#therefore using the power of deductive reasoning: hes winning

[dear-ao3]

man these find the difference games are getting rlly hard

[aniruddharni]

Fairly Ambiguous!

You might have heard of students playing truant, bunking classes and running off to watch movies. Have you come across an officer flicking through film magazines and watching movies in office time? Well, I must confess that I did it! And that too while discharging my official duties sincerely when I was posted as Managing Director, Kerala Film Development Corporation.

            One day, Chief Conservator of Forests, late Shri V S Verghese, called me over intercom in Forest Headquarters where I was posted as Deputy Conservator of Forests (Development) with additional charge of DCF (Vigilance). He directed me to meet Shri M. M.Hassan, Minister for Culture in Congress government.

I had never met the minister earlier but when I called on him it was indicated that he was interested to post me on deputation as Managing Director of Film Development Corporation in Culture Department under him. Probably, reading the quizzical expressions on my face he put his cards on the table saying that the Corporation already had all the required experts in film making- camera man, award winning film directors, sound engineer, shooting crew, film developing staff in the laboratory and so on. No expertise regarding the craft of film making was expected from me. I was told that my job was only to streamline the administration.

  Millions of people get attracted to the charm of films every year and I was no exception therefore I agreed to his suggestion immediately. Millions of people who do get attracted initially to the glamour also get embittered soon when they do not taste success even after a stiff struggle. I was also no exception. Once the government order was issued I took charge and learnt what was in store for me behind the grease and paint.

            The Corporation had ten theatres all over Kerala for screening commercial films. We had a sprawling Chitranjali studio at Trivandrum where film shooting, film developing, editing, dubbing, and sound recording could happen under one roof. There were nearly three hundred employees- permanent and temporary. Yet, the main problem was that the government did not provide any funds for payment of salaries or wages and it was expected that Corporation would generate its own revenues as a commercial entity out of the assets that it possessed. Government only provided Rs. fifty lakhs every year for capital expenditure meant for building new assets but this fund could not be used for salaries and wages.

To my utter shock, all the bank accounts of the Corporation had been frozen by EPF (Employees’ Provident Fund) Commissioner under his statutory powers a week prior to my joining. Money could be deposited but not withdrawn from these accounts so that all dues to EPF Commissioner would be appropriated first and then only the surplus would be available to the Corporation for day to day expenditure.

For the past one year the Corporation was not generating enough revenues to meet the total salary commitment for the staff; only net salaries were being paid to them and that too intermittently. The statutory PF deduction from the salaries of all the staff were made on paper but never remitted to EPF Commissioner because physically the money was actually not there. This was a grave legal violation and it was the reason for freezing of bank accounts. Likewise, the life insurance premium deducted on paper from the salary of each employee was also not remitted to LIC causing the lapse of all the insurance policies.

It was a total financial mess. I found myself not only in the proverbial soup but in a boiling cauldron as I had become one among the Corporation employees after taking charge. Having temporarily severed my umbilical cord to the Forest Department because of deputation, my salary would also be paid only by the Corporation - provided there was money! However, no money could be withdrawn from the bone dry and frozen bank accounts. It felt like landing in a battle field with the hands tied behind my back.

After the initial intoxication of the new and high sounding job title had worn off, study of the organizational structure and revenue streams in the first few days revealed that the main source of income was the gate collection at theatres from ticket sales. Four film theatres at Calicut and Thrissur were real cash cows while other six were not doing well.

Charting films in theatres was a weekly exercise. Which commercial film to screen in which theatre and for how long? These were crucial business decisions because we were competing against privately owned theatres. Well, frankly speaking, even to suggest that we were competing against private players would be a bit of an exaggeration. I was reminded of the age old lesson- ‘government has no business to be in business!’ But when you are in a soup kept on a boil and your salary itself is at stake, you cannot find solace in old lessons. It was then that I started browsing through Malayalam film magazines to know in advance which films with superstars and good directors were under production so that they could be screened in our theatres immediately on release for higher revenues. It was time for ‘camera, action and cut’ in real life.

Few days of analysis and a patient ear helped in identifying one money guzzler pertaining to the operation costs of the Corporation. Most of the permanent employees wanted to be at Trivandrum and using political pressure they managed their postings either in Corporation head office or in Chitranjali studio making these places overstaffed and without any substantial work for them. In fact, few employees had some side business too that they nurtured in their spare time. More staff were actually required for manning the theatres elsewhere but the employees did not wish to be posted there so the theatres were actually being run by hiring daily wage temporary employees mounting the running cost and causing a big dent in the accounts of the Corporation.

Therefore, as a first step I drafted the transfer norms for shifting the employees out of Trivandrum and circulated to the employees’ unions for making the guidelines transparent. I knew that implementing the staff deployment was going to be a Herculean task considering that almost everybody had political connections in Kerala. Soon after the norms were accepted and approved in- house, I deployed many staff from Trivandrum to all the distant theatres thereby replacing the hired labour with the intention of curbing the expenditure. I believed in the traditional wisdom that a penny saved was a penny earned. I had to ensure that all transfers were according to the norms and kept a balance among all competing staff unions. I knew I had to live up to the dictum: ‘Caesar’s wife should always be above suspicion.’

There was a fall out to the policy of transfers that was, anyway, already anticipated. Lot of time was spent in discussions with the unions who had to conspicuously put up a ceremonial stiff opposition to the management against the transfers, despite realizing the dire need to do so, to keep their camp followers placated. A former Trivandrum MLA, representing the Left unions met me frequently in this regard arguing against few transfers but the discussions were always cordial over many cups of tea, presumably because he had lost the seat in the previous election and his party was in opposition in those days.

The transfers caused some resentment as the apple cart for few employees was upset. Fortunately, the financial health of the Corporation soon started showing “green shoots” (a term borrowed from Covid- battered -Indian economy -recovery as described by Ms. Nirmala Sitaraman recently) and thankfully all the employees started getting their full gross salaries in time. However, this was just not enough to prevent a faction of Congress backed union to approach the Culture Minister against me. By this time Shri Hassan, the minister who brought me in, had vacated the office.

  The complaint was given a political flavor to make it more palatable to the minister and he was informed that I was a Left sympathizer and was guided in all decisions by the ex MLA of the Leftist party who spent a lot of time with me in office. This bogey can always be raised by disgruntled employees in any organization when there is nothing substantial to complain about and it carries traction with political masters too.

One day, Principal Secretary of Culture, Shri Bharat Bhushan, informed me over phone that the minister was not happy because few congress union people were frequently complaining against me and he was feeling compelled to shift me. However, I was very clear that ruthless decisions were required if the sinking ship was to be saved by plugging all the leaking holes. The time for soft pedaling was over. Moreover, I felt my personal fate and livelihood were also chained to the Corporation. Having soaked enough of communism in those many years of my stay in Kerala I could almost visualize Karl Marx waving a chuvappa kodi (red flag with hammer and sickle) and shouting hoarsely in my ears that I had nothing to lose but my chains in pursuing what I thought was right.

As instructed I met the minister in his chamber along with Shri Bharat Bhushan. The minister was absolutely candid and informed the Secretary that the Congress union members were hostile to the Managing Director because they felt discriminated while the Left party employees were favoured and that too, unpardonably, in the Congress regime!

Shri Bharat Bhushan had been MD in the same Corporation fifteen years prior to me and still had live contacts in the organization who met and briefed him regularly about the current affairs. To my relief the Secretary told the minister very politely, “Sir, according to my feedback the MD is not biased at all and is implementing all decisions only in favour of the organization. I can confidently say that he is very fair.”

            Without missing a beat, the minister looked at my face with a deadpan expression and retorted, “Yes. He has a fair complexion!” Neither the Secretary nor I could make out whether the minister was being humorous or sarcastic. I was so stumped by his googly that unlike Sir Humphrey I could not even say, “Yes Minister.”

Epilogue:

Shri Bharat Bhushan retired as Chief Secretary of Kerala during my central deputation.

[chibimyumi]

@thedarkestcrow and a few others have gotten questions about the end of Kuro. The presumption is the final conflict will be between O!C and Sebastian. Many theorize that it will revolve around O!C’s desire to live or not, possibly with his living/reanimated family and friends begging him to escape Sebastian. Of course, even if O!C decides he wants to leave, Sebastian will demand his payment. My question to you is do you think O!C might change his mind about the contract and his will to live?

Dear Anon,

First of all, my thanks for your sweet words ^^

Now, about your question. Very interesting! I myself don’t do prediction theories though; it involves too much guessing based on too little information and too many variables for me to find it comfortable. That’s why I only do analyses of things that have already happened. So I am not sure how much I can help you here ≽▽≼ so my blog might be less amazing to you now, I’m so sorry.

Though, I can use your proposal as a hypothesis and analyse it. This will not be a predictive post, simply a deduction through logic within a hypothesis.

Hypothesis: Undertaker uses Bizarre Phantomhive Dolls to bait O!Ciel into giving up on his contract. Q: “might O!Ciel change his mind about the contract and his will to live?”

Personally I think it is fairly unlikely a zombie-family can cause O!Ciel’s resolve to waver because it is simply too strong.

Character Study

Most human beings who experience (sudden) loss need quite some time to process this information before reaching the stage of “acceptance”. Our boy however, already easily withstood a supernatural being’s positive response about reviving the dead even before he could actually process anything. Most people would not believe a human if they made the same offer, but wished it were true. But if a clearly powerful supernatural appeared before you, that’s a different story; who knows what magic potential they possess?

じゃあ、死んだ人間を生き返らせることは？

Jaa, shinda ningen wo ikikaeraseru koto wa?

And, what about bringing dead humans back to life?

O!Ciel was the one who brought this topic up. Judging from the clear-cut language and lack of emotional markers, it is arguable he said so not because he hoped it were possible, but because he knows it is impossible, and therefore wanted to test the demon’s truthfulness.

Sebastian took the bait, and therewith O!Ciel knew he’d have to strategically use his first wish to seal off the demon’s potential of lying. (Ugh he’s so smart!) O!Ciel’s swiftness in rejecting the demon’s temptation is evidence that he had already fully accepted that what is dead, stays dead.

Discussing Hypothesis

So, knowing O!Ciel has this level of acceptance, how would it play out IF Undertaker does attempt to lure O!Ciel with his revived family?

Had Undertaker really wanted the best chance at making O!Ciel fall for the temptation, he would have to not have exposed the boy to his creations so often. He has seen the in-between stages of reviving the dead, and therefore knows exactly what they are: Just decaying meat manipulated by a lunatic. Being met with the sudden appearance of seemingly flawless living-dead family would no longer be something new to O!Ciel, so it won’t have the advantage of a “pleasant surprise” to him.

O!Ciel is a very clever boy who thinks very clearly as long as he’s allowed the space in his head. So the best way to bait him into making a poor decision would be to disorient or overwhelm him with shocking new information, like at the end of the Circus Arc.

However, shock value is something that declines with every exposure. Now that O!Ciel is already so used to seeing Bizarre Dolls, and every time these zombies just get more and more advanced, he’d know it’s only a matter of time before these Dolls could become basically fully sentient, like his brother did.

Yes, he was very shocked to see R!Ciel back, but if we pay attention he was not so much concerned about his body being resurrected, but what threat R!Ciel’s return would pose to his own position now exposed as ‘the impostor’. Should Undertaker also “revive” his dead parents to try tempt the boy into reuniting with his family, then O!Ciel would be desensitised already by that time. He’d have had too much time to be mentally prepared. Besides, especially after seeing R!Ciel who is the biggest threat nothing would overwhelm him more anymore. You cannot shock somebody twice using the same trick; especially not if the second one is a lesser threat. It would be akin to bad film sequels that over-analyse the success of the original and use the formula of “more = better” to appease audiences.

In this sense, I personally reason that considering how Undertaker has been working so far, he would probably not try to make O!Ciel do a 180 through manipulation; that tactic simply leaves too much space for failure. Also, manipulation does not really seem Undertaker’s M.O.; that’s Sebas’ thing. Undertaker prefers cornering somebody, forcing them to bend eventually – i.e. use ‘hard-power’ instead of ‘soft’, like he did with Sebas on the Campania and at Weston.

How should Undertaker have acted to make the hypothesis work?

If we do go along with the hypothesis that Undertaker does want to use soft-power to get O!Ciel, he had better done things like this:

During the Campania Undertaker had indeed not expected the boy there, fine! That would have been an accident, as well as a competent way of storytelling to inform O!Ciel and the audience that clearly somebody is doing something big, and that Undertaker is not 100% in control of everything.

IF! I were the Undertaker in that situation AND I plan to bait O!Ciel with his “revived” family, I would never have revealed myself to be a reaper, and instead denied any responsibility for the bizarre dolls. Rian Stoker was fully convinced he had worked the disastrous “miracle” anyway, and there is no better scapegoat than one who truly believes himself guilty. Plus, he was scheduled to die anyway. If the scapegoat could just die in an accident caused indirectly by his own doing, the cover-story would have been beyond perfect.

Before Undertaker revealed himself, O!Ciel trusted Undertaker as an ally, and even went to him for sensitive information on which he based his entire job for the Queen. O!Ciel is naturally untrusting, but Undertaker did win that trust, and that should have been too valuable a weapon not to keep. By revealing himself to be an antagonistic and powerful being who mortally wounded O!Ciel’s main security (Sebas), Undertaker proved himself to be untrustworthy.

Now that O!Ciel can no longer trust Undertaker in the slightest, what effect would it have if this untrustworthy lunatic were to try bait him? I find it unlikely that O!Ciel would be stupid enough to take the bait, and Undertaker stupid enough to believe O!Ciel might after all this.

In short, for this hypothesis to work on the naturally untrusting O!Ciel, Undertaker would have needed to:

keep O!Ciel’s trust,

have the advantage of a ‘pleasant surprise’ on his side,

any credibility that his walking-flesh are “really alive”.

I hope this had been interesting ( ´ o｀) Good day to you, Anon ^^

Follow up post: What would O!Ciel do if Undertaker tried to bait O!Ciel with Bizarre Phantomhives?

[verytiredowl]

A character analysation of IdV’s Bloody Queen

Bloody Queen AKA Mary is a hunter in the mobile/PC game Identity V. She is personally my favorite hunter because she is easy to learn but hard to master. Her backstory is something that has always interested me though, so i decided to compile my thoughts onto this one post.

Something i appreciate about IdV’s character roster is that some of them are based off of historical characters, and interesting ones at that. So expect a lot of history lessons and references that should be explained in order to understand a character fully (especially with Mary considering how there isn’t a lot shown about her backstory through promotional content, and im talking about stuff like the official website here).

With that in mind, let’s just get into it.

There is not a lot we know about Mary other than the fact that she is inspired from a mix of stories, those being about a French queen named Marie Antoinette and Bloody Mary. These two are used in seperate ways, Marie Antoinette’s story being used as heavy inspiration for Mary’s backstory and lore, while Bloody Mary is a visual/gameplay inspiration.

Mary’s description on her info page and on the official idv website is 

This is strange because it really tells little to nothing about Mary besides her being aware that the position of a queen means a lot of vulnerability. It also strikes me as weird because every other hunter has a fleshed out backstory being written under this tab. (With the exception of Guard 26)

So overall, the ground to work on is pretty small, we dont have a lot of info revealed to us, and therefore leaves her to be a character who loses a lot of potential on a writing stance.

Intro Video

Mary does have an introduction video, though, which explains the base of what happened to her Pre-manor. 

The video explains how Mary was the queen of a country that had a bad financial crisis which was so bad people couldn’t afford food (if we are sticking fully to the Marie Antoinette inspo, this was in the 1790′s) and the public felt as if Mary didn’t care enough to help her people, the citizens voted her to be beheaded under a guillotine. Truth be told, Mary was actually trying to help her citizens by giving them cake.

We have probably the most lore information about Mary from her deduction descriptions, which explain her career as a queen more in detail, about struggles she had and her situation in general.

Deductions

(Credits to u/mawile94 on Reddit for the images)

The first conclusion is clearly telling us that the king Mary married had a problematic family, and the king’s family probably only looked at Mary as someone who will keep the family’s name up, someone who will have a child with the king. (Also, dont get confused: Maria Theresia is Mary’s mother’s name, not her actual name.)

Mary used to spend a lot of time away from the palace in Petit Trianon, which is a manor located in Versailles. The secret letter tells us that Mary was egoistic, naive, and was kind of a glutton. The letter mentions how rumors are powerful, and are going to spread really fast once word comes out about the “incompetence” and lacking abilities witihin the royal family, which will eventually be Mary’s demise.

Princess Lamballe is once again a historical recreation of actual Priness Lamballe, a part of the Savoy House (Western EU country). In real life, Lamballe was actually the confidante (someone who you would discuss private matters with as a royal) of Marie Antoinette after her 1 year old marriage came to an end. IRL, Princess Lambelle dies along Marie Antoinette’s side as she gets killed in the French Revolution. 

The shameful secret can really only be assumed to mean that Lamballe was actually Mary’s secret affair, especially looking at how all evidence suggests that the actual royal family Mary is connected to seems to be a mess. Mary is kind of confirmed to be wlw from this deduction which is fucking cool, but this rumor mightve been what also caused Mary to be beheaded. (But, IRL, the king Artois considered Marie to be physicially unattractive or even smart enough for him, in contrary to him, where he apparently was attractive. He did end up making up with quite a number of mistresses. But let’s not get into a conversation about how unhealthy or toxic royal relationships were in the 1700′s)

this is obviously saying Lamballe is being replaced by the Yolande (Countess of Polignac) as her confidante. IRL, this happens because the Countess of Pilognac and Lamballe start having quarrels against each other, in which they try to win over the queen’s heart, and over time Marie ends up preferring Yolande’s company. But Lamballe feels as if Yolande was a bad influence on the queen, yet she could do nothing about it. The friendship between Lamballe and Marie remained regardless, and she constantly admired Lamballe’s loyalty toward her.  "She is the only woman I know who never bears a grudge; neither hatred nor jealousy is to be found in her." 

Mary finally has a child, and it is a girl. Here we see the reinforcement of Lamballe’s loyalty, but with this conclusion also being titled as a rumor, it is also telling that this is one of many reasons people will start getting suspicious of Mary’s possible affairs.  

This conclusion only leads me to believe that one of the several reasons why Mary was treated the way she was by the public was because of jealousy towards her life and the things she achieved at a young age. The description of the people who are spreading the rumors are bitter, sour people who take joy out of seeing the bad in successful people. Here is where it all goes downhill (as evident by the subtitle under the deduction title.)

We will once again need a little bit of a history lesson for this one:

Koblenz, first of all is a city in Germany. The reason why the French would ever think of even setting up anything in Germany was because of the French Immigrants, and the reason why the Germans were cool about this was because the archbishop-elector (one of the chiep bishop electors) was the uncle of Louis XVI-a persecuted king of France. Along with the refugees that entered the city, two of them was Louis XVI’s brothers: The Count of Provence and the Count of Artois. them, along with Louis XVI’s cousin, Prince Louis Joseph formed an army of aristocrats who would seek to fight for the Ancien Regimé (The name of the political and social system that was popular in France at the time.) In the meantime back in France, the Royal Family gave in and decided to adopt the  Constitutional Monarchy, which was very modern at the time. This deduction description just basically explains that this is where Mary and the royal family fucks up, i just thought it would be interesting to know what they actually meant by what they wrote.

Yolande has left behind the Royal Family and made a run to escape the country. If you’re wondering, at the start of the revolution Princess Lamballe was actually in Switzerland, but as soon as she got notified of the situation she revisited the royal family to aid them, and reassumed her position.

This letter in particular is pretty cut-and-clear: the intention of the revolutionists was to smudge the royal family’s name in the dirt once and for all. What real-life anti-monarchist propaganda would consist of at the time was promiscuous imagery of Lamballe and the queen as lovers to further “besmirch” the queen’s reputation.

This is just obviously hinting at the aftermath of the French Revolutions and also telling us the present (at the time the letter was written). Mary gets executed by the Guillotine, and-well we all know how the rest of the story goes.

Overall, Mary’s deduction story is just a short summarization of what actually happened before and during the French Revolution: it even added the details of how actually sketchy and corrupt the royal family within was, not just the dissatisfaction of the public. As a summary of what this meant for Mary, as the Hunter, she feels pure bitterness, and anger towards the citizens for the way they treated her and the people around her. And as we can see, there was no reference towards Bloody Mary what-so-ever, and the reason why that is is because according to the Chinese version of IdV (which is what the original game’s region/language is) Her name actually would translate to “Madame Red”, not Bloody Queen. I think it was just the translators having fun with words, and since her design is very similar to that of what a person would think Bloody Mary looks like, i guess it made sense to them lol

But regardless, we’ll still take a look at Mary’s design.

Mary’s design is simple compared to other hunter designs in IdV. A simple, ball gown which was originally white, but turned red due to Mary’s beheading, pools of blood dropped all over her body. Mary also used to have long hair, but assumed by the very broken looking locks of hair, her hair probably was cut down by the guillotine. Eagle-eyed people will also take notice to her neck, which is stitched back onto the rest of her body, which the designers wanted to include really bad since its prevalent even in concept sketches as well:

Mary’s gameplay design is based solely on mythologies about Bloody Mary, however, which makes things kind of confusing, but i guess thats what idv excels at the most lol

anyway, you’ve reached the end! if you have read this far, thank you so much, i put so much effort and research into this and i hope people will make good use of it. I also hope i made you more interested in playing mary and/or the French Revolution, lol  but thank you for reading this!!

references:

The Count of Artois and the Coming of the French Revolution by Vincent W. Beach 

The Princesse de Lamballe; a biography by Hardy, B. C. (Blanche Christabel)

My history textbooks

And wikipedia lol

[a-long-walk-in-the-forest]

Sasuke’s mercury degree exploration

As I’ve already mentioned in my sasuke astrology analysis posts, Sasuke likely has his mercury in leo. His mercury was one of the planets where I had absolutely no clue about the degree since based on his sun (and if it’s in leo), his mercury could be from 0 degrees all the way to 28 degrees. I tried to have a look at aspects with other planets whose degree range, I had narrowed down but It didn’t really help much. Now that I’ve had a look at interpretations for each degree though, I’ve managed to narrow it down a bit. Bellow are the interpretations for the degrees I narrowed it down to. 

