#Vancouver Starter

[nesrinadem]

❝ at al basha, in kitsilano, with @rajveervohra​ —

“I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to reach out.” A soft, slanted smile carved itself against Nesrin’s cheek. “Things just got a little... intense after the blackout.” 

Her accident, the confession to Matt that did a number on her head, figuring out how the hell she was going to afford rent on top of bills on top of affording a new car— More than once she was tempted to just check out entirely. 

“I did want to thank you, though, for getting my home safely that night. And just for being so calm and incredible throughout all of the chaos.” Where she’d been a frantic mess, he’d kept her steady. “I just really appreciated it.” Hence her offer to grab to lunch.

“Did the rest of your night go okay?”

[sinsoakedsaints]

closed starter for: @prxcticalmxgic​​​

based on: this meme. luh u 

"You're not a bad person, you're just a little lost."

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The specific process by which Google enshittified its search

I'm touring my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me SATURDAY (Apr 27) in MARIN COUNTY, then Winnipeg (May 2), Calgary (May 3), Vancouver (May 4), and beyond!

All digital businesses have the technical capacity to enshittify: the ability to change the underlying functions of the business from moment to moment and user to user, allowing for the rapid transfer of value between business customers, end users and shareholders:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/19/twiddler/

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/24/naming-names/#prabhakar-raghavan

Which raises an important question: why do companies enshittify at a specific moment, after refraining from enshittifying before? After all, a company always has the potential to benefit by treating its business customers and end users worse, by giving them a worse deal. If you charge more for your product and pay your suppliers less, that leaves more money on the table for your investors.

Of course, it's not that simple. While cheating, price-gouging, and degrading your product can produce gains, these tactics also threaten losses. You might lose customers to a rival, or get punished by a regulator, or face mass resignations from your employees who really believe in your product.

Companies choose not to enshittify their products…until they choose to do so. One theory to explain this is that companies are engaged in a process of continuous assessment, gathering data about their competitive risks, their regulators' mettle, their employees' boldness. When these assessments indicate that the conditions are favorable to enshittification, the CEO walks over to the big "enshittification" lever on the wall and yanks it all the way to MAX.

Some companies have certainly done this – and paid the price. Think of Myspace or Yahoo: companies that made themselves worse by reducing quality and gouging on price (be it measured in dollars or attention – that is, ads) before sinking into obscure senescence. These companies made a bet that they could get richer while getting worse, and they were wrong, and they lost out.

But this model doesn't explain the Great Enshittening, in which all the tech companies are enshittifying at the same time. Maybe all these companies are subscribing to the same business newsletter (or, more likely, buying advice from the same management consultancy) (cough McKinsey cough) that is a kind of industry-wide starter pistol for enshittification.

I think it's something else. I think the main job of a CEO is to show up for work every morning and yank on the enshittification lever as hard as you can, in hopes that you can eke out some incremental gains in your company's cost-basis and/or income by shifting value away from your suppliers and customers to yourself.

We get good digital services when the enshittification lever doesn't budge – when it is constrained: by competition, by regulation, by interoperable mods and hacks that undo enshittification (like alternative clients and ad-blockers) and by workers who have bargaining power thanks to a tight labor market or a powerful union:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/09/lead-me-not-into-temptation/#chamberlain

When Google ordered its staff to build a secret Chinese search engine that would censor search results and rat out dissidents to the Chinese secret police, googlers revolted and refused, and the project died:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly_(search_engine)

When Google tried to win a US government contract to build AI for drones used to target and murder civilians far from the battlefield, googlers revolted and refused, and the project died:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/technology/google-pentagon-project-maven.html

What's happened since – what's behind all the tech companies enshittifying all at once – is that tech worker power has been smashed, especially at Google, where 12,000 workers were fired just months after a $80b stock buyback that would have paid their wages for the next 27 years. Likewise, competition has receded from tech bosses' worries, thanks to lax antitrust enforcement that saw most credible competitors merged into behemoths, or neutralized with predatory pricing schemes. Lax enforcement of other policies – privacy, labor and consumer protection – loosened up the enshittification lever even more. And the expansion of IP rights, which criminalize most kinds of reverse engineering and aftermarket modification, means that interoperability no longer applies friction to the enshittification lever.

Now that every tech boss has an enshittification lever that moves very freely, they can show up for work, yank the enshittification lever, and it goes all the way to MAX. When googlers protested the company's complicity in the genocide in Gaza, Google didn't kill the project – it mass-fired the workers:

https://medium.com/@notechforapartheid/statement-from-google-workers-with-the-no-tech-for-apartheid-campaign-on-googles-indiscriminate-28ba4c9b7ce8

Enshittification is a macroeconomic phenomenon, determined by the regulatory environment for competition, privacy, labor, consumer protection and IP. But enshittification is also a microeconomic phenomenon, the result of innumerable boardroom and product-planning fights within companies in which would-be enshittifiers try to do things that make the company's products and services shittier wrestle with rivals who want to keep things as they are, or make them better, whether out of principle or fear of the consequences.

Those microeconomic wrestling-matches are where we find enshittification's heroes and villains – the people who fight for the user or stand up for a fair deal, versus the people who want to cheat and wreck to make things better for the company and win bonuses and promotions for themselves:

https://locusmag.com/2023/11/commentary-by-cory-doctorow-dont-be-evil/

These microeconomic struggles are usually obscure, because companies are secretive institutions and our glimpses into their deliberations are normally limited to the odd leaked memo, whistleblower tell-all, or spectacular worker revolt. But when a company gets dragged into court, a new window opens into the company's internal operations. That's especially true when the plaintiff is the US government.

Which brings me back to Google, the poster-child for enshittification, a company that revolutionized the internet a quarter of a century ago with a search-engine that was so good that it felt like magic, which has decayed so badly and so rapidly that whole sections of the internet are disappearing from view for the 90% of users who rely on the search engine as their gateway to the internet.

Google is being sued by the DOJ's Antitrust Division, and that means we are getting a very deep look into the company, as its internal emails and memos come to light:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/03/not-feeling-lucky/#fundamental-laws-of-economics

Google is a tech company, and tech companies have literary cultures – they run on email and other forms of written communication, even for casual speech, which is more likely to take place in a chat program than at a water-cooler. This means that tech companies have giant databases full of confessions to every crime they've ever committed:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/03/big-tech-cant-stop-telling-on-itself/

Large pieces of Google's database-of-crimes are now on display – so much, in fact, that it's hard for anyone to parse through it all and understand what it means. But some people are trying, and coming up with gold. One of those successful prospectors is Ed Zitron, who has produced a staggering account of the precise moment at which Google search tipped over into enshittification, which names the executives at the very heart of the rot:

https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-men-who-killed-google/

Zitron tells the story of a boardroom struggle over search quality, in which Ben Gomes – a long-tenured googler who helped define the company during its best years – lost a fight with Prabhakar Raghavan, a computer scientist turned manager whose tactic for increasing the number of search queries (and thus the number of ads the company could show to searchers) was to decrease the quality of search. That way, searchers would have to spend more time on Google before they found what they were looking for.

Zitron contrasts the background of these two figures. Gomes, the hero, worked at Google for 19 years, solving fantastically hard technical scaling problems and eventually becoming the company's "search czar." Raghavan, the villain, "failed upwards" through his career, including a stint as Yahoo's head of search from 2005-12, a presiding over the collapse of Yahoo's search business. Under Raghavan's leadership, Yahoo's search market-share fell from 30.4% to 14%, and in the end, Yahoo jettisoned its search altogether and replaced it with Bing.

