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kaijuzilla · 5 years

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MOD REVIEW: Godzilla King of the Monsters (2019)

*This contain spoilers so if you want to avoid it then please do no continue reading this post.*

“Which of these Titans are here to threaten us, and which of these Titans are here to protect us...”

Where can I start.... The moment when I saw the trailer in college in spring time 2019, I was excited and hype for this film. And when me and my friend went to see it and got out:

THIS MOVIE IS AMAZING!!!

I really don’t get it whats with critics on this movie but as a fan and going all honest this movie is a good Godzilla movie! The director or the person behind this movie Mike Dougherty, took all the problems from the 2014 film, fixing it, added some awesome stuff, and this movie was born! Along with that we got Mothra who looks more insect appearance but still majestic beauty, Ghidorah who is freaking terrifying and making this the scariest and coolest Ghidorah, and Rodan who is on fire and is hot! Also he gives me a starscream vibe as well which everyone said same thing.

The plot tells that things are happening and citizens are blaming the Godzilla and Monarch for this disasters which they go on a riot to say that all of the monsters must be destroy. But Monarch refuses and wanted theses creatures to live because “they deserve the right to live” since they live here before us. Basically which one is here to live with us in harmony and which one is here to kill us. The people still think they should kill them but Serizawa still believes theses creatures are good on the inside and not monsters and wanted humans and monsters in a symbiotic relationship. Suddenly one of the scientist broke the Monarch code by releasing Ghidorah and is up to Monarch and Godzilla to stop the Monsters from creating disaster.

I also think the humans are actually alright in this movie than the 2014. But the 2014 film has one great actor who delivers it well but die later which kind of lost the character knowing them well because he’s like the most recognizable character and so does Serizawa. But this movie we learn about (some) of the characters more! Yes there are alot of characters in this movie and I think they’re all alright.

There’s also this Eco-terrorist group who wanted to free all these monsters from their cages and take their DNA for black market like those people from Pacific Rim. Also their goal got to success t release them all when Ghidorah calls all of them when crowned himself king. TBH do they even think that when these monsters are destroying every humanity they are gonna be kill too? Like really Ghidorah is the one that causes the planet Venus lifeless and you’re it’s next target.

One thing that got me like shock is that Serizawa assistants just die early int he film which just shock me alot. I kind of wanted to know about her character and why and how she became Serizawa assistant.

I’m also glad Mark Russell who is played by Kyle Chandler, who is a zoologist gets a character development in the film because from the beginning he hated Godzilla because he lost his son in the disaster of 2014 if San Francisco from the MUTOs (I’m not only one who notice those red military light guys falling from the sky from the beginning of the movie right?). Which close to end of the movie he learned that Godzilla is good and began to accept him. (Also makes me learn how alpha or hunting packs work)

Dr Emma Russel who played by Vera Farmiga, where her character is she is good (1) but she thinks she’s doing a good which made her the villian (2) thing but turns out bad so go back to being good (3). (1) she made this ORCA where it help control the titan by doing an alpha frequency thing which works on Mothra and Rodan and Ghidorah, (2) when she was caught by the Eco terrorist and see that releasing titans and radioactivity in San Francisco making plant life grow back which see human are infection decided to release and try release all titans to help restore balance to humanity and think this is what her son wanted (Ghidorah was second), (3) Ghidorah turns out to release all titans and controlling them all to destroy everything and learn that this isn’t good and Madison (her daughter) straight her out that this isn’t what will bring harmony or give what her dead son want to the world.

Did I mention there’s a prequel of this movie before it was released and it’s a comic? This is a same thing like Godzilla Awakening which we learn that Godzilla is an ancient apex predator that loves for many years that went to the center of the earth for radiation because the radiation on the surface of Earth is low. BUT THIS MOVIE TELLS US THERE ARE 17 TITANS/KAIJUS AROUND THE WORLD!!! They also involved in histories like mythology creatures (because they’re named after them or some) where it’s goes to saying that people sees them as gods. And this is reveled when Godzilla is laying to rest in this underwater city which is probably Atlantis? Where it show that people back then sees them as gods which is really cool and i want to know more about this. TBH if this happens in real life this could possibly happen in the past if these monsters exist.

One thing it’s very strange we see a bigger hunch spiky back Femuto again. It’s because we thought those babies and the two MUTOS are last of their kind from the 2014 film, and the Prime was killed in the comics as well. And this one isn’t pregnant which also bow down to Godzilla too. But I will say out of all Kaiju the Behemoth is the strange but one of my favorite kaiju design. Maybe because it’s a mammal and it’s so rare to see a mammal kaiju since it’s mostly Insects, Aliens, Amphibians, Birds, Fish, and Reptiles. We do see some on screen but in the novel tells us what the other titans are doing around the world. Surprising fact the Leviathan outpost in in Loch Ness meaning that Nessie is a kaiju or something!?

One thing that make the monsters amazing by their designs but also their facial expression which gives them more life and not Disney Lion King live action movie lifeless expression. We understand their emotion by their facial expression and not their voice.

We see Godzilla just showing intimidation to people and King Ghidorah who they both showing high level of intimidation! Also Ghidorah head that represent their personality are good and there’s reason why Kevin is the dumb one. Because the heart is on the right side of the body the right and middle get more blood to their brains while the left side aka Kevin get less blood in his brain (My friend explain this after the movie). And when Rodan got stab by Mothra stinger (which my friend also explain that Moths do have stingers IRL but never uses them because they don’t harm any creature and are like butterflies and bee hybrid like insects) he was showing that “anime pain gasp shock eye facial expression” because DAM right into the shoulder!!! Which then when he tries to challenge Godzilla for the throne he was like “aw hell sorry my king please forgive me I Starscream knee before you Megaton!!!”

Before I close to finish it off I want to say again Ghidorah in this film is the most scariest and terrifying monster of all time! The moment he survive the oxygen destroyer was so suprise he survive and Godzilla has a heart attack. The moment when Kevin head grows back after ripped off was just horrifying and just HOLY SHIT moment. Even seeing him as he crown himself the king now as he roar so lod showing the church is like we’re seeing the Devil begin the end life on Earth! Even when his history was meant to be erase and forgotten in the past is a surprising. Just glad they stick to alien and not bio genetic creature from the future that makes him look like a vampire furby baby face (I will admit the Dorats look cute).

Also one question....how dafug did the government military manage to make the Oxygen Destroyer. Yes it’s a prototype but if this is a prototype does this mean the perfect Oxygen Destroyer become Destroyah later on. Also you think the monster causes problem, that bomb kill alot of fish population right there! But during the film Serizawa sacrifice himself to save Godzilla by bringing the atomic nuclear bomb to blow up to help recharge his nuclear energy aka giving him some juice to make him stronger.

What make this movie fun is jsut there’s so many easter eggs in this movie! I spotted some but i bet there’s more somewhere that youtube explained see: Roidan is making nest at MT Fuji (Rodan movie), Twins and Infant Island (Mothra), Kong is poted and mention alot in the film which also leading to Kong vs Godzilla, Monster Zero, (again) The Leviathan is Nessie from Loch Ness, Mecha Kevin, 2014 sky falling scene, Mothra wing represent Godzilla eyes, Mothra egg after she die but chances maybe minilla or junior, A mysterious skeleton at Godzilla lair. That’s all i got so far. but idk if the sphinx would count because that is actually like a cancel 1998 Godzilla aka Zilla movie sequel.

What also surprising is that Godzilla and Mothra are actually a thing together! And tbh for the longest time I ship theses two (haven’t ship for a long LONG time)! it explain it’s a “symbiotic” relationship but still it’s cute.

Ok now the probably the best part of the movie is the monster fight scene. It’ss just so amazing what theses things can actually do on screens. Just when Godzilla and Ghidorah fight the third time they just charged to each other causing this huge shockwave boom that shook the sky! Rodan just peck the HELL out at Ghidorah when they first met! Mothra (again) Stab Rodan giving him the worst pain of his life on his shoulder! Kevin head ripped off! (Kevin nooooo), and the final part of the movie. Mothra Die from Ghidorah when protecting her Lamp Husband!

