a cage at well over 70ft in the air, and then falling from that height. heights do not scare him. but thin ledges? yeah, fuck those, he won’t do that.

varian has a scar on the back of his head from when he injured it in what the hair 

while varian is does everything he can to prove his worth again, to prove he is trust worthy once again to rapunzel, it’s not just that way. much like she doesn’t automatically forgive him, he doesn’t automatically forgive her. it’s a two way street, their whole relationship after the opening of season 3 is the both of them rebuilding their trust and faith in each other

varian hold just a bit of bitterness towards cass / raps? yes, but he has controlled it and doesn’t let it fester. he’s learnt to control it because what it happened last time, he doesn’t want to let himself get that far.

this steams from rapunzel’s actions towards cass vs her actions towards him. he see’s that, from his point of view as different. that cass was forgiven much easier then he was, she didn’t have to do anything to gain the trust back of rapuzel, whereas he felt that he had too ( because in his eyes, when he ‘switched sides back to her’ that was when she forgave him because he had no signs of her doing so before hand ).

also does he feel guilty for feeling like this? you bet

while wearing gloves is a way to mimic his father, and to ‘be more like’ his father, it’s also a sensory sensitivity for varian. he has multiple pairs of gloves because a lot of the time they can burn up or get badly damaged. all his gloves are leather, any other material itches or just doesn’t feel right on his hands and at times, if wearing other material can get him frustrated with them, and then substantially at his work.

while varian does get back on everyone’s good side again, he still hates the king, because he heard the promise of trying to free his ( varian’s ) father, but when he broke out - he automatically went back to his own home, only to find it dusted over - like no one has been there in months - meaning no one has tried to free his father.

varian copies those he looks up too. a few examples are; constantly wearing gloves, his father does that ( we the viewer know it’s to cover his brotherhood mark ), and then, varian does too, to be more like his dad.

he has copied nicknames for people from eugene. example, eugene has called xavier ‘xaves’ and then later on, varian is seen saying that too

varian constantly wears gloves to be like his father, he noticed at a young age, that his father constantly wore gloves - and, so he too then wore gloves all the time.

varian’s ‘crush’ on cass, was more hero worship type crush, then a true crush.

varian get’s one last growth spurt before he turns eighteen, it wasn’t magic or alchemy, though he totally got accused of it, but it seemingly happened over night ( it happened over a period of time where he secluded himself as he worked on something ). he ends up between the height of rapunzel and eugene

Varian eventually learns that magic and science go hand in hand, that magic is itself a form of science itself, and that science is a form of magic. That it’s just a matter if perspective

#i will prove that the way i used to be is all in the past ( varian canons ) #long post tw #we're standing on the edge of queue

[korranguyen]

Some thoughts on romance in TDP and ATLA: What Does Rayllum Get Right?

Okay, I know this post doesn’t do much service to this claim, but I don’t love the idea of directly comparing ships to one another. Every relationship is different in the context it takes place, and it’s just as unfair to directly compare any two relationships as it would be to compare two different couples in real life: every person, and by extension, every character, is unique in their own way. Not to mention I’m a bit hesitant to write this because TDP just found its footsteps away from ATLA with the new season, and I honestly fear plaguing the lovely positivity of the TDP fan base with old wounds from the ATLA ship wars.

BUT since there are already a lot of popular Kataang/Rayllum comparison posts floating around, I feel the need to share my two cents on the bit as someone who wholeheartedly enjoys the trajectory of Rayllum, but had my... reservations when it came to the canonized romance in ATLA.

Instead of dwelling on those reservations, though, I’m gonna focus on talking about and validating the parts of the ships we do like (meaning both Zutarians and Kataangers).

This essay, in a nutshell:

Two ships form an unlikely bond and find their peace in the midst of warring kingdoms fandoms. #amirite

What Rayllum Learns from Zutara

TBQH I surprised by how many embraced the Kataang/Rayllum parallels because the setup itself reminded me of Zutara— not Kataang. They share a similar origin story: Rayla threatens Callum in an attempt to pursue his little brother, just like how Zuko often pursued Katara to capture Aang. Their introductions are antagonistic, if not explicitly violent, but because the writers take the time to humanize both characters outside of these interactions, the audience understands that these conflicts happen because they’re driven by motivations from opposite sides of the war. Of course, when they are forced to become allies, it’s... not as smooth-sailing as you’d expect.

At its core, both Rayllum and Zutara are very cautious friendships. They don’t trust each other right away. It’s not perfect; they have their outbursts, reluctance to trust, and painful blows to their bond. But against all odds they eventually establish trust in each other. And because that trust isn’t just given, but needs earning, it takes its time dwelling on wounds necessary to transgress those lines and establishes extra depth in the meantime, making it well-earned and conducive to an understanding relationship. When they find their peace and friendship, it feels earned and respected on both sides, and both parties have a deeper understanding of each other than they could've had with a happy-go-lucky friendship.

Also, a side effect of the bitter work (sorry I had to lol) it took to to build that relationship, both Zutara and Rayllum have become especially in-tune with each other’s emotional cues. On the behalf of Zutara, there’s the moment when Katara comforts Zuko as he’s cowering in front of his uncle’s tent. She immediately recognizes that something’s wrong and approaches him about it:

Zuko opened up to Katara yet again about his insecurities and fears just like he did in Ba Sing Se. I love how easy it is for him. Zuko’s normally so guarded yet doesn’t mind being vulnerable with Katara. He’s so worried because he doesn’t see how Uncle Iroh can forgive him. It’s important that Katara’s the one encouraging him because she was also someone he betrayed that day. Someone who had faith in him to make the right choice, someone who changed for the better. She forgave him and she knows Iroh will too. That carries some weight with him. 

-- Geektastic08

Because of how many more opportunities Rayllum than Zutara to show off their perceptiveness of each others’ emotions, I could name off a lot of similar moments-- but I’m going to go with when Rayla slices open the mummy on the Cursed Caldera. When she returns and anxiously gets to ushering people forward, Callum notices almost instantly that Rayla’s acting off and expresses his concern. And, of course, Rayla opens up that she did, indeed, see something “horrible”— immediately opening up to him on the fact she was afraid, almost instinctively overcoming her reluctance to show her fears and weaknesses as established from previous episodes when Callum is the one who asks about it.

Also, this:

"I know that face. It’s your dumb idea face.” =)

Another reason: balanced-out co-parenting is a thing (Ezran vs. the rest of the Gaang).

On a more grand-scheme note, their relationship actually also shares a lot of the same “thematic importance” as Zutara as a symbol of overcoming differences and bonding. As cheesy as this line low-key is (IMO), Harrow says:

“I ask you and your brother to reject history as a narrative of strength and instead have faith that it can be a narrative of love.”

Yeah, read by the human boy crossing foreign lands with a she-elf to return the Dragon Prince to his mother as a gesture of bonding elves and humans and ending the war between nations. Having faith that history can be rewritten as a narrative of love and compassion.

To top it off, Rayllum owns it when it comes to living up to the not-overtly-kissy romantic foreshadowing of Zutara.

This is an allusion to the established Moon symbolism from earlier in the episode. As painful as it was, finding out about the king winds up illuminating, and eventually fulfilling, the possibility of deeper relationship and understanding of trust they originally couldn't see (but was still there) when Callum crosses the barrier into the “light face” from the “dark, shadowed side”. 

Also, this shipper’s haven scene:

Agh, yes.

What Rayllum learns from Kataang

Okay, so one of the bigger (and very understandable) issues with Zutara is that all of their development (aside from “Crossroads of Destiny”) happens very late in the last season. No matter how solid the moments we do get are, there simply isn’t enough time to fully wash away their damaged terms only a couple episodes prior, much less transgress necessary lines before a healthy relationship can occur. Whether or not their build-up does justice for their relationship arc as friends, by the end of ATLA, Zutara’s negative interactions still outnumber their positive ones by a sheer majority, so pushing that relationship into romance so soon comes with negative implications. (Which is where the Book 4 rumors seep in, but let’s not touch those today)(Anyway, even as a person who generally supports Zutara, I don’t advocate for that relationship to be “endgame”, or even as a part of canonized material because romance that soon after establishing that trust wouldn’t have conducive to a healthy relationship.)

On the other hand, Kataang gets a lot more credit in the time department. Because their friendship is established in such a positive light from the very first episode, Kataang has the benefit of faith from their countless endearing moments capturing a casual, comfortable friendship we can know and love, and then can grow nostalgic about over time. Even when their angrier moments play out, they usually fizzle out in the pool of happier memories they already have, so such instances are easily forgivable from the majority of the audience.

Now, despite initially being at odds with each other, Rayllum is established early enough to have the advantage of 5/6/7 seasons under its belt to build to that healthy relationship. Even in the less-immediate circumstances of their trust, the show still leaves plenty of time to fill with the necessary builds and prove their friendship through positive interactions. This is evidenced by the fact that by the end of Season 2, their negative interactions— even Rayla’s original position as Callum/Ezran’s killer— is water long down the bridge.

(Random tangent: To all who believe Zutara is an unforgivably abusive ship because of Katara’s and Zuko’s previous enemy relationship, let me pitch this to you: Rayla literally corners Callum and holds a blade in his face, about to kill him in the second episode yet Rayllum is very inarguably not abusive. The issue with Zutara isn’t that it’s inherently a sour relationship because they used to be enemies, it’s that there’s a dire lack of time to ease the ratio of interactions of Zuko hurting Katara to him helping her before the end of the show where starting that immediate relationship would have come with poor implications. In the case of Rayllum, Rayla actually gets a very extended chance to make that up in a larger span of time and exceeded those numbers two weeks ago long ago)

Thanks to all that screentime, maybe if our Season-2-Shipper-Scenes can be read as glimpses of a possible building crush early on like Kataang’s, that’ll stir up some of the heartstring garble later that it did with Kataang, too (for some, at least).

Rayllum’s interactions share the lovable silliness of Kataang. When it comes to picturing your ideal, sugarcane relationship, we will often find our soft spots in the couples who spend the most time smiling, laughing or being casually friendly with each other.

Also, here’s an interesting parallel: Katara was Aang’s primary support through his loss, just like Rayla was for Callum. Also, both Katara and Rayla struggled to hide the fact from their “romantic counterparts” at first, in fear of hurting newfound friendships with people they cared about, only to have this backfire later. However, I’d say it’s interesting to note that because Callum is almost 3 years older than Aang and thus arguably in a different phase of maturity (older childhood at 12 vs. teen at almost 15), the way they processed that realization took remarkably different forms between the two characters. Breaking the news to Callum meant surfacing more relationship-based questions about trust, meeting its resolution in a heart-to-heart conversation about honesty and hurting people you care about. On the other hand, because Aang is still, for most purposes, a child, that recognition on Aang’s part, as well as the honesty/lack of censorship on Katara’s part, doesn’t exist as much as an expectation in that relationship. Consequently, Aang’s grief process in “The Southern Air Temple” was wholly Aang-centric, coming to life in a display of rage and pain before he comes to accept his new position as the avatar and the last airbender in the arms of his new “family”. (I actually think the most obvious comparison to Aang here is Ezran, who became angry and ran away when he found out about his father’s death, then returned with a fuller understanding of the newfound individual responsibility he must face despite not being ready for as a growing kiddo. But that’s a discussion for another time; maybe I’ll write something on that later). 

Of course, the aforementioned covert foreshadowing of the Zutara ship comes coupled (pun intended) with the overt romantic foreshadowing of the Kataang ship! Because what kid (or kid in the heart) doesn’t let out the giddy squeals over that.

Also, it’s the male and female lead. Everyone’s gotta love those characters! Bet you money all the 2010s children who watch TDP are gonna get hella attached to that stuff and rack up the tears on how well-elaborated those characters were and how perfect they were for each other through thick-lens nostalgia goggles when they grow up. That’s just how dat shit works.

TL;DR If Zutara was too “dark” or “intriguing”, or “bound to make six year olds cry” (as Ehasz himself supposedly said in a class at UC Berkeley; lol), Rayllum re-illustrates that arc with the cushiness of a clear, lovable path and the positive-interaction-to-death-threat ratio, audience faith, (love for small critters,) and longer friendship screentime of Kataang.

Rayllum shares all of the literary nuances of Zutara and the sweet lovability of Kataang. And then adds its own little sparks of healthiness.

It’s a ship built for everyone to fall in love with.

I honestly don’t care whether this winds up being a very strong friendship or a romantic relationship (though I’m inclined to believe from the narrative that it’s the latter), but no matter the direction the show takes, I love their relationship so much and have full faith it’ll be done right.

Let me know if I missed anything else! I know I might be missing the narrative importance and/or parallels others might see in Kataang because I’m a bit biased to Zutara as the poster of this multi-ship analysis (though I tried my best to counteract it for objectivity), so especially if you’re a Kataanger, let me know what you’ve noticed and I’ll be happy to add it in.

positive/non-warring reax only please :)

#kataang #zutara #rayllum #the dragon prince #tdp #writing/criticism

[teovy]

Diaries: A Commentary on the Corruption Of Power

A/N: I did it, its about 2,000 words, which roughly translates to 3 and a half pages, and comments on most corruption of power that is most relevant in the series. Under read more to not clog up dashes as usual. The Zane character study is mostly the same, just a change of a few grammatical errors. Also it ends with a quote from Laurance as every post should. 

Minecraft Diaries is a three-season series, spanning across the years of March 2015 till October 2017. During the series, the creator, Jess, spends a considerable amount of time focusing on the themes of power, greed and ultimately, family. From the beginning, when Aphmau first finds the village of Phoenix Drop, in ruins and in chaos, since the previous lord was murdered, and two guards, struggling to keep the village together. Despite its early production, and much lower production value considering the newly released projects by Jess, it already comments on the town’s incapability to sustain itself after losing its leader, throwing it into a chaotic state. Then, we meet one of the main characters in the series, Garroth Ro’meave, a run-away, proclaimed ‘prince’ of Ru’aun, after he is forced into an arranged marriage to prevent war between his father, Garte, and the lord of Scaleswind, which was yet another attempt by Garte to not only prevent war, but seize Scaleswind into his influence.

 Garte is never shown as a character on screen in Diaries, but his influence and the way that most characters have a connection to his person and mention him. He was a figure that also influenced and raised one of the most impactful villains of the series, as well as a continuously recurring antagonist, Zane. His character is introduced as a very enigmatic figure, but one thing that remains constant is his need, and first action, is to assert his dominance over the town. He occupies one of the most prominent houses in the Phoenix Drop area, as well as practically intimidating the young, still developing village, by bringing in many guards with him, and leaving Aphmau unable to stop him, due to her weak amount of power in the region, barely recognised as a lord by many villages. When Aphmau refuses to force Garroth into dressing differently for the wedding, Zane criticises her for thinking of ‘his choice’ and reprimands her for not telling those around her what to do, as ‘[she] can tell him to do as [she] needs and he will abide by [her] rule’. This lack of consideration towards those around him gives off an early intel on Zane’s mentality; those around him must respect him, and do as he says, not question his authority.