The descriptions come from the pdf I mentioned in my previous post.

12-13:

It indicates a person of firm and steadfast character; one who will resolutely hold to his own beliefs and principles, though it be to his disadvantage. In some ways the mind will be precocious and there will he some degree of self assertion shown; but, whatever the native may determine upon as the right thing to do will assuredly be done if within the compass of resolute striving. It is a degree of CONSTANCY.

good and bad features of an extreme steadfastness and positivism; on one hand, firmness, constancy, sturdiness, endurance in exertion and a sense of phenomenal reality; on the other hand, stubbornness, restiveness, pigheadedness, hypercritical skepticism and unappeasable lustfulness. As a result, the sources of income and means of subsistence are lastingly assured—nay, too lastingly— which might hinder and thwart progress, even mobility in general. There is no enthusiasm, no spiritual urge, no faith in men or in the future, not to speak of faith in God. The character is, therefore, skittish, sullen, sometimes cynical, often unpleasant on account, or in spite of, the fact that the native professes very firm principles and sticks to them. Whatever his luck, the subject never feels happy and is therefore in a state of constant dissatisfaction.

Denotes dissatisfaction. One who never takes anything for granted, or on trust. A skeptical person; a quibbler; hypercritical; one disposed to consider “all men liar.” save himself; a most disagreeable, querulous, cantankerous, and quarrelsome person.

Music, a degree of beauty; strong beliefs and disbeliefs; fortunate but restless; intentions are good; may be an orphan or may care for a parent or other relative; usually has special talent for some work where a well-trained eye and hand, plus his idealism and artistic tastes, enable him to excel al others; right heart chamber.

Denotes one of rugged, conservative, and patriotic nature who will be blessed with the goods of the world and who will use his blessings well. His position in life will be distinguished and his sincerity will command respect even from his enemies. He carries about him a fine and pure aura which benefits all who come within its radiations. It is a symbol of Exaltation.

14-15:

It indicates a person of very superior ability in some special direction; one in whom the power of government will reside; a mind somewhat ambitious, but conscious of its own powers which are of no common order so that no unjust advantage is taken. In some sphere of life the native be an imposing figure, or may do something which may call for wide recognition. Fame and power attend this degree. It is one of SUPERIORITY.

A veritable type of the ordinary man of the day; fond of pleasure, and enters heartily into the fashionable amusements of the age; a stickler for the conventional and the popular.

Inborn power and superiority over others; whether bodily or moral or else, other pointers in the horoscope must decide. The native is conscious of his own worth, whatever it might be. In well- developed beings this degree will nurture lofty aspirations and inner pride; in the corner ones It will lead to vain ambitions and display. Something special will single out the subject anyhow, be it for good or evil, through bright mental gifts or spiritual prominence, through money or even brute force; in what manner and how far will depend, as mentioned above, on the other threads in the astrological pattern. But whoever is born under this sign is very likely to become a ruler in some sense and to have the makings for it as well; he is likely to couple his inborn power with kindness and human warmth, and to win many friends. This can even go so far as to entangle all mental activities in social life, in which case the native is in for a more or less wide popularity as the soul of dancing patties and the organizer of merrymaking. Barring indications to the contrary, travels in connection with friendships or social engagements can be foreseen, as for instance on friends’ or relatives’ invitation, journeys undertaken in order to assist friends, etc.

Music; attainment and success; good reasoning power; original ideas; easily aroused but readily appeased; sometimes provoked at people who heed the loud speaker rather than the calm voice of reason; a worker with great power of perseverance; carnival area ( has moments when one has to let it out); right atrium.

Denotes one who is forced to labor hard for the greater part of his life, but who contains within himself some brilliant gifts, one of which will progress and bring him into fame. It is a symbol of Creeping.

15-16

It indicates a person of a head strong and rash disposition, extremely given to impulse; difficult to restrain; a formidable opponent and a warm- hearted,, generous friend. The native is effusive, enthusiastic and restless, but capable of subsisting upon small fare and in all probability he will be poor though in some sense eminent. It is a degree of IMPULSE.

An impulsive, enthusiastic and demonstrative nature, impatient of discipline and advice, stubborn and foolhardy, hard to repress and to check.

An open-hearted, generous and affectionate friend, he will make an uncomfortable and often dangerous enemy. To all this he adds the utmost frugality, thanks to which he might bear the distress his unripeness is more than likely to bring upon him. Potentially a man of many sports, endowed with a lopsided but bright and sometimes outstanding intelligence; he is conspicuous for the utmost development of some of his gifts and the utter infancy of other sides of his being, which exposes him to the risk of wasting his mental power on childish trifles. There will be a tendency to a large body size; great head, broad hands, tall stature, etc.

Denotes one who possesses great abilities; a mind, which, if rightly directed, could accomplish, or at least assist in bringing about, great and beneficial changes on the earth. But in place of this, he condescends to employ his time and his energies in the pursuit of what is childish, whimsical, and worthless; by which he not infrequently makes himself the laughing-stock of his contemporaries.

Attainment and success; affectionate, demonstrative, and frank; always a student, interested in many things; a good teacher of art, science, or philosophy; seeks an answer to the meaning of life and usually discovers that the road to attainment is not the road to happiness; left atrium.

Denotes one who in the midst of threats, difficulties, and oppositions raises himself to a position of dignity and responsibility, and the stings of envy will follow him. He will see many pass through this world of matter before he receives the call, and will keenly feel and deplore his errors. He may find that the road to power is not the road to happiness. It is a symbol of Vexation.

16-17

It denotes one who will be noted for his wide and prolonged travels. One whose life will be beset with dangers of a physical nature; one who will leave a humble home and become a prominent figure in a foreign country. The character is stubborn, persevering, very vindictive and revengeful; not ungrateful but never forgetting injuries. The native will be somewhat fond of parade and self-advertisement, and in the end will be highly successful in life. It is a degree of JOURNEYING.

An extremely outstanding personality. The native will cut out a place for himself in all he does, supported by a fierce, altogether indomitable nature, an inexhaustible energy, an exceptional resistance to exertion, a toughness, a sturdiness and a steadfastness ready to stand any test. On the reverse side of the coin appear petty formality, headstrongness, bad manners, a wild roughness and sometimes even ferocity. Mindful of benefits as well as of injuries, he simply cannot dispense with the glee of revenge. Strangely enough, though fond of display and notoriety, he is apt to turn a deaf ear to the often vicious taunts and snubs leveled at his surly character, as only what may harm him is an offense in his eyes, and such complaints against him as may end by enhancing his renown as an awe-inspiring being are far from displeasing to him. Lucky and endowed with an inventive turn of mind, he will reap abroad the success to which his long toils and his often gigantic works entitle him. Material danger might, however, lie in wait for him, either on his journeys or on his undertakings and might stand in his way to wealth and renown.

Denotes one whom you may kill, but never conquer; nor will he be induced to adopt willingly the tricky policies of modern civilization. He has a life of his own, a sphere of his own, and pleasures of his own. He may be designated coarse and impolite, but such epithets make little or no impression on him.

A person of considerable ability; often considered odd or peculiar; cares little about the world’s opinion; does his own work in his won way; a careful speculator; good sense of perception; right auricle.

Denotes one of understanding and power of purpose who is gifted with fine perception and a lively imagination. As a theorist he is generally correct in his deductions and he can quickly clothe his thoughts in material dress. It is a symbol of Knowledge.

21-22

It denotes that the native is his own enemy, and that he will suffer through want of care in his actions. Apart from this, which arises from a certain native innocence. he will be in danger of injuries in his own house and through his own kindred. The life is fraught with dangers of an incendiary character, and he should avoid risks of personal injury as much as possible. In business or profession he will be supplanted. It is a degree of INJURY.

This denotes one who feels most honored when he most serves. To serve in his day some of the numerous wants of a suffering humanity is the end and aim of his life. A transcendental sun impinges this degree with its rays. Its nature is Mercurial.

As we had to remark above (e.g., about 19 degree Leo, 24 deg Taurus, etc.) this degree also possesses such a transcendent influence that no soul less than heavenly can bear it with impunity. Such enthusiasm and blindness to the world’s mean ways, such candid artlessness as are induced by this sign can only be-without any possible compromise-the mark of a saint or that of a nincompoop. The native is his own worldly fortune’s worst enemy and he will let those who ought to respect him most fleece him and cover him with abuse.

This denotes one who feels most honored when he most serves. To serve in his day some of the numerous wants of a suffering humanity is the end and aim of his life. A transcendental sun impinges this degree with its rays. Its nature is Mercurial.

Astrology, medical fields; homicidal tendency; feels honored in being able to serve others; contemporaries who follow the same line are often jealous of this person’s ability and reputation; left auricle.

Denotes one who is in danger of being held in restraint of some kind and of being moved to different places at the will of others. There is no suggestion of unkind treatment, but there is that the native is not a free agent. He should never permit others to gain an influence over him in any way. He is very mediumistic, but can be controlled from the visible as he can from the invisible. It is a symbol of Restriction.

[everydayanth]

Oh man, speed machines done pissed me off.

Okay, here’s the thing, and it will continue to be a thing until we all collectively understand and come to an agreement of the concept. 

Ready? Here goes:

LAW ENFORCEMENT IS NOT CRIME PREVENTION!

Crime prevention is problematic in every way. It requires profiling and assumptions based on no deductive logical evidence (because if there IS evidence, then it’s law enforcement). Law enforcement can rely on the proving of a wrong that has happened to make it right through inductive and deductive reasoning (to enforce the law once it has been broken), but to prevent a crime, some humans have to have more rights than others in order to assume where and when crime will happen.

The ONLY way to prevent crime is through deterrence and discretion. This means making crime more difficult to accomplish, like not leaving valuables in your car, lighting up high-risk areas, or carrying pepper spray. IT DOES NOT MEAN SPRAYING EVERY SHADOW UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT IT WILL HURT YOU!

So, how does this get around to speed machines? 

Well, having lived in 6 states over the past 6 years (moving for work), I have seen what feels like every possible social response to them from passivity to aggression. Speed machines lack the ability to differentiate discretion. They set a dangerous precedent for blurring the line between law enforcement and crime prevention. 

Cops driving on the highway are a form of deterrence. People see them and slow down. It would be a woeful day were we to assume all law is black and white. Sure, structuralism is easy, but so is anarchy, and a rounded society needs to understand the balance of those two extremes to find a functional middle, especially a globalized society with people from hundreds of different cultures or backgrounds that fall on different sides of that spectrum.

Speed machines cannot tell the difference between speed of traffic or surrounding orders. They do not know when an ambulance is beeping for you to speed up and get out of the way or when the rigid rules of the road are “broken” for the safety and wellbeing of others to follow the flow of traffic or avoid an accident. It only knows three numbers: the set limit, the exception limit, and the ticketed limit. 

Sure, you can fight it. But here’s the trick. Here’s why they are unlawful and illogical and a dangerous precedent. You can fight the ticket, explain the circumstance if you have any evidence. Maybe you get rid of it and win. But to do that, you have to be in court at 8am (courts which are currently closed, BTW), you probably have no solid evidence, and in the end, it’s a citation, not a ticket, and your violation fee is $50. You’re going to pay to be done with the whole circumstance and move on with your life without a second thought. The state or city make the money and the cycle continues.

Data gathering is nice. Having electronics that can enforce speed limits seems like it should be innocently a good idea: well, don’t break the speed limit laws, easy peasy. But to live in a society that rigid and structural, you lose functionality. Fine, I won’t break the speed limit laws, and you might die in the ambulance I can’t get out of the way for. We have to understand exceptions, we have to be aware of discretion and the importance of community awareness and understanding, and that comes from people, local trusted people.

 California collected something like 1 billion dollars in speed traps (which we fell for a while ago, speed limit of the HIGHWAY suddenly went from 60 to 25 within less than an eighth mile and down a large hill with no posted reduce speed signs, cop was waiting at the bottom right at the 25mph sign, both hidden by an overgrown bush, said it was a tourist area, ticketed us $350, I was so pissed. Googling it later, I found that the DA was charging that city for its ridiculously high fines, and citizens were fighting back because tourism dropped so drastically in the area, hard not to feel vindicated). 

It always reminds me of a thing I read about how some downtown area made parking downtown illegal, maybe it was NYC or Boston, I don’t remember, but the rich people kept parking there and a girl pointed it out to her friend as he parked and he just said “it’s only illegal if you can’t afford the fines.” 

Maybe I’m just a control freak. I’m not a speeder, I’ve never gotten a ticket in my life and I prefer when people follow the rules. But I don’t like undercover civil police (I get investigative), I don’t like speed traps, I don’t like speed machines, and I think it’s because they all fall in that dangerous grey area between law enforcement and crime prevention. The speed machines that blink red and blue if you speed past them but don’t ticket you? That’s deterrence, people see the colors and slow down, but the flash-citation routine is sneaky, and I think it’s wrong. To me it says we civilians recognize law enforcement’s right to monitor us unsupervised and without reason. It says we give them the right to assume crime prevention (THAT’S HOW YOUNG BLACK BOYS GET KILLED!), and it says we are okay with being passive about the discussion among our peers when it comes to the civil questions of freedom, law enforcement, and what we expect of each other in society. 

I know it was kind of a discussion around stop-light cameras, and perhaps this is hypocritical, but we as a society have determined that red lights mean stop, no exceptions. NOT stopping is a risk to others. Therefore, stop-light cameras that are programmed with discretion (as in not ticketing at late-yellow or early red), are different because they are enforcing a broken law? But the more I think about it, the more I think those are wrong too. They don’t know discretion, they don’t know when other problems are happening, and they are surveying tools. So yeah, actually, thinking about it, I don’t like them either. 

Crime prevention may seem good, but when we look at what it actually costs us and the assumptions we must make to achieve it, the dirty tricks, and who pays for it or makes money off it, suddenly it’s a lot more dirty looking. I worked in loss prevention at a big department store for a minute and it was one of the worst experiences. There’s a reason that it’s private store personnel who deal with it, because most of the assumptions are based on nothing, the tactics of accusation and confrontation are not lawful, and any self-respecting law-enforcement officer would be appalled at the circumstantial evidence.

If we want more law-enforcement, we have to rebuild that part of our society as a trusted and desirable profession, not replace it with tools that could be used for other things. Like, I understand how CCTV can be really good, and how it could compromise individuals. I’m not scared of being observed, I mean, privacy and identity, sure, but that’s a whole ‘nother conversation probably. I’m still learning about that one. 

They removed the speed machines in several cities we’ve lived in because of that exact problem - questioning the limit of law enforcement’s power to monitor or field assumptions without proper evidence, or accuse of a crime without proper public identification. Statistically, they didn’t actually slow traffic, they simply made the city/state more money. But we live in a changing world, people are scared or entitled, and the citation is only $50. If that feels like an only $50 bucks to you, then you’re not going to fight it, that’s ridiculous. You’re going to rant about it on Tumblr and wonder how this question isn’t a red flag to many others, but then return to your self-quarantine and remember that we have bigger problems. 

There’s my rant. What are your thoughts on speed machines and speed traps and speed cameras and crime prevention vs. deterrence vs. discretion and how technology should or should not play a role in it? Does it do what it’s supposed to in your area? Or is it questionably placed in lower-income areas? Where does the community come in and what are its responsibilities in maintaining social order? How do we utilize technology responsibly as we integrate it into society? Anything, really. I’m exhausted thinking about it, and maybe I’m just angry because of that thing about feeling unfairly provoked, like the psychology of road rage and why we get so mad when people cut us off, because we feel unseen or unnoticed and that is humiliating? I think it was a Malcolm Gladwell podcast. It’s not even my citation, I just jog along the road and see people’s faces as they pass....... Anyway....... I’m going to calm down..... bye.

[nicolasnelson]

Sizzie fic - Wake from the Chaos [oneshot]

Title: Wake from the Chaos Relationship: Lizzie Saltzman/Sebastian Additional Tags: Sebastian's POV, Canon Compliant, Enemies to Lovers Words: 4,452

Summary: Everything changes when Sebastian meets Elizabeth Saltzman. He has a chance at life and love, even if it means sacrificing his freedom. But will he be able to win over Elizabeth after making her think she hallucinated him?

Requested by Anon // Prompt: The one-shot could be about Sebastian pov from the moment he woke up, what he thought about Lizzie, the school and etc.

[AO3 LINK]

Sebastian had never felt a connection quite like this. Elizabeth had called to him like a siren, but he’d been hesitant to heed the call. He’d been asleep for far too long, or something like sleep. A land of dreams, memories, unending agony over the loss of his beloved Cassandra.

But Elizabeth had awoken something in him. He knew not how his body came into contact with blood, only that the blood was rancid and inadequate. And yet, it was just enough for him to wander through this world again like a specter in the night.

He could feel a strong presence, a young lady, with the same fiery, passionate spirit as his great love. It had been impossible to ignore the call. Gazing upon her beauty after so many years of darkness had made him believe for just a minute that heaven could be real.

But no, that wasn’t the place for a man like him. He’d piled up the bodies higher than those on plague wagons. With his feast, he was a plague himself, tearing through whatever tasty piece of flesh crossed his path.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” the gorgeous siren said, and he had to laugh at the irony of it all. She could do nothing to harm him, even if she’d wanted to, and she really had no idea what he was capable of, what he’d done. What he could do. Even in this sad, miserable ghostlike state.

He could still hurt her. If he wanted to.

Sebastian should not have given his name when she asked. For it allowed her the opportunity to give hers, and that was the worst thing she could have done. It made her real, made her more than just a way out of this hellish nightmare. Elizabeth. He couldn’t help but see her as his savior, as beautiful as an angel, with the eyes of a devil. It awakened a desire in him he’d thought long dead.

And now was the moment to ask for her help, to finally be free. He had her exactly where he wanted as they sat by the lake. The question was halfway out of his mouth when Elizabeth noticed a figure holding a strange box in his hands.

Sebastian felt himself blinking away. It was hard to keep that form when Elizabeth was not focused on him.

And when he tried to reach for her again, he found the connection had broken. A familiar sadness settled inside him, a reminder that guys with pasts like his did not get happy endings. It had been foolish to think even for a moment that he might be able to have something with Elizabeth.

But he would not give up on his quest to restore his body. He was done festering in a box. So he found another way, another person he could reach. Not the right person, but it got him into the school. And once in there he found a willing ally, a lonely guy in desperate need of a friend.

Sebastian instructed the poor fool to give him just enough blood to wake his body. And once he could move freely, he arose from his box and bit into that lonely boy’s neck. And drank deep.

If it weren’t for Elizabeth, he would have killed the boy. He did not know the rules of this place. Therefore, he could not risk violating them, for fear he might never see Elizabeth again.

It was many days and many painful memories later before the idiotic vampires who managed to capture him let him see Elizabeth.

Her voice was music to his ears. “No more secrets.”

“That sounds reasonable,” he said sincerely. After all, it did sound reasonable, but he was careful not to word it as a promise. There were still a great many things he didn’t want Elizabeth to know.

She turned to look at him, but she didn’t greet him with the smile he was expecting. Elizabeth thought he was a hallucination, a sign that she was on the verge of another breakdown. He couldn’t blame her. That bumbling turnip had made her think she was imagining him. If it weren’t for Milton, he would have gotten Elizabeth to help revive him. He was certain she would have done it too. She’d played right into his hands like soft clay.

“You can see him?” Elizabeth asked the brunette girl beside her.

Milton stepped beside Sebastian. “Everyone can.”

Elizabeth’s eyes burned. “You two had better explain everything right now.”

“For hundreds of years I was trapped in a mere semblance of existence, a shadow of my former glory,” Sebastian began.

“The Spark Notes version,” Elizabeth said, cutting him off with a sharp glare.

“She means that you should get to the point,” Milton explained.

“Yes, I gathered as much. Just because I have been desiccated in a box for five hundred years does not mean my brain has rotted, you turnip.” Sebastian smacked the back of Milton’s head. “I have excellent deduction skills.”

“Well, your explanation skills are extremely lacking,” Elizabeth said, crossing her arms. “How can everyone see you now? You said you were desiccated.”

“Yes, the sparkling notes of it is that I was desiccated by a witch whom I loved very much. She did it to protect me from the Croatoan. That amulet your friend used to destroy that monster was given to me by her. Elizabeth, you must know that I never intended to hurt you.”

“You seduced me to, what, get me to restore your body?”

“Well, yes,” Sebastian admitted. “That is how it started at least. I felt drawn to you, as you were to me. I was able to reach your mind, to be seen by you, and—”

“You tried to take advantage of my feelings,” Elizabeth accused, fire on her tongue. “You let me think you were a real physical being. I told everyone about you. You didn’t think to mention to me, just once, that I was the only person who could see you? You can be as charming as you want, but I can see through you now, Saruman.”

“Lizzie, just let him speak,” Milton said.

She turned a fierce glare on him. “You’re just as bad as he is. How long have you known he was real? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Milton shrugged. “I didn’t think you’d handle it well.”

“How long, MG?”

“I don’t know. Four or five days. But I wasn’t sure if he was real. I thought I was hallucinating too, you know? And then I didn’t even agree to help him. He tricked Wes into reviving him.”

“You mean Wade?”

“Yeah, him. He’s alive. Don’t worry. He just used him to get enough blood to be revived. But I’m not defending him. What he did was wrong. He shouldn’t have lied to you, Lizzie.”

“And you shouldn’t have either, MG. I just can’t deal with you guys right now.” She grabbed the brunette girl’s arm. “Come on, Josie. Let’s let lying vampires lie.”

They stormed out of the gym.

“Well, that could have gone better,” Sebastian said.

Milton hung his head. “I should never have unchained you. Come on, I let you talk to Lizzie. You promised you’d come with me to the headmaster’s office.”

“Oh, yes, so he can decide whether to kill me or not. Lead the way, Milton, but you should be warned that I am prepared to take you hostage should the need arise.”

Milton rolled his eyes, looking resigned. “Let’s just see what Vardemus has to say.”

…

As it turned out, Vardemus was not in any rush to release Sebastian into the wild. He thought it would be better to punish Sebastian by enrolling him in the school.

Sebastian was very irked by this decision, but it wasn’t like he had anywhere else to go. So what if he had to attend a few dull classes? Besides, the closer he was to Elizabeth, the better chance he had at winning her back. She would be furious for a few days, but he knew how she felt about him. Waiting for Elizabeth would be nothing compared to the five hundred years he’d spent in that blasted box.