But the part when Godzilla when thermal nuclear aka BURNING GODZILLA!!! HE FUCKING BURNS THE WINGS ON GHIDORAHS WINGS LEAVING NOTHING BUT IT’S FINGERS THINGS!!! GHIDORAH TRY TO FIGHT BACK BUT IT’S NOT WORKING AND GODZILLA PULSES AGAIN DISINTEGRATE KEVIN AND RIGHT HEAD LEAVING THE ALPHA HEAD ALONE AND JUST CRUSH IT’S CHEST OPEN KILLING IT AND CREATE HUGE A EXPLOSION!!!!!!

Ok we’re at the ending a- OMG HE SURVIVED!? NOPE!!! GODZILLA RIP THE HEAD OFF AND SMACKING IT DOWN AS IT STILL ALIVE WHICH HE IS EATING THE NECK! TO FINISH IT OFF IT CHARGES IT’S ATOMIC BREATH AND SHOOT THE HEAD TO THE SKY!!!!

THIS IS WHY GODZILLA IS THE TRUE KING OF THE MONSTERS!

He fought something that could out class him and dominates it, No matter how must of a pain he’s in he still stands tall, he continues fighting and not retreat and rematch again (Gamera)!

That is the coolest death kill ever and turns out the spark from the mouth was actually a burp which is funny. Don’t believe me? go to Mike Dougherty twitter he tells everything about the movie.

Now the one part that makes me want to react with the other titans too which i feel like all Godzilla fans did too in the theaters because i got the same feeling to just wanting to bow down to Godzilla for some reason? Just when Madison (Mark and Emma daughter who is Millie Brown from Stranger Thing as Eleven) uses the ORCA to bring all titans to Boston. They all arrive seeing their king to be dead by Godzilla which looks liek they’re all about to challenge him, even Rodan look piss off for he want to fight for his fallen king death. He tells them to back the fuck down which Rodan being the Starscream dude he is bows down before his true king and so does (mostly) everyone, even the Femuto who is the natural enemies to his species bows before him! This turned all the titans good and help bring amazing impact around the world: Amazon Rainforests that was wiped out are growing back, endanger animals are off the endanger list, stabilized world sea levels from Antarctica, fish population rises too, etc...

Then there is the after credit where the leader of the Eco terrorist finds Kevin and is going to take his head. And also show many hits saying seismic activity at Skull Island and show cave painting of Kong and Godzilla fighting each other!

This is what “which titans is here to threaten us, and which titans are here to protect us.” from the beginning. There are two kings and one of the is a false king who call himself king and wants to bring destruction to everything it sees. Godzilla job as an apex predator is to bring balance to nature and humanity as a True King to the throne. If any one of them go out of Godzilla rules then they will be slap to their head.

So then that is King of the Monsters and it still a great film! I still can’t believe critics say “too much monster fight scene” and blah blah blah they don’t know what a Godzilla film actually is tbh! This movie did amazing and even thought there’s some problems it still make a good movie. I will give it an:

8 or 7 out of 10

If you want to watch this I would recommend watching old godzilla films which also count kong, mothra, and rodan before you see this film but for a quickie i would recommend Godzilla Awakening, Godzilla (2014), Skull Island: Birth of Kong, Kong Skull Island, and Godzilla Aftershock to get to know the movie and the Monsterverse. There’s also the novel too which holds more information that didn’t get on screen and it’s low price and it’s good. I really wanted to get off my chest and it just so good! i think next review I might do Endgame maybe?

#Godzilla King of the Monsters #Godzilla #kaiju #mod #mod review

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khadij-al-kubra · 6 years

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Can I Bar-row Your Attend-tion (ch. 4)

Pairing: Roman/Patton

Characters: Roman, Patton, Logan, Virgil, Thomas, Joan, Talyn, Valerie, Terrence, Dio (Deceit), (some OCs)

Word Count: (I know, I know, it’s long. I’m sorry! I couldn’t settle on a good stopping point. XO )

Summary: Roman and Patton are two bartenders at a local bar & grill with some serious chemistry. However, the only people who don’t realize it are each other, and one of them is in a relationship…on the rocks.

Author’s Note: Hey friends! A thousand pardons for the late update! It’s been crazy in my life lately. Thank you so much for your patience, and don’t worry, we’re nearing the home stretch. Again I am SO thankful to see all the positive feedback so far and am happy you’re enjoying it! If you’d like to be in the tag list for future chapters in the Bar & Grill AU or other works by me, let me know. And as always feel free to leave a comment in the messages or reply if you have any notes or constructive critiques. I’m always open to writing advice. Oh, and buckle up, ‘cause this chapter is gonna get angsty. Enjoy!

<--PREVIOUS

Chapter 4: Bad News Served Neat (POV- Patton)

Patton missed Roman. He knew it was sort of ridiculous, but it was true. Roman was getting busier with the rehearsal nights, and even though he knew it was only temporary, Patton missed having the flamboyant creative man working beside him those few nights a week at the bar and grill. Missed his smile, missed the excessive gestures whenever he spoke to others, missed the way his nose crinkled before a sneeze, missed his deep hearty laugh and the way he whistled Sondheim songs while cleaning the mixer.

Patton knew he had feelings for the actor, but it wasn’t until they’d danced together three days ago that he realized juts how deep he was in. Part of him felt guilty for it, heartless even, because he was still in a committed relationship with someone else. But the heart is its own master he supposed. Patton had spent the entire weekend thinking about it. On Saturday he overfilled the food bowls at the shelter while daydreaming about kissing Roman. And on Sunday he burnt a batch of brownies replaying their conversations in his head. Only friends… For just a moment he had thought Roman was going to kiss him, that maybe he actually felt something more for Patton. Of course that’d be too good to be true. Patton sighed sadly and took out a mini chocolate chip.

“Excuse me, where is my drink order?” asked a new customer at the bar.

“Just a second,” said Patton. He stuffed the cookie in his mouth and finishing his line of orders.

Remy hadn’t shown up yet, later than usual even by his standards, so Patton was left to build drinks alone. Unfortunately for him it was a busier night, the old place filled with both old and new faces, and it was only 8pm. Patton hadn’t even taken his dinner break yet because he didn’t want to let Logan down. The poor businessman tried to pitch in when he could, but Logan also had to man the front register. Even Joan and Talyn were too busy to stop and say hi.

“Here you go. Sorry for the wait,” he said, handing over the tequila sunrise. “We’re a bit understaffed today.”

“Clearly,” the customer said stiffly, straightening her grey blazer. Patton pouted at her. Meany.

“Aaand here is your wine Valerie. Sorry for the hold up,” he smiled apologetically.

“Oh don’t worry sweetie. I can tell you’re busy,” she said, reaching over her half eaten plate of house salad and wings to pat his arm.

“Thanks for understanding kiddo.” He gave her a smile before getting back to work.

“So is it true that you and Roman actually broke into song and dance?” she asked, her big brown eyes sparkling.

“Yep. He was having a bad day and, well, I just had to cheer him up somehow. And you know he’s such a big Disney fan.” Patton sighed at the memory fondly. “It was really nice…and Logan hadn’t even been mad.”

“Awwww! I can’t believe I missed it! Wait till I tell Jas and Calypso, they are going to flip out.”

“Well you can tell them you heard it straight from your ol’ pal Patton. I wouldn’t want them to think you were being phony...Get it? …Like a flip phone?”

“Oh, right, ha-ha…” Valerie laughed, but even Patton knew it wasn’t his best joke.

“Anywho, back to work. There you are fellas. Three beers,” he said to three burly men in Roman’s section, smiling brightly at the new faces.

“Thanks,” said the one in the middle.

Normally Patton would take the time to talk a bit more with the new customers, make them feel welcomed. Tonight however his heart just wasn’t in it. No, his heart was somewhere else, and that made him feel guilty. Because even with his thoughts focused on Roman lately, part of his brain was still hooked on another man. One whom he felt was slipping father away. He munched another cookie.

