#⌬ –– connection.「 alex kamal. 」

[triangle-dog]

Pet Summits has another free summit that might be of interest to some of you. This one is on pet anxiety. The talks probably vary in quality (*cough* some-sound-like-BS *cough*), but they are free for 48hrs after they go live so I figure the interesting ones are worth checking out at least the beginning of.

It starts tomorrow (shows how on top of things I am). September 18-22

Sept 18 *Dr. Edward Bassingthwaighte: Nervous System Co-Regulation - Nip Pet Anxiety In The Bud *Shanti Zinzi MA: Feline Anxiety Prevention *Ness Jones: How To Avoid Separation Anxiety in Dogs *Doggy Dan: Anxiety and the Dog Calming Code *Kamal Fernandez: Compassionate Training Techniques to Prevent anxiety

Sept 19 *Ruth Hatten: The Microbiome-Anxiety Connection *Dr. Meghan Barrett: The Gut Brain Axis, Vagal Tone, and Anxiety *Dr. Margo Roman: How the Microbiome Affects The Mental Health Of The Pet

Sept 20 *Joan Ranquet: Animal Communication *Dr. Janet Roark: Essential Oils for Animals with Anxiety *Dr. Casara Andre: Psilocybin And Anxiety For Pets *Dr. Jeff Feinman: Homeopathy for Healing Anxiety *Lisa Spector: Music For Anxiety - Creating A Sound Safe Home For Your Dog

Sept 21 *Christina Chambreau, CVH: Preventing and Resolving Anxiety Energetically *Dr. Robert Silver: An Integrative Approach to Anxiety in Our Pets *Dr. Edward Bassingthwaighte: How To Teach Your Pets Resilient Relaxation *Dr. Alex Avery: Why You Need A Veterinary Exam And Workup And The Underlying Causes Of Anxiety

Sept 22 *Dr. Christopher Pachel: Veterinary Prescription Medications - When And Why They May Be Needed *Dr. Cara Gubbins: The Art of Animal Communication in Understanding and Relieving Pet Anxiety *Dr. Edward Bassingthwaighte: Healing Anxiety With Intentional Touch *Dr. Edward Bassingthwaighte: Anxiety Is Simply Arousal With Nowhere To Go

[cybercrime-blogs]

Nigerians and Women Arrested in Gurugram for Duping Hundreds Of Women via Social Media

GURUGRAM: In a recent development, the Gurugram Police have taken into custody six individuals, comprising four Nigerians and two women, on charges of defrauding numerous women through social media networks. The police investigation revealed that this gang would establish connections with young women via various social media platforms, eventually persuading them to part with their money with the assistance of the arrested women.

It all began when the police received a complaint on March 13 from a woman who claimed to have struck up a friendship with a man on social media. The man, presenting himself as a doctor residing in the United Kingdom, engaged her in conversations over the phone. On April 4, the woman unexpectedly received a call from an alleged customs official, who informed her that a consignment of gold and foreign currency had been dispatched in her name. Consequently, she was instructed to pay a tax amounting to Rs 45,000, which she promptly did. Subsequently, she ended up transferring an additional sum of Rs 8.85 lakh as supposed tax payments to the suspects.

Also Read: Kashmiri Brother-in-Law could not show Kamal, and pressure on Nagpur police failed

Disturbed by the turn of events, the woman decided to bring the matter to the attention of the police, leading to the registration of a case at the cybercrime police station A (east) in Gurugram. During the course of their investigation, the police successfully apprehended six suspects from Mohan Garden in Delhi. The arrested individuals include Samuel Ubaka Igwatu, Emmanuel Chukwudi, Anidebe Emeka Alex, Audimnobifitu Aloysis (a Nigerian national), and Wassomichon and Chanchamaliyu Panme (both residents of Manipur).

Further inquiries revealed that the Nigerian national had been residing in India illegally, with their passport and visa having already expired. In addition, the police recovered a significant amount of incriminating evidence from the possession of the suspects, including 16 mobile phones, 18 SIM cards, four laptops, six debit cards, several pen drives, three passports, and Rs 31,000 in cash.

Sharing details regarding the arrest, Priyanshu Diwan, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (cybercrime), stated, "The accused individuals employed a modus operandi involving the establishment of friendships with young women through social media. Together with the arrested women, they manipulated the victims into parting with their money."

This incident serves as a cautionary tale highlighting the potential risks associated with online interactions and the need for individuals to exercise caution while engaging with strangers on social media platforms. The Gurugram Police's swift action in apprehending the suspects and recovering substantial evidence demonstrates their commitment to tackling cybercrime and ensuring the safety of the community. It is a reminder to all to remain vigilant, verify the authenticity of online acquaintances, and report any suspicious activities to the authorities promptly.

The case will proceed through the legal system, where the accused will face the consequences of their alleged crimes. As technology continues to advance, law enforcement agencies will undoubtedly remain vigilant in their efforts to combat cybercrime and protect citizens from falling victim to such fraudulent schemes. In the meantime, it is crucial for individuals to remain aware of the potential risks associated with online interactions, thereby safeguarding themselves from becoming victims of similar scams.

Also Read: Cybercrime in Nagpur - Cyber Blackmailer Couple Arrested in Pune for Extorting Money

How The Scam Operates:

The scammers behind the Gurugram fraud scheme employed a clever strategy to target women through social media. They created fake profiles, masquerading as individuals with whom the victims could form a connection. They would initiate conversations and maintain regular communication with the women, gradually building trust and rapport. Once they gained the victims' confidence, their true intentions would come to light.

