#can anyone tell me when this will be released in the u.s.?

[cleolinda]

The Scariest Movie I Ever Saw in a Theater: The Ring

I'll tell you up front that the story I'm going to tell you is about "The Ring (2002)," in the sense that it is about The Ring in the year 2002.

See, I don't know what The Scariest Movie Ever is. A quick google says that the consensus is The Exorcist (I haven't seen it, because I never felt like scheduling a day to freak myself the entire fuck out). But horror is specific, and not just to a person, but to a time and place, even. When I saw The Shining as a teenager in a well-lit living room with other people, I didn't even really flinch, but I bet it would play very differently to me now. I don’t think The Ring is at the top of anyone’s list, but twenty years ago, I had a personal interest in it—at the time, I was running a dinky little Geocities site devoted to movie news. Links curated and compiled from all the other, bigger sites I followed—basically, it was the linkspam format I have used on multiple platforms, including here on Sundays. And so, as someone who followed theatrical releases pretty closely for two or three years, I saw the trailer for The Ring, and I immediately knew it was going to be huge.

To locate you in time, this was just after three self-satirizing Scream movies and the Overcomplicated Serial Killer films of the '90s. The Ring was something completely different: chill aqua-blue color grading a good 5-6 years before Twilight; a mournful Hans Zimmer score; no jokes, no quips; and a slow, inexorable sense of doom. Grief, even, given that the movie begins with the death of the main character's niece. What immediately struck me about the first trailer was 1) the melancholy of it, and 2) how much it doesn't explain. Onscreen, you get the title cards,

THERE IS A VIDEOTAPE IF YOU WATCH IT SEVEN DAYS LATER YOU DIE

Concise! Understandable! A woman (Naomi Watts) is freaking out upon discovering that her young son has just watched it! Admirable job setting up the premise and the stakes of this entire movie in thirty seconds flat, without even any dialogue. That's all you need to know, and thus, the remaining minute of the trailer can do whatever it wants, and what it wants to do is be fucking weird. Echoing voices, TV static, a closeup of a horse's eye, ladders, a girl with dark hair, people reacting to things we don't see, drippy doorknobs, rain. Characters don't give us the whole plot in convenient soundbites of dialogue (like they do in a later trailer); we just hear lines, overlapping, murmured out of context—

did you see it in your head? she talks to you... leading you somewhere... showing you the horses... you saw it. did you see it in your head? she shows me things. Everyone suffers.

That you saw it has lived in my head ever since, and not once have I charged it rent. But the "best" part is Naomi Watts screaming at the end, because you don't hear her voice; you only hear this heartless telephonic beeeeeeep. It's 2002 and I'm watching this trailer, thinking, I have no idea what the fuck I just saw. This is going to be huge.

And it was, to the tune of $249 million on a $48M budget.

At risk of recapping what you might already know, Ringu, aka Ring, is a media franchise that spiraled out from a trio of Koji Suzuki novels into Hideo Nakata's film Ringu (1998), a landmark of Japanese horror, plus several other movies, some TV series, many comics, and even a couple of video games. The overarching story is about a murdered girl/vengeful ghost named Sadako Yamamura whose rage and pain have created a cursed video tape, you watch it and you die unless you pass the tape around like a virus, seven daaaaays, etc.

The "ring" in question is the rim of a well. Keep that well in mind.

The movie I saw is the U.S. remake, which itself had two sequels. (The iconic Sadako is now named Samara Morgan. Keep her in mind, too.) Director Gore Verbinski moved from The Ring to Pirates of the the Caribbean (!), and so Hideo Nakata himself would direct The Ring Two. I... honestly have only seen the first one. And I was right, it was huge, and it kicked off the American J-Horror Remake genre, for better or worse. But what gets forgotten about The Ring is its marketing campaign, which I followed pretty closely for my doofy little news site.

It was inspired.

The story of The Ring is partly the story of the sea change in the media landscape—how we watch movies. And the story of its marketing is a picture of the very last years before social media changed the wilderness of the internet into something that feels so big, like a billion people could see anything we say, and yet so small—only a tame handful of places to say it, owned by three or four companies, and corraled by algorithms.

Back around 1997-1998 or so, I worked at a video store (Movie Gallery, where the hits were there then, guaranteed) for about a year and a half. By the time I left, we had started adding DVDs to the VHS tapes on the shelves, but we hadn't replaced the entire stock. Video stores might have transitioned fully to DVD by 2002, I'm not sure, but people still commonly had both VCRs and DVD players in their homes. And I remember that The Ring was sold in both formats when it eventually hit home video. Which is to say—you know the analog horror genre today? Marble Hornets, Local 58, The Mandela Catalogue?

Analog horror is commonly characterized by low-fidelity graphics, cryptic messages, and visual styles reminiscent of late 20th-century television and analog recordings. This is done to match the setting, as analog horror works are typically set between the 1960s and 1990s. The name "analog horror" comes from the genre's aesthetic incorporation of elements related to analog electronics, such as analog television and VHS, the latter being an analog method of recording video.

Okay, but this is just what home media was like, and 2002 was at the very tail end of that—boxy black VHS tapes that degraded with time and reuse were just how we lived. At the same time, I'd been using CDs for music since about 1991, and all our software installs came on CD-ROM discs; a "mixtape" by that time had shifted to mean a rewriteable CD rather than a cassette tape. In college, I—well, I'll plead the Fifth as to whether I downloaded mp3s via Napster, but I was also taping Mystery Science Theater 3000 on VHS over the weekends. It was Every Format Everywhere, All At Once, and we kept half a dozen kinds of players around for them. Here in 2023, we stream and download everything invisibly, unless we choose to engage in format nostalgia. (I've already run into the problem of Apple Music deleting songs I really liked, due to this or that licensing issue, because I was really only renting them.) The year The Ring hit theaters was the edge of a last shimmering gasp of physical media where iTunes had only come into being the year before, and iridescent discs were still mostly what we used, but cassettes, both video and audio, were still viable. And so, people did not think it was terribly weird when they started finding unlabeled VHS tapes on their windshields.

Movieweb, quoting TikTok user astro_nina:

"Their marketing strategy was essentially 'let's get this tape viewed by as many people as possible without these people being aware of what this is, sort of raising intrigue," she says. One way they achieved this was by airing the tape, which allegedly marks its viewers for death within seven days, as a commercial with no context. The video would air between late-night programming "with no words, no mention of a movie, for like a month...so people would run into it and it would just go on to the next thing, and people would be like, 'what the f--k is this?'"

I remember seeing the Cursed Video as an unexplained ad at least twice, by the way. That TikTok also indicates that DreamWorks straight-up sent copies of the tape to Hot Topic stores, as well as planting them under actual movie theater seats. While running my movie site, I heard at least one story of someone finding a tape on the sink counter of a restroom at a club. Did the marketing department actually plant tapes in bathrooms—or did a freaked-out recipient leave it there, hoping to dodge the "curse"?

(I haven't embedded the Cursed Video here, by the way—but I could have. If you'd like to see the American take on it, you can watch both the full version and the shorter variant that appeared in the movie itself. A text description of what the fuck you're even looking at is here [content note for both: blood, insects, animal death, body horror, and suicide by falling]. The original version from the Japanese film is shorter, and it's eerie rather than gruesome.)

BUT WAIT, THERE WAS MORE: DreamWorks had something of an alternate-reality campaign going with a handful of in-character websites. This was only a year after Warner Bros. ran the groundbreaking "The Beast" ARG for A.I.: Artificial Intelligence: "Ultimately, fifty websites with a total of about one thousand pages were created for the [A.I.] game." (I lurked in the Cloudmakers Yahoo group.) Marketing for The Ring did not go anywhere that in depth, nor did it need to; it was both a smaller film and a smaller story. I saw at least two “personal” websites (seemingly amateur and a little tacky, like my own), but the one I particularly remember was about someone who owned/trained horses? I'm not sure if it was meant to be the actual Anna Morgan character—Samara's mother—or maybe someone who had noticed that the Morgans' horses were disturbed? I'm not even sure anyone even remembers this but me. Reddit users dug up a few other archived websites, but they're about Sadako, the curse and/or videotape; they aren't as subtle or character-oriented as the site I remember. (Honestly, I wonder if weird shit like "What Scares Me" or "SEVEN DAYS TO LIVE" were made by fans rather than a marketing department, but who knows.)

[The “About” page from Seven Days to Live on the Internet Archive.]

[The entirety of An Open Letter on the Internet Archive. “UPDATE” is a now-blank pop-up. I would bet $5 that it was originally a pop-up of the cursed video.]

I need to point out here that Facebook did not exist in 2002. It would not exist for another two years, and Twitter wouldn't exist until 2006. Even MySpace was not a thing until the next year. I didn't start my Livejournal until October of 2003. What we had, for the most part, were independent forums and blogs. We also had Creepy Internet Fiction like "The Dionaea House" and "Ted the Caver"; their use of the blog format, of people out there seemingly living their lives until something fucked up went down, gave the stories the shape of reality. And it helped that these blogs had comment sections, sure—sometimes more story unfolded there—but for the most part, an author could "abandon" a blog, and you'd just find the story there via word of mouth. Like the Ring blogs I remember, it wouldn't seem strange if no one replied to you, whereas today, you'd have to hire a writer to sit on Twitter, or Reddit, or even Tumblr, and interact with people in character. Could you do something like The Ring's mysterious, weird-ass blogs today? Would anyone even notice?

So: It's 2002, my head is full of Alternate Reality and eerie images and you saw it, and I'm hype as hell to go out and see The Ring. I'm perfectly happy to go see movies by myself, so I went in the early afternoon (best time to get a good seat). The movie ended up being a sleeper hit, and the first weekend, the public was still sleeping on it, so there were only 7-8 other people in that theater, grouped in maybe two clusters. I was off in my own little pool of darkness in the upper right quadrant. Functionally, once the lights went down, I was alone.

Despite some middling reviews at the time, The Ring is something of a horror classic nowadays. If you want a scary movie this Spooky Season, check out The Ring. Or don't, because it nearly killed me.

We're at the last, I don't know, third of the movie? And Our Heroine has tracked down the origin of the Cursed Videotape to some creepy mountain motel or whatever. SPOILER, it turns out that it was built over the Cursed Well (everything in this movie is cursed) that Our Villain was thrown into—that's why Sadako/Samara is a vengeful wet murder ghost crawling out of TVs now. While investigating this decrepit hotel room, intrepid journalist Rachel and her, who is it, her ex-husband? her kid's dad, idk, discover the well under the creaky old floorboards. And then, wouldn't you know it,

NAOMI WATTS FALLS INTO THE WELL

NAOMI WATTS FALLS INTO THE FUCKING WELL

THAT'S WHERE SAMARA'S BODY IS

[The rather slapstick moment when Rachel falls into the well. Does not include what actually happens next.]

I go absolutely rigid in my seat. Naomi Watts is splashing around this dark-ass death swamp of a well and I know, with as much certainty as I have ever known anything in my life, that Samara is about to pop up in all her pasty, waterlogged glory. All the sad creepy dread, all the desperation to figure out what the fuck all that shit on the tape was and stop Samara from killing Rachel's son, all the horrible contorted victim faces, all the alternate reality I’ve been soaking in, it has all come to this. I have to leave the theater. I cannot be having with this. I have to be gone from this place. My legs do not work. I cannot feel them. I am frozen. I want nothing more in this life or any other to get up and leave this cavernous pitch-black room, and I cannot. I start praying for death. I want you to understand that I am not trying to be flippant or humorous. This is genuinely what went through my head. I was too scared to even think, "You know, you could just pray to pass out or for motion to return to your limbs or something." No, I sat there in The Ring thinking, Please for the love of all mercy just let me cease being.

You know that scene in Mulholland Drive (also starring Naomi Watts)? Winkie's diner and the EXCRUCIATING tension? It was a little like that, except I wasn't watching it, I was experiencing it, and Samara was my dirt monster out behind the diner.

Except that the jump scare didn't actually happen. I mean, yes, Rachel finds Samara's body down there, but—I don't remember exactly, please don't make me go watch it again to tell you what actually happens. It's played more sympathetically on Rachel's part, as I recall, and she and her ex get Samara's body out so that she (Samara) can have a proper burial.

And then it turns out that this is not the end of the movie. It turns out that Rachel has Fucked Up.

I think I was relatively okay through the rest of it, although the climax is Samara emerging from a TV in her full glitching swampy glory to scare [SPOILER] to death. I don't recall praying for death twice. There's a point when you're so exhausted from fear chemicals that you're like, yeah, this might as well happen. Bring it, Soggy. I did have a hard time prying myself out of that seat afterwards, though, and my mom says that when I got home, I had the classic thousand-yard stare. How was the movie?

"It was great," I said, and I meant it.

I've seen things that were objectively scarier (I watched much of The Haunting of Hill House from behind a pillow, to be honest), and it's not like I've never experienced fear in real life. But I respect when a movie that can make me feel so intensely, and there's something weirdly precious about the way horror is a safe roller coaster, as it's often been said. So I love telling the story about The Time The Ring Nearly Killed Me—a movie that actually made my body stop working—and I love thinking of how embedded in a specific time and place that movie was for me. The last gasp of VHS when the Cursed Videotape still seemed plausible; the way the internet was still wild and weird and free; where I was in my life, keeping up so avidly with all the movie news, and finding myself in such a little pool of darkness early one afternoon. It's the scariest movie I saw in a theater; that's the alchemy of circumstance.

#the ring #ringu #horror #first look on patreon #movies #long post #spooky season #halloween everyday #long post is long #gifs

[canonicallyobserving911]

Several Sentences Sunday

Fanonwriter2023 on AO3

Where CANON and FANON collide!

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Season 7 FANON Speculation: Buddie Multi-Chapter Fanfic - Hiatus Reading: “I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

Chapter 20 was made available on AO3 yesterday.

Chapter 21 will be posted soon.

Currently 20 chapters completed: 757.3K Words; Rated: Mature

One chapter will be posted at a time.

____________

I'm excited to finish writing Chapter 21 because there are only 7 days left until Buck and Eddie get married.

For anyone who hasn't read Chapter 20, here's a brief overview: Eddie completed his Paramedic Certification Course and he started planning a surprise for their wedding evening, night and the morning after. Buck asked his bio dad if they could meet in-person while they're in London. Eddie and Buck had an important early morning conversation about the way they'll make decisions for their family. They went to the Italian Consulate in Los Angeles with their two witnesses and now they have all the legalized documents they'll need to get married in Rome. Also, they tied up a lot of loose ends by verifying their 'To Do' Lists along with reviewing all of their documents.

Buck and Eddie will tie the knot before Christmas 2023 but they are NOT getting married in the U.S. and they won't have a wedding ceremony until May 2024. They've revealed their relationship, their engagement and the fact that they're going to Europe to their found family during the 118's Thanksgiving dinner (Chapter 17), to Eddie's parents, his sisters, his abuela and Tia Pepa (Chapter 18) and Buck told the Buckley parents he's getting married and that he has a son (Chapter 19). Only three people know they're getting married in 7 days and they are Chris, Carla and Malone. They told Carla and Malone (Chapter 19) because they asked them to be their witnesses at the Italian Consulate and they told Chris (Chapter 20) that evening after they got the "Atto Notorio" (Declaration) signed but no one else knows.

Now that Buck and Eddie have their signed Declaration and everything else is in place, will they be able to leave Los Angeles Friday afternoon headed to Rome, Italy without anyone else finding out they're getting married in Chapter 21?

___________

Here's a snippet from Chapter 21 of Protective Eddie taking care of his fiancé Buck.

__________

Buck’s staring straight ahead, he’s holding his breath and he hasn’t inhaled or exhaled in more than 20 seconds.  In his mind, he knows he’s supposed to be breathing automatically but he can’t and he’s not sure how to make his mind and body do what they’re supposed to do without him thinking about it.

Since Eddie hasn’t taken his eyes off him, he can tell he might be entering a state of shock.  He knows how long he’s been staring off into the distance along with the number of seconds that have passed since he stopped breathing because he’s been counting.  Once he reached 12 seconds, he started to worry because he knows if Buck doesn’t start breathing soon, he’ll decrease oxygen to his brain which could lead to him fainting or having a seizure.  It usually takes a minute or two for someone not breathing to faint but he’s not going to let that happen.

They’re still holding hands and he’s still counting but when he reaches 20 seconds, he releases Buck’s hand, moves off the couch, gets on his knees right in front of him so he’s in his direct line of sight.  He lifts his hands, cups both of Buck’s cheeks and searches his eyes to see if he can get him to look at him.

He doesn’t want to startle him, so he gently rubs his thumbs across both of his cheeks and says, "My love, I need you to breathe!"

Within a millisecond, Buck’s eyes meet his but he still hasn’t inhaled or exhaled yet, so Eddie gently asks, "Babe, I need you to inhale and exhale with me.  Can you do that?"