Patton shook the bad thoughts welling up from his head and took a tray with three drinks to the far dinner tables. He brought one to a regular customer Madeline at table 14, stopping to say hi to her seeing-eye dog Jerico, and then brought the other two to table 12. There sat Terrence and a pretty red head he’d already taken here to eat twice before.

“Alrighty, here we go. One rum and coke for you Terrence, and one Scotch for you lovely date.”

“You’re the best Patton,” said Terrence.

“Daww same to you kiddo. Let me know if you have any problems with this tiger,” he said to the girl as he teasingly elbowed the policeman’s shoulder.

“You’re right Terrence, he is a riot,“ said the redhead, giggling at her date’s embarrassed face. “You don’t have to worry though, he’s been a perfect gentleman.”

Even with his coco skin tone and the low lighting Patton could tell that Terrence was blushing like a beet. “Uh well…thanks… y-you too o-of course. Uh, N-not a gentleman! I mean, not that you’re a man, like, gentle…woman…”

The girl merely laughed and smiled at him. Terrence smiled bashfully back. This is so pure, Patton thought wistfully. He left them alone, but couldn’t help looking back with a sigh. What he wouldn’t give to spend a night like that with a certain someone. Guilt welled up in him again as he realized the man in his fantasies wasn’t his boyfriend. Which it should’ve been, right? Because that was the right thing to think about? People in relationships should be thinking about the person they were in the relationship with. Not someone else. Wasn’t that betraying the other person?

Suddenly the image of Roman’s warm smile and strong arms wrapped gently around him popped into Patton’s mind. It made him smile, but then he frowned just as quickly with guilt.

“Patton, how are you holding up? You seem distressed,” Logan said, coming over to the bar.

“Oh it’s okay Logan,” he said, snapping back to attention. “I’m doing fine. Really.”

“Apologies that I cannot help more.”

“I’m handling things alright. It isn’t your fault.”

“While that is kind of you it is indeed my responsibility as your employer. A foolish mistake on my part, thinking I could count on my cousin for assistance. Then again, he did need the work. Regardless, I have messaged Roman to see if there was any possibility of him coming in later to help you with closing up the bar.”

“Oh! Well, that works.” Patton said, unable to hide his giddiness at the possibility of seeing Roman.

“So far no word, but I shall keep you updated. Meanwhile, I’m going to see if I can’t get at all in touch with Remy on his whereabouts.” Logan took out his cellphone and vehemently dialed a number. His mouth was stretched in a thin line of impatience. “Remy, it’s Logan. Where the hell are you?”

Logan walked away with the phone, but Patton heard Remy from the other line saying, ‘I have, like, NO idea!’

You’d think being busy with work would have taken Patton’s mind off of things, but nope. If anything he was stuck even further into the swirling whirlpool of unpleasant thoughts and memories. Like Friday night when Dio had to cancel another one of their dates, telling him something came up at work. Patton had been sad, but honestly he was sadder about the fact that he wasn’t surprised than by the cancellation itself. It had even taken away some of the joy he’d felt after singing and dancing with Roman. Sure, Dio had made it up to him by taking him out to dinner Saturday night at his favorite restaurant, but Patton’s heart just wasn’t in it. Wasn’t in the relationship anymore. He couldn’t help feeling guilty over that, probably because he was too nice for his own good. Then again, Dio didn’t seem so invested in the relationship lately either.

Patton wasn’t as naïve as people made him out to be. He could tell that the flame between him and Dio wasn’t as bright as it had been the first three months of their relationship. Things had been so wonderful back then. Patton remembered the first time they met in the park, how mesmerized he had been by Dio’s dancing and the way they locked eyes. He came back to that park every other day just hoping to see him. Dio would always bring him flowers until he finally asked Patton out officially. He remembered their first date, all the movie and make-out nights, the time Dio won him a stuffed cat at the carnival, taking Dio to the zoo and seeing the giddy look on his boyfriend’s face in the reptile room…cartoon-a-thons, whispered secrets as they lay in bed holding hands…That all seemed so long ago.

Then Dio got less enthusiastic about their dates, almost bored. Patton tried to put more effort into it, thinking maybe he just wasn’t showing enough appreciation. Not long after he stared feeling wilted…felt like he had to try harder, even when he didn’t always want to… But hey, relationships weren’t always sunshine and smiles, right? Patton couldn’t break up with Dio just because they’d hit a rough patch. Part of him did still love Dio…at least he was pretty sure he did. They’d been together so long, those feelings couldn’t just disappear, right? He munched on two more cookies.

“Hey Pat, you okay dude?” Alex asked from their usual corner seat at the bar.

“Of course kiddo! I’m always a-okay!” Patton said, plastering on his best smile.

“You sure? ‘Cause you’ve been hitting the cheer-up cookies kinda hard tonight. That was your fifth one.” Uh oh. Has it really been that many?

“Weeell sometimes that’s how the cookie crumbles.” He grinned cheekily as the young artist groaned. “But I appreciate you looking out for your old pop kiddo.”

Patton playfully ruffled Alex’s beanie. They grumbled a bit, but Patton could see the small smirk on their face.

“Oooh is that a new piece you’re working on?” asked Patton, spotting the open sketchbook on the bar surface.

“Um, not really,” said Alex, nervously twirling their long blonde hair. “Its something I’ve been working on for a while. I’m just touching up some parts. Virgil gave me some really helpful feedback. He really is talented…”

Patton took note of the soft smile and slight blush on their face at the mention of Virgil. Could Alex possibly be crushing on his stepbrother? The thought made Patton feel bubbly inside but he fought to curb his cupid-like tendencies. He had his own relationship and romance woes to worry about. Playing matchmaker for his favorite pan pals probably wasn’t the best idea.

A light knock on the kitchen widow sill alerted Patton to Thomas’ presence. The chef was holding a small plate of steaming rice and beans with what looked like pieces of chicken sprinkled with chopped green things. What was that, cilantro? Bell peppers?

“Hey Patton, could you taste test this dish for me?” Thomas asked. “I’m trying to convince Logan to let me add some new specials to the menu.”

“Absolutely kiddo!”

Patton took the plate of food, blew on it and spooned a bit of everything into his mouth. The flavors of caramelized onions, black beans, savory chicken, warm rice, and just a hint of lime danced across his tongue. Heavenly.

“Thomas, this is so good!” Patton said, mouth half full.

“Thanks Pat!” Patton savored the look of pride on his friend’s face. “Yeah, it’s called pollo a la plancha; my gran’s old recipe. You know, she’s the one who taught me how to cook in the first place.”

“That’s so sweet! I’m sure Logan will let you add this. He’d be pretty kooky not to once he tastes it.”

“I still say it need more cilantro, guero,” called Enrique from the kitchen.

“You leave my abuelita’s recipe alone!” Thomas cried into the kitchen, making Alex and Patton both laugh. It was his first real laugh he’d had all day.

Patton was about to get back to the bar and check if anyone needed a refill, but then he saw Virgil rush in through the door. He looked very distressed, which made Patton worry.

“Hey Virgil,” both Thomas and Alex said.

“You here for your usual?” Thomas asked.

“Not here for a mozzarella run this time Thomas,” said Virgil. Then he turned to Patton. “Got a sec? I need to talk with you in private.”

“Uhhh,” he looked to his friends who seemed equally concerned then check the bar. Everyone seemed fine for the moment. “Sure Virge.”

He’s immediately let away gently but earnestly to the other side of the bar. It was the only unoccupied spot in the place so they could talk in private.

“What’s up kiddo? Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine, but…” Virgil tugged nervously at his hoodie strings. “I’ve kinda got some bad news.”

“Is it mom and dad? Did something happen to them?”

“No, no! Mom and dad are fine. It’s just,” Virgil huffed. “Okay, just, promise me you won’t freak out please?”

“Of course, just tell me what’s wrong so I can know how to help you.”

The emo artist looked at him with pained sympathy. “You’re great Pat, but I’m not the one whose gonna need help this time.”

Patton waited patiently. Virgil closed his eyes, took a deep breath and said in a rush, “IsawDiocheatingonyou! There. It’s like a Band-Aid rip.”

