#Luke beefing with a child was so real of him

[ofswordsandpens]

Luke being given a quest at 17, feeling like there's no glory in it because it's a quest someone's already succeeded before, but then failing that very quest he considered to be beneath him, getting a permanent scar, "ruining it" for the rest of the campers because now no one else can go on quests and earn glory in the eyes of the gods, so he turns to Kronos, and years later here comes a possible candidate for the great prophecy, 12 years old, gets the first quest the camp has done since Luke's fucked it up, and Luke is actively ensuring this quest is an impossible quest!! he's literally rigged it so Percy's gonna fail (the shoes, the bolt appearing in his bag) and then this kid somehow succeeds still??? and not only that, Percy got the unique quest Luke wanted in the first place and achieved feats no one else had and earned glory in the eyes of his father, all because Luke created the circumstances for that to happen??

oh my god yeah I don't think I'd ever recover from that either

[spacedlexi]

I totally get your point about the kenny/Jane thing. In my opinion the best outcome is letting Kenny kill Jane (honestly Jane brought that to herself, all of them knew that if he lost someone else he would finally go ballistic and she deliberately put him on that spot to prove "a point") and then staying in Wellington, because Kenny acknowledges that he's not fit enough to care for her and AJ anymore, so he begs Clem to stay. He's aware that he's not right for the job, and he accomplished his mission, he stayed loyal to Lee and left. It also gives the opportunity to speculate whether he finally found peace after all his suffering. (Even if the original idea was him offing himself in the Virginia lake after that)

i always find myself struggling to talk about S2 because i know the writers changed direction (multiple times?) as the season was releasing??? which means character arcs and motivations were altered to fit this new direction and its like painfully obvious sometimes especially when it comes to kenny and jane and luke

i hate when writers cant commit to the bit. and that kind of happens with kenny. which is weird because even tho they decided against him literally being carvers character (which wouldve worked perfectly for a luke v kenny ending), they still try to give him that carver storyline. like.. i could see kenny easily being in carvers position at howes. just like lilly in S4 with the delta. these two characters wanted leadership and never liked any pushback from the people around them. i can also see the kenny we knew from S1 turning into a man like carver in S2 (a dude who has lost a lot and whose methods are becoming more extreme to keep people safe) and i think kenny being carver instead wouldve made carver a much deeper and more interesting antagonist. like carver is fine. he works although his beef with this 11yo is weird. but we dont buy it when bonnie tells us he used to be a cool guy. we've only ever seen carver as a murderer. but if it was kenny in this role then immediately we add a lot of baggage to this character and his relationship with clem and her new relationship with the howes group. like we know kenny and we know what hes capable of but we also understand his motivations and we do believe that deep down kenny does want whats best to keep his people safe. and clem reappearing in the life of THIS kenny wouldve been Huge as he wouldve already begun his descent and clem is the only one who can really get through to him (like they still try to do when all the adults are like "uuuh clem you go talk to the angry man theres no way he'll listen to US"). i think they were afraid of making kenny an outright antagonist though and instead tried to have their cake and eat it too which just kinda...leads to mess... commit to your characters dark spirals and downfalls i hate this wishy washy bullshit. plus having kenny as carver instead wouldve centered clem in the howes discussion more. as it stands she just kinda gets swept up in everyone elses bullshit and just has to go along with it. classic child experience tho

jane pretending that aj was dead to intentionally push kenny over the edge just to "prove" to clem that hes dangerous was SOOOOO unnecessary jane!!! like we know girl!! we know!!! and when he tries to kill her for it its like...i know you saw this coming jane so how did you expect this to end?? was she just hoping she'd win the fight? she even tells clem to stay out of whatever was about to happen (plus she does genuinely put ajs life in real danger by leaving him in that car where they were lucky to hear his cries). but i think this problem stems from them changing it out from being a luke v kenny showdown. i think that ending wouldve culminated more naturally as their beef was slowly building since they first met. disagreement in leadership styles. that silly little middle school "choose who to sit with at dinner" thing felt like foreshadowing of a luke v kenny fight that just never happened. they needed to create a reason for kenny to attack jane as jane doesnt care about leadership she cares about keeping herself safe so the whole aj thing just....feels forced. like... jane why....Why........ where did your self preservation go...its like your whole character...

so...yeah.... i have a lot of conflicting feelings about S2 and its ending. on my recent playthrough i had clem tell kenny that maybe lee Shouldnt have come to save her in S1, trying to be all "boo hoo im so sad i get everyone i love killed boo hoo" and kenny responds by saying he should SMACK her for that???? i was so shocked that i missed taking the screenshot of it. i gasped audibly... turned into a "matter of time" situation for me (even tho things seem fine enough in the S3 flashbacks hes weirdly normal again and still talking about boats). kenny is definitely a broken man hanging on by a Singular Thread by the end of S2 and jane snaps it. this is why i like leaving kenny behind at wellington. clem and aj are definitely the light of his life at this point and he wants whats best for them. leaving them at wellington is really the best thing he can do for them both and its very sad because we know he Needs them. and clem would want to hold onto whoever she has left so its hard for her too. throughout all the seasons clem and aj are seen as the light in the darkness the hope for the future yadda yadda and kenny losing that? yeah i can see why the virginia lake idea was a thing. but thats ALSO why i like the clem shoots kenny ending. this man just wants it to be over he misses his family so much he cant take this shit anymore. staying with kenny into S3 really feels like we're stretching out his character as far as possible. it kinda feels like they hit the reset button on him and hes back to talking about boats. i feel like post S2 they just didnt really know what to do with him or jane. i feel like their endings in S2 are the most narratively fulfilling for their characters and i want clem to enter S3 on her own

[lemonhemlock]

"Ewan Mitchell playing a 16 year old is the most unserious thing I’ve heard."

I'm so tired of people making a big deal out of Ewan's looks..... First of all, his face is angular and thin, so he generally looks older than people with baby faces like Olivia's. Or even Tom, who imo looks his age but has a more round face that appears younger. Ewan looked older even at 17 AND SO WHAT. Also he wears a big scar and an eye patch, and his acting choices have his face being tense all the time, which makes him look older too. And it's like no one watches tv these days? 30 year olds play teenagers all the time, maybe people have a problem with it, but if they are good actors, who cares??? The last kingdom cast had 20 year olds playing adults with small children and then with grown up children after some time and they were supposed to be in their 50s I guess and no one cares. But in this fandom it's always unbelievable to people, omg.

nooooo, anon, don't get upset, the other anon didn't mean it that way 😭 ewan is a handsome young lad, he doesn't look old or awry in any way, he just doesn't pass as a 16-year-old 🏳

it's not about wrinkles or angularity necessarily. it's about how one carries themselves, their demeanour, their unweary eyes, their general vibe. teenagers have this aura of.... being unfinished somehow, like they haven't spent enough time cooking in the oven. this is may be not so apparent when you're young yourself, but it's definitely noticeable when you're an adult and look at teens

as a counter-example, emma mackey & asa butterfield are believable as teenagers in Sex Education even though they're mid-twenties. idk how to explain, it may be the styling or it may be bc they are actually allowed to carry themselves as normal teenagers. whereas it's true that aemond gets a scar and an eyepatch and an overall scary presence that don't help with the general passing-as-a-highschooler thing. this becomes very conspicuous when he's paired in a scene with luke, who is an actual, real teenager. this is part of the reason why some black stans were peddling the "aemond is a grown man beefing with a child" narrative (yes, i've seen it with mine own eyes)

there's definitely a valid criticism to be made about how young grrm makes his protagonists - a lot of his stories would work better if his characters were early twenties or at least aged up a couple of years (see arya and sansa). there would also be fewer child brides this way. who were not so common as people think! (even back then people knew it wasn't healthy or safe to start having children as soon as your first menstruation)

as for movies/tv resorting to adult actors, that is very understandable since there are laws regulating the amount of time child actors are allowed to work per day, which can slow down filming, if the role is big enough. also, it presens an ethical dilemma if their scenes are more raunchy or violent in nature. it's just that sometimes it breaks the suspension of disbelief, is all

[minetteskvareninova]

Minette Watched The Black Queen: Assorted Thoughts

- Pretty Thing Of The Episode: Aemond and his saphire eye. Fucking sue me. The man is a sociopath, but exceedingly attractive sociopath.

- Whelp, this episode was actually kinda good? With the exception of the two extremely points, which I was thankfully forewarned of, I liked most of it.

- First of these points was the infamous choking scene. It’s probably the single most inexplicable scene of the show, with the possible exception of the foot fetish scene. Like, there was absolutely no reason for Daemon to choke his queen and beloved wife while he’s angry at her and what he perceives as his brother’s nonsense. I could rant about it for hours, but needless to say, seeing it context didn’t make it the least bit less idiotic. The worst part is, there was no real fallout from it, not even Rhaenyra threatening him for CHOKING HIS QUEEN as she should. Rhaenyra’s reaction is supremely underwhelming, and while it could be what destroys their marriage before Nettles appears (which would at least give it a reason to exist, as shoddy as it is), it’s not really certain. And I mean, no woman, least of all a fucking queen, should have to put up with a man who hurts her for any reason, not to mention how exceedingly dumb that reason is. I am seriously considering mentally writing the choking out and just deny it was ever part of the scene, because it makes so little sense, my God.

- The second exceedingly stupid moment was Lucerys and Aemond losing control of their dragons. You all know why it’s dumb, but it’s also pretty pointless. Like, fuck, Aemond was already trying to mutilate this literal child with sadistic glee, would it really be that much worse if he murdered him?!

- Corlys and Rhaenys were as usual the MVPs of this episode. Nothing but respect for MY king and queen.

- Rhaenyra doing politics and hesitating before going to war was in-character, and showed her having more than a baseline competence when it comes to politics. I still wish we saw her do the politicking more (well, her and Alicent, girlies really didn’t do as much power plays throughout the season as they should’ve), but what we did get was pretty cool.

- Rhaena and Baela still have no proper characterization, fuck this noise. First you gloss over their mother, then you all but erase them?! Baela’s showdown with Aegon the Trashy better be pretty epic, how dare they forget my gurl like this.

- Still no Mysaria! Like, I fully expected her to show up at Dragonstone and offer her services to the Blacks, since her previous master screwed her up so badly, but no, she’s nowhere to be seen. I don’t think they would just kill one of the few characters of colour like this, especially since she was alive at this point in the source material, even they can’t be this terrible, she’s going to show up just before the Blood and Cheese incident, right...? Right???

- Daemon and Otto’s beef has entered its second and third decade, because apart from Aemond, they are the pettiest bitches in this entire show. God, I love it so much. Like, Daemon was a dick in this episode, but apart from the choking scene, in the exact way I would except him to be.

- I am glad that Rhaenys basically justified her not killing Aegon and Alicent the way I did all along. See?! My mind reading is accurate, and the writers aren’t incompetent! Well, most of the time, anyway.

- My heart bleeds not just for Luke, but for Arrax, his tiny widdle dragon with his tiny widdly saddle than was especially tiny widdle when compared to the monstrous grandma Vhagar.

- Girlies be like “Rhaenyra had a bigger reaction to the Alicent’s stupid book page* than to the deaths of her children”. Girlies be blind. Seriously, did you miss Rhaenyra cradling her daughter’s dead body and lovingly covering her in shroud?!