 When faced with opposition, such as Jeffory’s betrayal and inability to kill Aphmau when she found the lords under the well, he reacts with supressed anger, needing those around him to respect him, or he feels backed into a corner, in which he snaps and gets rid of any and all opposition. Zane is calculating, even in his often carved in greed for power, and attempts to force those around him under his rule using fear tactics, or manipulation. When he deems Aphmau a threat, he claims she is his fiancée and that’s why she must be found as soon as possible. He understands that in order to gain more of a political advantage over Aphmau, he still must present himself as a just man, his publicity gaining him followers. When that all but fails, he attacks, ruthlessly, disguised by having his intentions be seen as due to ‘treason’ or attempting to be the hero, such as in the Scaleswind and Phoenix Drop war, where he is seen by the lord of Scaleswind as the hero who will bring his daughter home from her being held hostage. His power and influence are not only corrupted from the inside, further encouraged from birth by his father, but also from outside sources as he uses the situations around him to tactfully gain control, and ultimately gain his position that he has been seeking for a very long time.

 His disappearance in season 2, as well as the 15 year old gap of time where he was out of his position of power decreased his influence substantially, as Garte took back his position as lord of Oh’kasis, however, still having remnants of his old power scattered through towns like Nahakara village, when Aphmau impersonates him, and manages to gather quite a wide crowd around her. This display shows that even though he had no impact on for the world for over a decade, his name still draws in interest. After all, he disappeared as the beloved High Priest of the region, and even when places such as Meteli recall him burning their home to the ground, or Scaleswind remembering the lies that he spew around them, the coast around Oh’kasis is still greatly remembering him as the man that brought them to even more power and prestige in the region, even if it was under the guise of peace.

 It is no surprise, however, that by season 3, with the fall of Oh’kasis and Nahakara, his popularity decreased detrimentally. Phoenix Drop now reigning with the size of Oh’kasis, the Phoenix Alliance protecting villages without the corruption that the council of Oh’kasis suffered from, as well as the biggest guard academy, the Dragon Ward, being led by one of his past guards, Katelyn. With so many of his past enemies in power, the board has switched, and instead of them being hunted by him and his guards, his life was now in peril whenever he was seen. He could not come back to Oh’kasis, as the area was now taken over by T’ula, which wanted all the Ro’meaves dead or captured, especially those in old positions of power, which Zane fit the profile for perfectly. Now, hunted by all sides and all powerhouses, including the Nether itself after he stole from Shad, and betrayed him, he found himself in a position he never came even close to before; he was alone, with no power and no support.

 After efficiently kidnapping Emmalyn by using his old tactics, being polite, nice, fake, came the decision of how he could force Emmalyn’s hand to do his bidding. Now, he had no bargain chips. Only force, violence and the very real threat to her life, or those she cares about. When she continually opposes him, he burns down an entire village, killing many innocents in an attempt to make her fear him and submit, without the use of pleasantries and such. Emmalyn’s profound opposition made his next steps erratic, driven by anger and a need to regain some of his lost power by using the fragment. Kenmur’s death was unnecessary, and it lost Zane one of the only things he could have held over Emmalyn in order to force her to work for him. His mentality changed, it became no longer about keeping an image to gain him followers, but rather mass murder, that he recalls ‘[he] should do more often’, just for the sake of it, not even as an attempt to gain Emmalyn’s knowledge, but for his own ‘relaxation’. Kenmur was not a threat, and wasn’t strong enough to get Emmalyn back, and yet, Zane killed him to prove that he still had power over the lives of others.

 Another example of power corruption is also heavily symbolised during season 2, when Laurance, Katelyn and Aphmau were caught by Michi, and forced into becoming M’eifwas. Aphmau was used as a replacement in a marriage between the a M’eifwa and a Werewolf, in order to fulfil a prophecy that the King strongly holds faith in. Although he remains unnamed, his character is very similar to that of Garte’s, both holding many parallels in their story of corruption. Both of them were previously seen as kind and generous, only to be corrupted through war, such as the Scaleswind vs. Oh’kasis war and Southern Wolf tribe vs the South Eastern Wolf tribe, and a need to carry on their legacy through a strong marriage between two opposing sides, for which they choose their oldest children, despite in both cases the heavy opposition they face.

 Corruption through the hardships of war is a theme that Jess puts much focus on, but with the main goal seemingly being to gain control of as much land as possible due to fear of losing power positions. Despite the falling of the monarchy by Lady Irene a thousand years ago, the new appearance of many monarchy-like rulers arising is the history repeating itself once more. Emmalyn comments on how much knowledge about Irene has been lost due to time, and people themselves getting rid of it, as it is information that is dark reminder of the selfishness and greed that ruled over the region those years ago. With the lack of the reminder of the selfishness of human actions, and the new turbulent ideas of power sparking across villages, even smaller ones such as Skystead, where Lord Janna is attempting to make villages come together and become bigger than the powerhouse of Oh’kasis. Her next goal was to take over the ravaged city of Pikoro after a Shadow Knight attack, only stopped by Irene herself after Aphmau is once again witness to the use of marriage in order to gather more control over land.

 One of the main fears towards the Phoenix Alliance was that it would eventually turn into another case of Oh’kasis, which swore to protect, but ended up trying to take over villages and start another monarchy by villages becoming too co-dependant on one another. Smaller villages were also much less likely to join due to the idea of them being taken over by a much larger guard force, leaving them as pawns of the greater power, rather than their own settlements with its own rulers.

 The case of the Nether should not be overlooked either, as it is a monarchy ruled by the Shadow Lord, or also known as the Divine Warrior, Shad. He himself would have had a hand in destroying the previous monarchy that ruled the region, being part of the group that swore to do so, and yet, he is one of the most dangerous antagonists in the series, as the betrayal he faced by those closest to him forced him into a ruthless ruler of Hell, wanting to take over Ru’aun, and destroy the very thing that he helped achieve with Lady Irene. His sudden change in motive paints another image for us in terms of power; wanting to gain it, in order to avenge a lost love, even if it was one that was not missed. Shad’s hatred for Irene fuelled a new desire, to have the place she loved under his control, and impose a rule without the need of emotions, that was his downfall.

 Diaries is a commentary on how hatred and greed can turn a just man into one hunting for more power, more lands to conquer as an attempt on gaining control either due to having lost it beforehand, or fearing being forgotten. Most antagonists share a defining trait in Diaries, their need to gain control of the situation to the point where their goal, no matter how noble in the beginning, becomes corrupted by their own selfish wants. Abusing their position, using their power to commit atrocities whether towards family or innocents, and using those vulnerable to serve their own self-interest paints an image of a broken, corrupted world, inhabited by people that fear losing control over their surroundings. As morals remain forgotten, stories are burned, and even figures of peace such as Aphmau nearly submitting under the pressure of causing harm, such as when Michi was leading them to the bandit camp after kidnapping those she cared deeply for. And as Laurance put it to her, ‘on this trip [he] has seen [her] lean towards a path that corrupted many.’, as well as the ‘difference between physical combat and torture. On the battlefield with a sword in hand against an opponent on equal grounds is one thing, against an opponent who is tied up and tired is another. It changes you most of all’.

#aphmau #essay #i spend so much time on this #minecraft diaries #mcd #zane #garte #laurance #shad

[scifigeneration]

Visions of the future: five dark warnings from the world of classic science fiction

by Mike Ryder

Blade Runner 2049: dystopian vision, now even more terrifying. Warner Bros

Science fiction is brimming with visions of the future and the many wondrous things the human race can achieve. But it is full of warnings too – and we should be careful to take heed of some of the big messages that are more relevant now than they ever were before.

Robots and AI

Ever since the word “robot” first appeared in the English language in the early 1920s (although it was invented by a Czech writer), science fiction writers have warned about the blurring of the distinction between human and machine.

Robots are becoming more and more like humans, such that it may one day become difficult to tell the two apart. But were they ever really so different? Philip K. Dick suggests possibly not, and his vision of replicants in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968) – which was to become a classic movie, Blade Runner – certainly poses a lot of important questions.

It’s not just robots we have to worry about these days. AI is now perhaps an even bigger threat than its robot cousins. From the ominous HAL 9000 in Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), to the “benevolent” AI character Mike in Robert A. Heinlein’s The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1966), we’ve been warned that the power of AI to infiltrate every aspect of our daily lives might one day prove our undoing – and we will have no one to blame but ourselves.

Threats from the great beyond

Science fiction is brimming with invasion narratives, the most famous of which is probably H.G. Wells’ classic The War of the Worlds. Wells’ novel, which first appeared in 1898, has since been adapted into numerous films, TV shows and even a musical.

Of course, many of these narratives tie in with fears about invasions of one kind of another closer to home, with swarming insects or “bugs” used in place of the alien “other”, such as in Heinlein’s classic novel Starship Troopers (1959) and its film adaptation (1997).

But while the invaders of Starship Troopers may stir visions of the Cold War (a common theme – see Invasion of the Body Snatchers as well), perhaps the biggest threat raised by the likes of Wells, Heinlein and the rest is the threat of the enemy not yet known. It may be comforting to think of enemy invaders as mindless hordes, or ravenous beasts, but these depictions are far too simplistic and are designed to appeal to our base emotions.

The human condition

Of all the threats confronting the human race, the biggest challenge is by far and a way posed by ourselves. From short-termism and mistaken priorities, to evil corporations shaping the way we think (see: The Space Merchants [1952]), so many science fiction authors draw attention to the many varied failings of the human condition and our often misguided attempts to “do good”.

Expanding to the stars may well solve some of our nearer-term issues such as climate change, overpopulation and a scarcity of resources, but a bigger threat is posed by the fact we are all too likely to take our problems with us and that we will repeat the same mistakes time and time again.

Science vs nature

Despite its name, science fiction has, for many years now, been much closer to science fact. While science fiction writers such as Heinlein, Isaac Asimov and Frederik Pohl dreamed of instant communications and a world of knowledge at our fingertips, the future has now well and truly crashed in on the present and we live in a time now where it’s harder than ever to tell truth and fiction apart.

But while some readers might think this a positive thing on the whole (you are, after all, reading this online), science fiction has much to say about overconfidence and the misplaced faith we have in our ability to harness science and use our powers for good.

In Flowers for Algernon (1966), a man of low intelligence is transformed into a genius, only to discover a flaw in the experiment that will see him regress to a far worse situation that he started out in. While the story focuses on the rise and fall of a genius, it also reveals a lack of human compassion in the scientists and a lack of understanding for just where their actions may lead.

If we want to use science to conquer nature, we need to be circumspect in how we go about it. Progress for the sake of progress is not always a good thing – and we need to be wary of short-termism and guard against complacency in all we do.

Distorted reality

Of course, one of the most chilling aspects of science fiction working its way into our modern-day world is the way reality is becoming distorted, and it becomes increasingly hard to tell truth from fiction.

In this age of consumer culture, social media and fake news, the work of Philip K. Dick is more relevant than ever before, and we should take heed of his warning in books such as Ubik (1969) and The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (1965), about the dangers of getting sucked into fake realities – many of which we create ourselves (see: social media). Such is the timeliness and relevance of Dick’s work, that his novels continue to provide much material for screenwriters, from the recent TV series The Man in the High Castle (2015) to the critically-acclaimed Blade Runner: 2049 (2017).

All of these musings lead us to wonder, what do we mean by “real” anyway? Dick may not come to any solid conclusions, but he does show us how we are shaped by the world around us. Unless we come to understand our relationship with the world – and our place in it – there is little hope left to be had.

About The Author:

Mike Ryder is  Associate Lecturer in Literature & Philosophy and Marketing, Lancaster University

This article is republished from our content partners over at  The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

#featured #science fiction #science fiction and fantasy #sci fi #sci fi in society #Blade Runner #dystopian sci-fi #cyberpunk #HG Wells #technopolitics

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 THE STORY OF TWO WOLVES

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There is a famous a Cherokee legendabout the battle between two wolves. An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”[i]

No one is without sin. We are all capable of doing great and terrible things. Inside each of us is a battle between these two wolves. What separates the virtuous person from the evil person is their decisions; thoughts married to actions.Nothing is inconsequential. Every action is taking us in one direction or another. People often wish they were more disciplined so they could take more disciplined action, but life doesn’t work that way. We must make more disciplined decisions to become more disciplined. Courage comes from overcoming fear, not wishing you were braver or wishing the fear was less intense.

We don’t have to start big, in fact, it’s recommended we start by taking small steps. The important thing is to start. Virtue requires deliberate effort. Start small, and build-up the virtue gradually. If you are scared of heights and want to overcome your fear, you might start by jumping into the water from a high of 10 feet before gradually building the courage to jump from a 10-meter platform.

Discipline is at the root of all good virtues. Discipline requires strength of character. You could boil down the story of two wolves to the struggle between strength and weakness. At the root of all vile actions is a weakness of character. Life is a battle of inches. We are either gaining or losing territory each day, each hour, each minute. Everything matters. We are either feeding virtue, or we are feeding vice. We are either becoming more disciplined or less disciplined. Every decision, every action, is either feeding the strong wolf or the weak one. The one we feed the most will form our character.

It has been my observation that people that will lie about seemingly small, inconsequential matters will lie about other matters. It should come as no surprise when a man, who cheats on his wife, also embezzles money from his company. You might think these things are unrelated, but they aren’t. They all come down to the man’s character. Everything is connected.

Some employers want to know a job candidate’s credit score. Why do you think that is? Why should they want to know that information? How could that information possibly affect the candidate’s ability to perform their duties and responsibilities? The hiring company wants to know if the person is responsible. A person that doesn’t exercise responsibility for their personal finances is unlikely to exercise responsibility at work. I made a peculiar observation as a young man. I noticed that the guys that didn’t wear seatbelts were also the ones that said they didn’t always have safe sex. The reasons in both instances were the same. It isn’t comfortable. It doesn’t feel good. They chose feeling good over being safe and responsible.

When we think something we do is an isolated event, we are lying to ourselves. It matters. Everything matters. Everything is feeding one wolf or the other. One is becoming stronger with each decision. We can change the trajectory of our life by constantly asking ourselves before making each decision, which wolf am I going to be feeding; the strong wolf or the weak wolf? It’s an easy question to answer. If we are doing what feels good vs. what our instincts are telling us to do, we are feeding the weak wolf.