What happened to cause Buck to enter a slight state of shock and stop breathing? 👀

___________

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Fic Summary: Months after Buck and Eddie were hit by the same lightning strike; they’re still struggling with the aftermath of it.  But before they make their love confessions, they’ll spend time getting to know themselves as individuals first. Eddie learns to enjoy the simple things in life as he participates in activities on his own and with new friends while Buck learns the rest of the 31-year-old deep dark family secret about his conception and birth. Their journey to forever is still a work in progress but once they finally admit they’re in love with each other, everything that follows their love confessions will be cataclysmic.

__________

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1 - Eddie makes a new friend while Buck receives devastating news regarding the sperm donation he made for Connor and Kameron.

Chapter 2 - Buck does a lot of research to learn more about the abnormalities found in his red blood cells and Eddie starts a new therapy journey that’s all about him and not the traumas he’s experienced.

Chapter 3 - After more than a month, Buck and Eddie finally spend time together outside of work but it doesn’t end well and they part with a lot of uncertainty regarding their places in each other’s lives.

Chapter 4 - Eddie has a few realizations about his life which causes him to consider moving back to El Paso, TX while Buck continues to be reminded of his past which causes him to take an impromptu road trip across America.

Chapter 5 - Both Buck and Eddie have difficult conversations with their parents and Buck finally learns the truth behind the reason why his mother despised him while Eddie finally tells his mother about the way she tries to control him.

Chapter 6 - More than two weeks after Buck pushed Eddie away after suggesting they needed a break; Eddie decides to try again. Eddie’s there for Buck when he’s at his worst just like Buck was there for him when he was at his worst and he won’t let Buck give up.

Chapter 7 - After Buck’s mental breakdown, Eddie has his back the same way Buck had his when he had his own breakdown more than a year ago.  They share several vulnerable and emotionally intimate moments with one another and they begin to realize their small, sweet and caring gestures matter just as much if not more than any grand gesture ever could because these are the foundations of a long-lasting love relationship.

Chapter 8 - Buck, Eddie and Chris all have their own therapists and during their sessions, they reflect on their pasts while they’re in the present so they can prepare for their future together as a family.

Chapter 9 - Buck and Eddie are there for each other when Buck has to testify as a witness during the trial.  But by the end of it, they’ll both realize their individual and shared traumas are going to keep resurfacing until they talk about them, deal with the fact that they’re in love with one another and face the fact that they can’t live without each other.

Chapter 10 - As Buck and Eddie finally begin to confront their past traumas, they realize how much they need each other to fill in the gaps of their memories.  Additionally, the universe screams at them for what appears to be the one hundredth time so Buck can realize he doesn’t have to ‘find it’ because he already ‘made it’ and Eddie’s reminded tomorrow isn’t promised and he doesn’t have to die alone if he doesn’t want to.

Chapter 11 - A “virga” or dry thunderstorm is in the forecast but once the rain starts, the thunderstorm happening outside won’t be able to match the storm brewing inside between Buck and Eddie.  It’s the universe’s final scream and when the tumultuous winds begin to blow, they’ll have one last chance to hold onto everything they’ve built over the last six years or they’ll lose it all forever.

Chapter 12 - Buck and Eddie have always shared a deep physical attraction and an emotional intimacy that’s unmatched but now that they’re in a relationship, they’re learning how to navigate the romantic intimacy they’ve been waiting for six years to explore. The love they have for each other is a once in a lifetime, soulmate, love of their lives type of love that transcends space and time.

Chapter 13 - While navigating the newness of their romantic relationship, Buck and Eddie take advantage of every moment they spend together. As their individual lives, people from their pasts, time constraints and the possibility of losing each other again make attempts to interrupt and interfere with their journey to forever, they love, care for, support and hold onto each other even tighter to withstand it all.

Chapter 14 - Buck and Eddie can see the lights at the end of the tunnels regarding the results of Buck’s Cancer Screening along with everything else they’re dealing with. But are the lights they see exits to the tunnels or are they headlights on different runaway trains that are speeding towards them in an effort to interrupt their forever?

Chapter 15 - Buck and Eddie have known they were exactly who the other one wanted in a partner since they met six years ago when they agreed to have each other’s backs. They’re in a romantic relationship, they’re both preparing to ask the other one to spend forever with them and by the end of the seventh week into their relationship, together they will plan their most important and greatest adventure for their future.

Chapter 16 - As Buck and Eddie begin to prepare for their marriage ceremony that will take place in Rome, Italy in December 2023, they start planning their first international adventure as a romantic couple. Even though Chris is still the only person they’ve told about their relationship, several people who know them have already witnessed the love they share and as the days continue, others will witness it too.

Chapter 17 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to departing Los Angeles for their international adventure, a moment in time will remind them; life is fragile, tomorrow isn’t promised and every second of everyday should be cherished because everything can change in an instant. The result of that realization will cause them to hold onto each other even more.

Chapter 18 - As Buck, Eddie and Chris prepare for family gatherings before and during the Thanksgiving holiday, the “Santa Ana Winds” start to blow and all sorts of expected and unexpected familial drama ensues.

Chapter 19 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to their wedding day, the universe begins to align everything so that some of their parent and children's relationships are strengthened while others come to an abrupt end.

Chapter 20 - With only 14 days remaining until Buck, Eddie and Chris depart Los Angeles, CA traveling to Rome, Italy, for their first family adventure, an early morning conversation about “tying up loose ends” helps Buck and Eddie realize there are still several things left unfinished on their ‘To Do’ lists. The question is will there be enough time to complete all of them?

Chapter 21 - Will be posted soon.

__________

Read chapters 1-20 are available on AO3.

Continue reading on AO3

Chapter 21 will be posted soon.

#buddie #eddie diaz #evan buckley #christopher diaz #the buckley diaz family #buckley diaz family #The Diaz Family #buddie fanfic #ao3 fanfic #911 fanfic #Fanonwriter2023 on AO3 #Hiatus Reading #911 abc #911 on abc #“I'm still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!” #Chapter 21 will be available soon. #Seven Sentence Sunday #Several Sentences Sunday

[aumarchive]

Interview with Nakayama Hisashi, former member of Hikari no Wa (Aum Shinrikyo branch)

cw: cults, domestic violence, sexual manipulation, conspiracy theories, verbal abuse

Do not harass anyone mentioned here. I'm only citing Mr. Nakayama's name and website because he let me do so.

Do not tag as true crime

Originally posted on Reddit by me

Matryoshka dolls are a well-known symbol of Russian arts and crafts; a majestic doll that, by the hands of others, is forced to reveal itself smaller and smaller until, finally, its tiny, hollow interior becomes visible.

Though they have dozens of tales attached to their creation and meaning, none of it is grounded on reality: these dolls were invented pretty recently with fully comercial purposes. Matryoshka aren't exactly meaningful for their land's mythology, nor original. But at least they're cute and saleable.

So is Fumihiro Joyu, ex-spokesman and executive of Aum Shinrikyo.

Joyu is the kind of person who will never run out of stories to tell about; graduated from Waseda University, one of Japan's most prestigious institutes to this day, he quickly lost interest on the labour market and used his knowledges in a new, weird yoga classroom, which would later become the infamous Aum Shinrikyo. And Aum surely got Joyu busy; he served as a spokesman, public relations representative, head of Aum's russian branch and almost as one of its men of action: in 1993, he attempted to spread anthrax in Kameido, Tokyo. It failed miserably.

But he only became infamous in 1995, when he defended the cult against allegations that they were responsible for the subway sarin attack at all costs. His devotion didn't earn him any prestige, just a lot of fans willing to steal and auction off his dirty socks and a saying attached to his name: ああいえば上祐 (Aa ie ba Joyu, which roughly translates to "If you say so, Joyu"). After being sentenced to three years of prison in late 1995 due to charges of perjury and forgery of private documents, he declared that "Master Asahara is a guide, a savior, and everything to me". It seemed unlikely that his adoration would be shaken.

But after being released from prison in 1999, it seemed that Joyu had a change of heart. He didn't leave Aum (in fact, Joyu became its De Facto representative under the name Aleph), but tried to reform it, reflect on its multiple incidents and eliminate Asahara Shoko's influence. In 2007, after a series of conflicts with Asahara's wife, children, and other executives, Joyu announced he was going to leave Aleph and launch a new organization: Hikari no Wa. According to its website:

Hikari no Wa is not a religion. This is a classroom where you can learn the wisdom and philosophy of happiness from the East and the West, including Buddhist thoughts, meditation methods, and modern psychology, without believing in a specific guru, god, or sect.

The classroom, of course, was met with protests and doubts. The U.S Department of State only lifted its designation as a terrorist foreign organization (TFO) as late as 2022, and Japanese police still surveils it.

Since then, despite still being considered a controversial figure, Joyu has made attempts to clear his image; according to Hikari no Wa's website, the classroom pays compensation to the victims of the subway sarin attack, deprogramms Aleph believers and apologises for its representative's former criminal activities. Joyu also seems to have invested in unusual methods of self-promotion, such as taking part in a hiphop EP where he sings while an edit of the 1995 subway attack plays in the background. He also published a book on how to identify dangerous cults despite his status as a potential cult leader.

There is very little information about Hikari no Wa in English. Its only known activities are events and speeches about spirituality held by Joyu himself, its alleged "Aum liquidation" and its "Pilgrimage to Sacred Places".

However, around February 2024, I stumbled upon a fairly obscure site: stop-hikarinowa.com. According to itself, its purpose is to:

Ask Hikari no Wa to disband.

Promote the exchange of information and people-to-people exchanges on the issue of Hikari no Wa.

Provide support for Hikari no Wa members to withdraw from membership.

Disseminate information to society about the problems of Hikari no Wa.

In addition, we will carry out all activities that we deem necessary for issues related to Hikari no Wa and Aum Shinrikyo.

It also claims Hikari no Wa is, in fact, a cult:

Just like Asahara in Aum Shinrikyo, I think it boils down to the fact that Joyu is in control of everything in Hikari no Wa. It's true that Hikari no Wa changed its doctrine because it wanted to get rid of probation, and it also said that it was a philosophy and thought class. All of the reforms that have been carried out over the past 10 years have been carried out at the discretion of Joyu. This fact proves that it is possible to return to the doctrines and operations of the past with the sole intention of Joyu. As long as he's under inspection, he can't do anything as crazy as Aum (and this is the same for Aleph), but if it were to be removed, no one would be able to stop him from running wild like he did with Aum. The guru becoming a dictator is common to other cults, but if a cult that has crossed the line in the past is allowed to go unchecked, it will be a different danger than other cults. The danger of Hikari no Wa varies greatly depending on what happens to the government's surveillance, but at least it seems that it is an organization that cannot guarantee even safety without national surveillance. * On "Frequently Asked Questions"

I contacted its representative, Nakayama Hisashi who's both a former Aum believer (from 1996 to 2007) and a Hikari no Wa one (from 2007 to 2016) and managed to interview him on March 30, 2024.

The interview go as follows:

Q: Tell us about yourself. You joined Aum to find out more about its practices, but what made you stay for such a long time? A: It was cosy. Aum believers are serious and selfless, so it was really healing to talk to such people.

Q: From what I have read, despite precarious living conditions, including poor diet and cockroach-infested flats, Aum believers formed a strong sense of community. What was daily life like when you joined the organisation? A: Food was considered a bother, and the idea was that it was good if you could get the minimum amount of energy. Even cockroaches were souls that were trying their best to live, and we looked after them with compassion. Such different values from the world were fresh and a strong sense of community existed. It was a similar life in Aum and in Aleph. In Hikari no Wa we secularised, so the ordained people remained Aum, but they disliked the filthy environment.

Q: When did you first come into contact with Joyu? What was your first impression of him? A: Around 2005. My first impression was that he was a hard-working practitioner.

Q: Were you aware that he was at odds with the Asahara family? Were there any tensions within Aum in the late 2000s? A: Initially I did not know that there was a conflict. Inside Aum, the explanation was that Joyu was in training, so I didn't think there was a conflict. Believers like me were not informed of anything. When Joyu came out of prison and the Group Regulation Law was passed, believers though Aum was going to be destroyed, so there was a sense of tension, and although there were people who opposed Joyu's methods, none of us thought that there would be a split later on.

Q: When Hikari no Wa was formed in 2007, why did you join it instead of staying with Aleph? What convinced you? A: Because they sympathised with the idea of social reconciliation by acknowledging the incident. And I was banned from Aleph for having contact with Joyu.

Q: What were the first days of Hikari no Wa like? I have seen a video from around 2009[1], and it seems that many people protested its existence. A: Hikari no Wa was not trusted at all, even if they said they were reflecting on Aum. I thought that if I reflected sincerely, society would one day understand me. Perhaps it was only the believers who were deceived by Joyu's words that he had reflected on his life.

Q: What was your daily life like? Did you go to work or interact with normal society? Did you talk to family and friends? A: I moved from one job to another and worked on construction sites for a long time. I told my family about it, but my wife was vehemently against it, so I didn't talk much about being a believer. Once I mentioned that I was a member at work, but I was discriminated against so quit my job. Since then, I stopped talking about Hikari no Wa to my friends. But I did have normal social interactions outside of the classroom.

Q: I assume you are familiar with the B.I.T.E model, which lists cult behaviour. Let's use it to ask some questions. To what extent was your personal life regulated by Hikari no Wa? Was your diet, social or sex life regulated by the cult, or did you need permission to make major decisions? A: I was a noisy believer [laughs], so I was never dominated by the cult. But they were giving detailed instructions to other people on how to spend their money. I would immediately announce it on social media, so I guess the cult was also cautious. It seems that I was treated differently from the others.

Q: I watched some videos from Hikari no Wa's Youtube channel[2] and they seem to travel frequently. At the same time, they pay compensation to Aum victims. I wonder if a tremendous amount of money is being taken from its believers, or if Joyu is making money in other ways. A: The pilgrimages are a means of collecting large sums of money from believers. Devotees are desperate to join in (laughs). "Why is it so expensive?" I asked him, and he excused himself by saying, "Because I'm compensating them". Compensation is the excuse for the high participation fees. But we couldn't operate on that alone, so some of our staff went out to work, and I think we took a lot of money from the rich and quiet believers.

Q: Hikari no Wa page claims to be a place to learn psychology and natural doctrine, without any religious elements. Is this true? Joyu is not licensed to talk about psychology, and he seems to be getting increasedly incoherent. A: I was confused too. In the classroom, I was reading sutras and doing zazen[3]. And then they said, "It's not a religion", so I thought they were deceiving the world. I think that Joyu himself probably doesn't know what he is doing anymore (laughs).

Q: I saw you accuse Joyu of still being an Aum believer and simply hiding Asahara. Can you elaborate on that? A: When I left Aleph, Joyu said to me: 'I will surely share my reincarnation with the Venerable Master (Asahara). So if you follow me, you will surely meet the Venerable Master again." In other words, following Joyu means that no matter how much you deny Asahara, you are recognised in the doctrine of Aum. Joyu still does not deny reincarnation; if there is reincarnation, then Joyu and Asahara will meet again, and people who are closely related to Joyu will meet Asahara again. The only way to deny this is to deny reincarnation or to dissolve the organisation and live modestly. Because of this idea, everything that Joyu says and does to get people to recognise him is to hide Asahara. There's no retraction or apology to his followers for what he said at that time. I don't think he is remorseful at all.

Q: Wait, that's big! Do you have evidence? A: It was just my experience because it was in a private conversation. I've told the public security authorities and I also think it's evidence for the renewal of my observation, but it's just my testimony, I don't think it's evidence.

Q: That is unfortunate, but I still think it stands out. From reading various discussions of yours, it seems that there is sexual manipulation going on within Hikari no Wa. Can you tell us a bit more about it?" I saw terms such as "sexy business". A: It's a technique known in Japan as 'shirokoi business'. In Aum, love was also an affliction, but having romantic feelings for the Venerable Master (Asahara) was considered a good thing. Intense romantic feelings of wanting to be recognised by the Master and to keep him to oneself were considered to be a form of faith. Joyu frequently appeared in the media during the Aum Affair, which gave rise to a group of fans called "Joyu Gals". Such Joyu fans started coming to Hikari no Wa. Not only 90s Joyu fans, but also new fans are still coming to Hikari no Wa through YouTube and events. They are taking money by cleverly utilising such fan psychology and romantic feelings. The method is to stimulate women's romantic feelings and dominate them by saying, for example, "I have a connection with you from the past". In Japan, there are 'host clubs' where men entertain women, and the sales method is similar to this. Although there was only one victim, I was consulted by a victim who said she actually had sexual relations with Joyu. But at the strong request of the victim, we don't really take it up.

Q: I have also read that Joyu is prone to domestic violence, please elaborate on this. A: Joyu has a strong desire for control, so he would yell at staff and others when he didn't like something, and sometimes beat them up. When I asked someone who was actually hit, he said that he had his karma taken away (laughs). I think this is a typical example of Aum thinking, which is pro-violence. I criticised him a lot, so I don't think he does violence now, but I think he still uses words to corner his opponents. Joyu has a male-dominated mindset, so his desire for domination over women is particularly strong, and I think it tends to lead to violence.