The headmaster provided him with a set of school uniforms, and he was allowed to spend a small amount of money at the bargain shop in town. With Milton and Kaleb’s supervision of course. They went at night since Sebastian did not have one of those fancy rings they wore that kept them from burning in the sun. It was remarkable how much technology had advanced in the time he’d been gone. He was fascinated by every aspect of it. All the flashing lights and startling sounds, the winds that blew out of air vents, the steel vessels that people steered through the streets.

But the townspeople he encountered were the worst. They all shot him suspicious glances and held their purses tightly against their chests. Even in ordinary clothes, he appeared as a threat. The human instinct was to avoid danger. Unless, of course, you were Elizabeth Saltzman.

She knocked on his door the morning of October the first with an unexpected gift for him.

“It’s a daylight ring, or it will be once I enchant it. I need you to come with me today.”

Sebastian smiled, thrilled at the invitation. He’d been waiting all week for Elizabeth to come to him, but he hadn’t expected it to happen so soon. “Why I would be delighted to accompany you, Elizabeth.”

She rolled her eyes and pushed past him. “Come on, let’s enchant this damn thing.”

“Will it protect me from the sun permanently?” Sebastian asked, curious.

“Not exactly. I have it in my power to undo the spell at any moment.” Elizabeth smirked, a hint of danger behind those eyes. “So I suggest you behave yourself.”

Elizabeth walked over to the window and pulled back the curtains enough to create a sliver of light across the wooden floorboards. Sebastian was surprised to see it was snowing outside, unusual weather for this time of year. Elizabeth explained that she needed sunlight for the spell to work. She claimed that the sunlight through the snow would be enough. Hopefully she was right.

Sebastian watched her while she worked. Her pale blond hair danced through the soft sunlight as she leaned over the ring she’d placed on the floor. She was kneeling beside it, muttering some incantation in a language Sebastian didn’t care to remember.

Her hair shifted, exposing her neck for a moment, and he remembered with startling clarity the hairstyle she had worn to the sports game. All of it pulled back in a fine braid, her neck completely visible for all to see. So beautiful. He’d always found a long elegant neck to be one of the most attractive features a woman could have. That and her sharp eyes, accentuated by those dark brows. It was enough to make his imagination run wild.

He’d felt an intimacy with her in that moment underground. He had revealed what he was to her, taking a calculated risk, sensing that the danger would draw her in. But she had laughed in his face, relieved rather than afraid. Now that he had seen the school she attended and the kind of vampires she interacted with on a day-to-day basis, he understood her reaction.

“Are you quite sure you know what you’re doing?” he asked her, watching as her brows pinched together. This could be some trick to get him to walk outside. Maybe he underestimated her fury.

“Be quiet. I’m trying to concentrate,” she snapped.

“As you wish.”

“Zip it.” She leveled a harsh glare on him. It sent a pleasant chill down Sebastian’s spine. He could watch Elizabeth glare at him all day. It was part of their dance. She would act like she hated him while repressing the desire she felt, and he would try to get her to admit to her feelings.

Elizabeth picked up the ring. It had a stunning blue stone in it, no doubt the source of its power. “Here, put it on. We’ve got to leave before we get snowed in.”

Sebastian was only too eager to follow her orders. That is, until they got to the door to the outside world. He feared the ring would do nothing to shield him.

Elizabeth grabbed his arm and forced him out into the snow. He waited for his skin to sizzle, for the pain to shoot through him, but all he felt was the cold. He reached out a hand to let the snowflakes fall onto his palm before Elizabeth yanked him to the side of the school.

So Elizabeth wasn’t on a mission of vengeance after all? She really wanted to spend time with him outside of the school. Sebastian couldn’t help but smirk. Today was an excellent chance for him to finally get her to admit she still had feelings for him. He remembered their kiss very well, despite not being in his real body at the time. He’d still felt everything, though her emotions had been amplified. His connection had been to her spirit after all.

Though he could no longer feel her emotions, he was getting particularly good at reading her. Today’s adventure was an invitation to get to know her better, and he quite liked that idea. He followed her towards what she called “their ride.”

The steel vessel she produced looked old and worn. He watched Elizabeth climb into it first and followed her movements, sitting in the seat next to her. It wasn’t so different from a carriage, though there were no horses to drive it. He wondered if it ran on magic. He’d seen some of these in the town when he went shopping with Kaleb and Milton, but he had too much pride to ask them about it.

Elizabeth put a key into the vessel and turned it. The vessel hummed to life. He could feel the whole thing vibrating like a violin string. Elizabeth fiddled with some more knobs and the vessel began moving.

Once they were on their way, Sebastian stared out the window, watching the town pass by. He’d only seen it at night, and he’d never seen it covered in snow. All the children looked so happy, building shapes out of snow and throwing balls of snow at each other. It looked fun. He wished he could join them. A nice game with the children, and then he’d have a lovely conversation with one of the parents about how sweet her kids were, and then he’d compel her to follow him, and he’d get a taste of that sweet motherly love. And by love he meant blood. Damn he was hungry.

The snow melted away as they headed farther down the winding streets. Open fields and trees flew past them. This vessel moved faster than any horse Sebastian had ever ridden, yet compared to his vampire speed running, it was incredibly slow. One of the oddities of being a vampire. Traveling by normal methods always felt like a leisurely stroll.

Elizabeth turned another knob and music poured forth from the vessel. Sebastian nearly jumped out of his seat, and Elizabeth laughed at him, a wicked smirk on her lips.

Sebastian started fiddling with all the buttons, partially because he was curious at what they all would do, but mostly because he wanted to get Elizabeth back for startling him.

“Would you literally stop pushing my buttons?”

“So, she finally speaks, eh? Sorry, but this modern machinery fascinates me.”

Elizabeth grabbed his hand to move it away from the buttons. That brief skin-to-skin contact felt like a blessing.

Sebastian used to opportunity to voice his hunger, but it was clear Elizabeth was not going to let him prey upon a human, even if he had no intention of killing them. He wouldn’t kill anyone around Elizabeth at the very least.

He steered the conversation back to how Elizabeth obviously fancied him, but she did not like that at all. Elizabeth made the vessel screech to a halt, and Sebastian barely caught himself on the dashboard.

“You command this vessel like a drunken pirate,” he complained.

Elizabeth said she’d just seen a deer. Sebastian perked up, his mind already on that sweet blood. Animal blood was not as good as human blood, of course, but he was hungry enough not to care. Besides, it had to be better than the rabbit blood they served at the Salvatore School. That atrocity was barely fit for consumption.

“Is this some kind of test?” Sebastian asked, certain that it was.

Elizabeth assured him it was.

He knew that getting out of the vessel and pursuing the deer would mean failing the test. In fact, he knew there likely was no deer. He had not smelled anything deer-like, but he could sense that Elizabeth needed time to calm down by herself. He stepped out of the vessel, and sure enough she sped away from him.

Sebastian laughed. She really thought she could out-drive a vampire? He could catch up to her in minutes. But first, he did want to settle the rumbling in his stomach.

He turned his head, sniffing the air for any sign of wildlife. There was a farm not too far from here with some cows. Adequate. But he was hoping when he got there, he’d find a farmer to snack on.

…

Sebastian caught up to Elizabeth after darkness had descended. His stomach was satisfied. He’d found a farmer and his wife to sate his hunger. But now he had another kind of hunger, one he hoped Elizabeth could help him fulfill.

He recognized the boy Elizabeth was talking to. It was the one from school who was neither a witch nor a vampire nor a werewolf. A phoenix. He wondered if it was true that he would resurrect from death. Sebastian was too curious not to test the theory. He snapped the boy’s neck with a satisfying crack.

“I say, you people talk entirely too much when action is required,” he told Elizabeth, shaking his head.

She glared at him. “You just killed my friend.”

“Your friend? Really, now? The way you talk about him I figured he was an unwanted puppy. Anyways, he will arise from the ashes in a couple of hours, yes?”

“Don’t you know how to think before you act?”

Sebastian couldn’t help but smile, though he felt a little pained at her words. “I do an excessive amount of thinking, I assure you, Elizabeth Saltzman. Just as I have already considered all the ways to rekindle our romance.” He ran a finger along her arm, a gentle touch, a silent request for permission to touch her more.

Elizabeth stepped out of his reach. “We need to hurry back to the school. Come on, we can load Landon in the truck.”

“Is that really the way to treat your friend?”

“Right now he’s just a sack of dead weight. Besides, we can’t very well put him in the back seat. If we get stopped by a police officer, we’ll be in big trouble.”

“No, we wouldn’t. I could just compel them.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “I'd rather not have to deal with the police. What are you just standing there for? Pick him up.”

Sebastian grinned. He liked when Elizabeth bossed him around. He picked up the dead phoenix like he weighed nothing and carried him over to the vessel. “You seem to have lost the top of your vessel,” he said, staring at it curiously.

“Ugh, the top folds down. Stop asking questions, you ringwraith. Just put him in the trunk.” Elizabeth fiddled around with the knobs until the trunk opened with a click. Sebastian set the body into the trunk and slammed it shut.

“Don’t phoenixes normally burst into flames when they’re reborn? Shouldn’t we be worried he’ll set the vessel on fire?”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Maybe you should have thought of that before you killed him. I’m not an idiot.” She held up a glowing box. “I set a timer. We’ll just need to stop when the timer goes off and take him out of the trunk so he can burst into flames and rise from the ashes.”

“This device counts a specified amount of time. Like a candlestick?”

Elizabeth didn’t even bother answering him. She walked over to the vessel and got into the driver’s seat. She turned the key, and the car bobbed up and down, but it didn’t move forward like it did before.

“Is something wrong?” Sebastian asked, leaning his arms on the windowsill of the vessel.

“It’s fine. Sometimes it just takes a little time for it to get moving. I told you, this car is ancient.” She tried again but to no avail. Huffing in frustration, she pulled a metal tool out of the glove compartment and tossed it towards him.

Sebastian barely caught it. “What’s this?”

“I don’t know. An axel or something? Use it to fix the car.”

Sebastian lifted an eyebrow. “You want me to attempt to fix your vessel? Elizabeth, I do not even know how it works. What do you expect me to do?”

“You said you were good at deducting, so deduct.” She motioned to the car.

Sebastian walked around it, studying it for any oddities. He got to the back of the car. “Ah, it seems one of your wheels is less round than the others.”

“A flat tire then. We should have a spare in the back.”

“Next to the dead phoenix. Fantastic. Can you, uh, command the trunk to open?”

Elizabeth huffed. “Whatever.”

The trunk clicked as it popped open. Sebastian reached inside for a rubber wheel, but he found none. However, he could smell that a wheel was in the trunk somewhere. He felt along until he found a groove right under the dead phoenix. “Excuse me, good sir.” He pushed the phoenix out of the way so he could pull open the secret compartment and extract the wheel. He also found a box full of many different tools. He pulled it out in case any of them proved useful.

He slammed the trunk shut, and Elizabeth jumped in the car.

Sebastian smirked to himself. Finally, some proper payback for the music earlier. He set the wheel down next to the car and studied the one still attached to the car. This didn’t make any sense to him. He picked up the axel thing, wondering if he was supposed to hit the wheel with it or something, when he noticed the end fit the outline of the spokes on the wheel.

After that, it was easy enough to figure it out, and by that he meant it was incredibly difficult. He first managed to pull off the hubcap, as Elizabeth called it, but not the wheel itself.

Elizabeth lay down on the front of the car while he worked. He doubted she was sleeping though. She definitely did not trust him enough to lower her guard in his presence.

Most of the tools in the kit proved useless. Finally, he tried to axel again and was able to get the wheel off. He traded it with the new one.

“Well, this settles the matter,” he said at last. “You are a terrible pilot.” 

“I didn’t think that being with you could get any more miserable.”

Sebastian tossed the axel onto the ground. He was getting frustrated with Elizabeth. She clearly had feelings for them, but she was much more stubborn about fighting them than he had expected. “You are only angry because your plan to abandon me has failed.”

There was only one thing for it now. Things were moving too slow. He peeled off his shirt, ready to use his muscles to his advantage.

And that did the trick. Elizabeth could not look away from him. Their arguments turned into banter, and suddenly Sebastian knew what he had to do. He had figured out before when he was still without a working body that Elizabeth was drawn to danger. He only needed to remind her just how dangerous he was.

He gripped her throat, and time seemed to slow down as he looked into her eyes, searching for that familiar thrill. “And you are forgetting that I am dangerous.”

“Stop talking.” She moved his hand. “Action is required.”

Those were his words, and he couldn’t be more delighted to hear them thrown back at him. She pulled him into a fierce kiss, and Sebastian felt vindicated in his theory. Elizabeth Saltzman wanted him because he was dangerous, and she was giving him permission to show him just how dangerous he could be.

He didn’t want to hurt her too much, but a little pain might be just what she was craving. He lifted her up so she could wrap her legs around him, and he pushed her into a sitting position on the hood of the car, removing a layer of her clothes while the kissing intensified.

He felt like he’d been starved for hundreds of years as he pressed Elizabeth down onto the hood of the car. She wrapped her legs around him, running her fingers through his hair and tugging. A pleasant shiver ran down Sebastian’s spine. He felt welcome in her embrace.

He tightened his grip around her waist, pulling her closer to him. With his other hand he slipped her shirt over her head. It tangled in her hair, and she giggled, helping him get it over her head. He tossed it aside, and ran a hand down the middle of her chest.

Elizabeth reached behind her and fumbled around, biting her lip, until her bra popped off. She tossed it onto the car seat and propped herself up on her elbows.

Sebastian drank in the sight of her. Beautiful, flawless skin. Her silky hair draped across her chest. Those perfect nipples peeking out through the strands. Her eyes were like a flame drawing him in. Oh, he wanted all of her, but she was almost too precious to touch. He worried that if he went too far, if she didn’t really want this, he’d ruin any chance he had with this angel.

“Are you sure this is okay?” he asked. He felt like a tightly wound coil. If she said yes, he would spring into action, but if she said no, he would need to get far away from her, work out this energy in some other way.

“Yes, I’m sure. Now make me feel alive, Sebastian.”

He smirked. That he could do.

[dianamjackson]

How To Achieve World Peace (2020)

I have figured out a few things that explain common phenomena in society but are routinely overlooked.

I can explain why conservatives and liberals have always existed, and why conservatives are often in power. I can explain ‘black sheep’ of families and why almost everyone has a ‘weird aunty’ or a ‘weird uncle.’ I can explain why artists are so often depressed, so creative and so misunderstood. I can explain conformity and non-conformity. I can explain Michael Jackson’s attraction to shiny things, and everything else about him.

The thing to remember is that we are animals like all the others, and that our evolutionary history shaped us — not culture. People who think culture is stronger hold that individuals choose their preferences in life, which is false. People choose the things they do because they’re programmed that way by evolution, and it is not one size fits all.

There are two main sorts of humans on the earth: family types (making up at least 80% of the population) and leaders (making up the rest).

Family types evolved to survive, raise families and do exactly what their parents did. For this reason they are conservative, incurious (because any new thing is a potential threat to existing conditions), blinkered and have a practical and deductive intelligence rather than a synthetic and inductive one. Leaders are explorers — their education never ends. Their permanent curiosity ensures they are forever exploring, making new connections and forming new hypotheses.

Without this neat ~80/20 balance, human society would not progress. Without the leaders, no new inventions would be created and we’d all still be living in caves. Without family types, nothing could be instantiated and there would be anarchy. Nature or God or whatever is responsible for the order we see in the universe worked this ideal ratio out so that beings could develop and differentiate and proliferate — basically, to make manifest the creativity of the universe.

I remember a few years ago reading Satoshi Kanazawa’s book The Intelligence Paradox, wherein he describes the traits of people with above-average intelligence: they are usually night owls, are less likely to marry and have kids, enjoy experimenting with drugs, are highly curious and creative. I think he was fired from Psychology Today for stating his findings. Ah, political correctness getting in the way of science, again.

Growing up I noticed a pattern in every family I encountered: the parents were normal enough (after all, they were parents), one child was robust and similar to the parents, and the other was a highly sensitive, interesting and curious type. If there were more than two children, there were more robust types than sensitive types.

Growing up I had a hell of a time in my family. I loved staying up late reading, writing and playing music. I loved the night so much that I covered my windows during the day, which is something Jimi Hendrix also did. My parents were dismayed and couldn’t understand why I was so different to them. I also liked going out for days, exploring and experimenting. I was, of course, extremely artistic from the beginning. I understood concepts at school very quickly, and got in trouble for breaking the rules and prioritising my own ideals over that of my superiors.

All these behaviours label children, and the adults they become, ‘troublemakers’ and rebels. “Why can’t they just behave?” parents and teachers lament. Well, because evolution programmed them that way. But back then I would’ve utilised a far shorter answer.

Leader types, being highly sensitive, experience the discord of growing up in families of followers very intensely and in far higher resolution. If a father is strict and domineering, the sensitive child will feel he is ruled by a tyrant. Off-handed criticisms will be stab wounds that are nursed for years and years. Their deep processing will have them mulling and stewing over the slightest things that followers forget in the very next moment.

Thousands of years ago, human tribes had to hunt animals, gather foods, build shelters, live in the shelters and raise families. Distinct human types evolved to carry out these different tasks.

Leaders are the hunting and exploring type. They were the ones who went out, probably at night, to look for food. To be good at this, they had to be highly sensitive so they could hear every noise, smell every smell, feel the vaguest touch on their skin and see the slightest movement. They had to be brave and bold to explore scary places. They had to be graceful and silent as cats to sneak up on prey, but aggressive enough to actually kill. They had to have loud, developed voices in order to communicate with other members of the hunting party. They had to be confident of their own opinion and communicate it effectively to others in order to lead.

They also had to be able to imitate other animals they encountered, to seem less threatening. They also had to be ingratiating in order to win the trust of people they only just met — and they would have met many people on their travels. They had to be highly adaptable to quickly get used to ever-changing environments. They had to be physically robust and agile to withstand the rigours of their itinerant hunting life. They developed the classic ‘rolling stone’ personality — Jimi couldn’t stand being in the same place for three months, let alone years. They also needed great and detailed memories, to remember where they’d been.

With their keen vision they would spot anomalous objects in the environment — shiny things might indicate water, and colourful things (especially red and yellow) would indicate food. Look at the colours and shiny things Michael wears and is attracted to. Watching him shopping is literally watching a leader type hunting in the forest thousands of years ago.

Their sensitivity is responsible for their artistry. As I read somewhere (possibly in Elaine Aron’s book The Highly Sensitive Person), not all highly sensitive people are geniuses, but all geniuses are highly sensitive. Charles Darwin lined his room with cork to keep the noise out. Jimi, as mentioned, covered his windows with black fabric. All this is to minimise stimulation. Because highly sensitive people take in so much more information from their environment, and process it so much more deeply, they need to restrict it only to what is most important to them.

Being a night owl, as Kanazawa found in his research, was related to higher intelligence. Much hunting probably occurred at night, when the animals were about, or it was easier to travel without being seen. The peace and stillness of the night also minimises stimulation for highly sensitive leader types. Intelligence itself is required to make connections between disparate phenomena, entertain several possible explanations, and synthesise information to decide on a verdict and course of action. The activity of hunting would have honed the intelligence of leader types. Any kind of physical bodily movement and coordination increases brain power — dancing for example. Moving the body in space. I relate this to moving ideas around in one’s head. This is how I did philosophy at university: I literally saw concepts as interacting forms in my mind. Einstein also thought in visual-spatial terms.

Something fascinating about stimulation is that leader types seem to become rapidly overwhelmed by experiences that family types consider quite routine and harmless, but at the same time, they crave intense stimulation. Paradoxical personalities, innit? Clearly, not all stimulation is created equal: a normal day in an office as an employee would be intense and overwhelming for a leader, but then they go out at night, attracted by the bright lights and shiny things of the city, loud music and the stage, and crowds.

A hypothesis of mine is that leader types are born with ‘happy’ neurotransmitter deficits. The strong correlation of substance use and abuse with artists, I think, is related to this deficit. In general, almost everything that makes us feel good — no matter what type of animal you are — does so because it fulfils some evolutionary prerogative. Leader types evolved to be sad — is what I’m saying. They are naturally sad. Therefore, they are forced to do things of a specific kind to alleviate that sadness. Michael is really good at being sad, but he’s also really good at alleviating that sadness. Drugs, alcohol, excitement, driving fast, athletics, dancing, bright colours, shiny things, movement, strong sunlight, making people feel and do things, eating certain foods, exploring, romance, helping and educating people, learning, discovering, conquering, mystery — all of these things alleviate the natural depression of the leader type. Fasting, too. What could more blatantly inspire a person to go out and hunt, besides hunger? Both Michael and myself had anorexia, but his was more extreme perhaps because he was more sensitive or his upbringing was more damaging, and he was constantly in the spotlight. But apart from the self-soothing reason, and the aesthetic reason (wanting a “dancer’s body”), I think we literally like to be hungry, as it were. I do believe he said, in his delightful hyperbole: “I hate food.” It keeps us searching. Anything that inspires a leader type to go out and be a leader will feel good, because that’s what nature wants us to do.

Mystery is integral for the leader type. It’s one of the main motivators of action and a guarantee of happiness and flourishing. I finally understand the propensity for this type to entertain idealistic romances and muses. Try making a person give up something that guarantees them happiness! As C. S. Lewis said so well “Desiring desire is the fullest possession we can know.” I finally understand this. What I want is to be in a state of desire, because it’s animating, life-giving, exciting. Why else would I love improvising so much? I love the mystery of not knowing what will come out of my guitar, what I will sing, or what dance moves I will come up with. I love mystery so much that all my essays are pretty much streams of consciousness.

Everything is on a spectrum, including family type/leader proclivity, and gender too. Effeminate men prefer masculine women; masculine men prefer feminine women. It’s all about balancing genetics to bring about the best complementarity. Who you’re attracted to is not a choice. Those with feminine hips are attracted to masculine hips; those with deep-set eyes are attracted to protuberant eyes; square-jaws are attracted to heart-shaped jaws; pinched-in cheeks are attracted to smoother, convex cheekbones. You can set your watch by this stuff.