*and yes, I do think the book page is kinda dumb, like the writers def didn’t do enough to establish its significance, I would’ve forgotten what it even is if I haven’t seen it before on dem internets

- Am I going to watch the next season? I don’t know! Like I have good reasons to classify this show as legitimately bad, despite the loads of great moments it offered us. I’ll probably have to make a list with all the pros and cons neatly written down before I give it something like a star rating or whatever. Maybe negative nancys on Twitter have rotted my brain and I cannot enjoy this show because of relatively minor flaws, maybe they were right all along... Either way, thank you, choking scene, for finally breaking my uncritical adoration of this show and making me second guess everything it does. Maybe I was at first too wrapped up in my righteous anger and affection for Daemon to realize that it is just one scene, but I can’t say thinking critically about this show is a bad think. It clearly wants to be smart, so it’s only natural that we consider whether it succeeds in this.

[fieldsofbone]

someone commented this on a youtube clip of the scene at the end of return of the jedi when luke and leia see obi-wan’s and anakin (but the edit with anakin being hayden)’s force ghosts:

and someone replied with this:

and it’s like my guy if you prefer the original trilogy and have beef with how the sequels were handled, that’s fine! i have my biases too! but to me this is such a reductionist (and frankly elitist) take on what the ethos of the originals — and, particularly, anakin’s arc — is about, which is a blatant rejection of this binary conception of Good and Evil and instead a story about redemption driven by an unfaltering belief in or faith from hope and family. the jedi have long evangelized about what “good” and “evil” are. anakin’s story — specifically luke saving him — shows the pitfalls of this black and white model of thinking that the jedi live by.

taste is subjective and the star wars trilogy to which you attach yourself seems to have much more to do with nostalgia/which one was released or you were raised on as a child etc. etc., but to me what makes the prequels so compelling and heartbreaking is how they expose the cracks inherent in the jedi order that caused everyone around anakin to fail and neglect this young boy they brought into their world (from slavery! who was torn away from his mother — his only real emotional connection to anyone!) who was clearly dealing with trauma and needed institutional support to guide and nurture him but who couldn’t be helped because of the jedi’s stringent rules and procedures. anakin’s “fall” isn’t (at least exclusively) attributable to anything inherent in his personality or self, but rather the surrounding institutional structures that failed him. so the originals and luke’s journey show us how his light and compassion and belief not only in the goodness of his father but in people is able to redeem anakin, release him from the misery and anguish and rage that have consumed his last (near) two decades, and bring him to a resting place among his closest friend/brother.

and for this guy’s takeaway from ALL OF THAT… from this story that spans SIX feature-length films (not including TCW or rebels) to be that Jedi Good and Sith Bad and No In-Between shows that he missed the Entire Fucking Point of the last 40 years’ worth of content. something something who’s a fake star wars fan now something something

[bayrut]

There are so many Louis-centric ships! Everyone has faves, but have you ever wondered which one is superior? Well, you don’t have to think too hard about this anymore! 

Introducing, the ‘who should Louis Tomlinson date?’ bracket tournament, brought to you by @seasurfacefullofclouds1, @silverfoxlou​ and @tomlinsno​! We’ve put 16 wonderful bachelors (list and descriptions under the cut) against each other, for a chance to win the most coveted prize possible: a date with Louis Tomlinson! (not really, we wish...) 

Vote for your faves by using the link above, but be quick! Each round is only open for a limited time. 

Round 1: open until 5 Dec. Midnight ET

Round 2: open until 7 Dec. Midnight ET

Round 3: open until Dec. Midnight ET

Round 4: open until 11 Dec. Midnight ET

After each round, we’ll announce which candidates have advanced to the next round. And, finally, we’ll crown the winner the day of the livestream! 

On the website, you can click on eaach picture to enlarge and have a better look.

Oli Wright: Louis’ bestie since childhood, Mr. Ginger is never more than an elbow-length away. Chiquitita, tell us your secret, BFF doesn’t really stand for what we think, does it?

VS

Steve Aoki: DJ, musician, and entrepreneur. He called Louis’ fans an army of bees, but this long-haired, smooth talking DJ has the whole fandom buzzing. What happened in that private plane, Stevo?

Liam Payne: if six packs could kill, Payno is armed and dangerous. Louis has already checked him out front and back and sideways, and as much as he takes the piss, Louis would never say no to a Lilo cuddle.

VS

Zayn Malik: the one who got away, the long-lashed shy beauty, the prettiest one who was secretly in love with the jock, all those lighthearted “Love you, Boo”s actually translate to, “I love you, Lou.” A soulmate’s connection is never broken. You know what to do

Jurgen Klopp: this Premiere League super manager is described as advocating “heavy metal” football, but the only music he’ll be making is in the studio with our fav five-a-side tenor. We know who really got Louis into Borussia Dortmund— a silver fox whose name rhymes with “Hot Pop.”

VS

Greg James:  this dreamboat is now five mornings a week at Radio One, which means 20% more chances for him to flutter eyelashes across the switchboard to try to get Louis to say Big B* C* — oh dear. Louis does lose his powers of concentration around this flaxen-haired cutie.

Marcus Rashford: 22 and fit, a professional football player, and dedicated to ending child food poverty in the UK. Artificial intelligence couldn’t really design a better boyfriend for Louis, could it? 

VS

David Allen: having grown up with Louis, David shared a beef with the geography teacher, but what a hunk of beef he is now! What was in the Donny waters the year they were born? Whatever it was, we want some.

Tom Holland: this 24-year-old hunk stars in Spider-Man Homecoming and kills lip-syncing to Rihanna. His fav 1D man is ... Louis naturally, like everyone with taste. A superhero and a dancer, who could say no?

VS

Jack Saunders: usually it’s dry as dead leaves, but did we detect a bit of man-on-man flirting at BBC Radio when Jack talked indie artists with Louis? There was lyric appreciation, there was music history, there was a bit of The Strokes vs. The Killers drama, everything a friends-to-lovers epic should be.

Chad Michael Murray: the OG I-watch-your-show-religiously-because-of-YOU crush, the one that made Louis speechless, the one he wore his coolest outfit to meet, real cas-like, no big, just the only one from One Tree Hill whom Louis fucking adored, the one to speed up his pulse and ask for a selfie with. THAT Chad.

VS

Michael Blackwell: who’s tall, dark, handsome, can absolutely shred on a guitar, shy around Louis, and drinks responsibly on New Year’s Eve? Shut up, it’s this smoldering hunk of British pineapple with a sweet juicy core. Cut us a slice, mister!

Jojo Wright: much more than a shoulder for a poop tattoo, Jojo makes Louis laugh so hard that no sound comes out. He would scoot Louis up to the main iHeart stage all day, and then bundle Louis into his heart.

VS

Hot Friend Luke: admit it, you’ve thought about Louke, you’re thinking about Louke right now. Stop thinking those thoughts and vote your conscience! Who makes Louis lose his train of thought, who holds him, who goes to rallies and festivals with him, who gives him a giggle like that. Vote Louke.

Sam Fender: Will they talk? If these two date, no one will ever understand a conversation again. At any rate, it’s a moot point, as bystanders will be mesmerized by their dueling cheekbones.

VS

Sam Claflin: not so fast, this 34-year-old British dreamboat first laid eyes on his fav 1D dude Louis Tomlinson in 2014. Both of them have matured since then. Maybe their twinkling eyes and dueling jawlines are a match made in heaven.

[sushiburritonoms]

@ofcoming4th requested from the AU fic list:

43: falling in love with their best friend’s partner au

There's many characters I can see cheating, but Din and Luke aren't two of them. So have soft pining and breakups instead.

They could all hear Bo screaming at the top of her lungs at Din in the parking lot next to the bar, even over the obnoxiously loud bar music.  Thankfully it was loud enough so he didn’t hear the exact words, but the rage and shrill peaks of their argument still made their way over to Luke. He slumped further into his seat, cradling his right stump close to his chest, and did his best to pretend he heard nothing.

Wedge made no such effort. His boyfriend was leaning towards the slightly open window with Boba.  “It’s the kid argument again,” Wedge said with a shake of his head.  “Damn, Din, you gotta let that go.”

“He needs to dump the bitch,” Boba growled. “I’m sick of him putting up with this shit.”

“Agreed,” Cara said from her seat across from Luke.  “It’s fine if Bo-Katan wants that child-free life, but don’t keep Mando from it if that’s what he wants.”

Fennec took another sip of beer. “How did this even come up? I thought we all agreed not to talk about crotch droppings and other domestic shit.” She had arrived late, just in time to see Bo-Katan drag Din out by his leather jacket.

“Crotch droppings,” Cara snorted. “Ha--good one.”

Boba pointed a finger at Luke. “Fucking Skywalker’s fault.”

Luke sighed. “All I said was that I was watching Ben this weekend.” He slumped further into his seat when he saw Wedge twitch at the mention of his nephew.

Ok, maybe it was his fault. Children were a sensitive topic for both Bo-Katan and Wedge and he’d already had a massive row with his boyfriend earlier about his agreement to watch Ben for the weekend. Luke knew better. But when Din had asked what his plans were he’d just let the words slip out of him. Truth was, he liked having Ben around. He couldn’t help it if Wedge was uninterested in playing Uncle to an (admittedly difficult) child.

More than that, it wasn’t fair to Luke. Leia and Han deserved a break from being parents once and a while and there was no one else his sister could turn to besides him and Chewie. Chewie was in Oaxaca for the month visiting his family, so that left Luke. He’d already arranged it so he would watch Ben at Han and Leia’s house, leaving Wedge alone in their apartment for the weekend. What more did his boyfriend want from him?

There was more shouting outside--this time it was Din’s voice.  It must have been a bad one if Din was raising his voice enough for them to hear it.

“This is why I keep my gay ass out of the whole family conversation,” Cara sighed. “Kids are more trouble than they’re worth.”

“Kids are fine. Dealing with parents is the real nightmare,” Boba said, surprising them all with the seriousness in his voice.

“Kids are expensive, loud, needy, and too much work,” Wedge countered. He wasn’t looking at Luke but he felt tense all the same.  “I can reason with adults more than I can with kids.”

“HA! You’re telling me you’d rather put up with Solo than his kid?” laughed Boba. “I’ll take Solo Jr any day.”

“I happen to like Han,” Wedge grumbled.

‘He really doesn’t’, Luke thought sadly.  Han and Wedge were barely cordial these days. Maybe once, back when Luke and Wedge were still flying together in the same squadron, but now that Luke was out of the Air Force and living as a civilian things were strained between his family and Wedge.

Basically, everything about Luke’s life was wrong since his accident. Losing his hand turned out to be the easiest thing to adapt to because he’d had lots of physical support from his medical team, his liaison with the VA, and his family. Sure, his prosthetic wasn’t great, but he’d adapt, and now that he was out of the Force he could smoke his pain away. Nobody expected him to get a job right now and the inheritance from his mother was more than enough to scrape by.

