#(technically from jack AND lukes account)

[edenvinity]

jackhughes dreams to reality

[babydollmarauders]

luke and quinn’s relationship with media management reader and a blurb about when jack introduced them to each other pls

y/n is really close with luke and quinn! luke met her first when he attended the Devils vs Ducks game in december of 2019, and they hit it off really quickly! since she and Jack had quickly become best friends, he was adamant on introducing her to Luke, but he didn’t think they would get so close!

**

“y/n!” my head snapped up from the tweet i was drafting on the devils account, finding jack with a wide grin on his face. he was speed walking into my open office door, still dressed in his practice gear, with what appeared to be a teenage boy shyly trailing behind him.

“jacky. to what do i owe the pleasure?” i ask, quickly shutting the phone off and slipping it in my pocket.

“i wanted to introduce you to someone.” the smile has yet to leave his lips as he pulls the boy to stand next to him. “y/n/n, this is my brother, luke! luke, this is my new best friend, y/n.”

a shy, albeit awkward, smile adorns luke’s face as he holds his hand out for me to shake. i laugh, bypassing his hand to pull him into a hug instead.

“she’s a hugger, i should’ve warned ya.” jack chuckles as i pull away.

“it’s so nice to meet you!” i exclaim, cupping luke’s face with my hands and squishing his cheeks.

“oh, she does that too.” jack says. luke chuckles, raising his own hands to squish my cheeks in return.

“nice to meet you too.” luke replies through squished cheeks, his words coming out slightly mumbled. i smile wide as we both let our hands drop.

“oh i like you! i’m gonna keep you.” i tell him, making the boys laugh once more.

“he’s here for the game tonight! sitting behind the bench! he’s next to your usual seat.” jack informs me.

“oooh! seat buddies! i’ll point out all the times jack sticks his tongue out in concentration as he hops over onto the ice. and you can help me keep track of everyone’s penalty minutes! oh! and i’ll let you take tonight’s post photos! this is gonna be so much fun!”

luke’s eyes widen as i ramble, sharing a look with his brother. jack just nods his head solemnly, silently letting him know that i am indeed always this way.

“sounds great!” luke smiles, slinging an arm around my shoulders as i start walking out of the office, still rambling. jack stands back, watching us with furrowed brows as we talk.

**

y/n technically met quinn over facetime during the pandemic. but he provided her with advice, which made her immediately think of him as a big brother figure.

**

“hey, jack. you down for some street hockey?” a voice off-screen has me cutting off my rant, willing my tears to stop.

“hey, quinner. i’ll, uh- i’m in the middle of something, do you mind giving me a few minutes?” jack says, and i recognize the nickname for his brother, putting 2 and 2 together.

“oh, no, jacky, go hang out with your brothers!” i tell him, my voice raspy from my crying. “you don’t need to sit here and listen to me cry over something so stupid.”

“is that y/n?” the voice off-screen asks, making me scrunch my eyebrows in confusion. i sniffle, wiping at my runny nose with the sleeve of my hoodie.

“yeah. hey, maybe you can talk some sense into her. c’mere.” jack replies. my eyes widen as quinn plops down on jacks bed next to him, his face coming into the camera view.

“hi. i’m quinn.” his introduction is short and precise, but i appreciate it. “you okay?”

“hi quinn, i’m y/n. although it sounds like you already knew that.” i say, wiping at my wet cheeks. “i’m okay.”

“no, she’s not.” jack chimes in. i roll my eyes at his directness. “tell him whats wrong, y/n/n.”

“yeah, what’s going on?” quinn’s voice is oddly soothing. i can tell he’s keeping it soft in order to be comforting.

“it’s just my stupid boyfriend.” i roll my eyes at myself as fresh tears start to flow.

“what did he do?” quinn asks, his eyes soften as i let out a silent sob. jack seems to understand that i’m unable to speak through my sobs, so he takes over for me.

“she’s been dating this guy for a couple months and she just found out that he has another girlfriend.” jack explains.

“shit, he was cheating on you with this other girl?” quinn’s question makes me cry even harder and jack sighs.

“no.” i manage to say through my cries.

“i’m slightly confused then.” quinn admits.

“he’s been with this other girl for over a year. y/n was the other girl.” jack whispers, obviously hoping i wouldn’t hear but i still did.

“oh.”

“she doesn’t even care that much about the fact that he cheated, she didn’t really like him very much anyways-”

“jack!” i cut him off, but jack ignores me.

“she’s more upset that she was unknowingly the catalyst in someone’s relationship. she doesn’t like the idea of the other girl hating her.”

“i see.” quinn nods. “and you had no idea he had a girlfriend?”

“no idea. he didn’t act like he did! and despite what jack said, he did seem like a good guy! my heart just wasn’t in the relationship. which might make me seem like a bitch for staying with him but i swear i was already planning on breaking up with him!”

“hey.” quinn coos, effectively calming down my anxious rambles. “i don’t think you’re a bitch for staying with him. and as for the other stuff. you didn’t know, y/n. you can’t hold his mistakes against yourself. he’s the one who cheated, not only on his long-term girlfriend, but on you as well. did you contact her and tell her after you found out?”

“yeah.” i sniffle again. “i dm’d her on instagram. she thanked me for letting her know and told me she didn’t hold it against me since i didn’t know. but i know how girls are. we hold grudges, even if we don’t show it.”

“you can’t let yourself overthink, y/n. she said she doesn’t hold it against you. she even thanked you for telling her. i promise, she has no reason to hate you. you are not the one who fucked up. he is.”

it’s all the same stuff jack told me, but it hit different coming from someone with an outside perspective.

“can you adopt me?” were the first words that left my mouth after a few deep breaths. my heart rate was finally seemingly normal and i could feel my anxiety melting away after quinn’s speech.

quinn just laughs, along with his brother.

“i don’t think our age gap is quite steep enough for that. but i’ll have jack text you my number, and if you ever need someone to talk to, you can come to me.”

[solaria-writes]

NXX + Darius as Minecraft players!

Rosa - Resource Horder/Professional prankster

Chest monster up on chest monster, Rosa will go to the mines and come back with so much resources that she will just put them there. She likes to share them with the rest of the people as she always gets more and more. Shulkers are her favorite item in the game as they can just store so much in so little space. Fortunately her chest monster is color coded, so it isn't too much of a disaster as it might seem at first. Artem and Luke will probably volunteer to create a sorting system for her, but she will drop it like 15 minutes later. Chest monsters are cool! 

She is also a professional prankster, and will dedicate her life to the bit. Like the time she moved Marius' base upside down, or the time she covered the spawn hub in obsidian. Sometimes her pranks will backfire, but she is always ready to help her victims recover from the loss, like the time she accidentally burned Artem's OP pickaxe, but got him a new one in less than 15 minutes.  Rosa is in general a jack of all trades. Probably has a zoo, and like 15 cats + a dog army.   

Artem - Miner/Redstoner

This man takes the Mine part of the game very seriously. He spawns in a world, punches a tree, gets some food, and bye bye. No Artem Wing is seen again until he emerges with a full inventory of resources, ores and various other things. 

He will branch mine like crazy and his mines will usually expand themselves for long distances. He doesn't set up a base until he is sure, 100% sure he has all the materials. 

That being said, he is not a very good builder. He is an ok builder, but a trait that will compensate for his skills in redstoning. Nothing as big as Luke who will literally run Doom on Minecraft, but he will proudly exhibit his 10x10 piston door. 

Artem was reluctant at first to provide resources for Marius and Vyn in their building adventures, but eventually gave in. He is probably the one that holds more IOU's from the server. 

The first time Darius speedrun the server (he has done it several times as they get a new seed with every upgrade), was from Artem's account, and Vyn tried to convince Luke to ban him.

Addition: he probably still uses the Steve skin. Marius has tried to get him to change it, even offering to do a new one, but he refuses.

Vyn - Farmer/Miner

Vyn plays surprisingly well even if it's his first time playing Minecraft. And of course he does! He did his research before playing, so he knows almost all the crafting recipes, the potion recipes, and all that he has to know about the game. 

He won't go very far from spawn at first, probably being the one constructing a spawn hub, and getting food for everyone in the server. He goes mining, but just for the necessary and will be pissed when he encounters the strip mines of Artem. 

He is very average at the game, and not in a bad sense. He can easily do anything except redstone. That's a no for him.

After getting to the Nether he will build roads, and is probably the first to get to the top of it to link all the portals he is asked too.

He is probably the second to get an enchanter, and since his draws are always perfect he is probably the first to get an OP armor and tools. The rest of the team will ask him to enchant their items for them. 

Luke - Technical player/Adventurer

From one engineer to another, he scares me. Luke will twist the game at his will. Call it shadowing items, duping glitches or just simply doing the most enormous farms ever, he can do it. 

He is of course more experienced with redstone than Artem, but the things they do are just different. Artem will automate everything in his base, whereas Luke will try to build a CPU in minecraft. 

Despite all of that, Luke doesn't really like modding, and he plays the game in the most vanilla way possible. He will immediately spawn, get a bed and cross all the map just to find the perfect landscape. His bases are usually located underground, being authentic cities full of sorting systems and redstone displays. 

Luke's ability to find pretty places comes in handy to Marius who will just follow him for far at first but then join in the adventure. They will probably share their bases, Marius living on top of Luke's base.

He is also the server admin. 

Marius - Builder/Pixel artist

His best friend in Minecraft is a Silk touch/Mending Netherite Hoe. He likes the greenery in his builds and will give them a level of detail that makes them feel alive. 

He has tried at least once to recreate his paintings in Minecraft with awesome results. Marius stealed at first the resources for his buildings, but after quite some time he got into an Agreement with Rosa and Artem who are now the official providers for his builds. 

He is not that good at the survival part of Minecraft, and has the worst luck of all of them. His elytra will break in the most inconvenient times, and he will probably die in the void. He is at the top of the dying counter, but that's just how it is. 

Darius - Speedrunner/PVPer

Almost the same approach that Artem has. He will spawn, punch a tree and go DUDUDUDUDUDU. He is the first to get diamonds, the first to get to the Nether, the first to kill the dragon, etc etc. He can get to the nerves of Vyn who is hoping for a more relaxed approach to the game, and thus doesn't like when the constant messages pop in the chat like:

CapMorgan has made the advancement [Diamonds!]

CapMorgan has made the advancement [We Need to Go Deeper]

Apart from that, Darius will just pvp whatever the hell is in front of him. A Wither, a Ravager, the Dragon are no competition to him. Darius will use the Wither skulls at a much faster pace than Luke can provide them. An axe, a shield and a totem of undying are his best friends. 

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

Analysis of the killings from the  Ace Attorney  original trilogy (from the perspective of a law school student, version 2.0):

PHOENIX WRIGHT, ACE ATTORNEY

The First Turnabout: Second-degree murder under the felony murder rule (FMR). This one's a bit tricky since the defense can argue that Frank Sawhit panicked, meaning he didn't intend to kill Cindy Stone, which would lead to an involuntary manslaughter charge. However, since Ace Attorney apparently takes place in California, FMR rules apply. Frank killed someone while committing a felony (burglary), which means he can be charged with murder even if he didn't intend to kill Cindy. Heck, the prosecutor could even argue that he should get a first-degree murder charge, that's how tough the FMR rules can be.

Turnabout Sisters: First degree murder. Redd White came to Mia Fey's office planning to kill her and he carried out his plan.

Turnabout Samurai: Involuntary manslaughter with a self-defense claim. Dee Vazquez didn't intend to kill Jack Hammer and she only struck back in order to protect herself. So basically, she royally fucked up since she could've been acquitted on all charges. Side note, I absolutely hate this case since this is NOT WHAT MURDER IS.

Turnabout Goodbyes: For Yanni Yogi, it's first-degree murder and conspiracy since, with Manfred von Karma's help, he took part in a plot to kill Robert Hammond and carried it out. For Manfred von Karma, it's second-degree murder. Von Karma intended to kill Gregory and carried it out, but didn't necessarily plan for Gregory's death in advance. However, since we're in California, we could use the "twinkling of an eye" approach, which means Von Karma could've premeditated the plan to kill Gregory on the spot. So Von Karma's charges could potentially bump up to first-degree.

Rise from the Ashes: For the murder of Neil Marshall, it's potentially first-degree murder. Damon Gant planned out Neil's death and carried out his plan. For the murder of Bruce Goodman, it's second-degree murder. Gant clearly didn't plan to kill Bruce in advance, but he did intend to kill him without reasonable provocation.

------------------------

JUSTICE FOR ALL

The Lost Turnabout: Second-degree murder. Richard Wellington panicked and killed Dustin Prince, which means this is an intentional killing but without premeditation. Also, he killed a cop, which is not a good look in court.

Reunion and Turnabout: First-degree murder with conspiracy charges. Ini Miney and Morgan Fey planned out Turner Grey's murder and followed through with their plan.