Leader types also tend to be gender-indeterminate, or “in the middle” with respect to the male-female spectrum. This gives them the best of both worlds — e.g. deep empathy and nurture from the female side, and single-minded determination and action from the male. I do not think this is a degeneracy. Rather, in my view it is actually a requirement for leader types. To be too male or too female would be a hindrance for a leader.

In politics, there will always be conservatives and liberals, and more conservatives than liberals, because these represent the two primary types of humans, and their ratio, on earth.

The way to achieve world peace is to acknowledge the two broad types. Both are necessary for the survival and continuation of the human species. Conflict can seed change, but oftentimes we could do with a little less conflict and a little more understanding. Understanding of the millennia-old biology of our species that is — not politically correct ‘tolerance’. We need to understand things instead of merely tolerating them.

But the sobering reality is that family types can never fully understand leaders, and leaders can never fully understand family types. Each has a very different evolutionary prerogative that is very deeply ingrained. For one to understand the other, the one needs to literally inhabit the physical body of the other — which is currently impossible. Type ‘goes all the way down’ — the nervous system is different, the brain is different, the emotions are different, the values are different — everything is different.

This is why ‘black sheep’ — a derogatory term that betrays a lack of understanding on the part of the family types (but it is after all in their nature to demonise difference because it is threatening) — get along better with friends, aunties and uncles and other leaders unrelated to them instead of their own families. And it’s interesting that they’re called ‘black’: I have noticed highly sensitive leader types do often wear black, and I think this is to minimise stimulation. It’s one less item for them to process.

This is why certain kids act out at school, and why every person I admire from Debussy to Miles Davis to Isadora Duncan to Walt Disney quit the schools they were at. This is why Michael left the Jacksons and struck out on his own. This is why Zappa stayed up all night drinking coffee making the music he wanted to hear regardless of what other people thought about it.

This is also why the majority of people — the followers — shun, disbelieve and are afraid of leader types. The reason J. K. Rowling had to pitch her book to 200 publishers was because she saw the value of her work, but the publishers — who aren’t leaders — could not. The more innovative a thing, the less followers can comprehend its value. Followers are biologically programmed to play it safe and not take risks. This is infuriating for leaders, but the solution is not anger, but rather perseverance. Think of J. K. being turned away from the 199th publisher. Perseverance. Bang on long enough about something and family types will eventually stop feeling threatened because now you’re part of the furniture.

Another paradoxical thing about family types feeling threatened by leaders is that leaders are, in almost every instance, seeking to make the world a better place with their works. Think of Tesla. Leaders need family types — the two are in symbiosis — so it is definitely not in a leader’s interests to harm their followers. They are shepherds, not wolves. Empathy for their pack is high, because a leader who doesn’t care for their flock will not be followed for long. The extremely high degree of similarity between myself and Michael can be, to a great extent, explained by the fact that we are of the same human type (and probably share some genetics too). He has all the characteristic leader type qualities: he’s highly sensitive, an artist and a musician, he’s obsessed with the way people and animals move and is very curious. He loves bright colours and shiny things, which are food. I believe he said he loved Disney films so much “I could just eat (them)!” (I told a friend once that his photographs made me hungry; he looked at me like I was insane.) And of course the beautiful — Michael loves beauty — he goes weak in its presence. If there’s something he doesn’t understand, he’s fascinated by it and will obsess over it. He has a highly developed somatic-neuronal ability (that’s my term; I don’t know the correct neurological term), which is why his movements are so fluid and why he can imitate others so easily. He’s both male and female, has a great strong voice, resists authority, is ingratiating and immediately loveable, likes climbing trees and running around, staunchly believes in his own vision and he made looking after his ‘tribe’ the central mission of his life. He owned thousands of books and was constantly reading, usually by himself. All Michael’s searching made him very knowledgeable, of course. He liked to associate with fellow talented and driven people, from whom he gathered even more leadership advice. Michael’s not messing around — the advice he gives you is the advice he’s given himself. He experiments on himself. He’s a leader — a real leader — so he wants to help. One day I was dancing at home and came up with a certain move. Two weeks later, I happened to be watching a video of Mike’s and saw him do the exact same move. I couldn’t believe it. At the time I came up with it, I had no memory of having seen him do any such move. I was dancing in the mirror, and happened to trace the outline of my thigh with a finger — it was totally spontaneous and improvised. I liked that I was drawing and dancing at the same time — I do draw and dance, so it was exciting for me to do them simultaneously. In his video he was dancing to Dangerous, and he did that move. I thought “So now he’s copying me?!” This kind of thing happens often, and not just in dancing. For example, I’ll have some opinion about something, then later hear that he has the same opinion about that thing. Or I’ll happen to think of something I did when I was a lot younger, and it turns out he did the exact same thing. Then there’s the Star Wars thing, the one glove thing, the cape thing, the cutting the front of our shirts thing, the liking the same colours thing, the gum and TicTac thing, the similar music taste and compositional style thing, the sitting down with one leg or arm stretched out thing, the liking the exact same part of the flight attendant demonstration thing... We even have the same taste in women. Type, type, type. Once you know someone’s type, you can pretty much get out your checklist and starting ticking things off. Although, I don’t at this point know where type ends and genetics begin, because a lot of these similarities must owe to genetics, not type. I’ll work on this.

Being childlike is, I am positing, an integral part of the leader-hunter-HSP type. Mike and I both retained our childlike attitude to the world. For me, I distinctly remember the day I made the decision to never grow up. I was 14, on the basketball courts in junior high school near the end of the day. I thought “It’s just so much fun being a kid, I’m not going to grow up. Why should I?” It was also around that time that I decided what my life’s goal would be, having just read Freud: to be myself. I didn’t want to be a fireman or a lawyer or a teacher — I wanted to be myself, my truest self. Even back then, I knew this was a worthy goal, and I knew that it would be difficult.

Mike famously identified with Peter Pan, and passionately championed a childlike view of the world. He often claimed this was because he was denied a childhood, but I think there’s more at work here than that fact alone. Even if he had had a more normal childhood, he’d still probably have remained pretty childlike, because that’s an integral characteristic of the leader type. Being childlike — being open, innocent, relentlessly curious, able to withhold judgement, and trusting — is essential to being a leader. If leaders weren’t open to new information (i.e. adaptable), etc — they wouldn’t be effective leaders. If a leader didn’t trust his advisors, he couldn’t get anything done. Suspicion is poison.

It’s known that Mike was trusting. He advised his friend Brett Ratner that one of the big lessons he learned was “not to trust everybody in the industry; there are a lot of sharks.” But a person who is naturally trusting has a hard time trying to become the opposite, let me tell you. To be trusting is beautiful; when a trusting person is betrayed, it is not they who have erred.

It has fascinated me over my lifetime to observe the way sexual desire can be completely decoupled from child-rearing. Leader types definitely have sexual desire: just think of Jimi. Mike too, Madonna, Greta Garbo, Picasso. With men it’s fairly straight-forward, but I always wondered how female leaders could get away with it, seeing as they’d be having so many children but no desire to look after them — clearly a less-than-ideal situation. Maintaining a pregnancy and then a baby would definitely slow them down and make them vulnerable to attack. Nature may have solved this problem by making leader types infertile. After all, their genes will be passed on via their siblings’ children, so there’s no need for them to do it personally. It prevents overpopulation. And besides, their legacy is cultural innovation, not physical progeny. Some say that Mike was infertile. It could well be that this is by nature’s design.

Barbara Sher calls leader types ‘scanners’. Scanners are people who flit from one thing to the next, seemingly at random, are reading 50 books at any one time, and change careers frequently — you get the idea. But my contention is that leader types do this in order to get the best ‘lay of the land’. If they didn’t, if they were a specialist in some tiny nook of expertise, what would they know about the world? Nothing! All they’d know is their little area (which there’s nothing wrong with by the way, it’s just not the scanner approach). Scanners scan. They try to get the best view of everything — figuratively and literally.

I know this type is rare, but I don’t know how rare. I’ve certainly never encountered anyone as similar to me before, but then I don’t know everyone. Surely a person with such obvious and anomalous qualities would rise to prominence, almost by default. They’re generally in art, but not just anywhere. They’re in the ‘I’m either myself or dead’ camp. Michael’s well-known because he’s well-known, and because he so strongly felt the need to share his values with the world, he thereby revealed himself. There could be many of us. Some may prefer to remain unknown. I don’t know yet.

As I said before, everything is on a spectrum, so you could be a more or less extreme leader type, and a more or less extreme family type. There may be sub-types. The ‘lone wolf’ is an extreme leader type. Aldous Huxley said “The more original and powerful a mind, the more inclined it is to the religion of solitude.” I think lone wolves relate best to other lone wolves; other types will simply be too different. They’re introverted because there’s a whole world inside their heads, and much of the outside input they’d encounter would actually hinder their progress. As a leader, stepping outside of the leader pack can be incredibly demoralising. Out there, there's a flattening going on. If you have a sleepover with kids, all of a sudden it's about sex. If you say the n word, it's suddenly all about race. And you think, “Why is everything about sex and race? Are there not more things to discuss? Develop some granularity in your approach already!” The flattening is in full swing at the moment, with so many red herrings slapping around that you can’t hear yourself think. (Contemplating that kinda makes me hungry... All those shiny fish...) Maybe the majority do this in order to feel safer: if they can reduce indeterminate phenomena to something simple, then they can feel like they know what they're dealing with. Simplify and blame. It’s a stupid game, and so boring. I'm not at all surprised that artists feel the need to invent entirely new worlds to escape this shit.

So there you have it: there is a naturalistic, evolutionary explanation for so many of the specific human behaviours that we observe in society. The choices people make are, in large part, due to their evolutionary type. Encountering Michael was the icing on my cake of investigation, because I reasoned there had to be an explanation as to why we’re so similar and I knew that it wasn’t due to mere chance.

So if you’re a sensitive, introverted kid who likes doing their own thing and your family gives you hell for being strange and different — for God’s sake, understand that there’s nothing wrong with you. Nothing at all. You’ve been designed to be the way you are over millions of years of evolution, because this is the only way humanity can work. You are the reason we have electricity, cars, great works of art, beautiful films and music, incredible dancers and athletes, mathematics, poetry, physics, philosophy, engineering, comfortable houses and beds, heating, space exploration, wonderful stories and the rule of law. All of these things were invented by leader types. The most important thing is to know who you are. It’s Quincy Jones’ first rule too. Once you know that, you will make much better decisions in all areas of your life. “A guy can dig ditches and enjoy it”, as Jimi said. If you want to be happy and effective, you must be doing things that align with your particular nature.

Don’t waste years doing things other people tell you to do. What do they know about you, anyway? Do they know your deepest desires? No they don’t, because to discover them is long, personal work. No-one can do it for you. Your mum can’t do it for you. I don’t care if she’s your mother and she wants the best for you -- she’s not you. Don’t do things for extrinsic rewards like money or fame. I recall reading a teacher who complained that all his kids just want to be famous, but then he asked them “Famous for what?” People who become famous do so because they’re passionate and obsessed with something and thereby become very good at it. Don’t desire to be famous, desire to become obsessed with something. Fall in love with something. Then you’ll probably become famous anyway, but by then you won’t care, because all you want to do is the thing you’re obsessed with.

But family types are essential too. Just because they don’t innovate, they create a stable society in which everyone — including leader types — can live. They create and maintain order, follow instructions and implement your ideas. They start families and actually create the people society needs, including all future leaders.

The two types must know about, respect and be thankful for each other, for neither could live without the other.

Masses of conflict rage each day because people think that other people act the way they do by choice. But things are so incredibly ingrained, that it’s quite absurd to think that anyone makes any kind of choice. We do have free will, but can only exercise it to the point our fundamental orientation allows. Can’t fight one’s nature, as Orwell said. Fight it too long and she’ll make you pay, with your health or your life.

It is apparent to me that my entire discussion has remained completely materialistic. I’ve not touched upon so-called ‘supernatural’ phenomena at all. I don’t like the term ‘supernatural’ because, if something exists, it is natural — no matter how perplexing or odd, everything is Nature, everything is natural. It’s not like the earth and its rocks are natural, and then precognition of the future and witnessing midnight processions of long-deceased people — as Jung and others did, centuries apart mind you — are outside of the natural. Everything is natural. If it happened, it was natural, and there is an explanation.

Now it might seem boring to learn that all these things in fact have a boring materialistic explanation. But as usual, there are many more things that we don’t yet know. The perplexing nature of time, for example. I suspect that time is very different to how most people conceive of it, but that discussion is for another time.

Back to the strictly material. A few hundred years of culture won’t put a dent in millennia of evolution. Culture is itself an outgrowth of evolution, and it needs to humbly acknowledge this fact instead of thinking that now it is king. The patterns and drives of Nature are king, and they explain everything. DS 06-07/2020

[honeypiehotchner]

Trust -- part ten

Your and Sherlock’s friendship appears to be just as Ms. Hudson suggested: a good thing.

           John has never seen you this happy – granted, he has only known you for almost two months now. Well, not happy, necessarily, because he doesn’t feel right in saying you’re happy when both men who saved your life – John means to ask you for more context at some point – are now dead. But if he didn’t know any better, he would say you seem…happy.

           A powerful thing it is, a façade.

           You know how John worries. You know Sherlock shares some of the concern, even though he would probably throw a fit before he admitted to it. And your concern with Sherlock is more or less with his observational skills and blurted deductions. You’d rather keep him off your back, which is where this façade comes more into play.

Regardless, you know how they both are – especially your brother.

           John has been worrying about you for too long. You know he hasn’t stopped worrying from the day he met you, and you don’t want that to be what he fills his days with. He deserves to fill his days with better things, not worrying about his half-sister who might as well still be a stranger.

           So, you’re sleeping in your flat now. And by sleeping you mean you don’t. At all.

           Lucky for you, another small investment you made with Mycroft’s money was some makeup to cover the bags under your eyes. It isn’t foolproof, but it’s enough to lessen the color so that when paired with a bright smile, you seem like everything is totally okay.

           Even if everything is as farthest away from being okay than it ever has been.

           But you’re keeping yourself distracted. You think the real reason you are able to keep up the façade is that it’s just something else to distract you. And that is precisely what you need right now. You don’t have time to grieve right now when Gidon is still out there, even if he has been totally silent and surprisingly nonexistent the past few days. And, despite Sherlock’s kind words and kind intentions from the rooftop, you know you don’t deserve to grieve the loss of friends who you got killed in the first place. They saved your life, and it was your responsibility to return the favor, not get them both murdered. It’s your fault entirely, therefore grieving their deaths seems ridiculous and something you’re unworthy of.

           Distractions. You’ve read more books in the past six days than you probably ever have in your entire life. They’re in a neat stack in the corner of your room, most of them being John’s, so you sneak a couple back to the shelves upstairs when Sherlock is too buried in his mind palace to notice you and John is out (presumably) with Mary or his friend Mike.

           You and Sherlock have played just about every game he owns, all while making up your own rules and creating new paths because the games can get rather dull after the third or fourth round. He’s been surprisingly willing to play them with you, which you do find somewhat odd considering he would typically be doing better things like experimenting or investigating. But you suppose he does all that when you retreat to your flat because you always hear him walking around.

           You blast the records you bought more often than not, your most recent obsession being that of Queen. So much so, that you’ve decided today is the day you’ll go outside and go to the record store. You need to get more records – maybe a chair, you still haven’t gotten that yet – but definitely a couple more records. You had asked Molly about having lunch together today, but that has been pushed out until Monday because she’s rather busy, but you don’t mind—

           “Oh, hi,” John chuckles, straightening the collar of his coat. “Where are you heading off to?”

           “The record store,” you blurt, possibly a little too quickly. “And maybe a bookstore.”

           “Okay,” he narrows his eyes, and your mind immediately tells you to flash a smile, wanting to convey to him that you’re still absolutely totally alright. “Well, I’m uh, about to meet Mary for lunch if you’d like to join us.” He pauses. “She wants to meet you.”

           “Oh, um, maybe a different day,” you smile sheepishly. You’re not sure if John notices that today is the sixth day since Allen was murdered, but regardless, you think it’s best if you stay alone today, so that way if something does happen…well, it’ll only happen to you. “Sorry.”

           “No, no it’s okay. We’ll plan a day. Maybe even drag Sherlock out, too.”

           “Sounds good.” You don’t think Sherlock will agree to that, but okay. You think this is more of John trying to have a moment with you. You’ve been avoiding moments with him because, well, for starters Sherlock has been obsessed with Cluedo (probably because John wouldn’t let him play it for so long; he told you about that) and you’ve been intentionally filling your time. Sorry, Johnny.

           “Okay,” he nods, flashing his own smile. “Do you… You said you’re going to the record store?”

           “That’s the plan.”

           John sighs. That’s at least a ten-minute walk – because he knows you won’t take a taxi, you prefer walking. And it’s in the opposite direction he’s going, though he isn’t sure you’d want him to walk you to the store anyway, and then what happens when he leaves you?

           “Hang on a second. I’ll be right back.” He turns and goes back up the stairs, leaving you in the doorway of your flat with a puzzled look.

           While he’s gone, you lock your door, stuffing the keys into your pocket. You check your other pocket, making sure your cash is there, but it takes a second to really feel the bills. You clench your hand into a fist, trying to stop the shaking – and to start circulation again. Your hand isn’t cold, though, so circulation appears to be fine. Your brain is probably playing tricks on you due to the lack of sleep, that’s all. You shake your wrist out just as John is coming back down the stairs with…

           “A gun?”

           “Yeah, it’s mine,” he pauses, holding it out to you. “Take it.”

           “What?”

           “Y/N,” he breathes. “Please. Just take it.”

           “I’m not taking a gun with me to the record store, John, that’s insane!”

           “It’s not insane when there’s someone out there who wants to kill you.”

           “And you think a gun would stop him?” You blurt the rhetorical question before you can even think, the gravity of your words settling in when you see John frown deeply. It’s natural, you suppose.  Quickly, you try to say something else. “Look, I just don’t feel comfortable carrying that around.”

           “I don’t feel comfortable with you not being able to protect yourself.”

           You blink, his response not being one you were anticipating. “I can protect myself just fine.”

           He gives you a skeptical look.

           Fine, you think. He wants me to open up, I’ll open up.

           “Last time I held a gun, I killed a man,” you admit, maintaining eye contact to be sure he hears you with this. “You can imagine why I’d be hesitant to handle one again.” It is true, after all. You may be the Troublemaker – though lately you aren’t so sure you are anymore – but you never killed anyone. Until that one night. And since then, you haven’t held a gun. You know Gidon is dangerous. And you know he has to be stopped.

           “Y/N…”            But you’ve already turned to head out the door.

           “No, John. I’ll be fine.” If Gidon wants to come after me, he can. I don’t care. “I’ll call you if anything happens.”

           “No you won’t.”

           You turn around, raising your eyebrows. “Sorry?”

           “You heard me. You won’t.”

           You sigh.

           “I’ve given you the option to call me before, and you haven’t. So, please, don’t say you will if you’re not going to.”

           “Well, if nothing happens then I won’t need to call you, will I?”

           He steps up to you, holding his gun out once more. “Take it. If you want me to stop worrying, then take the bloody gun.”

           You reach forward, tempted to take the weapon when you see the relief in his eyes, but you shake your head, pushing the gun back toward him. “I’ll be okay. And if anything happens, I promise – John, I’m serious. I promise I’ll call you.”

           You see him clench his jaw, before he nods, letting you win this round. “Okay,” he breathes. “Come here.”

           You already know what he needs, seeing that look in his eyes. You wrap your arms around his neck, giving him the biggest hug you’ve ever given him. You don’t want to think cynically right now, but if something does happen, you do want your last memory of him to be a good, secure hug. Not an argument over a gun.

           “You better call me,” he says again, shaking your shoulders. “But have fun. Spend some money.”

           “That’s my plan,” you chuckle. “I’ll see you later? Or tomorrow?”

           “Alright, I see,” he gives you a look, reading what you’re implying perfectly. “Later. Mary has something to do tonight.”

           “Oh? What does she do?”

           “She’s a nurse, but--”

           “Shame. I thought you were gonna say stripper.”

           John’s eyes widen before he practically shoves you toward the door, all while you’re laughing – which does make him feel momentarily better, your laughter. It makes you feel better too, to add some light to this situation before you go.

           “I’m kidding you! Christ, you should know better by now. Don’t take anything that comes out of my mouth too seriously.”

           “Yes, I know, now get outta here.”