I challenge you to make the little decisions that will nourish your strong wolf. These actions are often easy to do, but of course what is easy to do, is even easier to neglect. Neglect is an infection that we need to inoculate ourselves from by feeding our strong wolf. These small wins will lead to bigger wins. Habitually overcoming weakness will become a positive addiction.

Get excited about crushing these weak feelings. Get excited about feeding your strong wolf and developing your discipline. Discipline is like a muscle. It becomes stronger through repetition and effort. Anticipate the feeling of triumph overcoming weakness will provide. Every early morning workout will make you feel like a winner. Every pound lost, will make you feel like a winner. It will make you feel more in control of your emotions, more in control of your body, more in control of your LIFE!

When we feed the weak wolf, we are losing control of our life.Discipline helps us take back control. We will not win every battle, but if we don’t fight we’ll lose every battle, and we will fall into depression. Action is the cure for depression. Depression is caused by a feeling of powerlessness over our life. Taking ownership of your problems and the solutions to those problems is very empowering. It leads to the positive actions that help us escape depression. It’s a simple formula, but it is difficult for people that have developed the habit of feeding their weak wolf by giving into their feelings of hopelessness.

Progress makes us happy because we feel in control of our lives. As Tony Robin often says, “Progress equals happiness.Progress is the game.” Progress affirms our belief in ourselves and our ability to take control of our results. It reaffirms our belief that we are in control of our life. When we become more disciplined, we no longer feel like a victim of circumstances out of our control. We shouldn’t wish for better circumstances, we should wish we were better.

Waiting for better circumstances or opportunities to just show up and ring the doorbell is naive at best. Hope isn’t a method. Instead of wishing for fewer problems, wish you had more solutions. Instead of wishing for a more favorable economy, wish you had more skills. Instead of wishing for a more favorable wind, wish you had a better sail. Bruce Lee said, “Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” Life challenges everyone. You can rip January from the calendar, but winter will come just the same. Instead of wishing winter away, prepare for winter.

Complaining about life’s realities and wishing they were different is a waste of time and makes you life’s victim. Life doesn’t happen to you, it happens for you. Instead of wasting your time and energy wishing your life was better, spend your time becoming more than you are. Focus on becoming stronger, smarter, more skilled, friendlier, BETTER.

We all fail and come up short, but the surest way to win is to always try one more time. Every single day, we start again. Every day you’ll have multiple opportunities to feed either the strong wolf or the weak one. Whichever one you most consistently feed is going to shape your character and determine your life’s direction. I challenge you will great love and respect to, FEED THE STRONG WOLF! Get excited about forging a new body; one molded by the cauldron of your iron will and sculpted with the chisel of self-discipline.

Change your habits, change your life!

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[i] The First People, Native American Legends Two Wolves, http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/TwoWolves-Cherokee.html.

The battle rages within us all. Which wolf are you feeding?  THE STORY OF TWO WOLVES If you enjoy this article, please LIKE, SHARE, and follow us on…

[roguewn]

I think it will be interesting for 9 to have a villain who is not force sensitive (besides krennic, and I'm talking about hux of course, I mean, although he had a moment of comedic relief, we have to remember that he is ruthless and he will do anything to get rid of Ben and Ben would have to keep an eye for himself, anything could happen and we will finally see a villain who isn't force sensitive)

I’ve seen people claiming Hux as the Last Big Bad would be ridiculous because he doesn’t have anything special and Kylo would easily defeat him. The only words that come to my mind when this happens are “The Triviality of Evil”. Of course, the original context has little to no relevance to the topic, but the concept in itself is interesting.

In the SWU we’re used to the Big Baddies being the most powerful of them all. Palpatine, Darth Sidious, Darth Vader, Snoke to name the most famous ones. They all have incredible powers that go beyond anything a ‘mere human’ could ever achieve. This made the SW fandom forget a very simple, but important fact: humans are often the most dangerous creatures of them all, just as they are. We don’t need special powers to be terrifying, in the worst sense of the word. It’s enough to look at the world around us to realize this.

Hux killed his father to get where he is. He’s said to have personal spies that carry out all his dirty jobs for him and he has huge ambitions and little to no hesitation in doing whatever needs to be done to get where he wants to be. 

Snoke calls him a doggy, ridiculizes him in front of Kylo and to some extent, it might be true that Hux is a faithful follower, just like a dog. But that is because he has respect and fear for Snoke. The same can’t be said in Kylo’s regards.

Hux has probably trained his whole life to get where he is. His father had an Imperial academy, so you can imagine what kind of childhood and upbringing he had. Imagine this man who worked his whole life to get a position in the First Order seeing this kid coming in late and becoming Snoke’s fave just because he has ‘special powers’ that Hux probably doesn’t even understand. Add to this that Kylo has the same temperament of a teenager, you can guess just how Hux must despise him. Why should he just watch while this toddler takes everything that (he thinks) is rightfully his?

Kylo is one of the two most powerful Force users of the galaxy. Alright. But what can he do against a merciless man who has a whole criminal organization, an army on his side and no restraints? (Because don’t even think for one second the FO would rather follow Kylo than Hux. Kylo is a mere shadow in the Order, someone who is only good at shouting orders at people and choking them when they don’t behave as he wants – that’s how they see him because that’s all that Kylo’s willing to share with them. He’s very different from Vader about this, he has no diplomacy nor manners when it comes to his underlings. The only time he’s seen treating one of the FO with something close to kindness is in the TFA book when he asks a stormtrooper not to torture another stormtrooper that had let Rey escape).

What can Kylo do? Force-choke them all? He can’t, but more than that, Hux wouldn’t let him get not even close to that point, I think. Kylo is Supreme Leader now, which means that just like Snoke, he will have everything done for him. How easy would be for Hux to get someone to slip poison in his meal? To kill him in his sleep? I bet he has a hundred ways in mind to kill Kylo before he can even realize what’s going on. And not because Kylo is an idiot, but simply because I think he will have a lot on his mind in episode IX and given that he feels so superior, he probably might not even worry about what a ‘dog’ like Hux could think or do. 

If I think about it now, it’s clear they built a bigger conflict between Kylo and Hux than they did between Kylo and Snoke, since The Force Awakens. It was subtle (not so much actually), but still there. Just the way they look at each other or the way they spoke to each other. The pure venom flowing between them at every interaction. It’s all there. I was actually surprised when TLJ began with Kylo rioting against Snoke because they didn’t built his resentment against him in TFA. “The Supreme Leader is wise” is what you remember him saying about Snoke from TFA. But with Hux? The hatred was there since the first scene. And now I acknowledge they did a damn good job to make Hux look like some bad guy who didn’t have particular relevance to the story if not that of sending Kylo hateful glances and shout orders like a space Hitler. And instead, they were building this antagonism that will probably be one of the main points of episode 9. A damn good job, if you ask me. 

It definitely makes more sense than another powerful Sith coming out of nowhere, it’s definitely more interesting than the usual Bad Force User vs Good (conflicted, in this case) Force User.

#anon #ask #hux meta #episode ix speculations #my meta

[pierrehardy]

China vs America: Europe will decide

In just half of this wretched year, the world’s trust in China was cut in half. The current and crumbling world order is still American built. Or to be more precise, Western-built with American leadership, founded on principles of a liberal and open society. So what happens when a rival rises up to challengethe leader’s might, who is currently not acting like one? A rival that has a different ideology, at that. You get a quake that threatens to crumble the current world order.

On one side is the champion, America. On the other, the challenger, China. Whoever wins is whoever the rest of the world chooses to side with. I argue that the most significant determinant of that is the world’s old champion who still has considerable sway today, which has at least two of the past world leaders: Europe.

Europe and China

Not too long ago, Europe tried to be the diplomatic best-of-both-worlds kind of mediator between China and America. Europe nurtured its long-founded transatlantic alliance with America and was warm towards a growing China. Then came 2020, where China did a three-hit combo on trust. The first one is China’s repression of the Uighur minority in Xinjiang. This systematic act appalled Europeans due to its genocidal nature. The second was the virus, which originated in China. The country’s first response was to cover it up,  which really doesn’t inspire trust. When they vanquished their second wave, China’s obnoxious trumpeting of triumph and crass jumping at the propaganda opportunity left a bad taste in Europeans’ mouths. The third is China’s blatant breaking of the handover treaty between the UK and China regarding Hong Kong’s promised autonomy until 2047. The passage of the national law went above what’s necessary, violating the treaty, and signaling that China puts self-interest above the rule of law. It’s hard to play with a country that does not play nice and fair.

Then there’s America, escalating its campaign to cripple Huawei. This Huawei kerfuffle is catalyzing the decaying relationship between the West and Europe. Europe was initially not as hostile as America towards Huawei. Take the UK, which tried to integrate Huawei into less sensitive parts of its planned 5G network. UK spooks were assigned to thoroughly investigate Huawei’s kit to ensure that there’s nothing suspicious in it. But it was not reassuring when China failed to make it easier for the experts to examine their kit. Perhaps it was serendipitous for the UK to use the US sanctions against Huawei as an excuse to cancel plans to have them build their 5G network. They argue that the sanctions would make Huawei’s supply chains less dependable, increasing the risk that Huawei cannot deliver on its contract. The perfect excuse. 

But this is much bigger than just Huawei and 5G. The main cost is not delaying the adoption of new and crucial technology but in the decaying relationship that would undoubtedly affect trade and technology (I wrote about that in my last blog). Foreign direct investments from China to the EU have already declined by 69% (nice) from its 2016 peak (Figure 1).

Figure 1 [1] 

What to do with China?

Europe shares America’s ideals, so the obvious answer is that they’ll side with America and squash China, right? Well, that would be reckless and risk tearing the world into two. Remember my last blog’s warning about the seeds of world wars? No, China is a growing country that the West cannot change (though they tried to) and cannot ignore. More sensible is to save the current world order and modify it to accommodate, not suppress, an influential authoritarian country.

Many institutions around the world represent this “world order” I keep babbling about. Still, the main one for this topic is the World Trade Organization (WTO), a necessary but limp and frustrating institution. To be fair, maintaining order in the complex world of international trade is a daunting task, especially in this dog-eat-dog capitalist world that’s efficient but mercilessly self-interested and ruthless. Nonetheless, that’s not to excuse the WTO’s failure to adapt to the digital economy and the rise of a more authoritarian Mr. Xi Jinping. So America’s loss of faith towards the WTO is not without cause, but it’s still wrong to abandon it.

Ultimately, everything I will write here will be easier said than done. But it’s good to have goals. The biggest concern about why the West now wants to have some distance from China is how encroaching China’s government is. They have tentacles attached to every company in China. The West, understandably, do not feel comfortable with the presence of the CCP in their territory masked as a private business. 

While that may sound like forcing China to adapt to how they do it in the West, it is a reasonable need. Especially when there’s no excuse not to do it. Take Unilever, a traditionally Western multinational company that grants autonomy to its subsidiaries around the world. Your local Unilever would be hiring local executives that operate on its own, without fear of foreign government interference.

No matter what solution today’s leaders will develop, its efficacy ultimately falls on its execution. This is where I believe Europe comes in. 

Why does it depend on Europe?

Dealing with China requires the West to act together. America is already one country and one country that clarifies what it wants: not to let China be able to do what America is already doing. Hypocritical, I know, but it doesn’t invalidate the need to address China’s growing ambition and methods that goes against the grain of the predominant ideology. 

While it’s easy to dismiss Europe to follow whatever America decides, that’s just not them. The Europeans are a proud bunch with a history of supremacy (take that positively or negatively, up to you). Europe is America’s friend, but they’re no pushover or slave to it. The EU and America have their own bickering, the most significant of which nowadays is the whole antitrust and tax issues with America’s technology giants, mostly the FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Alphabet, aka Google). 

It has been one of Europe’s biggest insecurity of not being able to produce technological giants like America has and hates being dependent on said giants. But this lack of giants is a natural result of the EU’s more robust antitrust regulations, which is the legislation that ensures a healthy amount of competition in the market. This goes straight to the heart of one of the new problems that economists have been grappling with: competition and the digital economy (my specialty, yay!)

So let me give you the basics. The digital economy is unlike the normal economy. It doesn’t follow the same rules. I won’t explain my entire degree here, but I’ll tell you what you need to know in the next six paragraphs. For context, first is the importance of healthy competition to ensure that capitalism serves the people (capitalism is not evil, it just needs to be taken care of. Anybody that vilifies capitalism doesn’t understand it enough. It’s a spectrum, aka countries can be both socialist and capitalist as much as China is both capitalist and authoritarian.) Anyways, competition usually means that there are enough companies in a particular market that compete. The main enemy of antitrust regulators are monopolies, which are companies that are alone in a specific market.

Let’s use an example from the Philippines that I personally witnessed. There used to be two ride-hailing firms back then: Grab and Uber. They weren’t a duopoly because they competed: they kept competing with each other by lowering their prices. Filipinos like me enjoyed the cheap rates and being able to choose the app with superior service. Then came Japan’s Softbank, which has stakes in both, and made Uber sell its PH operations to Grab. After that, suddenly, there was only Grab (or at least the only dominant ride-hailing app at that time). Grab quickly took advantage of this monopolistic position and jacked up its taxi rates into ridiculous heights. Here, the government failed to cultivate healthy competition at the expense of us, the consumers. We lost in this situation because we were left with no other choice but this expensive and, subjectively, inferior product. The underlying message is: competition is great for the people. It gives us excellent prices and quality. Without it, we get the short end of the stick.

The second concept is the digital economy, more specifically, network effects. If you read my last blog, you might be groaning on reading about this again, but I have no choice. It’s prevalent. But if you didn’t read my last blog, don’t worry, I’ll explain it again here. 

The rise of computers upended traditional economics. A quick example is that a car used to have many costs to design, then additional costs to actually make a bunch of it to sell. For software, though, there’s many costs to code a program but costs almost nothing to replicate it. Traditional economics would say that the price of that good is zero dollars, but that’s not right, is it? Pricing code, or ideas, or information, or data, or whatever you want to call this intangible good, is trickier. Data is just a bunch of ones and zeros, but god damn is it a valuable set of ones and zeros. That’s even how you “pay” for free services, right? With your personal data.