Turnabout Big Top: First-degree murder. Acro planned out Regina Berry's murder and followed through with his plan. Russell Berry was not his intended target but due to transferred intent, he's still guilty of first-degree. All that needs to be proven is that Acro knew someone would die because of his actions and wanted this result to occur.

Farewell, My Turnabout: First-degree murder with conspiracy charges. Matt Engarde paid Shelly De Killer to kill Juan Corrida and their murder plot was carried out. So even if Engarde didn't actually kill the man, he's still guilty since he masterminded the whole thing.

------------------------

TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS

Turnabout Memories: Second-degree murder (possibly first-degree under the "twinkling of an eye" approach). Dahlia actually planned to kill Phoenix Wright but was forced to change her plans after Phoenix's scuffle with Doug Swallow. So...it's technically 2nd degree but the prosecutor could argue she premeditated Doug's murder on the spot. In my opinion, it's a reasonable argument since she already had plans to kill Phoenix.

The Stolen Turnabout: First-degree murder. Luke Atmey planned out Kane Bullard's murder and followed through with his scheme.

Recipe for Turnabout: First-degree murder. An argument could be made for second-degree since Tigre only murdered Elg after the man won the lottery, indicating that it may have been an on-the-spot decision. However, a prosecutor could argue that Tigre planned to kill Elg in the first place since he was carrying a vial of poison on him. So, second-degree is the safe call, but first-degree is a strong possibility.

Turnabout Beginnings: Well, for starters, Terry Fawles should've been acquitted since his "murder victim" is alive. But for the actual case, Dahlia is guilty of first-degree. She planned out Valerie Hawthorne's death and followed through with her scheme.

Bridge to the Turnabout: Voluntary manslaughter. It's tempting to say second-degree but a really good defense attorney could argue that there are outside factors that need to be taken into account. It was in the heat of the moment, Godot was facing off against the woman who ruined his life, and his girlfriend's sister was in danger. Plus, Godot has an imperfect, defense-of-others claim since he had to stop Dahlia from killing Maya. So, I wouldn't say he gets second-degree due to these mitigating factors. He did intentionally kill someone but the circumstances should lower the charges. By the way, if anyone's confused about voluntary manslaughter, it's basically "excusable murder". You intentionally killed someone and it wasn't justifiable...BUT, the circumstances surrounding the murder are that a reasonable person would probably be driven into killing someone. It's still bad but the judge and jury understands why you did it.

[erin-bo-berin]

Home Run

MASTERLIST

Happy Saturday! I’m back with a THIRD new fic in a row. I just couldn’t wait to post this one either. Requested by @andiebeaword​, this fic was obviously inspired by the baseball scenes from 8x06. This was just so much fun to write and I liked being able to switch it up some and have it be like a huge BAU annual baseball game with past and current agents. It was interesting to be able to write about all these characters together, some of them never even being around at the same time on the show. Also, I had to use this gif cause Spencer’s huge smile in this scene will never fail to make me happy. Sit back, relax and enjoy a nice BAU ballgame fluff piece. Happy reading!

Spencer Reid/Reader

Rating: G (fluff)

Word Count: 2,634

It was the arrival of the annual baseball game that started it all.

Every year, the BAU held what was the most well known event outside the office; the baseball game was held on the first weekend in June, infamous for the most competitive game between all different members of the BAU, past and present.

Past members of the team came back every year to play. It was a nice, fun way to see everyone again.

This year was going to be a little...different.

“Guys, come on! You know why I never take part in this!” Spencer Reid whined, “I had to be exempt from any physical test just to get in the FBI!”

You chuckled at your friend and coworker’s expense. Standing next to you was Derek Morgan, another of your coworkers. Beside the two of you was a baseball cannon, loaded with balls for Spencer’s practice.

“Reid, you know Kevin Lynch can’t make the game this year due to a family commitment. We’re short one player,” Derek hollered back.

“I don’t even know how to play baseball!”

“Which is precisely why we’re here,” you retorted, “All you do is swing, hit the ball and run. It’s easy!”

“Easy for you,” he grumbled, lifting his bat again, “Okay, let’s try it again.”

“Don’t think, just feel it,” Morgan called.

“Feel it, feel it,” Spencer nodded.

The ball went shooting from the apparatus and you saw Spencer trying to follow it with his eyes. You crossed your fingers, hoping he’d hit it.

He swung.

And he missed. Again.

“Reid, that’s not feeling it!” 

“I’m feeling like an idiot!” Spencer shouted back, exasperated.

“Come on pretty thang, go show your pretty boy how it’s done,” Morgan nodded to the home plate.

You cut him a warning glance, your cheeks reddening. You’d had a tiny crush on Spencer since the first day you met him. 

Derek’s nickname for Spencer was pretty boy. When you’d joined the team, you became pretty thang. It was often his joke that Spencer was your pretty boy, which embarrassed you to no end. He definitely rooted for you two as a couple.

Despite all the relentless teasing, Spencer remained mercifully oblivious. You’d rather not deal with that embarrassment of your crush being exposed. Although if it was up to Derek Morgan, he’d shouted it from the rooftops for you ages ago.

“Kid, come here. Watch how she bats, okay?”

Derek put his arm around Spencer’s shoulders as you took your place behind the home plate, bat raised and ready. Morgan loaded another ball and it flew towards you.

A crack of the bat sounded as you hit it high in the air, watching it soar to the further end of the field.

“All you gotta do is swing your hips and hit it!” you called.

“If I had hips like that, I would,” Spencer retorted.

You knew Spencer didn’t mean anything by the remark, but you still felt a tad embarrassed at his focus on your body.

“Grab a mitt big boy, we’re practicing your catching,” Morgan called, running to grab one for you. 

“Can’t wait,” Spencer mumbled sarcastically.

You chuckled, taking the mitt from Morgan and handing him the baseball bat.

“Don’t think I didn’t hear that remark of his about those sexy curves,” he teased you as he took your place batting.

“What’s that? You’re gonna take it easy on us?” you chuckled, purposely ignoring his remark.

Derek was a beast at batting and if he was going to bring his A game, Spencer was surely going to be in for it during his first outfield lesson.

“Oh never,” Morgan laughed.

“Guys you know all my unpleasant childhood sports memories happened like this,” Spencer protested.

“Okay, okay,” Morgan relented, “I’ll take it easy on you.”

“Thank you,” he huffed.

“Spence, since Kevin was right field, you’re going to be in the right field,” you said.

“Which is where exactly?” he asked, wincing.

You chuckled.

“Well, you know which way is right, correct?”

He nodded, pointing to the right.

“Then that’s where you’re heading,” you grinned, pushing him gently in that direction.

“Isn’t the right fielder where a team can hide their worst player without destroying their defense?” Spencer called, walking backwards to his position.

“You know that yet you can’t play baseball?” you asked, mystified.

“I know information about a lot of things I don’t do,” he replied.

“Good point,” you mumbled.

“Watch out pretty boy,” Morgan called, “Y/N’s a beast at playing center field.”

“As long as I have to play as little as possible, I’m fine!”

The ball shooter let loose another ball and Morgan hit it high in the air. Your eyes never left the ball as you sprinted to catch it, the ball falling perfectly in your glove. If it had been a real game, Morgan would’ve been out.

He whistled across the field.

“Now that’s impressive.”

You peered over at Spencer, who was looking at you, mouth agape.

“What?” you flushed.

“I just didn’t expect you to be able to do that.”

“I played a lot of baseball when I was younger,” you explained.

“How do you expect me to play like that?” Spencer asked, still stunned.

“We’re not expecting you to be a professional, Reid,” Morgan said, approaching him, “Just do your best and have fun. It’s a game for fun anyway.”

“Fun for you guys,” he grumbled.

“Okay, I’m gonna try to go easier on you, to give a little practice on fetching the ball,” Derek said, heading back to home plate.

“I’m not a Golden Retriever!” Spencer said.

You chuckled.

Derek purposely held back, sending the ball in the middle of your area and Spencer’s. He ran for it at the same time you did as you noticed it was close to falling towards the field’s fence.

You weren’t paying attention to your surroundings, only the ball. That was how you ended up running right into Spencer’s chest, falling backwards into the ground. You lost track of the ball, but noticed it fall to the ground a few feet away from you.

“Oh my god, are you okay?!”

He rushed to help you up, but you waved him away, apologizing.

“So sorry about that,” you chuckled, “I should’ve been paying more attention to where I was going.”

Like a gentleman, he offered a hand to help you up, which you ended up taking, trying to ignore the tingling on your skin that holding his hand produced.

“No, I’m sorry,” he apologized, “I’m not that good at this sort of thing. In fact, I suck.”

“Hey, no need to be so hard on yourself,” you smiled, “You’re doing just fine.”

“Unless you two are over there discussing how amazing I am, I’d love for you two to get back to your positions!” Morgan shouted.

“Nah, we were just discussing how we think you’d look in a toupee,” Spencer remarked, making you snort.

Your phone beeped and you reached in the back pocket of your shorts and pulled it out, seeing a text message from team member and technical analyst Penelope Garcia.

“Guys, we’ve got a case,” you announced to the two men.

“Hallelujah.”

Spencer practically sprinted off the baseball field making you and Derek laugh heartily.

“Just you wait, pretty boy!” Derek called out to him, “I’m sure you’ll surprise everyone this weekend!”

•

Saturday was a beautiful day. 

The skies were such a clear blue, it almost looked artificial. The sun shone brightly without a cloud in the sky and the temperature was pleasant, without being too hot. Basically, it was the perfect day for a baseball game. 

The game day also fell on a great day. 

The team had just wrapped up the case that you and them had been called in on earlier in the week. It would be nice to have a relaxing Saturday afternoon with some baseball, good friends and plain ‘ol fun.

“Spencer!”

You waved him over, when you saw him.

“Hey,” he grinned, catching the mitt you threw him.

“We’re first in the field,” you explained, “You ready to play some ball?”

“Stoked,” he deadpanned.

“Oh come on, it won’t be that bad,” you chuckled, reaching up to place his baseball hat on his head.

“You’ll do great,” you assured him, patting his chest as you headed off towards your spot in center field.

Your team was made up of your fellow BAU team members including: Aaron Hotchner, David Rossi, Emily Prentiss, Jennifer Jareau, Luke Alvez, Penelope, Derek, Spencer and of course, yourself.

On the opposing team were friends and fellow coworkers: Matt Simmons, Tara Lewis, Alex Blake, Ashley Seaver, Stephen Walker, Kate Callahan, Jordan Todd, Mateo Cruz and Grant Anderson. 

Last year, they had won. This year, you and your team were ready to take back the reigning title.

The crowd was filled with friends and family, here to support their loved ones.

There was Beth, Hotch’s girlfriend and Jack, Hotch’s teenaged son. Rossi’s wife Krystall, his step daughter Portia, daughter Joy—and her husband and son Kai—were also in attendance. Savannah and Hank were there too, Morgan’s wife and three year old son, cheering their favorite player on. 

JJ’s husband Will and their two boys, Henry and Michael were in the stands as usual; they never missed this yearly game. All of Matt Simmons’ small tribe were also present and accounted for; wife Kristy and their two sons Jake and David, twin girls Chloe and Lily and their newly one year old final child, Rose Mary. Even Emily’s boyfriend Andrew Mendoza had shown up to cheer on his favorite girl.

Alex Blake’s husband James had come, taking a weekend off of his teaching duties so he could travel to D.C. for the game. Stephen Walker’s wife Monica sat with their two teenagers, a son and a daughter, already whooping and cheering for his team. Kate Callahan’s little family was there too; it was nice to see them since you hadn’t seen them in a while. Her husband Chris was seated with their biological niece turned adopted daughter Meg—who was now 18 and so much older than the last time you’d seen her—and their youngest daughter, now five.

Rounding out the group of loved ones was Anderson’s wife, her belly swollen with pregnancy. 

If that sounded like a huge turnout, that didn’t even count the other members of the BAU and other departments of the FBI. The bleachers were absolutely packed. The game really was that big of a deal.

The game started out rather slow, which was pretty unusual for a game between both teams. With two incredibly talented teams, usually someone had scored by now, but in hindsight it also meant the defense of each team was incredibly good as well.

By the third inning, both Morgan and Hotch had hit two homeruns. You’d had a decent hit, but ended up striking out before you could reach third base.

In another inning, the opposite team had tied up. 

Poor Spencer up to this point had struck out every time he was at the bat. You could tell he was incredibly embarrassed, but you kept encouraging him.

“Don’t let it get you down, Spence,” you smiled, after he’d struck out again, “You’re gonna hit it when they least expect it and knock them off their feet.”

He offered an appreciative half smile and you found yourself silently cheering him on throughout the entire game.

Surprisingly, his right fielding skills were pretty great. He had caught on quickly and was able to fetch the balls and throw them to any nearby basemen. He had actually struck out Kate, preventing her from almost scoring another point to take the lead.

“Woo! Way to go, Spence!” you hooted, clapping as best as you could with your mitt.

You saw his face flush and you knew it wasn’t all from the heat.