           “Gladly,” you smirk, feeling a little lighter now that he’s off your shoulders. You aren’t sure by how much, but it must be at least a little.

~~~

Shopping for new records would go smoother if you didn’t feel like someone was watching you.

           John’s words echo in your mind. You better call me. But you aren’t sure if this warrants a call to your older brother because it very well could be your lack of sleep. And you’ve had to deal with days like these before, where you haven’t slept in ages. You did manage a few hours last night, but nowhere near what would be deemed a normal amount. Regardless, your senses are all heightened. And while that would normally be a wonderful thing – you know, be aware of your surroundings at all times – today it is rather annoying.

           Gidon doesn’t come to mind because while it is the sixth day, the pattern seems unlikely to you. Yes, Tony was murdered after six days, but Gidon wouldn’t return to that style. You know how he works, and he would want you to wait. It also could be some religious thing, but you haven’t looked into that just yet.

           All you know, is you’ve felt someone staring at you – well, not so much staring as watching – for the past thirty minutes.

           You turn to look in a different crate, hoping to get a better view of whoever it is – and you do. It’s a man in a full suit with sunglasses on. Security of some sort.

           Security.

           “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” you mutter under your breath. This absolutely warrants a call to your older brother, and maybe someone else, too. You press your phone to your ear, waiting for him to pick up, and in true John fashion, he picks up on the second ring. “John? Hi—”

           “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

           “I’m fine. You wouldn’t have happened to tell Mycroft I was going out today, would you?”

           “I, uh, haven’t spoken to Mycroft, why?”

           You feel like he’s lying, but you let it slide anyway. “Hm, okay. Let me call him.”

           “Y/N—”

           You end the call – you’ll call him back; he can calm down – instead calling a certain Mycroft Holmes this time. He picks up almost immediately, which just screams guilty. Even if John didn’t call him – you’re trying to believe John doesn’t worry that much – you know Mycroft has eyes literally everywhere.

           “Mr. Holmes, I do not need a babysitter.”

           You hear him sigh. “Is he bothering you? I told him to be discreet.”

           “So he is your pet,” you give the man a hard look, but he continues staring straight ahead. “I’ll say it again. I don’t need a babysitter.”

           “Well, Miss L/N, I’d argue that you do.”

           “What the hell for?”

           He doesn’t answer you. Instead, you watch as a black car pulls up to the curb outside the record store in the same spot it did all those weeks ago.

           You sigh into the phone. “I’m not in the mood, Mycroft.”

           “Yes, I know,” he deadpans. “I need to speak with you.”

           “Well, I gathered that.”

           “Now, Y/N.”

           “Okay, fine. I’m going.”

           You end his call, rolling your eyes as the man in the suit turns and walks to the door, holding it open for you. Grumbling like a toddler – which is what you feel like right now – you get into the car, immediately dialing John’s number.

           “Hello?”

           “Hey.”

           “Y/N? Are you okay?”

           “Yeah, I’m fine,” you glance out the car window, noticing the street signs. Mycroft must be opting for his actual office instead of a dirty warehouse this time. “I’m on my way to see Mycroft.”

           “Mycroft?” John asks incredulously. You still can’t detect any lie, but you also can’t see his face right now.

           “Yes, he had a babysitter in the bloody record store. I called him and he confessed, and now he suddenly wants to speak with me.”

           “Well,” John sighs. “It’s Mycroft.”

           “Unfortunately,” you chuckle. “Hey, John?”

           “Yes?”

           “I called you.”

           “Yes, you did. Thank you.”

           You smile. “Are you with Mary?” You know he is, but you felt like you should ask.

           “Yes, she’s uh—She’s sitting across from me.”

           “Good. Tell her I said hi. And sorry for interrupting your date.”

           “I’m not telling her that.”

           “Did you tell her I thought she was a stripper?”

           “Y/N!”

           “John! I’m kidding!” You let out a loud laugh, leaning your head on the car window, feeling the vehicle slow down. “Still, tell her I said hello. I’m here to see Mycroft now.”

           “Okay. I’ll tell her.”

           Your car door opens, which is essentially your cue to get out and get off the phone. “Here I am. Talk to you later, Johnny.”

“How is my brother?”

           “You know, if you really wanted to know how he is, you could just talk to him.” You cross your arms over your chest while Mycroft pours you a cup of tea. “But he’s fine.”

           Mycroft could’ve told you that. Sherlock is always fine. Mycroft hums, indirectly wanting you to continue.

           You roll your eyes dramatically. “He’s fine. We’ve played every game he has, but Cluedo the most. He’s eating, I’m eating. He’s good. He still doesn’t sleep, but then when does he ever?”

           Mycroft freezes, eyeing you suspiciously. “‘We,’ as in…?”

           You raise your eyebrows. “Me…and Sherlock. We play games to pass the time. Are you okay?”

           “I’m fine, yes.” He pauses to hand you your tea before settling into his chair across from you. “Now—”

           “Okay, first, if you need to talk to me, just phone me. I have a phone for a reason. That specific reason, actually. That’s what it does. And second, I do not need a babysitter.”

           “Yes, as you’ve stated many times.”

           “I’m serious, Mycroft.”

           “I’m serious, too, Y/N, and if you had any idea what Gidon Dietrichson is capable of, then you would understand.”

           “I know what he’s capable of. I’ve gone up against him, remember?”

           “Yes, which resulted in your hospitalization. By the way, how’s the shoulder?”

           You clench your jaw. You didn’t think it was possible for someone to push your buttons as much as Sherlock does sometimes, so thank God Mycroft is here to remind you. “Fine. Good as new.”

           “And yet you wouldn’t take John’s gun.”

           You chuckle, placing your cup down on the table beside you. “He called you, didn’t he?”

           “I have eyes everywhere, Y/N. John didn’t need to call me.”

You narrow your eyes. He didn’t need to only implies that he did. “What do you want?”

           “To protect you.”

           “I don’t need protecting.”

           Mycroft eyes you again. “You haven’t slept,” he pauses, narrowing his eyes, “in days.”

He noticed it when you walked in here. Your tired eyes and too-thin patience. Not to mention how you’re drinking black tea, when you usually have sugar. The lack of sleep must have made the difference go unnoticed. Your shaking hands don’t help your case much, either. And you know he notices all of this. He doesn’t need to voice his deductions.

           “Rude,” you tease, trying to deflect his deductions with humor. “I got two hours last night.”

           “What is wrong with you?”

           You shrug. “A lot of things. It’s hard to narrow it down, really. But you didn’t ask me to be here so you could talk to me about how I’m feeling, I know you don’t care. Now, what do you want?”

           “I told you. I want to protect you.”

           Oh, John definitely called him. “What do you really want?”

           “I can’t have tea with you to see how you are doing?”

           “No, you can’t. Because we’re not friends.”

           “I happened to have noticed today is the sixth day since Allen was murdered. Forgive me for wanting to keep you out of harm’s way.”

           You nearly smile at his words, but then you remember who you’re talking to. “What’s gotten into you?”

           “I suppose I feel a bit of…what is it? Guilt, for not fully disposing of The Congregation, and now to find Gidon Dietrichson is targeting you.”

           “Guilt? Mycroft Holmes feels guilt? Michael Holland feels guilt?”

           “Yes, how long did it take you to figure me out?”

           “Longer than I’d like to say.”

           “What gave me away? Humor me.”

           “You were a little too interested in the case.” You pause, remembering his text messages and willingness to look into the matter for you. “That, and the initials. You showing up at Baker Street last week only confirmed it all.”

           “John phoned me.”

           “Obviously. But you were still too interested.”

           Mycroft sighs heavily, setting his tea down. “You brought us enough information to make the calculated move that we did, all while putting your safety in danger. And now that this has resurfaced, I feel I owe you an apology.”

           “Apology accepted,” you reply, giving him a weird look. John definitely must have had a few words with him – a few heated words. “I still don’t understand why you’re saying all of this.”

           Well, while it is none of his business, it has concerned him. And the state you are currently in has only concerned him further. So, he says what is on his mind. “My brother seems to have taken to you. And you to him.”

           “Please, tell me you are not saying what I think you’re saying.”

           “Sherlock has never had a friend outside of John Watson, and he seems to be enjoying your company.”

           “You do realize we constantly argue, don’t you?”

           “Yes, that seems to be a trend,” Mycroft pauses, thinking momentarily of The Woman. “But he did talk you off a rooftop. And you two have been playing games together since.” He doesn’t even need to mention the incident of Sherlock placing you in his bed, or the apparent piece of music Sherlock is composing that has your name practically written in the spaces between the lines of the staff.

           “I would hardly call arguing over whether or not the victim committed the murder in Cluedo as enjoying one another’s company, but I’ll take your word for it.”

           Mycroft narrows his eyes. You appear to be hiding something, but you’re nearly impossible to read when you are this exhausted. Not to mention that all he sees is pain in your sleep-deprived eyes.

           “Well, if that was all,” you shake your head at the strange sound of it. This was probably another big waste of your time, which appears to be something Mycroft enjoys doing. “Then I’ll be going. I have records to buy since you rudely interrupted me.”

           Mycroft stands with you. “Yes, apologies.”

           “Yeah…don’t send security to follow me around. I’m sure you have ways of watching my every move that doesn’t involve someone breathing over my shoulder.”

           “Understood.”

           Now he really is acting strangely. “Uh, okay. Goodbye, Mycroft.”

           “Have a lovely day, Y/N.”

           You send him another strange look over your shoulder as you exit his office, guided by who you’re assuming will be driving you back to Baker Street. You’re going to request the record store around the corner since you are entirely serious about finishing your shopping.

           As soon as the office door has closed, Mycroft phones John.

           “She seems to be alright, no signs of any drugging.” Mycroft doesn’t mention his other deductions as he’s sure John will see them.

           “Okay, that’s good.”

           “Uh, John, they play Cluedo together?”

           “Yes, uh, they do. It’s weird, isn’t it?”

           The older hums. “Yes. Peculiar.” He shakes his head.

           “Okay, she’s phoning me now. Bye Mycroft.”

 ~~~

You settle into the back of the car, dialing John’s number. The line is busy for a moment before he answers your call. If your suspicion wasn’t raised before, it sure is now.

           “Hello?”

           “Hey,” you breathe. “Who were you talking to?”

           “Oh, Mike called.”

           “Oh,” you nod, liar. “I know you called Mycroft.”

           John sighs heavily. Busted.

           “Listen, John, I know you worry, but I’m fine, really. I don’t need anyone to protect me, and I really could do without you phoning Mycroft to spy on me.”

           “Mycroft spies on everyone.”

           Weak excuse. “John.”

           “Okay,” he replies, quietly. “Okay. No more.”

           “Good. Now get back to your date.”

           “Okay,” he chuckles. “Mary says hi.”

           You smile then, not being able to help it. You’re happy for John, really. He deserves someone who makes him happy, and Mary seems to do just that. “Tell her I can’t wait to meet her.”

           You wait as John relays the message. “She says the same.”

           Because you’re on the phone with John, you completely forget to tell the driver to take you to the record store, and you don’t realize this until the car pulls up outside 221B. You sigh.

           “Okay, I’m here now. Bye Johnny.”

           “Bye Y/N.”

           You open the car door for yourself, tired of the suit doing it for you. He looks rather annoyed after being halfway out the car by the time you got out of the car.

           The car speeds away as you unlock the front door. As soon as you step inside, Sherlock stops playing his violin.

           “Don’t stop on my account,” you call out as you walk up the stairs.

           Sherlock turns around from the window, seeing you leaning against the doorframe. He sniffs. “You’ve been with my brother.”

           “Because my brother phoned him,” you grumble, pushing off the doorframe to collapse in John’s chair. You’d prefer the couch, but it’s freezing, and John’s chair is closer to the fire.

           Sherlock furrows his eyebrows. “John phoned Mycroft?” Why on earth would he do something like that?

           “Yes,” you sigh, curling up and grabbing the blanket from the back of John’s chair. “Apparently, they think I need a babysitter.”

           “How absurd.”

           “Thank you!” Then you pause, giving him a look. His tone sounded entirely too agreeing for you to take him seriously. “Sherlock?”

           “Hm?” He raises his eyebrows, tuning his violin absentmindedly.

           “Do you think I need a babysitter?”

           “To be completely fair, my brother thinks I need one as well.”

           “But do you think I need one?”

           “Your life is in danger, not at this current moment, but it is in danger. But no, I don’t think you need any security. I think you’re perfectly capable of handling yourself.”

           You settle back into John’s chair, smiling faintly. “Thank you.”

           “Mm.”

           Sherlock begins playing something on the violin, the same tune you’ve heard him play for a while. You want to ask him what it is, but you figure you’ll know when he wants you to know. You enjoy to too much to risk making him self-conscious and stop playing it.

           You notice a blanket on Sherlock’s chair, and your shivering practically forces you to reach over and steal it, stretching it over your legs. Sherlock catches this out of the corner of his eye, turning around to give you an incredulous look.

           He stops playing. “You’re shivering.”

           “Brilliant deduction.”

           “Not an exciting reach. You haven’t slept in five…six days. Sleep deprivation causes your body temperature to drop dramatically. ‘Course, the lack of sleep would also explain for the way you stumbled up the stairs.”

           “I did not stumble!”

           “Oh, you stumbled. And you went out to spend money yet returned without spending anything.”

           “You know how I am.”

           “You’re exhausted.”

           “Sherlock Holmes, you’re on fire today.”

           He smiles – which is odd, considering you’re used to a smirk, but you aren’t complaining. The smile is slightly different, but still just as nice as his smirk when he doesn’t try to hide them. Without saying anything else, he begins playing again.

           You shake your head, moving to lie down in the chair with your head on the arm closest to the fire. And before long, Sherlock’s playing has lulled you to sleep.

[robertreich]

THE MONOPOLIZATION OF AMERICA: The Biggest Economic Problem You’re Hearing Almost Nothing About

Not long ago I visited some farmers in Missouri whose profits are disappearing. Why? Monsanto alone owns the key genetic traits to more than 90 percent of the soybeans planted by farmers in the United States, and 80 percent of the corn. Which means Monsanto can charge farmers much higher prices. 

Farmers are getting squeezed from the other side, too, because the food processors they sell their produce to are also consolidating into mega companies that have so much market power they can cut the prices they pay to farmers. 

This doesn’t mean lower food prices to you. It means more profits to the monopolists.

Monopolies All Around 

America used to have antitrust laws that stopped corporations from monopolizing markets, and often broke up the biggest culprits. No longer. It’s a hidden upward redistribution of money and power from the majority of Americans to corporate executives and wealthy shareholders.

You may think you have lots of choices, but take a closer look:

1. The four largest food companies control 82 percent of beef packing, 85 percent of soybean processing, 63 percent of pork packing, and 53 percent of chicken processing. 

2. There are many brands of toothpaste, but 70 percent of all of it comes from just two companies.

3. You may think you have your choice of sunglasses, but they’re almost all from one company: Luxottica -- which also owns nearly all the eyeglass retail outlets.

4. Practically every plastic hanger in America is now made by one company, Mainetti.

5. What brand of cat food should you buy? Looks like lots of brands but behind them are basically just two companies. 

6. What about your pharmaceuticals? Yes, you can get low-cost generic versions. But drug companies are in effect paying the makers of generic drugs to delay cheaper versions. Such “pay for delay” agreements are illegal in other advanced economies, but antitrust enforcement hasn’t laid a finger on them in America. They cost you and me an estimated $3.5 billion a year.

7. You think your health insurance will cover the costs? Health insurers are consolidating, too. Which is one reason your health insurance premiums, copayments, and deductibles are soaring. 

8. You think you have a lot of options for booking discount airline tickets and hotels online? Think again. You have only two. Expedia merged with Orbitz, so that’s one company. And then there’s Priceline.

9. How about your cable and Internet service? Basically just four companies (and two of them just announced they’re going to merge). 

Why the Monopolization of America is a Huge Problem

The problem with all this consolidation into a handful of giant firms is they don’t have to compete. Which means they can -- and do -- jack up your prices.

Such consolidation keeps down wages. Workers with less choice of whom to work for have a harder time getting a raise. When local labor markets are dominated by one major big box retailer, or one grocery chain, for example, those firms essentially set wage rates for the area. 

These massive corporations also have a lot of political clout. That’s one reason they’re consolidating: Power. 

Antitrust laws were supposed to stop what’s been going on. But today, they’re almost a dead letter. This hurts you.

We’ve Forgotten History

The first antitrust law came in 1890 when Senator John Sherman responded to public anger about the economic and political power of the huge railroad, steel, telegraph, and oil cartels – then called “trusts” -- that were essentially running America. 

A handful of corporate chieftains known as “robber barons” presided over all this – collecting great riches at the expense of workers who toiled long hours often in dangerous conditions for little pay. Corporations gouged consumers and corrupted politics. 

Then in 1901, progressive reformer Teddy Roosevelt became president. By this time, the American public was demanding action. 

In his first message to Congress in December 1901, only two months after assuming the presidency, Roosevelt warned, “There is a widespread conviction in the minds of the American people that the great corporations known as the trusts are in certain of their features and tendencies hurtful to the general welfare.”

Roosevelt used the Sherman Antitrust Act to go after the Northern Securities Company, a giant railroad trust run by J. P. Morgan, the nation’s most powerful businessman. The U.S. Supreme Court backed Roosevelt and ordered the company dismantled.

In 1911, John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Trust was broken up, too. But in its decision, the Supreme Court effectively altered the Sherman Act, saying that monopolistic restraints of trade were objectionable if they were “unreasonable” -- and that determination was to be made by the courts. What was an unreasonable restraint of trade?

In the presidential election of 1912, Roosevelt, running again for president but this time as a third party candidate, said he would allow some concentration of industries where there were economic efficiencies due to large scale. He’d then he’d have experts regulate these large corporations for the public benefit. 

Woodrow Wilson, who ended up winning the election, and his adviser Louis Brandeis, took a different view. They didn’t think regulation would work, and thought all monopolies should be broken up.

For the next 65 years, both views dominated. We had strong antitrust enforcement along with regulations that held big corporations in check. 

Most big mergers were prohibited. Even large size was thought to be a problem. In 1945, in the case of United States v. Alcoa (1945), the Supreme Court ruled that even though Alcoa hadn’t pursued a monopoly, it had become one by becoming so large that it was guilty of violating the Sherman Act.

What Happened to Antitrust?

All this changed in the 1980s, after Robert Bork -- who, incidentally, I studied antitrust law with at Yale Law School, and then worked for when he became Solicitor General under President Ford – wrote an influential book called The Antitrust Paradox, which argued that the sole purpose of the Sherman Act is consumer welfare. 

Bork argued that mergers and large size almost always create efficiencies that bring down prices, and therefore should be legal. Bork’s ideas were consistent with the conservative Chicago School of Economics, and found a ready audience in the Reagan White House. 

Bork was wrong. But since then, even under Democratic administrations, antitrust has all but disappeared. 

The Monopolization of High Tech

We’re seeing declining competition even in cutting-edge, high-tech industries. 

In the new economy, information and ideas are the most valuable forms of property. This is where the money is. 

We haven’t seen concentration on this scale ever before.

Google and Facebook are now the first stops for many Americans seeking news. Meanwhile, Amazon is now the first stop for more than a half of American consumers seeking to buy anything. Talk about power.

Contrary to the conventional view of an American economy bubbling with innovative small companies, the reality is quite different. The rate at which new businesses have formed in the United States has slowed markedly since the late 1970s. 

Big Tech’s sweeping patents, standard platforms, fleets of lawyers to litigate against potential rivals, and armies of lobbyists have created formidable barriers to new entrants. Google’s search engine is so dominant, “Google” has become a verb. 

The European Union filed formal antitrust charges against Google, accusing it of forcing search engine users into its own shopping platforms. And last June, it fined Google a record $2.7 billion. 

But not in America. 

It’s Time to Revive Antitrust

Economic and political power cannot be separated because dominant corporations gain political influence over how markets are organized, maintained, and enforced -- which enlarges their economic power further. 

One of the original goals of the antitrust laws was to prevent this.

Big Tech — along with the drug, insurance, agriculture, and financial giants — is coming to dominate both our economy and our politics.

There’s only one answer: It is time to revive antitrust.

[thedcdunce]

The Riddler

“The future is a riddle only time can solve!” - The Riddler

Real Name: Edward Nashton

Aliases: 

Enigma

Edward Nigma

Gender: Male

Height: 6′ 1″

Weight: 183 lbs (83 kg)

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Black

Abilities:

Genius Level Intellect

Investigation

Escapology

Weaknesses:

Obsession

Equipment:

Riddler’s Staff

Universe: New Earth

Base of Operations: Gotham City

Marital Status: Single

Citizenship: American

First Appearance: Detective Comics #140 (October, 1948)

Abilities

Genius Level Intellect: The Riddler is a supreme problem-solver, criminal mastermind. He is a genius with brilliant deductive power. His mind excels with puzzles, minds games, and manipulations. Investigation: He possesses great deductive skills and analytic ability. Escapology: Riddler is adept in escapology. Since childhood Edward has been a big fan of the late great Harold Houdini. Using this skill to build his infamous elaborate death traps and easily escape handcuffs. Like the Joker, he can escape the high security hospital Arkham Asylum whenever he pleases.

Weaknesses

Obsession: His riddles are in fact a bizarre obsessive compulsion; his attempts to stop himself from sending them has met with failure time and time again. This extends to the fact he cannot simply kill his opponents when he has the upper hand, but prefers to put them in a deathtrap to see if he can devise a life and death intellectual challenge that the hero cannot escape. However, compared to Batman's other themed enemies, Riddler's compulsion is quite flexible, allowing him to commit any crime as long as he can describe it in a riddle or puzzle.

Equipment

Riddler's staff

History

Edward Nashton, who later changed his name to Edward Nigma, is the super-villain known as the Riddler. His signature gimmick is committing high-profile crimes, and giving clues or hints to law enforcement. This has made him an enemy of the Batman in Gotham City. The riddles are a compulsive obsession to prove he is smarter than others, and this has made him an occasional patient in Arkham Asylum.

Origins

Edward Nashton was born into a broken home. His mother was absent and his father was abusive. When Edward was a young boy, he became excited at the idea of winning a puzzle contest at school. To increase his likelihood of winning, Edward sneaked into school during the night and practiced the puzzle until he could solve it with ease. He ended up winning, and was awarded a riddle book as a prize. Since that time, he has mastered puzzles, mind games, and riddles.

Edward was profoundly intelligent and would pass tests with apparent ease, something his father, out of jealousy, couldn't or wouldn't believe; he therefore attributed his success to cheating and started beating on him to keep him 'out of trouble,' or to stop him from lying. Out of the abuse, Edward developed a compulsion he has became known for, he constantly endeavors to tell the truth to prove his innocence. This is where his obsession with riddles comes from. Unfortunately, the abuse is also a main factor that drove him mad and to a life of crime.

The Riddler

When Edward got older, he left home and became a carnival performer, using his skills to cheat carnival-goers out of their money. But this was not enough for him. He longed for something more, and became the Riddler, at the same time changing his name to Edward Nigma, picking The Batman as an adversary, as he believes him to be an intelligent and more-than-worthy opponent.

Starting out as a simple informant and criminal profiler for the underworld of Gotham City, as well as for Batman, the Riddler slowly became more of a villain to Batman. It wasn't long before he became a main adversary to the Caped Crusader, constantly testing his analytical abilities to their limits.

The Long Halloween

During the events of the Long Halloween the Riddler became an informant for Gotham city crime lord Carmine Falcone. When a serial killer known as Holiday began targeting Falcone's associates, Carmine hired the Riddler to discover the killer's identity. However, the Riddler's results displeased Falcone, and the gangster even laughed at him, when the Riddler suggested that Carmine himself was the killer. The Riddler later became one of Holiday's victims, but much to the Riddler's confusion, was purposely left unharmed. A year later, Batman consulted Riddler about a second Holiday killer called Hangman.