Pricing digital goods is one thing, but the focus is in the nature of its value. Digital goods usually exhibit network effects, which means it gets more valuable if it has more users, and subsequently, more data. More data, more input to make the product better. Knead this point another way. It means that the best digital companies have a monopoly, or at least a duo or oligopoly, of the market to suck up all that data for their taking. This implies a complete 180 turn from the whole monopoly-is-evil (it still is) thing. For example, a streaming service is only excellent if it has all the shows, right? It’s pretty shitty to have to subscribe to multiple services just to watch all the shows you like. So for a user, the ideal would be that only one streaming service that has everything. That’s why digital products usually have one or two dominant brands in every field. Streaming? Netflix. Music? Spotify. Online shopping? Amazon. Search? Google. Phones? Apple or Android. The reason why Google Maps is so useful is that everyone uses it and makes it better. The reason why Facebook is (was) engaging is that all your friends are in it. So you get the point: to make tech giants, you need to rethink antitrust regulation. 

Let me make it clear though, this is quite a dilemma for economists. Because while we discovered that digital goods of monopolistic companies benefit consumers the most, it still holds that companies can abuse this dominant position. This winner-takes-all outcome is risky for innovation and for everyone. Currently, we’re still hashing out clear rules and guides on how to balance this delicate tradeoff. We’re not there yet, but it is what it is as of the moment. 

So let’s take it back to Europe. Compared to America, antitrust in Europe is much more robust. Where America only has 4 major (and 2 minor) mobile networks (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint), Europe as a whole has 5 major mobile networks but with more than a hundred minor ones. This granted Europeans cheaper data plans than America, and the speed quality is basically the same (Figure 2). Good for European consumers, but not for European telecommunications companies. This same story applies to other industries.

Figure 2 [2] 

So Europe’s lack of tech giants is caused by healthy competition that’s great for its citizens. But this opens up the fear of lagging behind the rest of the advanced world technologically. Can’t have it all, it seems. But here’s where we connect it back to China: since the whole Huawei thing is about 5G, plenty of Europe’s short-term reactions have to do with their insecurities about lagging behind in the 5G arena.

So let’s talk about that. I think my blog is getting too long to explain what 5G is, so I’ll leave that for you to Google or YouTube. But basically, 5G is the next generation of 4G that promises 100 (!!!) times faster than 4G. For ordinary people, you don’t need that much. We’re okay with 4G for our daily needs. But that insane speed would enable the next generation of technology such as the Internet of Things or autonomous driving, which requires the back and forth of enormous amounts of data in real-time. But the more important feature of 5G is its ability to reconfigure the network for tailored needs. Taking advantage of this is still in development, and profitable business models to take leverage of this is yet to be born. So if there’s no big rush, we can hope that other companies can step up, like Nokia, Ericson, or Samsung. Or better yet: open standards regarding 5G could be developed, forgoing the need for proprietary kits.

Another possible good news for European network operators is that this 5G insecurity might be just the thing for European antitrust to acknowledge the need to ease competition requirements for some tech companies. This could allow for European tech giants to sprout, but knowing Europe, this will be heavily deliberated.

So, in short, I would say that there’s no time pressure and rush for adoption. In this part of the equation, Europe can afford to delay its 5G progress and ditch Huawei to make their networks a bit more secure. China’s retaliation, however, is another thing. This brings us to the final point of this write-up and one of the most significant factors affecting how the West will respond to China: Germany. Or, more precisely, Mrs. Angela Merkel.

Merkel and China

To have a unified response to China requires not only transatlantic cooperation but also European cooperation. It’s hard to talk about EU decisions without singling out Germany, especially regarding trade. In general, Mrs. Angela Merkel’s personal political conviction embodies old Europe’s view on China. Mrs. Merkel has always been warm with China and, in its essence, personifies this blog’s proposal to adjust for China. Mrs. Merkel has always wanted to include China into the world stage by wishing for its involvement in matters requiring global cooperation like climate change or writing the rules of governance regarding AI.

Being the economic-minded leader that she is, Mrs. Merkel is well respected and admired by most of us liberal economists. It’s no surprise that under her, Germany is the EU’s economic powerhouse, and it’s also no surprise why she’s cautious with relations with China. The difference between the West’s last superpower rival with differing ideologies, the USSR, is that China is a trade heavyweight. China’s market is vast and lucrative. However, China has also shown too much willingness to bully any country that dare go against it, weaponizing its trade heft to inflict economic damage. Now, if you notice, I keep saying “Mrs. Merkel” instead of “Germany.” This is because a sizable proportion of German politicians and businessmen have been turned off by China nowadays, and views Mrs. Merkel’s caution with China to be subservience to the bully. Even within Mrs. Merkel’s own party, this cowing to China has grown unacceptable, and they have a reason for that.

First, let’s see a snapshot of Germany’s exports (Figure 3). China is Germany’s 3rd largest trading partner. With America and China having a spat, of course, the best thing to do is be friends with everyone. But when it comes down to only choosing one, America would be the bigger trading partner. One thing to note is that most of their exports, which is Germany’s specialty in general, are high value-adding manufacturing products like cars, appliances, and machines.

Figure 3 [3]

Then came Mr. Xi Jinping’s Made in China 2025 initiative. If it wasn’t apparent at first, perhaps when Midea, a Chinese company, acquired Kuka, a German robotics firm, in 2016 was the wake-up call: China is trying to have Germany’s main competitive advantage, by also building to have a high value adding manufacturing industry. This turns China from partner to competitor. 

German businessmen have also been finding China as an unfavorable business partner. Figure 4 shows a survey from the German Chamber of Commerce in China. It shows at least a quarter of companies planning to stop doing business in China. Several reports cite the unacceptable terms that China demands on business partners, most notably in forced technology transfer. It certainly feels less of a partnership and more of an arrangement for taking advantage of. Put this in the context of the Made in China 2025, and this can be a serious threat for German exports.

Figure 4 [4] 

All in all, let’s go back to the point of China’s lucrative market. While it’s easy to see the reason for distancing from China, it’s also worth noting that German companies make a killing in China. Volkswagen earns a whopping 40% of its revenue there.

So cutting relations with China is not the key. Instead, a mere rebalancing is direly needed. Taking it from Thorsten Benner of the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin, Germany must build a wholly European 5G infrastructure, team up more with countries that share the same ideology (like South Korea or Australia), and advise German companies that they will no longer enjoy the same amount of political cover than before. Time to stop getting played and level things between the two countries.

As trust towards China declines, Chinese diplomats, dubbed the wolf warriors, have been active in a tongue lashing at every criticism. They would always retort that these anti-China sentiments are supposedly rooted in a colonial and racist mentality.  However, it’s undeniable that China also bears a considerable part of the blame for the blossoming mistrust against them. From the way they do business partnerships, to the economic bullying, to the inconsistent transparency on COVID-19 reporting, to the repression of Hong Kongers, to the suppression of Uighurs, to the territorial bullying of neighbors, to the lack of concrete reassurance that they don’t spy with their products, to the inability to take criticism, and others.

No country is perfect (I can list the same amount of American faults). But it’s the number of blunders in such a short amount of time that brought the trust down (people generally have short term memory and attention, but this was just too fast and too furious.) It was a trade-off between taking advantage of a global pandemic and seeming untrustworthy. I trust China to have seen this possibility and took calculated actions. But one doesn’t have to resort to such actions to assert one’s presence in the world stage. Europe tried to be warm to both the East and the West, but everyone has their limits.

References

[1]https://rhg.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/MERICS-Rhodium-Group_COFDI-Update-2020-2.pdf 

[2]https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/u-s-mobile-broadband-among-most-expensive-world-new-report-finds 

[3] The Observatory of Economic Complexity: https://oec.world/ 

[4]https://china.ahk.de/fileadmin/AHK_China/Market_Info/Economic_Data/BCS_2019_20.SEC.pdf 

#economics #international business #current events #politics #europe

[hawksmoor17]

I'm watching Doctor Who "dinosaurs in space" rn and all I can think of is that Lestrade is now an archaeologist. Also, earlier while watching another episode, it occured to me that Moffat likes the "it's all in their head plot twist". It's not impossible (or totally probable) that he used it once again in TFP.

Okay. So. I’m kind of freaking out right now, because your ask has just triggered my memory and I think I’ve stumbled across something incredibly important!

Now, if you haven’t seen Doctor Who, bear with me because I seriously think that this is a massive clue as to what’s been going on in season four.

We already know that Moffat’s written Sherlock into Doctor Who before.

I’ve considered a dream-sequence type thing as well. Not because of “Dinosaurs in Space”, though, but because of the episode “Amy’s Choice”.

Just to get this out of the way, I’m not sure whether TST/TLD are entirely constructed or not. It’s quite possible that they are partially real, partially fake. I highly suspect that TD-12 is the culprit in this case.

To anyone who hasn’t watched Doctor Who, but is following along with the conspiracy, I highly recommend watching “Amy’s Choice” stand alone because it’s got some crazy Sherlock parallels and will also give you a bit of an idea of Moffat’s particular brand of rug pull.

The basic premise of the episode is that it focuses around reality being contingent upon a single choice.

In this case, the Doctor’s companion, Amy, has to choose between either staying with her spouse Rory, or “the madman” aka., the Doctor. Remind you of someone?

The antagonist / bad guy of the day “The Dream Lord” traps the Doctor and Amy within a shared dream where they wake up in another reality in which Amy chose her husband Rory over the Doctor. They are both happily married, Amy is pregnant, and neither the Doctor nor Amy realise that they are dreaming at first.

Oh yeah. And The Dream Lord? He’s played by Toby Jones. How about those parallels?

Over the course of the episode the Dream Lord makes the Doctor and Amy wake up over and over again in both the reality in which Amy chose Rory, and the reality in which Amy chose the Doctor.

In the reality in which Amy chose Rory they are being chased down by aliens, and in the reality in which Amy chose the Doctor they are in the TARDIS about to be frozen to death by a nearby astrological phenomenon. A bit of a catch 22, then.

But the catch is that if you die in the dream, you wake up in reality.

Amy has to then choose which reality she thinks is real or a dream, in order to kill herself and finally wake up. 

I think this merging of dream and reality has been occurring on and off for Sherlock since his hospitalisation in His Last Vow.

Remember all the weird discrepancies and surrealist elements within season four? We get the same thing happening in “Amy’s Choice”, when the Doctor is trying to figure out whether they’re dreaming or not:

“The Doctor: Examine everything. Look for all the details that don’t ring true.Rory Williams: OK we’re in a spaceship that’s bigger on the inside than the outside.Amy Pond: With a bow tie-wearing alien.Rory Williams: Maybe “what rings true” isn’t so simple.The Doctor: Valid point.”

Meaning the glowing skull / lamp hell / OOC character behaviour / reused lines of dialogue all point towards constructed memories.

Moving along, where things get really incriminating is when you consider that the big reveal at the end of the episode: The Dream Lord is actually the physical manifestation of the Doctor’s darkest fears and insecurities.

“The Doctor: Drop it! Drop all that. I know who you are.Dream Lord: Of course you don’t.The Doctor: Of course I do. I’ve no idea how you can be here, but there’s only one person in the Universe that hates me as much as you do.”

“Sherlock Holmes: The point I’m trying to make is that I am… the most unpleasant, rude, ignorant, and all-round obnoxious arsehole that anyone could possibly have the misfortune to meet. I am dismissive of the virtuous, unaware of the beautiful, and uncomprehending in the face of the happy. So if I didn’t understand I was being asked to be best man, it is because I never expected to be anybody’s best friend…”

Just like the Doctor, Sherlock’s biggest weakness, central to the type of character he is, is loneliness.

The Doctor is so afraid of being alone that he conjures up a monster that traps he and Amy in a reality contingent upon her leaving him.

So to sum up the parallels, we’ve got …- The Doctor // Sherlock- Amy’s choice // John’s choice (post HLV)- Amy’s Pregnancy // Mary’s Pregnancy — The Schrodinger’s Baby dilemma- The Dream Lord // Culverton Smith // (John) // Sherlock- Additionally Billy Kincaid (mentioned in TSoT) mirroring Culverton Smith as well - Possibly The Dream Lord // Eurus // Sherlock

Relevant quotes/references:

Amy // John

Amy is referred to in Doctor Who as “the Girl Who Waited”. She meets the Doctor when she’s young, and he promises to come back and save her, but due to the TARDIS malfunctioning accidentally disappears and only comes back years into the future when she’s already grown up. (Paralleling Reichenbach.)

This theme of the Doctor leaving Amy behind because it’s in his nature/that’s just the sort of man he is really links into John and Sherlock’s dynamic. John thinks that Sherlock is always abandoning him both literally (TRF) and emotionally (THoB, ASiB, etc.,) because he’s a “sociopathic genius”, it’s just who he is, when really, unlike the Doctor, Sherlock is only being forced away from John due to Moriarty.

“Dream Lord: Poor Amy. He always leaves you, doesn’t he? Alone in the dark. Never apologises.Amy: He doesn’t have to.Dream Lord: That’s good. Because he never will. And now he’s left you with me. Spooky old not-to-be-trusted me. Anything could happen.Amy: Who are you and what do you want? The Doctor knows you, but he’s not telling me who you are. And he always does. Takes him a while sometimes but he tells me. So you’re something different.Dream Lord: Oh, is that who you think you are? The one he trusts?Amy: Actually, yes.”

“Amy: I love Rory and I never told him. And now he’s gone.”

“John: Just text her, phone her, do something while there’s still a chance, because that chance doesn’t last forever. Trust me, Sherlock, it’s gone before you know it. Before you know it!”

In Doctor Who, in order to make the right choice Amy must choose Rory over the Doctor, the man she loves over the man she is infatuated with.

In this case, Sherlock, although he parallels the Doctor, also parallels Rory.

Sherlock // the Doctor

What does the Doctor say the first time he, Amy, and Rory are together again?

“The Doctor: Now. We all know there’s an elephant in the room.”

And what is he referring to? Amy think’s it’s her pregnancy, but the Doctor makes a joke and says that he’s talking about Rory’s terrible choice of hairstyle. Of course, that’s not what he’s actually talking about. The real elephant in the room is the fact that Amy is standing between the two men she loves and has to choose between.

Weather Metaphors: “The Oncoming Storm” vs. “The East Wind”

Within Doctor Who we have the extended metaphor of the Doctor being referred to as “the Oncoming Storm” which can be seen as paralleling the “East Wind” in Sherlock, which is very likely referring to himself, namely his emotions.

“The Doctor: Someone—something—is overriding my controls!Dream Lord (Toby Jones): Well that took a while. Honestly, I’d heard such good things. Last of the Time Lords. The Oncoming Storm. Him in the bowtie.”

“The East Wind is coming, Sherlock. It’s coming to get you.“ 

And in mythology ... “Eurus is God of the East Wind. He was thought to bring warmth and rain, and his symbol was an inverted vase, spilling water. His Roman counterpart was Vulturnus.” [x]

From The Blind Banker:

“Sherlock: Someone else has been here. Somebody else broke into the flat and knocked over the vase, just like I did. John: You think maybe you could let me in this time? Can you not keep doing this, please?Sherlock: I’m not the first.”