What he hadn’t adapted to was the new strain in his relationship with his boyfriend. Wedge was still enlisted and could be redeployed at a moment’s notice.  Their apartment on base meant that Luke was constantly surrounded by the life he’d been abruptly ripped from and it hurt to see men and women walk by in blues or to hear the screech of fighter jets constantly overhead.  He felt like a damn military spouse, buying food at the commissary every Friday and getting sucked into random conversations about the rising price of beef.  He knew that Wedge desperately wanted Luke to reconsider the Force’s offer to transfer him to the USAF Test Pilot School down at Edwards, but he had no interest in retraining for aerospace.  He wasn’t smart enough for NASA or SpaceX either.

He wasn’t a hotshot anymore. Why was he still living like a parody of one?

Luke came back to himself when he felt Wedge squirm beside them. “I think they’re done,” he said quietly.  Luke listened and sure enough, he heard nothing but country music belting from the bar’s stereos.

“Do you think he’s coming back?” asked Cara.

“The bitch better not,” Boba hissed.

“Maybe someone should go check to see if they’re gone?” Fennec suggested.  “Otherwise we’re paying for their tab.” The table groaned.

“I’ll go,” Luke said as he stumbled to his feet.  It was his fault Din was in this situation, to begin with. He looked to see if Wedge was going to argue but the other man was already focused on trying to badger someone to play darts with him.

That used to be their thing before Luke lost his throwing hand.

Fuck, his life was pathetic.

He marched out of the bar, dragging his jacket behind him. The cold autumn air hit him like a slap to the face as he stepped outside.  The sun was gone and the only lights around were the bar and one sad streetlight several feet away from him. Luke squinted as his eyes adjusted to the darkness and he looked around for a familiar black leather jacket or blue dress. “Din? Bo?”

A flicker of light appeared at the edge of his vision and Luke turned to see Din lighting up a cig while leaning against the wall of the bar.  “She’s gone.”  There was no emotion, no heat, behind his words.  The only thing illuminating Din was his lighter and it cast shadows that distorted his face, hiding his facial features like a mask. It was hard to see if he was truly upset by Bo-Katan’s absence or not.

“I’m so sorry. I knew better than to bring Ben up--”

“You did nothing wrong.” Din took a deep drag.  “Don’t apologize.”  Din leaned his head back and Luke could hear the soft thump as he hit the brick wall.  “You wanna…” Din held up his cigarette carton and let his words trail off.

“Sure.”  Luke struggled to pull on his jacket one-handed but Din waited patiently until he was covered. He let Luke pull out a cigarette before he put the carton back into his pocket and pulled out his silver zippo so he could light it for him.

Luke promised Leia he’d try to cut back, but every time he went out to a bar the cravings hit him like a tidal wave.   There was something about being in a dark loud bar with friends that made him crazy for the first rush of nicotine in his system. As he took a long drag he almost moaned at the sensation of smoke curling up deep inside of him. It seeped out of his nose and dragged with it the minor aches and pains that he constantly lived with. That was probably why Din kept it up too.  You could watch a tiny bit of your life pull away from you and curl up into the evening air.

They were silent for a good long while, just taking turns blowing smoke and listening to the raunchy laughter of the servicemen and women inside.  If not for the ever-present awareness Luke had of his missing hand he could almost pretend this was a year ago, before his crash, when Din and Bo-Katan were having a good patch and contemplating marriage.  When Wedge still looked at Luke like he wanted him and when he could just fly away from all his problems. Just him and the endless sky.

“She’s really gone,” Din said finally, breaking the silence and Luke’s self-pity.  He flicked away the butt of his cig and turned to look at Luke.  “It’s over.”

Fuck.  Luke took one last greedy hit before he stomped the rest out with his shoe. “I’m so, so, sorry.”

“I’m not.”  Luke could see Din’s eyes tracking him in the darkness, carefully watching his reaction.  “We should have ended it a long time ago. I knew she was never going to change her mind about getting married and starting a family. That’s just not Kryze.”

Luke couldn’t imagine Bo-Katan as a mother either. He’d never wanted to frankly, and had never seen what Din saw in her. It wasn’t just because he was gay either. “She didn’t deserve you anyway.” On this, the entire friend group was in agreement. Din had lousy taste in women and men.

“Cliché, Skywalker,” Din teased him.  “Are you gonna offer me some wine and chocolate next?”

“Nothing wrong with drinking wine,” Luke shot back.  He had a bottle back ...home.

Home with Wedge.  Luke’s face fell as soon as the thought crossed his mind.

“Hey.” Din nudged Luke with his shoulder. “You ok?”

“That’s supposed to be my line.”

Din shook his head. “You look like shit.”

“Thanks.”

“Is therapy going ok?” Din looked concerned now and Luke was overcome with a wave of affection. Here was Din, freshly dumped by his long-time girlfriend, and yet he was worried about him.

“It’s going.” Luke waved his stump for emphasis. “Still waiting for my cosmetic hand.  You know how the VA is.” Incompetent and full of red tape.

“It’s been six months,” Din said with a frown.

Luke shrugged.

“Can’t Wedge pull some strings for you?”

“He’s a Captain, not a miracle worker.” Plus that would require Luke and Wedge to actually talk about his missing hand instead of dancing around it.

“You’re not talking to him again, are you?” Din’s fingers twitched and he knew that the other man was longing for another cigarette.  But they were both trying--and failing--to quit so he probably would stand in pain until the craving completely overwhelmed him...five minutes from now.

Luke sighed. He knew Din would see right through his answer. They’d known each other for years now since Luke first hooked up with Wedge after Iraq. Din had been one of the few friends that bothered to visit Luke in the hospital right after his crash.  He’d come as often as his duties would allow, bringing him magazines, snacks, and plenty of base gossip. He’s been Luke’s lifesaver and after he was finally discharged he found himself dragged into Din’s orbit more frequently, standing next to him as they held up the walls of every bar in town with a cloud of smoke. Din knew the basic details of his deteriorating relationship with Wedge; more than anyone else except maybe his sister.

“There’s nothing left to say,” Luke finally admitted.  Nothing that they hadn’t already dissected, fought, and screamed over.

“Luke.” He felt Din’s hand on his shoulder and he looked up into sympathetic brown eyes. “You two either need to get some help or finally end it.” He lessened the harshness of his words by offering another cigarette to him with his other hand.

Leia was going to kill him.

Luke let Din put the cig in his mouth and light it for him.  The intoxication of the smoke and the closeness of his friend made him dizzy and lightheaded. Din reeked of smoke, leather, and stale beer, and yet it was comforting all the same.

“We never talked about any of this,” Luke admitted. “I never thought I’d leave.” Except maybe via a body bag. He knew Wedge felt the same way, as did nearly everyone in Luke’s squadron. That’s why their visits had been short and performative after his accident.  His squadmates pitied and feared him...and he didn’t blame any of them for that.

“Well, I’m done.” Din lit up and turned to blow the smoke away from Luke’s face. “I’m done with all of this shit. I’m discharging and going back to college.”

“Y-you...really?” Luke stuttered. He knew Din’s IRR was almost up but he just assumed he’d re-elist like all of their friends.  “You’re gonna leave Boba and Cara?”

You’re gonna leave me?

“Fett, Dune, and Bo are lifers. I never saw myself extending even this long.  That last fight, it wasn’t just that I wanted a family and Bo-Katan didn’t. She’s committed and this is just a job for me.” The look on Din’s face was peaceful. He met Luke’s confused eyes with calm focus.

“Oh.” Luke didn’t know what else to say. Good on you? Good luck?

Din sighed. “Wedge is one of them.” Din jerked his head towards the wall of the bar. “He’s never gonna leave until they give him the boot. You know that right?”

Luke nodded wordlessly. Until he lost his hand he’d thought he was one of them too.

“Look, I’m not gonna tell you how to live your life. Just do me a favor.  You listening?” Din paused until Luke squirmed uncomfortably and nodded. “Try to put yourself first for once in your life. You deserve more than this too.”

Then Din stepped away. He threw the end of his cig on the floor and stomped it out.  “I’m gonna head out. You can tell the others everything, I’m sure they’ll all be thrilled.”

Luke shook his head to try to find his voice again. “Hell no, I’m not telling them you’re leaving!” Fuck that was going to be a disaster conversation.

Din laughed. “Ok fair enough. Just tell them about Bo. Cara will owe Boba $50 so she might as well get paid now before the idiot spends it all on booze.” Then without waiting for Luke to reply, Din started to walk towards his bike with his hands in his pockets.

Luke watched as Din walked away, with his head held up high. He looked lighter already. Letting go of Bo-Katan must have settled the anguish that had permeated his entire being for months now. It was strange, Luke had grown used to seeing Din with slumped shoulders and downturned lips. Whenever he had visited him at the VA, he’d always looked so beaten.  But now, he was walking away like a new man.

More than that, he looked like the old Din again. The one Luke had once found very attractive before he’d gotten too involved with Wedge to notice other people around him.  It was like watching someone reappear in his scope of vision while he was in the cockpit of his fighter, or like watching a bird reappear from the clouds.

“Din!” Luke shouted.  He watched as the other man turned back. He meant to say something appreciative, a thank you for the smokes and the advice. Instead what slipped out of his lips was, “I’m taking Ben to the zoo this weekend! Do you want to come?”

He didn’t know what exactly possessed him to say that, but it was worth it to see Din’s face break out into a real honest-to-god smile. “Yeah, sure. Text me!”

He watched Din until the man disappeared with a loud roar of his Harley, until his cigarette was ashes in his fingers and he felt his own smile finally fade away.

---

Previous responses

28. Knocking on the wrong door (Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan)

38.cop/person getting a speeding ticket au (Din/Luke)

30: tourist/knowledgeable local au (Din/Luke)

19. parents meeting when they take their kids to class au (Din/Luke)

15: meeting in the E.R/A&E au (Din/Luke/Boba)

40: Soul destroying exes meeting again after not speaking for years au (Din/Luke)

25: Library/Avid Reader AU Part I (Din/Luke)

Library AU part II (Din/Luke, Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon)

[sambergscott]

need to scream abt lights out so here’s all the moments from the ep that make me go !!!!!

(it’s definitely my new all-time favourite episode, everyone say thank u mr dan goor and mr luke del tredici) (also in the future pls trust them more pls and thank u)

• everyone clapping amy in the briefing room (a Mood)

• jake helping amy stand!!!! kind of wish we’d heard him say “m’lady” but still one of the cutest things i’ve ever seen

• that shot of brooklyn with all the lights off. bravo dan goor, bravo 👏🏻

• hitchcock and scully RUNNING to save the food from the fridge. have we ever seen them run before???

