#national treasure meta

[thenationaltreasuregazette]

Interpersonal Aftermath: Abigail and Riley Edition

Ben and Patrick | Ben and Abigail | Ben and Riley

Whereas I think Riley and Ben are both very aware that Ben is the protagonist of their shared story, Riley and Abigail have much more “best friends each separately think of the other as sidekick” energy. And I love that for them.

Their relationship is incidental to the story in a way all of the others are not. As we discussed in the first of these relationship deep dives, all of the main dynamics that drive the story forward pivot around Ben. This is especially true of Patrick and Abigail, because Ben and Riley’s relationship doesn’t evolve much during the film—they start and end as a team. But even still, Riley’s relationships to Ben as his accomplice, voice of reason, and comic relief are all central to the plot and tone of the movie.

For Abigail and Riley though, this isn’t true. As long as they can get along well enough to orchestrate Ben’s escape from FBI custody with Ian, their relationship with each other does not affect the plot. Whether they hated each other, become instant besties or anything in between, the movie doesn’t change. As long as Abigail doesn’t hone in on Riley’s role as tech wiz and voice of reason/resident pessimist (she doesn’t) and Riley doesn’t interfere with Abigail’s role as love interest (he doesn’t*) then their dynamic doesn’t influence the narrative.

*In the actual film. Headcanons may vary.

However, when we explored the missing time in National Treasure—the moments we don’t see on screen—we discovered the Riley and Abigail actually spend a good amount of downtime together, particularly in Philadelphia.

As I wrote there:

In any of the routes that take them on a bus, Abigail and Riley would spend a lot of time together. Remember, it’s Ben that Abigail’s really connected with so far. He’s the one she’s been flirting with, he rescued her from the catering truck, she learned about his family and his relationship with his father, and he’s the one she risked her career with testing the Declaration. She was talking to Ben only during both the late night car ride and while clothes shopping. To her, Riley has been the weird sarcastic guy tagging along. That’s not to say she hasn’t had any interactions with him. Her “I look pregnant?” comment is directed to Riley, so she’s clearly not afraid to engage with him. But she has gotten to know Riley way less than she’s gotten to know Ben. She’d probably be curious about how Riley got involved in the treasure hunt, and for preparation purposes I’d imagine she’d have lots of questions about Ian—who his henchmen are, their dynamics, the kinds of weapons they carry, etc. But after that the conversation might run a bit dry. Riley doesn’t know much about history; Abigail doesn’t seem like much of a conspiracy theorist. Though, idk, she jokingly brought up bigfoot during their first meeting so Riley might see how far he can run with that.

I also came up with this little moment earlier in the Philadelphia sequence, which I have no textual evidence for, but like a lot:

At some point they send Riley into a drug store to grab a few necessities—granola bars, bottled water, maybe some bandaids. A bottle of ibuprofen because Abigail’s shoulder is starting to bother her and at least one of the three of them has a pounding headache at any given time from here to the finale. Riley takes pity on Abigail’s increasingly smudged makeup and grabs a travel pack of makeup wipes as well. Abigail hasn’t paid too much attention to Riley up until this point, but she’ll always remember that gesture.

In any case, they have had time to get to know each other, and while Abigail and Riley might never have become friends if they met under other circumstances, here they are united by being the two “odd men out” swept along on this adventure—Riley because he doesn’t know much about history, and Abigail because she doesn’t know much about Ben and his quest.

Ben and the treasure might be the thread that initially brings and holds them together, but I have to believe they do become genuine friends in their own right. First of all, they’re the only other person each of them can go to when Ben and the treasure and the whole PR tour that it might entail become too much.

Also, I imagine each of them finds the other to be a grounding influence in their lives. Riley finds Abigail grounding because she’s the kind of put-together person who works a prestigious 9-5 and files her taxes early (not a lot of such influences in Riley’s freelance world). And Abigail finds Riley grounding because where her job, and probably any friends she has from professional world, rely on Business Speak™ Riley will simply voice his opinions bluntly (and often humorously). She needs more of that in her life.

Bonus:

When in the film did they become friends? Sometime before this moment:

That is friend banter and I'll hear no arguments. (Unless you want to, lol)

#the national treasure gazette #national treasure #national treasure meta #abigail chase #riley poole

[starlytenight]

Best Meta Knight Stat Boost Circa 2009 Colorized

#No really this pic came from my phone before smart phones were a thing #this was taken from a flip phone #this is a national treasure to me #Meta Knight #Kirby Superstar Ultra #Blade Knight #Meta Knightmare

[dokidokitsuna]

The Forces of Evil

I’ve always wanted to try genderbending these three, but I never thought it’d happen like this. ^^

So these are the magical girls’ primary antagonists, a group led by a character I’m going to call ‘Princess Kirby’. PK is a typical spoiled brat, and I like to think that she became evil for a really shallow reason. XD Like maybe she’s been staying out late and getting bad grades at demon-school,  so her mother (a VERY important character who you’ll see in the future) takes away her demon-phone and tells her she’s grounded.

And Princess Kirb is like “I’m sick of living in this house and being treated like a baby! I’m gonna go start my own kingdom where no one can tell me what to do!!” So she takes her two fairy assistants and goes to Earth...and soon realizes she doesn’t know how to start a kingdom (and she’s a little too lazy to figure it out).

But she does know that Earth is an important place to her mother, and decides to get her revenge by messing it up with the ‘monsters’ she summons.

Fun fact: her fairy assistants are already in monster form here-- that’s all monsters are, just cute colorful humanoids with magic powers. You might call it a very subtle hint that not everything about this situation is what it seems~

#i had a lot of fun with these designs #mixing round friendly shape language with evil color schemes #also fairy DDD is a national treasure #kirby #gijinka #au #mapop magical #Meta Knight #King Dedede

[insistonyourcupofstars]

I can't help but think about the tragedy of blairena as of lately. Both women want to be individuals so badly and they want to be each other's best friends forever and ever, yet they never give each other the proper space to do that. Serena, as I mentioned earlier today, builds herself in the image of the people she loves to make sure that they won't leave her because if she has learned one thing from the UES is that everybody just views other's as an extention of themselves. So if Serena is this golden sunflower of a person, who is kind to everybody and is good with adults and can brighten up the room with just her smile, then there is no reason for anyone to leave her. because who could ever leave that??