For Zitron, the memos show how Raghavan engineered the ouster of Gomes, with help from the company CEO, the ex-McKinseyite Sundar Pichai. It was a triumph for enshittification, a deliberate decision to make the product worse in order to make it more profitable, under the (correct) belief that the company's exclusivity deals to provide search everywhere from Iphones and Samsungs to Mozilla would mean that the business would face no consequences for doing so.

It a picture of a company that isn't just too big to fail – it's (as FTC Chair Lina Khan put it on The Daily Show) too big to care:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaDTiWaYfcM

Zitron's done excellent sleuthing through the court exhibits here, and his writeup is incandescently brilliant. But there's one point I quibble with him on. Zitron writes that "It’s because the people running the tech industry are no longer those that built it."

I think that gets it backwards. I think that there were always enshittifiers in the C-suites of these companies. When Page and Brin brought in the war criminal Eric Schmidt to run the company, he surely started every day with a ritual, ferocious tug at that enshittification lever. The difference wasn't who was in the C-suite – the difference was how freely the lever moved.

On Saturday, I wrote:

The platforms used to treat us well and now treat us badly. That's not because they were setting a patient trap, luring us in with good treatment in the expectation of locking us in and turning on us. Tech bosses do not have the executive function to lie in wait for years and years.

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/22/kargo-kult-kaptialism/#dont-buy-it

Someone on Hacker News called that "silly," adding that "tech bosses do in fact have the executive function to lie in wait for years and years. That's literally the business model of most startups":

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40114339

That's not quite right, though. The business-model of the startup is to yank on the enshittification lever every day. Tech bosses don't lie in wait for the perfect moment to claw away all the value from their employees, users, business customers, and suppliers – they're always trying to get that value. It's only when they become too big to care that they succeed. That's the definition of being too big to care.

In antitrust circles, they sometimes say that "the process is the punishment." No matter what happens to the DOJ's case against Google, its internal workers have been made visible to the public. The secrecy surrounding the Google trial when it was underway meant that a lot of this stuff flew under the radar when it first appeared. But as Zitron's work shows, there is plenty of treasure to be found in that trove of documents that is now permanently in the public domain.

When future scholars study the enshittocene, they will look to accounts like Zitron's to mark the turning points from the old, good internet to the enshitternet. Let's hope those future scholars have a new, good internet on which to publish their findings.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/24/naming-names/#prabhakar-raghavan

[g-hughes]

maybe kinda like a part two of the quinn fic where she gets even closer to his brothers and family and quinn is just watching as the most important people in his life all fit together so well

Yours Forever - Q. Hughes

part 1 || masterlist || g's graduation celly

synopsis: it's the 2nd annual Hughes Bowl, and Quinn gets a glimpse at what his future is going to look like

word count: 2.8k

warnings: none!

It was the eve before the second annual “Hughes Bowl'' and you were in a panic. Quinn had gone to the airport to pick up his parents, who made the trek across the continent to watch all three of their boys play together. It must’ve been such a surreal feeling for them, watching their sons on the ice, years of hard work and dedication paying off. From what you had gathered, Ellen and Jim were the Hughes boys’ biggest fans, and would try to make as many games as they could. And if they couldn’t make a game, they were always calling Quinn either right after or the next day to talk about it. 

“Are you sure that the couch looks okay against-” 

“Yes, for the tenth time, yes it looks fine against the wall,” Quinn said as you facetimed him. 

“Do not yell at me, Quintin, I am nervous,” You scolded and Quinn let out a laugh. Ellen and Jim haven’t been to your new apartment that you shared with Quinn. You were nervous for them to be staying with you. What if they didn’t approve of it? What if they hated your decorating skills? What if you weren’t a good homemaker? “Oh my god, I should’ve baked like cookies or something.” 

“You? Bake?” Quinn chuckled again, “Yeah and pigs can fly.” 

“Quinn,” You whined, “I want to make a good impression. This isn’t like going to the lake house or anything. This is our house.” 

Quinn smiled as the word ‘our’ fell from your lips. Almost as soon as the summer ended, he asked you to move in with him, and you, of course, said yes. But Quinn didn’t just want you to move into his apartment, for starters, it was a total man cave, with minimal decorations, one set of silverware he bought at target, and the standard blinds that came with the place. He wanted to get something that was going to be comfortable for you, and close to your work. So the two of you picked out a beautiful apartment in a small village area of Vancouver, it was close to your work, and felt like the two of you could have some privacy. 

“Baby,” Quinn said sincerely, “You have already made the best impression on them. They love you, and nothing is going to change that. . . well maybe your abysmal baking skills,” You giggled, “So please stop stressing. It’s going to be okay.”

You let out a breath and looked around the living room, “I guess you’re right.” 

“I know I am,” Quinn winked at you, “But I gotta go. They just landed. Oh! And the boys should be over soon.” 

“Boys?” You asked, your eyebrows knitting in confusion. 

“Yeah, Jack and Luke are on their way over.” 

“Quinn!” 

“Bye, Love you!” 

You groaned, as the line went dead and you were left glaring at your lock screen of your boyfriend. Though you spent the whole summer with the Hughes brothers, you still felt a bit awkward around them. Every time you tried to get to know them a little bit better, one of their friends was whisking them away to partake in some event. You were cordial toward them, but you weren’t sure what you were going to do to entertain them until Quinn and their parents got home. Hell, you weren’t sure what you were going to feed them until Quinn and their parents got home. 

You couldn’t ponder the question long, as there was a knock on your front door. You smoothed the fabric of your clothes and fixed your hair before opening the door, revealing a smiling Jack and a somewhat smiling Luke. 

“Hey!” You greeted, “Come in! Welcome.” 

The boys lumbered in, taking in the place. “Well, it's obvious Quinn wasn’t allowed to decorate,” Luke joked. 

“Yeah,” You chuckled, “As much as I love Gretzky, I didn’t need a life size portrait of him in my living room.” 

“Oh, I bet Quinn was just devastated,” Jack feigned. 

“Cried for days,” You shook your head, a mock pout on your lips. The boys both chuckled at your response and settled in on the couch. You felt a sense of ease wash over you, a smile tugging at your lips. 

— — — 

Quinn leaned against the passenger side of his jeep, his black yankees cap pulled down low on his head to hopefully hide himself from fans as he waited for his parents. Not that he usually gets ambushed in public, but sometimes he was asked for a picture or to sign an autograph or two. Normally, he wouldn’t mind it, but tonight, he just wanted to get his parents and get back home to his girl and his brothers. He didn’t get a lot of downtime throughout the season to see them, so he was going to take advantage of all the time he could get. 

“Quinny,” His mom’s voice called out to him as they walked out of the airport. He smiled and greeted his parents with a hug, “Where’s Y/N?” 

“Nice to see you too, Mom,” Quinn scoffed, “She’s at the apartment. Jack and Luke are there too.” 

“Oh good,” Ellen smiled, and settled in the backseat so Jim could sit up front with his son, “How are things going? Liking the new place?” 

Quinn nodded his head, “Everything is going great, and yeah we really like it. There’s some nice trails and a park nearby. We try to go on walks every morning together.” 

“And?” Ellen asked. 

“And?” Quinn asked back, “And everything is good. Y/N just got a promotion at work, her hours are more flexible. We’ve even been looking at adopting a cat, Y/N says she needs a friend when I’m gone on roadies.” Quinn was not a cat person, not even in the slightest, but seeing the way your eyes light up as you showed him the adoptable cats on the city shelter page made his heart flutter. 