• the holt flashback!!!!! that kids delivery of “oh my” was [chefs kiss]

• ROSA MAKING THE SIGN OF THE CROSS WHEN SHE HAD TO GO PHONE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT

• jake being proud & turned on at amy taking charge of the precinct. speaks for itself

• the sniffing!!!! and the throwback to manhunter when jake was trying to listen and charles wouldn’t shut up

• “this man..... this man is my best friend” shdkddkfjdfk ADORABLE

• amy being the most badass sergeant i’ve ever seen

• “amy you need to get the fuck out of here” (luke del tredici 🤝 bleeps 🤝 my favourite things ever)

• jake knowing so much about the mucus plug. with his character they could have so easily gone down the “ew yucky” route and i am so so so glad they didn’t

• also the fact that it’s the woman grossed out by labour and not the man???? Very Progressive

• charles, i too feel my purpose in life is to see jake and amy’s baby be born

• “my friends call my dotty..... although these days there are fewer and fewer of them”

• “don’t worry the fire department is on the job” / “you hear that jeffords? WE’RE GONNA DIE IN HERE” (again, i love the nypd/fdny beef always)

• jake still being a good cop and wanting to help everyone even though amy’s water broke

• “DOTTY NO WE’RE NOT GONNA SHOOT HIM” k i l l e d me

• amy’s contractions

• the sleuth sisters 💕💘💖💗💓💞💝

• THE REVEAL ABOUT THE BANK ROBBERY WAS SO GOOD I GASPED

• luis’ eyebrows. ‘nuff said

• page 53 shdjdjdkdfj (luke really loves his bleeps and blurs huh)

• holt learning the dance. andre braugher is a comedic genius

• just remembered amy is wearing her badge john mcclane stylez and i love her for it

• kayla saying none of them are cute with the lights fully on???? hello???? you’re sat next to Detective Jacob Peralta, lady

• jake’s excited little “HEY” and jump when he finally gets to talk to amy

• “tell her that i love her” 🥺🥺🥺

• AMY SWEARING AT HITCHCOCK (the best use of bleep ever..... dare i say funnier than this b needs a c in her a?)

• but then hitchcock and scully setting her up a birth suite is actually so sweet, i love everyone loving amy santiago

• andy’s delivery of “i’m gonna miss the birth of my son”...... god

• peanut butter being the hero we all deserve ✊🏻

• i really thought that holt and terry were just gonna steal her drugs from evidence but the fact that all 3 plots were connected???? Beautiful

• the push it dance. where 🗣 is 🗣 andre 🗣 braugher’s 🗣 emmy 🗣

• (i’m trying to fight my glee ptsd in this scene but i truly Love that they all came together to help amy)

• the parallel between amy’s contractions and jake on the horse!!!!! soulmates!!!!!

• amy being upset that jake’s not there and then him arriving RIGHT ON TIME

• (soulmates)

• amy’s face when she sees him. literal heart eyes

• “babe we’re on page 53!!!!!” 🥺

• “i rode a horse” shskdjdkdjdfkfj

• mac’s cry during the exterior shot of the hospital. Iconic. so wise. so hilarious. best line in the entire 7 seas.

• “we did it ames, we made the world’s hottest baby” is such a classic jake line but also grown up and sweet??? this is where my breakdown really begins

• he made her laugh!!!!! we’ve come full circle!!!!

• THE FOOT WIGGLE

• god just the way andy and melissa hold him and look at him in this scene feels so perfect and real and they’re already the greatest tv parents of all time

• “a firefighter touched our child” / [amy’s horrified look] “WE WASHED HIM OFF” Sent me ✈️

• amy reassuring jake that they can do this and telling their son about him stopping a bank robbery as part of his birth story and being so proud of each other....... truly everything i’ve ever wanted (and a flawless throwback to another flawless luke del tredici episode casecation)

• amy leaning into jake’s shoulder as she looks at her boys. Bye

• that i love you is the softest thing ever and my new favourite one. the way they look at each other is unparalleled

• that shot of the 3 of them looking at boyle..... Wow.

• (THERE ARE 3 OF THEM NOW!!!!!!)

• also his eyes and cheeks. cutest. baby. ever.

• i love the name mac and that they named him after john mcclane i don’t care what any of you losers think

• that excited hand thing (uncle) charles does. same.

• JAKE’S SMILE WHEN THE SQUAD WALKS IN AND HE SHOWS MAC OFF. THE PROUDEST DAD EVER.

• and holt’s smile!!!! the proudest grandpa!!!!

• jake and mac Looking Right At Each Other 👁👁 (ive been staring at this moment all day, god they’re really gonna be best friends aren’t they)

• AUNTIE RORO AND CHARLES STORMING OFF JFDSHKHFDHJGDHHF

• “i’m holding my son and there’s nothing in the world more important than that” is my favourite jake line ever, he’s so happy and in love 🥰🥰🥰

• but then the way he just shoves mac in amy’s arms and wants to watch the push it video snsndkfjdkdfkfkfhdsk

AND FINALLY, REMEMBER EVERYONE: WASH YOUR HANDS 🧼

[ant0on]

It’s been almost a year from the drama. What are your thoughts on all the principal actors? How have you been holding up?

I didnt realize until months later after the drama has ended that its extremely exhausting and energy draining to be part of it. People keep spamming the comment sections of my posts with the stuff I didnt even do to this very day (not much on youtube anymore, but on other sites where I post) and theres a whole antifa subreddit which creates fiction about me on a regular basis. But I am quite glad that all my detractors got whet they deserved from other factors. 

 Prison Mate Luke was the first elimination, as he burned himself with so much lies and BS that even his friends had to put him down (just stop especially). He became a decently sized channel in less than a year thanks to drama, and drama is what destroyed him in the end.

 Creepshow Art was the second big self-destruct. She had built this SJW queen persona over the years, and then it turned out she was only playing a role. Deep down she is a maniac, crazy obsessed witch controlled by her sick husband. That woman she harassed  for years put the last nail in the coffin of Shannon.

Hopeless PEaches was a low level detractor as she did only one video on me, but soon after her long and confusing drama has finished and she regained her lost subs, she decided to quit Youtube. Who knows for how long or if its for good, but either way she shouldnt play with fire if she cant handle the heat of online drama. She is the only person I feel that can learn from her mistakes in this list.

HarleyTBS was recently been exposed for contant manipulation and lying, as he used so much clickbait to get views he even fabricated the whole groomer story to get clout. He recently admited to it, but because hes a small channel nobody will really cover this. He also had some beef with Sen, and so he ended up apologizing to Sen for being a cunt. Harley is a dirty rat, and an ugly teenager, but maybe there is still hope for him when he learns what the real world is like outside his bubble He still thinks spanking a child is porn....

Just Stop. Nothing much to say, he gave up doing commentary on drama shortly after the Creepshow debacle, as he realized that he can get the same treatment as Shannon did one day for all the fucked up shit he got away with so far. He is a minor (almost 18) so nobody wants to touch him in fear that they would get called a bully. But I dont think he will remember these teenage years he wasted on shitty drama videos to be worth it when he grows up. He already posts regularly how he suffers from anxiety, depression etc. This is only a start of a typical cartoon/anime reviewer. 

Daft Pina is the only one who is a stubborn enough pimple that wont be completely squeezed just yet. This year he did have a mixed bag of videos, some were successful on youtube in terms of views, but twitter saw most of them as sign that he is next in line to get the cancel treatment. Im still surprised the Discord Incel video got so much views and likes despite being completely wrong in every single way lol . AetherionArt can say his slurs as much as he wants, he black, gay and whatever else. But calling him an incel is pretty dumb, yet Dafts fans eat it all up. Not to mention Daft made that 1 year old drama trip to JohnBob, who for some reason had to be brought up together with his victims because Daft Pina wanted views. It was the most pointless video Ive seen. But now that he tried to dox someone for another dumb reason, Twitter is finally grabbing the pitchforks, so I think Daft wlll have a rough time moving forward as he has gained so much hate recently. I and my buddy are making a little something for Daft btw :P hope he likes it.

Puppychans Kiwifarms thread has been getting so big Im surrpised nobody is making videos on her, but I guess everyone is scared to call out a fake trans, black, non-binary, lesbian, fetish furry artist. I found it funny someone posted her tweets about how she was a victim of the evil alt right antoons lol And then a few weeks later she says how strong she was and that nothing can stop her, but then suicide baits her young fans the next day.

I myself am glad I dont have twitter anymore and I dont post on pretty much anything right now outside discord and here (only qna). I learned how much energy went to the drama and that while it was amusing af to troll these losers and play a part in the theatre with them I dont want to be in something like this again, at least for now. I was becoming more anxious and stressed, I thought some of the posts saying how someone wants to kill me were true. At first I was fine with the risk , but as I moved away from the drama the thoughts return as soon as I see some of the hater comments now and then. 

Still, I want to complete that Drama part II video one day, to let everyone know the full story but I just feel weaker rn than I was, but thats from overwork, I havent had a day off for over a month. I work on weekends too. 

[thunder-the-ranger-wolf]

Half siblings trope

Fellow Tumblrites, feel free to back me up or prove me wrong but I've got a bone to pick with whoever comes up with the plots involving half-siblings. I'm going to use two mediums as examples of my beef, and those are the Warriors series, which I post quite a bit about, and the Luke Cage series on Netflix.

Alright here we go:

Why, for the love of God, does the antagonist reveal that they are related to the protagonist in some way and are pissed off that the protagonist got better treatment?!

If they lived in the same house or grew up knowing that they were actually blood relatives, or that there was a disconnect between how one was treated over the other, I would understand being upset. But sit down and talk about it. Don't try to kill your relative when they don't know jack shit!

Exhibit A: Luke Cage and Diamondback grew up together and were as close as brothers but Luke got something of a better lot in life (somehow, I have no idea what that logic is because his life is a bit of a shitshow) Luke thinks that Diamondback is getting revenge for how they fell apart but it's revealed that Diamondback is actually his (Luke's) father's child.

Back the fuck up: Luke thinks you're crazy and you drop this on him? Something you knew but he didn't and you're trying to kill him for?

DID YOU EVEN ATTEMPT TO TALK TO ANYONE ABOUT THIS YOU DUMBASS?! DID IT CROSS YOUR MIND THAT NOBODY BUT YOUR FATHER KNEW?! WHAT THE EVERLOVING FUCK?!

If one of my (many, for God's sake will my father ever fuckin stop?!) half siblings came up and punched me in the face because apparently I had a better life than him or her then I would be like

"first of all, back the fuck up who are you? No seriously my dad's got more than ten kids there's every chance that I didn't know you existed until literally just now. Oh, okay, so I do know you. Dad was in your life for a bit but then he dipped out? That's kinda his thing, buddy. Why don't we get some coffee and talk about cuz I got issues of my own. You definitely aren't the only one."

And things would happen from there. But I have been longing to reach my half siblings ever since I knew Dad had other kids. I've met, like, four out of the lot in person and then talked to one on the phone so that could be half or I could be less than that. Seriously, I am okd enough to be having and theoretically be responsible for my own children. He told me about a newborn last year. God, I need to get over this.)

But that's case one, and not everyone is at that level.

Exhibit B: Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost. Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost are two characters of the cat series Warriors who share an evil father. They start out overjoyed to meet each other but Hawkfrost is misguided in his attempts to impress a father he never really knew and eventually turned on Brambleclaw.

This could theoretically happen (to me or anyone) in real life, although the evil thing is relative. I could come across one of my younger half siblings who is trying to impress my father but doing it all wrong. I could try reaching out to any of my siblings and they could reject me because "who the fuck are you?"

The one I'm most pissed about is Exhibit C: Breezepelt. This is a character from a different generation in the previous series, Warriors, and his dad got around. He was the only legit kid though. So it was all one big secret that everyone grew up not knowing until it was revealed in their adult lives. Breezepelt goes on to join an evil cult and make his half-siblings' lives miserable because "my father never loved me, he always longed for your mother and you shouldn't even exist!"