It's almost like Serena had repressed so much of her negative traits for so long that by season three or four it just was.... inevitable, maybe? that the audience would turn on her. Because she is the opposite of Blair. Whereas Blair is cold and cruel to anyone she doesn't find worthy, but becomes kinder and softer the more you know her, Serena is the reverse. It's not that Serena is a bad person, but she has just repressed herself for so long just to make sure that others will see her as "relevant." Blair doesn't cower when she is insulted, she absorbs that power and responds in kind. Blair doesn't care what "lower society" thinks of her because she knows who the important people are in her life l, and she isn't afraid to cut them out if needed.

But I digress. These two have known each other for so long, they were each other's True First Love, and as they got older, they still had the mentality of children, one petty fight after the other, just to make up with a simple I'm sorry. They were the heart of the show, but the writers never gave them time to be anything outside of their relationships with each other and boys. They tried to grow and become independent (Blair in s4, Serena in s5), but they always let their emotional immaturity be their downfall.

#idk guys I'm just experiencing my own blairena thing right now and I need to project #so.... this may actually notnbe that sound of a post lol #gg meta #serena van der woodsen #blair waldorf - national treasure #blairena

[atjsgf]

Riley saying that Jess should put in her number because "you think like Ben and Ben's always right" and like the intensity of his eyes when he says it. This man was dying and could barely think but he managed to think through that fog to grab onto one idea. Ben's always right. Ben always knows how to get out of things like this, and this girl thinks like Ben. She can get us out of this.

Idk something abt how deeply Riley trusts Ben's judgment that that's what he tied his last hope to, like "Ben's always right" is so deeply ingrained into him atp...like he'll give him shit to his face but when Ben's not there he's still like, the idea of hope that Riley thinks of in a crisis.

#national treasure shitposting #good post op #my meta

[sokkastyles]

Hi,

Hope you are doing well. Thank you for the response on my last query. I was reading a meta about the air bender extermination, which you had reblogged in one of my older queries on TSR.

Reading it properly. I realized two things

The fact that all the air nomads were exterminated makes no sense. Were they stupid enough to not escape when they were attacked? If we are to believe none escaped, then air nomads are actually dumb.

The above also goes against the fact that Aang's Avatar training was to begin when he was 12 instead of 16, because the monks seems to have realized that the war was approaching, and he needed to be ready, which is why they tried to take Aang away from Monk Gyatso, which led to Aang running away out of fear.

This goes into LOK territory, but there are some disturbing implications of the way the Air Nomads operate. The idea that every air nomad child born will be a bender is just not possible. Heck, two of Aang's children are not air benders, so that itself throws a wrench in that idea. It also makes them similar to Ozai, if they actually held such idea (this point is never made in the shows or acknowledged in canon I think, but the idea is dangerous, and well Air Nomads are not to be idealized.)

I would like your thoughts on this.

(The meta I am referring to is; " The Airbender Extermination Is Dumbo and I Refuse to Accept It" by tumblr user @whentheynameyoujoy)

@whentheynameyoujoy's atla metas are a treasure, and I agree with the above statements. One of the big plot holes in the story is not only that the air Nomads were all exterminated in one fell swoop, despite being Nomads, something the live action adaptation tried to explain by having them all come to the Southern Temple on the night they were attacked, and Sozin purposefully planning his attack on that day. But the other thing about it is that as you say, the reason Aang was told before sixteen was because the Air Nomads knew the war was coming. They were preparing for it, to the point where they were willing to put a child's life on the line before he was ready, but they weren't prepared enough to be ready to fly away the moment a threat occurred? If we factor in the live action, this also means they decided to all have a party in the same place on the same night that they knew the people who wanted them dead would be at their most powerful.

It also just doesn't make thematic sense. These are AIR Nomads, they should be able to go wherever the wind takes them, to scatter at a moment's notice, to rise no matter how many times an attempt is made to crush them. Wouldn't that be a satisfying ending, for us to find out that like the air, there were hidden pockets that remained, permeating even the fire nation so that it would be impossible to truly defeat them. Wouldn't that also fit really well with the whole illusion of separation thing?

Which brings me to point three, or, Eugenics is Good When Good People Do It, which is actually very bad. The only way the Air Nomads only produced benders is if they did not mingle with the other nations, which makes no sense, since they were nomads, or if they somehow got rid of nonbender babies, either through dropping them off at the nearest earth kingdom orphanage (which is similar to my headcanon on what people like Ozai might do with nonbender children, or straight up infanticide, which Ozai also is a fan of.

Unfortunately the first method does not explain why there were no airbenders just hanging out in the other nations. Since we know that bending can be passed to a child from nonbender parents, then even nonbender children of air nomads would be passing on the airbender gene, and there would be nonbenders all over the Earth Kingdom suddenly giving birth to airbender children. That actually would have been another clever way to reintroduce airbenders back into the world, instead of...whatever Korra does. It also fits with theory of people like Ty Lee having air nomad blood without knowing it.

#atla critical

[alwaysbewoke]