Career Criminal

Over the years, the Riddler would earn his living through various heists and robberies, working his way up the criminal food chain, eventually even securing himself a couple of henchwomen to do his bidding. Later in his career, after his exploits have been well established for some time, he attempts a heist in Manchester, Alabama, only to be thwarted by Impulse, whose problem-solving skills he severely underestimates after Impulse initially confuses him for The Question.

Dark Knight, Dark City

The Riddler becomes darker and more bloodthirsty when he takes an interest in occult rituals. He discovers instructions on how to tame a bat daemon called Barbatos, originally summoned by Thomas Jefferson. The Riddler leads Batman around the city with a series of riddles, designed to prepare Batman as a demonic sacrifice. To make Batman chase him, he kidnaps four babies. He tricks Batman into kissing a hanged man through CPR, and covers him in blood at a transfusion center. The next step is a dance with the dead, accomplished through zombie robots, then slaying a dog with silver. He forces Batman to slit the throat of an unbaptized child, by leaving him with a baby who needs an emergency tracheotomy. Finally he makes Batman do an acrobatic dance in front of a goat representing the devil, by attacking him with a flamethrower. Batman is captured and tied to an altar. The Riddler prepares to stab Batman in the heart, but the demon Barbatos intervenes to stop him. The Riddler flees in terror and torches the building, but Batman is able to escape.

Knightfall

Riddler was back in action, but he was attacked by Bane, who dosed Riddler with Venom. Batman tried to stop Riddler, but he was too strong and Batman was tired. Bane's henchmen shot Riddler under Bane's command leaving Riddler badly injured.

His stay in Arkham was short lived as Bane released all the inmates as a plan to eliminate Batman. Riddler escaped as well, gathered his old gang and started planning his next move. Riddler sent a letter to the Gotham City Police Department, but they were too busy with all the other criminals from Arkham and Riddler's letters got overlooked in the situation. After a while, his own henchmen got tired of waiting for the police to notice the clues and they ditched Riddler out of the score. On an attempt to be noticed, Riddler went to a live TV broadcast, armed with bombs and took over the show. He delivered his riddles to the audience, but nobody was able to answer them. Riddler was soon stopped by Robin, who watched the TV, learned of his move and arrived at the TV station in no time. The bomb turned out to be fake and Riddler was captured and taken back to Arkham.

Hush

The Riddler is diagnosed with terminal cancer, so he cures himself by stealing one of Ra's al Ghul's Lazarus Pits. This grants him a temporary clarity, and he finally figures out that Bruce Wayne is Batman. He tries to sell this cure to a rich doctor named Thomas Elliot, whose parents also died of cancer. Elliot hates Bruce Wayne, and they decide to work together to destroy Batman. Elliot becomes the villain Hush, and the Riddler designs an intricate plan. This involves enlisting or manipulating Catwoman, Clayface, Harley Quinn, Huntress, Jason Todd, The Joker, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, and Superman. Batman and Nightwing actually fight the Riddler during this time when he robs an armored car. They assume the Riddler is too pathetic to be involved. Hush loses to Batman, and Batman figures out that the Riddler was the mastermind. Batman explains that a riddle everyone knows the answer to is worthless, so he knows the Riddler will keep his secret. Ra's al Ghul will also have his League of Assassins kill the Riddler if they ever discover what happened. Batman punches the Riddler, tells a security guard that he fell, and leaves Arkham Asylum.

After the Hush incident, Riddler escaped from Arkham and sought Poison Ivy's protection from Hush and from the League of Assassins. However, Ivy was equally mad at him after he used her on his "Hush" scheme and she attacked Riddler as soon as he stepped into her lair. Riddler tried to escape, but Ivy wouldn't let him go. Riddler finally gave up and asked Ivy to kill him and finish his pain. However, she refused, leaving Riddler helpless in a catatonic state.

Downfall and New Start

Later, Elliott reappeared demanding from the Riddler the location of the Lazarus Pit. When Riddler refused to answer, he was brutally beaten. Seeking refuge, the Riddler went to the Joker and the Penguin. He tries to bargain with the Joker for asylum and he agrees but eventually his safety is compromised and he is forced to go on the run again. He asks Poison Ivy for asylum, both of whom remembered his manipulation and the meeting didn't go well. At a loss, the Riddler went into a downward spiral of insanity and became homeless. He eventually was found by a ex-NASA decoder who helped him recover his mind. It is during this time that the Riddler has an induced flashback about his childhood, he comes to the realization of what happened when he was abused and why. He also deduces the reason behind why he has the compulsion he has for riddles.

Using his vast fortune, acquired over many years of crime, he gets minor plastic surgery and extensive tattooing. He covers the majority of his torso with his trademark question mark insignia. He kills the Codebreaker, who has discovered his secret identity and steals a priceless scroll, before Batman can get to it. It was at this time that Riddler starting amassing a huge fortune legally and attacking various heroes to prove his abilities.

During this time, he had a run in with Green Arrow, Arsenal and the Outsiders. The Riddler is up for revenge against his defeat by the Green Arrow and he brutally injures and almost kills the the two archers. If not for the timely arrival of the Outsiders they may have been killed. Before these events, the Riddler was hired to steal artifacts imbued with mystical powers from one of Star City's museums, and then distract the authorities so that the related rituals could be commenced. He sends Team Arrow on a wild goose chase around the City, and then reveals that he has an atomic bomb housed in the stadium where the Star City Rockets play. However, as a side effect of the ritual performed with the artifacts, the city is plunged into complete darkness, and Green Arrow uses this to his advantage, to capture the Riddler.

Infinite Crisis

The Riddler was with a group of villains attacking the Gotham City Police Department. He later escaped from Arkham Asylum after a worldwide breakout by the Secret Society of Super Villains. He then is along with the Society when they attack Metropolis. He is defeated by the Shining Knight and is struck in the head by the Knight's mace.

One Year Later

The Riddler was sent into a coma when he was hit in the head by the Shining Knight's mace. When the Riddler awoke a year later, without his obsessive compulsive fixation for riddles but still possesses his great intellect and enormous ego. He also suffers from memory loss forgetting his own name for a while and not remembering that Bruce Wayne is Batman, but he is suspicious. With the Penguin's advice, he was reformed and then became a private investigator at which he legally develops even more of a fortune. He was finally on the right side of the law using his great talents for the good of the people.

He even becomes involved in a ship bound murder mystery alongside Batman, while deducing a part of the mystery, Batman deduces the real reason. In the end they both did there part in solving the crime and have become hostile allies. He is then hired by Bruce Wayne to find a experimental drug stolen from Wayne Enterprises. In the end with the help of a reformed Harley Quinn he gets the drug back and returns it to the rightful owners.

In a run in with Mary Marvel he describes to her how he is reformed, the two then join forces against Clayface, where Edward gets to see up front how twisted and cruel she has become with a great power. He suggests that she gets a mentor or some anger management.

Even Nightwing hired him to find out who was behind recent string of museum robberies, whom he later saves from gang warfare while investigating Penguin's involvement in organized crime. He later deduces that Nightwing is Dick Grayson.

During his time as detective, word about Batman's death started to spread. As crime became more violent in Gotham, he was approached by Penguin who wanted Nigma's service as an investigator to find the new Black Mask that started operating in Gotham. To help his investigation, he recruited Harley Quinn and later Poison Ivy joined their efforts. On this quest, Riddler became the man who helped Quinn, Ivy and Catwoman to become a team.

Fun Facts

In many other realities, the Riddler's birth name is Edward Nigma, Edward Nygma, E. Nigma or even Edward E. Nigma. However, the New Earth Riddler was born Edward Nashton and changed his name to Edward Nigma later in life.

Jim Gordon has mentioned that several Gotham criminals have their own codewords. These are special phrases they can say when they call the GCPD, to distinguish them from prank phone calls. The Riddler chose "Oedipus" as his codeword, because Oedipus solved the riddle of the Sphinx. Gordon remarks that this is strange, because medical records suggest the Riddler hated his own mother. The Riddler's codeword for Batman is "The Hanging Man."

The Riddler's online screen name is "Wizard101." This might be a reference to the game of the same name, which was released the same year as Detective Comics #845, the issue where this username was used.

[patriotsnet]

What Do Republicans Believe About Taxes

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/what-do-republicans-believe-about-taxes/

What Do Republicans Believe About Taxes

What Is A Republican

As you can see, the dictionary definition of a Republican is very brief. And since a Republican is simply defined as a member of the Republican party of the U.S. it is important to understand what the Republican Party stands for. To understand what a Republican is you have to understand the Republican Party. And that is what the rest of this article examines.

Views Of Stricter Environmental Laws Climate Change

On environmental issues, 65% of adults say that stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost, compared with 33% who say they cost too many jobs and hurt the economy.

A large majority of Democrats and Democratic leaners say stricter environmental laws are worth the cost, including 92% of liberal Democrats and 79% of conservative and moderate Democrats.

Republicans and Republican leaners are more likely to say stricter environmental laws cost jobs and hurt the economy than that they are worth the cost . However, there is a wide divide in views among Republicans by ideology. Two-thirds of conservative Republicans say stricter environmental laws hurt the economy. Views among moderate and liberal Republicans are nearly the reverse: 60% say stricter environmental laws are worth the cost.

Majorities across age groups and levels of educational attainment say stricter environmental laws are worth the cost. Adults younger than 30 and those with a postgraduate degree are among the most likely to say this.

As other surveys have found, there also continue to be wide partisan differences in opinions about climate change. Among the public overall, 52% say the Earth is getting warmer mostly because of human activity, while 17% say it is getting warmer mostly due to natural patterns in the environment. About two-in-ten say there is no solid evidence that the Earth is getting warmer, and 9% say they are not sure.

Gop Must Stop Believing In Magic

Im not making a plea for larger government just a plea for economic sanity. If Congress in its all-seeing wisdom wants to spend $700 billion on the military, billions of dollars on farm subsidies and so on, it must either raise enough money in taxes to pay for the programs it authorizes or reduce the size of government. 

Instead, although Republicans controlled the White House, the Senate and the House from 2017 to 2019, they chose not to make any substantial cuts to government programs that would balance the revenue lost by their series of massive unfunded tax cuts.

Unquestioning and unsubstantiated belief in the magical power of tax cuts isnt a viable economic policy. The GOP is putting America on an unsustainable path that is disastrous both for its fiscal future and for the hopes of people trying to get ahead. 

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Corporations Will Bring Back Profits Stashed Overseas

Republicans did their best to include as many corporate giveaways as possible in their tax cut, but spun them as a benefit to the greater economy. Take repatriated earnings. American multinational corporations like to keep their overseas profits away from the IRS, and the Republican tax plan aimed to change this by offering companies a temporary tax holiday. Earnings kept overseas would be subject to a one-time tax at a very low rate that could be paid over the course of eight years. President Trump promised that this would produce a flood of repatriated earnings amounting to $4$5 trillionnearly twice the amount that corporations were actually storing overseas.

This was just another lie, one that no serious economist believed for a moment. And indeed, after a brief boom in repatriated earnings after the tax cut passed, there was a bust. Repatriations to date have amounted to only $840 billion above normal, and the total amount of repatriations in the last quarter of 2019 is only $60 billion higher than it was before the tax cut passed. The total will never come anywhere close to $4$5 trillion.

    But maybe foreign investors responded more positively to the tax cut than domestic investors did? Nope. Foreign investment increased briefly but then plunged. Apparently they didnt take Republican promises any more seriously than Americans did.

  What Do Republicans Believe In

Do all Republicans believe the same things? Of course not. Rarely do members of a single political group agree on all issues. Even among Republicans, there are differences of opinion. As a group, they do not agree on every issue.

Some folks vote Republican because of fiscal concerns. Often, that trumps concerns they may have about social issues. Others are less interested in the fiscal position of the party. They vote they way they do because of religion. They believe Republicans are the party of morality. Some simply want less government. They believe only Republicans can solve the problem of big government. Republicans spend less . They lower taxes: some people vote for that alone.

However, the Republican Party does stand for certain things. So I’m answering with regard to the party as a whole. Call it a platform. Call them core beliefs. The vast majority of Republicans adhere to certain ideas.

So what do Republicans believe? Here are their basic tenets:

Republicans Can’t Handle The Truth About Taxes

Congressional Republicans are channeling one of my favorite political hacks, the late Massachusetts Congressman Jimmy Burke, who boasted he voted for spending bills, tax cuts and against any increase in the debt ceiling.

House and Senate Republicans voted against the COVID-stimulus bill and oppose the Biden infrastructure and tax measures. Yet, despite the votes, more than a few cite their support for popular provisions in each spending initiative, rail against deficits, and oppose tax increases.

Republicans complain the $2 trillion Biden initiative is full of stuff that really isn’t infrastructure. Sen. Roy BluntRoy Dean BluntA tale of two chambers: Trump’s power holds in House, wanes in Senate46 GOP senators warn they will not vote to raise debt ceiling says all that should be taken out and reduce the size to $600 billion.

The biggest, $400 billion over eight years, is to provide more personnel and resources for in-home care for the elderly or people with disabilities. We have a son with disabilities, and we can afford expensive good care; we have encountered many families who cannot. If you know anyone with a loved one with Alzheimer’s, you’ll look more kindly on this provision. Does Sen. Blunt believe this isn’t an urgent need?

But what really gets the conservative juices going is opposing the proposed tax increases; since the fall of the Berlin Wall, tax cuts have been the only glue that holds increasingly disparate Republicans together.

Poverty Must Solve Itself

Republicans believe that poor people are usually poor for a reason, be it laziness, choice or whatever. Unless we demand that people pull themselves up by the bootstraps and solve their own problems, people will not be motivated to do things. Therefore, the issue of poverty cannot be solved by the government. Charity should be the choice of individuals.

Gop Real Estate Owners Make Out Big

Besides the laws benefits to real estate pass-throughs, real estate in general was hugely favored by the tax law, allowing property exchanges to avoid taxation, the deduction of new capital expenses in just one year versus longer depreciation schedules, and an exemption from limits on interest deductions. 

If you are a real estate developer, you never pay tax, said Ed Kleinbard, a former head of Congresss Joint Committee on Taxation. 

Members of Congress own a lot of real estate. Public Integritys review of financial disclosures found that 29 of the 47 GOP members of the committees responsible for the tax bill hold interests in real estate, including small rental businesses, LLCs, and massive real estate investment trusts , which pay dividends to investors. The tax bill allows REIT investors to deduct 20 percent from their dividends for tax purposes. 

Who We Are

The Center for Public Integrity is an independent, investigative newsroom that exposes betrayals of the public trust by powerful interests.

Republicans Invented Progressive Income Taxes Will They Turn Left Again

Rendering of a red elephant in a spotlight representing the Republican Political Party in front of … the American Flag.

getty

President Trumps sagging poll numbers have prompted some eager speculation about the future of the Republican Party.

If Trump loses, will the GOP rethink its political strategy? Recast its policy agenda? Or will it double down on both on Trumpism, whatever that might mean?

Whether Trump wins or loses in November wont settle these questions.

The future of the Republican Party belongs to him, Matthew Walther  in a recent analysis for The Week. His legacy arguments about its true value and how it should be understood, its relationship with previous right-wing insurgent movements such as the Tea Party will determine the course of the GOPs fortunes for the next decade.

Indeed, Trumps legacy will almost certainly endure for over a decade because its about more than just him. Trumpism is part of the Republican Partys broader historical evolution. It began to emerge long before Trump took his famous ride down the escalator in Trump Tower to announce his candidacy in 2015; it will persist long after he vacates the Oval Office, whether thats in January 2021 or January 2025.

American presidents even the transformational, disruptive ones exist as part of a process. They dont emerge from nowhere to upend and recast political institutions single-handedly. They channel and give expression to changes already underway in American society.

Inequality Poverty Divide Republicans More Than Democrats

Juliana Menasce Horowitz

In recent weeks, many political observers have described a rift between liberals and centrists in the Democratic Party over how to tackle poverty, income inequality, and broader issues of economic fairness. Some have framed the discussion around Elizabeth Warren vs. Hillary Clinton. Others have focused on between New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has proposed raising taxes on the rich to pay for a citywide prekindergarten program, and Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has vowed to lower taxes.

But a new Pew Research Center/USA TODAY survey suggests that, at least for the moment, the issue of how best to deal with poverty and income inequality and whether the government should address these issues at all divides Republicans and those who lean toward the Republican Party more than it does Democrats and leaners.

To be sure, majorities of 60% or more among Republicans and Democrats across the ideological spectrum agree that inequality is on the rise, and about 90% of liberal and centrist Democrats say the government should do something about it. But while a 61%-majority of moderate and liberal Republicans say the government should do something to reduce the gap between the rich and everyone else, 55% of conservative Republicans dont want the government to do much or anything at all about inequality.

Most Welfare Recipients Are Makers Not Takers

The first myth, that people who receive public benefits are takers rather than makers, is flatly untrue for the vast majority of working-age recipients.

Consider Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, formerly known as food stamps, which currently serve about 42 million Americans. At least one adult in more than half of SNAP-recipient households are working. And the average SNAP subsidy is $125 per month, or $1.40 per meal hardly enough to justify quitting a job.

As for Medicaid, nearly 80 percent of adults receiving Medicaid live in families where someone works, and more than half are working themselves.

In early December, House Speaker Paul Ryan said, We have a welfare system thats trapping people in poverty and effectively paying people not to work.

Not true. Welfare officially called Temporary Assistance to Needy Families has required work as a condition of eligibility since then-President Bill Clinton signed welfare reform into law in 1996. And the earned income tax credit, a tax credit for low- and moderate-income workers, by definition, supports only people who work.

Workers apply for public benefits because they need assistance to make ends meet. American workers are among the most productive in the world, but over the last 40 years the bottom half of income earners have seen no income growth. As a result, since 1973, worker productivity has grown almost six times faster than wages.

What Is A Republican Republican Definition

April 11, 2014 By

This article fully answers what a Republican is and gives the definition of a Republican in a fair, unbiased, and well-researched way. To start the article we list out the definition of a Republican, then we cover the Republican Partys core beliefs, then we list out the Republican Partys beliefs on all the major issues.

The Definition of a Republican: a member of the Republican party of the U.S.

The Economy Will Be Supercharged

If an investment boom was the big lie that drove everything, the arguments made to the general public in support of the tax cut mostly revolved around a better-known metric: economic growth. The usual way of measuring this is by looking at gross domestic product, the sum of all goods and services produced in the United States. In the decade since the end of the Great Recession, GDP growth has averaged 2.3 percent per year.

Republicans claimed that the investment growth spurred by the tax cut would drive GDP growth higher. predicted growth rates of 3 to 4 percent. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin went with a more modest 2.9 percent. Trump himself told reporters at his Cabinet meeting that he was holding out for 6 percent growth. These projections were mostly just spun out of thin air.

So how did we do? Since the investment boom never materialized, its hardly a shock to learn that GDP growth didnt boom either. The growth rate increased modestly for two quarters and then dropped steadily. In the last quarter unaffected by the coronavirus crisis, it was barely above 2 percent. Not only didnt the tax cut usher in the growth that Republicans predicted, but growth rates started dropping soon after.

  History Of The Republican Party

The Republican Party came into existence just prior to the Civil War due to their long-time stance in favor of abolition of slavery. They were a small third-party who nominated John C. Freemont for President in 1856. In 1860 they became an established political party when their nominee Abraham Lincoln was elected as President of the United States. Lincolns Presidency throughout the war, including his policies to end slavery for good helped solidify the Republican Party as a major force in American politics. The elephant was chosen as their symbol in 1874 based on a cartoon in Harpers Weekly that depicted the new party as an elephant.

Energy Issues And The Environment

There have always been clashes between the parties on the issues of energy and the environment. Democrats believe in restricting drilling for oil or other avenues of fossil fuels to protect the environment while Republicans favor expanded drilling to produce more energy at a lower cost to consumers. Democrats will push and support with tax dollars alternative energy solutions while the Republicans favor allowing the market to decide which forms of energy are practical.

Majority Of Americans Say Government Has Responsibility To Ensure Health Coverage

A majority of the public says that the federal government has a responsibility to make sure that all Americans have health care coverage, while 41% say this is not the governments responsibility.

However, most of those who say the government does not have a responsibility to provide health coverage nonetheless favor continuing programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Roughly a third of the public holds this view. Just 6% say the government should not be involved in providing health insurance at all.

Among those who say it is the governments responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care coverage, there are differences over how to achieve this goal.

Overall, 30% of adults say government is responsible for ensuring that all Americans have health care coverage and that health insurance should be provided through a single national health insurance system run by the government. A similar share of the public thinks health care for all Americans is a government responsibility but supports providing health insurance through a mix of private companies and government programs.

Seven-in-ten Republicans and Republican leaners say it is not the governments responsibility to make sure all Americans have health insurance. Among Republicans, conservatives are much more likely than moderates and liberals to take this view. Still, just 12% of conservative Republicans say the government should not be involved in health care at all.

Crime And Capital Punishment

Republicans generally believe in harsher penalties when someone has committed a crime, including for selling illegal drugs. They also generally favor capital punishment and back a system with many layers to ensure the proper punishment has been meted out. Democrats are more progressive in their views, believing that crimes do not involve violence, such as selling drugs, should have lighter penalties and rehabilitation. They are also against capital punishment in any form.

Trump Keeps Pretending To Want To Tax The Rich

Trump as a candidate promised to raise taxes on the rich, and after taking office he again promised to raise taxes on the rich. Trump said he believed in raising taxes on the wealthy, including myself and later promised that his administrations tax reform would not benefit the wealthy at all.

None of this was true, of course instead he backed a plan from congressional Republicans for a large regressive tax cut. Once that was enacted, House Republicans began to queue up a program they called Tax Reform 2.0 that would be an even larger and only modestly less regressive tax cut. Trump, again aware that this is not popular, tried to make up a fake middle-class tax cut during the waning days of the midterms, but as soon as the election was over .

This is all nonsense, but its telling nonsense.

Even very dishonest politicians dont routinely pretend to hold the opposite of their partys position on key issues. Trump isnt out there pretending to champion abortion rights, clean energy, or humane treatment of refugees. Hes trying to muddy the waters on taxes because he knows the standard Republican position on tax policy is unpopular.

Yet this is rarely covered as a striking, daring, or even noteworthy stance.