By mid game, the sun had started beating down on all of the attendees causing lots of red faces, sweaty shirts and bottles of water to be consumed. You were hot and sweaty like no other, but you were having the best time.

The fifth inning brought your team a three point lead which you’d contributed one of those points to and you were rather proud. You high fived all your teammates as you ran across home plate and came to the end of the line where Spencer was. He picked you up and spun you around in his excitement.

“Is it my imagination or is someone actually having fun?” you grinned.

“I’m definitely having fun.”

-

The last inning was the most tense. 

It was tied 5 to 5 and Spencer was up to bat next. If he struck out, the opposing team had one last chance to come out ahead and win the game.

Spencer was a wreck, to put it lightly. He’d already struck out once and Morgan ended up calling a time out. 

Spencer had been pacing and gesticulating wildly as Morgan talked to him, finally putting his hands on Spencer’s shoulders to calm him.

Whatever Morgan said to him, seemed to work. 

You watched from the sidelines as he calmly walked back to the home plate. 

Stephen was the one pitching this inning and he had a pretty good throw. But you believed in Spencer.

“Come on Spencer! You can do it!” you hollered.

You watched his posture change from nervousness to more confident. There had definitely been some sort of change in him.

The ball left Stephen’s hand and went flying Spencer’s way. You found yourself holding your breath and you actually flinched at the sudden crack of the bat hitting the ball.

Spencer seemed stunned for a moment as the ball soared towards the outfield, high above everyone’s heads.

“Run, run!” you and the rest of the team yelled to him, snapping him out of his daze.

Garcia was on second base and Rossi was on third. They went running as the other team scrambled to catch the ball in time. 

Rossi crossed the home plate, causing loud hoots and cheers from the audience that continued on as Penelope made it home right behind him.

Spencer hit first base and second by the time Matt had retrieved the ball. You noticed Spencer pick up speed and whiz past third base, trying to make it in time before the ball reached the pitcher again.

The cheers grew louder as loved ones shouted their encouragement to Spencer in hopes he made it home.

He slid home moments before the ball met Stephen’s glove bringing the game to an end in a 5-8 win.

The bleachers erupted in screams, as did you and the rest of your team. 

Morgan practically tackled Spencer in a hug, Spencer’s grin so big it rivaled the brightness of the afternoon sun. 

You were right behind Morgan to greet Spencer. Morgan had just let him go as you ran up to him.

“Spence, that was awesome!” you cried. 

In your excitement you grabbed Spencer’s face and kissed him hard, not even thinking of what you were doing until after you’d already pulled away.

He stood frozen and stunned, a smile on his face and you grinned, realizing you didn’t regret it one bit.

Everyone else had been too busy to see it, you assumed, so before the rest of the team swarmed him you called to him.

“You deserved that!”

Just then, the other six members reached him, swallowing him up in their excitement. His smile never left his face and his eyes flicked to you numerous times, an almost shyness to him.

You had assumed no one had seen the kiss until you overheard Morgan’s comment to Spencer.

“Way to go pretty boy! You didn’t just get one home run today, you got two!”

TAG LIST: @dreatine​ @reid-187​ @groovyreid​ @reidslibra​ @suvikamahes98blr​ @fuckthealarm​ @iamburdened​ @cindywayne​ @tinyminy88​ @sundippedprincess​ @missprettyboy​ @hushlilbabydoll​ @sammy-jo1977​ @haileymorelikestupid​ @lemonypink​ @multifandommandy​ @teamkiall​ @redbullchick​ @ifeelloved​ @one-sweet-gubler​ @nanocoool​ @delightfullyspeedyearthquake​ @unsteadyimagines​ @ughitsbaby​ @inkwiet​ @pennythetechgoddess​ @capt-engr-ssa​ @sixx-sic-sixx​ @spencersdolore​ @reidsstudies​ @disney-dreams-world​ @chocolatecalzoneherringbonk @mggwhore​ @andiebeaword​ @cupcake525​ @be-the-bravest​ @gretaamyk​ @likelovers @hopebaker​ @prisonreid​ @httpnxtt​ @daviddoughboy​ @pastathighs​ @marvels-gurl​ @blushingspencer​ @pretty-boy-gubler​ @victorzsaszmydaddy​ @inlovewithamess​ @im-inlovewith-mycar​

[malthepeaceseeker]

Tagged by @minthia-ren

RULES : answer the questions and tag 20 amazing followers you’d like to get to know better!

NAME : Kamal Arifin (I will only tell my first and middle name, it should be enough...fine) Adnan

NICKNAMES : Kamal or Mal, my American cousins (no seriously, some of my uncles married Americans so I have American cousins, for those of you who are wondering) used to call me Maul”

ZODIAC SIGN : Leo

HEIGHT : I honestly do not know, I never measured it since like, a year ago.

ORIENTATION : Heterosexual

ETHNICITY : Southeast Asian, Indonesian, to be specific.

FAVORITE FRUIT : Banana...or Apple or Orange.

FAVORITE SEASON : None here, I would like to experience winter or spring (on another country).

FAVORITE BOOK : Harry Potter or Hunger Games, Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit is definitely high on my list.

FAVORITE FLOWER : a rose to be honest...it’s just so enchanting...nuff said.

FAVORITE SCENT : Vanilla or Chocolate.

FAVORITE ANIMAL : All animals except bugs or arachnids (I have a phobia). I also have a fascination with lizards like the Komodo Dragon (which are awesome but I would not want to be anywhere near their island, different in the zoo, but still).

COFFEE, TEA, OR HOT COCOA : I like it all but I prefer coffee and hot cocoa

CAT OR DOG PERSON : Neither to be honest, I’m not a pet person. Though I have nothing against people who do (I get where they are going). Problem is, I don’t trust myself to not be scared or jumpy with them and also because I can’t trust myself with that kind of responsibility....my little sister has a pet bird though, and I always make sure it is properly taken care of because that is what a big brother (or maybe just me) do for their adorable little sister.

FAVORITE FICTIONAL CHARACTER : Too many to count because I have so many fandoms, you’re not the only one @minthia-ren ;) but to name a few. *ahem* Severus Snape, Draco Malfoy, Naruto, Sasuke, Obito, Itachi, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren, Darth Revan, Trigon (DC), Red Hood, Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Black Panther *deep breath* and that’s not even counting other tv shows, movies, books, and cartoons. Oh and Jack The Ripper (from Assassin’s Creed, of course...the heck were you thinking?)

DREAM TRIP : Somewhere in England or Britain or New Zealand...I blame Harry Potter, Sherlock, and Lord of the Rings for my choices.

BLOG CREATED : I don’t remember but I’m pretty sure somewhere in late 2016??? I think so.

NUMBER OF FOLLOWERS : 124....wait WHAT!? when did THAT happen?? Seriously though, in all honesty I did not expect this many followers because...well okay, it may have to do with my low self esteem issues, but SERIOUSLY I did not expect that many people to follow me. I knew about this site, and I kinda expected to only have like 20 or 10, I kid you not. I mean, I get updates if someone follows me but I don’t actually count how many.

WHAT DO I POST : Mainly whatever I like to post like arts or a funny conversation, and also signal boosting for those who are in need of help or spreading word of something like knowledge to help other people. The signal boosting is for in case it involves money, I don’t have a bank account (17 years old, and I’m not ready for that kind of responsibility yet) but I can signal boost to help. It’s not much, but it’s all I can do for now.

DO I GET ASKS ON A REGULAR BASIS : Not really, maybe messages but no asks. I don’t really care that much whether or not I get asks.

AESTHETIC : Red, dark aura, eyes (I used to draw a whole lot of Sharingan eyes in my notebook), clawed hands, staffs, the Elder Wand (simple concept art). Only hand drawings though, suck at computer drawings. I never upload any of it because I am not interested to. They’re just really simple concepts with pencils....I guess doodle would be the correct term.

FAVORITE BAND : To be honest, I just like listening to the songs and the songs vary...like A LOT. Though my first favorite music (and I listen to them often) was by Linkin Park. But I don’t really have a favorite band sort of stuff because I’m just in it for the music.

FICTIONAL CHARACTER I’D DATE : Hermione Granger or Ginny Weasley HOGWARTS HOUSE : Well based on a set of quiz I am 54% Slytherin, 23% Ravenclaw, 19% Gryffindor, and 4% Hufflepuff!.....I actually would like to be in Slytherin.

tag: @kabuki-akuma @mrevaunit42 @starrdustcrusader @zer0square @moringmark @rclockworkzombie @c0nji @rotodisk @immortalmonster @rjdrawsstuff @stariousfalls @starvstheforcesofevil-unofficial @staryu-l @turquoisegirl35 @reversexiaolin @kristengish @skleero @axis2600 @marionette-j2x @ladyxgilex @sparktwins @spatziline @thefandombytes (in all technicality, these are the AMAZING people I am following. There are still more amazing people I follow, but right now I am just too lazy to do anything after writing this post and rechecking everything)

[ressariot]

I'm revisiting Tales of the Abyss through a Let's Play (I'm too busy playing Xillia 1+2 to play Abyss myself atm) and big spoilers but this reminded me of something.

I will defend Luke.

Yeah, he starts out like a spoiled brat and can be mean and rude. He makes some really bad calls even and causes a mess. But he gets shit for that (sometimes a little too much imo but it's reasonable for what the people around him know at the time) and he learns from it. Besides, it makes completely sense for his circumstances, but not all of them are clear from the beginning.

There are the obvious reasons which the game lets you know from the start and emphasises repeatedly: Luke spent the past seven years of his life confined to the manor of his parents. He doesn't know jack shit about the world outside and gets tossed out into it without any preparation. For example he knows that money is a thing but he's never had to pay for anything in his life. So he picks up the apple in Engave without realising that he has to pay for it first since it's not a process he's familiar with.

Then there's the thing with Akzeriuth and how Van manipulated and used Luke which resulted in Akzeriuth's destruction. I remember feeling a big sense of betrayal when realising that Van had set Luke up, because I was seeing Van through Luke's eyes and Luke thought highly of Van. It doesn't absolve Luke completely from having destroyed Akzeriuth and caused the death of its people, but he resolves to take responsibility and learn from his mistakes as well as make amends. That's commendable and it's the beginning point for a lot of growth on his part.

To be honest though, I feel like he was left to carry that weight a bit too much. There's another circumstance that explains Luke's behaviour and it's revealed later but not made explicit and is never fully accounted for.

Luke is literally seven years old.

He's created as a clone of Asch when Asch was ten, but he started out as an infant. The game mentions that had to learn how to walk and talk and everything from scratch. His family and everyone around him thought he was suffering from heavy amnesia and had to relearn those things, but for Luke it was the first time.

On top of that Luke was given into Guy's care who held a grudge against Luke's father and had infiltrated the manor as a servant to get revenge some day. Guy was fourteen at the time (I think) and had a big part in raising Luke without any previous knowledge of how to raise a kid. So even if you leave aside the fact that Luke's parents didn't know he was a clone or that Guy had a grudge against them, they left their amnesiac son who had to learn everything from scratch in the care of a teenager. That's some grade A parenting (/sarcasm), but I digress.

The thing is that Luke is judged on his appearance for the most part. He looks like he's seventeen so his companions treat him like that. But it turns out that mentally he's a seven year old child. (There's the thing with Ion who's technically a three year old clone but acts more mature than Luke. However, he was raised specifically to take on the duties of Fon Master and thus learned to be more responsible and mature sooner than Luke did.)

The problem with Luke's age is that it's not taken into full consideration. Even after it becomes clear to Luke and the party that Luke is a clone who has existed for seven years (hell, Jade even wonders if Luke is the same as Ion as early as their first drop in St. Binah) his treatment is mixed. Sometimes it's acknowledged that Luke is a child despite looking older. Sometimes Luke is treated like a teenager. That isn't just by the people around him, but also by the game itself.

The writing sets up so much for Luke acting like a child in the beginning of the game and that making sense for his circumstances. But with the events of Akzeriuth and the development that sets off for Luke's characters it becomes a mixed field. Sometimes he's treated like a child, sometimes he's treated like a teenager and I feel like that is due to the writers not entirely thinking through their setup for him. (I mean, the fact that they're trying to hint towards romantic feelings developing between Luke and Tear speaks for itself.)

I've ranted a bit but yeah, in the end I think Luke is a child who was coddled and protected for the first seven years of his life and then was forced to grow up really fucking fast. I'm proud of how learns from his mistakes and strives to move forward and do better.

Honestly, I want people to take into account why Luke acts the way he does for the first part of the game. I get people experiencing the game for the first time and taking issue with Luke, that's a reasonable reaction. But if someone still has no understanding of why Luke acts like that after making it all the way to the end of the game, then I will get defensive of Luke.

[maxksx]

Spinoza, k-Punk, neuropunk

According to Spinoza, to be free is to act according to reason. To act according to reason is to act according to your own interests. Finally, however, we have to recognize that, on Spinoza’s account, the best interests of the human species coincide with becoming-inhuman.