I’m sad to say this. ⁣ ⁣ I was just told by a friend at Meta that it’s likely my Instagram account will be permanently deleted in the next few weeks. And that my account alone has been a constant source of heated arguments internally at the company with the governments of both Israel and the United States working directly with Meta on why my account should be banned. ⁣ ⁣ Their argument is going to be that I’m a Hamas sympathizer and that since the United States has them labeled as a terrorist organization, that Meta’s rules against supporting terrorists are being violated.⁣ ⁣ Nevermind that Israel has killed over 2,000% more people than Hamas.⁣ ⁣ Nevermind that Israel finally admits that only 1 baby was killed on October 7th and that over 1,000 Palestinian babies have been slaughtered. ⁣ ⁣ Who is blowing up mosques and schools and hospitals and churches?⁣ ⁣ Who is using snipers to kill old Catholic mothers taking refuge in churches?⁣ ⁣ WHO WHO WHO???⁣ ⁣ WHO CUT OFF THE WATER?⁣ ⁣ Who is starving kids to death?⁣ ⁣ Who left babies to die on incubators?⁣ ⁣ Who shut down almost every hospital in Gaza?⁣ ⁣ WHO WHO WHO???⁣ ⁣ Tell me @meta⁣ ⁣ Who does the ENTIRE WORLD say is committing war crimes??⁣ ⁣ Who posts videos of soldiers stealing valuables and treasures from homes?⁣ ⁣ Who shot and killed their own hostages?⁣ ⁣ Tell me!!! Who who who WHO??⁣ ⁣ Who beats and slaps and humiliates their hostages?⁣ ⁣ Who ended chemotherapy in Gaza?⁣ ⁣ Who blew up the zoo?⁣ ⁣ Who blew up the national archives?⁣ ⁣ Who blew up the libraries?⁣ ⁣ Who destroyed the beaches?⁣ ⁣ Who bulldozed cemeteries??⁣ ⁣ WHO WHO WHO?⁣ ⁣ Who sterilized Ethiopian women again their will?⁣ ⁣ Who continues to steal land as we speak - in violation of international law?⁣ ⁣ Tell me who the terrorists are? WHO?!!!⁣ ⁣ Who blew up entire refugee camps?⁣ ⁣ Who killed Reem? ⁣ ⁣ Who blew the legs and arms off of over 1,000 Palestinian children?⁣ ⁣ Who is burning the skin off of thousands of children?⁣ ⁣ So listen, @Meta - you can ban me for advocating for Palestinians, but it’s YOU that supports the terrorists.⁣ ⁣ It’s YOU that protect and defend this genocide at every turn.⁣ ⁣ It’s not me.⁣ It’s you. ⁣ That’s who.

shaunking

i don't fuck with shaun king like that but this is just another example of israel forcing censorship everywhere they can cause the truth is getting out and no one is falling for their lies an propaganda anymore (esp not young people).

[goganworlds]

The Ghost Fleet

The Shroud is not simply a vast plane upon which daemons of uncountable forms make residence. It is more so unknowably diverse as the world we ourselves know. Thus many phenomena both beneficial and harmful to us of the lower plane can bear against us. The Ghost Fleet is one such force.

It is comprised of the ghosts of our ancestors whose willpower has remained strong enough to remain cohesive and linger in the Shroud, finding their way into our own world via the memories of the vessels they once sailed across the stars. These spirits are often born of malice, for what better than fury can drive a spirit to refuse death?

The Ghost fleet can manifest for any number of reasons, but the most common is deliberate invocation. Though ill-advised, it is possible for powerful psychics to call forth the Ghost Fleet, using their power to charter the fallen ancestors to sail once more. The Ghost Fleet, malicious as it is, rarely listens to the woes of those who call upon them except when they're in alignment. The Ghost Fleet often sympathizes with the downtrodden, the less fortunate, and those whose very existence and way of life is under threat, much like what brought those of The Ghost Fleet to their sorry state in the first place.

The methods of invoking and directing The Ghost Fleet, difficult as they are to pull off, will not be shared with the public. Suffice to say that to even nudge the fleet into a particular course of action, and so any events that suggest a course of action rather than wayward malice by The Ghost Fleet should be considered with immense gravity.

Having said all of that, these facts are not universal. It is possible for the Ghost Fleet to invoke itself, usually due to an excess of psionic energy afflicting a region of space, and it is possible for them to act with direction even without outside influence. In our experience, it is often best to begin by assuming that somebody summoned them.

The Ghost Fleet, once made manifest, will attempt to act upon the wills of the spirits who command the vessels. The ships are spectral, and thus cannot be boarded nor can its ghost crew leave their ship. Fortunately, Ghost Fleet ships can be dispatched trivially: Breaking their hardened psionic shields will cause the ship to dissipate, putting all the wayward souls aboard to rest. Still, these ships should not be underestimated; they often carry extraordinary firepower beyond what conventional observation would suggest, and some ships can bear stubbornly strong shields.

If it is possible, negotiating with the spirits on board a ship can be far more effective than a violent confrontation. The spirits are often born of wrathful malice, and quelling this through negotiation or by taking action to address grievances can severely impact the willpower of The Ghost Fleet, greatly reducing the fleet's overall strength.

If destroyed, however, the fleet will leave behind for you numerous treasures of the Shroud. Most frequent is a form of fiber that bears the capacity to meddle with the fabric of reality. Other times, the Fleet is known to mimic daemons and monsters and leave behind numerous meta-existential materials otherwise considered mythical by the standards of an afflicted society.

We of the Gogan Imperium hope this information will help other nations defend themselves against this spontaneously rising threat.

#peritainia #gogan #rp #scifi rp #stellaris rp

[basedkikuenjoyer]

The mood feels right, it's that time without light. Who's up for a lil late-night Togashiposting? Because there's one that has me thinking about a few concepts we've been on about. Which means we get to talk baby's first foxboy blorbo again. This was always one of my better posts that still generates interest today, but for the basic idea we talk a lot about the Akazaya as throwbacks and particularly Okiku's ties to Eiichiro Oda's own history on Rurouni Kenshin. There was another two-faced redhead in popular manga at the time, and we get Oda referencing the iconic clash with Game Master in interviews as a big moment he liked. But also just in One Piece canon it's interesting how Ryokugyu with a similar power intersects with Kiku's tale to bolster the connection. Likewise with the parallel story of the thieving fox spirit and how it intersects with Kiku's past.

For this part of our examination though, we're going to look through the lens of another meta concept we've been on about. Poking at the nature of "filler" and how much strict canon really matters? This is the finale of Kurama's last fight in the anime, something really glossed over in the manga as YuYu Hakusho tragically came to a close in the hurried Three Kings Saga. To me though, the anime at least salvages this arc into a worthy conclusion. I don't actually mind the idea of our quartet squaring off their personal arcs underneath the bigger show of the Makai Tournament. Kurama's fight with Shigure is so well done for that. One thing you have to give me, being filler or noncanonical is not an impediment to being an inspiration or an influence on someone else later.