Q: Have you witnessed physical or verbal violence? or have you been subjected to violence? Again, there is no intention to invade your privacy. If you do not wish to answer, you do not have to. A: I have never been hit directly. However, when I quit, I was verbally abused. I saw him shouting at staff on many occasions. Old believers know this all too well. He didn't have any anger control at all (laughs).

Q: Why did you start to leave Hikari no Wa? Did other members also quit? A: I loved Hikari no Wa, not Joyu, so I wanted society to be a comfortable and secure place for the followers who gathered there. In reality, however, the believers were only paying money and being used. I wanted to reform that, but I couldn't do it and was forced to quit. I was also exhausted, so it was probably just as well. There were more than 100 staff members at the time of the Aleph Joyu Faction, but by the time Hikari no Wa was established, there were only about 60, and now there are less than 10. Those who had survived Aum and Aleph gave up on the Joyu and quit. Originally, Aum was a cult with two sides of the same coin, and only those close to them would have known the true nature of the guru, but as it became smaller and smaller, I think the number one reason is that the true nature of Joyu could not be hidden and came to the surface (laughs). The same is true of Aleph, as the closer to Asahara you were, the less you remain in Aleph. The only people left in Aleph now are people who don't know Asahara directly. The same is true of Hikari no Wa, who fled as they learnt about Joyu's character. People who found out that he was the king of the naked left. Conversely, the staff who remain now are people who don't want to admit that Joyu is naked, so they may no longer run away. It's pitiful.

It's important to note that, in July 11th 2018, it was revealed Joyu witnessed the murder of a female believer[4] back in 1991, though he didn't say anything until he could no longer be charged for it, and he still avoids this topic. Nakayama says:

After I left, it was revealed after Asahara's execution that Joyu had left female followers to die during his Aum days and had been covering it up for a long time. When I found out about the incident, all the slight remaining feelings I had for Joyu were gone. I thought that everything I had been working on with hope, saying that I would reflect on the incident, was a lie. I now seriously hope that the cult will be disbanded.

Moving on.

Q: Sorry to digress, but I was very interested in Hikari no Wa's instance on science. Joyu often talks about psychology, even if he's not licensed to talk about it. And he apparently gathered at events without masks during the pandemic. A: Right. What the Joyu says publicly, he says it with an awareness of what society will think of him. He pretends to be a sensible person. But in his true feelings, he thinks completely differently, and what he says and what he does are completely different. If you look at what he does, not what he says, you can see what he really thinks.

Q: Sorry to be too straightforward, but is Joyu a conspiracy theorist? I'm not talking about extreme and flash cases like Qanon. It's about things like "this disease can be cured with X, Y and W" A: He has not been vaccinated. This may be because he believes that vaccines are not desirable from a parrot doctrinal point of view and that if he practices, he will not get infected. I don't want to call it a conspiracy theory, but I think he thinks that practising is a better way to fight infection than vaccines or medicine.

Q: That's bad. Do believers have the freedom or critical skills to get themselves vaccinated? A: It might be different for different people. Maybe many people think the same way as Joyu. That is, that practice is more effective than medical treatment. If Joyu would be asked by his followers, he would not deny the vaccine, but he would not dare to recommend it either. Since many people are dependent, I think many of them would not take the vaccine themselves if Joyu had not taken it.

Q: Sorry to change the subject again, but there is one more thing I wanted to know. I browsed through some of the accounts and posts and found screenshots of Joyu himself talking about and endorsing Vajrayana[5]. One of them was yours[6]. Is it authentic? A: I always think about the risk of a court case when I send out screenshots, so I don't fake it. Hikari no Wa always say it'll go to court and then ask me to delete it.

And, then, the interview ended. I had more to ask, but it was 3 AM and I didn't want to waste more of Mr. Nakayama's time.

It's important to note that all of this is simply alleged and I'm solely giving voice to a former member. Joyu has still a large platform, with around 17k followers on Twitter, and appears on documentaries and interviews as an cult expert of some sorts. It's not uncommon for former cult members to study about it later on, but Joyu didn't go through any deprogramming initiative, not even during his time in prison. And, of course, it's certainly unusual for an ex-believer to establish a "non religious' (though with holy pilgrimages) and "non guru centered" (though he's the only member with an online presence) organization.

Do not track and harass former Aum/Hikari no Wa members. Mr. Nakayama gave me permission to say his actual name and site, but this experience has been traumatic to many people.

During my research, I found a quote associated with Joyu in some foruns and websites, but couldn't find any proof it was actually his nor the context in which it was supposedly said.

A snake that doesn't shed its skin will die

Matryoshka are self aware, I guess.

#aum shinrikyo #interview #spiritual abuse #cult mention #organized abuse #pipeline #cw antivax

[strangeswift]

Hi Robin Buckley enjoyers, if you care about Robin Buckley's music taste this very niche post is for you! Your local former band kid and music extraordinaire (me) is here. This is long.

All information on Robin's music taste was given by Maya Hawke. And before you argue that "Actors don't affect what is canon," Okay well Maya does. The costume department let her take home Robin's converse in season 3 (which she wears in every episode) and write whatever she wanted on them. Because of Maya Hawke, Robin's sneakers canonically have "I won't go down in history but I'll go down on your sister," and "TIDDIEZ" written on them. Checkmate.

So for our musical headcanon purposes we are going to take everything Maya says as canon.

I know that in season four Robin has the line, "Madonna, Blondie, Bowie, Beatles, music, we need music!" while she's sorting through Eddie's tapes as Nancy is getting vecna'd. But I believe she's just naming very popular artists hoping it will be a song Nancy would like. So I haven't taken this line into consideration for our purposes. (Though we do know from this interaction that Robin definitely is not a metalhead.)

According to Maya Hawke, this would be Robin's music taste:

I whole-heartedly agree with her take on this, all four artists. This is just correct. And as I said, canon.

But what would Robin's favorite artist be, and what's her favorite song?

So glad you asked because I'm about to tell you!

Maya Hawke said in an interview that Robin would have the same music taste she does, because they are very similar. (More on this later)

If Robin's music taste is Maya's music taste, then it stands to reason that her favorite music would be most similar to Maya Hawke's own music.

In my opinion (which is correct because I know more about this than you so shut up) out of these four artists, based on overall lyricism, lyrical themes, musical themes, and vibes, the artist most similar to Maya Hawke is unarguably: Patti Smith.

But what is Robin's favorite song?

People Have the Power by Patti Smith! (Released in 1988, but go with it!)

Two reasons for this: it is one of the most similar to Maya's music lyrically and vibe-wise, and the lyrics would undoubtedly resonate with Robin.

If you're at all familiar with Maya's music you can see the similarities in lyrical themes: use of multiple metaphors, use of imagery, overarching social commentary.

I won't go too much into why the lyrics would resonate with Robin but I will say that the Robin who spit in the face of a Russian general and mocked him would resonate with a song about people having the power rather than the government having the power. Also the fact that she and the rest of the main characters keep having to save the world rather than the U.S. government who got them into this Upside Down mess in the first place. And lastly, I think this song is a powerful song for anyone who feels powerless, like for example a lesbian in small town Indiana in the 80s. Or just a teenage girl in general.

Okay NOW let's talk modern day music because it's fun.

If you write modern Day AUs that include Robin you're legally required to read this:

In the same interview that Maya said Robin would have the taste she does, she specifically mentioned Phoebe Bridgers.

When asked about Robin's music taste on the red carpet at the Stranger Things premier, Maya Hawke again said that Robin would like the same music she likes and mentioned MUNA, Phoebe Bridgers, Charli XCX, Samia, and Christian Lee Hutson.

Another good take btw.

So what would be Robin's favorite modern day song?

If we're not allowing Maya Hawke to exist in our AU because that's too meta, I'd stick with Phoebe Bridgers as her favorite artist because she's mentioned her multiple times when asked this question and in the first interview Phoebe is the only artist that she mentioned.

So assuming Phoebe is her favorite artist and her taste in music is as close to Maya Hawke as we can get, then I can confidently say that modern day Robin's favorite song is:

Graceland Too by Phoebe Bridgers

(Source: I have listened to every Phoebe Bridgers and Maya Hawke song more times than any reasonable person should and this is the most similar. I wont waste your time breaking down why.)

Robin would also resonate with the lyrics:

To her it would represent the thought of getting out of Hawkins one day (or already having gotten out of Hawkins), as well as the isolation that comes with being a lesbian in the 80s or even just being unpopular in high school. Also her neurodivergency (I hc her with ADHD because I have that and she is just like me fr but autistic Robin truthers you are so valid and honestly there's probably more canonical evidence for that). And lastly the idea that she would "do anything" for someone refers to both how selfless of a person we know she is but also the fact that she falls hard for people, we see that with Vickie.

Bonus! What would be modern day Robin's favorite album?

You might think Punisher, because that's the album Graceland Too is on.

You'd be wrong.

The correct answer is:

Folklore by Taylor Swift!

Maya has said her most recent album Moss was heavily inspired by Folklore, and while it is distinctly different it definitely comes through in the album. And I'm not going to do lyrical analyses on why every song is relatable to Robin, but as a Taylor Swift Expert, just trust me on this one.

I'm considering making 2 playlists one for 80s Robin Buckley and one for modern Robin Buckley but we'll see.

If you read this entire thing you are entitled to one free kiss on the mouth idk why anyone would read this incredibly niche ramble but tysm.

#robin buckley #maya hawke #maya hawke music #robin buckley headcanons #robin buckley fanfiction #robin buckley fanfic #abby rambles

[dropintomanga]

Manga I Enjoyed in 2023

It's been another great year for manga. And I don't think we wouldn't have it any other way, right?

I got to read a bunch of manga, old and new, this year. But these titles stood out to me the the most.

Honorable Mention: Kindergarten WARS by You Chiba - This was something I needed, post-Assassination Classroom. A school filled with rich kids protected by assassins who have nowhere to go fighting against assassins trying to kill the kids. Not only that, the main female lead is desperate for a boyfriend and will date anyone who looks hot. But if they have certain peeves, the bodies will hit the floor. This is a really funny series with fun characters and a lot of action. It also has one of the best gags of the year.

Favorite Ongoing Weekly Manga: Akane-banashi by Yuki Suenaga and Takamase Moue - Akane-banashi continues to impress me every week. I absolutely love how every chapter continues to be impactful. Akane is still a refreshing protagonist and I love how it feels that even though she can win rakugo competitions based on sheer determination, Akane knows that she has a lot to learn. This is a stand-out manga that is excellent for teenagers.

Here's my top 5 manga of the year!

5.) A Home Far Away and The Yakuza's Bias by Teki Yatsuda (tie) - Once I got into K-Pop, I had to check out The Yakuza's Bias. I enjoyed a lot of the humor and the gags are well-done. It's a title that really showcases what it means to take a deep dive into fandom when you're new at it in hilarious fashion. But Yatsuda's debut work about 2 boys on the run is one of the best things I've read all year. It's truly a heartbreaking LGBT romance that will touch a lot of emotions. Also, Yatsuda's art is absolutely gorgeous and I can't wait to see their new work being licensed in the future.

4.) ZOM 100: Bucket List of the Dead by Haro Aso and Kotaro Tanaka - The only zombie manga story I read was Kengo Hanazawa's I Am A Hero, but I gave this title a follow because people were telling me about it due to its messaging. ZOM 100 stands out as an upbeat zombie apocalypse story that speaks to the resilience of people in tough times. I think we all forget that we can do great things in times of adversity if we all get support. There's some great moments in this series worth talking about. I never felt bored reading it. I'm glad I gave this manga a chance because I really think depressed people need to be told that while it's okay to feel the way they feel, they can still try and people shouldn't shame them for it.

3.) Kowloon Generic Romance by Jun Mayuzuki - Hong Kong nostalgia at its finest, in my opinion. This is one of the most fascinating stories of 2023 with regards to finding your identity and reconciling your past with your present. I have this high up because I really like how the central love story is slowly tying into a bigger mystery on why the world in the manga seems very off. People struggle so much with their pasts and I feel that this manga resonates with those folks. Especially me as I find myself longing for past moments that I dearly miss despite having not-so-pleasant experiences I would like to forget.

2.) Chainsaw Man Part II by Tatsuki Fujimoto - I absolutely adore this series. Fujimoto pulls no stops in telling the story he wants to tell. I love the new female characters that have all shown up and the return of a very notable one. I like Denji's development as he really doesn't know what he wants despite being granted a frightening power that continues to be a target to those who want to use him. This is the story of a "hero" who doesn't have the resilience to be an actual hero. It's also a story about people having their emotional needs warped into desires in the worst way.

1.) The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumokuren - I normally don't read horror manga, but this manga is phenomenal. There was so much hype about the manga being released here in the U.S. and it has delivered in all cylinders. The art is great. The usage of sound effects to convey a sense of dread is top-notch. The interpersonal dynamic between the two main characters is frighteningly realistic. This manga, at its core, about dealing with a relationship that should've ended, but didn't. As much as we talk about needing relationships with people to survive, they have to end sometimes. There's a lot of horror and dread over how to talk about a relationship ending and good god, the manga delivers on displaying that. I also love the subtle reminder that bad relationships have serious consequences for everyone else. In real life, we've seen how abuse and interpersonal trauma trickles down from the victim into other parts of life and other people. All of this makes The Summer Hikaru Died my top manga of 2023.

I hope you all enjoyed my top picks. There's been a lot of fun reads that I probably missed out on, so let me know what you guys enjoyed. 2024 is probably going to be another great year for manga and there's already titles I'm looking forward to.

See you all in 2024!

#top manga of 2023 #manga #reading #2023 list #year-end list #mental health #psychology

[qqueenofhades]

seriously HOW are the Squad™️ so fucking stupid? they HAD to have known how their letter was going to be viewed by putin and the gop and every citizen of the country actively fighting for their existence rn (not to mention how it was going reflect upon their party with midterms and the house race so close) - who in the WORLD thought that writing and releasing this letter was a good idea?

Evidently even the Congressional Progressive Caucus themselves realized that it was a big fat turd, because they've already tried to withdraw it, and Jamie Raskin (who I otherwise respect, especially for his work on the January 6 committee) issued this statement. Which about accurately sums it up, but Jamie, my man, if you knew all this, why did you sign that terrible letter in the first place??? Especially with Kevin McCarthy running his idiot mouth about cutting support for Ukraine if the GOP (god forbid) wins control of Congress. If you're agreeing with Qevin on anything, it's time for a serious rethink.

Unfortunately, I believe that a number of the Squad do privately hold in some degree to the leftist/tankie belief that This Is An Unjust U.S. Proxy War, because the U.S. invaded Iraq that one time, it was very clearly a war crime, and so when Putin does the exact same thing but even worse, something something if the U.S. government opposes it, it must be a good or at least somehow justifiable thing. Believe me, I am NO apologist for the American military-industrial complex, and anyone who reads my blog knows that I blast the American government for the actual bad things that it does on a daily basis. But if the extent of your moral reasoning is that "war is bad, war supported by America is bad, and therefore we should tell the people fighting for their survival that they should just Stop and Be Nice and Talk to the guy who has said at every opportunity that he wants to wipe out their entire existence while his troops commit war crimes by the bushel," that is. Not Good. It dresses up old colonial-era arguments about how the resistance is the problem, and if they just stopped fighting the colonizer, there would be peace, so if those ungrateful natives insist on their own sovereignty, they're the actual problem. Not the actual invader and imperialist power who's actively destroying them, who they can't stop resisting if they don't want to be eradicated, but the people trying to stop that destruction. Right.

I don't know what anyone is smoking if they think they can just get Putin in a room and "talk to him" and he'll suddenly agree that oh yes, the entire strategy that I've pursued for 20+ increasingly autocratic years in sole power is wrong, my bad. As nice as it sounds, there's no way that, as circumstances stand, anyone can reach a "negotiated settlement" that everyone's happy with and allows for a "sovereign Ukraine." Putin and his warmongers have said over and over that they think there is no such thing, and have proved it by their actions. Why on earth do you think the current iteration of the Russian Federation would respect ANYTHING it signed, when it has arrantly broken international law left and right and faced no real consequences? Not to mention, suggesting a ceasefire right now, when Ukraine is having considerable success on the counterattack, only gives Russia time to regroup, regather its forces, and invade again next spring. We all want the war to end, so why the hell would you try to freeze it, stop Ukraine from the progress it's making, and let Russia get its breath and try again? That will only make it longer! Besides, it will also turn it into a "frozen conflict" of the type that Russia is deliberately maintaining in Georgia and Moldova, and which keeps those states out of NATO/the EU because they don't have territorial integrity or full control of their borders. It's a cheap and easy maneuver that's worked many times before, so of course they would do it to Ukraine!