“And?” Ellen asked, once again. 

“And what, Mom?” Quinn shook his head, “Everything is good.” 

“She wants to know when you’re going to propose,” Jim said, filling in the blank that Ellen had left. 

“Oh,” Quinn blushed. He bit his bottom lip as his eyes darted to the glove box, “I uh. . . I might’ve bought a ring a couple weeks ago.” 

“Oh I knew it!” Ellen exclaimed, “Jack said you were asking him about what kind of ring styles Y/N would like.” 

Quinn rolled his eyes. He really needed to stop telling Jack things about his relationship. Jack was like his mom’s spy. 

“When are you going to do it?” Ellen asked, “How are you going to do it?” 

“I don’t know,” Quinn shrugged. 

He thought about waiting until the season was over, but it was only December, and he wasn’t sure he could wait that long without putting that ring on your finger. He also knew that neither one of you liked to be the center of attention, and a big proposal wasn’t what you would want. You guys had talked about it before, you wanted your proposal to be an intimate affair, and a small celebration afterwards with your family and friends. 

“Have you asked for permission?” Jim asked, “You have to ask for permission.” 

“Yeah I did,” Quinn nodded. He invited your dad, who was a lifelong Canucks fan, to a morning skate and then a chance to meet the guys afterward. Quinn had then taken him to a nearby brunch spot, where he had asked for his blessing to marry you. Your dad had never been a man to show his emotions, unless he was watching a hockey game, but he had teared up, and told Quinn that he was the only man he ever thought worthy of marrying his little girl. And those words made Quinn tear up too. 

“I’m so happy for you, Q,” Ellen leaned forward, putting her hand on his arm, “She’s a very special girl.” 

“I know, Mom,” Quinn looked over his shoulder briefly at her, “I’m lucky to have her.” 

Quinn pulled into his parking spot, grabbing his mom’s suitcase for her. The elevator ride was short up to their floor, Quinn talking about how the team was coming along this season. After last year’s historic turnaround and run in the playoffs, Quinn felt the pressure even more in his second season as captain. He needed to prove not only to his team, but to the city that last year wasn’t a fluke. That Canucks hockey was back, and Quinn was going to lead his team back to the playoffs and hopefully to the Cup. 

“Between Yogi and Krog, we’ve been working so hard on the powerplay,” Quinn shook his head, “It was our downfall last year in the second round, but I feel like we’ve really turned it around.” 

“I agree,” Jim nodded his head, “You guys look like a totally different crew when the power play comes around. Toch probably feels relieved to have someone else on that call.” 

“Yeah,” Quinn nodded as he neared his front door, pulling his key out, “Krog has been such a good addition. The guys really like him and-” 

“You fucking suck!” A loud curse came from the other side. He stared at the door for a moment before another loud yell came out, “I fucking hate you!” Quinn’s eyebrows arose in concern as he quickly unlocked his front door. 

“Hey! Everything al-” Quinn shouted as he walked into the apartment. 

“You two fucking cheated!” Jack exclaimed, jumping up from the couch, “You cheated! I know you did!” 

“How do you cheat in Mario Kart?” Luke asked, chuckling. 

“I don’t know! But she cheated!” Jack flopped down on the couch. 

“I’m sorry, Jacky, you just aren’t as good as you thought you were,” You laughed and a feeling of relief flooded Quinn’s body as the familiar sound of the video game filled the space. You looked over your shoulder, a bright smile on your face, “Oh hey!” Then your eyes widened as you noticed Ellen and Jim behind your boyfriend. You quickly jumped up from the couch, and made your way over to them, “Hey! Welcome to Vancouver.” 

You hugged them both, as Jack paused the video game and walked over to his family. 

“Thank you for inviting us,” Ellen beamed at you, “And kicking my son’s ass in Mario Kart.” 

“They ganged up on me!” Jack whined, “I was out numbered.” 

Quinn wrapped his arm around you, pressing a quick kiss to your cheek. You blushed and looked at him, “How was the drive?” 

“Not bad,” Quinn shrugged, “How were the heathens?” 

“Could’ve been worse,” You chuckled, “Could’ve been better if Jack didn’t suck at Mario Kart.” 

“Alright,” Jack slammed his hands down on the counter playfully, “Rematch. Right Now.” 

“Oh you’re on,” You jested, rushing over to the couch with Jack and Luke in tow. Quinn shook his head with a laugh, his heart feeling full as he watched you interact with his brothers. His brothers’ opinions had always mattered so much to him, so seeing you so casually fitting in with them, made Quinn even more sure of his decision. 

— — —

Quinn love hated playing against his brothers. He loved watching them out on the ice, playing a sport that they’ve all grown to love, chasing their childhood dreams. But he hated having to be the opponent, the enemy. He hated that only one of them was going to go home victorious and with bragging rights for the next couple of months until they played each other again. Quinn loved seeing the bright smiles on his younger brothers faces when the final buzzer would go off, but he hated the feeling of letting his team down. 

You waited by the locker room for Quinn, his mother and father already headed back to the apartment. They knew that the only one Quinn would want to be around or talk to after the loss was you. For years, Ellen and Jim had tried to be the ones who Quinn would talk to after losses, but they gave up once he was about 15. But you managed to crack that tough interior of Quinn Hughes. You gave him a sad smile as he walked out of the locker room, his hair still wet from his shower. You were a bit surprised to see him back in his suit, normally he would have traded it in for some sweatpants and a hoodie. 

“Hi,” You whispered to him, wrapping your arms around his neck. Your fingers brushed over the red mark on his forehead from his helmet, “You did good.” 

“Not good enough,” He huffed, putting one of his hands on your hip, “We should’ve won,” Quinn shook his head, “But I’m happy the boys won.” 

“I know,” You said, “It sucks to lose, but I’m glad Jack and Luke got the win.” Quinn nodded his head, “C’mon, let’s go home.” 

“Wait,” He said, grabbing your hand, “I think I left my stick in the box. Come with me?” 

“Can’t you get it tomorrow?” Your eyebrows creased in confusion. 

“No!” Quinn said, quickly, “Uh no. The equipment guys want all the sticks accounted for the night after the game. They’re weird like that.” You nodded your head slowly, still suspicious of his motive, but agreed to follow him back towards the arena. 

The arena was dark, except for a single spot light in the middle of the ice on the Canucks logo, and the blue band lighting around the lower bowl. It was weird walking into the rink, and it being quiet, save for your footsteps on the concrete. You were so used to this place being loud and bursting with excitement, it was a nice change to see it like this. In the past year, Rogers Arena has felt like a second home, a safe space. 

“It’s weird seeing this place quiet,” You said, as you walked to the team bench, “I kind of like it.” 

“Then you’ll like this even more,” Quinn said, “C’mere.” He held his hand out, and you took it. There was a carpet laid out from the gate on the boards, to the center of the ice. 

You looked around, in awe at the sight before you, “This. . . is crazy,” You scoffed in disbelief, “I can’t even imagine what it is like twenty thousand people are yelling your name,” You cupped your hands around your mouth, whispering yelling, “Huggy Bear! Huggy Bear! Huggy Bear!” 

Quinn chuckled, reaching out to you and grabbing your hips, “It’s a pretty surreal feeling. Sometimes I can’t even believe that this is my life. That I’m really in the NHL, and I’m really living my childhood dream, playing against some of my childhood icons and-” 

“And beating them,” You winked. 