The whole fight is a great finale for Kurama & his demonic past. We meet him distanced from it, they're reconnected in the Dark Tournament, he embraces it to answer the call in Chapter Black...then here after reconciling it he rejects the old self. Importantly though, he only wins through taking advantage of seeds planted by his old self. I love the final line to Yomi about it "I never leave anything behind." That reconciliation of past and present for a brighter future is where I really see Kiku picking up this torch. Himura Kenshin has a lot of similarities in his arc, but Kurama's with themes of reincarnation and parent/child bonds feel like the ways this gentle redhead seeped in. Of course, Kiku is still her own take on the idea. The trans aspect and cloaking it in a lady caring about her reputation is an excellent evolution.

Can't ignore the antagonist here either, this is why I was thinking this part in particular after all. A surgeon with a samurai vibe, choosing an honorable death after defeat. The way Shigure shaped the tone of this climax for foxboy's saga was giving me some big feelings. I honestly haven't rewatched the Three Kings Arc in years. The montage of core scenes though, showing us how Kurama grew into someone so willing to choose this new life, it had a big one I didn't really think about in this context:

How it all starts between he & Yusuke the MC. The story of the Forlorn Hope. That dub name is way cooler because the Funimation dub of the YuYu anime is a national treasure. But yeah...that's where this entire relationship started. It's an artifact that demands the user's life to grant a wish. An empty, unfulfilled Kurama was so casually willing to throw his life away to return a mother's love...without getting the point. Too busy turning over every possibility he hasn't realized how much he's grown. There's no way his mother would be happy with that trade because she doesn't see some legendary thieving fox demon...and if you told her she'd probably just say that explains a lot.

How does Yusuke solve it? Stepping in and sharing the burden. Very similar tone we'd see later with Usopp and the samurai. Even with the little dash of levity and that fine line between nobility and senseless self-sacrifice. Not to mention the big moment of Kiku's fall being Kin's final push to evolve and strike down Kanjuro. That's not unique to YYH but it's one of the biggest pillars of that series. But Bakura Town ends up being a lot like this in tone. The sumo match. Luffy jumps in because Kiku's putting her body on the line to amp up the crowd's panic. The two working together, Luffy stepping up and playing the hero for a moment, opens a new path. Just like the Forlorn Hope here and it letting them slide for being such good boys.

Then from there Kurama's story arc has the same structure we'll see out of Kiku later and Himura Kenshin around the same time. You've come so far by the time we meet you that we can do an arc about confronting that past. But that story can't end with going back to it, can it? No matter what it may mean, it's still so wild for me to see this connection over time. Kurama really was one of my first major anime characters I could latch onto and I've been a One Piece fan for so long. Just can't believe the cutesy waitress we met early Wano had all this in store.

#yu yu hakusho #one piece #eiichiro oda #yoshihiro togashi #late night togashiposting #okiku #kurama

[clintbeifong]

If I make one sideblog, surely I will not make others...

The others:

@thenationaltreasuregazette - Thinking too hard about National Treasure. Metas, analyses, art, & asks. My magnum opus.

@latetothisdepressingparty - I'm reading ASOUE for the first time at 30! Aesthetics and perhaps reviews.

@pear-and-gruyere - Pushing Daisies stuff

@clintbeifongs-finest-nonsense - Only Tumblr's most silliest garbage

[whitepolaris]

Weirdness Abounds at Mount Shasta

No place in America is the subject of as many occult legends and stories as the majestic snow-capped dormant volcano called Mount Shasta. Rising 14,162 feet above sea level in the Cascades and visible for over one hundred miles in the magnificent north of the state, the mountain has been famed in folklore and meta-physical speculations for centuries. 

Shasta’s story ties in disparate elements including white-robed phantoms, the fabled Lost Continent of Lemuria, underground cities, gold-bedecked tombs, and a host of the most colorful dreamers, holy men, and prophets this side of Tibet. 

The Shasta mythos begins, appropriately enough, in Indian times. Hopi legend says a race of Lizard People built thirteen underground cities along the Pacific Coast region thousands of years ago. One of these settlements was supposed to be beneath Shasta. The Lizard People might have survived into modern times; in 1972, a San Jose resident hiking on the mountain swore he saw a “reptilian” humanoid in shirt and trousers walking along the slopes. 

The Siskiyou and Miwok nations, who considered the mountain holy, had a legend about an invisible race of beings who dwelt there. The natives were so afraid of offending these spirits that it was taboo to climb the mountain above the timberline. One old Indian told of show, when his father had approached the forbidden zone, he had suddenly heard “the laughter of children” echoing across the deserted slopes. 

The Lost Continent of Lemuria

When whites arrived in the region, they began to create their own legends about the strange peak. One came from Frederick Spencer Oliver, a teenager who lived just south of Shasta. Oliver spent most of 1883 and 1884 dictating a book whose contents he claimed he received from an entity that called itself Phylos the Tibetan. Titled Dweller on Two Planets, the book was first published in 1886 and is still in print, a classic of what is now called “channeled” material. 

Dweller is largely about Phylos’s life on the continent of Lemuria, the Pacific’s equivalent to the lost continent of Atlantis. Lemuria is a favorite subject of occult writers, who claim the continent once housed a highly advanced civilization. A massive cataclysm, around 12,500 B.C. destroyed the Lemurian world, they say, and the land sunk beneath the Pacific Ocean. However, some Lemurians sages escaped the disaster. They burrowed into tunnels and secretly lived on into modern times. 

Phylos has been through several lives in both Lemuria and Atlantis, as well as in more recent times. In one account, he revealed a strange secret about Mount Shasta. 

Incarnated as Walter Pierson, a California gold miner, Phylos was reintroduced to his mystic heritage by Quong, a shadowy Chinese man. Quong took him to one of Shasta’s canyons, where a hidden tunnel led to the secret meeting hall of the mysterious Lothinian Brotherhood deep within the mountain. Marveling at the vision of this hidden temple, Phylos described “the walls, polished as if by jewelers, though excavated as by giants . . . ledges . . .  exhibiting veining of gold, of silver, of green copper ores, and maculations of precious stones . . . a refuge whereof those who ‘Seeing, see not,’ can truly say: ‘And no man knows . . ./’And no man saw it e’er.’”