Many of the problems with Human OS come from its inefficient bio/neuro-packaging. By contrast with very simple organisms that are set up to be attracted to what is beneficial to them and to flee from what is hostile to them, human beings have a convoluted system for processing exogenous and endogenous stimuli, routed/ rooted in the arborescent central nervous system running out of the spine and overseen by the brain. Actually, according to neurologists the brain is in effect, three distinct brains – ‘the “reptilian brain,” which is responsible for basic survival functions, such as breathing, sleeping, eating, the “mammalian brain,” which encompasses neural units associated with social emotions, and the “hominid” brain, which is unique to humans and includes much of our oversized cortex — the thin, folded, layer covering the brain that is responsible for such “higher” functions as language, consciousness and long-term planning’. Neurology also gives a rigorously materialist account of the thanatoidal confusions between desire and prohibition that Lacan and Zizek have described.

Crucially for Burroughs’ analysis, it provides an account of why humans are so endemically prone to addictive behaviour. This is because there are actually two separate circuits, one for motivation and one liking. In the latter stages of addiction, you want to consume the drug, but it is improbable that you will also like jacking up. Add all this up, and you pretty much have a neuronic recipe for the unremitting misery, hatred and violence that have characterised human history.Nietzsche said that if animals could describe the human species they would call it ‘the sad creature.’ 

Yet, precisely because of this hideously collocated morbid assemblage, the human contains a potential for destratification which the functionally streamlined simple organism lacks. This is where Spinoza converges with cyberpunk, and hence with Deleuze-Guattari, cyberpunk’s main theoretical program. One of the consequences of Spinoza’s analysis, as I said before, is that human beings’ emotion-generating hardware can be understood using the same causal framework that is applied to the so-called natural world. In the twentieth century, cybernetics will make the same discovery.

But let’s dispense with one of the lazy, hazy assumptions we’re all prone to fall into whenever we hear the word ‘cybernetics’. Cybernetics does not only refer to technical machines. Wiener call it the study of control and communication in animals and machines (btw: why leave out plants?). Its principal discovery is ‘feedback’ – a system’s capacity to reflect and act upon its own performance. So, as Luke and I were discussing the other day, the whole point of cybernetics is that nothing is ‘more cybernetic’ than anything else. There are only systems with more or less feedback, and diffferent types of feedback (k+, k-, k0.) So if the word ‘cybernetics’ calls up only gleaming steel you have the wrong association.

If cyborgianism is oriented towards a maintenance and reproduction of the organism and its homeostatic control circuitries, Cyberpunk or k-punk (one of the motivations for the ‘k’ btw is the origin of the word ‘cyber’ in the Greek ‘kuber’) flees towards a cybernetics of organic disassembly. Again, let’s be clear here. You don’t disassemble the human organism by replacing its parts with metal or silicon components. (That’s why the term ‘cyborg’ – or ‘cybernetic organism’ is misleadingly redundant. All organisms are already cybernetic). What matters is the overall organization of the parts. Do the parts operate as hierarchically organized and functionally-specified ‘organs’ within a cybernegatively construed interiority or do they operate as deterritorialized potentials pulling from/ towards the Outside? 

http://k-punk.org/spinoza-k-punk-neuropunk/

[tarisilmarwen]

What are your must-reads (must-sees? etc) of the old SW EU?

Glad you asked!  Had to have some husband help with some of these, as I’m not as well-read post-Jedi as I’d like to be, but here’s a few suggestions.

Books:

Any of the character journals.  For the OT they did one for Han, Leia, and Luke, all covering A New Hope from their perspective (though Han’s technically takes place while he’s imprisoned in Jabba’s palace in Return of the Jedi, with a Bomarr monk taking down his account for posterity).  They also had really good ones for Padme, Anakin, and Maul for The Phantom Menace.

The Jedi Apprentice series.  I am such a sucker for young!Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon stories you can’t even believe and holy crap I loved these books.  There was a sequel series chronicling Obi-Wan training Anakin, by the same author, and sometimes crossovers that bridged the two series.  I don’t care as much about Jedi Quest because I’m not as invested in young!Anakin but if that’s your jam have at it.

The novelizations of the films.  The old ones, obviously.  Disney has since released new novelizations of the OT, at least, but the pre-prequel ones have a lot more interesting lore and mystery.  A lot of which was Jossed when the prequels came out but hey, still fun.  Also the prequel novelizations.  Make sure to get the ones that are written by actual writers and not the ones that are basically just the film script with minimal added descriptions.

The Courtship of Princess Leia.

The Heir to the Empire series, with OG Thrawn.  Also Mara Jade AKA Luke’s badass wife makes her first appearance.

The husband also recommends the Young Jedi Knight series.

If pilots are more your thing, Rogue Squadron is a good read.

The New Jedi Order series is a little polarizing.  It starts off with a major character death and then the heroes just keep losing and losing and losing battles with small victories here and there that barely stem the tide of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion and towards the end there’s yet more character death and the foundations are laid for the derailment of another major character.  Personally I kind of ignore that this series exists, but it’s a husband favorite so it stays in the recs.

Darth Plageius delves into Palpatine’s backstory.

There’s a collection of books that cover various factions of the Star Wars universe; The Jedi Path and the Book of the Sith covering our Force users, naturally, the Bounty Hunter’s Code for scum, and the Imperial Handbook.  The two Force user books are Jossed by now (the other two were published after the canon reset so can be considered new canon), but they have a lot of cool history and factoids, and Palpatine’s section in the Book of the Sith is chilling.

Games:

Knights of the Old Republic like oh my gosh seriously.  SO GOOD.  They rereleased a backwards-compatible version for the xbox one and it’s on PC now too.  Personal opinion is that Female MC is best, but you do you.

Film/TV/Radio:

Clone Wars. The 2D animated one.  Same artists as Samurai Jack I believe.  Super cool.

The OT radio dramas JUST LISTEN THEY’RE GREAT.  They add a lot of new material before and in-between canon scenes from the films and it’s all seamless and just adds to the story, and a lot of it is the same stuff that wound up in deleted scenes or in the novelizations and character journals.  Plus a few actors reprise their roles.  (Antony Daniels does all three and Mark Hamill is on board for New Hope and Empire.)

Again I must apologize, my book-knowledge of Star Wars is a bit lacking, but that should be enough to get you started.

[bluewatsons]

Robert C. Post, On the Popular Image of the Lawyer: Reflections in a Dark Glass, 75 Cal. L. Rev. 379 (1987)

The most striking aspect of the image of the lawyer in popular culture is the intense hostility with which it is invested. Lawyers, to be sure, may have more than their fair share of common moral shortcomings. But they do not as individuals seem so very different from the rest of the population as to justify the special level of animosity that the profession seems to arouse in the general public. One thinks, for example, of the present genre of what has come to be called "lawyer jokes." For instance:

Question: What is the difference between a dead lawyer in the road and a dead skunk?

Answer: There are skid marks by the skunk.

Or:

Question: Why did the research scientist substitute lawyers for rats in his laboratory experiments?

Answer: Lawyers breed more rapidly, scientists became less attached to them, and there are some things that rats just won't do.

Lawyer bashing is of course nothing new. The genre goes back a long way. St. Luke says in the New Testament: "Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne. ... "Every lawyer or legal academic carries as a particularly heavy part of her cultural training the usual and vicious swipes at lawyers, from Shakespeare's "let's kill all the lawyers," 2 to Sir Thomas More's exclusion of lawyers from his Utopia because they are "a sort of people, whose profession it is to disguise matters."3 The nineteenth-century readers and spellers of American schoolchildren often contained a game called "the Colonists," which ranked various occupations. Farming, of course, always stood at the head of the list. The attitude toward lawyers was contained in the following quatrain:

To fit up a village with tackle for tillage

Jack Carter he took to the saw.

To pluck and to pillage, the same little village

Tim Gordon he took to the law.4

The question, then, is what accounts for this pervasive and intense hostility. A recent poll conducted by The National Law Journal asked people what most closely represented their view of the most negative aspect of lawyers. By far the largest proportion, 32%, disapproved of lawyers because "[tlhey are too interested in money."5 While that may well (for all I know) be a correct characterization of lawyers, it is hardly a unique one: Avarice does not seem to distinguish lawyers from businessmen or architects or doctors. But the second and third reasons for thinking ill of lawyers were different. They were that lawyers "manipulate the legal system without any concern for right or wrong" (22%), and that they "file too many unnecessary lawsuits" (20%).6

These are reasons to dislike lawyers that are specific to the legal profession. What is fascinating about these reasons, however, is that when The National Law Journal asked the public what were the most positive aspects of lawyers, far and away the most popular responses were that their "first priority is to their clients" (38%), and that they "know how to cut through bureaucratic red tape" (31%).1 In other words, lawyers are applauded for following their clients' wishes and bending the rules to satisfy those wishes; and they are at the very same time condemned for using the legal system to satisfy their clients' desires by bringing lawsuits at their clients' behest and using the legal system to get what their clients want, rather than to uphold the right and denounce the wrong.

Lawyers, it seems, can't win for trying. They are simultaneously praised and blamed for the very same actions. If The National Law Journal's poll is to be credited, popular attitudes toward lawyers are profoundly contradictory.8 Often, however, such contradictions are fault lines leading right to the heart of a culture's vision.

Consider, for example, the fact that lawyers are praised for cutting through bureaucratic red tape. One can find that same image repeated in popular culture with an exactly opposite emotional spin. In the American writer Winston Churchill's popular 1914 novel A Far Country, for example, the hero is a corporation lawyer who gradually acquires a social and moral conscience. Early in his career he views the function of the corporate lawyer to be helping business "get 'round" the laws that "darned fools in the legislatures" enact.9 For Churchill, this function of cutting through red tape was evidence of lawlessness. A similar image of the lawyer as lawless is in fact quite common in popular culture. It was most pithily stated by Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard: "Necessity has no Law; I know some Attorneys of the name." 10 Two and a half centuries earlier King Louis XII of France is reported to have said, "Lawyers use the law as shoemakers use leather; rubbing it, pressing it, and stretch- ing it with their teeth, all to the end of making it fit their purposes."11

What exactly does it mean to say that lawyers are lawless? One literal meaning is illustrated by that marvelous screwball comedy, The Talk of the Town, in which Ronald Colman plays an eminent and high-toned law school professor who is about to be nominated to the Supreme Court.12 Colman is bloodless; he is a man of lofty ideals and strong intellect, but he has no passion or practicality. His hands are lily white. He is spending the summer in a small town in Western Massachusetts wait- ing for his nomination to be presented to the Senate. He takes in a local woman, Jean Arthur, as his housekeeper.

The town's industrialist has just burned down his mill; it has become unprofitable and he wants the insurance proceeds. He blames the fire on the town anarchist, Cary Grant. Grant seeks the help of his old friend Jean Arthur, who hides him in Colman's house. The usual Hollywood complexities ensue: Grant and Colman spar with each other about the meaning of the law; both fall in love with Arthur (as who wouldn't), etc. But the essential point of the movie is Colman's realization that the law must be practiced as well as preached, that it requires action as well as thought. Colman acts on his new insight by driving to Boston and kidnapping the real arsonist. At the movie's climax Colman enters a courtroom where a mob is about to lynch Grant, and, dragging the arsonist by the scruff of his neck and shooting his pistol into the air, he quiets the mob by telling them that the law is their most precious possession and that they must always respect its processes.

It is a wonderful moment. The man who has just forcibly kid- napped the criminal is lecturing the crowd on the virtue of the law. The paradox is not accidental, for the very thrust of the film is that Colman's willingness to break the law qualifies him for the Supreme Court. Sometimes, in other words, the lawyer must be lawless in order to uphold the law. Put that way, of course, we can begin to recognize a classic American theme.

You can see the same theme associated with lawyers in John Ford's western The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, in which Jimmy Stewart plays an awkward, peaceable young eastern lawyer, come to the rugged west to make his fortune. 3 He is tormented to distraction, as is the whole town, by the vicious outlaw Liberty Valence (played by Lee Marvin). Pushed beyond endurance, Stewart, who barely knows how to handle a pistol, challenges Marvin to a gunfight, and when the town thinks that he has shot Marvin to death, they are overjoyed and elect him to public office. He eventually becomes a United States Senator, and the triumph of his career is associated with the transition from territory to statehood, the emergence of commerce and industry, and the coming of law, order, and civilization.

We as an audience know, however, that Stewart did not really kill Liberty Valence; that in fact he would have been slaughtered like a lamb had it not been for the timely and secret intervention of John Wayne, who had killed Liberty Valence at the crucial moment. Wayne is the loner, the man associated with the old West, for whom Stewart's civilization has no place. In Liberty Valence, in other words, as in The Talk of the Town, the lawyer's law and civilization, which is our own culture, rests on violence. The law is founded on force and is parasitic on lawlessness, and that has been a major theme of American culture at least since James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales.