“And beating them,” Quinn added, “But I was going to say, and I get to do this with the love of my life by my side.” Your heart started beating faster, butterflies taking flight in your stomach as Quinn grabbed both of your hands in his, “Y/N L/N, from the moment you crashed into my life, literally,” You chuckled as tears started filling your eyes, “I knew that you were going to be it. I didn’t know I was missing something until you came into my life and it all just seemed to make sense. I felt complete. You made me feel complete.” 

At this point, both you and Quinn had tears in your eyes. He let go of your hand, as he got down on one knee, pulling out a small light blue box from his pocket. Your hands flew up to your mouth, as he opened the lid. 

“Y/N, will you please-” 

“Yes!” 

“I didn’t finish-” 

“I know, but yes!” You grabbed Quinn’s face in your hands, placing a tender, yet reassuring kiss on his lips. 

“But I have to finish asking you,” Quinn said. 

“Okay,” You nodded, standing back up, “Ask me.” 

“Y/N, will you marry-” 

“Yes!” Quinn chuckled, grabbing your left hand, and sliding the simple, yet beautiful ring on your finger. He stood up, as you threw your arms around his neck, crashing your lips to his. He stumbled for a moment, before wrapping his arms tightly around you. You leaned your forehead against his, “I love you.” 

“I love you,” You said, wiping away a stray tear from his face, “This is the best day ever.” 

“Just wait until we get to say ‘I Do’ for real,” Quinn pressed a quick kiss to your lips, “Now c’mon, Jack said he was getting us a cake to celebrate.” You smiled, as you took Quinn’s hand and walked off the ice. When you reached the locker room you froze. 

“Oh my god,” You gasped and Quinn looked at you in a panic. 

“What? What is it? What’s wrong? 

“Who’s going to be your best man?” You and Quinn both shared a look of momentary panic.

“They can play rock, paper, scissors for it.”

[nicohischierz]

a street interview: mason mctavish

tagging: @ivy-34, @francesfarhadi, @hzstry8, @cixrosie, @itsnotgray, @estapa94, @trevs-swiftie, @heartz4hischif you want to join the taglist let me know!!

mason was walking through the mall with trevor and jamie when he got stopped by a girl holding a microphone.

"hi i have a podcast and this weeks theme is sports so I was wondering if you guys would be interested in answering a question on one of america's major sports," you spoke.

"what do you mean?" trevor asked, looking between his friends.

"well, i'll ask you a question from either the nhl, nba or mlb and if you guys answer it you can win a prize if you're interested," you explained.

the three boys looked at each other and nodded.

you turned to your friend and started rolling the camera. “okay choose a category, nhl, nba or mlb,”

trevor answered first “nhl.”

“the nhl is comprised of 32 teams with 7 of them being canadian. can you name the 7 canadian teams in the nhl?” you asked.

“toronto maple leafs!” mason exclaimed first.

the three then huddled into a group to think of the rest. “what about cole’s team?”

“montreal canadiens!”

“hey isn’t hughes in canada?” jamie asked

“omg the vancouver canucks!” trevor picked up on quickly.

“you guys have a minute to name the other four,” you prompted.

trevor looked at you appalled “hey, you never said it was timed!” he argued. you shrugged at him “now you know,”

“edmonton oilers and calgary flames,” mason added.

jamie and trevor tried their hardest to think of the last two teams but failing short they looked to mason.

“ottawa senators and umm i think the winnipeg jets,” he added.

you smiled at mason and nodded. “congratulations you guys are correct! and you’ve got a little prize. the three of you are the owners of the coffee hours podcast new merchandise and these tickets to the long beach indy car grand prix!” you handed the three their prize.

mason put his beanie on and smiled at the camera as trevor inspected everything.

you signalled to your friend to switch the camera off before turning to the three boys again. “you guys don’t have to keep the merch if you don’t want to but please use the tickets. my cousin gave them to me and i don’t know if i want to go,” you explained.

“i think my sister listens to your podcast,” trevor spoke. you smiled, your eyes twinkling at the realisation that people actually liked your content.

mason thought it was adorable.

"can i get your instagram," mason blurted.

jamie and trevor snickered at the boy as you gave him a warm smile. "sure," you held out your hand for his phone and put in your username.

it took mason three days to gain the confidence to message you. the boy stared at your profile for a whole hour before trevor forced him to say something.

"look she's half swiss and you were born in Switzerland, make conversation about that," trevor suggested.

mason shrugged. there wasn’t much to go on with that conversation starter and he knew deep down trevor also knew that.

zoe.fraser shared a video

zoe.fraser: you’re a hockey player?

“she messaged me!” mason exclaimed showing trevor and jamie his phone.

at that time, trevor’s girlfriend walked in as the boys discussed how mason should respond.

“i think you should send a shrugging emoji” - trevor

“maybe say you weren’t sure if she was a fan and didn’t think it was necessary to mention” - jamie

“girls like it when you’re a bit cocky” - trevor.

trevor’s girlfriend promptly hit her boyfriend over the head and asked mason for his phone.

“holy shit, that’s the host of the coffee hours podcast. i love her content, i always listen to her in my car,” she explained.

“mils, can you help mason?” jamie asked.

millie smiled and formulated a response.

masonmctavish: guilty 😅

zoe.fraser: well then i think you guys cheated

“you were in one of her video?!” millie exclaimed. trevor nodded and asked his girlfriend to continue her work.

masonmctavish: how about i make it up to you?

zoe.fraser: are you asking me out on a date?

masonmctavish: only if you say yes

zoe.fraser: friday 9:30, after your game

masonmctavish: you’ve got yourself a date

mason hugged millie before she moved over to trevor. millie patted the boys shoulder before settling in next to her boyfriend.

“i cant believe you met her. i would actually die and that’s saying a lot cause i’ve met fernando alonso and sebastian vettel,” millie mumbled.

trevor squeezed his girlfriends cheeks “i’ll give you the sweater she gave us. she said it was her first official merch,”

millie kissed her boyfriend before turning to mason. “you better not screw this date up,” she threatened lightly.

mason nodded, gulping hard.

that threat did not help his nerves. at all

[dognonsense]

Van goth booth at the emily carr uni art show :3 this seems to be a little box with starter kit goth stuff and info and art about the vancouver goth scene!

[reinnette]

a growing list of things that happened to the vancouver canucks in the 2024 stanley cup playoffs (that would only happen to the vancouver canucks 🤡)

(not in chronological order)

starter goalie gets injured

backup goalie gets injured

third string goalie wears a ridiculous pink paisley dress shirt

entire team goes back to the locker room with 0.6 seconds left in the period (had to be called back onto the ice for a measly face off)

tyler myer’s balls save game 6

round 2 starts:

round 1, game 1: comeback win with 3 goals in the third period

round 1, game 4: comeback win with 3 goals in the third and overtime

round 2, game 1: comeback win with 3 goals in the third

if i’ve missed anything let me know, its a growing list 🚪🚶‍♂️

[lfghughes]

for requests, something like best friends older brother with jack or quinn?? and they have like a teasing / flirty relationship…

a/n: thanks to your request i have a feeling im going to be making more parts to this

There were always jokes that Luke was your other half but in the most platonic way possible. You two had met when you were teenagers and had become inseparable. At first there were plenty of jokes here and there about you two marrying each other one day but you both proved that what you had was a very deep platonic love for one another.

Now when it came down to his brothers that was a different story. For starters every girl in your grade and close to it thought Jack was cute so it wasn’t a surprise that you did too. But Quinn that was a whole other level of crush you had on him growing up. To him you were always just Lukes best friend though.