Patton blanked for a second. It was rushed but he’d heard what Virgil said. Could he have heard wrong?

“Wh-wh-what?” he asked softly.

Virgil sighed. “I was working on my mural and ran out of paint. So made a parkour run through the park since it’s a short cut to the nearest art supply store. I was cutting through some trees when I thought I saw a certain someone’s bowler derby through the leaves…But he wasn’t alone” His teeth clenched at the memory but Virgil kept going. “I got close enough to get a better look without being seen. I thought, like, maybe I’d seen wrong, running and all…but I didn’t. It was Dio, and he was with some other guy…and they were making out. Like, full on tongue fencing.”

“A-are…are you sure Virge?” Patton asked, his voice barely a whisper.

“Yeah. I saw his tattoo. It was definitely Dio. I’m so sorry Pat!”

Thoughts and memories swirled through Patton’s head. He didn’t even hear the music in the bar and grill, like his ears were full of emotional cotton. He knew that Virgil wouldn’t lie to him. Yet part of Patton, probably the too-nice-for-his-own-good side, wanted to deny it, give his boyfriend the benefit of the doubt. But now that it had been said aloud there was no denying the truth. It explained so much. The lack-luster touches, distracted texts, and all the cancelled dates because ‘something came up.’ Patton knew Dio was losing interest in him, but he never thought he’d stoop so low as to cheat on him and lie like that. Then again…didn’t he always lie? Oh how could I be so STUPID!

Patton took the entire bag of mini chocolate chip cookies out of his apron pocket. He shoved his hand in and grabbed a fistful. Before he could shove the sweets into his mouth however they were knocked out of his hand. He turned to a stern faced Virgil. Patton frowned back, mad at him for depriving him of the only thing that could cheer him up right now, and defiantly grabbed another fistful.

“No!” Virgil yanked the bag of cookies out of his hands.

“Give it,” Patton said, reaching for the back.

“NO!” Virgil said forcefully, holding them out of reach.

“Virgil Alighieri, you give me back those cookies THIS INSTANT!” Patton stomped his foot.

Instead of giving them back Virgil yeeted them into the nearest trash can. Patton gasped, fighting the urge to cry. He wanted to shout at his brother but it came out more like a pathetic whine.

“Virgil!”

“I am NOT gonna let you eat your feelings again! You’ll make yourself sick. Remember last time?”

He did remember the last time. It was senior prom. Patton had plucked up the courage to ask the girl he liked at the time to go with him to prom and she said yes. Patton had been so excited he bought her a corsage in her favorite color and everything! The day of, however, she approached him after class to tell him she couldn’t go after all. Apparently her long distance boyfriend had flown in for a surprise visit and they were going to have a private dinner together instead. To be fair she had seemed genuinely sorry, even kissed him on the cheek and thanked him for being such an understanding sweetheart. Still, he was crushed. Virgil went as his date instead, but Patton had been so upset he wound up eating nearly all the food at the snack table. He’d spent the rest of the night throwing up in the bathroom. Patton could still remember the smell of puke and how green his face had looked in the mirror. Green like a snake…like Dio’s favorite animal…Dioooo!

The floodgates burst. Patton felt Virgil’s arms wrap around him as he sobbed into his brother’s shoulder.

“It’s okay bro, I’ve got you,” Virgil said, rubbing his back soothingly.

“H-how could he do that to me?” Patton cried. “How c-could h-he cheat? After six months! How could he LIE!?”

He was well aware that he was causing a scene. A grown man whimpering and sobbing in the middle of a bar wasn’t exactly inconspicuous. He didn’t care though. His heart was broken. Not even so much from the betrayal, but because he’d been foolish enough not to see it. To stay even when he’d felt so unhappy and unloved because he didn’t want to hurt the other person. He always thought it was worse to break someone else’s heart than to get your own heart broken. Boy was he wrong. Heartbreak feels so much worse!

“Patton, what’s wrong?” He heard Talyn’s concerned voice ask.

“Are you okay?” Joan asked, big brown eyes wide with worry.

Patton half turned out of Virgils arms to look at them both. “Noooo.”

“I saw Dio kissing someone else in the park.” Virgil explained. “’Nuff said?”

“Oh, that son of a—

“L-language,” said Patton.

“Oh Patton, I’m so sorry!” Talyn hugged him from behind.

“Yeah man,” Joan rubbed his arm gently. “You don’t deserve this.”

Don’t I though? Patton didn’t say this aloud though. He just let himself have a long time coming cry surrounded by his friends.

“Hey can we get some drinks over here?” One of the men at the bar shouted.

“Shut up!” Joan and Talyn shouted back. The guy slinked back in his seat grumbling about bad service.

Just when Patton thought he couldn’t make more of an embarrassed spectacle of himself, Roman bursts in through the door. Oh nononono I can’t let him see me like this. The thought only makes Patton cry harder.

“Greeting hungry and thirsty patrons! Logan, I got your text and lucky for you my rehearsal got out early tonight. Apparently the director ate a bad—“

That’s when he looked up and saw Patton. The smile on Roman’s face dropped and his brow wrinkled with worry. In just a few strides he was standing before Patton, who couldn’t for the life of him stop crying. Whether from sadness or embarrassment he couldn’t tell, maybe a bit of both, but the look of concern on Roman’ face quieted him just a little. Roman cupped his cheek’s gently in his warm hands, his thumbs wiping away some of Patton’s tears.

“Patton, what’s wrong? Are you hurt? Did someone hurt you? Are you sick? Virgil, what on earth happened!?”

Virgil filled him in on the story. It hurt Patton to hear it again, but he was too upset to explain it himself. His sobs had at least died down to hiccuped cries, but he still felt so heavy with sadness. As Roman heard the news his face went from worry to shock to anger and then…something else…something cold. He took a deep breath, turned back to Patton with tenderness in his eyes. Maybe it was because he was so raw with emotions, but Patton couldn’t help himself from practically falling into Roman’s arms. He needed more than just a brotherly hug. He needed to feel wanted. For a second Patton was worried that he’d overstepped a line of sorts, but instead of pushing him away Roman held him back. It wasn’t a long embrace but the warmth (maybe even love) that poured through was enough to finally soothed the storm in Patton’s heart. He wasn’t okay, but he felt safe in those strong yet gentle arms.

Eventually though Roman did pulled away reluctantly. Then he took Patton’s hand—the same one he’d bandaged a week ago—and kissed it. He smiled at Patton sadly and then gave a nod over his head to Virgil. The anxious artist nodded back and gently put an arm back around Patton. Roman turned around but Patton saw his fists clench and the muscles of his back tightened.

“I’m going to kill that creep,” said Roman, his voice low and filled with rage.

“Wha—“

He watched Roman storm away. Patton’s stomach twisted with worry. There was no denying Roman was strong and could hold his own, but so was Dio. The dancer was also fast and tricky. What if Roman got himself hurt? He couldn’t bare the thought.

“Roman where are you going?” Logan said as the actor passed the register. “You just got here.”

“Sorry boss. I’ve got a knuckle sandwich to deliver!”

“Roman, wait!” Patton reached out, but he was already out the door. “…Oh no…nonono he’s going to get himself hurt! Virgil!”

“He’ll be okay Patton.” Virgil squeezed his arm reassuringly. “Trust me. Princy will be just fine.”

“But what if something happens to him? What if Dio…”

The thought of anything bad happening to his strong, brave and sweet prince sent Patton into another fit of tears. His friends surrounded him with their embraces. It didnt stop the tears, but their love he felt from them was like a balm on his heart.

“Hey, what’s going on you guys?” Thomas asked, now out of the kitchen.

“Virgil, what the hell happened?” Alex asked.

Valerie came over to them as well. “Why did Roman storm out the door? Why is Patton crying?”

Virgil sighed. “I am so tired of being the messenger here. Joan, you mind?”

“Apparently Dio’s been fucking cheating on Patton so Roman went to kick his ass,” said Joan.

“WHAT!?” Valerie shrieked. “Oh sweetie,” she gave Patton an almost motherly hug.