But this is not what is meant when lawyers are attacked in popular culture for being lawless. Stewart and Colman are heroes; they are not the objects of censure. When lawyers as a profession are negatively associated with lawlessness, the thrust of the accusation is something different. It is not that all lawyers are actual criminals, literally breaking the law, it is rather that the concept of "law" itself has assumed a double meaning. Law is on the one hand the positive enactments of the state. Law in this sense is technical, ambiguous, and complex. It can almost always be circumvented, as in the old adage, "A coach and four may be driven through any Act of Parliament."14 Lawyers obey this kind of law, as was recently said of the White House and its secret aid to Iran and the contras, by ascertaining its "legal limits" and escaping through its "loopholes."'15 But by dealing in this strict if dubious legality, lawyers stand accused of breaking a different kind of law, the law which is associated with justice and with our values as a community. This is the kind of law that Heraclitus has in mind when he says in his Fragments that "[t]he people must fight for their law as for their city wall."' 16 It is the kind of law that Stewart and Coman were in fact required to fight to establish.

Popular culture is filled with images of the contradiction between these two kinds of law. Consider, for example, the old proverb: "Much law, but little justice."' 17 Or consider this sixteenth-century song about the wholesome life of shepherds:

For Lawiers and their pleading

The[y] 'steeme it not a straw,

They think that honest meaning

Is of it selfe a law,

Where conscience judgeth plainely,

They spend no mony vainely.18

Here the law of lawyers is technical and artificial, and severed from the wholesome law spontaneously available to every honest participant in community life. Sir Thomas More's rejection of lawyers in his Utopia, of course, rests on exactly the same opposition.19 If you think this opposition is merely a Renaissance obsession, consider David Graham Phillips's popular 1909 novel, The Fashionable Adventures of Joshua Craig. The hero of the novel is Josh Craig, a rugged western lawyer who comes to Washington to serve as Deputy Attorney General. The first case he is assigned to argue before the United States Supreme Court is a certain loser, but against all odds Craig manages to win a victory for the government. Phillips's description of the argument is extraordinarily rich, but let me quote only part of one paragraph:

Never was there a better court manner; the Justices, who had been anticipating an opportunity to demonstrate, at his expense, the exceeding dignity of the Supreme Court, could only admire and approve. As for his speech, it was a straightway argument; not a superfluous or a sophomoric word, not an attempt at rhetoric.... There is the logic that is potent but answerable; there is the logic that is unanswerable, that gives no opportunity to any sane mind, however prejudiced by association with dispensers of hospitality, of vintage wines and dollar cigars, however enamored of fog-fighting and hair-splitting, to refuse the unqualified assent of conviction absolute. That was the kind of argument Josh Craig made. And the faces of the opposing lawyers, the questions the Justices asked him plainly showed that he had won.20

The passage rests on the opposition between logic that is answerable, and logic that is unanswerable; between reasons that are hair splitting, and reason that is absolute; between values that are partial, associated with a particular cigar-smoking, wine-drinking class, and values that are universal, associated with the community as a whole. Lawyers, Phillips implies, serve their highest function when they speak for that larger community. Then they serve the true law.21

But this is to place quite a burden on lawyers.2 2 For one thing, it assumes that such a larger community exists, that it can be perceived in a way that transcends particular, and therefore partial perspectives, and that the imperatives of that community can be communicated with an unanswerable logic. In most actual litigation, of course, lawyers speak for the particular perspective of their client, and attempt to argue that that perspective is the better way to perceive the values at stake in a given controversy. Their arguments are almost always answerable. And in these respects they betray their duty to the more fundamental law.

In popular culture the symbol of this betrayal is the lawyer's fee. The lawyer is seen as abandoning his duty as a citizen and advocating the partial perspective of his client for the sake of his large wages.23 But these are the wages of corruption, for they bind the lawyer to attack the community's most precious possession, its fundamental law. John Dryden said it well:

Asebia: We never valu'd right and wrong But as they serv'd our Cause.

Zelota: Our Business was to please the Throng And court their wild applause.

Asebia: For this we brib'd the Lawyer's Tongue And then destroy'd the laws.24

In point of plain fact, however, the lawyer's betrayal is most often not a matter of corruption or ill will. It comes instead from the unpleasant fact that we do not live in a society ordered by a spontaneous, coherent system of values, but instead in a wildly pluralistic culture, in which individuals constantly struggle to achieve recognition for the legitimacy of their private perspectives. We have organized our legal system so that lawyers speak for the specific and particular sides of this struggle. Most commonly, when a lawyer argues for one interpretation of a law rather than another, she is arguing for one ordering of values, rather than another.

Value is thus pitted against value, and lawyers' litigation is as a result transformed, to appropriate a phrase from Hugh Brackenridge's early American novel Modern Chivalry, into "an image of war."25 Or, in the language of George Eliot's The Mill on the Floss, "a sort of cock- fight, in which it [is] the business of injured honesty to get a game bird with the best pluck and the strongest spurs."26 This takes us quite far from the image of a spontaneous law, available to all, that tangibly encircles us and gives shape and meaning to our culture, like a "city wall." The image now is that of internecine war, in which lawyers are the shock troops, threatening to tear down what we have spontaneously in common.

And this returns us to the National Law Journal's finding that lawyers are especially disliked because they manipulate the legal system in the interests of their particular clients, without regard to the common, universal values of right and wrong. But recall also that lawyers are praised because their first priority is to the private perspective of their clients. Lawyers, in other words, bestride the following cultural contradiction: we both want and in some respects have a universal, common culture, and we simultaneously want that culture to be malleable and responsive to the particular and often incompatible interests of individual groups and citizens. We expect lawyers to fulfill both desires, and so they are a constant irritating reminder that we are neither a peaceable kingdom of harmony and order, nor a land of undiluted individual autonomy, but somewhere disorientingly in between. Lawyers, in the very exercise of their profession, are the necessary bearers of that bleak winter's tale, and we hate them for it.

We hate them, that is, because they are our own dark reflection. We use lawyers both to express our longing for a common good, and to express our distaste for collective discipline. When we recognize that the ambivalence is our own, and that the lawyer is merely our agent, we use the insight as yet another club with which to beat the profession. For then we dismiss the lawyer as a mere "hired gun," or "paid... tool,''27 or, worse yet, as an inveterate liar.28 The charge of insincerity strikes a particularly tender nerve in the modern sensibility, because as a culture we are in a state of such uncertainty concerning the meaning of authenticity.

We owe especially to the sociologist Erving Goffman the insight that the self in modem society can be understood not as something of substance that actually exists, but rather as a series of performances. The character attributed by others to an individual is the result of these performances. Goffman tells us:

In our society the character one performs and one's self are somewhat equated, and this self-as-character is usually seen as something housed within the body of its possessor .... I suggest that this view is ... a bad analysis of the presentation. In this [book] the performed self was seen as some kind of image, usually creditable, which the individual on stage and in character effectively attempts to induce others to hold in regard to him. While this image is entertained concerning the individual, so that a self is imputed to him, this self does not derive from its possessor, but from the whole scene of his action, being generated by that attribute of local events which renders them interpretable by witnesses.29

It is of immense importance for us as a society, however, to deny this insight. We get queasy when we view the personality of others to be constituted merely by a series of staged performances.30 Sartre makes a similar point in his famous analysis in Being and Nothingness:

A grocer who dreams is offensive to the buyer, because such a grocer is not wholly a grocer. Society demands that he limit himself to his function as a grocer, just as the soldier at attention makes himself into a soldier-thing with a direct regard which does not see at all .... There are indeed many precautions to imprison a man in what he is, as if we lived in perpetual fear that he might escape from it, that he might break away and suddenly elude his condition .31

This perpetual fear of the self escaping its concrete and given substance is in some measure behind the centuries of abuse and loathing that the premodern era poured onto actors,32 for actors are the living embodiment of the performing, protean self. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, for example, thought actors "dishonorable" because the talent of the actor lies in "the art of counterfeiting himself, of putting on another character than his own, of appearing different than he is, ... of forgetting his own place by dint of taking another's. 33 Rousseau contrasted the actor to the orator:

When the orator appears in public, it is to speak and not to show himself off; he represents only himself, he fills only his own role, speaks only in his own name, says, or ought to say, only what he thinks; the man and the role being the same, he is in his place; he is in the situation of any citizen who fulfils the functions of his estate. But an actor on the stage, displaying other sentiments than his own, saying only what he is made to say, often representing a chimerical being, annihilates himself, as it were, and is lost in his hero.34

Actors, however, lie directly: we all know that Olivier is only pretending to be King Lear, and that it is just a performance. But consider, in this light, the trial lawyer making a summary to the jury. In that case we know both (1) that the lawyer must be representing the interests of his client, so that his speech does not sincerely represent his "personal" views; and (2) that if the lawyer distinguishes between his personal views and those of his client, his client will suffer, so that the lawyer can perform his job only if he "appears" to be and in fact convinces us that he is sincere. Unlike the actor, then, the lawyer's job requires that he totally conceal his performance. And he must do this about issues of public importance, where the integrity of the self as a constituted member of the community is most at stake. To paraphrase Rousseau, the lawyer must convince us that he is an orator, exercising his highest function as a citizen, when in reality he is simply a secret actor, "lost" in the identity of his client.

This is extraordinarily disturbing. And so in popular culture we say of the lawyer, as the old adage goes, "A good lawyer must be a great liar."'35 Or we say, with Jonathan Swift, that lawyers are a "society of men.., bred up from their youth in the art of proving by words multiplied for the purpose, that white is black and black is white, according as they are paid."36

These hostile characterizations of the lawyer put her at a distance, as though her performances were something specially devious and different from the rest of us. If our acceptance of the acting profession demonstrates that we have come to acknowledge that role-playing is an integral aspect of modem experience, our excoriation of lawyers illustrates that this acceptance has definite limits. The performances of the lawyer are hidden, and hence they obliterate the distinction between the performing self and the true or innate self. But in this the lawyer is merely representative of the concealed performances we must all undertake every day. We would like to believe that we are the master of our many roles, rather than the reverse, but the persistent and unsettling example of the lawyer will not let us rest easy in this belief. If Goffman is correct, and if we are in fact constituted by our performances, the intensity of the animosity we bear toward lawyers may come precisely from the fact that they are so very threatening to our need to believe that we possess stable and coherent selves.

Analyzed in this way, the special hatred that popular culture holds for the lawyer can be an illuminating resource for understanding cultural contradictions of the deepest and most profound kind. The lawyer is the public and unavoidable embodiment of the tension we all experience between the desire for an embracing and common community and the urge toward individual independence and self-assertion; between the need for a stable, coherent, and sincerely presented self and the fragmented and disassociated roles we are forced to play in the theater of modem life. In popular imagery the lawyer is held to strict account for the discrepancy between our aspirations and our realities. But this discrepancy is not the lawyer's alone, and once we understand this we may also come to see that in popular culture the lawyer is so much our enemy, because his failings are so much our own.

Footnotes

Luke 11:46.

W. SHAKESPEARE, HENRY VI, pt. II, act 4, sc. 2,1. 68. Because the character who actually makes this remark is so very unsavory, it is by no means clear that Shakespeare meant the line to carry the opprobrious meaning for which it is cited in popular literature.

T. MORE, UTOPIA 128 (G. Burnet trans. 1821) (1516). For pure venomous hatred, however, it is hard to match Coleridge's lesser known lines: He saw a Lawyer killing a Viper / On a dunghill hard by his own stable; / And the Devil smiled, for it put him in mind Of Cain and his brother Abel. S.T. COLERIDGE, The Devil's Thoughts, in COMPLETE POETICAL WORKS 320 (1912).

Quoted in R.M. ELSON, GUARDIANS OF TRADITION: AMERICAN SCHOOLBOOKS OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY 26 (1964).

What America Really Thinks About Lawyers, NAT'L L.J., Aug. 18, 1986, at S-3.

Id.

Id.

These contradictory attitudes also surfaced in a 1981 survey conducted by the American Bar Foundation. The ABA found that although members of the public scorn the image of the "shyster," they also "indicated that when they do seek a lawyer, they may want one who most fits the shyster image." Podgers, Public:'Shyster' OK -IfHe's on Your Side, 67 A.B.A. J. 695 (1981).

W. CHURCHILL, A FAR COUNTRY 139 (1914).

B. FRANKLIN, POOR RICHARD'S ALMANACKS 21 (1964) (1734).

Kupferberg, An Insulting Look at Lawyers Through the Ages, JURIS DOCTOR, Oct./Nov. 1978, at 62.

The Talk of the Town (Columbia Pictures 1942).

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence (Paramount Pictures 1962).

THE FACTS ON FILE DICTIONARY OF PROVERBS 139 (R. Fergusson ed. 1983) [hereinafter DICTIONARY OF PROVERBS].

Engelberg, Contra Aid: Loose Law?, N.Y. Times, Jan.15, 1987, at A-12; see also Johnson, The Arrogance of Power-Again, Wash. Post, Nov. 26, 1986, at A-2.