But one man did know and claimed to have seen the secret tunnel. The man was J.C. Brown, a prospector for the British Lord Cowdray Mining Company.

Brown was prospecting near Mount Shasta in 1904 when he came upon a partly caved-in tunnel in a mountainside. After clearing the opening, he found himself standing in a long, narrow room whose walls were lined with tempered copper and decorated with shields and wall pieces. Exploring farther, Brown found more rooms filled with gold and copper treasure, much of it covered with strange, undecipherable hieroglyphics. The rooms’ floors were littered with enormous human bones, the remains of a race of giants. 

This already unlikely story takes an even more unlikely turn. Instead of carting off any of this amazing treasure, Brown quietly returned to civilization and kept the find a secret. Little was heard of him for thirty years. Later on, it was found out that he spent these years studying legends about Lemuria and the occult history of western America. Brown was especially interested in Los Gigantes, a legendary race of giants who had inhabited prehistoric North America. 

The old prospector eventually surfaced in Stockton, thirty years after his adventures in the Cascade Mountains. Then seventy-nine and living off an unexplained private income, he joined forces with John C. Root, a retired printer and student of the occult. Root was fascinated with Brown’s tale, and the two men organized an eighty-man expedition to search for the lost tunnel. On the eve of the expedition’s departure, the explorers assembled at Root’s house, and Brown told them that he would have a “surprise” for them the next morning. And surprised they were when Brown failed to show up the following day. He was never seen or heard from again. 

Police investigating the disappearance were puzzled by Brown’s complete lack of motive for flying the coop. He’d never taken a cent from the explorers, and had always seemed totally sincere in his desire to relocate the tunnel and its fabulous relics. The case remains unsolved, and the tunnel, if it exists outside of Brown’s imagination, was never found. 

#weird california #type read

[thenationaltreasuregazette]

Really?? Nicolas Cage and the Art of Weirdness

It’s kind of strange that Nicolas Cage is the star of National Treasure, right? Tame, family-friendly Disney flicks aren’t exactly his brand.

While the casting still strikes me as an odd choice sometimes, I am eternally, supremely, primordially grateful that he took the role of Ben Gates.

As I touched on while discussing Abigail’s Accent, National Treasure isn’t a film with a lot of subtly or nuance. At least, it wasn’t going to be until it slowly morphed throughout production, as giant collaborative projects tend to do.

Just like Diane Kruger brought nuance and depth to the role of Abigail Chase through both her acting choices and the presence of her accent, Nicolas Cage transformed Ben Gates from a generic action-adventure hero into something far superior: an awkward, obsessive forty year old man.

To fully appreciate the Nic Cage of it all, let’s begin with what the role looked like before he signed on.

More ↓

For those unfamiliar, there’s a version of the National Treasure script available online that’s dated from the month before Cage signed on as the lead. It’s hugely fascinating in the ways it’s the same as, and also wildly different from, the finished film. You can read more about it here.

Age

The first major effect casting had was changing Ben’s age. In the 2003 script he’s introduced as

…intrepid explorer BEN GATES(late 20s, strong family resemblance)

Obviously Nic Cage was not in his late 20s in 2004. Born in 1964, he was 39/40 when the film shot and 40 by the time it came out.

We know from Ben Gates’ drivers license that his character is supposed to be 39 in the first film, as his birthday is shown as May 1965. Why the one year difference? Hollywood is allergic to people over 40. Next question.

So, Ben went from a 20-something to a (basically) 40 year old man. And that changed the story in a few subtle but important ways.

First, it makes Ben’s quest take on a different flavor. To be in your late 20s and still chasing a pipe dream is not that unusual or socially unacceptable. People in their 20s do stupid, impulsive, risky things. They are socially ‘allowed’ to be a mess. At 40, not so much. Ben’s peers have houses and families and kids who need to be taken to soccer practice.

This makes a difference to me because it emphasizes the desperation of Ben’s quest, and his absolutely unwavering belief in the treasure. It also paints a starker contrast between Ben and his father, because when Patrick was 29 he was still gallivanting around treasure hunting too. By the time Patrick was the age Ben is now, he had disavowed treasure hunting and “grown up” into a normal life. But Ben just won’t let go. The older Ben gets, the less hope Patrick has that he will eventually grow out of it. At 29 that kind of hope would still feel possible for his son. At 39, it probably doesn’t.

Hotness

I’m so sorry that we have to talk about this, but we do.

Ben Gates was clearly written to be played by a hot young actor. That’s hot as in popular, and also as in sexy.* A typically implausibly fit and handsome leading man. This is evidenced not only by his age, but by the two (2) shirtless scenes written for Ben in the 2003 script.

Ben Gates is supposed to be hot.

And Nicolas Cage is...I'm not going to say "not hot," lord knows I'm on the being-normal-about-that-old-man webbed site but sex appeal not the primary reason you cast him.

What Nic Cage is know for is being weird.

*I’m aroace and vaguely sapphic, help me I don’t know what I’m doing here.

Weirdness

Weird. Eccentric. Zany. Over-the-top. Melodramatic.

These are the qualities Nicolas Cage is famous for, but they aren’t qualities the role of Ben Gates necessarily calls for. In fact, too far in any of these directions, and the performance could push an already implausible movie over the edge into farce. We wouldn’t take Ben or his quest seriously enough to get invested in the story.

But Nicolas Cage knew that. For as absurd as the iconic “I’m gonna steal the Declaration of Independence” line is, it's the premise that's ridiculous, not the performance. This isn’t the place to find one of Cage's signature zany performances. Search any number of "Craziest Nicolas Cage performances" lists and National Treasure won't rank. He tones it down enough that Ben feels like a rather grounded person in an over-the-top story.

However, he doesn’t tone it down completely, and that is so important.

The little places where Cage lets a hint of his signature weirdness flicker through round out Ben as a character, and give him more (or at least a different flavor of) nuance than he might have had in other hands, particularly if he were cast and played as a typically suave and macho leading man.

Case Study (Cage Study?)

Let’s look at this line from the 2003 script. This is what the FBI has to say when they’re searching Ben’s apartment.