Plus Sherlock drinking from the vase in TLD:

Conclusions

”Amy’s Choice” provides a conceptual basis for what is likely going on in Season Four. 

Where Toby Jones represents the darkness within The Doctor as The Dream Lord, it is possible that Culverton Smith at times represents the darkness within Sherlock. At the very least this also links into how other characters such as Faith/”E”/Eurus/Mary can sometimes be seen as representations of characters’ psyches.

Amy’s baby, aka., Mary’s baby, is likely existent in one reality and non-existent in another. Season four shows us a reality where Rosamund does exist so we know certain scenes are not real, just like how Amy’s pregnancy is not real.

Amy’s choice between the Doctor and Rory parallels John’s choice between Sherlock and Mary. In S4 Sherlock’s worst fears to do with loneliness are being projected into reality, just like the Doctor’s, likely because of TD-12, which parallels The Dream Lord’s “psychic pollen”.

Within “Amy’s Choice” Amy and the Doctor are presented with three separate realities. There’s the real world, the fake real world on the TARDIS where Amy chose the Doctor, and the fake world in the village where Amy chose Rory. Due to this I think it’s quite likely that there are multiple layers of unreality we are seeing in season four, just like when Sherlock wakes up into fake reality in TAB and goes to dig up Emelia Ricoletti’s body.

This makes even more sense considering the fact that TAB can be seen as a key for understanding season four. Dreams within dreams within dreams.

@worriesconstantly @jenna221b @teapotsubtext @drugsbust @my-relaxation @timey-wimey-consulting-dragon @misanthropic-acedia @theveryunnecessaryfeelings

#sherlock meta #tjlc #tfhc #long post beware

[nicicles]

Pengator Musings and In-Game Scribbles

Nashville Predators vs Pittsburgh Penguins Game Six June 12, 2017

Penguins lead best-of-seven three games to two

Missed it? Musings capture the game in writing. A written transcript typed during the game, posted and edited about thirty minutes afterward.  Based on the RDS French telecast of the Montreal Canadiens game (or some anglo sourced playoff game), Musings take about 23 minutes to read. More detailed than an article, fresher than a looping highlight and good with morning coffee. Or late-night Coke.  A unique way to re-experience the game. 

 (Nashville) - Star defender Ryan Ellis remains questionable for tonight's game. Scott Oake, at rinkside, says his absence would mean a step closer for Pittsburgh to raise the Stanley Cup at Bridgestone Arena tonight.

 Subban is shown waiting for everyone to leave the ice after the warmup and he lofts a puck into the empty Pittsburgh net. Reminds me of a similar Montreal tradition that led to a pre-period fight against the Flyers.  Playoffs.  Late eighties.  Two Flyers diving out to prevent the superstitious shot, clean ice glistening. And then the fight.  

 Chico Resch, backup goalie for the Flyers, was one of those black-clad Philadelphians.

 Only a maximum of four games a year are games where the Stanley Cup might be awarded at game's end.  This season, the maximum is two.  Tonight, the Penguins could lift.  Should Nashville win (and they will), game seven on Tuesday would be the second award night.  It would almost certainly be awarded that night.  

 Hey, an OT could go on forever.  Couldn't it.  

 Outdoor Tennessee.  A band on Broadway, the sun setting.  The lead singer wears a "SMASH" hat, grey fronting, yellow lettering, and white mesh rear.  It's a country song.

 A shot of a Penguin (possibly Crob) wearing a Stanley Cup-shaped bunch of words.  Compete Level.  Chip it in. Blah, blah.  It's a nice shirt.

 It's a huge crowd, subdued for now.  Nashville faces elimination for the first time these playoffs.  They won series one 4-0 over Chicago Blackhawks.  They led 3-1 before eliminating the Blues in six.  They drowned the Ducks in six, never behind.

 Back in the arena we hear "Let's go Preds!"  

 Cherry stands, wearing a star-blotched suit, blue. White stars.  Cherry backs off on his pick.  He said that he originally picked Pens to win in six but he's gotta change his pick.  I respect the shift.  He says if Ellis plays the whole game (Ellis skated in the warm-ups) and with this crowd ... Nashville will win.

 Pens look relaxed in their hallway.  Preds look fearful, hesitant in theirs. Nerves.  Rinne is one of the last to join the team and he effects a hockey nerve and near-arrogance his teammates need to see.  

 The Preds have impressed in many ways this playoff. Passing short.  Passing long.  Quickness. Powerful pace.  But deeper than that, something we've only sensed, something we'll see demonstrated tonight, is the team's character.  

 Ellis is introduced first.  He doesn't look himself and takes a sour breath and glances askance.  But he'll play.  

 We're reminded the Cup is in the building.  

 The (fucking) Cup was in the building that dark night in 1989, too.  The only time a visiting team held the trophy aloft on Montreal ice.

 Faith Hill sings the anthem.  It has nothing to do with the game and only distracts a purist, puck professor or student of the game.  Get rid of it.  These useless intrusions in our games.  They're our games.  

 Not anybody else's.  Certainly not yours.  

 Murray has a good angle and could knock Hill down. Send a clear message.  Matt Murray.  Their goalie.  There's a fucking "honour guard".  Dishonour guard.  

 Now we must welcome Tim McGraw.  He waves two towels and the crowd appears to appreciate it.

 Broadway is jammed from end to end if the heliphotos are, um, real.

 They are.

 Pekka Rinne and Matt Murray are the goalies.  

 Rinne was pulled in an eventual 7-0 loss last game. But he's back.

 First Period Nashville 0, Pittsburgh 0

 Crob wins the draw.  They bump into one another early and the keystone komedy leads to an unwarranted Pittsburgh entry down the right.  Rinne is ready for the less-than-savage shot.

 Subban advances four feet past their blue. Murray gets a piece of it with his right pad.  

 On the other end a mild puck is stopped and held.

 The replay of the Kaper shows Josi falling for no reason.  Like a scared seven year-old. Why.

 Technology can't be-foul me.  Neither must hockey art.

 Nineteen oh eight left in the first period.

 Malkin and Fisher are drawing to Rinne's left.  

 Subban low.  

 Coffee is good, at least.  I'll be up late long past the game, anyway.  

 On a different sleep sked.

 Puck is into the Penguins zone.  

 Neither team can show their style.  Even the Pens’ languid approach appears more investigative than fearful or detached.

 The Predators must begin to breathe.  And they do.  Fisher is in their middle deep area and shoots.  It's into glass and then he turns, the puck far from him. But Josi offers a solid check.  

 The Predators’ bold cross-town passing game has been slowed or redirected by a fast-checking Penguin team that's matched the Preds' movements with, at times, intrepid commitment.  

 Preds push in.  Chance.  Gloved and retained.

 Faceoff.

 Over sixteen.  

 The puck ends up on the boards.  

 The crowd mocks in their purposeful way

 PPG Arena interior is shown; filled with Penguin fans.  It's pretty cool, yo. Seriously. In 1982, many couldn't have imagined such a thing.

 Dead catfish on the ice.  

 Six tonight according to CBC's (cute) Catfish Counter.

 They're tossed down by fans.  Florida fans tossed plastic rats onto the surface during their team's improbable run to the final in 1996 (an eventual 4-0 loss to Colorado Avalanche.  Roy's Avalanche.  The year he was traded.  Ya. Mhm.)

 I sigh.

 Subban hasn't been prominent in the finals nor has he been absent or, worse, a liability.  He's played within the system.  But he's got room to rake risk.  Perhaps he hasn't taken enough?

 I'd have to watch some of these games again (and I likely will this summer).

 Fifteen oh two.  

 Another chant.  

 Sent down.  Forsberg, a turning hash shot.  Murray is his rubber-legged self.  

 I quite like him.  

 He looks on the verge of catching pneumonia, he's bearded, scruffly, too thin and rather inelegant.  On the ice he's swift, economical, bent, low and rather seventies in his wide stance.  Pads make the man large.

 Thirteen and ten.

 Like most of the modern goalies, Murray will rest a pad on the ice while guarding a post.  It's a current notion.  I don't like it.  And I think in the coming years it will be shown to be a liability.  

 Of course, goalies are only getting bigger. And the net stays the same size. Styles are moot when size is prominent. When are they gonna increase the rink size?  

 The net size discussion is nearly a sacrosanct one.

 Banker's crumbs.  "You're richer than you think."  Condescending.  Infuriating. They're far richer than WE think.

 Shania Twain is in the rink.  Now she's shown.  We're told CBC will  speak with her later.  (I'd say "in the telecast" but this isn't a telecast.  Is it.)

 Talking to musicians during the Stanley Cup. What have we come to.

 The Cup was once held under a trusteeship. And a non-NHL team challenged for it as late as 1952.  Around that time, the trusteeship was officially turned over to the NHL.  Never should have happened.  The Cup is Canada's.  Not some league's.

 During the lockout of 2004-05, the season canceled, a group of dandies organized and suggested they could put the Cup on offer for other challengers. The league took immediate legal action to quash this.

 Leagues are good for a few things.  But they're not needed.  

 How about a rink where anyone could show up any time, 24-hour telecast, a camera on at all times.  They just suit up and things happen.  Anyone.

 Sure schedules are nice.  Websites.  

 But people – fans, would pay players, regardless. And people could organize the rest. Without these mediocre Animal Farm men of money.

 Pace increases.  Eight and forty.

 This game searches for its mood much like a game seven.  The Preds aren't sure who to be in this sixth match.  And that's unusual.  

 As I'd said, they haven't faced elimination at all this playoff (yes, I like saying that  ... 'this playoff').  And not having faced hockey death, they.... well.  May not know as a group who and how.

 And so forth.

 A Cowboy rolling around the ground (Staubach in thrall), Reggie Miller missing a whole bunch of first quarter shots against the Sixers (Finals-bound) in the first round of the NBA 00-01 playoffs and a humid Als team slowly pulling away at home against a visiting Eskimo team (Ricky Ray in his second pro start) in 2002.  These are some of the recent images ingested.  

 By me.

 And now you're all gonna pay.  I've been watching a lotta random tape and YouTube. The usual leagues.  

 CBC shows the verbal exchange between Ekholm and Hornqvist (last game).  There's hope for the world, says Hughson.  Or Simmy.  The exchange, a fight request turned down, was polite.  

 Ellis looks his usual self.  Hagelin is expunged on the hash.  Then a puck is cleared deep.  

 Blowout responses are shown.  In 2017, three six-plus losses led to wins in the next games for the losers.  But the Preds are the most tentative of each of these teams.  Ottawa.  Edmonton. Anaheim.  Each rebounded with early emotion and intensity.  

 It's worrisome.  If you're concerned about Nashville.

 Delayed call.  Pittsburgh.  Rinne leaves the net.  No chances. Puck is touched.  Nashville power.

 Jim Hughson.  “First goal could be important”.  I type and then edit some tart remarks.  I mean, c'mon.  

 Ninety seconds later, a cleared puck ends the first sequence.  Then the Preds lose it on the deep hash, left.  

 Lines change.  

 Järnkrok.  Arvidsson.

 I struggle with getting closer to the game, myself.  

The distance keeps me from staring at the screen too long, allowing the old habit of staring at the words on the laptop.  

 But I finally suck it up and stay on the main screen.  Penalty ends.

 Subban round his net.  

 Players have superstitions.  And, more comically perhaps, so do fans.  

 How can a viewer believe their coffee mug influenced a game's outcome, thousands of miles away.  Yet some do.  Guilty as charged.  It’s in my past now. 

Players, invested in intricate daily patterns encompassing meal-times, sleep-times, practice and all manner of preparation (video, nutrition, exercise) and playing as many games as they do (82 a season) can't know precisely which detail led to the win or which didn't.  Coaches break down film to show exactly why and how. But players are left with mystery. Why did the puck go in THAT time? And not THAT one.

 And so, some pay attention to details they CAN understand.  That perhaps, they CAN control.  Tie up the left skate first.  Spit out your gum before you take the ice.  Cuz the last time I did, we won.  The last time I did, I had a goal.  And so forth. Until the pattern leads to nothing. Or worse. Then the pattern is changed.

 Three and twelve.

 Clark should join me in due course.  Here in this musing station.  This fairly comfortable basement.  Clark Kent, we call him.

 Puck stays on the boards.  

 I can't believe it’s scoreless.  Penguins are waiting to lose this game.  And the Preds don't know how to take it.  This has happened before this series. Pendead hockey and Predator Hezator.  Their puma pause.

 Now they rise.  A shot.  Murray, across.  Around the boards.  Crowd the maw. Murray has it.  

 Neal saw the puck emerge off a skate on the crease lip and got too little on it.  

 Lotta tough talk from the Canadian usuals, both teams.  But when the fire is needed; ... like now ... where are they.  Where is Neal.  Where is Cullen.  

 Rinne save.  Shifted right, table-hockey style, and he stops the low slot shot next.  

 Hagelin.  

 Faceoff to his right.  Forty-five point eight.

 Entry.  Wind-up. Slapper.  And the high glove.  

 Cherry remains sharp.  How does he do it.  He's earned back a chunk of my respect these playoffs.  Like that better?  He's been fair.  He's been big-hearted.  He's been apologetic.  Both directly and in his way.

 Crob fires a "rocket" and Rinne got the glove on it.  He looks normal again. Getting pulled is part of the game.  But it's hard to manage.  Even to discuss from a distance.  At least for this scribe.

  First Intermission Nashville 0, Pittsburgh 0

 Coaching kickers.  Coaching keyboardists.  Can it be done?

 In decades past, they'd say no.  Nowadays, kickers and punters, both have position coaches.  Keyboardists? Well.  Just ride in the other bus, son.  

 PJ Stock was in line to be the next Cherry. CAN there be a next Cherry? Probably not.  CBC has personalities and people who can fill the void. They'll take it in another direction. And they should.  Stock, among others, was let go a year ago.  Stock was wearing the Cherry high collars and saying unprovable things.  He’s likeable but the schtick wore thin.  He also appeared regularly (and in galling fashion) on Reseau Des Sports (the French TSN).

 Ron asks (and leads) Don with questions about the tenor, the events.

 Cherry wishes Nashville had gotten a goal.  He adds that Pittsburgh seems loosey-goosey. Both agree.  Preds are nervous.  

 Cherry is fighting a cold, I'll guess.  He's a bit pale and clearing his throat often.  

 Earlier today or yesterday, Cherry got down to Predator practice.  