C. KAHN, THE ART AND THOUGHT OF HERACLITUS: AN EDITION OF THE FRAGMENTS WITH TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY 59 (1979). It is also the kind of law that is often referenced in the self-congratulatory rhetoric of the bar. In his 1845 address to the Harvard Law School, for example, Rufus Choate argued that lawyers "perform certain grand and difficult and indispensable duties of patriotism" because they serve a law that: “is not the transient and arbitrary creation of the major will, nor of any will. It is not the offspring of will at all. It is the absolute justice of the State, enlightened by the perfect reason of the State. That is law. Enlightened justice assisting the social nature to perfect itself by the social life.” R. CHOATE, The Position and Functions of the American Bar, as an Element of Conservatism in the State: An Address DeliveredBefore the Law School in Cambridge,July 3, 1845, in ADDRESSES AND ORATIONS OF RUrUS CHOATE 135, 156 (4th ed. 1883).

DICTIONARY OF PROVERBS, supra note 14, at 138.

What Pleasure Have Great Princes in W. BYRD, PSALMES, SONETS & SONGS OF SADNES AND PIETIE, MADE INTO MUSICKE OF FIVE PARTS xix (1588).

“They have but few laws, and such is their constitution, that they need not many. They do very much condemn other nations, whose laws, together with the commentaries on them, swell up to so many volumes; for they think it is an unreasonable thing to oblige men to obey a body of laws, that are both of such a bulk, and so dark, that they cannot be read or understood by every one of the subjects. They have no lawyers among them, for they consider them a sort of people, whose profession it is to disguise matters, as well as to wrest laws; and therefore they think it is much better that every man should plead his own cause, and trust it to the judge, as well as in other places the client does it to a counsellor. By this means they both cut off many delays, and find out truth more certainly: for after the parties have laid open the merits of their cause, without those artifices which lawyers are apt to suggest, the judge examines the whole matter, and supports the simplicity of such well-meaning persons, whom otherwise crafty men would be sure to run down: and thus they avoid those evils, which appear very remarkably among all those nations that labour under a vast load of laws. Every one of them is skilled in their law, for as it is a very short study, so the plainest meaning of which words are capable, is always the sense of their laws.” T. MORE, supra note 3, at 128-29.

D.G. PHILLIPS, THE FASHIONABLE ADVENTURES OF JOSHUA CRAIG 75 (1909).

Like Phillips, the established bar has traditionally attempted to rationalize its function in terms of the universal value of justice. Consider, for example, Joseph Choate's 1905 address to the bench and bar of England: “I started in life with a belief that our profession in its highest walks afforded the most noble employment in which any man could engage, and I am of the same opinion still.... To be a priest, and possibly a high priest, in the temple of justice, to serve at her altar and aid in her administration, to maintain and defend those inalienable rights of life, liberty, and property upon which the safety of society depends, to succor the oppressed and to defend the innocent, to maintain constitutional rights against all violations,... to rescue the scapegoat and restore him to his proper place in the world-all this seemed to me to furnish a field worthy of any man's ambition.” J. CHOATE, Farewell to the English Bar: Speech at a Dinner Given in His Honor by the Bench and Bar of England, at Lincoln's Inn, London, April 14, 1905, in ARGUMENTS AND ADDRESSES OF JOSEPH HODGES CHOATE 1109 (F. Hicksed. 1926). Perhaps the most widely accessible contemporary image of a lawyer serving justice may be found in the career of Perry Mason, who over the years managed never to represent a guilty client. See Chase, Lawyers and Popular Culture: A Review of Mass Media Portrayals of American Attorneys, 1986 AM. B. FOUND. REs. . 281, 283. For an extended discussion of the analogous image of the lawyer as the "expounder and guardian of republican virtue" during the early years of the Republic, see R. FERGUSON, LAW AND LETTERS IN AMERICAN CULTURE 26, 11-33 (1984).

It is a burden, however, that lawyers have cheerfully accepted. See supra notes 16, 21.

Consider, for example, Hilary Vane's confession in Winston Churchill's 1908 novel Mr. Crewe's Career. Vane is a powerful railroad attorney who has come to see the light: “I deceived myself for a long time by believing that I earned my living as the attorney for the Northeastern Railroads. I've drawn up some pretty good papers for them, and I've won some pretty difficult suits. I'm not proud of'em all, but let that go. Do you know what I am? .... I'm their paid political tool .... I've sold them my brain, and my right of opinion as a citizen.” W. CHURCHILL, MR. CREWE'S CAREER 443 (1908).

J. DRYDEN, ALBION AND ALBANiUS: AN OPERA 23 (London 1691). The opera is an allegory about the political fate of Albion in which Asebia represents "Atheism, or Ungodliness," and Zelota stands for "Feign'd Zeal." Id. at 2.

H. BRACKENRIDGE, MODERN CHIVALRY 365 (1937) (1815).

G. ELIOT, THE MILL ON THE FLOSS 165 (London 1860).

W. CHURCHILL, supra note 23, at 443.

As in the contemporary lawyer joke that asks: "How do you know when a lawyer is lying." The answer is: "His lips are moving.”

E. GOFMAN, THE PRESENTATION OF SELF IN EVERYDAY LIFE 252 (1959).

For a criticism of "the 'dramaturgic approach' to social experience," see Messinger, Life as Theater: Some Notes on the DramaturgicApproach to Social Reality, 25 SOCIOMETRY 98 (1962).

J. SARTRE, BEING AND NOTHINGNESS 59 (H. Barnes trans. 1956).

"[Ijn every country their profession is one that dishonors, . . . [t]hose who exercise it, excommunicated or not, are everywhere despised .... " J. ROUSSEAU, POLITICS AND THE ARTS: LETrER TO M. D'ALEMBERT ON THE THEATRE 76 (A. Bloom trans. 1960) (1758). For a summary of traditional excoriations of the acting profession, see W. PRYNNE, Hismo-MASTIX. THE PLAYER'S SCOURGE OR, ACTORS TRAGAEDIE 841-48 (London 1633). For Prynne, the "very profession of a Stage-player, together with the acting of Playes and enterludes, either in publike theatres or private houses; is infamous, Scandalous, and no wayes lawfull unto Christians." Ia at 831.

J. ROUSSEAU, supra note 32, at 79. In language that is often today applied directly to lawyers, Rousseau condemned the actor's profession as: “a trade in which he performs for money, submits himself to the disgrace and the affronts that others buy the right to give him, and puts his person publicly on sale. I beg every sincere man to tell if he does not feel in the depths of his soul that there is something servile and base in this traffic of oneself.” Id. Rousseau's complaint echoes earlier Puritan attacks on the acting profession, which were couched in specifically theological terms. Consider, for example, William Prynne's diatribe against actors: “God requires truth in inward parts; in the soule, the affections; yea, in the habits, speeches, gestures, in the whole intire man. Now this counterfeiting of persons, affections, manners, vices, sexes, and the like, which is inseparably incident to the acting of Playes; as it trans- forms the Actors into what they are not; so it infuseth falshood into every part of soule and body, as all hypocrisie doth; in causing them to seeme that in outward appearance which they are not in truth: therefore it must needs bee odious to the God of truth ....” W. PRYNNE, supra note 32, at 159.

J. ROUSSEAU, supra note 32, at 80-81.

DICTIONARY OF PROVERBS, supra note 14, at 139.

J. SWIFT, GULLIVER'S TRAVELS 295 (P. Dixon & J. Chalker eds. 1967) (1726).

[torentialtribute]

The lost generation: Arsenal and Liverpool teams in FA Youth Cup final 10 years ago

It is 10 years ago that an impressive group of children from Arsenal Liverpool 6-2 in the FA Youth Cup final en route to a memorable double

Jack Wilshere and Francis Coquelin played for Arsenal and Tom Ince and Andre Wisdom for Liverpool – but most of their former team friends are hanging around the lower divisions or abroad while others have completely abandoned the game.

Here, Sportsmail looks at how things have been set out for those who played in that cup final ten years ago.

<img id = "i-f79c8770a17a40ed" src = "https://dailym.ai/2X9Hmwg image-a-7_1559226305925.jpg "height =" 447 "width =" 634 "alt =" Arsenal defeated Liverpool 10 years ago in the FA Cup final; (left-right) Jack Wilshere, Conor Henderson, James Shea, Tom Cruise , Ozzy Ozyakup, Cedric Evina, Francis Coquelin, Craig Eastmond, Jay Emmanuel Thomas, Luke Ayling, Sanchez Watt, Henri Lansbury and Gilles Sunu "class =" blkBorder img (left-right) Jack Wilshere, Conor Henderson, James Shea, Tom Cruise , Ozzy Ozyakup, Cedric Evina, Francis

Coquelin, Craig Eastmond, Jay Emmanuel Thomas, Luke Ayling, Sanchez Watt, Henri Lansbury and Gilles Sunu

Arsenal beat Liverpool in the FA Cup final 10 years ago; (left-right) Jack Wilshere, Conor Henderson, James Shea, Tom Cruise, Ozzy Ozyakup, Cedric Evina, Francis Coquelin, Craig Eastmond, Jay Emmanuel Thomas, Luke Ayling, Sanchez Watt, Henri Lansbury and Gilles Sunu

<img id = "i-db3577c4bbd80380" src = "https://dailym.ai/2I7FpWJ /15/14153514-7057401-image-m-10_1559227747465.jpg "height =" 290 "width =" 634 "alt =" Liverpool's team for the second stage of the final: (left-right) Joe Kennedy, Andre Wisdom, David Amoo, Alexander Kacaniklic, Steven Irwin, Jack Robinson, Daniel Ayala, Christopher Buchtmann (left-right) Joe Kennedy, Andre Wisdom, Tom Ince, Dean Bouzanis and Lauri Dalla Valle

<img id = "i-db3577c4bbd80380 "src =" https://dailym.ai/2X0Sbk2 "height =" 290 "width =" 634 "alt = "Liverpool team for the second stage of the final, David Amoo, Alexander Kacaniklic, Steven Irwin, Jack Robinson, Daniel Ayala, Christopher Buchtmann, Tom Ince, Dean Bouzanis and Lauri Dalla Valle

The team from Liverpool for the second leg of the final: (left-right) Joe Kennedy, Andre Wisdom, David Amoo, Alexander Kacani Jack Wilshere evades Daniel Ayala's tackle during the first half of the season and has had the chance to play for the first time. leg in the Emirates Stadium "

but his side would eventually lose two legs "

<img id =" i-5ad98ed3685d22a0 "src =" https: // i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05/30/13/14148964-7057401-image-a-3_1559221084566.jpg "height =" 402 "width =" 634 "alt =" Alex Kacaniklic (left) scores for Liverpool, but his party would eventually lose two legs "

Alex Kacaniklic (left) scores for Liverpool, but his side would eventually lose two legs

<img id = "i-54a08f081c7eb3d0" src = "https://dailym.ai/2N8mlgx" height = "420" width = "634" alt = "Arsenal striker Sanchez Watt (center) is celebrating score during the first stage "class =" blkBorder img-

Arsenal striker Sanchez Watt (center) celebrates scoring during the first stage score during the first stage

<img id = "i-b59c8a0846d78c75" src = "https://dailym.ai/2X0BO70 -a-5_1559221092228.jpg "height =" 444 "width =" 634 "alt =" Thomas Ince looks downcast as his Liverpool side crashed into a 4-1 defeat at the Emirates "class =" blkBorder img-share " Thomas Ince looks depressed when his Liverpool side crashed in a 4-1 defeat at the Emirates "

Ince looks depressed when his Liverpool side crashed in a 4-1 defeat with the Emirates

Arsenal

459017] James Shea

Like many of these players, She represented She a the club never at senior level.

After fighting in Non-League football, Shea won a move to AFC Wimbledon in 2014 and spent three years there. He played a role in promoting the club to League One in 2016 and then left for Luton a year later.

He now established himself as the Hatters & # 39; No 1 stopper and made 46 games this season and won League One and went on to the championship. James Shea returned to the championship after falling into non-league football "

James Shea returned to the championship after joining non-league football."

James Shea returned to the championship after falling into non-league football Craig Eastmond

Eastmond looked at a member of the team who could really influence the first team and join a handful in signing a professional team dealing with Arsenal in 2009.

He made his senior debut in a 2-1 win over Liverpool in the League Cup and then got minutes in the Premier League. He received another contract in January 2010, with Arsene Wenger grateful for his versatility.

However, in the 2010/11 season I found it hard to find football from the first team and Millwall came on loan. Eastmond also struggled there and went down the pyramid with spells in Wycombe, Colchester and Yeovil.

In September 2015, Eastmond signed for National League Southside Sutton and continues to play for the National League club. He was part of the team that played against the Gunners in the FA Cup in 2017.

<img id = "i-bf321577a44c3bb1" src = "https: //i.dailymail .co.uk / 1s / 2019/05/24/17 / 13918814-7057401-image-a-11_1558714038752.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" Craig Eastmond (right) never achieved the score at Arsenal and is now in Sutton United)

Craig Eastmond (right) has never made it to Arsenal and is now in Sutton United

Tom Cruise

Not the Hollywood actor who jumped out of plans in Mission Impossible, Cruise made only one first team against Olympiacos in a Champions League match of very little importance

He was shown the door 18 months later and managed to win a trial with Sampdoria but they were not impressed enough to offer him a permanent deal.