Until last summer when it almost seemed like he was starting to see you in a different light now that you were an adult and in college. Nothing ended up transpiring between the two of you except for some flirty comments here and there. Maybe this summer would be different though. Luke and Jack were officially back home for the summer from New Jersey and Quinn was back from Vancouver.

To celebrate your best friend being back in the same place as you, Luke had invited you over to their family house because the boys were planning on getting the fire pit going and doing a bonfire with some marshmallows. You sat outside with the three boys and their parents, it felt just like old times as you messed around with Luke.

Quinn had chosen the seat next to yours and you both continued on with your teasing. “You’re doing it all wrong, you’re going to burn your marshmallow like that.” He commented and you rolled your eyes at him. “I like my marshmallows burnt, I’m not a weirdo like you, Q.” You teased and he grabbed the last marshmallow from the bag throwing it at you.

“Quinn stop wasting marshmallows!” Luke yelled at his brother and you got up from your seat. “Don’t worry, Lukey I’ll go get you some from the kitchen.” You offered and it wasn’t a weird offer since you had practically lived in this house at some point. “I’ll help and get something to drink while I’m at it.” Quinn quickly said as he followed you back into the house.

“Luke’s going to kill you if you keep wasting his food.” You teased as you grabbed the bag from the cabinet. “It’s not the only thing he’s going to kill me for.” “Huh?” You asked but as you turned, Quinn was there, his hand going to your cheek as he pulled you in for a kiss. Your lips moved back against his, dropping the marshmallows because they were the furthest thing from your mind. Your fingers went to his shirt, gripping onto him because you were sure the room was spinning.

You pulled away, slightly breathless from the kiss. “Oh he’s for sure going to kill you.” You whispered and a small grin grew on his lips “I’m okay with that.” The butterflies in your stomach were still fluttering when you grabbed the marshmallows off the floor. Both of you headed back out to where everyone was sitting.

“Took a long time to get marshmallows, don’t you think bud?” Jack asked, a knowing grin on his lips but Luke looked clueless as ever. “Didn’t you say you were going to grab a drink?” Luke asked, a confused look on his face as you tossed him the bag of marshmallows. “Yeah, I drank some water in there.” Quinn quickly said as he sat down back next to you. “I’m sure that’s the only thing you did.” Jack laughed again but a pointed look from Ellen told him to stop teasing. Oh this was definitely going to be a fun summer alright.

[snugglebug-92]

I want Cole mcward with fluff prompts 5, 10, and 9

5. I thought you couldn't stand me.

9. Shut up and kiss me.

10. You're wearing my shirt.

You loved your job at Ohio State. You liked taking pictures and you had a passion for photography. You also however had a disliking for Cole. It was mainly because he didn't really like you. You thought he was attractive you guys had even gone on a date your freshman year but after winter break everything changed. Now you were well into your sophomore year and you stopped letting him bother you.

As Scooter skates over to where you are standing as you get iced by Cole. You shiver as your body is soaked by the ice melting on your skin.

"Go change into my extra shirt," Scooter says as you walk to the locker room. You grab the first shirt you see in Scooter's stall and slip your sweatshirt off replacing it with the t-shirt. You grab your media jacket and slip it on before heading back out. You take pictures of the boys as they skate around and upload them to your computer as coach talks to the boys. They all file off the ice except Cole. He skates 15 laps before coming off the ice.

"Sorry about him. I made him do laps to make up for it," Coach says before going to his office. By the time Cole is done in the shower, the locker room is empty. He walks to his stall in just a towel and puts his shorts on before coming into your little office.

"You're wearing my shirt," he says looking at you.

"No I'm not this is Scooter's, shit," you sigh as you go to slip it off. You throw it at Cole and walk into the locker room grabbing Scooter's shirt before slipping it over your head. Cole slips the shirt on and leaves you alone to edit the photos.

The next day at practice Cole leaves you alone which is slightly surprising. Maybe the 15 laps drilled some sense into him. As you are walking back towards your office he stops you and pulls you aside.

"I need your help," he sighs.

"And I thought you couldn't stand me," you laugh continuing to walk to your office. Cole follows after you and sits down in the other chair by your desk.

"Please," he begs.

"Cole we hate each other," you shake your head.

"Please,"

"No,"

"Please Y/N."

"What McWard," you snap. He flinches clearly taken aback and looks at you with your response.

"I don't hate you for starters and I need film," he says running a hand through his hair.

"I already sent film to Vancouver and a few other teams that we're interested in you. I don't hate you and I want you to succeed in your career," you respond.

"How did you?"

"BCC means blind carbon copy. I got the same email you did and sent the film," you smile.

"God I could kiss you right now," Cole says spinning around in the chair.

"Do it," you challenge.

"What?" he questions.

"Shut up and kiss me," you smirk and you can barely breathe before his lips are on yours. You tangle your hands in his hair as he picks you up and places you on the edge of your desk. The two of you make out while door David walks to the door seeing why the two of you got so quiet all of a sudden hoping you guys didn't kill each other. His eyes go wide as he sees Cole slip his tongue into your mouth and he shuts the door.

"So do we need a new photographer or a new defenseman?" Jake laughs wrapping his arm around the boy.

"Neither. They were being civil for once," David shrugs before leaving the boys to their own devices.

[sungbeam]

requests, the third round

a/n: yk,, i always say im not good with requests, but sometimes, i really do just need a whole system reboot and to look at other people's ideas 💀 so this is me trying 🤸‍♀️

NOW OPEN FROM TODAY, SEPT. 5TH TO FRIDAY, SEPT. 8TH !! NOW CLOSED

some ground rules:

✶ remember that i am Not Good At Requests. if i don't end up getting to yours/give up on them, then i'm sorry. if u want a guaranteed fic, u prob shouldn't come to my inbox :')

✶ this is my mainly sfw blog; pls keep all requests pg-13, suggestive at the most. here's a sample of how far i'm willing to go for the sake of readers on this blog.

✶ i'm very much willing to write about death, grief, violence, and blood, to an extent. pls do not send a request romanticizing toxic and/or abusive relationships, bc i will delete it.

✶ i write fem reader at default, but i am very much open to gn reader too. just be sure to specify!

✶ would i write a love triangle? a love square? a love octagon??? (yes, i'm bringing this back) if u want it, and i have the energy for it, lmk LMAO

✶ ONCE YOU HAVE SENT IN A REQUEST, i will update this post below the cut with requests i've received so far. pls check there for if i've seen your ask :]

how to request:

send a prompt(s)/au/song inspo/etc + genre(s) + desired idol boyo(s)!!

— i'll write for anyone from the EIGHT groups i have a masterlist for LOL (prob an emphasis on tbz but maybe this'll get me back to ncity, who knows)

— some prompt ideas: dialogue. question starters. fluff. hozier for vibes. from a villain. werewolf by night quotes.

request queue!