“That bastard,” said Alex. “Good on Roman though. Hell, maybe I’ll go help him.”

“Dude, no.” Virgil gently held them back.

By then everyone was aware of what was going on and why. The newer faces were just annoyed by the lack of service and some were heading to Logan with their complaints. The regular patrons on the other hand were just as angry at Dio’s infidelity and probably could’ve made a pretty decent mob. However they opted instead to show support and comfort to their favorite fatherly bartender. Eventually though Logan broke through the small gathering of irate diners and came over to the bar. He pushed up his glasses, clearly confused and frustrated.

“What in the world is going on here? Customers are complaining. Why are none of you working? You know how swamped we are. And since when did we add a new sandwich to the menu? Why did Roman— Patton…Are you ill?”

“…No,” he sniffled. “Not exactly.”

“But then why are you so distressed?” Logan asked, concern and confusion painted across his usual stoic face.

“Patton is, uh, heartsick,” Talyn explained carefully. “Like how my head hurts real bad during migraines, except emotionally…”

Logan seemed to understand better but sighed. “Feelings. The bane of my existence.”

“I-I’m sorry Lo. I’ll g-get back to work. I just…just need a minute.”

Logan turned to the complaining customers, then back to his employees in front of him. Patton could practically see the wheels in his mind turning, puzzling the situation out. He placed a hand on Patton’s shoulder.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, how bad is the pain?” he asked gently.

“Logan.”

“How bad?”

Patton sniffled. “…9…”

That seemed to settle it. Logan pulled out a chair from the nearest table and stood atop it. Then he cleared his throat.

“Attention everyone,” he said loudly. When they hushed he continued. “I have heard your complaints about the lagging service tonight, and I assure you this is not typical of Sanders’ Bar & Grill. That being said, due to a personal emergency, I shall be closing up early today.” Logan gave Patton, whose mouth was agape, a small reassuring smile before continuing. “Therefore I must ask you to kindly vacate the premises. I will see to it that those who’ve yet to receive their orders will be refunded and that you all receive a coupon for one free lunch...should you…come back. I…sincerely apologize for this gross inconvenience and while I hope you return, I shall understand if—“

“Logan, Relax,” said Terrence, getting up from his seat. “We understand.”

“Do what you gotta do man,” said Alex.

“We’ve been coming here long enough to know you’re good on your word,” said Madeline, her dog barked as well. “I’ll be back for that free lunch though.”

“This place has the best drinks in town,” said Valerie. “And the best bartenders. Where else am I going to go for happy hour?”

“We’ll be back,” said another regular.

“All of us,” said another.

Of course Logan was met with some complaints, but the glares from the Sanders’ regulars shut them up enough. Logan’s mouth quirked into a soft smile. He looked deeply touched by their loyalty, as well as relieved. Patton was touched by it as well. Logan stepped back down and readjusted his tie before ushering a few grumbling customers to the register. Meanwhile Thomas went to help close up the kitchen. Joan and Talyn went to clean up the place as well. Patton stayed close to the bar, but he wasn’t left alone. Not only did Virgil stay beside him, but his customers stopped by as well. He smiled as they all came up to him on their way out with words of comfort and reassurance. They called Dio an ass, and assured him that Roman would be okay. Some gave him hugs or squeezed his hand, telling him he’ll be okay; he deserves better. Their kindness meant the world to Patton, but part of him couldn’t help wondering if they were right. Did he really deserve better?

A half hour later the tables were cleaned, chairs flipped up onto the tables, and Sanders’ was officially closed early for the night. Logan had let everyone go home early, assuring them all they wouldn’t lose out on the day’s pay. An exhausted Joan and Talyn went home, giving Patton another hug goodbye first, but Thomas stayed behind. He was worried about Roman as well and wanted to make sure he got back all right. Sometimes Patton forgot how close of friends the two were.

Patton of course stayed as well. Virgil insisted on not leaving his brother and Patton was grateful for that. He was all cried out now but the heaviness hadn’t left his heart. Now that he knew the truth about Dio, what was he supposed to do? Were they officially over? Dio didn’t know that Patton knew, but did that matter since he was the one that cheated? It’s not like Patton wouldn’t have every right to leave him…but could he face being alone again?

A sudden ringing startled Patton from his thoughts. It was the bar’s landline phone. Logan walked over and answered.

“Salutations, Sanders’ Bar & Grill. I apologize but we are closed for the— Yes this is he...Wait, where is he? ….I see….Very well. I’ll be right there. Yes, I shall indeed. Alright. Thank you.” He hung up the phone.

“What was that about?” asked Virgil.

“That was the police station,” said Logan, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Apparently Roman has been arrested.”

“What?” said Patton and Virgil.

“Is he okay?” asked Thomas.

“For now, but I have to go. I’ll be back. Thomas, watch the place until I get back.”

“No prob Logan.”

With a curt nod, Logan was out the door. Thomas slumped into a chair, running a hand through his hair, and Virgil was doing breathing exercises to keep from panicking. They both stopped however when they saw that Patton was still standing in the middle of the room trebling.

“Patton?…Bro, it’s gonna be okay,” said Virgil.

“Yeah, Logan’s on the case. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Thomas said.

“Excuse me please,” Patton said in a rush as he retreated to the back storage room.

Once he was alone Patton tried to calm himself down. His hands shook and he paced around the small room. Thoughts of Roman locked in some small cell, possibly hurt, and all alone invaded his mind. Oh my poor precious impulsive knight in shining armor. He can’t do hard time. He won’t survive in jail. It’s full of too many bad people and he hates the color orange. Oh why oh why did I let you go?

His phone rang then and he jumped at the sound. He checked and saw it was a text. From Dio.

Boyfriend <3: I need you to come pick me up at the park.

That’s it? That’s all he had to say to him!? Patton frowned and dialed the number. He heard the phone ringing and eventually Dio’s voice on the other line.

“Patton? Did you get my text?”

“Dio. What happened?”

“What happened you ask? I’ll tell you what happened. Your crazy co-worker came out of nowhere and jumped me at the park! He kept screaming that I stay away from you, the psycho. But don’t worry I –ow— took care of him.”

Patton gasped. “Wha-what happened to Roman? What did you do to him?”

“What are you worried about him for? He attacked me. Gee, I expected a little more sympathy from my boyfriend. But if you want to know, he only managed to land a few hits. He’s –ow, ouch— he’s in way worse shape than me.”

Even Patton could tell he was lying. Hard to tell a decent fib when you were in pain. Even so, what if he was telling the truth? What if Roman really was hurt?

“By that point the cops came by and I told them how he assaulted me. They took care of him. Good riddance. I wouldn’t want you around the likes of him. But uh…I really do need to get picked up. And uh, maybe we could stop by, like, City MD or something? Not that I need it. Can you come by or what?”

Patton said nothing for a moment. Then he straightened his back, felt something settle in him like a stone. “Ask your other boyfriend.”

“…What?”

“Ask. Your other. Boyfriend.”

“What are you talking abo—

“You’ve been seeing someone else, haven’t you.”

“Now Patton, where would you get a silly idea like that?”

“Please Dio, for once in your life don’t lie to me! Have you been cheating on me? Yes or no?”

“...Patton, kitten, you know I love you.”

“No… You love yourself. But you know what? So do I. And maybe I am too nice for my own good, but I have enough self-respect to know that I deserve better than a lying, cheating slimy snake for a boyfriend! …Its over Dio.”

“You can’t just leave me.”

“Sure I can. Goodbye.”

Patton hung up then immediately deleted Dio’s phone number and texts before he could think twice. Good thing he let Virgil convince him not to move in with Dio after four months. It was finally over. Patton let out a shuddered breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He realized then that his glasses were blurry with tears, but even so he felt…better. Like his chest was finally free of the heavy weight from before. A small laugh escaped his lips. Patton was proud of himself…but there was still one big fear that had its claws sunken into his heart and wouldn’t let go.

“Oh Roman, please be okay.”