"Nobody wants a nuclear war!!!" everyone says. Okay! No they don't! So why doesn't somebody Nicely Tell That to Putin, who has resorted to threatening to use nuclear weapons at almost every opportunity? Ukraine doesn't even HAVE them; they gave up their share of the USSR-era nukes in 1994 in exchange for security guarantees to respect the result of their independence referendum in 1991. Which, we might note, has not happened. Putin is the only person who consistently uses nuclear blackmail, then blames the West for "escalating tensions," which, again, has been his go-to move since he came to power, and plays on literal centuries of Russian grievances and Russian reactionary sentiment against the West. I cannot believe that people are actually taking any Kremlin narratives about this war remotely seriously, but they are, and there's a huge appetite for Russian propaganda on the American left, because it makes the U.S. establishment look bad and that's as far as their critical thinking extends. No matter that Putin is an old-school, orthodox, imperialist fascist, has repeatedly interfered in American electoral processes and other democratic nation-states all over the world in order to very successfully destabilize them, and the current Republican party are big fans of him not only since he clearly has Trump under his thumb as a controlled intelligence asset, but because they clearly recognize that his goals and methods mirror their own.

Anyway, maybe it's because I do actually know a damn thing about Russian history and Russian ambitions/narratives/justifications, but yeah, I can't believe that people who call themselves liberals and leftists are falling over themselves to help Putin out, and implicitly (and oftentimes explicitly) agree with the idea that Ukraine is to blame for resisting, instead of just rolling over and letting itself be conquered. Right now, Ukraine is almost totally dependent on U.S. financial and military aid to keep existing at all (there are other contributors, but America is the biggest one), and since every settlement liberated from the Russians reveals evidence of massive war crimes, maybe, uh, understand why they can't talk to the people who are busily trying to conduct genocide on them for absolutely no reason other than Putin's grandiose imperial delusions? Refusing a dialogue which will be absolutely pointless anyway does not mean they're Not Trying For Peace, which the international order prizes every time over justice.

Anyway. It was a stupid fucking letter, it made me very mad, I don't know whose stupid fucking idea it was, I'm glad it got pulled, and glad as well that Biden has said about half a dozen times in the last 24 hours that unyielding support for Ukraine is still the order of the day. I am in despair over the so-called critical thinking skills of the Online Leftists and their cohorts in Congress, but then, I usually am, so hey.

#anonymous #ask #politics for ts #russia ukraine war #russian history

[fairyofthehollow]

just me screaming and yelling into the void.

i feel like i’m going crazy sometimes. specifically regarding the literal genocide of palestinians being documented and broadcast online right now. i don’t know how people have gone so long, literally nearly two months (!!!!!!), without knowing what’s going on. how? how is that possible? and let’s say they do know about it, they might say “well, it doesn’t concern me” or “i’m neutral” or “it’s too complicated”. WHAT? i’m so so sorry? what was that? what on earth is complicated about apartheid, occupation, colonisation or GENOCIDE. and it does concern you, actually!!! like it really does!! it should enrage you that the world is watching an occupying power murdering en masse. it should enrage you that human beings are being subjected to such horrific acts of violence. it should enrage you that children are writing names on their arms so people can identify them if a bomb drops on their heads. it should enrage you that palestinians have to scream and cry and shout and hold up their martyred loved ones to validate their suffering and get the world to even glance at them. it should enrage you that a group of children had to stand in front of the tv, say a speech in english, to get the world to listen. it should enrage you that nurses, doctors, and surgeons had to hold a press conference in front of the martyred to show the world what is happening — because telling the world wasn’t enough. it should enrage you that the president of the united states accused people in gaza of releasing false numbers of people killed, to which the palestinian ministry of health had to release tens of pages of names — entire families aged 0-100 — of the palestinians murdered. to justify their suffering. it should fucking enrage you beyond belief that even democrats and progressives in the u.s don’t give a shit about marginalised communities or brown people or arabic people or muslims because they just signed a bill declaring any condemnation or criticism of the “state” of israel is anti-semitic. the list goes on and on and on and on. so many people don’t care. they don’t care or they’re okay with it or they support it. from people in incredible positions of power to celebrities to the every day person — so many people don’t give a shit about what is happening in gaza and the west bank. people are refusing to hold any person with a platform accountable and for what? they’re refusing to boycott (such a simple thing to do) and for what? for WHAT? is your life going to end when you don’t get your overpriced starbucks drink? or your shitty mcdonalds? is it going to end when you put your critical thinking caps on and start looking at celebrities for who they really are at the end of the day: money hungry capitalists? is your life going to end if you acknowledge that people don’t want to vote for joe biden for committing genocide? is it???? is it???!!!!! when will people wake up. when will they open their eyes and pay attention and do the right thing. when will people have a backbone. when will people gain empathy for an entire people being erased from the planet. when when when when when when when.

like do people not see it? the terrorist occupiers are erasing an entire people. an entire group of people. they’re destroying their historical documents, their schools, their neighbourhoods, their olive trees. they’ve colonised their food for fucks sake. they’ve killed doctors, scientists, journalists. they’re targeting anyone who speaks up against them. they’ve taken thousands of hostages. they’ve berated and beaten and tortured those hostages. they’ve bombed mosques and one of the oldest churches in the world. they’ve raped women and left babies with pieces of their skulls missing. they’ve made parents carry pieces of their children in bags. they violated a “truce”. they didn’t let them have funerals or celebrate or dance when they were reunited with loved ones (freed hostages) they’ve arrested palestinians for throwing rocks at tanks. rocks at tanks. rocks. at tanks. they ran over rachel corrie with a bulldozer for protesting the demolition of palestinian homes in rafah. they shot and killed a nine year old boy for standing in the street. they beat orthodox jews for standing in solidarity with palestinians. they shot a jewish man pleading for his life. they’ve stolen they’ve murdered they’ve beaten they’ve colonised they’ve done nearly every unimaginable, horrific act of violence under the sun to palestinians. where is your anger. where is your grief. where is your empathy for palestinians. where is everyone? where is the world?

#i’m just so upset #some people really just don’t care #they don’t care at all #and it fills me with so much sadness and rage #im going to be angry about this forever #genuinely forever #i will die raging about how zionsits murdered so many palestinians and took their land #faerie.txt <3

[moonzie-writes-stuff]

(Idea by @thesmileystudio but with the singular change of nOBODY ON THE SHIP KNOWING ABOUT IT)

So there I was, being rudely interrupted from my first dreamless sleep since the Highbrary by a frantic Bastille.

One thing we need to clarify. Don’t wake people up to help them after getting sick. I mean really, that’s extremely counterproductive to everything that any foster parents (or other Smedrys) have ever told me. (Surely there’s no oddly backwards Free Kingdomer logic about THAT, right?)

Of course, this situation might have possibly been different, since usually sickness isn’t caused by proximity to an acclaimed Hushlands landmark.

(No, I’m not kidding. In hindsight, why else would anyone build a giant metal arch in the middle of nowhere? For the “aesthetic?” Yeah, right.)

I’m going to assume you guys need context. I’m also going to assume I’m going to have to be the one to give it.

Fine. Here we go again.

“Why are we flying this way to Nalhalla? Isn’t it the other way?” I asked.

Kaz nodded. “We’re picking up Aydee on the way. I’m sorry, kid, but we’ve got to tell her the news about Attica.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Silence filled the aircraft after that.

For those of you reading this WITHOUT having read the last five books of my autobiography and Bastille’s sixth installment first of all, why? Why are you here? You don’t even know my name, do you? Those of you in the Hushlands are probably questioning why a prison in France is shaking me awake, aren’t you? Read the other books first, you sicko. Secondly, since of course you’re probably still here despite my admonishing, accept this recap.

My name is Alcatraz Smedry. My family is known for having Talents for stuff like breaking things (me), getting lost (Kaz), and being bad at math (Aydee). Or at least that’s how things used to go, until I accidentally released the Dark Talent upon the world and broke the talents. (You know, as one does under pressure.)

The Librarians control the Hushlands. (lands such as the United States or China) and hide that fact from everyone who’s not in their cult while simultaneously trying to take over the free kingdoms (lands such as Nalhalla, Mokia, etc.) and incorporate them into their ever-growing empire.

The last volume I wrote detailed our infiltration into the Highbrary (Or as Hushlanders might know it, the U.S. Library of Congress) and introduced “Cousin Dif,” aka Biblioden, aka the Scrivener, aka the original head of the Librarians who was supposed to be dead years ago.

He betrayed us all when we least expected it, then sacrificed my father on an altar and shot my grandfather, leaving me the last surviving member of the true Smedry line of Oculators, who can use special glasses to do cool stuff.

So, basically, we failed completely.

Or so I thought.

Bastille’s recently released installment covered a LOT of happenings, including but not limited to Grandpa Smedry somehow managing to get his talent back in time to save his life, (He’s still arriving late to his bullet wound to this day.) gravity breaking across the entire world, (I plead the fifth on that one.) a diplomatic discussion with the Dark Talent itself that ended in the other talents coming back, and me having no choice but to give a little bit of Smedry Talent to everyone in the world.

So if you ever find yourself waking up looking uglier than usual, or tripping over nothing, or putting something in one place and coming back to find it gone, that was probably my fault.

Sorry about that.

“Hey, Kaz? Can we stop for food somewhere?”

“Sure, kid. We’re coming up on St. Louis, so we can find a place there if anyone has any Hushlander currency.”

I had, in fact, procured some from the Highbrary, and I told Kaz so.

“Alright! Lemme just set the detour real quick,” Australia said.

“Nice, I’ve always wanted to see the Gateway Arch,” I said, sitting in the nearest empty chair.

Bastille scoffed. “I don’t understand Hushlanders. Lots of gates have arches. Why is this one so special?”

I shrugged. “Mostly because it’s big and metal, and I think you can go inside it, but that might be a different landmark. I guess we don’t have to see it.”

“Well, if we’re gonna be there anyway, I suppose we can stop by it for a few minutes,” Bastille said, rolling her eyes.

“Actually, if you’re in full armor and the rest of us minus Kaz are in formalwear… if we go somewhere that public, we’re definitely going to attract unwanted attention. We probably shouldn’t stop in a city that big at all,” I rationalized.

Bastille rolled her eyes. “There are extra clothes on this thing for a reason, Smedry. We can make something work.”

“Alright, then. Australia, I’m afraid you’re going to have to hover and let whoever’s coming with me down on the ladder. A giant penguin landing in the middle of the city would be way too noticeable. Speaking of which, who’s coming with me?”

Bastille, Sing, and Kaz volunteered.

“Alrighty, then. I’m going to need some way to keep contact with you guys. Australia, how do you feel about Courier’s Lenses?”

“Um… better than the first time the two of us used them?”

“That’ll work. Australia, you’re gonna have to take everyone’s orders and pass them onto me through the lenses. Can you do that?”

“Um… maybe? Do we have a backup plan?”

I shrugged. “Only if Kaz still has his cell phone.”

Kaz gave me a thumbs up. “Yup! Sure do!”

“Leave it with Australia and there’s our backup plan. Now, I’m still going to be at least acting like I’m using the phone. Hushlanders aren’t exactly… used to lenses, so don’t freak out when you see me on the phone. It’s purely for aesthetic purposes.”

“Okay.”

“Bastille, Sing, and Kaz, you go change into T-shirts and shorts. I’ll be doing the same. I’ll tell you if they’re on wrong when you’re done.”

And so began a somewhat infiltration into St. Louis.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When we came back together, we found out that Sing had no taste in clothes. At all.

At least Bastille had chosen a fairly normal-looking black tee-shirt with some sarcastic comment on it and a pair of bermuda shorts.

And it turns out Kaz looks pretty good in a sweater vest. (Who knew?)

Sing, however… Well, some things are better illustrated in pictures.

I looked at Sing. “Okay, you know what? Sing, can you just find a plain, white shirt?”

Sing nodded. “Alright!” he said, already running (tripping once) to the room he’d claimed on Penguinator.

“Bastille, that’s perfect. Great job.”

Bastille smirked. “Thanks, Smedry. You don’t look to bad yourself.”

(A/N: If you’re wondering what he’s wearing)

I blushed, quickly changing the subject when Sing came back, wearing, as I’d asked, a white t-shirt.

“Alright, Australia, drop us down there. We can walk from here.”

It was true. There was a Steak ’n’ Shake not too far from the edge of town we were approaching, so I told everyone ahead of time what their options were.

Australia dropped us off, and I put on my Courier’s Lenses as we walked to the Steak ’n’ Shake.

“Alrighty, guys. Check out the menu while I call Australia.” I said, pulling out the cell phone and acting like I was putting in a phone number.

“Hi!” Australia gasped. “OH MY GOSH ITS WORKING SO WELL??? WOW!”

I winced at her volume. “Okay, Australia. Ask everyone whether they want chicken tenders or a burger, and write it down so you can tell me.”

“You got it!” the Courier’s Lenses blinked out as Australia took them off.

Kaz grinned. “The cheeseburger looks pretty good. Also, what are milkshakes?”

I gasped, faux offendedly. “Okay yeah we have to introduce everyone to milkshakes. Wait, Kaz, do you know if anyone with us is lactose intolerant?”

Kaz shook his head. “Nope, nobody on Penguinator is lactose intolerant.”

“Great! Now I just have to-” at that precise moment, Australia’s Couriers Lenses were turned back on. “Nice! Australia, ask around for milkshake orders. They’ve got Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Banana, Oreo Cookies 'n Cream, Mint Oreo, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Birthday Cake, Cotton Candy, M&M's, Reese's peanut butter cup, Reese's peanut butter, Reese’s chocolate peanut butter, Nutella, Butterfinger, Kit-Kat, and Snickers.”

(A/N: yes I did have to copy and paste the shake menu and delete the calories and ingredient information this hurt me)

Australia dutifully wrote down each flavor and made a saluting motion before turning off her lenses again.

“Alright, guys! Any minute now and we’ll be able to order.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About half an hour later, the four of us returned to Penguinator with plenty of fast food for the others before immediately going back down to see the Gateway Arch.

A few minutes in, Sing tripped.

Of course, we made nothing of it.

A few minutes later, the milkshake started to disagree with me.

“Oof. I should NOT have gotten a large.”

Bastille scoffed. “Obviously.”

We came within sight of the arch, and my head began to pound.

Well, that’s not the milkshake, is it, I thought.

My stomach turned as we walked closer, and I found myself suddenly drained of all energy. Where before I’d had the quickest strides out of the team, now I was lagging about two feet behind Kaz, very much in last place.

Needless to say, Bastille noticed. Also needless to say, she decided to make fun of me for it. “You’d better not be falling asleep back there, Smedry,”

“No, m’fine,” I said, although I definitely was feeling a little sleepy.

We were so close; I couldn’t give up now. Bastille was gonna lose her mind when she found out we could, in fact, go inside the thing, up all the way to the top. There were windows up there, I was pretty sure.

She wanted to make fun of me for lagging behind? Well, we’d see how she felt about going ahead of everyone else when we were up six hundred thirty feet in the air.

The world seemed to spin all of a sudden, but on the bright side, we were almost to the ticket center.

“Hey guys! We can go inside it! Let’s go!” Sing exclaimed, pointing at a sign.

Kaz hung back. “I don’t know, guys. Are you sure you wanna go in? I mean, think about Bastille, that’s pretty high up…”

Bastille shuddered. “Don’t remind me.”

I gave a small smile that probably looked like a grimace.* “That’s the idea. It’s time I get some teasing ammunition for once.”

Kaz looked at me. “Al, you’re not lookin’ to good. I don’t know if you’d survive up there without passing out.”

“M’fine, Kaz. C’mon, let’s get our tickets.”

We waited in line at the ticket center for what felt like hours but was probably only a few minutes. My legs felt like gelatin, but Sing looked so excited, and I sure as heck wasn’t gonna be the one to rob him of this experience.

I inhaled sharply. White-hot pain stabbed through my head, uncannily reminiscent of the headaches I’d get as a child. (I now knew they were a result of Oculatory power building up in me at unhealthy levels.)

“You alright, Smedry? We can’t have you fainting away on us.” Bastille snarked.

“Fine, fine. Just a headache.”

“Drama queen.”

“Okay, Bastille.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Guys! The line’s moved!” Sing said, effectively finishing the argument for us.

I hobbled forward, swaying like one of those inflatable tube men you see in the Hushlands sometimes. (For you Free Kingdomers reading this, think holding a singular cooked noodle vertically and moving your hand back and forth slightly, but upside down and with two smaller noodles attached to the first one.)

Bastille steadied me. “Whoa, there. Don’t go fainting away on me, Smedry.”

I tried to think of a good comeback, but my mind wasn’t working and my vision was fuzzy and when I looked back at Bastille all that came out was, “S’rry.” (Brain-clouding radiation. Obviously.)