In this particular scam, the fraudsters enticed their victims with the promise of an extravagant gift. They would claim that the gift had encountered a problem at customs and could not be released without the payment of a tax. To make their deception seem legitimate, the scammers would often assume the identities of customs officials or lawyers, using fabricated profiles to convince the victims of the authenticity of their claims.

Once the victim had fallen for their ruse, the fraudsters would request the transfer of the tax amount to a designated bank account. However, the exploitation did not stop there. The scammers would continue to demand additional funds, fabricating various reasons such as extra taxes or courier charges. The victims, already ensnared by the web of trust they had woven, would unwittingly transfer larger sums of money, desperately hoping to receive the promised gift.

In reality, there was no gift awaiting the victims. The fraudsters had concocted an elaborate scheme to exploit their trust and extort money from them. The truth behind the scam began to unravel when one of the victims, realizing she had been deceived, bravely reported the matter to the police. This courageous action ultimately led to the arrest of the six individuals involved in perpetrating the scam.

Law enforcement agencies have stressed the importance of vigilance when using social media platforms. They encourage the public to remain alert and promptly report any suspicious activities to the authorities. The accused perpetrators have been charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act, signaling the serious nature of their crimes. Additionally, the police are actively investigating the potential involvement of other members within the scamming network.

Also Read: Cyber blackmailing case: Shatrughan's bail Plea rejected

This incident serves as a reminder of the risks inherent in online interactions and the need for caution when engaging with unknown individuals on social media. It is crucial for individuals to be discerning, verify the authenticity of profiles, and exercise restraint when sharing personal information or engaging in financial transactions. By staying informed and aware, people can better protect themselves from falling victim to similar scams.

Law enforcement agencies are committed to combating cybercrime and ensuring the safety of the community. As technology continues to advance, their efforts to stay one step ahead of fraudsters and protect individuals from exploitation will remain steadfast. By working in collaboration with the public, reporting suspicious activities, and raising awareness, we can collectively fight against such fraudulent schemes and maintain a safer digital environment for everyone.

Source: https://www.the420.in/nigerians-and-women-arrested-in-gurugram-for-duping-hundreds-of-women-via-social-media/ 

[always-tilting-at-windmills]

[thctearoom]

Brief 3: Essay

An Essay in Video Interpretations

“Are you anything like that animal?” Kenzo Gabriel, like so many people who meet and interact with Amos Burton, falls into the trap of seeing the space brute as just another unemotional and psychopathic thug in the Belt but he, like the others, would be wrong. Amos Burton is one of the many intriguing yet complicated characters that viewers are introduced to in the Syfy television series The Expanse which focuses on a future in which mankind has colonised the stars. When the spaceship and the crew that Amos is working with become involved in a conspiracy to jump start a war between the planets Earth and Mars as well as the asteroid belt dwellers known as the Belters, Amos finds himself caught up in the churn as the rules of survival change.

Viewers and fans have a front row seat of seeing Amos for the man that he really is and have shared their views and interpretations of him in various online mediums. The use of computers, the internet and editing software has allowed some fans to broaden their reach in ways that are vastly more engaging than simple pen to paper or words on a screen hurled out into the void of the internet. By creating 1-3-minute videos uploaded to social media sharing sites such as Youtube, they can reach a wider range of viewers and content consumers by combining voice-overs and dialogue, music and entertaining visuals into visual evidence of their own interpretations of specific characters or media content.

One such content maker published an interpretation of Amos Burton (Shainira, 2017). The video opens with a voice over of Kenzo Gabriel, questioning the integrity of James Holden, the crew’s Captain, and comparing him to Amos in such a way that paints Amos as a clear antagonist and someone to fear and distrust. This introduction sets the tone for the rest of the video and provides the instantaneous hook that this ages generation needs in order to remain engaged with new content. Kenzo Gabriel’s inspection is further evidenced by the second use of a voice over and dialogue by another character, Paolo Cortázar, whom says:

You want to be that real boy again, to feel how you felt before the world broke you. But you cauterized that, in order to survive.

Paolo implies within this moment that Amos was self-made, that the way in which he behaves, his values and his views are directly connected to his instinct and need to survive in a harsh and cruel world and that there is no going back to the way he was before this trauma happened to him. Throughout the video these implications are repeated and drawn clear when even Alex Kamal, a member of Amos’ crew and a friend, questions what made Amos the way that he is “What happened to you?”, further implying that something in Amos’ past is what crafted him into the man that he has become now. When a second crew member and friend, Naomi Nagata, attempts to explain that for all of Amos’ intimidating qualities and behaviour, that he isn’t the animal or the villain that many mistakes him for “He’s not crazy and he’s not evil.”. This contrast between two perspectives impact the audience by creating two conflicting ideas of who and what Amos is, is he an unemotional brute or is he a man doing the best with what has happened to him?

The continuous use of direct quotes taken from the series allows for even first-time viewers and non-fans to come to a clear and visible understanding of Shainira’s interpretation of the character as being a frightening and intimidating force, “Whatever leash you had him on, you better get him back on it.”, whilst simultaneously hammering home that he is still more than that. As difficult as he appears to be to control he does have a certain perspective on the world that explains his clean cut and black-and-white viewpoint, “There’s only three kinds of people in this world. The bad ones, the ones you follow and the ones you need to protect.” The use of such dialogues allows for the viewer to clearly see how Amos is duo faceted and how he is one or the either to different people as well as creating a haunting and aggressive tempo and beat of the video that keeps the viewers engaged and on the edges of their seats.