— if u told me i don't have to use all the prompts, i still put them down just so i have all the ideas in one place ^_^

lee hyunjae x "you feel like home to me" x debut/predebut era — from anon

jung wooyoung x "i could keep you safe. they’re all afraid of me" x "there’s nothing sweeter than my baby" x fluff, suggestive — from @jaehunnyy

lee hyunjae x e2l x "i don't understand why you have to torment me every second of the day! you were a sweetheart when you left, obviously life happened and now you're a devil! what the fuck, lee jaehyun?!" x "you don't understand how i think of you everyday when we were apart" x "i'm not saying that i'm using you but could you fix me? put me back together?" — from anon

kim sunwoo x e2l x spy au x angst x "working together again, it’s just like old times." x "clean yourself up. you're getting blood all over the place." x "the only one who gets to kill you, is me." x "enemies make the best lovers, you know. " x "why is it whenever we see each other, you’re covered in blood?" — from @shakalakaboomboo

hwang intak or yoon keeho x “it’s okay, you can touch me. i won't break.” x hurt/comfort — from anon

eric sohn x bffs2l x "was that your first kiss?" x "you can kiss me, you know." — from @mosviqu

eric sohn x “i’ve never cared for anyone the way i care for you” x “promise me you’ll still be here when i wake up?” — from @ericlvr

lee sangyeon x spy au x "what are you doing out here by yourself?" x "you gonna be a good girl for me?" x "they're dangerous? well unfortunately, so am i." x suggestive/action — from @winterchimez

choose an idol boy 😋 x actors au x e2l x happy ending by svt — from 🌷 anon

idol boy selection in progress x corpse bride au x horror — from 🌷 anon

lee juyeon(?) x soc/helnik au x "i fell in love with the fire long ago." — from @hqrana

xu minghao x "when i was a child, i heard voices… some would sing and some would scream." x "i’m standing in the ashes of who i used to be." x shang-chi au x angst and/or comfort — from @tranquilpetrichor

jacob bae or ji changmin x hozier's francesca x hurt/comfort, angst x a love that endures — from @zzoguri

ji changmin x new year's day (taylor swift) x fluff, comfort — from anon

jacob bae x band au x secret muse/songwriter au x vancouver by big naughty x busking — from @hongyangi

choi chanhee x e2l x she fell first, but he fell harder trope x banter/teasing — from @richasdiary

lee hyunjae x royalty au x poor girl/servant girl x royalty/prince au — from anon

lee hyunjae x bad boy good girl trope — from anon

kevin moon x older brother's best friend x secret relationship x "good morning, sleeping beauty." x "is that my shirt?" x "you look good like this." x "are you trying to get us in trouble?" x "are you sure this is a good idea?" x fluff, suggestive — from @confuchan

lee juyeon x "we can't keep doing this" x bffs 2 lovers — from anon

choi beomgyu x heartbreak girl by 5sos x angst, uber fluffy ending — from @loveliestfelix

lee jeno x best friends 2 lovers x dress by taylor swift — from anon

eric sohn x hands by flatsound x angst with or without a happy ending — from anon

eric sohn x “is that my shirt?” x fluff/suggestive — from anon

lee hyunjae x "you can hold my hand, if you want." x zombie apocalypse au — from anon

kim sunwoo x sweet nothing by taylor swift — from anon

[gsirvitor]

“Again, not disinformation.”

THE STORY IS FAKE YOU RETARD. IT IS DISINFORMATION.

“It's actually very reputable outside of your political aisle.”

NO MAGAZINE THAT MANUFACTURES FAKE STORIES IS REPUTABLE.

“Pick one.”

THE ROLLING STONES DOES NOT MANUFACTURE FAKE STORIES AND PUBLISH THEM UNDER THE PRETENSE OF NEWS. THE POST MILLENNIAL DOES.

“Holy fuck, you fell for the AntiFa conspiracy that was spread to discredit him while he was busy unmasking AntiFa terrorists? Talk about bring ideologically captured.”

ITS NOT A CONSPIRACY. ANDY NGO GAVE A LIST OF PERSONAL INFORMATION REGARDING PEOPLE HE WAS WRITING STORIES ON TO AN ATTOMWAFFEN MEMBER. THIS IS A FACT. IT HAPPENED.

JUSTIN TRUDEAU IS NOT MAKING KIDS GO TO ANY DRAG QUEEN CAMP.

YOU ARE DELUSIONAL.

KILL YOURSELF NOW.

Ignoring the first bit because I want to show everyone you're just reacting without actually looking anything up.

"Justin Trudeau is not making kids go to any drag queen camp."

That is the statement I wish to focus on.

Justin Trudeau's government is funding a "drag queen summer camp" for children as young as 7 years old.

Do you enjoy expressing yourself through clothing, makeup and performance? Do you have an alter ego that is just waiting to hit the stage? Our new two week senior Drag Camp might be just your cup of tea, honey!

You can't get much more un-subtle than that. The event organizers claim that drag "is for everyone," and that participants will be "provided with a Drag Makeup Starter Kit!"

This is for 7 year olds...

Government grant records show that the Canadian government has heavily bankrolled the theater that's sponsoring the child centric drag camp. Taxpayers are funding this. Taxpayer dollars are going toward the indoctrination of young children in Vancouver.

And make no mistake, they are very much looking to indoctrinate.

Nothing I have said, or provided is misinformation/disinformation, I am not a liar just because you dislike your side being exposed.

[lotannawrites]

Vancouver Fashion Week: Fall/Winter 2024 edition

Lotanna’s review.

“Oftentimes people think of producing fashion shows as a super glamorous job. While there is definitely some glamour to it, in the end, when we are in the middle of the show, the majority of our job is hard work with real-world deadlines”- Paul Bennett IV, Producer

Respectful Discourse: I encourage respectful discussion and welcome differing opinions. Fashion is a dynamic and evolving art form, and dialogue fosters growth and understanding within the industry.

Notes:

With my quality experience in event production, I looked forward to this year's starter edition of the Vancouver Fashion Week. I stepped in with a heavy motion, wanting to learn and tap into the doings of staff and volunteers; the Vancouver Fashion Week (VFW) is very well known in the Vancouver fashion scene, from the designers to the weathering event space and the relentless media coverage, they are in too deep in the system. Although I only attended the first and last day this season, I observed so much from both shows. I’ll clearly state what I thoroughly observed off the logistic affairs and mention the designers that caught my eye during the days I attended in the week. Enjoy the read;

Logistics & Event Production

My main fascination revolved around the logistics and event production of the VFW. The event production team did [quite] the job ensuring reasonable quality control. To organize a week-long fashion show involving multiple designers, models, and fashion enthusiasts requires a tremendous amount of effort, which has been consistently carried out for 23 years. Even though I only attended two days of the fashion week, I noticed a couple cues and nuances from the production team.

Production teams are the underdogs of any event. They are the ones that do the nitty gritty and get their hands dirty to make an event glamour “glam.” with alignment and organization in a team, perfection can be accomplished. As I highlight the production team in the fashion week in this article, I am focusing on the seat assignment managers, event ushers, and guest service staff. I am also shedding a little light on the volunteering staff as well.

Now, what did Lotanna get off the production team during the VFW Fall/Winter 2024 edition?

Real Talk:

I planned to attend only this fashion week's first and last days. My main objective was to observe the attendees' engagement and event flow of the production team on these days. During my attendance, I closely observed the staff and volunteers diligently performing their assigned tasks..

Day one was packed! It made me realize that crowd control is everything. With the number of people that came to the show, attendee management and crowd control were vital.

As I stood watching the first show, I observed the row coordinator deftly orchestrating the flow of movement as people navigated the space; nonsense was not an option! During the break between shows, my guy Blinkzz and I scanned the area for seats. Entry to the fashion week doesn't guarantee you a chair unless reserved or through other levels of entry. Luckily for us, we came across this savvy event coordinator named Jevon. He used a tactic to seat us under the reserved seats (he is the goat for that). This experience told me how the coordinators make time to individually elevate the attendee experience on top of everything. It demonstrates the importance of a positive work ethic, a friendly demeanour, and the value of hospitality within the event staff.

One thing that caught my attention was the presence of young and creative volunteers in the event production team. Their unique perspective gave the VFW a fresh and modern touch. My friends Stephen Ng’ang’a and Richard Goodluck were volunteers for the event's media crew, allowing them to build their craft, learn more, and meet other creative minds in their industry. Vancouver Fashion Week constantly grows the next gen of designers, creators, and models in the Vancouver fashion event scene.