AGENT JOHNSON Profilers say we're looking at an adult male, a loner, has a high IQ but has never been able to hold down a job, is socially inept, has probably written numerous letters to the White House expressing antigovernment sentiments. We're expecting him to contact us shortly with ransom demands.

This line is supposed to show us how off the mark the FBI is in their theory. The joke is that they’re all wrong about Ben.

Except, are they?

In this version of the script, every one of these items after “adult male” is incorrect.

Ben’s not a loner; he’s been working with Riley for 7 years.

He hasn’t not been able to hold down a job, he’s been salvage diving and treasure hunting consistently.

He’s not socially inept; he’s a ladies man. We hear multiple references to past girlfriends, and of course there’s Patrick’s assumption that Abigail's pregnant.

And obviously he hasn’t expressed anti-government sentiment and has no plans to ransom the Declaration, even in exchange for his own freedom.

What I want to argue here is that with the casting of Nicolas Cage, most of these false assumptions about Ben became true, at least a little bit. Of course there were many forces at work shaping the final tone and content of the film, but all of them—writing, directing, acting, costume design, etc—became oriented around fitting this character to the man playing him.

Loner

In the final film, Ben is a bit of a loner. He doesn’t seem to have known Riley for that long, and he immediately gets betrayed by the only other person he’s close to. His status as an outsider is emphasized by the fact that he and his family have been ostracized from the historical community.

In the 2003 script, this element isn’t present and Ben gives a fake name for other reasons. We also meet his landlady, whom he’s very kind to, and hear about at least one former girlfriend. In short, we get a sense of the web of people in Ben’s life outside of the treasure hunt. In the final film, Ben is seemingly much more isolated.

Job

We also get no evidence about Ben’s job. The 2003 script makes multiple references to Ben working as a salvage diver, which might not be what he hopes for, but it is a clear profession. In the final movie we only get reference to Ben being trained at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center, which implies that he’s qualified to work at a salvage diver, but gives no indication that this is what he regularly does for work.

We also have Patrick saying:

PATRICK I have a job, a house, health insurance. What do you have?

The contrast makes it clear that Ben doesn’t have any kind of consistent job. Now, my guess is he does still work salvage jobs in this version, and that’s how he affords his apartment and the other things he needs to keep treasure hunting, but it’s never directly mentioned.

As to why he doesn’t hold down a job, the obvious answer is that it would interfere with his relentless pursuit of the Charlotte and the Templar Treasure. It makes sense that he simply chooses not to keep a consistent job because that’s not compatible with his goals. However, I want to raise the possibility that Ben would struggle to hold down a job even if he tried. If, say, he needed some expensive new diving equipment and took a several months long “normal” job in order to afford it, I think he’d be constantly distracted by the treasure and might quit and/or get fired the next time he needed to dash off on a lead.

Socially inept

Likewise, in the final movie, Ben is charming and clever and all the things a leading man is supposed to be, and also awkward and fairly socially clueless.

On the Charlotte he seems surprised that Ian and his guys turn out to be armed criminals, so either he was so desperate for resources and support to continue the hunt that he’s in denial or he’s very bad at reading people. Or at least, very bad at reading Ian. Maybe both. (There’s also the matter of his very poor attempt at bluffing in this scene.)

He’s awkward with Abigail in their meeting in her office, and even more awkward giving the toast. She even points out to him that he says the poetic things that are on his mind even though most people know they're not supposed to do that.

Then of course we have the “cavalier in my personal life” exchange, which I plan to dig into in depth at a later time, but for now let’s leave it at: Ben is not always on the same page as the people he’s in relationships with.

And there’s the very strange reading of the line “really?” after Ben and Abigail survive the collapsing staircase sequence. He’s amazed that he’s met someone who would also prioritize a historical artifact over personal safety, and he delivers the line just…weirdly.

Conclusion

He’s weird! (affectionate)

Ben Gates is a weird guy!

By the final film, Ben Gates had become a hybrid of the thing he was always supposed to be—a suave, swashbuckling hero—and the thing he was not supposed to be—a weirdo outcast on the fringes of society.

To draw a comparison to another popular Disney adventure flick that came out the year before: Ben was supposed to be the Will Turner of National Treasure, the hunky young underdog who always gets the girl. By casting Nicolas Cage and letting him bring a little history and a little weirdness to the role, Ben Gates ended up edging just a liiiiiiittle bit into Jack Sparrow territory as well.

He occupies both spaces, and I think that duality serves to deepen his character and make him far more interesting than if he was a straight-forward action-adventure hero.

Hooray for weird middle-aged men.

#the national treasure gazette #national treasure #ben gates #nicolas cage #national treasure meta #articles

[legalupanishad]

Enhancing Legal Research: Online research resources

This article on 'Enhancing Legal Research: Online research resources' was written by Diya Saraswat, an intern at Legal Upanishad.

Introduction

Work smart, not hard, is what they say. Legal research and content writing are the powerhouses of the legal world. It does not matter what your occupation is, whether you are a lawyer, a judge, a teacher, an academician, or a content writer; knowing how to research effectively not only enhances the originality of your work but also gives you an edge over other people. With the boom of AI in this globalised world, there is an increasing thirst for innovation, originality, creativity, and effectiveness when it comes to legal research. Even while writing a mere case summary or an article, it is imperative to understand the dos and don’ts of legal research. Through this article, we will discover some effective online legal research resources.

Importance of online legal research

Before diving into some legal research resources, it is crucial to understand the importance of online legal research. Here are a few key points: - Efficient and time-saving - Cost effectiveness - Access to vast information - Updated and current information - Enhanced organisation - Enhanced client representation - AI-powered insights - Accessibility and flexibility - Easy to share and collaborate - Continuous learning

Contact Us and avail the best assignment help for students available online!