Furthermore, the video combines these voiceovers with music. Evil Prevails is a stirring tune, beginning quietly, it fills the listener with a sense paranoia, a need to be alert and aware that conjures feelings of being watched or followed. As the music continues it slowly begins to grow louder and louder, the beat becoming faster and causing a rise of intensity and action whilst still maintaining a powerful atmosphere of lurking danger. The continuous high and low, rise and fall of the base beat causes the listener to feel as if this moment will never end, trapping them in a constant state of vigilance until the sudden peak and finality of the music itself. Cut off at its apex and leaving the listener’s heart racing long after the music itself has ended.

Shainira has combined the music itself with sound effects taken from the show that complement the music itself, the sound of Amos taking a breath in the introduction is sharp and sudden, the sound of his footsteps as he climbs the ladder into the control room is added to the shrill beat of the music’s instrumental, the hiss of the ship doors opening or closing, the sharp sound of a bullet cutting through Sematimba and the blood splatter as it splashes against Naomi Nagata’s face, all of these sounds adding to the force of the music itself and the feelings that it elicits for the viewers of the video.

In the same manner in which sound impacts the listener, Shainira combines the music, voiceovers and sound effects with scenes taken from the television series, splicing together each medium to create their video interpretation of Amos. From the very first scene we are introduced to Amos, waking and sucking in a sharp breath with Kenzo Gabriel accusing him of being an animal, when combined with the low intro of Evil Prevails, creates a daunting visual and adds to the concept that encompasses the weight of Amos’ presence.

Another key moment that combines the music, voiceover effect and scenes taken from the series is when Alex Kamal is voiced lecturing Amos on what they do and why they do it, “That’s what people do, we help.”, something that is clearly shown as a subject of conflict with Amos who goes between helping others and committing extreme acts of violence as shown on three separate occasions where Amos assaults Joe Miller, pinning him against the galley table and appears to be able to strangle him or snap his neck, or the moment when Amos beats Roma into bloody submission with a can of chicken and holds even Alex Kamal, one of Amos’ closest friends, over the railing of the ship’s control room. Each moment of confrontation separated by someone stopping him from going too far, either Naomi Nagata with Joe Miller or Prax Meng with Roma, until Amos is shown threatening Roma with a gun and asking, “Are you gonna help us?”. The use of these scenes in rapid succession of each other creating an uneasy feeling of apprehension whilst simultaneously showing us the way in which Amos has carefully begun to evolve into becoming more concerned with the lives of those around him but maintains an explosive violence.

This is further evidenced when incorporated with the way in which he stops attacking Alex of his own volition rather than needing Naomi or Prax to stop him as they did or attempted to do when he attacked both Joe Miller and Roma. This single instance is short but for those who have seen the series would appreciate that sign of Amos’ growth and ability to control his own violent and aggressive impulses when he needs to.

The music and the combination of the sound effects and voiceovers used in the television series creates a sense of unity between the video and the scenes chosen from the series that other fan made video’s lack, such as NatalyaCorvus’ Bucky Barnes tribute video. While the scenes chosen had a specific intent to the video’s overall presentation, the song chosen lacked the appropriate impact as the lyrical use of the music itself distracted the audience and took away from the video’s aim and created a disconnect between what audiences were watching and what they were hearing. Where many fan tributes are only snippets of their chosen series or film with music slapped over the top, Shainira manages to encompass all mediums into their video seamlessly, showing an escalation of events and actions that builds while the music does as well and provides a clear interpretation of the character Amos Burton.

References

Brooks, C. (2015). Gangsta’s Paradise. On Awaken the Fire. Another Century. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGM3I33W70c Brown, J.F., Daniel, S., Fergus, M., Hall, S., Johnson, B., Kosove, A., Lancaster, L., McDonough, T. & Shankar, N. (2019). The expanse. Amazon Prime Video, Syfy. De Veer, C.T. (2013). Evil Prevails. On Utopia – original TV soundtrack. Silva Screen Records. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2YNn08n0ys NatalyaCorvus. (2017, June 12). Bucky Barnes – gangsta’s paradise. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VPb8KX72ZE Shainira. (2017, April 21). Amos Burton || What happened to you?. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXxxLxCv2ec

[ussjellyfish]

Chaos and Cheese - Bobbie Draper/Alex Kamal | The Expanse

written for the Expanse Exchange for @michiopa​. (thanks to @the-roci​ for setting it up!)

Alex cooks when things are stressful. Bobbie’s used to eating MREs, food is good when they’re home. It’s just...one more part of her day in space. (set after season 3)

There’s a whole universe out there, hundreds of planets: with oceans and beaches and rain that falls from the sky. It’s going to be a mess. Earth and Mars can barely avoid destroying each other for a few days over two planets. Hundreds means brushfire wars, people who think their dictators because they landed on a planet first. It means good: Belters who can look at the sky, Martians who want to put their feet in the sea, and Earthers who might not waste this planet.

She tries not to think about it too much. Holden can worry about it. The Secretary-General can worry about it in her fancy office on Earth. Bobbie will put herself in front of the thinkers so they can think. She'll blast blue monsters into pieces.

After she eats. Monsters die faster on a full stomach. Ducking into the galley, she grabs an MRE from the cabinet but doesn't open it because Alex is there. He hums to himself, listening to some old music while he layers cheese and some kind of sauce in what is not a pan.