Most Americans Favor Expanding Renewable Energy Sources But Divides Remain Over Expanding Offshore Drilling Nuclear Power

Most Americans favor expanding solar power or wind power , including strong majorities of both Republicans and Democrats. The public, however, is evenly divided over whether to expand nuclear power . Fewer than half of Americans support more offshore oil and gas drilling , hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas, known as fracking or coal mining .

These findings are broadly in line with previous Center surveys, which found strong majorities in favor of increasing solar or wind power and more mixed views about expanding other energy sources. Support for more nuclear power plants has inched up 6 percentage points since 2016 . Support for coal mining has declined from 41% to 35% in the same period.

Sizable majorities of both Republicans and Democrats including those who lean to each party favor more solar panel farms or wind turbine farms . More Republicans than Democrats support expanding nuclear power plants; support for nuclear power is stronger among conservative Republicans than among moderate or liberal Republicans .

Conservative Republicans also stand out as more inclined to support expansion of hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas as well as coal mining . By comparison, fewer than half of moderate or liberal Republicans favor expanding these energy sources .

Foreign Policy And National Defense

Republicans supported Woodrow Wilson‘s call for American entry into World War I in 1917, complaining only that he was too slow to go to war. Republicans in 1919 opposed his call for entry into the League of Nations. A majority supported the League with reservations; a minority opposed membership on any terms. Republicans sponsored world disarmament in the 1920s, and isolationism in the 1930s. Most Republicans staunchly opposed intervention in World War II until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. By 1945, however, internationalists became dominant in the party which supported the Cold War policies such as the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and NATO.

Americans Want To Tax The Rich

Theres no polling on specific brackets or exactly who counts as rich that I can find, but surveys are very consistent that for some definition of rich the voters would like to see higher taxes:

The most recent poll on this I can find is an April 2018 Gallup survey which had 62 percent of respondents saying the wealthy do not pay their fair share in taxes, a number thats been consistently in the high 50s or low 60s in the 21st century.

Pew found in 2017 that said it was bothered a lot by the fact that rich people dont pay their fair share.

A 2017 CBS poll found that 56 percent of voters said wealthy people should pay higher taxes.

One person who gets this, incidentally, is President Donald Trump.

Political Positions Of The Republican Party

Republicanism in the United States

The platform of the Republican Party of the United States is generally based on American conservatism, contrasting with the modern liberalism of the Democratic Party. The positions of the Republican Party have evolved over time. Currently, the party’s fiscal conservatism includes support for lower taxes, free market, of corporations, and restrictions on labor unions. The party’s social conservatism includes support for gun rights and other traditional values, often with a foundation, including restrictions on abortion. In foreign policy, Republicans usually favor increased military spending and action. Other Republican positions include restrictions on immigration, opposition to drug legalization, and support for school choice.

Regulating The Economy Republican Style

The Republican Party is generally considered business-friendly and in favor of limited government regulation of the economy. This means favoring policies that put business interests ahead of environmental concerns, labor union interests, healthcare benefits and retirement benefits. Given this more pro-business bias, Republicans tend to receive support from business owners and capitalists, as opposed to support from labor.

Republicans Economic Views And How They Work In The Real World

Kimberly Amadeo is an expert on U.S. and world economies and investing, with over 20 years of experience in economic analysis and business strategy. She is the President of the economic website World Money Watch. As a writer for The Balance, Kimberly provides insight on the state of the present-day economy, as well as past events that have had a lasting impact.

Robert C. Kelly

Republican economic policies focus on what’s good for businesses and investors. Republicans say that prosperous companies will boost economic growth for everyone. 

Republicans promote supply-side economics. That theory says reducing costs for business, trade, and investment is the best way to increase growth. Investors buy more companies or stocks. Banks increase business lending. Owners invest in their operations and hire workers. These workers spend their wages, driving both demand and economic growth. 

Republicans define the American Dream as the right to pursue prosperity without government interference. That’s achieved by self-discipline, enterprise, saving, and investment by individuals. Warren Harding said, “Less government in business and more business in government.” Calvin Coolidge said, The chief business of the American people is business.

Here is a short list of the pros and cons of some Republican economic policies.

Compare And Contrast: How Do The Republican And Democratic Tax Plans Differ

Brown EdwardsLatest News

SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

With the presidential election only weeks away, many people are beginning to pay closer attention to each candidates positions on such issues as the COVID-19 pandemic, health care, the environment and taxes.

Among their many differences, President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden have widely divergent tax proposals. Their stances could have a major impact on the amount of taxes youll owe in the future. Heres an overview of each candidates tax proposals for both individuals and businesses.

Trumps tax proposals for individuals

The GOP-backed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into law in December 2017. It included a number of temporary federal tax cuts and breaks for individuals and families for 2018 through 2025. President Trump has indicated support for preserving tax reforms under the TCJA and possibly providing additional breaks for individuals and families.

The White House budget document for the governments 2021 fiscal year indicates support for extending these TCJA individual tax provisions beyond 2025:

The current federal income tax and estate tax regimes,

The expanded child and dependent tax credits ,

Increased standard deduction amounts ,

More favorable alternative minimum tax rules, and

Continued limitations on itemized deductions for home mortgage interest and state and local taxes .

Bidens tax proposals for individuals

Other elements of Bidens plan that would affect individual taxpayers include:

[terrysacia-blog-blog]

Alimony: It's the Death & Taxes of Divorce!

If you’re going through a divorce, there is one thing to add to the list that includes death and taxes – alimony. Whenever two people in the US officially split up, it usually ends up with one paying money to cover the other party’s living costs, as well as that of the kids. 

Unfortunately, people with more money and assets tend to get an unfair deal. So, it’s not uncommon for those who have to pay alimony, usually men, to want to strike a fair agreement.

Use this guide to make sure you don’t lose in court and end up with the worst contract ever.

What Is Alimony?

In short, it’s a court order that makes you liable for payments towards your ex-spouse. The fees are usually made after the break-up, but they can happen before your divorce is finalized, too. 

The reason it’s awarded is that your spouse doesn’t have the means to look after himself or herself financially as they make less money. It can be assigned to either the husband or the wife; however, it’s mainly men who have to pay as they tend to earn more.

Spouses can apply and win alimony even if there aren’t any children involved. This is because the law states that they have the right to lead the same lifestyle after the marriage as before it.

Understanding Alimony

Although it sounds quite simple to understand, there are lots of small things that affect how much and how long you have to pay alimony. Terms differ based on the state, but the general rules across the US are that you will have to pay until:

A judge sets a date, usually several years later on

Your former spouse remarries

Your children no longer need a full-time parent at home

A judge decides that your spouse has not made an effort to become self-supporting

A significant event, such as retirement, happens and convinces a judge to change the amount

One of you dies

How Does A Judge Decide The Amount?

If you have to pay alimony, the question will want answering is: “how much will I have to pay?” The amount is down to the judge, so there isn’t a one-size-fits-all amount. But, it’s possible to figure it down understanding the process courts use.

Firstly, the judge will work out the typical expenses for both parties. That way, they know how much to award without hurting either the husband or wife. Secondly, they take the earning power of both spouses into account. Finally, the court will gauge whether the person responsible for paying alimony will be able to lead their standard of life.

The latter is called “the standard of living established during the marriage,” and it’s a vital part of getting a good deal. Why? It’s because alimony payers get to share the burden if they can prove that the amount negatively affects their marital standard of living. If this happens, the judge has no option but to make sure both the husband and wife share monetary burdens equally.

Can You Avoid Paying Lots Of Alimony?

Men going through a divorce, or any spouse with the biggest earning potential will assume that their alimony payments will be harsh. There’s no doubt that there are enough horror stories out there to back up this idea. Plenty of breadwinners have been ripped off in the past, and plenty more will be in the future.

Just because you have to pay alimony doesn’t make you a bad person, and neither does wanting to get a fair deal. Here’s how to do it.

Hire A Quality Lawyer

The person who represents you is going to have a significant role in your alimony deal. However, this doesn’t mean you have to pay a fortune to retain them for your day in court. Yes, the best attorneys are expensive, but there are ways to find affordable legal representation. A prime example is a type of no-win-no-fee deal. Specific law firms only take a cut if they secure the desired result, which is vital for two reasons – it means you’ll have the money and makes them work hard to get paid.

Some companies do it a different way, where you can pay your litigation funds out of a settlement.

Invest In Stocks And Shares If Your State’s Laws Allow It

There are hardly any state restrictions that stop you from making investments. But, this refers to the gray area of savings. While certain states include them in the settlement, others don’t see them as ‘valid standard of living considerations.’ In simple English, it means that the likes of Florida and Hawaii have ruled that they are off-limits and can’t be used to determine how much alimony you will pay.

You will have to prove that they are genuine investments.

Keep It Amicable

The majority of your marriage went without a hitch. You loved each other and wanted the best for the other person, and not much has changed. So, why do divorces get heated? It’s because it is a challenging process and staying cool is tough. However, you must do, or else you run the risk of your spouse trying to hurt you via alimony payments. 

Going to mediation to find a compromise that suits you and your spouse is an excellent idea as the mediator is an unbiased third-party.

Freeze Credit Lines

Any credit lines that are solely in your name make you vulnerable. If your spouse has access to them and knows divorce is around the corner, he or she can run up new debt that they won’t have to pay. Therefore, it’s a smart move to freeze those credit cards right away.

Speak To An Accountant

An accountant or bookkeeper can help save you money in a divorce. It sounds strange, but it’s true, and it’s because alimony payments are tax-deductible. Figuring out the best way to structure your payments so that you pay less tax could save you a healthy sum in the long-term.

Do you have any burning questions about your divorce? At Divorce Mistakes Network, we connect you with professional and expert divorces services to make sure you don’t spend the next ten years cursing your agreement.

Alimony: It's the Death & Taxes of Divorce!

[engineerbabuinc]

How to Build an App like Uber?

How to Build a Mobile App like Uber?

What Every Aspiring On-demand Business Should Know Before Developing a Mobile App like Uber

Taxi service was once a royalty, 'Uber' made it a need by making it affordable. Not only did Uber disrupt the traditional taxi service, but also impeded the way people carry out their business. Today, Uber's on-demand service model can be applied to almost all the industries and their niches. It is not exaggerating to say that the demand for an on-demand solution is increasing with every passing day. People optimize their power of imagination and conceptualize a fairly unforeseen niche with an on-demand solution. Uber taxi started its disruption with an iOS app. Initially, Uber could only book the rides for the customers. With time, Uber delivered luxury cab services with the launch of Uber Black. Uber Black allowed the user to choose the ride as per their preference from a wide range of luxury cars. However, it only managed to please the upper class and Uber had the solution to lure all the sections of the society. UberX came up with a promise to charge what's right and became a default cab hailing service for most of the people. But Uber had more plans to enhance the customer experience and this came in the form of UberPool. Having explored all the ways to please its customers, it is planning to make a leap in the sky with UberCopter! An Uber like app is in great demand nowadays.

What makes this rise in the Uber clone business so obvious?

The basis of the on-demand business model is the aggravation of demand and planning a supply to meet the demand. However, the right approach to planning for an ‘Uber like’ app development is:

Dive into the industry with a Primitive Approach.

Build a sustainable model to aggregate the demand in     the form of a mobile app for the service providers and the customers.

Meet this demand of the customers with a distributed     supply chain management.

Retain your customers.

But what makes Uber taxi a different from other taxi-services? Uber like app, development must be popular for a reason. Here's the secret:

The thoughtful features of Uber!

Plan the features for your Uber-like mobile app, the Uber Way

Not many to-be Uber businesses know that basically Uber is made up of three mobile applications:

The admin app

The driver app

The customer app

Each of these stakeholders has their own set of features. For your ease to understand each of these features, I have jotted down the features in different categories:

Most Viable Features

Advanced Features

Let us first take a look at the features that build up the billion-dollar taxi-hailing company, Uber.

Customer App Features:

Track a Ride

Uber cab provides an option for its passenger to track a ride after they have booked their ride. What happens is, after the passenger enters the pickup and drop location, the driver accepts the ride request and approaches to the pickup location. To find out how far the driver is from the location, the passengers can track them by using the map integrated into the app. Uber-like apps are perfect for monitoring the journey and this makes for a unique value proposition.

Fare Estimation

The passengers are able to draw a fare estimate for their ride on the basis of their pickup and drop location. The fare also varies as per the selection of the car for the ride. When the passenger stops at multiple destinations in between his pickup and drop location, it gets calculated at the end of the ride with the help of the powerful Uber algorithm. Uber like app development, therefore, needs to focus on this feature.

Multiple Modes of Payment

For making the taxi-hailing ecosystem user-friendly for the customers, Uber provides multiple modes of payment to choose for paying the fare. The passengers can select any type of payment, e.g. credit card, debit card, cash, mobile wallets, etc. offering a wide range of payment gateways is the key to an effective Uber like app.

Track Service History

For the passengers who commute on daily basis, Uber has a feature called Track service history. With the help of service history, the passengers can get details about their rides in a specific period. The passengers can view any dates and the entire service history details will be available for them in the form of a report. Uber like app development should therefore, focus on tracking service history.

Book Now Ride later

Book Now Ride Later is an advanced feature of Uber. It allows the passengers to schedule their rides before the actual time of the ride. Once done, the passengers get a confirmation. The passengers get the driver’s details before an hour of their scheduled ride and they can track the ride.

Book for Others

Similar to Book Now Ride Later, Book for others is an advanced feature for the passenger app. The passengers can book a ride for their friends and families by using their own account. After the booking is made, the passenger gets all the details about the ride and an SMS is delivered to the rider. Here, the tracking can also be done by using the link present in the SMS.

Smart Wallets

Uber provides a smart wallet to its passengers for paying the fare. The passengers integrate these smart wallets with their bank accounts and transfer a certain amount of money. The passengers can directly make their payments using the mobile wallets. Uber like apps or Uber clones must incorporate this feature.

Panic Button

To ensure the security of the passengers, Uber has taken measures in the form of a panic button. As soon as the passenger is on-board, a panic button gets enabled in the mobile app of the passenger. Uber clones should have such safety and security features in place.  If you're wondering how to make an app like Uber, remember safety is a huge concern for cab passengers nowadays.

When the passengers feel threatened or sense danger, they can press the panic button in the Uber taxi app. This sends a notification to the nearest police station, the Uber authorities, and the family members of the passengers. The Uber cab app, therefore, considers every aspect.

Favourite Destinations

The favorite destination is an advanced feature for the passenger app. When the passengers have to travel to the same destinations day-in and day-out, they can enter the destinations for once and can select it using a single tap, through the Uber cab app. The passengers can save destinations for their home, office, restaurants, etc. using the Uber taxi app.

Split Charges

This is an advanced feature for the passenger application. When the passengers are travelling with their friends, they can split their fare and pay individually on the basis of the charge of the ride and the pickup and drop location of each passenger. They can split their fare and if they have leveraged mobile wallet, the fare automatically gets deducted from the wallet. So the Uber clone should consider such features.

Driver App Features:

Driver Delivery Reports

In order to ensure the safety of the passengers as well the drivers, Uber has a driver delivery report feature. The report is a summary of the driving style of the driver during the entire week, month, etc. If the driver continues to drive rash, Uber can even remove the driver from the service, all thanks to the Uber cab app. On the other hand, if a driver drives smoothly, he becomes the trainer for the newbie Uber drivers. The Uber like app must have such features, too.

Route optimization:

Route optimization helps the driver take the most efficient route so that they can reach the destinations in the fastest possible time. The driver can leverage the route optimization feature, reroute the entire journey and can navigate efficiently to the path, using the Uber taxi app.

Driver Destinations:

The driver destination is an advanced feature in the Uber’s driver mobile app. The driver can choose to take a ride to his preferred destination. This feature can be used by the drivers when they want to make money and have to reach their destinations, through the Uber cab app.

Quest earnings:

Quest earning is a feature in Uber’s driver app. It helps the driver earn extra money. The quest comes with a pre-defined number of rides that the drivers have to complete in order to win and earn the additional amount.

Shorter 2 Minute Cancellation Window:

Cancellation window is the time that the driver has to wait for the passenger. It is an advanced feature in the driver’s app. When the driver arrives at the location on time, the first 2 minutes are non-chargeable for the passengers. However, if they take a lot of time, the charging starts and the passengers have to pay for that extra time as well along with the base fare of the ride.  

Heat Maps

Heat maps is the advanced feature in an 'Uber like' app. It is like a cheat sheet for the drivers. Heat maps is basically a map view of the demand. The drivers can know where the ratio of the passengers is high and can move to that location to get requests easily from the passengers.

Forward Dispatch

The forward dispatch is an advanced feature for the driver app. It allows the drivers to accept the request for another ride while they are still completing their current ride. This helps them to cut down the ideal time and earn a few more extra bucks.

Niches to plan for an 'Uber like' app

Healthcare

Beauty services and on-demand salons

On-demand mechanic

On-demand gas delivery service

On-demand transportation

On-demand food delivery service

How to Strategically Build the Features in an Uber-like mobile app?

Developing an app like uber is a long-term commitment. You need to stay on your toes from the time you start conceptualizing about the idea until the beta the release of the beta version of the app. A smooth way of developing an app like Uber is to plan your development beforehand. An Uber like app development process must have all the features and consider all the challenges.

Allow me to help you with the planning of features for building an app similar to Uber: Basically, there are three categories to start your development. The basic version of the app like Uber can consist of the most viable features for all the three stakeholders - the admin, the driver, and the passenger. Uber clone apps must incorporate these features.

The advanced version of the app consists of the most advanced features for all the stakeholders. However, this version can be launched once you get a hand over the market. The third version of the application consists of all the basic features of app 'like Uber' for all the stakeholders and some of the advanced features. Now, it is upon you to decide on how you want to go about with your ‘Uber like’ mobile app.

What should you keep in mind for Building an Uber-like Mobile App

The ideal way to build an app like Uber is to build a basic version of the Uber cab app and study the market carefully. Building an Uber clone requires careful planning.

Know what could be the possible innovation for the driver's and the passenger's app. Once this is clear, you can proceed with the advanced set of features. Uber customer apps must consider the journey from the consumer's viewpoint.

Apart from this, you should always try to attract and retain both the drivers and the customers for smooth functioning. For the best Uber clone, you need to work on the features and functionalities.

While there are many in the app development market claiming to be the pioneers in the industry, not everybody has got that hands-on experience with the on-demand solution. The key is to research well for your app like Uber to ensure that your business is in safe hands. Uber like app development involves careful consideration of these factors.

Apart from this, other important elements to keep in mind while building an app like Uber or an Uber taxi app clone are:

User-friendly navigation

Smooth UI/UX designs

Pleasing visuals and graphics

Real-time functionality

The best way to plan for developing an app like Uber  is mentioned as the following:

Your USP should be your first concern. After all, it is going to separate your voice from the noise. Ask yourself as to why do you want to build an app like Uber. What difference are you going to make with it and then proceed with its development?

As mentioned earlier, your features are going to be the voice of your brand. It is going to resonate with your end-users. Keeping the importance of user-friendly features in mind, plan for your first app release with the     most viable features and then scale up your business in the subsequent     phases.

Demography plays an important role in the launch of a business. Know what demography are you targeting. Promote your app to those users and take feedback. Implement on the feedback provided and come up with innovation the next time.

What could be the possible Revenue Model for building an app like Uber?

Uber has got no fleet of cars. It only has got the drivers and the passengers to make its revenue. The possible revenue streams for your ‘Uber like’ app can be:

Commission from the drivers

Ride fare from the customers

Cancellation charges from the customers

Let me walk you through the cost of building an app like Uber.

Cost of Developing a mobile app like Uber:

It is obvious for a businessman to focus on the ROI. And to figure out the expected turnover, you need to know the investment required. To cut it short, let us find out what could be the cost of building an 'Uber like' mobile application:

Influence of features:

Basically, there are three possibilities with which you can develop your Uber-like mobile app. You might either go with the most viable features, advanced features, or a perfect blend of both the basic and some advanced features.

Influence of operating system:

It is a known fact that iOS app puts a bigger hole in your pocket as compared to that of the Android app. However, it is upon your target audience and their preference of device to select the operating system. The possibility is, your target audience can have an equal ratio and you might have to launch an app for both the platforms. Uber app Android development or iOS is largely a matter of cusotmer preference, therefore.

Influence of technology:

While coding your app in Kotlin would be costlier but trendy, it is upon you to figure out your app development needs. Similarly, you have to make a smarter choice with native and hybrid app development. If you are not technically sound, you can seek assistance from your developers. Uber like app development involves using the latest tools and technologies.

Influence of resources:

If you don't already have a team of hard-headed developers and you are thinking to outsource them, you need to be very careful in your selection process. Look out for the case studies and experience. Compare the cost of the app development and then make a decision. While different app development companies have their own variables, there is quite an ambiguity in the cost of developing an 'Uber like' mobile app. So, an exact figure cannot be determined but to give you a rough idea about the estimate, have a look at the following:

If we consider the most basic version of the app with only the MVP features and clean UI/UX design, the projected price can go up to $7,500 for development. However, there is very little support and maintenance     required.

If we consider a blend of basic features along with some advanced features, the price can increase to somewhere between $20,000 to $25,000

If we consider the app to be developed with complete advanced features, then the price can rise to as high as $95,000 to $100,000.

The smarter way to Outsource Developers for Building an 'Uber like' Mobile App

Determine the scope of work and then decide upon the number of resources for building a mobile app like Uber for your business. There are many different types of pricing model that you could choose from - time-based, scope based, fixed price and fixed time pricing model, or dedicated resource hiring. While some of these models are based on the client’s demand, the others are determined by the app development firm itself.

Dedicated Resource-based Hiring

When opting for a dedicated resource based hiring, ensure that you know the scope of work and that you are not paying for an extra resource. To develop a basic version of your Uber-like mobile app, your set of resources will be-

UI and UX designer

2 - 4 developers

Quality Assurance Engineer

A Backend Developer

A Project Manager

To develop an advanced version of 'Uber like' mobile app, you will need a team of -

Team Manager/Project Manager

UI/UX designer

3 - 4 developers for each platform

Quality Assurance Engineer

2–3 backend developers

Admin panel

Brace yourself to build a disruptive business with Uber-like mobile app In case you have concerns and queries about the cost of building an Uber like mobile app, help us with know your exact requirements here and we will let you know the estimate. EngineerBabu, being an experienced app development company, Uber-like apps are now a practice to perfect episode for us. Do you want to hire our teams of expert developers for developing your Uber-like mobile app? Talk to us now! Our clients are highly innovative and we respect them for coming up with innovative challenges for us. Spare some time to know about our creative solutions to various technological challenges with our case studies here. Did you hear what our clients have to say about us? Get to know us better by reading the work experience of our clients with us. Here is our complete library of innovative mobile apps which we have developed for our clients across the world. Feel free to ask for a demo and we will help you with it. We would love to be your app development partners. Please drop a detailed inquiry about your requirements and our team will get back to you as soon as possible to discuss further on the development.