The production of a fashion event is serious work, from time management to event control. Every step is important.

Look out for the closing.

The Designers

I would be delighted to share with you my thoughts on the designers who particularly impressed and intrigued me with their designs and runway shows.

Day 1

SOLIT (JAPAN)

This all-inclusive Japanese fashion brand started the show with a killer performance—yes, a performance. Their runway pattern showcased their beautiful fall/winter designs with a choreography that resembled a movie. They expressed their collection with a show that beautifully flaunted it while telling a story that highlighted love, diverse experiences, and the global environment. I am all for showing how fashion values society. They did a great job.

HAZIHAUS

Hazihaus grabbed my attention with its designs; its fall/winter "Inner Child Ambrosia" screamed its monochromatic palette of maturity. I found the collection to be very generic. Although I have seen some similar designs online and in some knitted attire brands, this is the first time I have seen them in fashion week. The knitting techniques and fabric manipulations seem familiar, but I adore the colour scheme and runway experience. I am glad that VFW acknowledges luxury streetwear brands. Good show.

Day 6

QZ SHEN (CHINA)

I couldn't help but swivel from side to side in awe as I took in this innovative menswear label! The runway setting was outstanding—from the lighting and model strides to the designs! I am interested in the touch of minimalism in the designs. Nowadays, most people, especially [here] in Vancouver, yearn for that minimalistic luxury. QZ SHEN delightfully expressed a free and cozy lifestyle with a line that ventures into camping activities and outdoor sports. I see them in their innovative era and hope to hear about them everywhere soon.

EDUARDO RAMOS

This founder-named label is one that I was low-key looking forward to. I remember seeing them in the spring/summer 2024 show last year. Their runway performances always emotionally impact the audience, whether through the designs, performances, or model strides. The founder always takes the leap of confidence to express the collection's story. Without confidence, you can't express. As a designer, you have to take that leap to make something that is different and goes against the grain. Eduardo Ramos always steals the show. I am a fan.

Honourable Mention:

Smouldy

Even though I was not present for their show, the designs flew to my phone. Smouldy's Planet Claire collection is fantastic. The designers' ultramodern pieces and commitment to reducing fabric waste inspire me. Sustainable impact is something all designers and fashion labels should practice. Well done, Smouldy.

Closing

Final Review

The last day of fashion week was as packed as the first, if not more. There was no space! Thankfully, my friend Akin and I strategically came at the right time to get good seats. The event coordinators were up and about, organizing more seats and telling people where not to sit. It was definitely not as smooth as the first day. I recall a seating assignment officer confidently informing a guest that their ticket did not correspond to their assigned seat. Her authoritative voice exhibited signs of strain due to demanding circumstances.

In just six days, the remarkable contributions of approximately 50 designers, alongside the dedicated production team, infused every corner of the event with creativity and innovation.

Let's take a moment to revisit the quote I mentioned earlier. It is important that we pay close attention to this particular part. "in the end, when we are in the middle of the show, the majority of our job is hard work with real-world deadlines"

Seeing the effort put into producing this event inspires me; the team and the volunteers are the backbones of this show! Production teams are the unsung heroes of event production. Amidst all the glitz and glamour, these underdogs are partaking in a different show—life. Transitioning between each point of the schedule, directing the designers and the runway, and controlling attendees must be handled with skills and routines to perform accurately. The Vancouver Fashion Week production team had a successful week for Fall/Winter 2024.

It is always important to appreciate the work done behind the scenes in Fashion Events. With heartfelt gratitude, I seize this moment to extend formal appreciation and recognition to the exceptional event production team of My Sophomore Event, the Oversabi edition of STACKED FASHION CONVENTION;

Yakndara Udoimeh - Fashion Event Producer

Haleemah Daramola - Stylist & Runway Head

Halimat Ahmaed Adagiri - Brand & Event Coordinator

Ayanfe Oladipo - Event Coordinator

Jason Akan "Jupefruit" Udoimoeh - Videographer

LSD Dave - Photographer/ Videographer

To every production team member, whether mentioned or not, your unwavering dedication during any event support is invaluable. Your passion and commitment brought the vision to life, creating unforgettable moments and leaving an indelible mark on all who attended. Thank you for your invaluable contributions and unwavering commitment to excellence.

And to you, the readers, thank you for taking the time to delve into my review. Your interest and engagement are greatly appreciated.

Signing out.

Lotanna Ifeatu Louis Uzomah.

[sinsoakedsaints]

closed starter for: @chronicxwanderlust​​

based on: this meme. expect several xoxo

“I can’t hide anything from you, can I?” 

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Hollywood is the single best example of mature labor power in America

This afternoon (May 6), I’ll be in Berkeley at the Bay Area Bookfest for a 3:30PM event with Glynn Washington for my book Red Team Blues; tomorrow (May 7), it’s an 11AM event with Wendy Liu for my book Chokepoint Capitalism.

Weds (May 10), I’m in Vancouver for a keynote at the Open Source Summit and a book event at Heritage Hall and Thu (May 11), I’m in Calgary for Wordfest.

The Writers Guild is on strike. Hollywood is closed for business. The union’s bargaining documents reveal a cartel of studios that refused to negotiate on a single position. This could go on for a long-ass time:

https://www.wga.org/uploadedfiles/members/member_info/contract-2023/WGA_proposals.pdf

If you’d like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here’s a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/06/people-are-not-disposable/#union-strong

The writers are up for it. A lot of people are saying this is the first writers’ strike since 2007/8, but that’s not quite right. That was the last time the writers went on strike against the studios, but in 2019, the writers struck against their own talent agents — within the space of a week, all 7,000 writers in Hollywood fired their agents. They struck against the agencies for 22 months.

https://deadline.com/2023/04/hollywood-strike-writers-guild-studios-talent-agencies-1235333516/

The agencies had consolidated down to four major firms, two backed by private equity who loaded them up with debt that could only be repaid if the agencies figured out how to vastly increase their profits. They did so, by unilaterally switching the way they did business with their clients. Instead of taking a 10% commission on the creative wages they bargained for, the agencies started to take “packaging fees” from the studios for putting together a writer, director, stars, etc. These fees came out of the same budget that the talent got paid from, so the higher the fee was, the less the talent made. Soon, some showrunners were discovering that they were getting 10% and their agents were getting 90%!

The agencies weren’t done, either: they were building their own studios, and planning to negotiate with themselves on behalf of their clients. The writers said fuck this shit. They issued a code of conduct ordering the agencies to knock all that shit off. The agencies swore they’d never do it. Why should they? Every job these writers had ever done came through an agency, and the agencies were staffed with the toughest, most obnoxious negotiators on the planet.

They were sure the writers would cave. After all, the top tier of writers had been handled with kid gloves by the agencies and not ripped off to the same extent as their jobbing, workaday peers. They’d break solidarity and the union would collapse, right?

Wrong. Twenty-two months later, every one of the agencies caved on every single point. Bam. Union strong.

(Want to learn more? Check out Chokepoint Capitalism, Rebecca Giblin’s and my book about creative labor markets:)

http://chokepointcapitalism.com

Now the writers are back on strike and it’s triggered a predictable torrent of anti-worker nonsense (“striking writers will lead to public indifference to torture!) (no, really) (ugh):

https://www.readtpa.com/p/on-the-tv-writers-strike-dont-fall

One common theme in these bad takes is that writers aren’t real workers, like, you know, coal miners or Starbucks baristas. They’re coddled intellectuals, and haven’t the intelligentsia been indifferent to proletarian struggle since, you know, time immemorial?