He hasn't seen her, or heard her, how could he over that music? She toys with the wrapper, then puts it back. This is lasagna, so it's a family dinner night on the Roci, and it's a thing. She had family dinners back home, and some in the barracks planetside,= that were raucous and loving and together. Finding that in space...that's new.

But it's here, on this funny little ship. Avasarala picked up on it right away because she knows people the way Bobbie knows weaponry. This is a home. These are good people. Battered, dented a little like her power armor, but they're just a strong.

Waiting for him to set down the cheese, she sneaks closer. He'll reach right and she can grab it.

Alex turns towards the pasta (it's not real pasta, but it's good enough) and she reaches for the cheese, but his fingers catch hers.

"Oh no you don't, I need that."

She could bend his arm back, twist her way free, grab the cheese, but they're body to body, sharing the same recycled air, and it's nice.

It's family.

Maybe, something a little more.

"Cooking again?"

"We gotta eat," he says, removing his headphones with a grin. "Better we eat together, take some time to talk about the universe that's changing all around us."

His fingers remain on her hand, and she doesn't move it. Doesn't shift. She's never backed away from a challenge.

Even when he has a bright, scary smile and eyes that she can't stop looking at.

"Change can be good."

"Sure thing, but you need your center too. Something to come home too." He finishes his creation with his free hand, still holding hers. They glance down, sharing the realization that they're connected.

Touching.

"Home sounds nice."

"I hear it is." He takes his hand from hers regretfully and pops the lasagna into the oven. When he turns back, he winks. "I'll let you know when I find it."

"Yeah, maybe it'll find us."

[newadventuresinheeling]

The start of my new adventure

There are several friends and fellow obedience enthusiasts that I see whose teamwork leaves me almost breathless in admiration. The teamwork, silent communication and absolute joy they display in the ring inspires me to ‘be more like them’.

I love my dogs and long ago decided force based training was not for me, and have been expanding my training tool-set. But still, some teams truly show a level of skill and just beauty that I continue to search for ways to improve.

Several of my dogs have taken me to higher levels of understanding and levels of expertise, but still I have so much to learn.

One person whose teamwork with her dogs I greatly admire, Lara, posted about an online course by Alex Robinson. The class was in a silent audit mode since the course had run to completion, but I gladly signed up and my eyes are opening to how these teams build and train. But still, there are gaps in how the coursework is moving and my particular learning style -- I like to see the beginning, the ending and the connecting pieces since that is how I work professionally and a computer software system developer and designer.

I have truly learned so much already, I am really just starting his approach but wanted more information.  I noticed Alex mentioned his mentor Kamal Fernandez. I googled for Kamal Fernandez’s  online course area and signed up for 2 sets of classes (Foundations and Heelwork); I do believe this will start putting the pieces together for me. The theory of his methods and steps are explained in a really detailed way I can readily understand and kind of visualize as a combination of Flowcharting & Decision trees, a roadmap if you will. Between Alex and Kamal, the approach truly appeals to me.

How to fit those pieces together and just as important, when to fit everything together. I think Wren will do well -- Brady, Aedan and Finch will surely benefit but they are so far along in their training it will not have as much of an impact.

I am excited!! Kamal explains things very well and Alex adds on with his expertise on how & why dogs from strong working lines may not do best with pure shaping but may benefit from being shown. Between the 2 courses, and of course FDSA, I think the approach will do me and all my dogs well.

I will of course continue with my FDSA courses as well as my in person classes, but I truly feel the addition of these 2 resources will really help me evolve my training and help not only my current dogs, but all future dogs as well.

[aion-rsa]

The Expanse’s Cas Anvar Won’t Be in Season 6

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Buried in the Deadline announcement that The Expanse has been renewed for a sixth (yay!) and final (oh) season, was another very important news item: Cas Anvar, who has played Martian pilot Alex Kamal in the first five seasons of the show, will not be returning for the final season. This announcement comes after an official investigation by a third party on behalf of Alcon Studios due to the many allegations of abuse and harassment made against Anvar by both coworkers and fans, some of whom were under the age of 18. (You can read more about this on The Expanse subreddit, where statements from the accusers, the cast and crew, and Anvar have been compiled.)

Anvar will be in Season 5, set to premiere on December 16th. Filming on the fifth season finished before the allegations against Anvar came to light. While it’s unclear what Anvar’s presence in Season 5 might look like, the actor/character has appeared in promotional content for the upcoming season.

For many The Expanse fans, Anvar’s presence in the upcoming season complicates the viewing experience. Personally, while I am looking forward to Season 5, I, like many other Expanse fans, am anticipating that the behind-the-scenes allegations against Anvar, many of which allegedly occurred at conventions, will affect how I watch any plot involving Alex. I am not yet sure how the knowledge that Anvar will not be returning for Season 6 will further impact that experience. On the one hand, it’s heartening to know that Alcon Studios has taken these allegations seriously and has seemingly acted on the results of their investigation. On the other hand, as of right now, the connection between Anvar’s alleged behavior, the investigation, and his departure has not been made explicit, which is disappointing.

This Expanse news comes a few weeks after the announcement that Johnny Depp will not be returning for the third movie in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, which came only days after a U.K. court’s ruling that British tabloid The Sun was not committing libel when they described Depp as “a wife-beater” in 2018. In both cases, the reason for the actors’ departures have been left for fans to interpret rather than made explicit by The Powers That Be. Presumably, the decision to stay mum on the details of someone being asked to resign or not being rehired (or whatever other euphemism we’re using these days) is at least partially informed by a studio not wanting to invite legal trouble. It’s also just one more way our institutions are constructed to protect abusers and/or a company’s bottom line.