On a scale of yay to nay, how helpful did you find this guide? Please share your views in the comment section below and we would appreciate your efforts. We’d love to expand our knowledge. Shoot an email to us at mayank@engineerbabu.com, or talk to us directly.

[johnmauldin]

Economics Is Like Quantum Physics

I often say a writer is nothing without readers. I am blessed to have some of the world’s greatest. Your feedback never fails to inspire and enlighten me.

My last week’s That Time Keynes Had a Point letter brought many more comments than usual. Apparently Keynes is still provocative 73 years after his death, no matter what you say about him.

But my real point was about the twisted economic thought that is having dangerous effects on us all. And we can’t blame it just on Keynes.

Today I want to share some of the feedback I received, add a few thoughts, and then show you some real-world consequences that are only getting worse. But first, let me wax philosophic for a minute.

Economic Dispute

This economic dispute is, at its core, a very old argument about how we understand reality. The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle might agree with some of today’s economists. He taught deductive reasoning with the classic syllogism:

All men are mortal

Socrates is a man

Therefore, Socrates is mortal

In other words, Aristotle said to move from general principles to specific conclusions. That’s what the bulk of modern macroeconomics does, using their (much more elaborate) models to deduce the “best” policy choices.

Centuries later, Sir Francis Bacon turned Aristotle upside down when he advocated inductive reasoning.

Rather than start with broad principles and apply them everywhere, he said to presuppose nothing, observe events and move from specific to general as you gather more observations… what we now call the “scientific method.”

Today’s economists may think that’s what they are doing, but they often aren’t. They begin with models that purport to include all the important variables, then fit facts into the model. When the facts don’t fit, they look for new ones, never considering that the model itself may be flawed.

Furthermore, as I have shown time and time again, they assume away reality in order to construct models that are in “equilibrium” with themselves. This is supposed to give us insight into the reality that has been assumed away.

That process isn’t necessarily wrong, but it’s not science. It is the opposite of science. Bacon would be horrified to see this. He tried to show the world a better way and now, centuries later, some of our most learned professors still don’t get it.

This is sadly not just a philosophical argument. It has real consequences for real people, including you and me.

Uncertainty Principle

Speaking of science, I received this note from an actual scientist (i.e., not an economist).

Dear John, having been an avid reader of your articles for many years now I wanted to write to say how much I tend to agree with your commentary, and in particular how much I enjoyed this week's article. I'd like to make a couple of comments about this week's material.

Firstly, reference was made to comparing economics with physics, and how economists suffer from "physics envy" (I should say that I have a PhD in physics from Oxford and subsequently worked as a physicist at the European Center for Nuclear Physics Research (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland, although I left behind my career as a physicist a long time ago.)

Economies and financial markets are much more like the world of quantum mechanics than the world of classical physics. In classical physics there is complete independence between the observer and the system under observation. However, in the realms of quantum mechanics, the systems under observation are so small that the act of observation disturbs the system itself, described by Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle.

This situation is similar to that of financial markets, where the actions of market players is not separate from market outcomes; rather the actions of market players PRODUCE the market outcomes.

Betting on financial markets is different from betting on the outcome of an independent event, such as the outcome of a horse race or a football match. The latter are akin to classical physics where there is independence between observer and observed. Whilst actions in the betting market change the odds on which horse/team is favored to win, they don't impact the outcome of the event, which is rather determined by the best horse/team on the day. —Paul Shotton

Thank you, Paul, for pointing out this important distinction. I can’t pretend to understand quantum mechanics but your point about independent observation is profound.

Economists don’t just build models; they (and all of us) are parts of the model. We are the economy and the economy is us. While discussing it, we also affect it.

George Soros calls this the principle of reflexivity, the idea that a two-way feedback loop exists in which investors' perceptions affect that environment, which in turn changes investor perceptions. (Here’s his essay explaining more.)

That means these macroeconomic models, which with their Greek letters and complex equations look very scientific to a layperson, are often at odds with the scientific method.

You can’t conduct independent observations and experiments on an entire economy. That doesn’t render the models completely useless, but greatly limits them.

Borrowing from Clint Eastwood, this might be fine if those who use these models would respect the limitations. All too often, they don’t. And this is where it gets a little complicated.

I confess that I use models. I build them and work with others who build even better ones. Models can help inform us of potential outcomes and better understand risk and reward.

But there are clearly inherent limitations on using historical or theoretical observations to predict future results.

(Dis) Equilibrium

Here are a couple more letters, taking issue with my comments on equilibrium.

Just to clarify… Even if the economy can be modeled in some sense by a sand pile that will ultimately collapse, that does not mean that the economy is, at any point in time, not in equilibrium. In fact, it must be in equilibrium in order to form the sand pile! You could argue that the equilibrium is “unstable,” perhaps, but it is certainly a (possibly unstable) equilibrium. —John Bruch

***

John, I’ve been a reader for years and love your letter. But your comment today is over the top; “The entire premise of equilibrium economics is false.” Efficient market hypothesis is over the top but the premise of equilibrium is perfectly modeled in your sand pile letter. Cycles have always existed and always will exist.

Natural market forces will always move markets towards equilibrium but government interference slows the process making the sand pile grow in size and magnitude. To say that the principle of equilibrium is false is just ignoring reality.

The economy is like our forests. When a fire starts in the forest you let it burn so that nature’s cycle can run its course. If you keep putting out the fire you build excess fuel and then at some point you have a catastrophic fire that no humans can control. Mother Nature eventually steps in and puts out the fire and puts life back into equilibrium.

I agree that we need to rethink economics. But the principle of equilibrium, however short lived that moment in time is, is a sure reality. —Dennis Carver

John and Dennis raise an interesting question. The mere fact that the “sand pile” exists intact for some period of time means that equilibrium exists for that interval. Fair enough. The grains of sand do, in fact, line up so that they don’t collapse.

But we are constantly adding more sand and each additional grain changes the equilibrium. The previous equilibrium ends at that point, having been so brief as to be meaningless.

Eventually a grain of sand will create an unstable equilibrium, causing the pile to partially or completely collapse (and then be in equilibrium once again). So if no single state of equilibrium can exist for more than an instant, I would argue it’s not really “equilibrium” for any practical purpose. We can’t rely on it to continue. Every moment brings a new, unknown situation.

Let’s look at it another way. The sandpile model assumes there will be moments of instability. In economic terms, we are experiencing transitory equilibrium. The sandpile model is inherently unstable, a perfect example of Minsky’s Financial Instability Hypothesis: Stability leads to instability and the longer the period of stability, the greater the instability will be at the end.

(Nassim Taleb’s Antifragility Principle is important to understand when we think about equilibrium, or rather the lack of it. His book Antifragile is important and you should at least read the first half.)

My old friend and early economics mentor Dr. Gary North sees this idea of “equilibrium” as not just wrong, but downright evil.

In his 1963 textbook for upper division economics students, [Israel] Kirzner wrote about the assumptions of economists regarding the use of equilibrium as an explanatory model. They use it to describe the system of feedback that the price system provides the market place. “The state of equilibrium should be looked upon as an imaginary situation where there is a complete dovetailing of the decisions made by all the participating individuals.”

This means not only perfect knowledge of available economic opportunities, but also men’s universal willingness to cooperate with each other. In short, it conceives of men as angels in heaven, with fallen angels having conveniently departed for hell and its constant disequilibrium, where totalitarian central power is needed to co-ordinate their efforts. “A market that is not in equilibrium should be looked upon as reflecting a discordancy between the various decisions being made.”

The heart of free market economic analysis is the concept of monetary profits and losses as feedback devices that persuade people to cooperate with each other in order to increase their wealth. “But the theorist knows that the very fact of disequilibrium itself sets into motion forces that tend to bring about equilibrium (with respect to current market attitudes)” (Market Theory and the Price System, p. 23). Presumably, even devils cooperate on this basis. They, too, prefer profits to losses.

Biblically speaking, this theory of equilibrium is wrong. It is not just wrong; it is evil. It adopts the idea of man as God as its foremost conceptual tool to explain people’s economic behavior. It explains the market process as man’s move in the direction of divinity. Economists are not content to explain the price system as a useful arrangement that rewards people with accurate knowledge who voluntary cooperate with each other. They explain the economic progress of man and the improvement of man’s knowledge as a pathway to divinity, however hypothetical. The science of economics in its humanist framework rests on the divinization of man as a conceptual ideal.

Setting aside the theology, the point here is that economists assume human beings are perfectly rational and consistent, or at least wish to be. That’s what makes equilibrium possible.

But we know humans aren’t perfect or consistent. So how can we have equilibrium? We can’t, unless we assume markets are in equilibrium because they act in a manner we deem appropriate or ideal.

Insane Ideas

Again, this isn’t an academic argument. People who believe these ideas either hold seats of power or have influence on those who do. They truly think they can twist some knobs on their models and make everything better.

If we just had better monetary or fiscal policy, if the government could tax the right people and distribute the money correctly, everyone would be so much better off. And of course, their highly complex models and theories will conveniently lead to their desired political conclusions.

It is increasingly obvious that conventional monetary policy is useless now that rates have been so low for so long, and everyone believes they will remain low.

Nothing the central banks do incentivizes anyone to make immediate growth-generating decisions. If you need to borrow money, you likely did it long ago.

A new Deutsche Bank analysis says the major world economies now have government debt, on average, exceeding 70% of GDP, the highest peacetime level of the past 150 years.

Source: Financial Times

This is obviously unsustainable but the economics profession (and the bankers) desperately want to sustain it. With monetary tools no longer useful, they are turning to fiscal policy. Serious people are mapping strategies like helicopter money, debt monetization, MMT, and worse.

These all, in various ways, essentially say that government debt doesn’t matter, and in some cases we actually need more of it. Historically, the only way that can be right is if we are on the cusp of another WW2-like crisis.

This horrifying but well-researched Bloomberg article is chock full of links to insane ideas. Some look superficially attractive, especially to those unfamiliar with even basic economics. Many have familiar, heavyweight names attached to them. All have, to me at least, a whiff of desperation. They are frantic attempts to make the world stop spinning.

I don’t think these ideas will work. I think we are beyond the black hole’s event horizon. Bad things are going to happen, culminating in some kind of globally coordinated debt liquidation I have dubbed the Great Reset. I really see no other way out.

Every day brings more signs of the impending crisis. Duke University’s latest quarterly CFO survey found more than half of finance chiefs foresee a US recession before the 2020 election. Possibly worse, they project only a 1% increase in capital spending over the next 12 months.

An economy in which near-zero interest rates can’t spur more investment than that is an economy with serious problems. And I expect them to get worse, not better.

Furthermore, an increasing body of evidence says that increasing sovereign debt is a slow but inexorable drag on GDP. It is like the frog being boiled in water, but so slowly that we as citizens don’t really understand what is happening to us. We do sense something is wrong, though. Hence today’s worldwide populist movements.

The driver for 1930s populism was the Great Depression and unemployment. Now the impetus is rising debt and underemployment, with people unable to improve their lives as past generations did. Millions no longer expect to be better off economically than their parents. That frustration is sparking unproductive political partisanship and has the potential to bring political chaos as governments try to protect their own technology and businesses.

The world in general has clearly benefited from globalization and automation, but that is a hard argument to make as jobs disappear. And more jobs will disappear as technology increasingly lets businesses replace expensive humans with cheap robotics and algorithms. Sigh… I wish I had answers. Well, I do, but I don’t think they’ll going to get a great deal of traction.

This won’t be the end of the world. I really do think there are ways that you can properly position your portfolio and your personal life to not just survive but to thrive. We will get through it and be better on the other side. But it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

The Great Reset: The Collapse of the Biggest Bubble in History

New York Times best seller and renowned financial expert John Mauldin predicts an unprecedented financial crisis that could be triggered in the next five years. Most investors seem completely unaware of the relentless pressure that’s building right now. Learn more here.

[sage-nebula]

yoshi12370 replied to your photo “I said it on the post you replied to, and I’ll say it again: “Anyone...”

I still stand by that Dusk is better written than frog. Whether or not it was written for Ash, and has similarities to the frog, Lycanroc was never set up as this great thing that Ash only could unlock because He Is The Main Character. Everything about the Dusk forme revolved around Rockruff rather than Ash. I will say that Ash getting a new Lycanroc forme because he's the main character is not an inaccurate deduction because as you said this isn't new to the anime.  However what I'm saying is they handled this better. Dusk form was revealed in the game before showing Ash's Rockruff evolve into it. It already had official art from the game artist (Sugimori? I can't tell nowadays) and it's clear they put more thought into it and had planned this. Compare to Ash Greninja where it was only made to make Ash strong as a Mega User and was added to the game at last minute. The Battle Bond ability was vaguely explained and made just for Ash while Dusk is set up to be a new discovery.

Sorry for the late reply; it was six a.m. and I had to take a nap before work.

“Lycanroc was never set up as this great thing that Ash only could unlock because He Is The Main Character. Everything about the Dusk forme revolved around Rockruff rather than Ash.”

That Rockruff has a character arc of his own doesn’t make this any different from Greninja, because Greninja, too, had a character arc of his own. Ash met Froakie because Froakie had, once again, been returned to Professor Sycamore’s lab after failing to bond with a trainer. Although many trainers had attempted to raise Froakie, Froakie ended up rejecting all of them because he felt they could not help him reach his personal potential. Bond Phenomenon was as much Greninja’s journey as it was Ash’s; in fact, it could even be argued that the only reason why Ash pursued it at all was for Greninja’s sake, because Greninja wanted it. This was why Ash started to grow very uneasy and have bad dreams surrounding Greninja leaving him due to his failures, as well as why Greninja did temporarily leave him after the loss against Wulfric and Ash’s subsequent sulking fit. Ash had to win back Greninja’s favor and bond with him again, at which point Greninja---just as he had when he was a Froakie---knocked the pokéball toward Ash. Even when it comes to the lore, the myths about the special greninja were, again, myths about a special greninja, and the ancient text that Sycamore found specifically stated that only pokémon with a certain spirit or soul within them could unlock such a power. They needed the assistance of the right trainer, yes (because remember, this is just like mega evolution), but it was still always about the individual pokémon. The Bond Phenomenon arc was set up to be Greninja’s arc just as much as it was set up to be Ash’s, regardless of how much you personally enjoy Greninja’s existence.

Similarly, Rockruff---just like Froakie!---has been very invested in battling and growing stronger since day one. Just as Froakie kept rejecting trainers that he felt weren’t good enough for him, Rockruff kept sneaking off on his own to go to underground fight clubs so that he could try to force an evolution. And hell, even in this past episode, Rockruff once again went off on his own and deliberately avoided Ash because he felt that he had to do this in order to grow stronger and evolve. His “character arc” is just that he wants to fight everyone and grow stronger. It is, beat for beat, the same as Greninja’s, with the only difference that there isn’t a prophecy about him, likely because Ash is already the center of the Tapus for no explicable reason other than the fact that he’s the main character and a very special boy.

I also disagree that this evolution had nothing to do with Ash. Rockruff evolved into Dusk Lycanroc after Tapu Lele healed him, and Tapu Lele healed him after using Draining Kiss on Ash (as well as Gladion and Olivia’s lycanroc). The inference, then, is that Ash’s life energy was used to help Rockruff evolve. In other words, Ash was a necessary component, and it’s highly likely (almost certain!) Rockruff would not have achieved this form without him. So no, this really is not different from Ash-Greninja. 

“Dusk form was revealed in the game before showing Ash's Rockruff evolve into it.”

Uhhhh, no, not really. 

Dusk Lycanroc was only announced four days ago, and even then, it was because people were clamoring for Corocoro leaks as usual. That they included Dusk Lycanroc in this month’s Corocoro is absolutely because the anime got to the Rockruff evolution episode, and Game Freak felt they couldn’t wait any longer, likely because Dusk Lycanroc is going to be the anime shill for USUM. (Though that’s not guaranteed yet, I don’t think. It’s always possible they could release it in regular SM, but since USUM will likely be out in a couple months, I doubt it.) Dusk Lycanroc is the only news we’ve received about USUM since the announcement teaser. This is undoubtedly because the anime was going to “spoil” it, and so they had no choice but to say something now, particularly since saying, “Hey kiddos! You, too, can train this pokémon that Ash has if you buy the new games!” is a tactic they’ve been using to sell the games to anime-only fans for years now. It’s, again, the exact reason why Ash-Greninja was included in the SM demo. They really wanted to grab the anime fans.

So no, Dusk Lycanroc was not revealed in the game before the anime. It was shown in Corocoro (leaks) at about the same time as the anime episode aired because the anime episode aired and they couldn’t hold off any longer. 

“it's clear they put more thought into it and had planned this. Compare to Ash Greninja where it was only made to make Ash strong as a Mega User and was added to the game at last minute.”

Nope. Let’s check the receipts.

After the conclusion of XY&Z, an interview was conducted with the current director, Yajima. And in that interview, Yajima revealed that Ash-Greninja was Game Freak’s idea and was planned from the start. Specifically:

“Yajima wanted to make the bond between Satoshi and Gekkouga a major part of the story, but felt it would be difficult to do so if it had to remain a Gekkouga, so he went to Game Freak, and they came up with the idea of a synchro transformation. It was put in Sun/Moon afterwards, but was created during this discussion between anime staff and GF.”

While it’s true that Yajima wanted a way to show that the bond between Ash and Greninja was special (so less about making Ash stronger, more about showing that his relationship with Greninja had reached new heights), the fact remains that Game Freak had this in their pocket since the start of the series. My guess is that they saved the special event for SM because there was never a Z Version for Kalos, and with ORAS it made more sense to have events with Shiny Beldum and whatnot due to the fact that Steven, too, was an important character in the anime again, and he’s a Hoenn character / the Hoenn Champion. Regardless, acting as if Ash-Greninja was cobbed together by the anime staff at the last minute is false. It wasn’t even their idea, it was Game Freak’s.

And as far as concept art goes, I will admit that I don’t know if Sugimori did art of Ash-Greninja specifically. I do know, though, that he did draw XY!Ash in the same pose and expression as Red from FRLG, so once again it’s not like Game Freak was hands off for the Kalos saga of the anime. They were just as involved then as they are now.

“The Battle Bond ability was vaguely explained and made just for Ash while Dusk is set up to be a new discovery.”

I disagree that Bond Phenomenon was vaguely explained. Bond Phenomenon was foreshadowed before it happened with the ninja village’s lore, particularly since Bonnie pointed out that the heroic greninja depicted in the monument was different from other greninja she had seen before. Then, after the kids realized that Ash’s greninja was transforming, Clemont created inventions to test the energy between them, as well as their vital signs, letting the audience know that the two were in sync (or, as Game Freak calls it, synchro) and connected. Then later still, just in case anyone still had any questions, Sycamore reveals the results of his research in XYZ036, giving the transformation the name “Bond Phenomenon” and explaining that although it is extremely rare (and therefore shouldn’t be limited to just Ash!), there have been recordings of it throughout history. Certain pokémon (as in, individuals, not species) have the right kind of spirit within them that allows them to unlock this hidden potential when they are united with the right trainer. That is pretty cut and dry. We’re told exactly what this transformation is, exactly why it happens, and we’re further given a motivation for Greninja’s desire to battle and grow stronger beyond “well, it’s fun lol.” Froakie / Frogadier / Greninja was so dead set on finding a trainer that could unlock his potential because, although he didn’t know of the legend, he could feel he had greater power within him. And he knew Ash was the trainer who could help him because their spirits / souls were in sync, something he could feel thanks to Bond Phenomenon. None of that is vague. It’s right there in the episodes.

In comparison, Rockruff also really wanted to battle all the time and was dead set on evolving, because . . . it’s fun and he’s aggressive. And he evolved into Dusk Lycanroc because Tapu Lele healed him after absorbing life energy from two other lycanroc and Ash, and that + howling at the sunset caused him to evolve into a never before seen form because . . . because. As far as I can tell, no other explanation was given. I’m really not seeing the masterful leap in storytelling you’re saying exists here. If anything, at this moment in time (and this could change), far less has been done to explain Dusk Lycanroc than with Ash-Greninja, particularly since Ash-Greninja at least had some foreshadowing (even if it was quick foreshadowing, though to be honest the Ash-Greninja transformation in the ninja village was very brief, so the real appearance didn’t come until later), whereas Dusk Lycanroc had none.

Lastly, I’d argue that having Dusk Lycanroc be a new discovery is even worse since it’s a new discovery Just For Ash. The fact that history exists in Kalos to show that Bond Phenomenon has happened before means that it’s not that Ash is a child of the gods, but rather that he just happened to meet the right pokémon at the right time. (I still maintain that the right pokémon for this is Pikachu, but whatever.) In fact, XYZ036 set it up so that it would have been reasonable to show other trainers (and one specific trainer, at that) unlock this power during the finale. By specifically stating within the canon that this has happened before, with others, they’re saying that what Ash is doing isn’t new. It’s extremely rare and therefore special, but it’s not new.

But with Dusk Lycanroc? It’s both special and new! No one else has ever evolved their rockruff into a dusk lycanroc! It’s a brand new thing that Ash was able to do because he is the protagonist and is special therefore. Similarly, Tapu Koko just gave him a Z-Ring for no reason because, well, he’s the protagonist and is special therefore. There might not be a prophecy about Ash in Alola (yet), but they’re still making him just as much of a special sunflower as Kalos did. Dusk Lycanroc is blatantly his Ash-Greninja equivalent. They’re exactly the same. The Alola anime has changed the art style, has tried to change the genre, and changed what one-dimensional trope they’ve based Ash on this time, but they haven’t changed the fact that they’re creating things to make him more special than the rest. That has stayed exactly the same.