 He hands the mike around and Nashville players and coaches greet their families.  Two Finns, too.  Yup. Don is, what, showing his true colours?   Or evolving.  I'll say the former.  His irritating brand of bombast (the one we're used to) has long hidden a fine hockey mind; opinions that don't match with his public ones.

 Kids ask for specific bedtime stories.  To be read in the prescribed manner; the tones and exclamations or possible asides (footnotes, appendices) to be identical to the last reading to a well-remembered ideal reading performance.  Parents know.  And to deviate (in any way; omission, increased speed or absent accents) is to be told to repeat the passage correctly.  

 Kids choose the feelings they'll feel in this way. They'll choose, say, three books, three distinct feelings, to close out the day.  It's a prescribed experience.  And nothing wrong with it.  We do the same; a favourite song. A favourite recipe.  (A favourite taped game)

 But in watching THESE games, THESE narratives, particularly playoff narratives is a risk.  Having seen so many games (as many of us have) we know what an ideal game one feels like, looks like.  Same with game two, three and on down the line.  We know what surges and drops to expect.  

 But games and series rarely match the ideal pattern we (might) demand.  Games disappoint, bore or appall.  

 This game leaves me with an electric disdain.

 (Another catfish)

 This game isn't the three-nothing first-period jump from Nashville I expected.  And that changes what I might expect from game seven.  If there's a game seven.  It changes everything.  

 And that's as it should be.  So should I demand a retelling of the tale?

 I sigh and consider my hundreds of taped games, a collection begun in 1986, made up of CFL, NHL, NFL and NBA games.  And some boxing.

  Second Period Pittsburgh 0, Nashville 0

 Murray gloops one.  It falls.  Whistle. The puck rolls.  And it's poked in.  Crowd reacts.  Of course it won't count.  We all heard the whistle.  

 Forsberg, deep on the left, his offwing

 Wait.  Whistle was mistaken.  Should have counted.  Sissons was robbed.  

 And there's nothing they can do.  Fisher is arms spread and irate.  Fans swear at volume.  Nothing in the rules to save it.  

 We saw an early whistle in the Pens-Caps series that cost Ovechkin and company a late crease jam-session that could have led to a tying goal.  But no.

 I'd like to say "that's hockey". Or "that's sports".  But I can't.  I won't.  It's preventable.  THAT. Was preventable.

 Thaaaattt.  Is the question.  Did you like Hamlet?  My colleague Columbo hates Hamlet.  Mostly cuz Hamlet the character pisses him off.  Too hesitant or something.

 Another shot.  More booing.  Murray silts it about in his glove before handing it over.  

 I wonder if the context will prod reach the Predators.  But they're on their own. It' a rare hockey crowd that cheers or exhorts when the team needs it.  Most cheer or exhort after the team has produced something desirable.  Nashville fans, still relatively new to the game (the team entered the NHL in 1998), is still capable of original encouragement.  Surge times unique.

 They're not on offer just now.  

 So many problems with the Rogers set-up. Like Microsoft they don't have to compete.  They just protect their monopoly.  Funny that Conservative parties claim to be pro-business. Pro-competition.  They're just pro-monopoly.  Pro-collusion.  Too scared to compete legitimately in their own lives (they cheat or lean) they support the very same mediocre or worse entities in their policies. Pill-pushers.  Lard-gurglers.  

 Three and a half gone.  

 Rinne looks sharp.  His movements are Price-like tonight, ahead or flush with the play, each movement precise and no more than needed.  No panic.  Rinne isn’t a panicked goalie, typically.  He just moves like Price tonight.  

 Save.  Save. Move.  Save.  Slide. Rise.  Save.  

 Nashville two-on-one.

 Rinne has helped write the emotional texturing for his team.  

 Tripping.  Sheary. Arvidsson goes to the dressing room. To be checked.

 Preds power.  

 C'mon PK.  Then the camera shows the young fella.  He's on with Ellis on the blue, Ellis, a rightie on the left point.  

 Forsberg.  Colin Wilson. Fisher.  Unusual first trio.  

 But it's been earned (or lost; or both).

 First entry is rebuffed.  

 Hainsey interrupts.  Quick return.  Forsberg, perhaps their most dangerous shooter just sends it wide of the post, to Murray's left.  

 Another failure.  

 Now they set up.  Sissons.  Järnkrok. Neal.  Ekholm on the blue.  Ekholm has it. Poised. Twenty seconds.  They're set up for the first time in a long time.  

 But the passes aren't quick.  Nor precise.  Out of character, the team surrenders another failed power-play.

 Beards don't win playoff games.

 Hughson notes Forsberg's shot was dangerous.

 Commercial.  

 Future generations (and there should be, Kim Jong-Il or no) will disdain airbrushing and gloss.   They'll call it evil.  These faux pleasant car commercials.  [Ed note: It's Kim Jon-un, now]

 Thirteen oh two.  

 Crob.  Hagelin. Crob.  Shot.  Pad extended. Rinne is the team's heart.  When he's on, the team feels safe.  And the rest works.  How many times has the Predator squad saved Pekka Rinne these playoffs?  When he's off?  Once, maybe. I think none.  

 Twelve and twenty-six.  

 Rinne is thirty-four years old and is, at times, the best goalie in the world.  For most of these playoffs he was.  But the finals changed that.  The Penguins and their sinister backhand shots changed that.  Rinne and his unit allowed eight goals on the thirty-six first shots against after entering at about 0.935.  Since then, the Predators have fluctuated.  Good.  Tentative. Great.  Error-prone. Relaxed. Hurried.

 Prior, they were one tone.  One sound.  A grand electric symphony, fat, shimmering, patriot yellow.  Tweed country.

 Ten and fifty-five.  

 They could be again but it won't be sustained. The Penguin limousine has rolled onto their countryside.  This series will remain unique among Nashville's four chapter-sets.  

 Still scoreless.

 Malkin and Sissons to Rinne's left.  Malkin, a cursory gesture.  Into the back boards.  Penguins briefly control.  

 Where are the Penguins.

 Sissons.  A man just behind him.  We wait. We wait.  Sissons fakes and then tries the left pad.  No.  

 On the other end, long diagonal passes stretch and shrink the icy floor.  Rinne matches.  Ligament and length.  

 More Pens.  

 Munged up.  

 Five Pens return and keep the puck on the boards.

  Lines change.  Fresh birds.  

 Penguins lead on shots ten to six.  

 Crowd begins another chant.  

 Whistle.  Hand-pass. Crosby.  

 Murray got across for Sissons’ deke and shoot. Sissons was too slow.  

 Clark should be by shortly.  And possibly Mook.  

 Eight and seventeen.

 Sheary tries to get around Josi.  Around the net they go.  Sheary gets the step and keeps the puck but can't control for a shot.  

 Hughson says Crosby has it from his office as Crob views action from under the end line to Rinne's right.  That's not quite his office.  (One of his known “sweet spots” is next to the post, at their end-line, back to the boards.)

 Mookie arrives.  I let him in and set him up.  You know.  Beverage.

 Shot.  Murray. Arvidsson slams the glass in irritation.

 Mookie says the TV is high-tech.  Merci.

 Arvidsson was upset because he couldn't get enough on the puck.  Preds lead on faceoffs 20-11.  At least they've fixed that from last series.  Of course, this series' matchups are different.  I chuckle.  

 Left side entry.  Murray mops.  Some words, Kunitz and Smith.  

 Faceoff to Murray's right.  Three on two, Pens.  

 Slot chance.  Mookie says "it's a goal".  But for a leg.  

 Mookie asks me about Crosby's "tremendous game", mentioning the Kid's three assists.  I say it wasn't a tremendous game, rather Crosby had a great first eight minutes.  Maybe three, four shifts.   post. A drawn or caused penalty.  A goal.  A near goal.  And then a settling into his usual game.  

 He won't do that again this series, I say.  

 Three and thirty-six.  

 I ask Mookie if he saw the Cleveland game. He hadn't and I inform him the Cavs set an NBA Final (perhaps playoff) record with 86 first-half points.  En route to staving off a sweep.  Mookie asks if I think they can maintain this erection for the rest of the playoffs.  What.

 I ask him again.  Ya.  He said it. Hey, sports and sex don't mix. Mookie finds my churl amusing.  

 Slot.  Mookie exhorts Preds to shoot.  They do. Into bodies.  Then a long puck and whistle.  

 Mookie reminds me that the Cavs came back from 3-1 down last season.  I remind him that the personnel are different this season.  Still, I wonder.  And I really don't know.  

 Watching the Sixers and Pacers last night, I found I could follow.  The movements and patterns were predictable.  I could better understand what I was seeing. What is the change that I can't understand the game anymore? Today's game.  

 Sullivan calls timeout.  

 Pens.  On-ice din. Jerseys shimmer.  Ding.  Pinkkk! But nothing certain.  No doom.  

 Then the puck is back out.  

 Twenty seconds.  

 Pens can't prong it into their ice.  And the period winks out.

  Second Intermission Nashville 0, Pittsburgh 0

 Friedman says it should have been a goal, adding nobody feels worse about it than the ref that missed the call.  The Sissons poke-in.

 Mookie mentions that Moog was the goalie in 90 and 88 (for Bruins) when Edmonton won.  Andy Moog and Grant Fuhr was once on that same Edmonton team, two Conn Smythe-calibre goalies on the same team.  

 Mookie insists that Kelly Hrudey was once an Oiler. A backup.  In the nineties. Really?

 CBC cameras roll.  Musicians.  Interviews. Cage the Elephant.  This is a music town, alright.  

 Scott Oake is seated beside Shania Twain. She's ha a couple of beverages. “I'm so proud of our national sport in Canada!”  Hilarious.

 The earnest housewife.  It's endearing because it's Shania.  Timmins native.  Scott talks about the new single.  Shania’s eyes narrow as she expands on it. She claps and expresses delight.  

 So, a new album.  Good, good.  Shania Law.

 Respect to housewives.  If that's what they honestly wished and chose.

 If.

 The Sissons goal.  He flopped forward, stomach poke at a roller across the blue-streak crease.  And it went in.  Ref lost sight of it and whistled immediately.  Too bad.

  Third Period Pittsburgh 0, Nashville 0

 This Acer with its top-heavy monitor. Detachable.  Techward awk.

 These companies need more complex controls and regulations.  

 Mookie marvels again at the size of the crowd on Broadway.  It’s curb to curb for blocks.  

 Mookie shows off his knowledge, mentioning Winnipeg's move to Phoenix, Quebec City's to Colorado, Hartford to Carolina and others. Mookie moved to Alberta from Africa in 1984, in time for the Oilers' big Cup win over the four-in-a-row Islanders. He's been Oil since.  (He’s been a TO dude for maybe 25 years.

 The Penguins seem absent.  The Preds can't do much.  The Penguins are absent offensively only, however.  They're watching lanes and keeping the Preds from their floe.  

 Entry pass.  Stood up.  

 Kunitz with an offwing shot.  The Pens are playing a conservative brand normally seen when a team is short-handed.  And they're playing it well.  Now Yannick Weber.  Keeps past the hash.  Around the net to the other hash.  And lost. But Wilson comes up with it. Pressed against he boards.  Määttä took it away from him.  

 Shoot dat, says Mookie.  We don't just want random shots, i say with some pepper.  We want good ones.  

 Tocchet's tablet is away.  Trainer a few feet to his right, towel on his shoulder.  Good beard.  

 Preds get a shooting lane.  Left point.  Long shot. Stopped and retained. Mostly yellow in the crowd.  Not quite Sea of White.  But close.  Sea of White was Winnipeg's legendary demo.  It's not the same these days.  But we'll see. Playoff appearance may evoke the same.  We'll see.

 Wilson.  Walrus dribble from the corner.  Three Preds behind their end line.  

 Penguins are happy to eschew offensive involvement.   It's almost like a rope-a dope. Frustrate em frustrate em frustrate em. And then come out.  

 Also you're lulling them.  

 It's ugly.  

 Hainsey with a long point shot.  

 Stopped.  Held.  

 It’s effective.

 It's almost as if the Pens feel they can afford to play tied or from behind.  Well maybe not from behind.

 Post.  Crossbar. Mookie says these guys aren't getting any luck, are they.  Preds.

 Kessel is an ex-Leaf, Mookie asks.  Ya yp..  Ex-Bruin, too.  

 Four advance.  Pat the hash.  But Rinne is there.

 We return to the Preds yelling during commercial break.  Their fans.

 Thirteen and ten.  

 Ellis moves a man off the disc.  Diagonal pass.  Neal.  Left hash. Retained. Whistle.

 Faceoff to Murray's right.  

 Tinny Subdivisions tune on the organ.  Cute.

 Thirteen.  

 The old feelings come over me.  In those days, this kind of score and circumstance would mean putting away the whistles.  Määttä knocked Arvidsson over.  Mookie says it shouldn't have been called.  I saw tripping.  Replay shows Mookie is right.  

 Faceoff to Murray's right.  No matter, Sullivan is quiet.  and the Preds go to power..

 Diamond.  Two in the low slot.  Lotta bumping.  Finally Neal falls over.  Is he pretending?  Shot into the back boards.  

 Ekholm.  

 Roman Josi.  They work the umbrella.  Ekholm, a blast.  Off a body, high.  

 They move it.  Mookie exhorts, looking for a set up.  But the puck is out down the boards.  Fifty seconds.  

 PK is on.  Behind his net.  He carries it out.  

 Be the hero?  Or play the system.  

 Thirty-three.

 They dig on the boards, deep left. Daley?  What.

 Five on three.  

 Let's see.  

 Roughing.  Really, I say out loud.  

 Ok.  Stick to the face (Ellis).  Then a punch in the face.  Ok.

 There's been nothing against Preds?  No calls?  Yep, no calls against Nashville.  This game will be interesting to re-watch..  

 Thirty-two seconds; two-man advantage.  

 Phil Housley.  Shown behind the bench.  Preds assistant.  I remind Mookie of the 3-1 lead the Jets had over Oil in 1990.  He smiles with some guilt and some joy.  Edmonton came back to win the series.  They went on to win the Cup.

 Mookie asks about “the last Leaf coach”.  I nod and smile.  He means Carlyle. Mookie adds that he was the last to not wear a helmet.  Carlyle was a Jet defenceman in 1990.  [Ed note: Following Carlyle, the Leafs had a brief, horrifying period under Peter Horacek; 9-29-5 before Mike Babcock was hired for the 15-16 season.]

 Back to five on four.  

 Ten and thirty-seven.  

 Ekholm and Josi.  

 Around the back boards.  Josie advances.  Backhander dig around the right.  

 They retain.  Under a minute.  