That being said, Anvar’s Season 6 departure does appear to be some level of accountability, and is seemingly a rare example of a TV or film production addressing allegations of abuse.

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The post The Expanse’s Cas Anvar Won’t Be in Season 6 appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3kXQ33v

[belterfcrged]

not a lot is known (or available) about naomi’s childhood [ i am working on a reread of the whole series so i will be making notes of stuff if/when it pops up to fill in the blanks ]  she was born in the belt, has always been in the belt, has never set foot on a planet (season 4 not withstanding).  what we do know is that she was an extremely talented coder and hacker and that she worked her way through and tested out of the majority of two remote learning engineering degrees.  she had received offers of scholarships to a few of the elite martian and earther run colleges but turned them down, working her way through on her own.  by the time that she was eighteen, she was in love with a man named marco inaros and they were married, and had a son together, felip, and was a member of an opa cell that was run by marco.  [ more about this under the cut at the bottom of this post because of major spoilers ]

by twenty, she found herself alone, her son lost to her, and nowhere to go and noone to turn to.  she signed on to a crew and headed out into the stars.  with her credentials, and with a few years experience on her belt, she could’ve moved up the ranks, gotten a job with one of the elite freight companies or security companies, but she preferred to stick to the fringe.  out of sight.  out of the way.  on her own, where she could do her job and be left, for the most part, alone. eventually she would come to be chief engineer of the ice hauler, the canterbury, where she would meet james holden, garvey shed, alex kamal and would hire on amos burton to work under her in engineering and serve as ship’s mechanic.  despite his rough exterior and his brusque demeanor, she saw something in him that compelled her to give him a shot, and she’s never regretted it.

after the destruction of the canterbury by uknown forces, she, alex, holden, shed and amos end up stranded on a mostly malfunctioning shuttle where their distress signal is picked up by a martian ship.  they are taken on board and face the possibility of arrests and being charged with sedition and or being the ones responsible for the canterbury, and of being opa or opa aligned, etc.  the donnager, the ship holding them, is then attacked and fairly quickly decimated by the same forces that attacked the canterbury.  the martian captain sends her lieutenant and the surviving crew to a martian warship to ensure they survive to get the warning out and to clarify to the galaxy that it was not a martian navy ship that attacked / destroyed the canterbury.

a long chain of events follows, including the discovery of an alien organism which is simply dubbed the protomolecule that has been discovered and weaponized, mixed in to human dna and at one point released station wide onto a belter asteroid citadel to see what would happen.  tensions between mars and earth continue to rise, the belt is in upheaval, even more than usual and all it might take is a single hair to tip it all out of balance.��

in the interim, it is discovered that the protomolecule was sent by an alien species millennium ago to absorb and transform single cell life to continue ‘the work’ - gathering materials necessary to build another series of ring gates, which they learn connect to thirty, forty entire other systems that they would never have discovered in their lifetimes even with the rate of travel they are currently capable of.  

some tensions ease, especially with now entire systems to explore and find places to call home that don’t require being reliant on mars or earth or corporate entities to provide air, water, protein bars, etc. now, though, the focus becomes: who will control the gates, how to regulate them, who gets to lay claim to what’s on the other side.  -- this delves into the season four story line, which i’m happy to explore, but might be a bit restrictive for plotting.  (belters claim a planet, a corporation says they don’t have the rights to it or the ore that they want, the rocinante gets sent to play peacekeeper but the belters blew up the corporate ship/landing pad so things are already going to shit by the time the roci gets there.  naomi gets to set planetside for the first time ever, but doesn’t adjust well and ends up having to go back to the ship.  things go bad planetside, as other life forms get stirred up by the awakening of some of the alien artifacts beneath the planet’s surface.  the population ends up starting to go blind, death slugs find their way above ground - it’s all very messy.)

naomi’s part in the opa cell was (she thought) relatively minor.  she did a bit of coding here, bit of hacking here.  the members of the group were like a family to her, helped her with felip, took care of her, provided for her and felip when marco was away etc.  then marco presented her with a challenge, to hack the unhackable system.  and she managed it.  what she didn’t know was that he would then use that hack to cause civilian and military ships to basically overheat and explode as the code was a regulator for the ship’s engine.  and it would simply look like an accidental overload.  when she finally realized what he was doing, she was horrified -- she hated violence, and the fact that she was, however indirectly, responsible for these hundreds / thousands of deaths was unthinkable to her.  she spiraled hard.  she threatened to leave marco.  she tried to talk him out of his violent schemes.  she began to see through his shiny veneer to the manipulative man beneath, especially when he sent felip to stay with the other members of the cell, never telling naomi where he was, and keeping him rotating around randomly so she could never find him.  he even went so far as to try and have her committed for being a danger to herself and her son.  by the time she managed to fight her way clear of that -- he was gone, and so was felip.

[astrometriia]

AND ANOTHER THING SINCE I’M READING CALIBAN’S WAR AND ALL

Avasarala was listing off trivia in her head about the Roci crew at some point, right? Well, the tidbits she revealed for Alex are like... wow.

Alex Kamal, pilot. Seven drunk and disorderlies when he was in his early twenties. Had a son on Mars he still didn’t know about.

Which tells me two things, tbh. My long, rambly and sleep-deprived thought process is below the read more, so proceed with caution.