Cruise also briefly trained with New England Revolution and later signed for Torquay United. In 2016 I started training to become an accountant.

During that 2009 final, Thomas Cruise portrayed "class =" blkBorder img-share "/>>

<img id = "i-21880e0d0dc59949" src = "https://dailym.ai/2N8mmRD 7057401-image-a-25_1558714784885.jpg "height =" 444 "width =" 306 "alt =" Thomas Cruise pictured during that 2009 final (left), but he <img id = "i-21880e0d0dc59949" src = "https : //i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05/24/17/13919296-7057401-image-a-25_1558714784885.jpg "height =" 444 "width =" 306 "alt =" <img id = "i-21880e0d0dc59949" src = "https://dailym.ai/2X0qJmx" height = "444" width = " 306 "alt =" Thomas Cruise suggested during the 2009 final (left), but he Kyle Bartley

Bartley & # 39; s physical properties made him a perfect youth-level center, but he w managed to bring his technical side up to a standard that Arsene Wenger was happy with.

He made only one higher appearance for the club, also away to Olympiakos, and after loan periods with Sheffield United and Rangers, Bartley was eventually sold to Swansea.

Bartley had mixed feelings in Wales, which also included loans to Birmingham and Leeds, but he has now found a home in West Brom. He made 28 league games and was impressive, because they missed a spot in the final play-off. Kyle Bartley (right) pushes for Premier League football as he impresses on West Brom "

<img id =" i-e8fc471a3b17cc62 "src =" https: // i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05/24/17/13918918-7057401-image-a-12_1558714110559.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" Kyle Bartley (right) pushes to Premier League football as he impresses West Brom "<img id =" i-e8fc471a3b17cc62 "src =" https://dailym.ai/2N8mnVH image-a-12_1558714110559.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt ="

Kyle Bartley (right) insists on Premier League football I am impressed by West Brom

Luke Ayling

Similar to Bartley, the only real chance for Ayling in the first team at Arsenal in that match was at Olympiacos, but he didn't even come from the Bank.

In May 2010 I became a member of Yeovil and spent four years there.

He is now a team of the first team under the acclaimed Marcelo Bielsa and next season will be the key to their promotional dogs as the Argentinian sticks around.

Luke Ayling could finally make it to the top as he and Leeds continue to develop "

<img id =" i-b8563db6368d9933 "src =" https: // i .dailymail.co.uk / 1s / 2019/05/24/17 / 13917426-7057401-image-m-28_1558714869799.jpg "height =" 737 "width =" 634 "alt =" Luke Ayling could finally

Luke Ayling was finally able to make the top flight as he and Leeds continue to develop

Frimpong

He had loan periods with Wolves, Charlton and Fulham before finally leaving the United States. for Barnsley about a permanent deal. Frimpong then signed with Ufa on the Russian side before joining the game for another Russian team in Arsenal Tula, the Swedish AFC Eskilstuna and Ermis Aradippou in Cyprus, before, unfortunately, he retired in March 2019 due to an injury.

<img id = "i-29c07c7108580a9b" src = "https://dailym.ai/2X6NPrx image-a-2_1558712166457.jpg "height =" 419 "width =" 634 "alt =" Emmanuel Frimpong (bottom) puts a strong challenge on Daniel Agger from Liverpool during the Premier League match – but unfortunately his career is blurred by injuries after a promising start "class =" blkBorder img-share "

Emmanuel Frimpong (bottom) puts a strong challenge on Liverpool Daniel Agger during Premier League match – but his career unfortunately disappeared after injuries after a promising start" blkBorder img-

Emmanuel Frimpong (bottom) puts a strong challenge on Liverpool Daniel Agger during Premier League match – but his career unfortunately disappeared after injuries after a promising start

Unfortunately I have not found a way to do that. never took the necessary steps to earn a first team pot and despite scoring in a north London derby against Tottenham in 2010, he was lent to Scunthorpe, Watford, Norwich and West Ham before finally being sold to Nottingham Forest .

Lansbury impressed City Ground and then moved to Aston Villa for around £ 3 million in January 2017. He struggled for a game time this season and played only 308 minutes while Villa came through the game -off final.

Henri Lansbury was tipped for the best, but has now become a good champion player "

Henri Lansbury was tipped for the top but has instead become a good champion player

Francis Coquelin

Coquelin is arguably the player who enjoyed the most success from this team.

In 2014, Wenger decided to recall Coquelin from Charlton champion club during a midfield injury crisis, taking the opportunity with a series of impressive performances and playing 90 minutes in the 4-0 win over Aston Villa in the FA Cup

His progress was halted the following season due to a knee injury and I struggled to maintain the level of performance of the previous campaign.In 2018, Coquelin moved to La Liga near Valencia and became a n major player in their midfield. I played 41 times this season, including against Arsenal in the Europa League semi-final.

Francis Coquelin shone intermittently for Arsenal & # 39; s first team and is now in Valencia "and is now in Valencia"

Francis Coquelin shone intermittently for the first Arsenal team and is now in Valencia Jack Wilshere

Wilshere was the real star of this team and was already on the edge of the first team when Arsenal won the FA Youth Cup in 2009.

In the 2010-11 campaign, he made 49 appearances under Wenger and was praised as future captain of both his club and country.

In June 2018, it was announced that he would leave Arsenal when his contract expired and he joined West Ham. Unable to maintain his condition during his debut campaign, Wilshere made only nine appearances in all competitions.

<img id = "i-bddc1f75a713c955" src = "https://dailym.ai/2N8mqkl image-m-6_1559222258532.jpg "height =" 596 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-bddc1f75a713c955" src = "https://dailym.ai/2J2OwKp /30/14/13917616-7057401-image-m-6_1559222258532.jpg "height =" 596 "width =" 634 "alt =" The sparkle of Jack Wilshere has been destroyed by serious injuries and is now on West Ham

[MichaelJacksonWilshere&#39;sglitteringisdevastatedbyseriousinjuriesandheisnowonWestHam

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas

During his youth career, Emanuel-Thomas was the complete package.

Despite that long list of attributes, he was never considered good enough to get a chance in the first team

<img id = "i-517b18b716ba68b7" src = "https://dailym.ai/2V7xoKx 24/17 / 13917668-7057401-image-m-31_1558714898125.jpg "height =" 814 "width =" 634 "alt =" Jay Emmanuel-Thomas seemed to have all the tools for a great career, but now in Thailand -Thomas seemed to have all the tools for a great career but is now in Thailand "

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas looked at all the tools for a big

The Cameroonian defender never made a higher-level cut for Arsenal and was given on loan to Oldham in

[19459EvinastruggledtosettlethereandwassoonbackinLondonandCharlton

After a decent start to life in the Keepmoat, Evina fell out of favor with Darren Ferguson and was loaned to Crawley in 2017. Notts County signed him in 2018 but has failed to impress and has just been released.

<img id = "i-23582bc7befcf0c5" src = "https://dailym.ai/2X9Hlsc image-a-7_1558712483177.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-23582bc7befcf0c5" src = "https://dailym.ai/2J2OwKp /24/16/13917696-7057401-image-a-7_1558712483177.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" Now without a club, Cedric Evina had played for a series of clubs in the Football League club, Cedric Evina had played for a series of clubs in the Football League "

Now without a club, Cedric Evina had played a series of clubs in

Sunu was another to play in that European trip to Olympiakos, replacing Wilshere in the 76th minute of the game.

Another not wanted by Wenger, Sunu was first loaned to Derby and then to Lorient in France.

After four years left for But Evian only had a short stay on the shores of Lake Geneva when he left for Angers just six months later. He has now played in Turkey with BB Erzurums, where he can be seen as a band with former Manchester United caller Gabriel Obertan.

Gilles Sunu was another who scored in that 2009 final, but who has now fallen off the radar "<img id =" i-c2f6c9ee7ad65e69 "src =" https : //i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05/30/15/14153362-7057401-image-a-8_1559227640823.jpg "height =" 418 "width =" 634 "alt =" Gilles Sunu was a others who scored in the 2009 final, but who now fell off the radar "

final, but who now fell off the radar

it was a great compliment that Rafa Benitez once described the Australian keeper as the best in the world in his age group.

Unfortunately, his path to the first team was blocked by the impenetrable Pepe Reina and he left Anfield in 2011 without a single competitive appearance

Bouzanis went to play for both Accrington Stanl ey and Oldham Athletic in the lag honorary regions of English football, before returning to his native country with Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne City. I loaned this season to PEC Zwolle in Holland.

[11459012] [11459013] [11] The once-valued Dean Bouzanis left Liverpool to play at home again in Australia

The once highly valued Dean Bouzanis left Liverpool to play at home in Australia

Irwin was playing comfortably on the right side of midfield or defense, but failed to advance the grid to make the Reds

He went on to a bizarre series of clubs across Europe after being released by Liverpool in 2011, initially moving to the Dutch club Telstar in the summer

. Irwin then moved to Finnish side FF Jaro and the Aab of Denmark, before returning to Merseyside to play for Skelmersdale United and Marine. Jack Robinson

The left back showed signs of promise when he broke through and became the youngest player of competitive play for Liverpool at the moment.

Benedict, never prepared to give caution to the wind, gave him his debut against Hull in 2010 when he was only 16 years old. team games in total, but was lent to Wolves and Blackpool before being sold to QPR after he was found to be unsatisfactory. He went on loan to Huddersfield before he signed for the current club Nottingham Forest. Jack Robinson (right), eleven a record breaker in Liverpool, in action for Nottingham Forest "

Jack Robinson (right), eleven (19459012)

Jack Robinson (right), eleven a record breaker in Liverpool, in action for Nottingham Forest a record breaker in Liverpool, in action for Nottingham Forest

Daniel Ayala

The imposing Spaniard entered from Seville and showed signs of promise in the five seniors

He failed to give a loan to Hull and Derby before he secured a permanent move to Norwich in 2011.

The Canary Islands were also unimpressed and lent him to Nottingham Forest and then Middlesbrough, but he managed to find his way on Teesside and played almost 200 times for Boro.

<img id = "i-b7a87c596f 1cf4a9 "src =" https://dailym.ai/2NdOhja "height =" 405 "width =" 634 "alt = "<img id =" i-b7a87c596f1cf4a9 "src =" https://dailym.ai/2NdOhja "height = "405" width = "634" alt = "Ayala has found a house in Middlesbrough, but it is another to fall from the top flight found a house in Middlesbrough, but another to fall from the top flight"

Ayala has found a home in Middlesbrough, but is still a

Kennedy was the captain of the team that reached the final in 2009 and played at the heart of the defense.

There was no chance that he ever reached the first team even though he was released immediately after the final in the summer. studying for a sports sciences degree

[WisdomWasualWisdomOnlyMemberofTeamtheamoomsARealImpacttMakingOutdoorSourceTeam

He played in 22 games for Liverpool, most of which came under Brendan Rodgers in the 2012-13 season. however, could not take a permanent place and went on loan to West Brom, Derby, Norwich and Red Bull Salzburg before joining the Rams in 2017 for a permanent deal.

<img id = "i-c68331d411e51b68" src = "https://dailym.ai/2X4RrKO image-a-14_1558714311564.jpg "height =" 458 "width =" 634 "alt =" Andre Wisdom got a foothold in Liverpool's first team, but left for Derby two years ago "

< img id = "i-c68331d411e51b68" src = "https://dailym.ai/2NcNPBX" height = "458" width = "634" alt = "Andre Wisdom got a foothold in Liverpool's first team, but left for Derby Derby two years ago"

Andre Wisdom got a foothold in Liverpool's first team, but left for Derby two years ago David Amoo

Amoo was lightning-fast on the right wing and represented London in English Schools National athletics championships as youngsters.

Amoo has since been transferred to the lower divisions, playing for Preston, Tranmere, Carlisle, Patrick Thistle and the current club Cambridge United. David Amoo came through the ranks of Liverpool, but now also in the lower divisions "

Amoo came through the ranks of Liverpool but now also in the lower divisions"

David Amoo came through the ranks of Liverpool but now also in the lower league & # 39; s

There was much optimism about the German winger when he arrived from Borussia Dortmund.

Unfortunately, he could not turn the potential into a club and quickly left the club for Fulham in 2010 after two years at Merseyside.

He then moved from Craven Cottage back to his homeland, first playing for Koln and then for St Pauli, where he now plays regularly. Christopher Buchtmann is back in his native country and plays for St. Pauli in Germany "

Christopher Buchtmann is back in his native country and plays for St. Pauli in Germany"

Christopher Buchtmann is back in his native country and plays for St. Pauli in Germany Lauri Dalla Valle

The Finnish attacker was kind to great things . He chose to join Liverpool at Chelsea and scored eight times in the FA Youth Cup.

However, there was no progression for him in Anfield.