I don’t really remember what happened after that, but I woke up an indeterminate amount of time later, perfectly fine, with Bastille shaking me like a child rolling out play-doh.

“Bastille, stop, I’m awake!” I got up and looked around, taking in my surroundings, which seemed to be some sort of makeshift infirmary. “How and when did we get back here?”

“I carried you, idiot.”

“Oh.” I could feel my cheeks reddening at the implication that Bastille had been lugging me around like a sack of potatoes back to Penguinator.

I looked back up at Bastille, and immediately received a smack to the face as a reward for my eye contact.

“Ow… what the heck?”

Bastille then proceeded to tackle-hug me back onto the bed. I stiffened.

This is once again a time to tell the women reading this to please give us men a warning before you hug us. We need warning. (You know what, just everyone give people warning in general it doesn’t matter the gender.)

“Alcatraz, please NEVER do that again; Sing said he could feel your pulse slowing down. You could’ve died, Smedry. I…” Bastille got up and paced around the room, stopping at a window. “I can’t lose you.”

I blinked stupidly. “You can’t lose me?” What on earth was that supposed to mean?

Bastille looked down, and I wasn’t sure if it was the lighting or if her cheeks were genuinely as red as mine. “For one, your entire family would kill me, and for two, the knights would kill me again.”

“So, purely diplomatic, then,” I said, not sure why I was feeling strangely disappointed.

“That, yeah.”

I looked down at the ground, trying to hide the fact that my face was probably tomato red. We were flying closer to St. Louis, and as we approached, I could feel a headache flaring up again. I wobbled back to my bed as spots swam in my vision, and the last thing I remember before passing out was seeing the top of the Gateway Arch through the floor.

I woke up with Australia on the bed next to me, trying to calm down a panicked Sing.

“It’s fine, Sing. It was just a little headache.”

Sing raised an eyebrow. “You said you were really dizzy.”

Australia looked at me and slowly shook her head. “You should be worried about Alcatraz; he passed out again, but he’s awake now. Go interrogate him.”

With my luck, that did the trick, and Sing immediately ran over to (for some bizarre reason) check my vitals.

“Sing, I’m fine now. I don’t know what came over me.”

Sing looked about to cry. “You said you were fine last time and look what happened!”

“Yeah, why are we suddenly fine now?” Australia wondered. “Like, I was REALLY dizzy. Sing, you saw it. I almost fell over.”

“I don’t know, but I think I passed out again when we were over the arch.”

Australia nodded. “Yeah, the thing was, like, wiggling and stretching through my lenses. I got a headache just looking at it through them, but when I took ‘em off, it just went away.”

“Huh.”

“I might be crazy, but I think it’s the arch.”

“But if it’s the arch, why were only the two of us affected?”

“Good question.”

We sat there in silence, thinking about why the arch would give an adverse reaction to the two of us specifically.

“Oh,” Australia said, tapping her head like she’d just found out that the most obvious answer was, in fact, the right one.

“What?”

“I think it’s an Oculator thing.”

“Then why would I have passed out while you didn’t?”

“By the first sands, Smedry, isn’t it obvious?” Bastille’s voice came from behind me and I started. I’d forgotten she was there.

“Bastille, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there are three different Smedrys in the room right now, so you’re gonna have to learn everyone’s first names at some point.”

“Shut up.”

“No.”

“Alcatraz…”

“What?”

Bastille then made a noise that sounded uncannily like a horse muffled into a pillow.

“Okay, what’s so obvious, then?”

“It’s because you’re so shattering powerful. I mean, have you ever seen Australia use Courier’s lenses from halfway across the country? On instinct?”

“Uh… no.”

Australia nodded. “Yeah, I can confirm I could NEVER.”

“Oh.”

*I know EXACTLY what a good number of the Hushlanders are probably thinking, and you’re thinking of the wrong fast food chain. Go smell some grass, or whatever it is the Hushlands kids say nowadays.

#I am never writing a sickfic from first person pov again #my writing #alcatraz vs the evil librarians #MOTHER HEN SING RIGHTS #Alcatraz Smedry #Australia Smedry #Kazan Smedry #sing sing Smedry #mentioned Leavenworth Smedry #mentioned Attica Smedry

[stephenjaymorrisblog]

2023 in the Rear-View Mirror

2024 in My Crystal Ball

Stephen Jay Morris

12/23/2023

©Scientific Morality.

Dyslexia is a learning disorder that presents challenges to someone in reading and understanding language. Dyscalculia is to have difficulty with numbers or math. I suffer from both. Dyscalculia is the worst of the two. Thanks to technology, I have a calculator. I’ve always hated math. Whenever I would try to solve a math problem, I’d get a headache. I was often uncertain of the current year. It took me a few years to master telling time. It was a chore to remember dates. When I had a job selling newspapers, I had problems giving change.

I might have inherited the disorder from my mother. I had to nag her to put dates on her paintings. Now, I put dates on all of my articles. It may be a big factor for detectives and scholars of history. Not everyone has a good memory for dates. Everybody remembers their birth date, but hardly anyone knows the date the U.S. Constitution was ratified. Dates are important for everything. Ask anybody when their house was constructed, and you get a blank stare. I am very anal retentive when it comes to dates.

So, what was 2023 like? If you are a self-centered person, you talk about your money and brag about your health. Maybe in 2023, you found Jesus or bought a new car, or got laid for the second time in your life. I don’t know anything about you, and I don’t care. I only care about me!!

Just joking. It’s bad enough that I must think about myself. That is why I care about politics, religion, science, and sports. Gets my mind off my ragged ass. So, what was 2023 like in America and around the globe? Well, nothing that hasn’t been seen before. There was an egomaniac with followers who think he was sent by God. A right-wing Government in Israel who is performing genocide on Semitic Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The war in Ukraine against Russian imperialists that is raging on. Religious Right fanatics are spreading hatred toward LBGTQ+ because drag queens are reading children’s stories to children in libraries. Youth pastors across the fruited plains are molesting kids. Why is that story not being featured on the nightly news? Hmmmm…I wonder why! The conservatives thought it was a fantastic idea to run America like a business. Ha! And they call me stupid! Now the religious Right wants to run America like a church! Imagine that!!

The good news was: Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr released a new Beatles song thanks to Artificial Intelligence. Taylor Swift is breaking attendance records at her concerts. Covid cases have dwindled. Electric car sales are up. Sickle Cell Anemia is almost cured. And many more.

So, what can we look forward to in 2024? Maybe you will get laid for the 4th time, or maybe you will win your state’s lottery. Maybe, baby! Look, I am not a Nostradamus, and I don’t read tea leaves. I don’t know what the future holds. Good, bad, or indifferent, whatever happens, happens. All I have is the past to reflect upon. I remember how depressing it was after the Kenndey assassination occurred in 1963. Then after the first two months of 1964, the Beatles happened, and the ambiance got bright again. I wish something new and original would happen this new year, like visitors from another planet land on the White House lawn. But it will never happen because subjective reality has no imagination.

Or? Marianne Williamson will be elected president, and she will greet the space Aliens with a bouquet of flowers. Wouldn’t that be based? Fuck, yeah it would!

#stephenjaymorris #poets on tumblr #american politics #poets of tumblr #anarchism #baby boomers #anarchopunk #youtube #anarchocommunism #anarcho primitivism #anarchofeminism #anarcho syndicalism #anarcho capitalism #progressive #marianne williamson

[theonetruebangtan]

Its been 1 year of Jack in the Box and I am not okay

Cannot believe its been a whole year since J-Hope released his official debut album Jack in the Box. I remember leading up to the release of the More mv I was telling my friend that I thought we were going to go through a Rocktan renaissance. And then Hobi gave us an album that just spoke grunge and old school hip hop. When I tell you those teaser images came out and I was like oh okay, this this is speaking to my angsty childhood. 

I sadly didn’t get to appreciate this album as much as I wanted to because on July 11th we had to put down my cat of 15 yrs. But I tried to be tuned in for streaming and votes, and I was more with it by Hobipalooza.

So today we revisit J-Hope, sorry Jay’s, debut album 😂

First order of business, I’m glad that the promotion and release cycle went the way Hobi wanted it to. But I will forever be wanting a cd cover with that KAWS artwork, its just so good! 

BTS Episode: Album Cover Shoot Sketch

Standout tracks from this album for me were:

More, = (Equal Sign), What If… and Safety Zone

The Singles

The first introduction we had to Jack in the Box was through the release of the More mv on July 1, 2022. And the concept was definitely expressed. Hobi talked a lot throughout the promos about wanting to remove himself from the box of J-Hope, and see if he could still make music that would draw in people (paraphrasing), and for me he definitely succeeded. 

BTS Episode: More MV Sketch

The Arson mv released on July 15, 2022, along with the album. It was a good title track to choose because it really speaks to the old - school hip hop with the kick snare beat. 

Both of the mvs for this album really invoked to me at least, mvs of the late 90s early 00s.  Lots of muted dark colour palettes, close shots and enclosed spaces. For More specifically he’s always surrounded by stuff and contained within 4 walls, illustrating the claustrophobia of being contained. In More he’s still trapped in the box looking for more; whereas in Arson Jack has escaped and has burnt it all. 

The choices for the two singles could not have been picked better. They bookend the album thematically and literally. Opening with More showcases the rock elements Hobi will be using, and ending with Arson calls back to his hip hop roots.

Just recently for festa we were treated to an Arson rock version, and oh boy does it slap. It’s less kick snare, more drum fills and guitar riffs. So if you’re not super into hip hop but love rock definitely check it out!

Bangtan Bomb: JITB Listening Party

lol does anyone remember when we started seeing all the celeb stories about this party? what a time 😂

Hobipalooza

“You can call me Jay”

J-Hope headlined Chicago’s Lollapalooza on Sunday, July 31, 2022. He made history as the first Korean artist to headline a major U.S. festival. He drew a crowd of 100k to his 70 minute set at Bud Light Seltzer stage. He was A M A Z I N G!

I tuned in on weverse to watch his set and from the moment he popped out of the box he owned that stage. I’ve rewatched it a couple times since and every time its just as good. Highly highly recommend.

BTS Episode: j-hope @ Lollapalooza

J - Hope in the Box

(Can be found on Disney+ for streaming or can be purchased on Weverse.)

I’ve always loved documentaries and behind the scenes looks at creation of art. Watching the inception of JITB and the triumphant conclusion with Lollaplooza, showcased how dedicated J - Hope is to his craft. The contrast between the quiet montage of Hobi staring at his computer in the studio to the boisterous prep meetings and rehearsals demonstrates how his art is not made in a vacuum. It may begin as introspection but it eventually has to be shared and he can not control the reception of others. I really loved the ending where there’s a final ITM of J - Hope in a park on a sunny day in Chicago, having finished his set the night before. He speaks on his thoughts about how JITB rollout went and how it felt to finally perform as a solo act. If you haven’t already seen it you should, BH has always been good at delivering behind the scenes content and the editing on this doc was some of their best. 

For the first official solo debut of a BTS I couldn’t have asked for anything better. J - Hope gave us an album that demonstrated a new side to him as an artist. For those who already loved his music, you received more amazing music. And for those who were new to him, you were introduced to a musician who loves to try new things and push the boundaries of his talent when he is already at the top.

Here’s to 1 year of Jack in the Box, and here’s to J - Hope! 

If you’re interested in behind the scenes production looks etc. I’ve also linked the relevant Bangtan Bombs/Episodes.

#jitb #happy 1 year anniversary of jitb!! #j-hope #jung hoseok #bts music discussions #when you're a 90s boy and just want to make a punk rock hip hop album #i mean how hard is it #Youtube #bts solo projects

[galaxythreads]

Lore for Black, white, and grey all over pls. read it recently and loved it very VERY MUCH

Your wish is my command, Anon!!

LORE FOR BLACK, WHITE, AND GREY ALL OVER <- LINK TO STORY

Pinterest Board

The title is a nod to old prison uniforms in the U.S. that were black and white which when mixed together make grey.

It's also a nod toward this horrible joke that traumatized me a bit as a kid (I was very sensitive) "What's black, white, and red all over?" "A penguin that just fell down the stairs."

Yes, it did take me a year to write this stupid thing

I wrote the first scene completely by hand

(Hold while I go try to find that. update: Could not. Moving on.)

I did a lot of research on being released from prison before writing this and I still feel i fell short in many aspects

TOTAL PAGE COUNT: 91

^^^ final finish time. (yes, i do always put this into the actual documents for the fics and have done this for years)

---

"This is their fault, and she hates them for it.

Forgiveness is a dream, and acceptance a joke.

That's it. Nothing more, nothing less."

^^

this was added after the final edit when I wrote the last few sentences and realized that I needed a tie-in

---

^^^

hello hi, my boy my beloved. (CBS Elementary, detective Marcus bell)

---

"'I'm so sorry we're late!' her stepmother exclaims, coming to stop in front of her. Her father's gripping a walking stick, though she has her doubts that he really needs it. His steal blue eye settles on her face, and Hela pointedly flicks her gaze away from him."

^^

Fun fact, this sequence is actually based off of one of the openings for a draft of Igniting Fire (one where for some reason Isabella was an angry french lady. The draft had problems from the start)

---

"A locked up animal, put away until she might offer further use."

''So I am know more then another stolen relic, locked up here until you might have use of me?'' (Thor 1)

---

"Thor is what? Twenty now? Twenty-one? Loki seventeen or sixteen. She has lost so much time to these walls. Ten years. Years. Not months, not weeks, but years. Oh, how she can't wait to get off of the U.S.'s soil. She hates it here."

^^

The big time mess was a huge part of Hela's trauma response. She doesn't know how old her brothers are anymore and isn't aware that there's a war going on with her home country, this is the cost of her incarceration and the fact her parents weren't inclined to share this with her is what caused a lot of the friction.

---

At least, it is amusing until he turns to her and says, in what she's certain is without much thought: "You're the foreign princess that killed all those people ten years ago—Lady Death? That's you?"

This. *deep sigh*

I am christian and have been since birth, and one of the things in my sect of christiandom is that we have this really weird...thing against calling anyone a god, even if it's just as a title. (I now find that stupid and silly and am perfectly fine using god as a title/description for a being). I had the hardest time coming to terms with the fact that it could be goddess of death. This wasn't so much a modern adaption of the title -- although it certainly works great -- and more so me being too afraid to step outside of the comfort zone of my religion. it literally felt like I was endorsing the devil. Which is also why a lot of my older works are kinda. Weird sometimes about language. (I tell people that reading my older fics to now is watching me graduate high school and grow up and yeah. still true.)

MOVING ON.

---

"His yellow eyes settle on her, and she feels some relief in the familiarity of that. The infection that took his eyesight before she was born left his irises a sickly yellow color;"

I sincerely doubt that this is possible medically but I'll give it a pass for the Aesthetic TM.

---

Thor looks up at their mother, blowing out a breath, "It's freezing. Can we go?"

I will always defend Thor and Loki not throwing themselves at Hela with hugs and gratitude in this scene until the day I die. Hela is a stranger to them. A stranger who, according to their parents, is a mass murderer.

(Who somehow only served ten years in prison????????????????????)

---

Her stepmother gives her shoulder a quick squeeze—can she stop doing that!?—and smiles reassuringly, "I'm sorry, it's been a long day. They really are glad to see you, I promise."

^^^

Personal note (these stories are riddled with my life, ha, it's always personal), my dad has this habit of always engaging in physical contact whenever he sees me, a touch on the shoulder, pat on the back, etc, and i'm not much of a physical touch person. So that's where this is from.

---

Odin inserts the key into the house and twists it, pushing open the door to the home and steps inside without any restraint. He leans against his walking cane again, but Hela can clearly see nothing is wrong with his leg. It's for show.

^^

I haven't read this story in years, so I can't remember if this made it in there, but Odin's cane is a direct reference to this from BBC's Sherlock.

(update: It did NOT in fact, make it in there)

where you just carry weapons around in your umbrella. Like a normal person.

---

"Six months. Six. And no one bothered to mention this to her before then!? Hela's eyes narrow with frustration and she clenches her fists deeply, "You've been in the US for half a year and didn't think it important to mention to me?" she doesn't bother with keeping her voice calm."

^^^

Yknow. I'm beginning to realize just how terrible odin and frigga are in this. Huh. Half a year and they didn't tell Hela anything or visit her. Pro parenting technique.

---

But really, that's all Odin's good at, isn't it? Abandoning people when they need him.

^^^

HELA.

(but also. TRUE.)

---

"Aunt Freya and Uncle Buri agreed to rule before we left. The citizens are those that forced us out." Frigga explains, rubbing at her forehead softly. "Given a choice, I'm certain that all of us would gladly return to help fend off Laufey, but we can't. 

^^^

I do not mean to poke holes in my own story, but this...makes about as much sense as Anna from Frozen dumping the kingdom onto Hans, whom she'd known for about 3 hours.

---

"You claimed him just as much as I." Frigga's voice is ice. "You would do well to remember that it wasn't my decision to keep the adoption a secret from him."