A) A major difference between the show and books is that in the former, Alex is fully aware of having a son, and pretty much failed and abandoned his family by choosing flying over them. (Why wouldn’t he be aware of it in the books? I did... kind of stumble on a massive spoiler about him by accident when all I wanted to do was read some fic, which honestly seems to have only been mentioned in passing in the books, but if him being unaware of having a son is connected to that... then wow.)

Anyway, on the one hand, you might argue that choosing flying over family makes him more selfish than he actually is, but reading his backstory in the Origins comic pretty much confirmed that he was hardly selfish about anything in his life because of the whole Martian ideal he kept trying to uphold. Which doesn’t make his choice any less selfish, objectively speaking, but when you also consider the three miscarriages he and Talissa went through... it makes sense that he’d be unwilling to go through it all again.

Was it right? No. Was remaining trapped in a situation he only got himself into out of a sense of duty to his father, to his homeworld, etc. right? No again. It’s honestly one of those kinds of morally gray cases where neither choice is really the right one.

B) Seven drunk and disorderlies when Alex was in his early 20s makes me wonder whether he was rebellious in his youth, especially when they come into such contrast with the adjectives Holden describes him with now, like “kind” and “quiet”. (As for him being quiet, I feel he is a rather quiet and private sort of person when it comes to personal things, and yet he’s a real chatterbox when it comes to filling in the silence with nothing much of consequence...)

But in the show, books, and backstory comic, we do see several instances of him drinking. In the first two, he usually seems pretty controlled and never lets it get way out of hand despite getting tipsy and a little out of it (which, with this information to consider, might mean that he’s decided never to let himself get roaring drunk ever again). In the comic, we see the signs of it potentially getting out of hand after the news of Talissa’s third miscarriage and then being offered another flying job by his former XO, which is just too much to deal with after he retired from the MCRN for the sake of his family.

(Have I mentioned that his comic backstory hurts me a lot? Well, it does. Everything hurts and nothing is okaaaaay.)

Anyway, the point I’m trying to make is that perhaps there was something in his early 20s that drove him to excessive drinking, such as when Talissa had her third miscarriage in the comic.

Perhaps it has to do with his parents dying? They were both in the MCRN, or so I gathered from that locket his sister gave him. Maybe some sort of tragic accident took their lives and sent him on a drinking binge? Hell, his parents dying might have actually pushed Alex to marry Talissa in the first place, since it was his father’s wish. I bet most Martians have the whole “we gotta make a lot of babies to bolster our ranks” mentality, so Alex’s parents not-so-subtly nudging him towards marriage doesn’t strike me as that out of place. (Though maybe it’s more of a show thing than a book thing? Maybe? I can’t quite recall atm.)

TL;DR Alex is really complex and multi-layered and he’s my fav and I love trying to figure out what makes him him.

[jamesholden]

Alex Kamal Appreciation Week: Day 3 | Favorite Relationship: Alex & Holden

Late thanks to work and my computer ugh. I wanted to do something a little different since my first choice hasn’t met up with Alex in the show yet and while I love him and the Roci as much as the next gal, I wanted to focus on an actual interpersonal relationship. I’ve talked to a couple of friends about how much I love a few scenes between these two boyos in the books, over things I probably can’t discuss yet (though... can we bring the happy laughing hug forward a few seasons????). But I love their friendship, so I chose them.

Alex has almost always been friendly and respectful with Holden. He was his boss and he’s a smart, good guy who tries to do the right thing. Alex is the one character who has argued with Holden the least, but he also is willing to talk him down or tell him when he’s wrong like in one of the scenes above. 

I mostly chose those scenes because of their similarities. Holden, Guilt Machine 9000, tries and fails to connect with Alex and talk him out of his spiral after the losses at Thoth Station. His approach isn’t great, but it’s clear Holden cares enough to try, going up there and reminding him that he did save Amos. And during the blockade of Ganymede, Alex tries and succeeds in talking Holden from the ledge, reminding him that their “family” needs them. They both appealed to the GOOD they did/can do while acknowledging the pitfalls. 

Holden respects Alex enough to give him all the credit for saving the Somnambulist, because he did. Alex’s refusal to let anyone else die not only led to him stopping Holden from getting Naomi and Amos killed, it saved refugees. I mean even seeing it back to back, it feels like Alex is using his experience to keep Holden from making a decision that kills more people, as well as people he loves. Even in private with Naomi, Holden acknowledges that. The two of them saved their family together, with Holden’s dreaded open channel thrown into the mix. They care enough about each other and their family to try, even if Alex had been more successful than Holden. Respect, friendship, and family.

I love these bros, and I can’t wait to see more of their relationship unfold.

[netmassimo]

The novel "Nemesis Games" by James S.A. Corey was published for the first time in 2015. It's the fifth book in the Expanse series and follows "Cibola Burn".

The Rocinante is back to the solar system with rather extensive damage, which will take a long time to be repaired. Amos Burton discovers that a woman who was important to him has died and decides to go to Earth to say goodbye to her. Alex Kamal takes advantage of the break to go to Mars and try to reconnect with his family. Naomi Nagata decides to go to Ceres, where she receives a message connected to a person from her past.

While overseeing the Rocinante's repairs, James Holden is contacted by journalist Monica Stuart, who is investigating a series of missing spaceships. It0s not at all easy to trace the movements of spaceships when they can pass through a portal that allows access to another area of space transporting people in search of a new life on one of the planets open to colonization. The exodus is seen as a threat by an extremist OPA faction.

[always-tilting-at-windmills]

The way Amos is staring at Holden in the first picture. 😲😍

“I’m all right Amos...” (awww)

“Sorry, Cap. It’s alright.” (I love them!)