 Cross-slot pass.  No.  Then a long shot.  Murray finds it.  How did he pick it up through all that traffic, asks Simmy.  

 Preds lead on shots seven to three.  I wonder aloud where Clark is; is he at Contender? Mookie chuckles.

 Thirty-one seconds in the power-play.  

 Offside entry.  

 I wonder what Laviolette is thinking. Saying.  

 He's got a knee up.  He exhorts.  The moment I wondered, the camera found him.  I’m as Hindu as I need to be.  

 Twelve.  

 Subban.  Left side. Lost on the hash.  Kunitz clears it.

 Nine and eleven.  

 Nashville is oh of four.  

 Twelfth time in SC final history that home team won first five games.  

 Long Predator puck.  Touched.  

 Laviolette is still talking, more red-faced.  Preds lead on faceoffs 33-16.  Crob wins it.  Powerful backhanded draw and the torqued puck eludes Crob’s defenceman on the right point.  Pens manage a quick re-entry and shot.  Rinne is adroit.

 I must believe, must accept the score. It's zero-zero.  How.    

 How many more hockey games am I going to (have to) see like this one? Enduring zero-zero is cool when you don't give a duck.   When you’re half in, half-out.  When the teams don’t matter.  When the outcome isn’t meaningful.  

 Mookie raises a fist and mentions the "kid line".  He just saw the irritating Simpleson.  He should have stayed on the ice.  Givin us nothin in the booth.

 Seven and a half.  

 I do smell overtime, tho, Mookie says as his fingers tap with nerves or impatience on one of my steel lamps.   Ting-ting-ting.

 Preds control.  

 Off the post.  High slot.  Sissons.

 Off the outside of the post to Murray's left, a one-timer.

 Six oh three.  Pass from the left point to Crob on the hash.  Timely stick.  Fisher. And the puck is up and out.  

 Could be worse.  Imagine if the Sharks had somehow snuck in here.  

 Eight catfish, now.  The catfish count graphic makes me smile.  

 Faceoff to Murray's left.  

 It's looking like one goal may be the ....

 Swings of panic as the puck crosses the low slot. My own concentration improves as I see this.  

 Where IS Clark.  

 Five and twelve.

 Clark Kent.  

 Sometimes Bruce.

 Are we going to see changes from these teams or are we going to see the same styles of hockey replicated.

 Four and thirty-one.  

 The puck remains on the boards.  Suddenly a toothy blade appears at Murray's right and nearly pots it.  

 Then it's out.  Shots are tied 27, each.

 C'mon!  I yell. Then I apologize.  

 It's too much.  

 Lemieux is shown in the upper level.  

 If that guy was healthy, he would have erased all of Gretzky's records, shares Mookie, a bit to my surprise.  

 Mookie yawns and I tell him it's not time to be tired. Under three.  

 Rinne waits on a long dribbler.  He doesn't play it with a glove.  He waits.  Then sends it along its way behind his net.  Preds carry it out.  

 Two and twenty.  

 I guess a clam-down would not have been wise.

 Kunitz.  Trying to get around Josi.  Nope.  

 It feels like a Montreal moment and I accidentally exhort, "C'mon les boys”.

 Hornqvist flukes one in.  Dropped behind Rinne’s shoulder.  From behind the end line.  Ugly. Fortunate.  Opportunistic.  

 Hockey shock on Ellis’ face.  Same as Subban.  The back board shot popped and was slapped in off Rinne's back.  

 This is why we don't like 0-0.  This is why we don't like game sevens.  Or game sixes like this one.  

 Laviolette will challenge.  But there's nothing.  Goaltender interference is what he’s looking for.  

 The Sissons non-goal looms larger.  

 Mookie says it's a waste of a challenge.  I respond that they have to do it.  

 Clark calls to say he'll be by in fifteen.

 Pittsburgh's arena is shown erupting.  

 Legal goal.  Pittsburgh 1, Nashville 0

 Ninety seconds.  

 Yeah, you have to take the goalie out, I answer Mookie.  And Rinne soon leaves.  

 Offside entry.  

 Crowd is quiet.  We can hear player voices.  

 Well.  Stranger things have happened.

 The crowd recovers.  One and ten.  

 Just score.

 If this.  If that.  

 Rinne, mostly.  

 Into Penguin ice.  

 Just at the blue.  Turned and shot.  Long Penguin puck.  

 Forty-six point four.

 Mookie messes around with my lamp.  Removes the bulb to show (and remind me) it's a black light.

 Hagelin gets free.  Scores.  Empty net.

 Somebody kisses Mario.  Looks like his mom.  But it was on the lips.  

 It's not as bad as the Flames loss.  

 Malkin is feeling joy.  

 Crosby, arms up.  

 Pittsburgh 2, Nashville 0

 A woman is red-faced and tears streaming down her cheeks.  Predator jersey.  

 It could be worse, I think, even as I fill my den with some tart phrases and thoughts.  

 I wonder if Mookie has ever heard me talk like that.  

 Long puck.  Turning shot.  Three point one.  

 Penguins win the Cup.  Predators win the trade.  

 They crowd together on the ice.  Who's Kühnhackl?   [Ed note: Tom Kühnhackl (born 21 January 1992) is a German ice hockey right winger who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL); from Wikipedia.  And did you even care at that point?]

 Letang is on the ice in uniform, I think.  

 No equipment.  

 Hugs.  

 Laviolette and Sullivan shake hands.  What disparity.  

 Throughout, I think it could be much worse.  The Penguins are acceptable.  And it's easy to prove Crob wasn't the guy.  Despite whatever awards are given.  

  Final Score Pittsburgh 2 Nashville 0

 HDS Stars: Pekka Rinne, Matt Murray, Colton Sissons

 Penguins are awarded the 16-17 Stanley Cup for scoring more goals in certain games.

 They line up to shake hands.  

 Why is Letang in the handshake line?  He didn't play.  

 Did he?  [Ed note: No.  You were there.  He didn’t. Not a minute.]

 The players hold up their sticks to their fans. Clapping.  Penguins have to wait a few moments.  

 Penguins and another ugly goal.  And another undeserved win.  

 Hornqvist says it's obviously the biggest goal he'll ever score

 Sometimes the wrong team wins.  

 Guentzel deserves the Conn Smythe but they'll make sure to give it to Crob.  It'll be undeserved.  Just as last season's Conn Smythe was.

 Hornqvist is shown crying shortly after the win. Seated on the team bench, time on the clock, yet.  

 Commissioner’s carpet.  Bettman and his politics.  Booing. He commends the town, their fans. He builds up to the MVP award.  

 Crosby is given the trophy.  Conn.  And it IS a con.  The awarding of the Conn Smythe has been degraded in recent years.  In order to present Crob as "the face of the league", Bettman and company have stooped to NBA levels.  But purists tend to know this.

 Pens are first repeat champs since 98's Red Wings.

 Crob.  And his legacy.  

 It'll take years to get close to a truthful narrative for the mainstream.  But it'll happen.

 Malkin nearly falls with the Cup.  Holds on.

 Malkin was also more valuable than Crob. Murray.  

 Mark Streit carries it.

 Clark arrives.  I set him up with red.  Grapes.

 Clark says it's too bad the best team didn't win. He says he hates it when that happens.

 Clark sets up his USB stuff.  I got some music for him.

 Scott Oake says it's the most difficult trophy to win in all of sports.  This leads to den derision and a series of questions from Mookie about minutes played by player (forwards 18 mins, say; defencemen 24 mins).  Mookie cites soccer as an endurance piece.

 Sullivan holds it up.  Then Tocchet.  Then Martin.

 Is Sullivan the dumbest head coach to hold up the Stanley Cup?  Possibly. Modern times, certainly.  Lemme think on it.  

 Martin earns several loud cheers from the players for his hoist.  Better believe he's the smartest guy on the coaching staff.  

 Mookie: “Somebody should be throwing a catfish on the celebrations there.”

 Casual dress-shirted Mario Lemieux holds up the chalice.  His now-thin frame, his rich smile.  He owns 40% of the club; 25% is Ron Burkle.

 Subban is interviewed.  He's subdued and philosophical.  He says there's been tears and that's how it should be. People cared.  

 Some of what he says is mildly contrived but a lotta Canadian kids get a free pass for that.  He thinks they'll be back.

 They won't.  

 I've thought that for some time.  

 Amber interviews the real Conn Smythe winner. Guentzel is young and grateful.  

 Pittsburgh is awarded the Stanley Cup after six games.

 (This night’s musing features a mixture of Canadian and American English use.) 

#Montreal Mystique #HDS #Homme de Sept-Iles #Pens #Preds #Stanley Cup #Musing #Musings and In-Game Scribbles #Penguins #NHL #Predators #PK Subban #Peter Laviolette #Evgeni Malkin #maple syrup #Gary Bettman #Stanley Cup playoffs #game summary

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 THE STORY OF TWO WOLVES

There is a famous a Cherokee legendabout the battle between two wolves. An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”[i]

No one is without sin. We are all capable of doing great and terrible things. Inside each of us is a battle between these two wolves. What separates the virtuous person from the evil person is their decisions; thoughts married to actions.Nothing is inconsequential. Every action is taking us in one direction or another. People often wish they were more disciplined so they could take more disciplined action, but life doesn’t work that way. We must make more disciplined decisions to become more disciplined. Courage comes from overcoming fear, not wishing you were braver or wishing the fear was less intense.

We don’t have to start big, in fact, it’s recommended we start by taking small steps. The important thing is to start. Virtue requires deliberate effort. Start small, and build-up the virtue gradually. If you are scared of heights and want to overcome your fear, you might start by jumping into the water from a high of 10 feet before gradually building the courage to jump from a 10-meter platform.

Discipline is at the root of all good virtues. Discipline requires strength of character. You could boil down the story of two wolves to the struggle between strength and weakness. At the root of all vile actions is a weakness of character. Life is a battle of inches. We are either gaining or losing territory each day, each hour, each minute. Everything matters. We are either feeding virtue, or we are feeding vice. We are either becoming more disciplined or less disciplined. Every decision, every action, is either feeding the strong wolf or the weak one. The one we feed the most will form our character.

It has been my observation that people that will lie about seemingly small, inconsequential matters will lie about other matters. It should come as no surprise when a man, who cheats on his wife, also embezzles money from his company. You might think these things are unrelated, but they aren’t. They all come down to the man’s character. Everything is connected.

Some employers want to know a job candidate’s credit score. Why do you think that is? Why should they want to know that information? How could that information possibly affect the candidate’s ability to perform their duties and responsibilities? The hiring company wants to know if the person is responsible. A person that doesn’t exercise responsibility for their personal finances is unlikely to exercise responsibility at work. I made a peculiar observation as a young man. I noticed that the guys that didn’t wear seatbelts were also the ones that said they didn’t always have safe sex. The reasons in both instances were the same. It isn’t comfortable. It doesn’t feel good. They chose feeling good over being safe and responsible.

When we think something we do is an isolated event, we are lying to ourselves. It matters. Everything matters. Everything is feeding one wolf or the other. One is becoming stronger with each decision. We can change the trajectory of our life by constantly asking ourselves before making each decision, which wolf am I going to be feeding; the strong wolf or the weak wolf? It’s an easy question to answer. If we are doing what feels good vs. what our instincts are telling us to do, we are feeding the weak wolf.

I challenge you to make the little decisions that will nourish your strong wolf. These actions are often easy to do, but of course what is easy to do, is even easier to neglect. Neglect is an infection that we need to inoculate ourselves from by feeding our strong wolf. These small wins will lead to bigger wins. Habitually overcoming weakness will become a positive addiction.

Get excited about crushing these weak feelings. Get excited about feeding your strong wolf and developing your discipline. Discipline is like a muscle. It becomes stronger through repetition and effort. Anticipate the feeling of triumph overcoming weakness will provide. Every early morning workout will make you feel like a winner. Every pound lost, will make you feel like a winner. It will make you feel more in control of your emotions, more in control of your body, more in control of your LIFE!

When we feed the weak wolf, we are losing control of our life.Discipline helps us take back control. We will not win every battle, but if we don’t fight we’ll lose every battle, and we will fall into depression. Action is the cure for depression. Depression is caused by a feeling of powerlessness over our life. Taking ownership of your problems and the solutions to those problems is very empowering. It leads to the positive actions that help us escape depression. It’s a simple formula, but it is difficult for people that have developed the habit of feeding their weak wolf by giving into their feelings of hopelessness.

Progress makes us happy because we feel in control of our lives. As Tony Robin often says, “Progress equals happiness.Progress is the game.” Progress affirms our belief in ourselves and our ability to take control of our results. It reaffirms our belief that we are in control of our life. When we become more disciplined, we no longer feel like a victim of circumstances out of our control. We shouldn’t wish for better circumstances, we should wish we were better.

Waiting for better circumstances or opportunities to just show up and ring the doorbell is naive at best. Hope isn’t a method. Instead of wishing for fewer problems, wish you had more solutions. Instead of wishing for a more favorable economy, wish you had more skills. Instead of wishing for a more favorable wind, wish you had a better sail. Bruce Lee said, “Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” Life challenges everyone. You can rip January from the calendar, but winter will come just the same. Instead of wishing winter away, prepare for winter.

Complaining about life’s realities and wishing they were different is a waste of time and makes you life’s victim. Life doesn’t happen to you, it happens for you. Instead of wasting your time and energy wishing your life was better, spend your time becoming more than you are. Focus on becoming stronger, smarter, more skilled, friendlier, BETTER.

We all fail and come up short, but the surest way to win is to always try one more time. Every single day, we start again. Every day you’ll have multiple opportunities to feed either the strong wolf or the weak one. Whichever one you most consistently feed is going to shape your character and determine your life’s direction. I challenge you will great love and respect to, FEED THE STRONG WOLF! Get excited about forging a new body; one molded by the cauldron of your iron will and sculpted with the chisel of self-discipline.

Change your habits, change your life!

If you enjoyed this article, please LIKE and SHARE. Our Book is NOW Available on Amazon!

Best wishes and Best Health!

Are you ready to reboot and reset your relationship with food and exercise? Most programs focus on the mechanics of weight loss but fail to adequately address the psychology of change required. Most people know more than enough about nutrition and exercise to lose weight, but fail to take action. This book takes a new approach to getting leaner, fitter, and stronger.

Follow us on Facebook

Book Now Available on Amazon!

Book Introduction

  The book contains:

7 Change Strategies for Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle

A Flexible Diet Program that Doesn’t Put Any Foods Off-limit, including Alcohol

20-Week Workout Log with Progress Assessments (Downloadable PDF)

3 Strategies for Resetting your Body Weight Setpointto Keep the Weight Off

A Nutrition and Training Program Based on Science, not Bro Science.