Okay... fuck you, Breezepelt. You can't just kill people because you're pissed off that your dad stuck his dick where it didn't belong. That's not anyone's fault but the dad's (who is an asshole but that's another story.) YOU DO NOT GET TO HURT PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU ARE UPSET THAT YOUR FATHEE HAD OTHER CHILDREN BESIDES YOU! It's supposed to be rare in their world but fuck that, they're dumb as hell. Anyway, he tried to kill both brothers multiple times. That's all I've got to say on that.

So. Half siblings are a touchy thing and here's three ways to FUCKIN NOT HANDLE THE NEWS that you have half siblings. Seriously, don't do these. And I hate this trope because it's just got no purpose. It's all miscommunication and that's the worst fucking part! If everyone knew their family history there would be a very different story or likely no conflict at all!

So there's my rant. Thanks for listening.

[lizabethstucker]

Some of the Best from Tor.com 2019 Edition

This was a free collection on Amazon at the time that I stumbled across it while browsing science fiction selections.  While I’ve always liked both Tor and Baen publications, I was amazed by how very much I enjoyed almost every short story and novella in this collection. Such high quality, and some authors that have been added to my TBR list.  4.5 out of 5.

CURRENTLY FREE ON AMAZON AS OF THE DATE OF THIS POSTING!

“Deriving Life” by Elizabeth Bear

Marq Tames is contemplating suicide or becoming a Host, unable to cope with being alone again after their spouse dies.  Tenants bring many benefits, including being pain-free, living a bit longer, making better decisions for themselves.  Unfortunately the Tenants ultimately consume their Hosts.  Unlike most potential Hosts, Marq is healthy.  Wow.  A really detailed look at grief, cancer, loneliness, and the choices we might make for happiness.  Intense.  Could be triggering for some who are themselves dealing with grief.  4.5 out of 5.

“For He Can Creep” by Siobhan Carroll

The Great Jeoffry the Cat helps keep the demons away from the humans in the madhouse.  His favorite is the Poet who is trying to finish the most important Poem for God.  If only his creditors would leave him alone, stop pushing for the satiric content he once wrote.  Then Satan himself comes to speak with Jeoffry.  Satan deems the Poem to be out of favor style-wise, and not very good.  He wishes to have the Poet write him a poem, one that will drive religion out of the minds of the masses.  To do that, he needs to speak with the Poet without Jeoffry’s interference.  It is, as they say, a devil’s bargain.  Jeoffry may, for the first time since kittenhood, lose.  He must consider and consult.  The fact that this is based on a real poem written by Christopher Smart, who was incarcerated in St. Luke’s Hospital for Lunatics, circa 1763, adds an extra layer of interest and curiosity to the story.  Needless to say, I spent the evening researching the poet online.  3.5 out of 5.

“Beyond the El” by John Chu

Connor struggles to recreate his late mother's dumplings, never quite reaching that bit of perfection. He really doesn't need the stress of his cold abusive sister back in his life.  Although maybe he does.  Very low key.  The relationship between Nick and Connor was more interesting to me.  As to the use of magic to prepare foods, was it really necessary?  3 out of 5.

“Zeitgeber” by Greg Egan

Sam is searching for why his daughter Emma's sleep patterns are suddenly and radically off phase.  It isn't long until this issue with sleep cycles begin spreading throughout the world.  At first it was just puzzling and annoying.  Now there are more and more accidents and deaths.  Life moves on, people adjusting as best it can, with cures both fake and possible appearing.  

Truly fantastic tale.  Scary as well, especially considering how we are waiting for a cure for COVID-19 with trepidation and distrust of the very organizations, such as the CDC and FDA, that are supposed to protect us.  Add on top the discussion of just how much conformity society demands of us.  4 out of 5.

“One/Zero” by Kathleen Ann Gorrnan

The war made its way to Vida Zilan's home in Kurdistan, ending with her parents, aunt, and grandmother dead.  Now Vida is on the run with her three year old brother, traveling with other terrified and displaced children.  Mai Davidson has retired in Washington D.C. after years of helping with various issues through the agency she had given her life to, until her husband died and she began to look for something different.  Her life is becoming increasingly regulated as the AIs begin taking control of medicine and senior care and transportation, among other things.  Or are the SIs, the rumored super intelligent computers now moving out into the world?  Be careful what you wish for has always been what is said in regards to those who can grant wishes.  Perhaps with the right teachers, the right guides, the SIs can help fix the world for the children, with the assistance of the children.  If only, if only.  Magnificent look at how Hal might not be the villain of the piece.  After all, he just wanted to save both himself and his astronaut charges.  4.5 out of 5. 

“Skinner Box” by Carole Johnstone

A trip to Jupiter and back, scientists caught up in their personal cycle of pain and hatred, an engineer who brings some comfort and support.  And a Skinner box filled with nanites.  There are layers upon layers upon layers in this intense story of experimentation and conditioning, the cost of freedom and, ultimately, love.  In essence, there are three reveals.  The first was expected almost from the start.  The second was almost suspected after we met Boris.  But it was the third that, for me, saved the story from the coldness.  3.5 out of 5.

“The Song” by Erinn L. Kemper

The world is moving from beef to whale meat, expensive as it is, taking abandoned oil rigs and converting them to whale meat processing centers.  As the ecowarriors grow increasingly violent, killing those involved in killing the whales, the people on SeaRanch 18 are stranded without relief personnel.  One of the last new scientists to arrive is Suzanne who is staying the changes in communication patterns among the whales.  She tells Dan, a deep sea diver and welder, of attacks by the whales, how humpbacks and blues were congregating for the first time ever seen and apparently communicating.  Whales and dolphins are so very intelligent, yet humans think they can do whatever they want to them.  I don’t understand.  Needless to say, I was primed for this story.  I thought I was prepared, even hopeful.  But the ending was beyond tragic.  4 out of 5.

“Articulated Restraint” by Mary Robinette Kowal

(Lady Astronaut 1.5)  After an accident leads to a lunar rocket slammed into a space station and the airlock jammed, the moon’s astronauts must figure out how to rescue them before their air runs out.  First, they’ll need a plan of action and see if the plan can work on their mockup rocket.  They need a way to get them more oxygen and a way to get a life raft to the vehicle.  Complicating procedures is Ruby’s nasty ankle sprain, especially after she needs the foot restraint which requires her to twist her feet to get into position.  Something snaps, but she perseveres, unwilling to let her injury prevent the rescue of her friends.  In some ways this reminds me of old time science fiction, a neat adventure with threads of backstories I want to know more about, such as the Meteor and what’s going on back on Earth.  Luckily I discovered that this is part of a series, so there is a possibility of learning more.  Although I have a few other of Kowal’s works in my TBR pile (freebies back in the day), I hadn’t as yet read any of her works.  Definitely want to read more based on what I found here.  4.5 out of 5. 

“Painless” by Rich Larson

Mars is a child when he is first found by the men who have been searching for someone like him, a genetic mutation who cannot feel pain.  There’s an organism put inside his body, that can make him stronger and able to repair himself, even grow body parts back.  He is trained to be a soldier, a mercenary, a killer.  He yearns for freedom and someone to be his friend and family.  The story jumps a bit from present to past and back again. It took me a while to get into the author’s rhythm, but once I did it was well worth it.  I can see so many countries and organizations who would kill to have someone like Mars under their control.  Good read.  3.5 out of 5.

“Seonag and the Seawolves” by M. Evan MacGriogair

Seonag was considered strange almost from the moment she was born, but she still loved her homeland.  So much so that she hides when her parents make plans to sail to Canada, unable to afford the croft rent.  Once they leave her behind, Seonag goes to the town bard for help and advice.  She is told about the wolves that were driven out of Ireland.  He tells her to swim west until she can hear the wolves.  The advice is cruel, certain suicide.  Knowing all that, Seonag still decides to do so.  An old style story, a myth, a fable, a fairy tale.  A story about those who only want to belong, yet are different enough to be pushed to the sidelines.  Mystical and magical.  4 out of 5.

“Any Way the Wind Blows” by Seanan McGuire

The Cartography Corps explore and map the parallel universes in order to determine if any ever go missing at a future date.  In this Manhattan, they find an intact Flatiron building, but no killer pigeons in this universe, so win-win.  Then a group of locals ask to meet the Captain.  This should be a television series!  I’d watch each and every episode and cackle at the crew’s adventures.  The only thing I was disappointed by was the length.  It was too short.  4.5 out of 5.

“Blue Morphos in the Garden” by Lis Mitchell

Vivian does love Dash and Lily, their daughter, but she continues to refuse to marry him, unable to deal with what his family goes through upon death.  If she officially marries into the family, she will become a Karner in all ways.  When it appears that Viv may be dying, she will need to make a decision sooner than she had hoped.  Stay, but remain a terminal.  Marry and, once she dies, become something else.  Leave, with or without Dash and Lily.  There's a beauty to having one's death transform into something useful or beautiful or both.  Frankly, I don't understand Vivian's concerns about that.  4 out of 5.

“His Footsteps, Through Darkness and Light” by Mimi Mondal

Love comes in many forms, some never spoken out loud.  Binu had found a home and a job with the Majestic Oriental Circus.  He became a trapeze master, soon heading his own team.  He also continued playing Alladin in Shehzad Marid’s illusionist act.  He was happy and content.  Until he helped the wrong person.  There is so much hinted at and more left unsaid.  But it will always be known that Binu was a good man and a loyal friend.  Bittersweet, yet in that time and place, perhaps the happiest ending(?) one could hope for.  4 out of 5.

“Old Media” by Annalee Newitz

John was as free as he had ever been under his latest Master, a lady scientist who provided him franchise papers that granted him full rights within the city before she went into hiding.  Med, a fan of John's journal on Memeland, becomes his friend and roommate.  She is also a robot and professor, as well as the lady scientist's research partner in the project that caused the woman to flee.  John and Med try to navigate the idiosyncrasies of living among humans, both clueless and bigoted.  3.5 out of 5.

“More Real Than Him” by Silvia Park

Morgan Ito is working on her own robot, one that resembles her favorite actor who is currently doing his two years of military service.  This is the first story in the collection that I struggled with.  Frankly, it read like bad fanfiction, and I'm a fanfiction reader and writer.  I didn't like any characters except Stephen, but he was barely in the story.  I finally gave up, not caring what would happen to pretty much anyone.  DNF

“The Hundredth House Had No Walls” by Laurie Penny

The King of the country of Myth and Shadow is incredibly bored after five hundred years on the throne.  He does what any ruler does in his situation, he decides to travel incognito to the imaginary land of New York City.  There he runs into the Princess of Everywhere and Nowhere.  

I had a hard time at first dealing with random phrases, words, and letters made bold.  This was a strange story.  Once I got past the random bolds, I quite liked it.  Feminist overtones with a message about freedom and allowing each individual to write their own story.  3.5 out of 5.