He spent the rest of his career in the lower divisions of England, Scotland, Norway and Belgium. Dalla Valle returned to England for a short period with Crewe before reportedly spending time on his career after being released by the Serbian side of Zemun.

Lauri Dalla Valle has now stopped playing football, you can leave a comment, or a trackback from your own site. after a nomadic career throughout Europe "

Lauri Dalla Valle has now stopped playing football after a nomadic career throughout Europe

Tom Ince

son of Liverpool and Manchester United midfielder Paul, Ince felt like going ahead and making a name on Merseyside in the League Cup for the Reds before they went on loan to Notts County and then to Blackpool in August 2011. Ince made there impressed and was connected with a move back to Anfield, but nothing happened.

I went to Derby and then to Huddersfield, where I helped the club with promotion. Signed for Stoke last summer for £ 12m.

[InventionsofTomInceTomInceisgoodenoughStoke£12miljoentehavecostfastyjearitle="blkBorderimg-share"/>

[19459014tofinishTomceisgoodenoughtohavecost£12millionayear

Kacaniklic left the club with Dalla Valle as part of the deal with Fulham who saw Paul Konchesky in the back left (yes, that transfer actually happened) the other way.

Now 27, I went on loan to Watford, Burnley and Copenhagen before Fulham released him in 2016. I enjoyed three years with Ligue 1-side Nantes but now f inds myself at home in Sweden with Hammarby

<img id = "i-40ecf7b9205e811a" src = "https: //i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05/24/17/13919110-7057401-image-a-19_1558714480325.jpg "height =" 456 "width =" 634 "alt =" Alexander Kacaniklic left Liverpool for Fulham but now plays in Sweden "

Alexander Kacaniklic left Liverpool for Fulham but now plays at home in Sweden

Eccleston was a success according to the standards of his teammates and actually made nine appearances for Liverpool after joining the first team in 2009.

However, there was no progress for him and he left the club in 2012 to join Blackpool after loan periods in Huddersfield, Charlton and Rochdale.

He left Bloomfield Road to head north with Partick Thistle in 2014 before playing for Kilmarnock and the Hungarian outfit Bekescsaba 1912 Elore. National League North side Nuneaton Borough.

Nathan Eccleston played at a series of clubs after his promising start in Liverpool

Nathan Eccleston hasn't played any games yet.

Source link

[curdinway-blog]

Ghost in the Shell

Ghost in the Shell is widely known as one of two major productions which kicked off mainstream anime to the West, the other being Katsuhiro Ôtomo’s incomparable Akira.  While it has achieved legendary status among anime enthusiasts, among more casual film buffs it will forever be linked with The Matrix, on the basis that it involves characters jacking into a virtual world via a port in the back of their necks.  A much more apt comparison would be that Ghost in the Shell is anime’s version of Blade Runner; a somber, haunting meditation on the similarities and differences between machine and man.

Blade Runner, of course, was the film Harrison Ford famously quipped as being about “whether or not you could fall in love with your toaster.”  Ghost in the Shell posits an even more interesting question: suppose you were replaced gradually, bit by bit, with toaster bits.  Would you eventually become a toaster?  If so, at what point could you consider the transformation complete?  Even if you were replaced entirely by toaster parts, could a small part of you remain inscrutably, indescribably human?

This is the question that has been haunting Makoto Kusanagi, aka The Major, recently.  She was involved in an accident; the government decided she would be better off not dead and one of their cyborg super-soldiers.  Now, all that remains of her original self is a scrap of brain cells in a nigh-indestructible composite body.  A Ghost in the Shell.

What is a ghost exactly?  It could be argued as consciousness, but that interpretation falls out in favor of a soul. Something less definable and more important.  Kusanagi tests herself.  She plunges into deep waters to evaluate her own fear at mortality, as metal bodies sink and must be resurfaced with floatation systems which may or may not turn on.  At another point, a cybernetic being is “shocked” to reveal hidden information. The Major is disturbed.  But she keeps it to herself.  There isn’t a whole lot of time to brood.  A super-hacker known only as The Puppetmaster has been hacking into people’s minds and controlling them remotely, because that is now a terrifying possibility.  And so Kusanagi’s special unit, Section 9, is put to the task of ending that threat.

It goes without saying that as a highly influential work, Ghost in the Shell boasts impressive technical aspects. It was one of the first anime works to feature scenes in CGI successfully, and paired that with uniformly excellent standard animation.  The action scenes are some of the best choreographed in anime history.  The standout scene to me involves a brutal fight scene between two combatants in a pool of reflective water.  Only one is visible.  The soundtrack is outstanding as well.  The opening scene is truly one of the best in animation, as Makoto’s synthesis proceeds eerily to a chilling, effective combination of a traditional Japanese wedding song and methodical cold-sweat ambience.

Ghost in the Shell is a spine-tingling mystery in the trappings of an intense cyber-thriller.  The outcome of Section 9 vs The Puppetmaster is much less vital than what is going on within The Major.  How human is she?  Her self-testing and personal worries would suggest she has human inclinations; but then in the same breath, she is killing targets emotionlessly and acting completely oblivious to her own nudity.  Sexuality and gender are indeed a core concept explored in the film; Batou, a fellow cyborg who is less completely mechanistic than Makoto, self-consciously averts his gaze, or even covers her when it appears she is too revealing.  Is that a sign that a portion or all of Makoto’s humanity has been lost, in comparison to Batou?  Complicating the issue is that The Major may simply view her body as unimportant.  It isn’t hers, after all; it’s a metal shell.  On the other hand, could machines wonder about their own consciousness? Also, the honchos in charge of Section 9 regard their subjects’ “bodies” with clinical detachment, despite being far less synthetic.  What does that say about their humanity?  The film drops many clues, but nary an answer.

The coldness with which the agency heads regard their cybernetic charges is perhaps the most frightening aspect of Ghost in the Shell, one that rapidly steers it into the realm of technological nightmare.  The film appears to be fantastical on the surface, a chilling “what-might-be” scenario. And yet, look around us.  I am currently typing this review on a Core i5 Toshiba laptop.  It is far from a cutting-edge machine; yet it enables me to transcribe my thoughts faster, save them word-for-word, erase and edit as needed, and share them instantly to millions of others.  We are already in a world of tremendous synthetic enhancement.  More dramatic, the artificial limbs that seemed far-fetched when Luke lost his hand in The Empire Strikes Back have practically become reality.  Even as such synthetic advancement serves us, it comes with a hidden cost.

Operating by proxy through machine increases the distance between our interactions, and thus increases our detachment to one another.  When everyone is an avatar, all too frequently we see each other as just that; an abstract entity, to whom no responsibility or accountability is owed.  If this seems like a bit of a stretch, keep in mind that numerous articles can be found about the advance of cyberbullying in the current age, and even deaths which have resulted from it.  Even easier, just visit your average internet comment section, and take in some of the hateful verbiage and rancor that are found there.  Ask yourself if that has made us better as a society.

Technology is a great tool.  It has the possibility to benefit us tremendously in nearly every capacity, but it also has the capacity to change us definably as human beings.  By the time we’ve found how far we’ve drifted from ourselves, will it be too late?

The answer, as they say, is flowing in the circuits.

[walkthroughfox]

For those who are out of the loop - Here is a breakdown of why the entire front page is EA hate posts.

For those who are out of the loop - Here is a breakdown of why the entire front page is EA hate posts.

EA (Electronic Arts) released Star Wars - Battlefront 2. The first Battlefront wasn't very popular with the gaming community. EA and Dice actively spent three years convincing us the next Battlefront will be better. While they technically delivered on that, the game is still lackluster, especially considering they had three years to make it, and they also had a foundation of the original game to work off of. But that's not what got Reddit all riled up.

What happened is that EA introduced heavy pay-to-win via random chance loot boxes that locks away player progression gear and premium currency. Then heroes (primarily Luke and Vader) are locked behind a grind-wall that requires 40 hours of match time to unlock one here. Keep in mind that these heroes are free in the first Battlefield. The player can either spend 40 hours grinding to unlock content they paid for, or they can circumvent the grind wall by paying for random chance loot boxes.

Dice and EA hosted an open Beta that allowed players to test the game before its launch. During the beta, Luke and Darth Vader costed 15,000 credits to unlock, Emperor Palpatine, Chewbacca, and Leia Organa costed 10,000 credits to unlock, and Iden costed 5,000 credits. During the Beta, prices of the heroes was already controversial, and players were already calling out the micro-transaction system, the loot boxes, and the grind wall that encourages pay to win. What the players at the time didn't know is that EA and Dice intended to jack up the credit costs of these heroes. When the game officially launched, players were shocked to find out that the heroes cost 75% more credits. This meant that it takes 40 hours of match time to unlock Luke or Vader, so 80 hours for both. Then over 100 hours of playtime to unlock all the heroes.

The community was outraged by this -

u/MBMMaverick created the thread that started the fire. - Link

EA responded directly to u/MBMMaverick and the r/StarWarsBattlefront community via the customer support Reddit account u/EACommunityTeam by stating

“The intent is to provide players with a sense of pride and accomplishment for unlocking different heroes. As for cost, we selected initial values based upon data from the Open Beta and other adjustments made to milestone rewards before launch. Among other things, we're looking at average per-player credit earn rates on a daily basis, and we'll be making constant adjustments to ensure that players have challenges that are compelling, rewarding, and of course attainable via gameplay. We appreciate the candid feedback, and the passion the community has put forth around the current topics here on Reddit, our forums and across numerous social media outlets. Our team will continue to make changes and monitor community feedback and update everyone as soon and as often as we can."

Link to EA Response

This response from EA sparked an absolute shit storm, in which several posts started making it to the front page that were anti-EA, and then EA added another infamous title to its collection - the most downvoted comment in Reddit history.

EA also has earned the worst company in America title two years in a row - Link

Gamespot got in on the action, and decided to purchase $100 dollars worth of loot boxes to see exactly what they could get. They didn't even get halfway to earning enough currency to unlock Darth Vadar - Link

The media buzz has leaked outside of Reddit and gaming publications, with online news outlets, such as Forbes, CNBC, RollingStone and many other online publishers starting to pickup and report on the story.

Here is EA's current stock standing

With the media shit storm swirling around the internet, many players to begin canceling their orders, and even a post by u/Craimasjien hit the top page briefly that included a direct link to the EA website to cancel a Battlefront 2 order - Link

u/TheMadPuma made a post calling for a boycott of EA, which was one of many posts like it, but this post caught fire. Within that post, u/roxwar made a strong point that boycotting EA wasn't going to be enough, we would have to go after Disney as well.

After the pitchforking, the news reporting, order canceling, the memes, and the the downvote parade - EA formally responded to the media shit storm it caused.

“Change will be a Constant in Star Wars Battlefront II A Message from John Wasilczyk, Executive Producer at DICE Since the start of the project, listening to fans has been important in making sure Star Wars™ Battlefront™ II is the very best experience for all of you. We’ve done this with the closed alpha, through the beta last month, and our Play First Trial. And we continue to make adjustments based on your feedback as the game launches worldwide this week. Listening, and providing choices in how you play, will always be our principle with Star Wars Battlefront II. We want to ensure the game is balanced and fun both today and for years into the future. Making games great comes from regular tuning. As one example, today we’re making a substantial change based on what we’ve seen during the Play First trial. There’s been a lot of discussion around the amount of in-game credits (and time) it takes to unlock some of our heroes, especially Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. Unlocking a hero is a great accomplishment in the game, something we want players to have fun earning. We used data from the beta to help set those levels, but it’s clear that more changes were needed. So, we’re reducing the amount of credits needed to unlock the top heroes by 75%. Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader will now be available for 15,000 credits; Emperor Palpatine, Chewbacca, and Leia Organa for 10,000 credits; and Iden at 5,000 credits. Based on what we’ve seen in the trial, this amount will make earning these heroes an achievement, but one that will be accessible for all players. It's a big change, and it’s one we can make quickly. It will be live today, with an update that is getting loaded into the game. We’ve also been listening to how much you’re loving features in the game (Starfighter Assault, 40 player MP battles, Darth Maul lightsaber throws, etc.) as well as what you haven’t liked. We know some of our most passionate fans, including those in our subreddit, have voiced their opinions, and we hear you. We’re making the changes to the credit levels for unlocking heroes and we’re going to keep making changes to improve the game experience over time. We welcome the conversation. In fact, this Wednesday we’d like you to join us for a Reddit AMA with some of the key leads on our team. Stay tuned to our social channels for more info on the AMA, and our blog for continual updates on what we’re seeing, hearing and adjusting in the game. For those of you already playing, thank you. For those of you looking forward to playing the Star Wars™ game you’ve been waiting for, thank you, too. The team is fully committed to listening to our community, continually adjusting the game, and providing even more great Star Wars content over the upcoming months and years of live service updates. More to come"

So there you have it. That's everything I've been able to gather that I think was important about this, and should be able to summarize what all has happened for those who are out of the loop.

If anything is missing or if you think something should be added, leave it in the comments and I'll add it.

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