The Fat Loss Habit: Creating Routines that Make Willpower and Fat Loss Automatic takes a new approach to getting leaner, fitter, and stronger. The program uses high-impact change strategies that make the process of adopting a healthy lifestyle easier. The nutrition and workout program, like the change techniques, have all been proven effective, and are all backed by research and scientific studies.

Our BOOK The Fat Loss Habit is NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!!! We would greatly appreciate a brief REVIEW. Your feedback is our best marketing tool, and it will help us to make a better product. Your review will help other people who want to make a positive change by helping them to find our book.

Follow us on Facebook

Book Now Available on Amazon!

Book Introduction

[i] The First People, Native American Legends Two Wolves, http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/TwoWolves-Cherokee.html.

The battle rages within us all. Which wolf are you feeding?  THE STORY OF TWO WOLVES There is a famous a Cherokee legendabout the battle between two wolves.

[hello-thefatlosshabit-blr]

 THE STORY OF TWO WOLVES

There is a famous a Cherokee legendabout the battle between two wolves. An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”[i]

No one is without sin. We are all capable of doing great and terrible things. Inside each of us is a battle between these two wolves. What separates the virtuous person from the evil person is their decisions; thoughts married to actions.Nothing is inconsequential. Every action is taking us in one direction or another. People often wish they were more disciplined so they could take more disciplined action, but life doesn’t work that way. We must make more disciplined decisions to become more disciplined. Courage comes from overcoming fear, not wishing you were braver or wishing the fear was less intense.

We don’t have to start big, in fact, it’s recommended we start by taking small steps. The important thing is to start. Virtue requires deliberate effort. Start small, and build-up the virtue gradually. If you are scared of heights and want to overcome your fear, you might start by jumping into the water from a high of 10 feet before gradually building the courage to jump from a 10-meter platform.

Discipline is at the root of all good virtues. Discipline requires strength of character. You could boil down the story of two wolves to the struggle between strength and weakness. At the root of all vile actions is a weakness of character. Life is a battle of inches. We are either gaining or losing territory each day, each hour, each minute. Everything matters. We are either feeding virtue, or we are feeding vice. We are either becoming more disciplined or less disciplined. Every decision, every action, is either feeding the strong wolf or the weak one. The one we feed the most will form our character.

It has been my observation that people that will lie about seemingly small, inconsequential matters will lie about other matters. It should come as no surprise when a man, who cheats on his wife, also embezzles money from his company. You might think these things are unrelated, but they aren’t. They all come down to the man’s character. Everything is connected.

Some employers want to know a job candidate’s credit score. Why do you think that is? Why should they want to know that information? How could that information possibly affect the candidate’s ability to perform their duties and responsibilities? The hiring company wants to know if the person is responsible. A person that doesn’t exercise responsibility for their personal finances is unlikely to exercise responsibility at work. I made a peculiar observation as a young man. I noticed that the guys that didn’t wear seatbelts were also the ones that said they didn’t always have safe sex. The reasons in both instances were the same. It isn’t comfortable. It doesn’t feel good. They chose feeling good over being safe and responsible.

When we think something we do is an isolated event, we are lying to ourselves. It matters. Everything matters. Everything is feeding one wolf or the other. One is becoming stronger with each decision. We can change the trajectory of our life by constantly asking ourselves before making each decision, which wolf am I going to be feeding; the strong wolf or the weak wolf? It’s an easy question to answer. If we are doing what feels good vs. what our instincts are telling us to do, we are feeding the weak wolf.

I challenge you to make the little decisions that will nourish your strong wolf. These actions are often easy to do, but of course what is easy to do, is even easier to neglect. Neglect is an infection that we need to inoculate ourselves from by feeding our strong wolf. These small wins will lead to bigger wins. Habitually overcoming weakness will become a positive addiction.

Get excited about crushing these weak feelings. Get excited about feeding your strong wolf and developing your discipline. Discipline is like a muscle. It becomes stronger through repetition and effort. Anticipate the feeling of triumph overcoming weakness will provide. Every early morning workout will make you feel like a winner. Every pound lost, will make you feel like a winner. It will make you feel more in control of your emotions, more in control of your body, more in control of your LIFE!

When we feed the weak wolf, we are losing control of our life.Discipline helps us take back control. We will not win every battle, but if we don’t fight we’ll lose every battle, and we will fall into depression. Action is the cure for depression. Depression is caused by a feeling of powerlessness over our life. Taking ownership of your problems and the solutions to those problems is very empowering. It leads to the positive actions that help us escape depression. It’s a simple formula, but it is difficult for people that have developed the habit of feeding their weak wolf by giving into their feelings of hopelessness.

Progress makes us happy because we feel in control of our lives. As Tony Robin often says, “Progress equals happiness.Progress is the game.” Progress affirms our belief in ourselves and our ability to take control of our results. It reaffirms our belief that we are in control of our life. When we become more disciplined, we no longer feel like a victim of circumstances out of our control. We shouldn’t wish for better circumstances, we should wish we were better.

Waiting for better circumstances or opportunities to just show up and ring the doorbell is naive at best. Hope isn’t a method. Instead of wishing for fewer problems, wish you had more solutions. Instead of wishing for a more favorable economy, wish you had more skills. Instead of wishing for a more favorable wind, wish you had a better sail. Bruce Lee said, “Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” Life challenges everyone. You can rip January from the calendar, but winter will come just the same. Instead of wishing winter away, prepare for winter.

Complaining about life’s realities and wishing they were different is a waste of time and makes you life’s victim. Life doesn’t happen to you, it happens for you. Instead of wasting your time and energy wishing your life was better, spend your time becoming more than you are. Focus on becoming stronger, smarter, more skilled, friendlier, BETTER.

We all fail and come up short, but the surest way to win is to always try one more time. Every single day, we start again. Every day you’ll have multiple opportunities to feed either the strong wolf or the weak one. Whichever one you most consistently feed is going to shape your character and determine your life’s direction. I challenge you will great love and respect to, FEED THE STRONG WOLF! Get excited about forging a new body; one molded by the cauldron of your iron will and sculpted with the chisel of self-discipline.

Change your habits, change your life!

If you enjoyed this article, please LIKE and SHARE. Our Book is NOW Available on Amazon!

Best wishes and Best Health!

Are you ready to reboot and reset your relationship with food and exercise? Most programs focus on the mechanics of weight loss but fail to adequately address the psychology of change required. Most people know more than enough about nutrition and exercise to lose weight, but fail to take action. This book takes a new approach to getting leaner, fitter, and stronger.

Follow us on Facebook

Book Now Available on Amazon!

Book Introduction

  The book contains:

7 Change Strategies for Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle

A Flexible Diet Program that Doesn’t Put Any Foods Off-limit, including Alcohol

20-Week Workout Log with Progress Assessments (Downloadable PDF)

3 Strategies for Resetting your Body Weight Setpointto Keep the Weight Off

A Nutrition and Training Program Based on Science, not Bro Science.

The Fat Loss Habit: Creating Routines that Make Willpower and Fat Loss Automatic takes a new approach to getting leaner, fitter, and stronger. The program uses high-impact change strategies that make the process of adopting a healthy lifestyle easier. The nutrition and workout program, like the change techniques, have all been proven effective, and are all backed by research and scientific studies.

Our BOOK The Fat Loss Habit is NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!!! We would greatly appreciate a brief REVIEW. Your feedback is our best marketing tool, and it will help us to make a better product. Your review will help other people who want to make a positive change by helping them to find our book.

Follow us on Facebook

Book Now Available on Amazon!

Book Introduction

[i] The First People, Native American Legends Two Wolves, http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/TwoWolves-Cherokee.html.

The battle rages within us all. Which wolf are you feeding?  THE STORY OF TWO WOLVES There is a famous a Cherokee legendabout the battle between two wolves.

[hello-thefatlosshabit-blr]

 THE STORY OF TWO WOLVES

There is a famous a Cherokee legendabout the battle between two wolves. An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”[i]

No one is without sin. We are all capable of doing great and terrible things. Inside each of us is a battle between these two wolves. What separates the virtuous person from the evil person is their decisions; thoughts married to actions.Nothing is inconsequential. Every action is taking us in one direction or another. People often wish they were more disciplined so they could take more disciplined action, but life doesn’t work that way. We must make more disciplined decisions to become more disciplined. Courage comes from overcoming fear, not wishing you were braver or wishing the fear was less intense.

We don’t have to start big, in fact, it’s recommended we start by taking small steps. The important thing is to start. Virtue requires deliberate effort. Start small, and build-up the virtue gradually. If you are scared of heights and want to overcome your fear, you might start by jumping into the water from a high of 10 feet before gradually building the courage to jump from a 10-meter platform.

Discipline is at the root of all good virtues. Discipline requires strength of character. You could boil down the story of two wolves to the struggle between strength and weakness. At the root of all vile actions is a weakness of character. Life is a battle of inches. We are either gaining or losing territory each day, each hour, each minute. Everything matters. We are either feeding virtue, or we are feeding vice. We are either becoming more disciplined or less disciplined. Every decision, every action, is either feeding the strong wolf or the weak one. The one we feed the most will form our character.

It has been my observation that people that will lie about seemingly small, inconsequential matters will lie about other matters. It should come as no surprise when a man, who cheats on his wife, also embezzles money from his company. You might think these things are unrelated, but they aren’t. They all come down to the man’s character. Everything is connected.

Some employers want to know a job candidate’s credit score. Why do you think that is? Why should they want to know that information? How could that information possibly affect the candidate’s ability to perform their duties and responsibilities? The hiring company wants to know if the person is responsible. A person that doesn’t exercise responsibility for their personal finances is unlikely to exercise responsibility at work. I made a peculiar observation as a young man. I noticed that the guys that didn’t wear seatbelts were also the ones that said they didn’t always have safe sex. The reasons in both instances were the same. It isn’t comfortable. It doesn’t feel good. They chose feeling good over being safe and responsible.

When we think something we do is an isolated event, we are lying to ourselves. It matters. Everything matters. Everything is feeding one wolf or the other. One is becoming stronger with each decision. We can change the trajectory of our life by constantly asking ourselves before making each decision, which wolf am I going to be feeding; the strong wolf or the weak wolf? It’s an easy question to answer. If we are doing what feels good vs. what our instincts are telling us to do, we are feeding the weak wolf.

I challenge you to make the little decisions that will nourish your strong wolf. These actions are often easy to do, but of course what is easy to do, is even easier to neglect. Neglect is an infection that we need to inoculate ourselves from by feeding our strong wolf. These small wins will lead to bigger wins. Habitually overcoming weakness will become a positive addiction.

Get excited about crushing these weak feelings. Get excited about feeding your strong wolf and developing your discipline. Discipline is like a muscle. It becomes stronger through repetition and effort. Anticipate the feeling of triumph overcoming weakness will provide. Every early morning workout will make you feel like a winner. Every pound lost, will make you feel like a winner. It will make you feel more in control of your emotions, more in control of your body, more in control of your LIFE!

When we feed the weak wolf, we are losing control of our life.Discipline helps us take back control. We will not win every battle, but if we don’t fight we’ll lose every battle, and we will fall into depression. Action is the cure for depression. Depression is caused by a feeling of powerlessness over our life. Taking ownership of your problems and the solutions to those problems is very empowering. It leads to the positive actions that help us escape depression. It’s a simple formula, but it is difficult for people that have developed the habit of feeding their weak wolf by giving into their feelings of hopelessness.

Progress makes us happy because we feel in control of our lives. As Tony Robin often says, “Progress equals happiness.Progress is the game.” Progress affirms our belief in ourselves and our ability to take control of our results. It reaffirms our belief that we are in control of our life. When we become more disciplined, we no longer feel like a victim of circumstances out of our control. We shouldn’t wish for better circumstances, we should wish we were better.

Waiting for better circumstances or opportunities to just show up and ring the doorbell is naive at best. Hope isn’t a method. Instead of wishing for fewer problems, wish you had more solutions. Instead of wishing for a more favorable economy, wish you had more skills. Instead of wishing for a more favorable wind, wish you had a better sail. Bruce Lee said, “Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” Life challenges everyone. You can rip January from the calendar, but winter will come just the same. Instead of wishing winter away, prepare for winter.

Complaining about life’s realities and wishing they were different is a waste of time and makes you life’s victim. Life doesn’t happen to you, it happens for you. Instead of wasting your time and energy wishing your life was better, spend your time becoming more than you are. Focus on becoming stronger, smarter, more skilled, friendlier, BETTER.

We all fail and come up short, but the surest way to win is to always try one more time. Every single day, we start again. Every day you’ll have multiple opportunities to feed either the strong wolf or the weak one. Whichever one you most consistently feed is going to shape your character and determine your life’s direction. I challenge you will great love and respect to, FEED THE STRONG WOLF! Get excited about forging a new body; one molded by the cauldron of your iron will and sculpted with the chisel of self-discipline.

Change your habits, change your life!

If you enjoyed this article, please LIKE and SHARE. Our Book is NOW Available on Amazon!

Best wishes and Best Health!

Are you ready to reboot and reset your relationship with food and exercise? Most programs focus on the mechanics of weight loss but fail to adequately address the psychology of change required. Most people know more than enough about nutrition and exercise to lose weight, but fail to take action. This book takes a new approach to getting leaner, fitter, and stronger.

Follow us on Facebook

Book Now Available on Amazon!

Book Introduction

  The book contains:

7 Change Strategies for Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle

A Flexible Diet Program that Doesn’t Put Any Foods Off-limit, including Alcohol

20-Week Workout Log with Progress Assessments (Downloadable PDF)

3 Strategies for Resetting your Body Weight Setpointto Keep the Weight Off

A Nutrition and Training Program Based on Science, not Bro Science.

The Fat Loss Habit: Creating Routines that Make Willpower and Fat Loss Automatic takes a new approach to getting leaner, fitter, and stronger. The program uses high-impact change strategies that make the process of adopting a healthy lifestyle easier. The nutrition and workout program, like the change techniques, have all been proven effective, and are all backed by research and scientific studies.

Our BOOK The Fat Loss Habit is NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!!! We would greatly appreciate a brief REVIEW. Your feedback is our best marketing tool, and it will help us to make a better product. Your review will help other people who want to make a positive change by helping them to find our book.

Follow us on Facebook

Book Now Available on Amazon!

Book Introduction

[i] The First People, Native American Legends Two Wolves, http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/TwoWolves-Cherokee.html.

The battle rages within us all. Which wolf are you feeding?  THE STORY OF TWO WOLVES There is a famous a Cherokee legendabout the battle between two wolves.