^^^

also beginning to realize this is where my portrayal of Frigga and Odin being a couple that fight all the time started. Depending on my mood, Odin and Frigga CAN strike me as a couple who argue 99% of the time and make you wonder why they don't just get a divorce. But then the 1% of the time makes you realize why they're married.

---

Hela blinks. "You are an idiot."

Odin draws back, "Beg pardon?"

^^^

I love her, your honor.

---

Hela has shifted to sitting on the porch, varying between moodily glaring into the trees or tracing shapes on the cement padding at the bottom of the steps with a bark chip she found two hours ago. She was never much of an artist before she left Asgard, and that hasn't changed since her prison sentence.

^^^

bark-chip drawing on cement was a very serious thing when I was a kid. It was kinda like chalk. Pretty fun. If you ever get the chance to try it, would recommend.

---

She picks up the plastic fork with her left hand, balancing the paper plate on her knees. If she grips anything with her swollen fingers, she doesn't think it will end well. She stuffs in mouthful of salad and once she's swallowed, asks, "And who sent you out to feed the monster?"

^^^

this is a reference to that one post about a girl whose dad slid chocolate underneath her door when she was having her period (or could also have been a person who menstruates, but I think it was a female) and then loudly screeched "I fed the monster" and ran off.

(90% of my sense of humor is tumblr posts on Pinterest, okay?)

---

"Is there a day that you won't forget this?"

Thor grabs the device and offers a sheepish smile, "I don't think so."

Her youngest brother sighs, "You're hopeless."

"Overbearingly." Thor agrees and manages to shove the laptop into the backpack with considerable strain. "Thank you again, brother."

^^^

Guess who intentionally forgot their laptop every day to have some form of an interaction with their distressed sibling???

---

Frigga's gentle face falls some, but she nods anyway with a plastered smile. "That's alright. If you get hungry just grab whatever's available. Except the peanut butter, because Thor hoards it. Sometimes I fear he'll start a war for it."

^^^

THIS. (my fics are FILLED with inside jokes, I'm realizing) is a reference to a fic I read where Thor shoved a peanut butter jar(? unclear) down the drain and clogged the sink and flooded an apartment. Can't remember the exact fic and I am too lazy to look.

---

When Hela was eleven and war was still spoken of quietly and ignored in favor of happier times? No, not then, because Hela's birth mother was murdered in the streets of Serenity, their capital, when she was eleven.

A slaughter worthy of history books. There was so much blood, enough to drown a building in. People often forget that Hela was there, and she saw everything. Odin wasn't. He only saw the aftermath, but Hela...Hela watched Laufey's blade swing and her mother give out that ragged gasp and her own voice crying out "mama!" before it all went south.

^^^

Reference to Porcelain where the same thing happens to Hela.

---

Outside is hot, but it's better. There's noise. Cars in the distance, children screaming as they play, lawnmowers (what is it with people's perpetual desire to care for their lawns at all hours of the day?), and basic white noise. It's disorienting after hearing nothing but the prison for so long, but not unwelcome.

^^^

I will NEVER EVER EVER EVER cease to make angry commentary about lawns and lawnmowing.

---

Ten years of her life wasted for those deaths.

^^^

I am now realizing that Hela probably would have had diplomatic immunity for the deaths. Which means Odin really did leave her there. That's nice.

---

"No husband? At this age?" Mrs. Debar's hold on her rose cutters has loosened. She's not as wary. Something in Hela gives a hollow snapping noise as the question. She'd wanted marriage, but Odin had insisted that it wait until after the war cooled down. She didn't have a particular man in mind, anyway, but she'd wanted it. To start a family, to have a partner that would be hers—and she couldn't. Because she got stuck here, and who would want to marry the insane, murderous, Lady Death? She's been in prison now. No one will want her.

^^^

Two things:

-I will die on the hill that Hela is lesbian -Mrs. Debar is the embodiment of conservative, I think. Or a Karen.

---

I am really enjoying movie dialog woven into this. It's well done.

*pats myself on the back* you're doing amazing sweetie.

---

"Alright, well, I'll be back around six to check on you." Frigga says with a tight smile. "I'll go see if Loki will help me with the cooking. I'm trying to make this meal called lasagna. It's apparently a type of pasta-soup, I've heard of it before and wanted to try it."

^^^

.....i am so confused. They live in Europe somewhere and they're royalty and they've apparently never heard of Italy. Or met Italians?

Europe, according to how Asgard apparently teaches it in this 'verse:

---

"Six-twenty-three, AM." Thor answers without looking up at her, and then adds: "Wednesday. You slept for thirty-six hours straight."

^^^

CBS elementary

In every single one of these, I tell you not to under estimate my love of Elementary but here i am again reminding you to NOT underestimate my love for this stupid little show.

---

Natasha stays until Hela finishes and takes the paperwork from her, assuring Hela that she'll give it to Ms. Hill, the owner of the building. 

^^^

I find this endlessly hilarious that Maria Freaking Hill owns a star bucks in this. Like. What was I thinking?

---

"It's Jane." Thor corrects. "Jane Foster." He looks up from his hands and sighs deeply. He's still staring at her strangely. "She's...we are courting, yes, but not with Father's approval. Or Mother's. They don't think I should be making permanent attachments in the U.S., but I just…" Thor looks towards where Jane disappeared to.

^^^

the person Thor was on the phone with at the beginning of this fic was Jane.

----

Hela shrugs. "I'd've told them just to watch the explosion."

^^^

*deep sigh* I'm sorry. The accent of my people shows horribly sometimes.

(WHO PUTS I'D'VE in a sentence like it's all casual---)

---

"YOU LEFT ME HERE!" Hela screams, and grabs a book off of the coffee table and throws it. It smashes against the far wall, pages fluttering as they hit the ground. "I spent TEN YEARS in hell because you refused to help! You didn't even TRY to save me!"

^^^

waiting for this all fic. :)

---

Oh. Whoops. The lies have become a scattered mess in the last few weeks. "I'm—" Hela pauses, trying to come up with a believable excuse. If she went to all the work of getting to the U.S., why would she be leaving?

^^^

*coughs into hand* because it's the U.S.?

---

A ripple of hurt washes through her, strong enough to make tears form on the edges of her eyes. She sets her teeth and forces herself to focus. Sharp tongue. Sharp words. Sharp. "Alright, get out. You're in my Starbucks."

"Your Starbucks?" Thor repeats. "You don't own anything. All you've done is make our parents worry and driven our mother to tears, why should I listen to anything you have to say?"

^^^

THIS. ENTIRE. SCENE.

I am SO impressed with myself for managing to get nearly ALL of thor and Hela's dialog from Ragnarok into this and fit it around STARBUCKS. Like.

*more back patting*

(AND also captured the emotion of the actual scene in the movie, like????????)

---

"I've failed you as a father," Odin starts slowly, carefully, as if he says the wrong thing she'll fall apart before him. Hela only gawks at him. Odin exhales deeply. "I can see that now. I'm a different man today than I was when you were imprisoned, and I am filled with regrets."

"Proud have it, ashamed of how you got it." Hela mutters under her breath, resisting the urge to hug her knees closer.

^^^

ODIN DIDN'T ACTUALLY APOLOGIZE??????? like. DUDE.

asdflkajsd;flkjasdf

----

"Come now," one of the male teens taunts, his nose looks flat and his hair is plastered against his forehead. "tell me honestly what you're thinking you lying freak."

Loki stumbles, landing on one of his elbows hard, but looks up at him. "I don't think you'd like my answer if I did."

^^^

this was one of the first scenes I wrote for the fic. (maybe THE first scene? it's fuzzy now)

---

"I think that Principal Gauntlet is biased."

^^

LOKI'S PRINCIPAL IS THANOS?

---

"You little—" the teen, Ebony apparently, starts before releasing her brother and punching him across the face.

LOKI'S BULLIES ARE THE BLACK ORDER????

---

At the time you were in New York, the gang the police claimed you killed had completely different territory

^^^

and we all know that gangs can't go outside of their assigned territory *clicks tongue* what WOULD we do if they were like normal people and wandered around?

---

An FBI agent walks towards them and wields a badge for her to see Agent Phil Coulson written out in fine print. "Hi. I'm with the FBI, I was part of the team assigned to your case." He glances towards the police woman. "Would you mind giving us a few minutes?"

^^^

COULSON is an FBI agent but MARIA FREAKING HILL Isn't??

---

Agent Coulson sighs, rubbing at his forehead. "Fine, but this could get ugly.

Hela smiles, but it venomous. "Oh, I'm counting on it."

^^^

this entire kidnapping sequence was planned to be much much longer, but I was losing steam toward the end and decided to cut about 80% of it because it helped the flow of the story.

---

She rests a hand on the cold stone, wiping some of the snow away with her pale fingers. She stares at the names for a long time, just breathing, thinking. Then, she pulls the letter she wrote several hours ago out and rests it next to the flowers. Her voice cracks when she speaks, but she still gets the words out. "Rest in peace, Papa, Amma...I forgive you."

^^^

this is the reason that "forgiveness is a joke" is the second line in the story and a lesson on why editing is so important. XD

---

Anyway. okay. That was long. I was basically reading and just commenting as I went. Solid story. Weird bits, as per usual for me, but generally enjoyable.

Link to story again

#answered #black white and grey all over #bwagao #my fics #hela #thor #loki #modern au

[wishfulstargazer]

Main Character Customer Support Ep 2

Thanks again to my collaborator: @f0xywrites

“Customer Service, this is Luna, how may I help you?”

“I’m sorry, did you say Luna? What kind of a name is that?” Luna rolled her eyes. This was clearly going to be one of those calls.

“Well, it happens to be my name, ma’am,” she replied, striving to keep her tone friendly and polite. “But if you prefer, you can refer to me as Ms. Appleton, which is also my name.”

“Why would I do that? Call some girl with a stupid hippy name Ms. Appleton? I am Pamela Turner and my character Jacqueline is completely useless. What am I supposed to do with this girl?”

“I’m so sorry to hear that ma’am. What is the issue with Jacqueline, Ms. Turner?”

“She doesn’t speak with a French accent!”

“Ah, I see. Let me pull up Jacqueline’s profile. Do you have your order number or barcode handy?”

“The last time I had a problem, you people found it under my phone number. No, I don’t have a barcode!”

Luna muted the call and took a deep breath. No time to count slowly to ten, just had to leash her temper before she spoke again. She forced her mouth into a smile (apparently that was supposed to release endorphins and actually make you happier?) and resumed.

“I can certainly locate your order with your phone number, Ms. Turner. It may take just a moment longer to pull the specific character data, though. May I please get the phone number on the order?

“It’s 573-555-1186. Or possibly 573-555-8934. Or, hmm, if we were at our winter home it could have ben 713-555-0510. Anyway, it’s one of those.”

Eventually, Luna was able to locate the character (with very little, begrudgingly delivered, assistance from the client.) “Ma’am, it appears that in Jacqueline’s requested biography, you indicated that she be an American?”

“Well, of course, my readers don’t want to read about some Frenchy, like her mother.”

I need this job, swallow it down, don’t react to the racism. Or ethnophobia. Or whatever crap this is. “Well, since the character was born and attended school in the U.S., she wouldn’t have a French accent when she speaks English ma’am. I’m afraid there’s not much that we here at Plots can do about that.”

“Her name is Jacqueline, for crying out loud!” Ms. Turner shouted. “If I didn’t want her to have an accent, I would have named her Beth.”

“I’m going to ask you not to shout at me,” Luna said. “But if you’d care to request a ‘whisper’ of an accent, I imagine our department of–”

“Not good enough. I demand a manager!”

Thank God. “Absolutely, ma’am. Please hold the line.” Placing the client on hold, Luna scanned the available open phone lines. With a satisfied smile, she chose one. “Thank you for waiting, Ms. Turner. I’m now connecting you over to François, my supervisor. Bonne journée!”

Sometimes, not very often, but sometimes, a CSR could get the last laugh.

*****

“You know I’m not supposed to tell you that,” Marguerite whispered to Paul. “Come on, if anyone finds out we’ll both be fired.” The petite programmer fixed a stern expression on her face. “I told you before, no more–last time I did this WAS the last time.”

“I just want to make sure Benji is with someone that’s going to be nice to him,” Paul begged. “He’s so little and alone. His mother died when he was four. His father remarried and works all the time, and his stepmother is totally consumed with the new baby. He’s going to be neglected for years. He needs an author that’s going to, you know, give him a Happily Ever After.”

Marguerite sighed. It was always worse when the character was a child. “Okay, fine, I’ll check the database records and see who ordered him. But even if it was V.C. Andrews herself, you’re going to release Benji on schedule. No going on strike or threatening to unionize the characters this time!”

“I promise,” Paul said meekly. Not that there was any chance of him keeping that promise. Paul was really too tenderhearted to be in Character Development. He bled for every single persona with a sad back story. Marguerite had no idea why he insisted upon working at Plots. Fluff Corp would have loved him.

“Okay,” she whispered, feeling absurd, “I’ll meet you in the parking lot at lunch with the info.”

*****

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Keiko said. “Justin’s ‘personal volition’ stat is off the charts. The same drive that led to him founding a billion dollar company is what’s giving you problems now. I can’t fix that without irreparably changing his backstory.”

“But he won’t do what I need him to do!” Francesca Alders, a best-selling romance novelist, wailed to Keiko. Since getting promoted to Tier One authors, Keiko had to deal with a lot fewer nitpicky complaints. Unfortunately, when a Tier One DID have a problem that they couldn’t personally resolve through plot, it tended to be a large one.

Keiko scanned the heroine sheet. “I admit, at first look I don’t see the problem, either, Ms. Alders. Julia should be perfect for him–”

“Call me Fran, dear, after all, you and me, we’ve been through it together! I think of us more as collaborators than anything else,” Francesca said. “I know that between us we can come up with the fix–I just hope I haven’t ripped out all my hair first!”

Keiko was touched. “I’ll try to justify your faith in me, Fran. I mean, it all looks good so far–the meet-cute, the sizzling chemistry, the impulsive hookup by the girl who doesn’t do impulsive hookups…”

“I KNOW. But he simply won’t take it to the next level! He won’t let her in, won’t communicate, is happy to give her nice presents, but he won’t give her anything of himself! And the worst part of it is, I think Julia is falling for him. Rat bastard. I won’t write a book about a man using a woman and breaking her heart. There’s enough of that in reality, if you know what I mean.”

Keiko didn’t know what to say to that, especially given her own personal history. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just rewrite real life until we get an ending that suits us?”

“From your very lips, dear,” Fran said. Keiko could hear the clink of the oversized earrings Fran always wore as they rattled against the phone. “But what AM I to do about Justin?”

Keiko had nothing and was a bit frantic about it. Failure with a major client like Fran could get a rep fired or even a division closed down. It wouldn’t be the first time. Before she could stop herself, the words spilled out. “Why don’t you ask him?”

Keiko wanted to take the words back as soon as she said them. Encouraging the author to personally engage with the character to resolve problems was directly counter to company policy and the industry standards of professionalism. The theory was that authors who spoke to their characters like they were “real” would lose their objectivity and not be able to create works that put them through hardships. Or if conflict arose, the character might end up unjustly punished by an author, too. Or a well-meaning writer might think they were doing something good by taking the character’s advice, but would overlook something in their backstory that made the problem worse instead of better. Knowing thyself might be the beginning of wisdom, but most newly created characters weren’t actually very wise.

The other side was, of course, that if authors started resolving things directly with their characters, huge clients with pricey unlimited support packages like Fran might not need them any longer. Nobody in the industry wanted to see that happen.

“Hmm,” Fran, however, was clearly mulling it over. Keiko tried not to panic as visions of unemployment danced in her head. She could lose her job–maybe even her license?--if this went badly.

“I think that’s an interesting idea, dear, but I’d feel more comfortable with an intermediary, such as yourself. Dustin can be a bit hotheaded when he feels as if I’m asking him to do something he doesn’t want to do. A third party might help him feel more comfortable.”

Phew. Keiko could work with this. Still, best to check: “As long as you don’t think he will feel that we’re ganging up on him?”

“I don’t imagine he will,” Fran said. “But I’ll want video conferencing for this. Can you reserve a private conference room for three pm today?”

“Absolutely,” Keiko assured her. “We will always prioritize your comfort and timetable, Fran.”

“You’re such a lovely person, Keiko,” the older woman said gently. “Please let me know if I start taking advantage of your good nature. We authors can be gluttons for assistance!”

***** 

“So the order was placed by an author nobody’s heard of,” Marguerite said to Paul in a low tone. “They’ve never published or uploaded anything as far as I can tell.”

Paul’s face fell. “So then there’s no way of knowing what they’re going to do with him?”

“Well,” Marguerite felt her face redden. “I might have hacked her hard drive to see if she had any story outlines on it.”