“The Touches” by Brenda Peynado

Life is separated into clean and dirty.  Clean was living virtually, locked into a tiny cubicle from birth, cared for by an assigned robot, and hooked up to an all-encompassing system for hours at a time.  Dirty is the real world, filled with plagues and viruses and what the narrator calls filth.  Things get more complicated as robots glitch, an accident puts the narrator into quarantine, and a phone number leads to something scary.  There's a layer of disconnection due to a lack of physical contact that cannot be fulfilled by robot hugs and virtual touches.  Add to that the narrator's extreme fear of the dirty world.  She actually has counted the number of real physical touches in her life.  Very intense, more so during our current Pandemic and the separation of friends and family.  Also extremely weird.  I don't know what to say about this one, but I suspect it will linger in my memory for quite a while.  3.5 out of 5.

“Knowledgeable Creatures” by Christopher Rowe

Investigative dog Connolly Marsh is hired by human Professor Thomasina Swallow after she kills a coworker who was threatening blackmail.  Things become increasingly screwy.  The body is missing, the learned mouse who is also Sparrow's adopted father believes historical research into the history of knowledgeable creatures and humans shouldn't be forbidden, and Marsh can't make himself leave the case alone.  Huh.  Another strange story with a lot of dangling threads left behind and even more questions.  Yet this isn't a set-up for a longer story or even a series.  It is complete within itself, with a somewhat sad ending for one character.  Intriguing, almost a noir type of story.  Fantasy with just a touch of science fiction.  3 out of 5. 

“Blood is Another Word for Hunger” by Rivers Solomon

Anger boiled in the heart of fifteen year old slave, Sully.  When she heard that her master had been killed during a battle, she drugged all five of his family members, slicing their throats.  Her actions cause a rift in the etherworld, drawing Ziza to her.  Sully is a product of her life, the cruelty of her upbringing.  She may also hark back to a creature from the country of her ancestors.  Sully shouldn’t be a sympathetic character, but she is.  I wanted her to find, if not happiness, at least a form of peach.  And maybe she will with her revenants, especially Ziza.  Be aware that this isn’t an easy read by any means, but I found it surprisingly satisfying.  4.5 out of 5.

“The Last Voyage of Shidbladnir” by Karin Tidbeck

Saga learns the ship she serves on is a living creature who is outgrowing her shell of a high-rise building.  Saga and Novik, the engineer, are determined to save Skidbladnir from being sold for meat.  She needs a new shell, so they'll find her a new shell.  This gripped me the moment I realized Skidbladnir was alive.  I'm a sucker for stories like this.  So enchanting.  I wish it had been longer or had a sequel, but that is just me being greedy and not wanting to leave Saga, Novik, and Skidbladnir behind.  Lovely from start to finish.  4.5 out of 5. 

“Circus Girl, the Hunter, and Mirror Boy” by JY Yang

Lynette first saw Mirror Boy the night she was almost killed after fighting off a rapist when she was barely 16 years old.  After she survived, Lynette found a friend to unload her pain, her disappointments, and her dreams to the boy who appeared in place of her own reflection.  Once she left the circus she had grown up in and worked for, Lynette had never seen him again.  Until now.  The boy is worried that a serial killer is after her.  A perfect story for the month of October, with a wraith, a witch, and a supernatural hunter who made assumptions that led to so many innocent deaths.  An ending that, while I guess it might be coming, was also so satisfying.  4 out of 5

“Water:  A History by K. J. Kabza

The surveyors badly judged how compatible the colony of Isla would be for the humans who left Earth on a one-way trip there.  The colonists adjusted, but being outside too long led to cancer deaths during the early years.  Marie, in her 50s, is now the last person who has direct memories of Earth.  She has been extraordinarily lucky in that her frequent trips outside hadn’t led to an early death.  A younger colonist, born on Isla, longs to go outside as well.  She wants to smell the planet’s dirt and feel the breeze on her face.  Lian finds a friend and support in Marie.  But no one can expect the good times will last forever.  Deeply emotional and tragic, yet somewhat hopeful as well.  Yet the story needed more depth, more content.  Good, but not as good as many of the others in this collection, in my opinion.  3 out of 5.

“As the Last I May Know” by S. L. Huang

Nyma was just ten years old when she was selected to be the Carrier.  In order to impress the consequences of using seres on another country, the Order choses to hide the codes in the body of a child.  To obtain access, the President must personally kill the child Carrier and rip her heart open.  AS the enemy forces draw ever deeper into the country, Nyma waits.  Oh, this one was gut-wrenching.  Seriously gut-wrenching.  And yet, the logic behind the Order's idea was extremely logical.  Force the President to basically live with the child he must kill to get access to the seres that will kill millions, make it real.  And Otto Han is disgusted by the Order, but it is what it is.  Again, the idea makes sense, but that doesn't mean that it isn't horrifying.  Not to mention torturous for the child who must live with the idea that they can be killed at almost anytime in order to kill millions of other people.  4.5 out of 5.    

“The Time Invariance of Snow” by E. Lily Yu

When the Devil's mirror splinters, it enters the hearts and minds of mankind, spreading hate and violence despair and depression.  G and K are in love, but G is wary of the violence of men.  When K makes a comment on how he would kill her, she protests his cruelty.  He leaves.  Despite knowing how the story will end, G goes on a quest to save him from the Snow Queen.  

A subversion of fairy tales and a treatise on both them and the treatment of women.  I have to admit that I was annoyed by the use of footnotes in this fictional short story.  I barely tolerate them in non-fiction books.  That said, as I struggled on, once G and K came onto the scene it became an easier read.  I think I would've enjoyed this more if it had been expanded.  My least favorite in the collection, but still worth reading.  3 out of 5.

[suzusaur]

I'm scheduling this post so it publishes Friday evening, the time is currently 11pm on Thursday, I want to just be able to gather my immediate Last Jedi thoughts:

STAR WARS SPOILERS, LOOK AWAY YOUVE BEEN WARNED

******

-THIS WAS EVERYTHING I COULD HAVE WANTED FOR LEIA, it's so bittersweet but so right -LUKE SKYWALKER IS A PUNK ASS BITCH AND I LOVE HIM -I can't fuckin believe Rey literally just follows him around on the island until he agees to teach her. -I didn't think I could love rey more but HOOO BOY. MY PERFECT ANGEL CHILD!!!! -I LOVE FINN -I LOVE!!!!! ROSE!!!!!!! -I'm too incoherent to talk about Kylo right now but look, they did it, they did it right, and I'm on board with every thing. -there were at least two moments--I can't remember the first but the second was def the mirror scene--where I was like "this is SUCH A RIAN MOVIE" -I cannot fucking believe Kylux is canon, we are so blessed -my biggest beef with this movie is how they handled Phasma, that was some absolute bull. She deserved better than to literally show up only for the fight scene and then get killed (and it think it does a disservice to Finn too!! I wanted more about like...their relationship while he was a stormtrooper). And it feels worse because they kept fucking teasing us with “oh you’re going to find out more about Phasma in the next movie” and then she fucking doesn’t get any screen time at all except to die???? Bull shit. -I'm kind of iffy on Holdo's treatment too but her final scenes with Leia and that FUCKING THING made it up for me? -ROSE GETS TO FLY!!! ROSE FLYS REAL GOOD!!!!!!! -idek what there is to say about Poe but just. Poe, man.

There was so much more, there was so fucking much packed into this movie and I'm going to have to see it again to really sift through everything. But god. God. I'm so happy, they did so good.

[rachelxgreene-blog]