Exploring various online legal research resources

The importance of online research is ever-present in the judicial system. Before starting your legal research, it is important to know some important resources in order to provide a head start to your legal research career. Online databases and libraries: Online databases and libraries have emerged as the meta of the online legal research world. Some of the key facilities that such platforms provide are advanced search filters, case citators, and the ability to save and organise research materials. With the advent of AI, such platforms also make use of artificial intelligence-powered mechanisms in order to help the researchers narrow down search results along with helping them to cite proper case laws, which not only enhances effectiveness but also gives a boost to the originality of your content. Online libraries are just like real-world libraries, wherein you can find legal papers, documents, case commentaries, books, codes, rules, regulations, bare acts, articles, statutes, etc., which increases your productivity so that you don’t have to hover everywhere searching for relevant content to cite in your content. Some of the prestigious online databases include SCC Online, Hein Online, Westlaw, LexisNexis, and Bloomberg Law. Some of the prestigious Indian National Law Universities, such as NALSAR, have also come up with their own e-libraries, which can offer a great range of resources. Government Websites and Public Records: Government websites are treasure troves of online legal research. What’s better than the government website itself when it comes to legal resources? To ensure that the reliability of your content is well protected, it is important to mention and use government websites for legal purposes. Not only this, but even court websites offer great help since they have everything updated from head to toe. Public records are the most reliable sources since they are up-to-date, plus they offer valuable information when it comes to legal investigations and background checks, such as criminal records. You can access the Government of India’s website easily. The Supreme Court’s website and the Law Commission of India are also the most valuable players. Academic research databases: Reading this, you might be thinking, ‘Isn’t it the same as legal research apps?’ Well, the answer is certainly different. Academic research databases, such as JSTOR, HeinOnline, Google Scholar, SCC Online and Manupatra offer access to scholarly articles and legal journals. These platforms host academic research papers, law reviews, and other academic publications written by legal experts and scholars. They are valuable if you want to perform an in-depth analysis and explore legal theories like those of constitutional law, family law, administrative law, etc. It’s a gift for our budding practitioners who can utilise these resources to find authoritative sources that can strengthen their arguments and provide a deeper understanding of legal principles. Legal blogs and commentaries: You are going to love this resource if you are an avid reader and a writer who loves reading blogs, articles, and case commentaries. A case commentary is just like a real case profile, but the only difference is that it is written in a more lucid and lucrative manner in order to make it brief and easy to understand, not only for people in the legal field but also for people falling outside it. These platforms are particularly useful for staying updated on recent developments, emerging trends, and critical legal issues. Many legal scholars, practitioners, and organisations maintain blogs that offer unique perspectives and interpretations of the law. Legal blogs and commentaries can expose you to a myriad of ideas and insights and offer an edge of creativity. However, there are two sides to the same coin; you need to verify the information provided and cross-check it with other resources before you start relying on it. It is advised to not solely rely on legal blogs and articles since, at the end of the day, they are written by people only and people have opinions. Some of the best platforms are SCOTUS Blog, Justia, Above the Law, Lawoctopus, LU Journal, Law360, ABA Journal, The Crime Report, etc.

Dos and Don’ts of online research

Here are some dos and don'ts of online legal research: Do's of Online Legal Research: Use Trusted Sources: Rely on reputable and authoritative legal databases, government websites, and academic research platforms for your research. You can make use of the sources mentioned above for conducting enhanced legal research online. Verify Information: Always cross-check the information you find online with primary legal sources, such as statutes and case law, to ensure accuracy and validity. Secondary sources, such as legal blogs, can provide context and analysis but should not be solely relied upon for legal arguments. Utilise Advanced Search Features: Always make use of search filters such as date, court name, date of judgement, country, etc. that are provided on online legal platforms. They help save you time, as you don’t have to go through every search result. Keep Track of Citations: Keeping track of citations as you write is really important. Stay Updated: Legal information is constantly evolving. You need to stay updated on the recent developments in the legal world, whether it is about a case law, an observation, or an amendment. Always stay updated. This is rule number one in the legal world! Use encryption and secure networks: It is very important to make use of a secure network and encryption while conducting legal research. This provides a shield against online data breaches and other crimes. Don'ts of Online Legal Research: Relying Solely on Unverified Sources: Avoid relying solely on sources that lack authority or credibility, such as unverified legal blogs or opinion pieces. Always verify the information from primary legal sources before using it in legal arguments. Sharing Confidential Information: Always be cautious before sharing sensitive or personal information about your client or any other person on the internet. With increasing cases of data breaches of privacy, hacking, and cloning, it is imperative to understand that a legal professional is known for maintaining the confidentiality of information. Always remember that someone has entrusted you with their sensitive information because they feel you will not share it outside. Ignoring Licensing and Copyrights: Never ever make use of someone else’s resources and content without giving them credit. This not only hampers your originality but also shows that you are not a reliable researcher. Using Public Wi-Fi for Sensitive Research: You should always avoid using public networks, as they can hamper your productivity through data breaches and are also not reliable.

Conclusion

Now that we have covered not only some good resources but also the dos and don’ts of legal research, it is crucial to make sure you put these points to use. Online legal research has revolutionised the way legal research is done and offers a myriad of benefits such as effectiveness, productivity, creativity, originality, time-saving, cost-saving, being up-to-date, and much more. As technology continues to advance, the importance of online legal research will only grow, reaffirming its status as an essential component of modern legal practice.

List of references:

Rachagralla Supraja, 'Legal research in the digital age: Challenges and Opportunities', Legal Upanishad, available at: https://legalupanishad.com/legal-research-in-the-digital-age/#:~:text=UsetrustedsourcesRelyon,refineresultsandsavetime. Teresa Matich and Joshua Lenon, 'The Best Free Legal Research Tools', Clio Blog, available at: https://www.clio.com/blog/best-free-legal-research-tools/ 'The Future of Online Legal Research', Lexis Nexis, 22 September 2021, available at: https://www.lexisnexis.com/community/insights/legal/b/thought-leadership/posts/the-future-of-online-legal-research Read the full article

[insistonyourcupofstars]

Wait! I was scrolling through Sena's blog (of course) and I just noticed this!