FINAL-->

Tag List: @altruistic-skittles @thekeytohappiness-is-you @canadian-crofters@icecoldparadise @bluebloodstains @purpleshipper@patchworkofstars@axyzel @hissesssss @beautifully-terribly @pink-and-purple-flowers@jynxlovesluck @thatsanswitch @6tick6tock6 @hanramz-the-fander @azlinne @helplesscreator @thestoryofme13 @bibbidi-bobbity-booyah@accidental-sanders @moonstonefox12 @hissesssss @smokeyrutilequartz @phlying-squirrel @madly-handsome @puns-and-patton @notveryglittery @eequalsmcscared @safesandersides @lizziepopanime @anxiously-unsatisfied-world @beautifully-terribly @justisaisfine

#My writing #Bar & Grill AU #royality #sanders sides fanfic #roman sanders #patton sanders #virgil sanders #logan sanders #thomas sanders #joan and talyn #sanders sides fandom #original characters #deceit sanders #fanders #i know its long im sorry #KDsWriting

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newx-menfan · 6 years

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I think one of the reasons why the NXM aren't used much anymore is that their creators and writers have moved away from Marvel. So while you have Bendis shoehorning Goldballs into Miles Morales and Tom Taylor putting Gabby on an X-Men team, Nunzio, Weir, Kyle and Yost have all moved on into other things, and the new Marvel writers don't have the same connection to these characters they did.

I definitely think that *IS* part of it; but I also think it’s really telling that the majority of characters getting pushed tend to be less diverse.

I still fully believe the real reason the time displaced original five happened in the first place was it was a convenient way for Marvel to avoid using POC and LGBTQIA characters.

You can argue that the original five are ‘A-listers’- but let’s be honest, how popular realistically are the original five? While there definitely are some fans of the original team, most X-Men readers prefer Claremont’s Uncanny.

Other than Bobby, you had no other LGBTQIA characters on the team. Oya and Bloodstorm were from the beginning represented as secondary characters (in the Extermination event, writers are even semi-fridging Bloodstorm for Scotts characterization on top of it…).

As I’ve said in previous posts- In comparison, New X-Men WAS always about Surge, David, and somewhat Wind Dancer in the beginning; in many ways I think you could make an argument that Prodigy WAS the clear protagonist of the series, since most of the storytelling hinged on him (DeFilippis and Weir’s future storyline and his struggles with Elixir, Kyle and Yost showing him struggling with his power loss and relationship with Surge before him finally accepting his situation in ‘Quest for Magik’…).

What characters are getting pushed right now?

-X-23, a white female in the comic books; who does have a history of mental illness and abuse. Honey Badger as well.

- Quire, a white male character who started out as commentary on extremism in Morrison’s writing… whose now being written as sympathetic despite basically being an allegory for INCELS and school shooters (remember, the riot at Xavier’s STARTED in part because the Cuckoos refused to give him attention…).

-Glob Herman, another character involved with 'Riot at Xavier’s’.

-Out of the New Gen X. Kids, who’s getting pushed the most? Eyeboy, the white male heterosexual character.

-Out of the Generation Hope, it mainly tends to be Hope. Sometimes Oya as well, but her characterization has been all over the place; from decently written to a caricature in Jason Aaron’s work…

-The Stepford Cuckoos have also been getting a push; white upper class young women

-Ink, which is basically a white heterosexual male committing cultural appropriation of mutants

-And then again the original five + Jimmy…

The only diverse characters getting REGULARLY pushed in the past few years are:-Gold Balls-Shark Girl -Oya-Kid Apocalypse -(occasionally) Bling!-(occasionally) Armor-(occasionally) Bloodstorm-Young Iceman

I’m not saying you can’t have white/male/heterosexual/Cis/upper to middleclass characters in your writing- what I AM saying, is it starts to look questionable when that’s the majority of characters getting pushed by editorial.

This, on top of mass cancellations of more diverse titles, Marvel’s comments PUBLICLY about diversity, and other choices do kind of all seem to indicate that Marvel writers have an issue with diversity. Again, if Marvel DOESN’T want readers to assume prejudice is factoring into their decision making, then they need to take a look at some of their current words and choices. If you don’t want to be thought of as catering to the Comicsgate movement, MAYBE they shouldn’t have publicly used diversity as a scapegoat for bad sales.

(The real problems with Marvel are- poor marketing, using old or outdated business practices, bad writing, not enough editorial, overworked and underpaid workers, overuse of events and cheap marketing gimmicks, dependency on movies and Disney to sell their products, and so many other problems that ARE NOT DIVERSITY…).

* Young Avengers has the exact same issue- it wasn’t Eli, Billy, or Hulking out of the original YA who has received a large push after the series ended.

It was Kate Bishop/Hawkeye.

While America Chavez (Part of YA vol. 2) has also been pushed, it tends to overwhelmingly be Kate Bishop that writers will give solos to and use in a majority of books.

Recently, a writer/artist team was gunning for Marvel to let them do a Wiccan/Hulking miniseries or ongoing-still didn’t get made, despite the fact that Wiccan has a huge fanbase…

So yeah, while part of it may be that the new writers and editorial aren’t big New X-Men fans… It still looks questionable to me when you really look at the characters getting pushed vs. the ones that aren’t.r

#opinion #controversial opinion #hot take #Marvel #new xmen #new x men #original five x men #young avengers #academy x #diversity #representation #Jordan D White #new x men academy x #bring back the new x men

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jenroseyokel · 6 years

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Awesome of the Year 2018: The Books

Happy New Year! ‘Tis the season for year end lists left and right as we attempt to figure out the best of everything from 2018. And of course, as a fan of books, music, and movies, it’s only right to get in on the list-making. Over the next week or so, I’ll be sharing my 2018 favorite lists. First up: books! This year, I set my Goodreads reading challenge at 40 books, and actually passed it. I’ve been setting arbitrary book goals for years, but I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve succeeded since 2007. Probably because of all the graphic novels and comic trades I read this year WHICH TOTALLY COUNT BTW. Ahem. Anyway. This isn’t really a best of 2018 list so much as a Here’s a Bunch of Books I Really Liked in 2018 list, split up into categories. I hope you’ll find something interesting here, especially if you’re looking for ways to spend bookstore or Amazon gift cards you got for Christmas… ;)

Newish Books by Rad Christian Women:

Every Arbitrary Book Goal should have a small correlated goal attached. This year mine was to make sure I read at least 50% women authors… and there have been a lot of GREAT new books from women writers in the past few years. If the “Christian women” section of your local bookstore makes you cringe a little inside too, check out these three wonderful books, all released in the past couple years:

Courage, Dear Heart by Rebecca K. Reynolds (NavPress, 2018)

Anyone who has read Rebecca’s writing knows she needed to write a book. She has a sharp mind, a poet's soul, a scientist's eye, and the most beautiful, tender heart. Also, she's an incredible writer who loves her readers with a love that radiates off every page. Buy a copy for everyone you know.

Wearing God by Lauren F. Winner (HarperOne, 2017) Girl Meets God was a formative book in my early 20s, and I’ve always meant to read more from this author, but somehow haven't. I finally picked up this one and oh man, for a solid month afterward I couldn’t stop thinking about it. With the eye of a scholar and the heart of a poet, Winner draws on personal stories, deep Biblical study, and a love of language to explore lesser known metaphors for God. Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren (InterVarsity Press, 2016)

Several years ago, James K.A. Smith’s Desiring the Kingdom helped me see liturgy in a new way, as not just religious practice, but the embedded routines that shape us. In this book, Tish Warren brings that idea to life as she walks through an ordinary day explores the holiness in our most mundane moments of living. You may not look at brushing your teeth or losing your keys the same way again.

Good Stories

This year, fiction reading was… all over the place? I don’t know if I read much that was OMG amazing, but here are a few that were fun…

The Fairyland Series 2-5 by Catherynne M. Valente (Feiwel & Friends, 2012-2015)

I am notoriously awful at finishing book series. I read the first Fairyland book maybe… two years ago? Yikes. Just finished the last one and wow, so fun. Colorful characters, a whimsical narrator, crazy locations, and a whole lot of heart make this Victorian fairytale meets contemporary fantasy a delight to read.