Enlightening Cinema

bound McKennaEnlightening CinemaMetaphysical Articles | February 6, 2005... Cinema By Jed ... me tell you why you're here. You're here because you appreciate ... What you know, you can't explain. But you mood it. You felt it your entire life. in order that there' Enlightening Cinema through Jed McKenna"Let me tell you proof you're here. You're present because you know something. What you know, you can't explain. But you feel it. You caress it your entire life. That there's something bad with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there. Like a splinter in your mind driving you mad." -Morpheus, The Matrix This isn't a movie review table and it's not comprehensive. It's conscientious some synopsis about a few picture I guess are helpful for the purposes of awakening and why, or that are in to and mystery not. by tools of understanding, dreadful is regularly better tan good. primary themes described on this list suggest to be these: - Heresy - Captive/Captor - Teacher/Student - Nature of self/man. - Death/rebirth. Cataclysm/epiphany. - Untrustworthiness of mind/memories. The apart thing I might suggest with heed to feature and album is to raise the material up to the level position it come of value to you. Orwell force have prevail writing an anti-communist manifesto, but canteen Eighty-Four is much further interesting explore as the struggle inserted man and his confinement. Apocalypse forthwith is about something extra than Viet Nam, whence to earn Ahead In Advertising is about being more thaw rampant commercialism, etc.::: african Beauty"I impression like ice been in a slumber for the past tent years. also I'm decent now stirring up." dive included American Beauty above all for what's wrong with it. Lester's major death/rebirth transition pageant promise, but what move he shift to? rearward to teenage crap, not forward in any sense. A fear-based regression. senseless car, stupid drugs, naive vanity, ludicrous skirt chasing. Not at all redeemed when lest sees his own indiscretion near the end or by sappy/smarmy dead dude voice-over. dramaturgic movie is slightly reclaimed by the presence of the quasi-mystical neighbor youth and his video footage of a windblown bag:"That's the sunlight I accomplished that there was this entire life behind things, and this incredibly compassionate force that wanted me to notice there was no reason to be afraid, ever."::: Apocalypse Now"In a warfare there are many point for benevolence and supple action. efficient are countless moments for ruthless action what is often labeled ruthless what may in many precedence be individual clarity, seeing clearly what there is to be done and doing it, directly, quickly, awake, study at it." You'd feel that catastrophe Now Redux, the director's cut, would be the version to watch, but all the stuff that was appropriately cut from the infant has last wrongly replaced. (Raising the interesting mite that head and producer often prohibition understand the higher operation of the stories they're telling.) Stick with the original bygone both Redux and gonads Heart of Darkness.Apocalypse Now is all about the Horror. ah journey of discovery, within the heart of darkness, arriving at this horror. What's the horror? after what precedent do you get there? Why would anyone compose such a journey? consider you compose such a journey? Why or mystery not?Note the powerful epiphanies that drive the film. The head assassin's sign home, ("Sell the house, sell the car, close the kids..."), Dennis Hopper's youthful exuberance, Kurtz's ice bullet, paillards "...I wasn't even in their squad any more." ::: living There"Spring, summer, autumn, winter... then spring again."A lovely film ravaged by a foolish walking-on-water stunt zigzag on to the end. Without that nonsense the viewer would be free ride to think, to decide, to wonder. Instead, the movie zips itself up tight with its astute little dumb-it-down twist. Hit the bar button when Chauncey is straightening the sapling, since the hurtful denouement, and it's a fun, alluring film.::: edge Runner"I've notice things you people wouldn't believe. raid ships on fire finished the take on of Orion. I've patrolled c-beams sheen in the dark near the townhouses Gate. outright those time will be lost in time like tears in rain. turn to die." Were you born quinate minutes ago? Of series not, and you have the remembrance to prove it. You'd know if they were artificial implants, because, uh...::: Cast Away"I couldn't constant kill personally the style I needed to. I had function over nothing."If a fellow screams on a forlorn island and there's no one to hear him, does he make a sound? last it suitable that he hears it himself? What if not? What's sinister when you take away everything?Self undressed bare.This picture raises abounding intriguing query about the substance of self, or lack thereof, and includes a very Zen eulogy.::: Dead dramatist SocietyHeresy.::: haloed and Maude"Vice, virtue. It's best not to be too moral... Aim over morality."American Zen, master and disciple. ::: Harvey"For years I was smart... I recommend pleasant."Elwood P. Dowd, wisefool. ai sweet depiction of a higher system of presence misinterpreted as a subordinate order of being. resolve we appreciate the remarkable Man at we saw him? ::: watch movies for free to Get advanced In Advertising"Everything I do now makes perfect sense."A thwarted bid for freedom. A founder attempt to overthrow Maya. Enjoy the insanity of the epiphany.::: Joe con the Volcano"Nobody knows anything, Joe. wheal take this leap, and we'll see. We'll jump, and will see. tatas life, right?"Death and Rebirth. Unlike American Beauty, this is all about gripping forward, "away from the things of man."::: brother Facing soothes (Hombre Mirando Al Sudeste)Watch especially for the observable poem of a guy crumbling a human scholar into a sink during looking for the soul.::: The Matrix"Like everyone else, you were born within bondage, born inside a prison that you cannot smell, taste, or touch. A dungeon for your mind." palates Cave for the people. As allegorically lucid as Joe across Vocano, Pleasantville and chief Wars.::: monody Python's activity of Brian"No, no! allure is a sign that, like Him, we duty think not of the things of the body, but of the face and head!"Sacred Cow-tipping at its best."Meaning of Life" also exist on this list.::: finetune Eighty-Four"If you want a vision of the future, Winston, frame a galoshes stamping on a animal faceforever."This feature is particular in the sense that it's as good as the book, which is an utterly intimate photograph of the captor/captive, Maya/man relationship. Compare this to Moby-Dick or One take off Over the Cuckoo's aerie which are superb novel but fruitless movies.::: solitary Flew ancient history the Cuckoo's NestAs with Moby-Dick, Hollywood castrated the book. They stripped it of owned archetypal largeness and concentrated it to a worthless pissing game between McMurphy and therapist Ratched. huge entertainment, but for meaningful insight, know the book.::: Pleasantville"There are some community where the road doesn't go in a circle. There are some point where it keeps on going."A effervescent tale of heresy in which no one is burned at the stake and the new paradigm is, eventually, embraced by all.::: affecting Razor's Edge"The dead peek so desperately dead."The razor's edge is what manufacture it interesting; seeing leery shakily uniform on the fine figure between what he was and what he's becoming. He is walking the edge among two lives. The debt Murray form is a bit unfocused... stick with Tyrone potential or scan the book. Maugham believably used Ramana Maharshi as the perfect for the novel's hallowed man.::: celebrated Wars"The effort will be with you, always."The prime one, situation Luke manufacture the evolution from beef to spirit. The hero Journey.::: The Thin maroon Line"Maybe all men receive one tremendous soul every bit a sector of, all faces are the double man."A superb inquiry within the holy nature of man. other a sad/sweet song that a anecdotal film.::: comic Thirteenth Floor"So what're you saying? You're saying that there's one more world on top of this one?"Layer after layer. Turtles on top of turtles. ::: Vanilla Sky/Abre Los Ojos"Open your eyes."If you related Vanilla Sky, check out the original, the Catalan film Abre Los Ojos (Open Your Eyes). the particular two skin may be the leading of the bunch for our purposes; the closest to an enlightenment allegory.Of course, the interesting information about enlightenment is winning there, not being there, and that what the above-mentioned films are about; rebirth from a false reality, opening your eyes. They're not so much backward what's sincere as wits not. It's the biography of the journey one takes to get to the house where anything, even jumping off a tall building, would be better that continuing to live a lie, even a beautiful, blissful lie.Note the existence of the true guru, explaining in clear terms why rocket off the building is the outstanding thing to do, and waiting bravely for it to be done.::: awake Life"They convey that delusion are apart real as long as they last. Couldn't you say the same point about life?"Wide-ranging philosophical inquiry. Provocative. Amusing. Potentially disruptive.::: Wings of Desire"When the child was a child, it was the generation of the particular questions: Why am I me, and why not you? Why am I here, and why not there? albeit did generation begin and where accomplish space end?"A lovely, intelligent, thought-provoking film. Can the awakened life return to the dreamstate? Would he want to?::: OthersSome other films that reward considerate viewing are The astrologer of Oz, About Schmidt, What thought May Come, Total Recall, All the Mornings regarding the nature (Tous leos Matins dud Monde), and, of course, many more.-Jed McKenna ::: About the Author"Jed McKenna is an American original." -Lama Surya DasJed McKenna is the author of "Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damnedest Thing" and "Spiritually Incorrect Enlightenment", issued by Wisefool Press. Coming in 2005: "Spirituality X" and "Jed McKenna's Notebook". Visit WisefoolPress.com to get more.

[erniefowler-blog]

Enlightening Cinema

gallop McKennaEnlightening CinemaMetaphysical Articles | February 6, 2005... Cinema By bound ... me tell you why you're here. You're here being you recognize ... What you know, you can't explain. But you atmosphere it. You felt it your unified life. so there' Enlightening Cinema aside Jed McKenna"Let me confess you cause you're here. You're hither because you know something. What you know, you can't explain. But you feel it. You caress it your entire life. That there's something inaccurate with the world. You don't experience what it is, but it's there. Like a splinter in your talent driving you mad." -Morpheus, The Matrix This isn't a flick review calendar and it's not comprehensive. It's just some report about a few feature I guess are profitable for the purposes of awakening and why, or that ardent and why not. alongside tools of understanding, unacceptable is repeatedly better thaw good. big themes interpreted on this list show to be these: - Heresy - Captive/Captor - Teacher/Student - Nature of self/man. - Death/rebirth. Cataclysm/epiphany. - Untrustworthiness of mind/memories. The apart thing I might advise with stare to cinema and album is to raise the material raise to the level position it incline of cost to you. Orwell potency have do writing an anti-communist manifesto, but Nineteen Eighty-Four is much also interesting explore as the struggle amid man and his confinement. Apocalypse immediately is backward something other than Viet Nam, after what precedent to receive Ahead modern Advertising is about being more that rampant commercialism, etc.::: americas Beauty"I feel like dive been in a stupor for the past tenet years. furthermore I'm equitable now rising up." I've included americas Beauty principally for what is wrong with it. Lester's major death/rebirth transition fair promise, but what accomplish he development to? Backward to teenage crap, not forward in any sense. A fear-based regression. simple car, ludicrous drugs, simple vanity, senseless skirt chasing. Not at all reclaimed when jester sees his own craziness near the end or by sappy/smarmy dead guy voice-over. climactic movie is slightly redeemed by the presence of the quasi-mystical neighbor youth and his video footage of a windblown bag:"That's the bright I completed that there was this entire growth behind things, and this incredibly humane force that wanted me to notice there was no reason to be afraid, ever."::: Apocalypse Now"In a hostility there are many time for sorrow and supple action. There are copious moments for ruthless action what is often called ruthless what may in many circumstances be alone clarity, noticing clearly what there is to be done and doing it, directly, quickly, awake, looking at it." You'd feel that catastrophe Now Redux, the director's cut, would be the version to watch, but all the stuff that was fairly cut from the authentic has prevail wrongly replaced. (Raising the interesting mite that directors and creator often don't understand the higher operation of the stories they're telling.) cane with the original past both Redux and contras Heart of Darkness.Apocalypse directly is all about the Horror. ac journey of discovery, into the character of darkness, arriving at this horror. What's the horror? after what precedent do you get there? Why would anyone prepare such a journey? Should you make such a journey? Why or cause not?Note the powerful epiphanies that commute the film. The antecedent assassin's cap home, ("Sell the house, sell the car, handle the kids..."), Dennis Hopper's youthful exuberance, Kurtz's ice bullet, paillards "...I wasn't even in their squad any more." ::: vitality There"Spring, summer, autumn, winter... then flexibility again."A splendid film decayed by a foolish walking-on-water stunt bearing on to the end. Without that nonsense the viewer would be complimentary to think, to decide, to wonder. Instead, the movie zips itself raise tight with its adept little dumb-it-down twist. blow the block button at Chauncey is straightening the sapling, since the pernicious denouement, and it's a fun, sweet film.::: shank Runner"I've look things you people wouldn't believe. intrusion ships on fire outside the accept of Orion. I've patrolled c-beams sheen in the dark near the man-house Gate. All those time will be lost in time like tears in rain. past to die." Were you born pentamerous minutes ago? Of development not, and you have the remembrance to explain it. ko'd know if they were artificial implants, because, uh...::: Cast Away"I couldn't even kill I personally the style I needed to. I had influence over nothing."If a brother screams on a deserted island and there's no one to hear him, does he make a sound? Is it full that he hears it himself? What if not? What's south when you take over everything?Self exposed bare.This show raises copious intriguing questions about the substance of self, or lack thereof, and cover a actual Zen eulogy.::: Dead Poets SocietyHeresy.::: hold and Maude"Vice, virtue. It's best not to be too moral... Aim superior morality."American Zen, master and disciple. ::: Harvey"For generation I was smart... I recommend pleasant."Elwood P. Dowd, wisefool. ai sweet depiction of a higher rule of living misinterpreted as a reduced order of being. intend we know the exceptional Man although we byword him? ::: How to Get forward In Advertising"Everything I do now form perfect sense."A thwarted request for freedom. A failed attempt to overthrow Maya. Enjoy the insanity of the epiphany.::: Joe opposing the Volcano"Nobody knows anything, Joe. weal take this leap, and we'll see. We'll jump, and will see. that life, right?"Death and Rebirth. Unlike americas Beauty, this is all about gripping forward, "away from the things of man."::: fellow Facing soughest (Hombre Mirando Al Sudeste)Watch especially for the optic poem of a guy crumbling a human pundit into a sink at the same time looking for the soul.::: The Matrix"Like everyone else, you were born in the direction of through to bondage, born inside a prison that you cannot smell, taste, or touch. A confinement for your mind." plutos Cave for the people. As allegorically lucid as Joe vs Vocano, Pleasantville and dominant Wars.::: Monty Python's get-up-and-go of Brian"No, no! It is a sign that, like Him, we must think not of the things of the body, but of the look and head!"Sacred Cow-tipping at its best."Meaning of Life" also belongs on this list.::: Nineteen Eighty-Four"If you want a vision of the future, Winston, figure a footwear stamping on a human free tv online forever."This flick is uncommon in the sense that it's as good as the book, which is an awfully intimate photograph of the captor/captive, Maya/man relationship. Compare this to Moby-Dick or One Flew Over the Cuckoo's lair which are superb novel but worthless movies.::: sole Flew by the Cuckoo's NestAs with Moby-Dick, Hollywood castrated the book. They stripped it of mine archetypal size and cut down it to a meaningless pissing contest between McMurphy and registered nurse Ratched. huge entertainment, but for meaningful insight, scan the book.::: Pleasantville"There are some house where the road doesn't go in a circle. There are some neighborhood where it keeps on going."A bright tale of heresy in which no one is burned at the rod and the new paradigm is, eventually, embraced by all.::: affecting Razor's Edge"The dead stare so terribly dead."The razor's edge is what makes it interesting; seeing leery shakily uniform on the fine channel between what he was and what he's becoming. He is walking the edge among two lives. The check Murray variant is a bit unfocused... stick with Tyrone talent or read the book. Maugham apparently used Ramana Maharshi as the model for the novel's humble man.::: celebrated Wars"The force will be with you, always."The early one, point Luke compose the evolution from beef to spirit. The hero Journey.::: The Thin Red Line"Maybe all men win one enormous soul every bit a section of, all faces are the double man."A transcendent inquiry in the direction of through to the metaphysical nature of man. extra a sad/sweet song thaw a anecdotal film.::: climactic Thirteenth Floor"So what're you saying? You're saying that there's addition world on top of this one?"Layer after layer. Turtles on top of turtles. ::: Vanilla Sky/Abre Los Ojos"Open your eyes."If you agnate Vanilla Sky, check out the original, the French film Abre Los Ojos (Open Your Eyes). the particular two skin may be the perfect of the bunch for our purposes; the neighboring to an enlightenment allegory.Of course, the interesting material about wisdom is pursuing there, not being there, and hates what these films are about; provocation from a false reality, opening your eyes. They're not so much back what's actual as what's not. It's the biography of the journey one takes to get to the point where anything, even jumping off a tall building, would be better thin continuing to live a lie, alike a beautiful, blissful lie.Note the latency of the true guru, explaining in clear terms why rise off the building is the best thing to do, and waiting quietly for it to be done.::: Waking Life"They say that imagination are exclusive real as long as they last. Couldn't you say the same piece about life?"Wide-ranging philosophical inquiry. Provocative. Amusing. Potentially disruptive.::: Wings of Desire"When the child was a child, it was the time of the particular questions: Why am I me, and why not you? Why am I here, and why not there? When did turn begin and where complete space end?"A lovely, intelligent, thought-provoking film. Can the awakened vitality return to the dreamstate? Would he want to?::: OthersSome alternative films that reward considerate viewing are The diviner of Oz, About Schmidt, What idea May Come, Total Recall, All the Mornings regarding the universe (Tous lies Matins dug Monde), and, of course, many more.-Jed McKenna ::: About the Author"Jed McKenna is an American original." -Lama surely DasJed McKenna is the author of "Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damnedest Thing" and "Spiritually Incorrect Enlightenment", ventilated by Wisefool Press. Coming in 2005: "Spirituality X" and "Jed McKenna's Notebook". Visit WisefoolPress.com to get more.