This is wrong in every conceivable way. For starters, it’s ahistorical. Lord Byron and innumerable other toffs and poets and such were right there with the Luddites, demanding labor justice during the Industrial Revolution, as Brian Merchant writes in his outstanding, forthcoming history of the Luddites, Blood in the Machine:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/20/love-the-machine/#hate-the-factory

But you don’t have to look back to the stocking frame to find this kind of solidarity. As Hamilton Nolan writes in his newsletter, “Hollywood is the single best example of mature labor power in America”:

https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/the-coral-reef-of-humanity-encircling

The entire Hollywood workforce, from grips to carpenters, costumers to plumbers, teamsters to medics, is unionized. That includes writers and actors (I’m a member of IATSE Local 839, AKA The Animation Guild). I live in Burbank, the entertainment industry’s company town (fun fact! The “Hollywood” studios are largely over the city line, in Burbank). Walk down Burbank Boulevard, Magnolia Boulevard, or any of the other major roads, and you’ll pass many union halls.

Burbank is a prosperous place. That’s thanks, in part, to the studios, whose entertainment products are very profitable. But working in a profitable industry is not, in and of itself, a guarantee that you will get a share of those profits. Some of the most profitable industries in the world — e-commerce, fast food, logistics — have the lowest paid workforces.

Burbank is prosperous because the unions made sure that everyone — the grips, the costumers, the animators, the actors, the writers, the teamsters and the pipefitters — gets a decent wage, decent health care and a decent retirement. My pal the set-dresser who worked crazy hours shlepping furniture around sitcom sets for decades? All that work did bad stuff to his joints, which meant that he needed a hip replacement in his forties — which was 100% covered, including his sick leave while he recovered. He was able to take early retirement in his late fifties, with a solid pension, with his health in excellent shape and many years of happiness with his partner stretching before him.

That’s what unions get you: a good job that might be hard at times, and the costs of your work are borne by the employer who profits from your labor. As Nolan writes, the point of unions is to “make sure that people! Are! Not! Disposable!”

Unions deliver the American dream. As Pete Seeger sang in “Talking Union Blues”:

Now, if you want higher wages let me tell you what to do You got to talk to the workers in the shop with you You got to build you a union, got to make it strong But if you all stick together, boys, it won’t be long You get shorter hours, better working conditions Vacations with pay. Take your kids to the seashore

http://www.protestsonglyrics.net/Labor_Union_Songs/Talking-Union.phtml

We tend to focus on wages in union discussions, but unions aren’t merely about getting better pay, it’s about making better jobs. When LA teachers went out on strike in 2019, wages weren’t at the top of their list — they bargained for greenspace for every school, replacing rotting portables with permanent buildings, ending ICE entrapment of parents at the school gates, social workers and counselors for schools…and wages.

I really like how Nolan puts this. The way that the studios make money has changed: streaming is clobbering ad-supported TV and movie theater tickets. The studios are adapting. The workers want to adapt, too. The studios would rather “treat[] their work force as a disposable natural resource to be mined, used up, and then abandoned, as business dictates.”

A union gives workers “the same ability to adapt to changing industries that companies already have.” The studios want to leave workers behind. Unions give workers the collective power to say, “No. You’re taking us with you.”

Union workers are wealthier than their non-union counterparts, but that’s not just because of higher wages. As Nolan writes, “Unions make sure that the people get to adapt to changing industries, and not just the investors and the business owners.”

[Union workers] have a far greater ability to build coherent, long-term careers, as opposed to a constant treadmill of unstable short-term gigs. In non-union industries, businesses can just act like ships cutting through a desperate sea of workers, scooping up whoever they want and then tossing them overboard as soon as it’s convenient. In a union industry, though, the companies are forced to deal with the labor force as an equal. The workers have their own damn boat.

Advocates for market capitalism insist that market forces increase prosperity for everyone. They say that, in the end, having corporations serve their shareholders results in corporations serving everyone.

But a comparison of unionized and nonunionized industries reveals the hollowness of that prospect. Hollywood is wildly profitable and it pays every kind of worker well. That’s because workers have solidarity across sectors and trades. Striking writers like jonrog1 are calling on supporters to donate to the Entertainment Community Fund:

https://twitter.com/jonrog1/status/1654168529728307204

The Entertainment Community Fund supports everyone else who is affected by the work-stoppage, all the other creative and craft trades whose work has been halted by the writers’ struggle. If you want to support these workers, make sure you select “Film and TV” from the drop-down menu when you donate (we gave $100):

https://entertainmentcommunity.org/

Because all the workers are in this together. As Adam Conover explains in this amazing CNN clip, David Zazlav, the head of CNN parent-company Warner-Discovery, made a quarter of a billion dollars last year, enough to pay all the demands of all the writers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL-YwKO81go

And Carol Lombardini, spokesvillain for the studio cartel AMPTP, told the press that “”Writers are lucky to have term employment.” As John Rogers says, she “wiped out the doubt of every writer who wasn’t sure this negotiation really IS so important, that it actually IS about turning us into gig workers.”

https://twitter.com/jonrog1/status/1654506611086606336

The stakes in this strike are the same as the stakes in every strike: will workers get a fair share of the value their labor creates, or will that value be piled up in the vaults of $250,000,000/year CEOs? It’s not like the studios especially hate writers — like all corporations, they hate all their workers. The same tactics that they’re using to make it so writers can’t pay the rent today will be turned on every other kind of Hollywood worker tomorrow — and when the writers win this one, they’ll support those workers, too.

There’s a lot of concern about AI displacing creative labor, but the only entity that can take away a writer’s wage is a human being, an executive at a studio. As has been the case since the time of the Luddites, the issue isn’t what the machine does, it’s who it does it for and who it does it to.

After all, as Charlie Stross points out, a corporation is just a “Slow AI,” remorselessly paperclip-maximizing its way through the lives and joy of the flesh-and-blood people who constitute its inconvenient gut-flora:

https://media.ccc.de/v/34c3-9270-dude_you_broke_the_future#video&t=3478

Catch me on tour with Red Team Blues in Berkeley, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, DC, Gaithersburg, Oxford, Hay, Manchester, Nottingham, London, and Berlin!

[Image ID: Animators walk the picket-line during the Disney Animator's Strike in 1941.]

Image: LA Times https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Screen_Cartoonist%27s_Guild_strike_at_Disney.jpg

CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en

[cossssmuses]

𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 .

comente um dos números + um dos emojis para um starter fechado! (não esqueça de colocar a @ dos seus personagens ou dar opções)

@alicecampcs (enfermeira, 26 anos, daqui mesmo)

@augwstf (dentista, 35 anos, daqui mesmo)

@erinwu (cozinheira, 25 anos, londres)

@gwilcy (atendente, 22 anos, vancouver)

+

📲 para um starter no formato de sms/dm/etc.

🍄 para um starter normal.

[earthpkmnheadcanons]

Do you know of any pokemon that live around Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington?

The Portland area is well-known for its abundance of water-types. Squirtle, Basculin, and Tympole are some of the most common sightings in the city, and Squirtle in particular are the most popular starters in Portland. Like any other city, Portland also has plenty of electric and flying-types, including large flocks of Starly. The Portland area is also known for having far more ghost, psychic, and dark-type trainers than most other American cities. Common starters for these trainers are Murkrow and Stunky, both of which can easily be found around the city and are well-adapted to urban environments.