It kind of gives into the idea that all of these kids are lonely, despite being surrounded by people. Serena is the golden girl, so of course no one would be her friend because they are either intimidated by her, or scared of Blair's wrath. Blair is alone at this party because Nate has left her (because of Serena’s arrival? I don't remember), and now she sees Serena with a new boy and it's like she never left, but Blair feels that loneliness. So it's almost like time has moved backwards, but Blair still feels that pain. Then you have Nate, who has so much inner turmoil going on because of The Event, and has emotionally isolated himself from his girlfriend (who he loves! but maybe not in the way that was expected of them), he can't rely on his homelife for mental and emotional security, and the girl he is in love with left him without any warning and wants nothing to do with him. Dan practically blends into the crowd and you really wouldn't notice him if the camera's focus wasn't on him (which is like... duh, but I hope you guys catch what I mean). The only thing that marks his difference is that while everyone else is facing forwards, he is looking to the side, a direction in-between back and front (almost like how the UES is its own world, in-between issues of the common wealth and of royalty that doesn't truly affect them). But what does he get if he faces forward? Divorced parents, no friends, a life as the invisible boy that no one cares to look at. But what's to the side? A girl. A girl who, to him, is an escape from his life.

All these kids are so lonely, and I think these shots were purposeful. Of course, semantics; shots look good whenever you center frame a shot with characters, that's obvious. But looking deeper, you see their loneliness and how delicate their lives are.

#ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE WHERE DO THEY ALL COME FROM #I really did read a lot into these shots but 🤷‍♀️ #they are my babies and I love them #nothing but respect for my njbc #serena van der woodsen #blair waldorf - national treasure #daniel 'bleeding heart' humphrey #gg meta #mine #natie. my best boy

[slowpoke272]

“slaughterhouse-five” by kurt vonnegut

finished: march 16, 2023

well this was one to get through. i actually wanted to read “breakfast of champions” next, but i heard it’s a sequel to this novel, and since it’s vonnegut’s first mainstream success and most popular work, i decided now was a good time.

i have to preface my two cents with the confession that although i was warned and knew about it beforehand, i think much of my experience of this novel was diminished by the lackluster performance of james franco in the audiobook. i didn’t think it could be that bad, but it simply is that bad. he sounds so bored and tired through the entire thing, maybe that’s what the producers were going for? if so they nailed it. but as far as engaging the story, it just felt like an obligation.

it took a while for me to get into, but i was determined to find the good in this work. i had read “cat’s cradle” previously and loved it, though i knew kurt vonnegut’s style is rather quirky and it’s kind of hard to keep track of an actual plot or story happening. however, around chapter 5 (out of 10) i finally started enjoying it. it’s mostly an old man retelling his war stories out of order, although i do like when chronological order is mixed up and i liked the sci-fi elements, too. also i obviously agree with kurt vonnegut’s general anti-war themes and criticisms, which is  why i was determined to finish the book even if i didn’t enjoy it very much.

in the end i just wasn’t very moved by anything billy pilgram said or did, and i didn’t feel invested in his stories. it feels like an actual war veteran recounting their stories, reluctantly, maybe that’s why so many of them would rather just not share anything. for vonnegut being so anti-war, he seems to dance around the issue mostly, simply recounting loopholes and hypocrisies of war instead of having his character come out with anything insightful about it.

i’ll end with my favorite passage in the book, which seemed like the only time there was real substance being discussed, and it wasn’t between characters directly but as part of a theatrical display... very meta but also very mundane and passive.

this book is definitely passable and there are lots of other anti-war novels that i think have more profound things to say, but it’s not the worst?

“to quote the american humorist kin hubbard, ‘it ain’t no disgrace to be poor, but might as well be.’ it is in fact a crime for an american to be poor, even though america is a nation of poor. every other nation has folk traditions of men who were poor but extremely wise and virtuous, and therefore more estimable than anyone with power and gold. no such tales are told by the american poor. they mock themselves and glorify their betters. the meanest eating or drinking establishment, owned by a man who is himself poor, is very likely to have a sign on its wall asking this cruel question: ‘if you’re so smart why ain’t you rich?’ there will also be an american flag no larger than a child’s hand glued to a lollipop stick and flying from the cash register. americans, like human beings everywhere, believe many things that are obviously untrue. their most destructive untruth is that it is very easy for any american to make money. they will not acknowledge how in fact hard money is to come by, and therefore, those who have no money blame and blame and blame themselves. this inward blame has been a treasure for the rich and powerful, who have had to do less for their poor, publicly and privately, than any other ruling class since, say, napoleonic times.”

rating: 3/10 did not really enjoy and struggled to finish

[thebeardynerd]

Meta enables NFT sharing for all users of Facebook and Instagram in 100 countries

According to a Meta announcement, anybody may now share non-fungible tokens (NFTs) or digital collectibles on Facebook and Instagram.

The functionality is now available to users in 100 different countries after the company began testing digital collectibles in May with a small group of US producers and collectors.

Everyone in the 100 nations where Instagram offers digital collectibles may now access the function, according to a company update.

Additionally, Meta tweeted that everyone may finally share their digital artefacts on Facebook and Instagram in the US and so forth on Instagram in the aforementioned 100 countries. According to Meta, it began enabling users to share their own digital artefacts on Facebook and Instagram in August.

The company added last month that users may cross-post digital treasures they possess on Facebook and Instagram.

Creators & collectors will be able to select any NFTs inside their wallet to publish on Instagram once they are linked. When a maker or collector publishes a digital collectable, it will exhibit a glimmer effect and be able to show open data like the NFT’s description. Additionally, posts will be shown on their profile.

According to Meta, the creator & collector can be automatically attributed in the post of a digital collectable. Rainbow, MetaMask, and Trust Wallet are among the third-party wallets that are compatible for usage; Coinbase, Dapper, and Phantom will follow shortly.

A blockchain token called an NFT stands for ownership of a certain digital object. Digital treasures, artwork, and interactive video games things are a few of the common application cases. Over the course of 2021, the NFT market generated about $25 billion in trading activity.

The NFT industry has lost a lot of steam since the beginning of the global crypto market crisis in May, but that momentum persisted apace into the first months of 2022. While the prices for several of the best NFT collections have dropped drastically, overall sales volume has decreased noticeably. Recently, NFT Trading Volume Has Dropped by 97% Since the start of the year. 

Source link – Meta enables NFT sharing for all users of Facebook and Instagram in 100 countries

#meta enables nft sharing