“Amos all we’ve been through...” (ohhh!!!)

“So, vent away..”

(Amos wants to talk about feelings?!)

And -

“Think about Amos”.....

Omg. Bobbie. Omg. She gets it. It blows my mind that she used his name first with Holden. But, she spent time on the Roci and is very skillful at reading people. 🧐

[lilibat]

I stupid love connecting fandoms through actors. Just kind of flipped when “Alex Kamal” from The Expanse showed up as “Oscar” on Leverage, same episode as “Anya” from Buffy. 

[eggnogeggnogeggnogegnogeggnogyum]

comprehensive (for now) guide to what podcast i'm talking about now: -bionic/bonanza: matt alexander and myke hurley; fucking bullshit -the history of rome: mike duncan; you can guess -limetown: over(?) fiction show -tanis: nic silver, mk; kind of Lovecraftian horror? fiction; bi weekly in seasons -the black tapes podcast: alex reagan, richard strand, nic silver; paranormal fiction; bi-weekly in a season -alice isn't dead: Lovecraftian horror fiction; bi-weekly in a season -b-sides: myke hurley's network (relay fm)'s place to put stuff from before or after shows -after dark: 5by5 (the former podcast network that isn't super popular anymore)'s equivalent -bonus track: the incomparable(a much more culture-focused compared to the other two's tech focus)'s equivalent -clockwise: show formerly with jason snell and dan moren but jason left to do the next one and now there's mikah sargent; 30 minutes of pretty structured tech discussion; relay; weekly -download: jason's new show, clockwise with no time constraints and only one host -cortex: cgp grey and myke hurley; about work but i just like the people; relay; bi-weekly -dear hank and john: hank and john green; they basically answer questions but not like an ama, it's like. a less jokey mbmbam and with hosts i like better?; weekly -fusion: relay fm members show, once a month, always has stephen hackett otherwise always different -hello internet: cgp grey and brady haran; about whatever they want but full of inside jokes; typically every two to three weeks -ink still wet: a fan-written fiction show i really liked but hasn't had an episode in over a year so probably cancelled -king falls am: fiction; sammy stevens and ben arnold; started as a night vale clone but developed a nice style of its own; bi-weekly -lore: aaron mahnke; real life horror-y events; bi-weekly i think? maybe weekly; getting a tv show soon -lost in the shuffle: nintendette's podcast; i think she said bi-weekly? -mabel: horror-y fiction i guess? mabel and anna -mystery show: really good show but hasn't had an episode in two years despite constant promises; i am angry about this -revolutions: mike duncan; revolutions in history -robot or not: jason snell and john siracusa; monthly or so now?; complicated description for a very short, funny, and simple show -subvercity transmit: GAAAYYY; not actually very good if i'm honest with mysely; a.m. onymous -the history of byzantium: weekly-ish; frustrating -the incomparable game show: really funny; they basically play games; varying hosts; monthly-ish -total party kill: d&d; bi-weekly in seasons; always has jason snell, tony sindelar, and steve lutz, typically has erika ensign, dan moren, scott mcnulty, and a few others -starship iris: gay sci-fi -top four: top four lists of stuff; tiff and marco arment -ungeniused: myke hurley and stephen hackett; weird wikipedia articles; bi-weekly -you know damn well what night vale is but it's bi-weekly jsyk -analogue: myke hurley and casey liss; about feelings and stuff; bi-weekly -cmd+space/inquisitive: myke hurley interview shows; over now -the prompt/connected: myke hurley, stephen hackett, and federico vitticci apple shows; connected weekly, the prompt over; i listen mainly bc i like the people but it's not a bad idea to keep an eye on the distinguished competition -virtual/remaster: myke hurley, federico viticci, and in remaster, shahid kamal ahmad; about games; virtual over, remaster i think weekly -women of marvel and this week in marvel: marvel interview shows; i listen when someone i like is there but i don't really like the hosts of either show -defocused: JOE STEEL (actually named joe rosensteel) and dan sturm; about whatever they want but typically there's a movie review; weekly i'm pretty sure greater boston: gay realistic fiction -harmontown: dan harmon's, the creator of community as well as rick and morty, podcast about himself and his depression and stuff but it is funny -hello from the magic tavern: fantasy podcast in the style of an interview show -homecoming: fiction show about the treatment of iraq/Afghanistan veterans -hypercritical: john siracusa and dan benjamin; older tech show, established a lot of genre conventions, sometimes regarded as the best podcast ever, almost certainly the most influential -the incomparable: panel show about various fiction stuff -incomparable radio theater: parody of old radio akin to the thrilling adventure hour but with segments i like less and actors i like more -thrilling adventure hour: old radio parody; has assorted panels, i'm likely to only mention sparks nevada and beyond belief -isometric/disruption: georgia dow, brianna wu, steve lubitz, and until the last few episodes of isometric, maddy myers; after that and into disruption, mikah sargent; frankly idk if i'm gonna listen to disruption bc mikah is okay but maddy is by far my favorite isometric host -jordan jesse go: jesse thorn and jordan morris; really long-running comedy show that if i decide to listen to will take me several months -liftoff: stephen hackett and jason snell; about space; bi-weekly; relay -material: andy ihnatko, yasmine evjen, and russell ivanovic; weekly, about google and android; relay -mixed feelings: quinn rose and gillian parker; about news and politics and pop culture; weekly -my brother my brother and me: still debating about whether to listen but it's there -myke at the movies: myke hurley movie review -neutral/accidental tech podcast: marco arment, casey liss, and john siracusa; neutral is over but about cars, atp is still going and about tech; i think atp is weekly? -reconcilable differences: merlin mann and john siracusa; pretty much about whatever they want -rocket: brianna wu, simone de rochefort, and christina warren; about pop culture and stuff -roderick on the line: merlin mann and john roderick; a funny phone call between them basically -s-town: serial spinoff about a small town in Alabama -serial: you know what it is i'm sure -the history of english: what it says on the tin -the hitchhiker's guide: radio version of the books, came before the books -the once and future nerd: TERRIBLE title for a good fantasy show -the pen addict: myke's pen show -the penumbra podcast: gay anthology show w a terrible intro -upgrade: myke hurley and jason snell; somewhere in between analogue and a typical tech show -we're alive: you know -wolf 359: back in my feed -you look nice today: merlin mann the trojan man, scott simpson, and adam something; comedy, releases every now and then but essentially over