Paul broke out into a big beaming grin. “Awesome, Rita, I knew I could count on you! So–” and he glanced at the ground as if bracing himself for bad news–”What does it look like?”

Marguerite bit her lower lip and shook her head sadly. Paul winced. “Oh NO. H-how bad is it?” The hands at his sides formed fists, as if he was already getting ready for a fight.”

“Paul! I’m kidding!” Marguerite laughed. “He’s going to be a very lonely kid until he’s about seven, then he’ll meet a fairy in the garden who feels sorry for him and offers him a wish. He wishes for a magical bunny friend, the fairy grants it, and they go on all kinds of magical adventures together!”

“Oh—ohhhh!” Barely able to contain his delight, Paul started doing a little dance behind Marguerite’s blue Honda minivan. “Lots of adventures?”

“Lots. This little nobody author put together a few sample chapters and an outline and pitched the story to a children’s publisher–and got a four book contract! Benji’s going to have a blast.”

“This is perfect, thank you Rita!” Paul hugged her tightly, and Marguerite felt herself blushing again.

“Anytime,” she said after the embrace ended, straightening her shirt.

“Hey, so, I owe you for all your help, and, um,” Paul blushed hard. “I think you’re amazing. Would you let me buy you dinner tonight?”

Startled, Marguerite stared at her feet for a second, then looked up. “I’d love to, Paul,” she said.

#fluff and humor #writing is so fucking hard #writing issues #character design #originalcharacter #collab story #customer service #workplace humor

[graftisms]

CALLIE & ANGEL — DAY TWENTY-EIGHT

location :    evening / post-challenge / smoking area

featuring :    @dobits​

CALLIE

rarely does she smoke cigarettes, but without any weed to be found (or given to her), it's as good as it's going to get. one of romi's stolen cigs is in one hand, the other tries unsuccessfully to use the lighter she had borrowed from one of the producers, to no avail. even she can't get a bloody spark from a lighter--figures. eyes look up as angel comes over, waving once at him before tossing the lighter his way with a, "think fast. can you get this thing to work for me, please? i'm ready to throw it." 

ANGEL

"shit, with that kinda fast ball, you really belong in the u.s. ... hm, yeah, your fuel release is fucked," he mumbles around the cigarette in the corner of his mouth, brow furrowed as he inspects the lighter. he peels the silver bit around where the flame should come out, leaving the nozzle bare. the flame burns big and bright now. he uses it on his own cig before tossing it back to her. "lighter for your thoughts?"

CALLIE

"is that a baseball joke?" never much cared for the sport, though it's better than american football. eyes narrow a little as she watches what he does for next time, letting out an audible sigh of relief when the damned thing lights. "thank you," she groans, lighting her own before tossing it back in her pocket. the first drag of a cigarette is always the best, relishing in it for a moment before shaking her head at him. "wishing i had a joint," she says, taking another drag. "sorry if i made shit awkward earlier with naomi. or earlier, with jenny. or in general, i guess. it's been a day."

ANGEL

"nah, ping pong," he deadpans for a good moment before breaking out in an inevitable grin. enjoying his own drag, lets the tobacco give him the head rush. callie apologizing brings him right out of it. "oh -- nah, stop. don't apologize, you're all good. i get it." a pause, a sheepish smile. "well, kinda. i mean, i get you were just being protective of your brother and shit. i can respect that. but i think there's also, like...," a gesture to her, "a lot of stuff i'm missing. had no idea you were such a problem, cal." another deadpan, he peeks at her from his peripheral, barely suppressing a smile.

CALLIE

callie stifles a laugh, only realizing afterwards that it was pointless. "you're funny," she tells him, like she's only just figuring it out. maybe it's just dawning on her now. lips press together lightly at the mention of her brother, the only confirmation needed that she came off like an ass. even if naomi isn't her favorite person at the moment, she feels bad being a giant cockblock for her. a little bit. she glances over at him for a moment, not bothering to hide her smile. "only started today, actually," she admits, turning back to face the rest of the villa. "maybe if the show knew i'd be more fun without my brother, they never would've sent him." as if dylan's the issue, though she does feel his presence lost.

ANGEL

literally can't help his gaze falling to the ground at her compliment. the way she hands them out so sparingly, how could anyone blame him? angels ashes the cigarette, procrastinates taking another hit. "and to think twelve hours ago i thought you were adorable," clicks his tongue against his teeth, shakes his head. "now i know you're really a little badass instigator." hi pot, meet kettle. a light laugh, he keeps shaking his head at that. "aw, stop, this isn't fun-callie. hey, no worries, it'll all be better in the morning."

CALLIE

the reminder of being called adorable makes her scoff again, shaking her head. "told you i wasn't." god, what a stupid word. "i'm fine," she assures him, repositioning herself so she's facing him better. "i'll be more fun tomorrow, watch. the only instigating i'll do is trying to get everyone drunk and having fun." she means it too, flashing a smile. "how are you feeling? first day, basically in the books. on a scale of one to ten, how bad was it?"

ANGEL

"no, you definitely still are," he nods, taking another drag. half just desperate to wind her up a little bit. "cool, good. i'm team callie either way." but he really does believe her, just as eager to latch on to the optimism despite the fact he knows that's not the point of a reality show. "honestly? i'm kinda having the best day," a laugh, he shrugs his cigarette-lined hand. "sorry, i know it's been shit for you. i dunno, it's been fun. beautiful place, beautiful people. everyone's been... way cooler and more real than i kinda expected. yeah, i'm chillin'."

CALLIE

"oh please," she snorts, unable to help herself. "you're more adorable than i am. i used to call my brother the human golden retriever, but you might have him beat." he's always smiling, it feels like. then again, maybe she's just more aware of it than usual, when she's had a questionable day. strangely enough, this makes her miss elvis, her own golden. "no, i'm glad to hear that," she says genuinely, letting out a laugh. "i was afraid we've been shit company all day. but, good. it's kinda funny seeing people start to fall into couples already, right? like..." she motions to jenny and dante, talking somewhere. "and..." she finds romi and jude next, motioning towards them. "though that one i don't get."

ANGEL

"oh, don't you call me adorable," he argues, scrunching his nose. not now that she considers it such a slur. "oh my god," angel sticks the cigarette in the corner of his mouth so he can count off on his fingers, "adorable, a dog, your brother. where's the camera so i can look into it like the office?" that must be the trifecta of what you don't wanna hear from a girl. he takes his lumps with a smirk though, eternally light hearted even through his haughty sigh. eyes follow her gesture around the villa. "came hard and fast, huh?" he agrees with a nod towards jude. "he's really into them, to be fair. the way he talked about romi to me? cute as fuck. i don't know the guy that well, but, i dunno, it seemed to surprise even him kinda." a lingering pause. "you think it's mutual?"

CALLIE

she doesn't realize what she's said until he's pointing it out to her by the fingers, cigarette nearly falling out of her mouth from laughing so abruptly. "god, no!" she shakes her head, cheeks reddening a little. "that's not what i meant. crikey, uh. i've had a lot to drink tonight, in case that wasn't clear." she's still grinning, finding it both funny and embarrassing at the same time. "i have a golden retriever back home, too," she admits after a second, before making herself laugh all over. "sorry, sorry!" lips have to press together to stop herself, though talking about jude does sober the mood. "is he? i kinda thought him and jenny were into each other." obviously, since she called them out earlier. "i think... it could be mutual," she admits, grimacing. "i know romi wants to sleep outside tonight, so she doesn't feel like she has to choose between anyone yet. i'll probably go outside with her, unless jude joins her. i think she definitely likes him the most, but she's been through a lot recently. i don't know if she wants really intense right now."

ANGEL

"shut the fuck up," he chides her grinning ear to ear, entirely unable to contain his own laughter when she's in a fit of it. smoke slots between his two fingers, he points them at her. "you are such a problem, i can't believe it you're fucking doubling down. i'm not golden retriever energy!" it's a nice difference from the frowny, distracted callie he's stumbled across a minute ago, even if it's at his expense. "if your golden's name is angel, i'm out. i'm leaving the villa." it's still funny to see callie cringe over jude, who, frankly, angel's a big fan of. finds the dude hilarious. "i mean, i think jenny's into jude," he shrugs, never really heard jude mention the blonde much and typically it's her draped all over him. "oh, for real? i thought for sure she was gonna be in his bed. that's kinda crazy, i feel like she's pretty much chosen already. but, yeah, that's fair. he definitely gives intense." yeah, if jude's the guy angel imagines, there's no way some little rule is gonna keep him from sneaking out to romi. in fact, he could see the producers egging that on. "so where else were you gonna go?"

CALLIE

his goading her only keeps her laughing, hand covering her mouth for a few seconds as she attempts to stop. "you kinda are," she giggles, putting out her cigarette before leaning back. "it's not a bad thing. you just seem, like, constantly in a good mood. always smiling. it's nice," she offers, in case that wasn't clear. "we needed more people around here like that, it was getting a little too..." testosterone-y, she wants to say, but not really the best thing to say to a dude, "--serious," she settles on instead. "no," callie smiles at the thought of her pup, "his name is elvis. he's an angel, though. he's my baby." saying that jenny's into jude is valid; callie is kind of assuming she's gonna shoot her shot with all the guys here, after her and josh are apparently on the outs. "yeah, that's what i said," she shrugs, not really getting romi's logic either. "maybe it's more than that, but that's what she tells me. and i don't want her to sleep outside alone. otherwise my plan was to just hog the bed with my name on it, and whichever bombshell wanted to join me could go crazy. it's just a place to crash." she raises her eyebrows. "why, know where you're sleeping yet?"

ANGEL

"well, who knows? i can get pissed off and serious and stuff." toe of his shoe scuffs the ground, he flicks his thumb bashfully against the cigarette's filter. the very picture of someone who doesn't get pissed off. angel dissolves into a smile. "yeah, i dunno. it's easy for me to let shit roll off my back, i guess. plus i haven't really had a reason to be in anything but a good mood." he gestures at her again. "minus you basically saying i'm like your brother." he sucks his cigarette to the filter and smashes it into the ashtray. "wait, that's so cute. presley or costello?" arms fold over his chest, head tilting curiously at callie's insight to the jude/romi thing. "nah, yeah, i get that. maybe she's just trying to take it easy. nobody wants to be mugged off." a shrug, relatable content. "wait -- whichever bombshell?" brow arches, surprised, didn't think she'd ever put herself in a situation where she'd share a bed. "well, what if jude decides to get in your bed? or stella?" or charlene or angel. sure, it's just a place to crash, but you're still sharing space with the person. tight smile presses onto his lips, innocent and evasive. "yeah, i'm sleeping on the bed with my name on it."

CALLIE

taking a deep breath, she's finally calmed herself down from the giggles, though the smile has yet to leave her cheeks. "no, it's a good thing," she agrees, nodding. "i swear, i'm usually the same. it's so much easier being here if you don't let every little thing get to you, seriously." she really had been doing so well, often resorting to the in-villa therapist when dylan or a friend needed somewhere to vent. she much refers that to the hot mess that reared its ugly head today. "okay, i did not mean it like that," she rolls her eyes, feeling herself flush. "i like you, for the record. not like my brother, crikey." suddenly she wishes she didn't put that cigarette out yet, so she had something to do with her hands. "presley." eyes light up at the reference. "he's one of my favorites, my grandmum had him always playing growing up. that and, like, the beach boys." eyebrows arch over towards him. "why do you say it like that?" she fights off a smirk, shaking her head. "well i didn't think jude would try to sleep with me, but otherwise i don't really care. i sleep like a rock anyway. and no offense, but it was my bed first," she defends, lips curling. assumes he's mocking her since the beds don't actually have names.   "yeah, which one is that?"

ANGEL

head bobs, understanding. "yeah, this place was kinda made for all the little stuff to be blown out of proportion, right? even to the coolest of cucumbers." amplifying to a global audience is the whole point. a cheeky smile peeks through. "so, what, you're usually all zen sunshine and sweetness?" only a touch of sarcasm. "i dunno, the whole li'l snappy badass thing kinda suits you too well." head ducks a bit, the alcohol and her words bringing his own blush. annoying. "crikey," angel repeats with fond amusement, distracting himself. the word adorable hangs so clearly in the air he doesn't feel the need to say it aloud. "wait, your faves are elvis and the beach boys? that's like... so insanely california, c'mon now. nah, yeah, the beach boys are my shit. all the beach rock stuff is good vibes." light scoff escapes him, lifting his shoulder in a shrug like it should be obvious. "i dunno, i'm just surprised. i thought you'd be like... hella particular. or more closed off i guess." it's a fair assumption, but he imagines it's best not to assume anything about jude, especially where chaos is concerned. "fair, fair," he concedes, nodding. "it's still sharing a bed though. it's something. uh, me, i dunno. yeah, wherever i fall down first, i guess. probably leave it open in case anybody's like you, y'know. just wants a bed kinda vibe. nothing major."

CALLIE

"for sure," she nods, glancing around. "and it's really not that bad. i feel like i've talked it down to so many people today, but it's been a lot of fun before everything. it's a holiday, and even holidays some with some stress." callie's nose wrinkles lightly. "i don't know about sweetness. you like me acting like a cunt?" you know what, him being interested in seb suddenly makes sense. she can't help but laugh, feeling vindicated in making him a little flustered for a change. "well there's a reason i moved to california! other than the surf. it was like being home, minus the twenty hour flight between us." being here makes her miss it actually, but she blames so many americans. lips press together, aware that she's probably been nothing but closed off all day. it's a fair assumption. "i'm not closed off," she shook her head. "earlier today i was a little more in my head about it, but now... it feels stupid not to be open. and i want to be," she adds, slowly. "i want to be with someone that can actually be all in on someone, you know? i don't think that's hard to ask for. eventually." but they had been talking about beds, she realizes a beat too late. "sorry," she shakes her head. "no, but i'm open to sharing a bed, i don't care. you're not gonna ask one of the guys?"

ANGEL

it’s good reassurance, about love island in general and callie’s disposition. “that’s what i’m sayin’. always gonna be some downs, but the ups are major. beautiful villa, cool people. life’s good and all that shit.” ‘cause even he can laugh at the california hippy dippy stonerisms, all good vibes and peace signs, man. “hey, i’m glad you’re coming around, feelin’ more like you.” big laugh at her verbiage, he shakes his head. “‘kay, i definitely didn’t say that. the edge is sexy, sue me.” while he hasn’t been to australia, he’s beginning to fully believe they really are the mirror of each other. “sooo what you’re saying is california is the best place of all time.” nodding his head playfully like she needn’t say more. to be fair, callie hasn’t really put out any particular vibes that she was closed off. a little uncertain maybe, reluctant to expose herself to the bombshells grafts, but it’s day one. who can blame her? “no, exactly, like somebody that doesn’t have doubts. it seriously shouldn’t be rare to be, like, all eggs in with somebody.” he also realizes a beat too late and smiles, shrugs. finds the tie-in really easy. “well, that’s why i’m trying to chill with the bed thing. like, i’m not tryin’ to have a different person with me every night. it’d be cool to be… y’know, more on the sure side. just need another day, i think.”

CALLIE

as far as days in the villa have been, this one has objectively been the worst. not because of frankie and dylan leaving and having to reevaluate her relationship alone, but because she's genuinely embarrassed by the way she's behaved, feeling like she had lost a part of herself somewhere in the mix. but despite everything, she is feeling a bit more like herself, and tomorrow she's going to work to keep this energy going. "and i'm glad you're enjoying your time here, so far, really." eyes roll lightly at the compliment, having never been good at taking one in the first place. "i did not say that," she snorts, shaking her head. "it's up there for sure, i really do miss san diego. but there's so many other places i want to see before i could say it will full confidence. definitely not LA though, sorry." she'd only been once, but it was enough to make her never want to bother again. all the best parts of it could be said about san diego, in her opinion. "yeah, that makes sense," she nods, features softening a bit at the sincerity of what he's saying. being here is not the same as normal villa life had been with frankie, but it's hard not to compare the two. "the first day is always the most overwhelming anyway, having to keep up with everyone. sometimes being here feels like musical chairs, getting ready to jump on the nearest person just because it's time, but... it's not always the case. relationships end up being very real," she shrugs, meeting his eye. "despite, y'know, reality tv."

ANGEL

“totally,” he affirms. “so far the only real downswing was when you took my cabana boy job.” slow, unfurled smile on that one. he had to throw it back to that one more time. c’mon, that was insane. “‘definitely not la’ what is this?” angel scoffs, all dramatized furrowed brow. “you were, like, barely even in the city, you don’t know all the spots. swear, you’d dig it. haven’t lived ‘til you had street corn drunk as fuck on the streets of weho at three am.” angel doesn’t exactly fancy himself a scholar of psychology - he probably can’t even spell it - but he definitely can posit how it all makes him feel. “right, just like how relationships outside can end up fake. i dunno, i mean, like a day in here is worth three out there, right? like, i’ve known you… twelve hours? but it’s twelve consecutive fuckin’ hours,” he laughs, gestures. “like i pass you in the hall and see you making food with naomi and fixing your drinks and shit. and, y’know, it’s like that with everyone. so i can see it feeling less like musical chairs and more… yeah, real. but i guess sometimes it is just game playing, huh? like a duck is just a duck.” that seems to be the issue a lot of people are dealing with. naomi, jenny, callie. all wondering if their other half was as real as they thought. then there’s the bombshells, wondering if there’s some sincerity that come with the rebound nature of the game. angel dissolves into a laugh, hand wiping down his face. “man, tell me that made, like, a little bit of sense. the tequilas in my head now.”