Til We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis (Harcourt, 1956)

Lewis’ contemporary retelling of the Cupid and Pschye myth through the eyes of Psyche’s jealous sister Orual. Second read for me, and even better this time around. Pretty sure this is Lewis’ storytelling at his best.

Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw (Orbit, 2017)

This was a year to embrace fun, nerdy reads. So there was the Star Trek spoof Redshirts (with a plot twist I totally saw coming... and I am not good at guessing plot twists) and my first trip into the Star Wars extended book universe (or whatever the heck they call it these days) and… this. A story about a doctor for the undead in London, trying to solve the mysteries surrounding a murderous cult and keep her monster friends safe. Not the greatest, but a fun Halloween read. I’ll get to the sequel eventually. (See also: bad at finishing book series.)

Poetry for Everyone

Another new reading practice this year: always keeping a poetry book on the bedside table. Poetry books are best for leisurely dipping in and out rather than reading cover to cover. If you think poetry is only for the ivory towers, give these writers a try and think again.

A Child's Year by Christopher Yokel (Independent, 2018)

Okay, I’m biased here, but hey! Chris quietly released a new poetry book into the world this fall, and I’m a big fan of Chris AND his poems. A Child’s Year is a season cycle, sort of like his last book A Year in Weetamoo Woods, but this time it’s anchored by a four part poem recalling the journey of seasons through childhood eyes. And according to our friend Kirsten’s 7-year-old son, he gets the experience right. ;)

The Jubilee by John Blase (Bright Coppers Press, 2017) For his 50th birthday, John Blase released his first poetry book, with a poem for every year of life. It’s rare for me to make it through an entire collection start to finish but these were just so good. There are poems about aging — the author’s and his parents’ — and poems that evoke wide spaces and natural wonder. There are psalms and parables, and meditations on dying and, yes, living. All of them finely tuned with wisdom, gentle grace, and a touch of humor in all the right places. How I Discovered Poetry by Marilyn Nelson (Dial Books, 2014)

When I heard Marilyn Nelson read her poem “Thirteen-Year-Old American Negro Girl” on the On Being podcast, I was captivated. And when I found this lovely hardcover in a used bookstore back home in Florida, I knew I needed to read more. This is a memoir in poetry about growing up in a black military family during the American Civil Rights era, told with gentle lyricism, warmth, and humor. Plus, the book itself is lovely with whimsical illustrations and family photos.

Comics!

I’m always on a quest to get more comics in my life. Plus knocking out a whole series in a couple weeks is a solid way to pad out your Arbitrary Book Goal.

Amulet 1-7 by Kazu Kibuishi (Graphix, 2008-2016)

After their father’s tragic death, Emily and Navin move with their mom to a strange old house that belonged to their great-grandfather… and so the adventure begins. In this fantasy series, the two kids find themselves in an underground world of demons, robots, talking animals, and a dangerous and powerful Amulet. A captivating and beautifully illustrated fantasy tale. Ms. Marvel 1-5 by G. Willow Wilson (Marvel, 2014-2016)

Y’all, I super want to be a Marvel nerd. But alas, I can't keep up, so I get my sister to loan books to me. Ms. Marvel is my new fave. A Pakistani-American girl from Jersey City has the power to grow, shrink, and stretch her body at will. So she’s trying to fight crime, keep up at school, and well, stay out of trouble with her parents. So fun. (Dear Disney: I really want this kid to show up in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. before it gets canceled kthxbye.)

The Legend of Wonder Woman by Ranae De Liz and Ray Dillon (DC Comics, 2016)

Weren’t we all mildly obsessed with Wonder Woman after the 2017 film? Another one I borrowed from my sister. A solid take on Diana’s origin story that’s accessible for comic n00bs (ahem, like me) who can’t figure out where to begin with beautiful art and a lot of heart.

The Classic I Finally Read

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen I always try to tackle either a thick intimidating novel or an unread classic in the wintertime. This year, I worked on my Austen deficiency and discovered I relate a little too much to Elinor Dashwood.

What’s Next?

In the new year, I think my goal is less about numbers and more about reading widely. I liked the 50% women authors goal because it helped me actively choose to support women writers. This year, hoping to read more books by authors of color, explore some new ideas and genres, and hopefully do a better job reading deeply and taking notes. I’ve got my eye on Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge too, perhaps as a way to dig into new things I wouldn’t normally notice. And yeah... perhaps a monthly reading life update is a thing I can do here on the blog. :)

If you’re curious to see the full list of What I Read This Year and follow along with me in 2019, feel free to follow me on Goodreads!

What were some of your favorite reads in 2018? And what are your goals for the new year? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments!

#art #books #reading #awesome of the year #readers of tumblr #reading list #favorite books #best of 2018 #readers are leaders yo

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patriotsnet · 3 years

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Who Was The Leader Of The Democratic Republicans

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/who-was-the-leader-of-the-democratic-republicans/

Who Was The Leader Of The Democratic Republicans

List Of Presidents Of The United States

How Many Republicans and Democrats Have Been President – Brief History #4

The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term by the American people through the Electoral College. The officeholder leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.

Since the office was established in 1789, 45 people have served in 46 presidencies. The first president, George Washington, won a unanimous vote of the Electoral College; one, Grover Cleveland, served two non-consecutive terms and is therefore counted as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States .

There are five living former presidents. The most recent to die was George H. W. Bush, on November 30, 2018.

The presidency of William Henry Harrison, who died 31 days after taking office in 1841, was the shortest in American history. Franklin D. Roosevelt served the longest, over twelve years, before dying early in his fourth term in 1945. He is the only U.S. president to have served more than two terms. Since the ratification of the Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1951, no person may be elected president more than twice, and no one who has served more than two years of a term to which someone else was elected may be elected more than once.

Vindication Of The Constitutionality Of Alien And Sedition Laws

A large minority in the Virginia legislature opposed the passage of the Virginia Resolutions asserting a states right to declare a federal law unconstitutional and specifically declaring the Alien and Sedition Laws unconstitutional. That group of state legislators published this statement as a vindication of the constitutionality of the Alien and Sedition Laws.

The Awful Crisis which has arrived Must be felt by us all. . . . : T. Nicholson, 1799. Pamphlet. Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress

Bookmark this item: //www.loc.gov/exhibits/creating-the-united-states/formation-of-political-parties.html#obj21

Trying To Break Through

The rest of the Democratic field is a mix of seasoned politicians, wealthy business people and others looking to break into or regain their toehold in the top tier of contenders.

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG

Former New York City mayor and billionaire media mogul Michael Bloomberg, 77, formally announced his candidacy on Sunday. The move was an about-face for Bloomberg, who had said in March that he would not make a run for the White House.

Ranked by Forbes as the eighth-richest American with an estimated worth of US$53.4 billion, Bloomberg will have the advantage of being able to self-finance his campaign and pour millions of dollars into advertising and hiring staff. He has won allies in the Democratic Party with his advocacy and philanthropy on climate change and in fighting gun violence. Bloomberg served as mayor of New York, the largest U.S. city, from 2002 to 2013.

READ MORE: I was wrong: Former N.Y. mayor Bloomberg apologizes for stop-and-frisk practice

ANDREW YANG

The New York entrepreneur and former tech executive is focusing his campaign on an ambitious universal income plan. Yang, 44, wants to guarantee all Americans between the ages of 18 and 64 a US$1,000 check every month.

READ MORE: U.S. Democratic debate: Presidential candidates clash, again, over Medicare for All

AMY KLOBUCHAR

Amber Alert for 3-year-old Ontario girl cancelled after she was found safe, police say

READ MORE: One year to go until a divided America faces 2020 presidential election

TOM STEYER

Don’t Miss: How Many States Are Controlled By Republicans

Why Did The Democratic And Republican Parties Switch Platforms

02 November 2020

Around 100 years ago, Democrats and Republicans switched their political stances.