[cauterizedtm]

⌬ –– tag dump.

[365footballorg-blog]

Sporting Kansas City vs. Toronto FC | 2018 MLS Match Preview

July 5, 20181:09PM EDT

Sporting Kansas City vs. Toronto FC 2018 MLS Regular Season — Week 19 Children’s Mercy Park — Kansas City July 7 – 8:30 pm ET WATCH: TSN4, ESPN+

Sporting Kansas City are seeking to snap a skid that has seen them slip to second place in the Western Conference when they host a Toronto FC side that have lost three straight games and is seeing their season go up in dust.

Both teams are looking to rebound from midweek road defeats, with Sporting losing 4-2 at Real Salt Lake and TFC dropping a 4-3 decision at Minnesota United FC.

Sporting Kansas City

Sporting (9-4-5) are falling back into bad early-season habits, conceding eight goals in their last three games, including six in back-to-back defeats.

On Wednesday at Rio Tinto Stadium, Daniel Salloi put the visitors in front in the 20th minute, but goals by Jefferson Savarino and Corey Baird eight minutes apart and another by Sebastian Saucedo in first-half stoppage time put SKC in a 3-1 halftime hole.

Ike Opara pulled Sporting to within a goal in the 64th minute, but Peter Vermes’ side couldn’t get the equalizer and conceded a Luis Silva penalty kick in the 10th minute of second half stoppage time after both Salloi and Roger Espinoza were sent off late.

“It’s embarrassing,” goalkeeper Tim Melia said. “We really need to just kind of look within and look at us as individuals. We’re not playing like a team. We’re making mistakes all over the field from back to front. We need to really take a look at ourselves, unwind after this game and figure this out.”

Suspended: F – Daniel Salloi, M – Roger Espinoza

Suspended after next caution: None

International duty: None

Injury Report: OUT: M – Felipe Gutierrez (sports hernia surgery), D – Jimmy Medranda (knee injury), M/D – Cristian Lobato (knee injury), M – Gianluca Busio (hamstring injury); QUESTIONABLE: D – Amer Didic (hamstring injury)

Projected Starting XI (4-3-3, right to left) GK: Tim Melia — Graham Zusi, Ike Opara, Emiliano Amor, Seth Sinovic — Yohan Croizet, Ilie Sanchez, Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal — Johnny Russell, Khiry Shelton, Diego Rubio

Toronto FC

A critical month started off in the worst possible way for Toronto FC (4-10-3), which fell in a quick two-goal hole and never fully recovered, falling to Minnesota United, 4-3, on Wednesday.

Darwin Quintero and Miguel Ibarra put the Loons in front, 2-0, after just 13 minutes. Justin Morrow cut the Reds deficit in half late in the first half, but Quintero added two more goals five minutes apart early in the second half to again extend Minnesota’s lead.

Sebastian Giovinco and Jordan Hamilton scored inside the final 20 minutes, but it wasn’t enough to halt a losing streak that is now three games.

“Nobody has packed it in; nobody is looking around saying, ‘Let’s just get out of here today.’ We’ve tried to keep going, tried to keep playing, tried to find ways to get goals. And on a lot of nights we’ve done that,” Michael Bradley said. “The issue is when you put yourself behind so many times, your ability to come back… you can’t do it all the time.”

Suspended: None

Suspended after next caution: None

International duty: None

Injury Report: OUT: F – Jozy Altidore (foot surgery), D – Drew Moor (quadricep strain), D – Chris Mavinga (hamstring strain), GK – Caleb Patterson-Sewell (elbow injury), D – Auro (hamstring strain), D – Jason Hernandez (hamstring strain); QUESTIONABLE: M – Victor Vazquez (knee injury)

Projected Starting XI (5-3-2, right to left) GK: Alex Bono — Nicolas Hasler, Eriq Zavaleta, Nick Hagglund, Justin Morrow, Ashtone Morgan — Marky Delgado, Michael Bradley, Jonathan Osorio — Jordan Hamilton, Sebastian Giovinco

All-Time Series

Overall: Sporting Kansas City 14 wins, 37 goals … Toronto FC 4 wins, 18 goals … 6 draws

At Kansas City: Sporting 9 wins, 27 goals … Toronto FC 1 win, 10 goals … 2 draws

Last meeting at Kansas City: Sporting Kansas City 1, Toronto FC 0 (March 20, 2016)

Officials

Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero Assistant Referees: Adam Wienckowski, Richard Gamache 4th Official: Dave Gantar VAR: Edvin Jurisevic

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Sporting Kansas City vs. Toronto FC | 2018 MLS Match Preview was originally published on 365 Football