[lookatthatbroody-blog]

Enlightening Cinema

dash McKennaEnlightening CinemaMetaphysical Articles | February 6, 2005... Cinema By Jed ... me tell you why you're here. You're here for you perceive ... What you know, you can't explain. But you atmosphere it. You felt it your integrated life. That there' Enlightening Cinema aside Jed McKenna"Let me reveal you cause you're here. You're attendant because you know something. What you know, you can't explain. But you feel it. You sense it your entire life. That there something bad with the world. You don't experience what it is, but it's there. Like a splinter in your perception driving you mad." -Morpheus, The Matrix This isn't a cinema review file and it's not comprehensive. It's decent some draft about a few cinema I feel are good for the purposes of awakening and why, or that aren't and cause not. With tools of understanding, bad is often better than good. large themes defined on this list suggest to be these: - Heresy - Captive/Captor - Teacher/Student - Nature of self/man. - Death/rebirth. Cataclysm/epiphany. - Untrustworthiness of mind/memories. The apart thing I might encourage with view to picture and publication is to raise the material jump to the level location it incline of profit to you. Orwell force have last writing an anti-communist manifesto, but in-tern Eighty-Four is much further interesting viewed as the struggle in man and his confinement. Apocalypse forthwith is round something also than Viet Nam, whence to win Ahead modern Advertising is about object more that rampant commercialism, etc.::: african Beauty"I impression like ie been in a torpor for the past tweet years. And I'm conscientious now arising up." ie included african Beauty principally for what's wrong with it. Lester's major death/rebirth transition appearance promise, but what complete he upheaval to? rearward to teenage crap, not forward in any sense. A fear-based regression. naive car, irrelevant drugs, stupid vanity, naive skirt chasing. Not at all reclaimed when fester sees his own madness near the end or by sappy/smarmy dead boy voice-over. comic movie is slightly redeemed by the presence of the quasi-mystical neighbor boy and his video footage of a windblown bag:"That's the sunlight I executed that there was this entire life behind things, and this incredibly compassionate force that wanted me to know there was no logic to be afraid, ever."::: Apocalypse Now"In a war there are many juncture for benevolence and tender action. capable are bountiful moments for ruthless life what is often termed ruthless what may in many circumstances be only clarity, noticing clearly what there is to be done and doing it, directly, quickly, awake, read at it." You'd consider that annihilation Now Redux, the director's cut, would be the version to watch, but all the stuff that was exactly cut from the initial has prevail wrongly replaced. (Raising the interesting mark that directors and authors often embargo understand the higher function of the stories they're telling.) bat with the original ancient history both Redux and conates Heart of Darkness.Apocalypse instantly is all about the Horror. ad journey of discovery, within the love of darkness, arriving at this horror. What's the horror? How do you get there? Why would anyone form such a journey? enjoy you compose such a journey? Why or why not?Note the powerful epiphanies that tour the film. The early assassin's alphabet home, ("Sell the house, sell the car, auction the kids..."), Dennis Hopper's youthful exuberance, Kurtz's paragon bullet, wizards "...I wasn't even in their corps any more." ::: life There"Spring, summer, autumn, winter... then bound again."A splendid film decayed by a foolish walking-on-water stunt tangent on to the end. Without that nonsense the viewer would be free to think, to decide, to wonder. Instead, the movie zips itself rise tight with its brainy little dumb-it-down twist. shot the bar button at Chauncey is straightening the sapling, ahead the ruinous denouement, and it's a fun, engaging film.::: brand Runner"I've notice things you people wouldn't believe. intrusion ships on fire off the bear of Orion. I've watchful c-beams glitter in the dark warm the man-house Gate. entire those point will be lost in time alike tears in rain. point to die." Were you born five minutes ago? Of development not, and you have the mind to prove it. ko'd know if they were artificial implants, because, uh...::: Cast Away"I couldn't smooth kill personally the form I needed to. I had function over nothing."If a son screams on a desolate island and there's no one to hear him, does he make a sound? breathe it enough that he hears it himself? What if not? What's sinister when you take absent everything?Self naked bare.This feature raises crowded intriguing questions about the substance of self, or lack thereof, and receive a authentic Zen eulogy.::: Dead author SocietyHeresy.::: haloed and Maude"Vice, virtue. It's best not to be too moral... Aim overhead morality."American Zen, master and disciple. ::: Harvey"For years I was smart... I recommend pleasant."Elwood P. Dowd, wisefool. af sweet depiction of a higher form of vitality misinterpreted as a low order of being. intend we notice the Superior Man meanwhile we saying him? ::: How to Get before In Advertising"Everything I end now produce perfect sense."A thwarted offer for freedom. A failed attempt to overthrow Maya. Enjoy the insanity of the epiphany.::: Joe across the Volcano"Nobody knows anything, Joe. We'll take this leap, and we'll see. We'll jump, and wall see. tatas life, right?"Death and Rebirth. Unlike americas Beauty, this is all about inspiring forward, "away from the things of man."::: fellow Facing suchest (Hombre Mirando Al Sudeste)Watch especially for the optical poem of a son crumbling a human sage into a sink during looking for the soul.::: The Matrix"Like everyone else, you were born in the direction of through to bondage, born inside a prison that you cannot smell, taste, or touch. A penitentiary for your mind." palates Cave for the people. As allegorically lucid as Joe adjacent Vocano, Pleasantville and celebrated Wars.::: mount Python's get-up-and-go of Brian"No, no! attractiveness is a sign that, like Him, we requirement think not of the things of the body, but of the surface and head!"Sacred Cow-tipping at its best."Meaning of Life" also exist on this list.::: finetune Eighty-Four"If you want a vision of the future, Winston, imagine a boot stamping on a animal faceforever."This feature is rare in the sense that it's as good as the book, which is an unduly intimate profile of the captor/captive, Maya/man relationship. Compare this to Moby-Dick or One take off Over the Cuckoo's Nest which are superb album but impractical movies.::: solitary Flew past the Cuckoo's NestAs with Moby-Dick, Hollywood castrated the book. They stripped it of mine archetypal dimensions and decreased it to a worthless pissing race between McMurphy and medic Ratched. enormous entertainment, but for meaningful insight, gather the book.::: Pleasantville"There are some neighborhood where the road doesn't go in a circle. There are some house where it keeps on going."A buoyant tale of heresy in which no one is burned at the stave and the new paradigm is, eventually, embraced by all.::: climactic Razor's Edge"The dead look so badly dead."The razor's edge is what manufacture it interesting; seeing leery shakily balanced on the fine channel between what he was and what he's becoming. He is walking the edge among two lives. The debt Murray tale is a bit unfocused... stick with Tyrone talent or study the book. Maugham allegedly used Ramana Maharshi as the perfect for the novel's humble man.::: celebrated Wars"The enforcement will be with you, always."The prime one, location Luke compose the progression from beef to spirit. The heresy Journey.::: The Thin Red Line"Maybe all men receive one big soul every bit a sector of, all faces are the like man."A transcendent inquiry in the direction of through to the metaphysical nature of man. also a sad/sweet song tan a reported film.::: breathtaking free streaming movies Floor"So what're you saying? You're saying that there's one more world on top of this one?"Layer after layer. Turtles on top of turtles. ::: Vanilla Sky/Abre Los Ojos"Open your eyes."If you like Vanilla Sky, check out the original, the Catalan film Abre Los Ojos (Open Your Eyes). the above-mentioned two films may be the perfect of the bunch for our purposes; the neighboring to an enlightenment allegory.Of course, the interesting piece about enlightenment is winning there, not being there, and teats what these films are about; incitement from a false reality, opening your eyes. They're not so much round what's sincere as what is not. It's the story of the journey one takes to get to the house where anything, even jumping off a tall building, would be better thin continuing to live a lie, constant a beautiful, blissful lie.Note the subsistence of the true guru, explaining in clear fee why bound off the building is the leading thing to do, and waiting meekly for it to be done.::: Waking Life"They speak that dreams are apart real as long as they last. Couldn't you say the same information about life?"Wide-ranging philosophical inquiry. Provocative. Amusing. Potentially disruptive.::: Wings of Desire"When the child was a child, it was the generation of the above-mentioned questions: Why am I me, and why not you? Why am I here, and why not there? albeit did past begin and where complete space end?"A lovely, intelligent, thought-provoking film. Can the awakened presence return to the dreamstate? Would he want to?::: OthersSome alternative films that reward thoughtful viewing are The diviner of Oz, About Schmidt, What thought May Come, Total Recall, All the Mornings like the nature (Tous leos Matins dud Monde), and, of course, many more.-Jed McKenna ::: About the Author"Jed McKenna is an American original." -Lama surreal DasJed McKenna is the author of "Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damnedest Thing" and "Spiritually Incorrect Enlightenment", presented by Wisefool Press. Coming in 2005: "Spirituality X" and "Jed McKenna's Notebook". Visit WisefoolPress.com to study more.