CALLIE

"you're a shit cabana boy," she snorts, glad he's at least able to joke about it, "you didn't even bring back towels for anyone else. i had to do your dirty work." which is probably why naomi got it in her head that callie was icing her out; she could roll her eyes just thinking about it. that girl could make drama out of anything. "weho?" she laughs, absolutely no idea what he's talking about. "we went out when i was there, but i can't remember where. it was all just very... barbie-like." and not the kind that the shrimp goes on. "exactly!" she nods, sitting up straighter. the temptation to bring up her relationship with frankie is clawing at her throat, but she swallows it down. "and i don't know. i've been in, like, four couples now. but you're with these people all day. they weren't real relationships, but i've probably spent more time with most of them than i have people i dated short-term on the outside. but at the same time—it's three days, or whatever. and hot people come in all the time, and suddenly it's just three days, so i don't know. there's really no right way of looking at it, i guess." a duck is just a duck. seems like the best way to put it. "no, it did, i think," she laughs too, running her fingers through her hair, grateful to feel it's almost completely dried. "i don't know, i think i'm rambling at this point, sorry. good luck, is all i'll say."

#callie & angel ; #callie ; #callie & angel 002

[greensparty]

Green's Party Guide to the 2024 Oscar Nominated Short Films

Anyone who knows me knows I am a longtime champion of the Short Film categories for Animation, Live Action and Documentary at the Academy Awards, mainly because I have made short films and I know how hard it can be to tell a story in a short amount of time. I am very excited to continue my annual tradition of showcasing the Oscar Nominated Short Films (read the  2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 guides). 

2024 movie poster

This year’s nominated short films are available from ShortsTV both in theaters and online. I’ve watched all of them and here are my thoughts and predictions:

Best Live Action Short Film:

This year's Live Action Short Film nominees is one of the strongest collection of nominees in years! The After (U.K.) was produced by Neon Films and distributed by Netflix. In this heavy drama, after a traumatic experience with his family Dayo (played by David Oyelowo) becomes a rideshare driver and one of his jobs helps him to confront the past. Oyelowo (who also produced this film) has been excellent in a number of films including Selma and The Butler, and this is truly a showcase for him! Red, White and Blue (U.S.) was produced by Samantha Bee. In this drama, a single mother (played by Brittany Snow, another notable actress) bring her young daughter with her as she crosses state lines to get an abortion. Without getting into spoilers, it goes from a sobering to even more sobering and has a lot to say about the need for reproductive rights in all states. Knight of Fortune (Denmark) is about a man who's at a morgue to say goodbye to his suddenly deceased wife and he forms an unlikely friendship with another widower. In a category filled with heavy dramas, this one is among the heaviest, but there's also a humanity to it in showing in a very fragile state how a total strange can lend a helping hand. Invincible (Canada) is based on a true story of the last 48 hours of a 14-year-old boy's life while he's in a juvenile center. While there are some powerful moments, it does feel like at times like it's a feature being squeezed into a short. Netflix's The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (U.S. / U.K.) is the most high-profile as it's from director Wes Anderson adapting from Roald Dahl and it was released on Netflix in September. Anderson had previously adapted Dahl's The Fantastic Mr. Fox and this time he's adapted a 37 min. film but with the same scale as a feature. The film explores a variety of stories narrated by Dahl (played by Ralph Fiennes), the main story being about Henry Sugar (Benedict Cumberbatch), who is able to predict the future and see through objects thanks to a book he stole. This one is easily the biggest budget, most star-studded and most visually impressive.

Will Win: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is the clear frontrunner. Wes Anderson has been Oscar-nominated in a number of other categories (Screenwriting both Original and Adapted, Animated Feature director, Directing, and producing Best Picture) and yet he has never won even though he is one of the most critically acclaimed and innovative directors working today. In some ways it is kind of unfair that an A-list director makes a short film on the scale of a feature when so many Live Action Shorts are low budget and trying to make something impressive in a short amount of time and don't have nearly the resources Anderson does to be able to get this cast, the production design and to adapt Dahl. On the other hand there's no rule that says Live Action Shorts are meant for newcomers and directors early in their career...so survival of the fittest. But something that needs to be said about this year's crop of nominees is that there's a lot of heavy drama, and this one is charming and lighter in contrast, which could steal the thunder.

Should Win: I'm going to have to say a tie. Henry Sugar is highly impressive, but Red, White and Blue stayed with me and had a twist that was devastating.

Best Animated Short Film:

This is also a great year for animated short nominees: Our Uniform (Iran) is about an Iranian girl unleashing her memories of school as she looks at her old uniform. The animation style and aesthetic is very unique. Letter to a Pig (Israel / France) is about a Holocaust survivor speaking to a classroom about how a pig saved his life and a student goes into a dream about it. This is very heavy and intense. But I do feel like animation purists are going to have an issue with the fact that is also used some live action footage interspersed with the animation. But either way, this is a very innovative approach to the subject matter. Pachyderme (France) looks at a young girl visiting her grandparents in the Summer countryside. A young female protagonist and/or a woman looking back at her younger self is a common theme in this year's nominees, but this one has some gothic and horror elements to it. Ninety-Five Senses (U.S.) is directed by Jared Hess (yes the director of Napoleon Dynamite is an Oscar-nominee) and his wife Jerusha Hess (writer with Jared on several films and Austenland). An old cowboy (played by actor/director Tim Blake Nelson) reflects on the body's five senses in his lifetime as he's about to run out of time. Let me just say I was not into Napoleon Dynamite at all, but what got my attention more than the directors was Tim Blake Nelson, an underrated actor who shines in everything he's in. I kind of liked how the animation changes within each sense Coy describes and also how it has a sense of nostalgia about the pre-digital era. WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko (U.S.) got my attention immediately as I am a lifelong Beatle / John Lennon fanatic. It was co-written by Sean Ono Lennon, who also co-produced with his mom Yoko Ono. Director Dave Mullins was previously nominated in this category for Pixar's 2017 short Lou. Set during a World War I front, a pigeon carries messages between two soldiers playing chess, unaware they are on opposite sides. There is no dialogue and the music score of Pixar veteran Thomas Newman enhances the powerful anti-war message of this colorful visual feat!

In addition to the official nominees, ShortsTV is including two additional films in the Best Animated Short Film program, both of which were on the short list but did not get nominated. Wild Summon (U.K.) is narrated by Marianne Faithfull and it was produced by Oscar-winner Adam McKay. It looks at the lifecycle of the wild salmon as it looks in human form. While it is a bit long, there is a strong environmental message to it. I'm Hip (U.S.) was directed by animation veteran John Musker, who was nominated for two Oscars for Animated Feature for The Princess and the Frog and Moana. This is about a hip cat who sings a song about how hip he is to the world around him...who don't agree.

Should Win: WAR IS OVER! is the best of this year's strong crop. With the state of the world what it is right now, an anti-war message anchored by a John and Yoko's "Happy Xmas" made a very strong statement. I'm a huge fan of Sean Lennon and it'd be awesome to see him accept!

Will Win: WAR IS OVER! Not only is there the name recognition of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, but the World War I setting completely driven by visuals and no dialogue will go a long way.

Best Documentary Short Film:

This is a great year for Short Docs: Nai Nai & Wài Pó (U.S. with Mandarin subtitles) was a festival hit acquired by Disney+. Director Sean Wang makes a touching and personal profile of his grandmothers who live together and dance, exercise and joke together. There is a sadness about mortality, but there's also a sense of humor to this that makes the subjects seem funnier than it would in another director's hands. The Barber of Little Rock (U.S.) is produced by Liz Garbus (a two-time Oscar nominee for Best Documentary Feature) and the New Yorker. In Little Rock, AR a local barber Arlo Washington has founded People Trust, a non-profit community bank fostering economic progress for underserved and underbanked residents. This doc looks at a number of people who have collaborated with People Trust (each of whom could easily be the subject of their own doc), but the through line is very much Arlo who is fighting the good fight to provide opportunities a lot of banks are not and to help the community as a whole. Island in Between  (Taiwan) is produced by the New York Times. The doc's director S. Leo Chiang reflects on his own relationship with Taiwan, United States and China from the islands of Kinmen, just off of mainland China. The cinematography is breathtaking to say the least! The ABCs of Book Banning (U.S.) was produced by MTV Documentary Films. It was co-directed by Sheila Nevins (a big doc producer and executive who is just now directing) and was co-directed by Trish Adams (a previous Oscar nominee for Best Doc Feature for GasLand) and Nazenet Habtezghi (a producer on American Experience). This looks at the topical issue of banned books from school districts in recent years. Instead of just documenting the battles and the politicians who campaigned for book banning, this doc talks with children and in some cases the authors of some of the banned books. This is very thought-provoking and lends itself to a longer conversation after the film is over. The act of saying a book cannot be read in a school district raises bigger issues and concerns about intent and prejudice. By the end of the film, I truly wished we could force Desantis and his staff to watch this! The Last Repair Shop  (U.S.) was produced by L.A. Times and distributed by Disney+ and it was co-directed by Kris Bowers and Ben Proudfoot, who are veterans in this category having been nominated A Concerto is a Conversation at the 2021 Oscars and Ben won for last year's The Queen of Basketball. Here Proudfoot and Bowers (an accomplished music composer for numerous films) look at Los Angeles, one of the few cities that offer to repair music instruments for the public school students at no cost. The doc looks at the repair shop, but more specifically the four craftspeople who specialize in these instruments as well as the students who play them. This is very much a doc that pulls at the heartstrings. But what I loved about this is that it is really an analogy about how music can be something that brings people of all walks of life together to make something beautiful.

Should Win: Some highly impressive docs in this category this year, but The ABC's of Book Banning made the strongest statement. But do not discount The Last Repair Shop, also about the need for art in our society.

Will Win: This could go any number of ways, but the fact that The Last Repair Shop is now on Disney+ and was broadcast on ABC-TV, definitely raises its profile significantly. The fact that it was a bigger budget doc with a sweet message is going to go a long way too!

This year's Oscar Nominated Short Films can be seen online from ShortsTV as well as select movie theaters including programs at Coolidge Corner Theatre and Landmark Kendall Square Cinema.

#oscar nominated short films #short films #the after #red white and blue #knight of fortune #invincible #the wonderful story of henry sugar #wes anderson #our uniform #letter to a pig #pachyderme #ninety five senses #war is over #sean lennon #nai nai and wai po #the barber of little rock #island in between #the abcs of book banning #the last repair shop #film geek #oscars

[drawingconclusions]

IS A TWO-STATE SOLUTION THE ANSWER?

Throughout the years, some excellent Bible teachers have noted the concept of "increased responsibility" as exemplified in various narratives throughout Scripture. The life of Joseph is an excellent example, as he began by managing Potiphar's household, then continued by administering the king's prison until he eventually became second-in-command in all of Egypt. David went from being a good steward of a flock of sheep to being in charge of 400 + men to eventually becoming the king of Israel in charge of its government, spiritual leadership, and its entire army. Ruth was also faithful in providing for her desolate mother-in-law, and God ended up blessing her with a new family of her own. Her strength of character and indomitable spirit surely influenced the ancestors of the great king David. All of these figures progressively increased their duties, and as they successfully administered or managed an area of their sphere of influence, God granted them positions of greater responsibility and greater influence. They didn't level up unless they had proved faithful in their current state.

Jesus said it quite succinctly in Luke 16:10 (NIV) - "'Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much". From this, we can deduce that we're not supposed to reward obvious criminal or irresponsible behavior (…or incompetence or negligence, for that matter). And the reason should be clear: if an individual or a group has displayed little or no remorse or even the slightest inclination towards positive change, then it's a pretty good bet that the aforementioned undesirable behavior will continue. We see a microcosm of this play out in multiple liberal U.S. cities, with Democrats insistent on rewarding criminals without requiring any accountability.

Yet in spite of this, it's interesting how so many politicians and world leaders seem bent on ignoring that principle when it comes to the Palestinians and terrorist group Hamas. Several years ago, the Palestinians elected the terrorist group Hamas to govern Gaza. From what I've heard, some of the citizens objected back in the day and Hamas brought their individual protests to a violent end. But in recent years, has anyone heard of the Palestinian people actively complaining about their terrorist government? Have any Palestinians quietly slipped notes to the United Nations workers in their midst, desperately pleading for rescue from the oppression of Hamas? And how many Palestinians cheered when Israelis were raped, violated, or brutally murdered on October 7th, 2023? There are reports that Hamas had been practicing their paragliding skills before the day of the attack, and I'm assuming such efforts had to be done outdoors. Did any Palestinians who may have seen that practice inquire as to the nature of those maneuvers, and if so, did any Palestinians warn Israel or even the UN of such activities? If not, why not? And what about the intricate network of underground tunnels & corridors constructed by Hamas? Are you telling me the Palestinians didn't notice the tunnel entrances in some of their hospitals or in some of their own homes?! As many have said before, not all Palestinians are terrorists, but it's becoming more and more apparent that a number of them are anti-Semites. In light of this, how can we reward a Hamas-run government with a new state endowed with all the corresponding powers and responsibilities?! There has to be demonstrative change before that can ever be considered.

There could be a very quick resolution to this war in the Middle East if Hamas ceased all of its terrorist activities, released all of the hostages, and surrendered to face justice for all the rapes & atrocities committed against adult and children civilians. Why aren't more so-called "leaders" calling for that publicly?

---------

March 26, 2024 edit: I'm sure someone will take my use of Luke 16:10 out of context if they haven't done so already, so I have to include this. Christians should be specialists in giving people second chances, as every single one of us are simply sinners saved by grace ourselves. In my post above, I'm not calling for a merciless treatment towards people who have made simple mistakes or who find themselves spiritually broken as a result of a life lived haphazardly. I'm simply reminding others of one of the Biblical principles when it comes to endowing individuals with increased responsibility. As I've noted in my post, it can have macro applications on the global stage or micro consequences within a business or household.

[seeabout-afterdark09]

Recognize

Recognize

PARTYNEXTDOOR ft. Drake (July 7, 2014)

This trap soul record is a vibey collaboration between PartyNextDoor (PnD) and Drake where they sing about wanting a woman, even if she has another man. In the chorus PnD sings: "I want you, I want you/To turn up on me every night when I see you/Better recognize when I see you." He doesn't care if the girl is with her man or with another man. If he sees her, he wants her to acknowledge him and move his way no matter what. "I ain’t trippin' off of any of your niggas/Cause I don't care about your nigga, four niggas/Five niggas, six niggas, I ain’t give a shit about shit, nigga/Girl I see you." He repeats this a few times, and then Drake's verse starts from Top Cat's interlude as PnD sings the pre-chorus again.

Drake starts off his verse shouting out PnD and then begins rapping about a woman he's desperate to see again. Though this song was released in July of 2014, it was actually recorded a few months prior to its release. Notably, a month before the release of this song Nicki Minaj and Drake performed with each other for the first time in a while at Hot 97's Summer Jam, where things went from professional to flirty almost instantly. He picks her up onstage in front of everyone (unplanned) and Nicki jokingly calls him her "baby father". The most scandalous thing about that night however was that Drake was actually in a bit of an on and off relationship/situationship with Rihanna at the time......and she just so happened to be backstage watching it as it happened (yikes). But let's be real, Drake has never been one to let another woman (or a relationship) keep him from Nicki – which is the premise of this song. Drake continues to rap: "I owe you time/Let's plan somethin' out when I come back from Europe/Swear I'm withholdin' my urges/'Til you get this one-on-one shit like your name Katie Couric/I gotta get you those snow tires for your Mercedes/I'm glad you reminded me, baby." Drake is telling Nicki that he misses her and eventhough he's busy doing work in Europe, he plans to make plans to be around her as soon as he lands back in the U.S. and then he mentions her Mercedes. Anyone that knows Nicki knows that her favorite car brand is Mercedes, and Drake buying tires for her car sounds pretty on brand for their relationship.

Something to note; Drake loves buying Nicki stuff.

"Yeah, I guess a nigga just believe in you and that's proof for you/Could name a lot of things any other man won't do for you/I'll do it for you, that's real." Relationship aside, Drake just loves Nicki and he wants to see the best in her. Nicki can try to deny it, but Drake knows just as much as she knows that there isn't a man in the world that would go the distance Drake has for her. Drake just loves her unconditionally.

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