The Republican and Democratic parties of the United States didn’t always stand for what they do today.;

During the 1860s, Republicans, who dominated northern states, orchestrated an ambitious expansion of federal power, helping to fund the transcontinental railroad, the state university system and the settlement of the West by homesteaders, and instating a national currency and protective tariff. Democrats, who dominated the South, opposed those measures.;

After the Civil War, Republicans passed laws that granted protections for Black Americans and advanced social justice. And again, Democrats largely opposed these apparent expansions of federal power.

Sound like an alternate universe? Fast forward to 1936.;

Democratic President Franklin Roosevelt won reelection that year on the strength of the New Deal, a set of Depression-remedying reforms including regulation of financial institutions, the founding of welfare and pension programs, infrastructure development and more. Roosevelt won in a landslide against Republican Alf Landon, who opposed these exercises of federal power.

So, sometime between the 1860s and 1936, the party of small government became the party of big government, and the party of big government became rhetorically committed to curbing federal power.;

California Republic And Conquest

In 1846, a group of American settlers in and around rebelled against Mexican rule during the . Afterwards, rebels raised the at Sonoma. The Republic’s only president was , who played a pivotal role during the Bear Flag Revolt. This revolt by American settlers served as a prelude to the later American military invasion of California and was closely coordinated with nearby American military commanders.

The California Republic was short lived; the same year marked the outbreak of the . When Commodore of the sailed into and began the military occupation of California by the United States, Northern California capitulated in less than a month to the United States forces. After a series of defensive battles in , the was signed by the on January 13, 1847, securing American control in California.

Read Also: How Many States Are Controlled By Republicans

World War Ii To Present

Like in World War I, the state enjoyed a big stimulus to its gunpowder and shipyard industries in World War II. New job opportunities during and after the war in the Wilmington area coaxed African Americans from the southern counties to move to the city. The proportion of blacks constituting the city’s population rose from 15% in 1950 to over 50% by 1980. The surge of black migrants to the north sparked white flight in which middle class whites moved from the city to suburban areas, leading to general segregation of Delaware’s society. In the 1940s and 1950s, the state attempted to integrate its schools. The University of Delaware admitted its first black student in 1948, and local courts ruled that primary schools had to be integrated. Delaware’s integration efforts partially inspired the US Supreme Court’s decision in .

However, integration only encouraged more white flight, and poor economic conditions for the black population led to some violence during the 1960s. Riots broke out in Wilmington in 1967 and again in after which the National Guard occupied the city for nine months to prevent further violence.

This border extends all the way east to the low-tide mark on the New Jersey shore, then continues south along the shoreline until it again reaches the 12-mile arc in the south; then the boundary continues in a more conventional way in the middle of the main channel of the Delaware River.

Civil War And Reconstruction

In the 1850s, the debate over whether slavery should be extended into new Western territories split these political coalitions. Southern Democrats favored slavery in all territories, while their Northern counterparts thought each territory should decide for itself via popular referendum.

At the partys national convention in 1860, Southern Democrats nominated John C. Breckinridge, while Northern Democrats backed Stephen Douglas. The split helped Abraham Lincoln, candidate of the newly formed Republican Party, to victory in the 1860 election, though he won only 40 percent of the popular vote.

The Union victory in the Civil War left Republicans in control of Congress, where they would dominate for the rest of the 19th century. During the Reconstruction era, the Democratic Party solidified its hold on the South, as most white Southerners opposed the Republican measures protecting civil and voting rights for African Americans.

By the mid-1870s, Southern state legislatures had succeeded in rolling back many of the Republican reforms, and Jim Crow laws enforcing segregation and suppressing Black voting rights would remain in place for the better part of a century.

Also Check: Most Republican States 2018

Biden Meets With Executives To Push Vaccine Mandates

President Biden met on Wednesday with top executives from Microsoft, the Walt Disney Company, Kaiser Permanente and other companies that have endorsed vaccine mandates, days after he announced a federal effort to require employees of large companies to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or be tested regularly.

The administration sought to use the meeting to show that vaccine mandates are good for the economy while spotlighting employers that have mandates for workers or have praised Mr. Bidens order. The meeting was meant to rally more business support for mandates.

Its about saving lives thats what this is all about, said Mr. Biden, who was flanked by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Jeffrey D. Zients, the White House pandemic coordinator.

Vaccinations mean fewer infections, hospitalizations and deaths, and in turn it means a stronger economy, he added.

One of the invitees to the meeting, Tim Boyle, the chief executive of Columbia Sportswear, said in an interview on Wednesday that his company had drafted a policy mandating vaccines months ago. But it had held off carrying it out until Mr. Biden announced last week that he was directing the Labor Department to issue an emergency safety declaration that would effectively function as a vaccine mandate for tens of millions of workers. Columbia Sportswear told its workers that it will put a vaccine requirement in place next week.

Right Of States To Judge Constitutionality Of Federal Laws

Trump ‘still the leader’ of the Republican Party and Democrats are ‘terrified’

Thomas Jefferson and James Madison secretly drafted the Kentucky and Virginia resolutions to counter a perceived threat to individual liberties from the Alien and Sedition Acts. Jefferson and Madison were particularly concerned with charges of sedition brought against Republican critics of the federal government. These resolutions asserted the rights of states to judge the constitutionality of federal laws.

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Read Also: Did Trump Say He Would Run As A Republican Because They Are Dumb

Democrats From Clinton To Obama

After losing five out of six presidential elections from 1968 to 1988, Democrats captured the White House in 1992 with Arkansas Governor Bill Clintons defeat of the incumbent, George H.W. Bush, as well as third-party candidate Ross Perot.

Clintons eight years in office saw the country through a period of economic prosperity but ended in a scandal involving the presidents relationship with a young intern, Monica Lewinsky. Clintons conduct in the affair eventually led to his impeachment;by the House in 1998; the Senate acquitted him the following year.

Al Gore, Clintons vice president, narrowly captured the popular vote in the general election in 2000, but lost to George W. Bush in the electoral college, after the U.S. Supreme Court called a halt to a manual recount of disputed Florida ballots.

Midway through Bushs second term, Democrats capitalized on popular opposition to the ongoing Iraq War and regained control of the House and Senate.

In 2008, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois rode a wave of popular discontent and economic concerns during the Great Recession to become the first African-American U.S. president.

Opposition to Obama and his policies, particularly health care reform, fueled the growth of the conservative, populist Tea Party movement, helping Republicans make huge gains in Congress during his two terms in office.

The Fourth Party System

The Fourth Party System lasted from about 1896 to 1932, and was dominated by the Republican Party, excepting the 1912 split in which Democrats held the White House for eight years. American history texts usually call it the Progressive Era, and it included World War I and the start of the Great Depression. The period featured a transformation from the issues of the Third Party System, instead focusing on domestic issues such as regulation of railroads and large corporations , the money issue , the protective tariff, the role of labor unions, child labor, the need for a new banking system, corruption in party politics, primary elections, direct election of senators, racial segregation, efficiency in government, womenâs suffrage, and control of immigration. Foreign policy centered on the 1898 Spanish-American War, Imperialism, the Mexican Revolution, World War I, and the creation of the League of Nations.

Don’t Miss: Who Were The Leaders Of The Radical Republicans?

Demographics Of American Liberals

A 2005 Pew Research Center study found that liberals were the most educated ideological demographic and were tied with the conservative sub-group of the enterprisers for the most affluent group. Of those who identified as liberal, 49% were college graduates and 41% had household incomes exceeding $75,000, compared to 27% and 28% as the national average, respectively. Liberalism has become the dominant political ideology in academia, with 44â62% identifying as liberal, depending on the exact wording of the survey. This compares with 40â46% liberal identification in surveys from 1969 to 1984. The social sciences and humanities were most liberal whereas business and engineering departments were the least liberal, although even in the business departments liberals outnumbered conservatives by two to one. This feeds the common question of whether liberals are on average more educated than conservatives, their political counterparts. Two Zogby surveys from 2008 and 2010 affirm that self-identified liberals tend to go to college more than self-identified conservatives. Polls have found that young Americans are considerably more liberal than the general population. As of 2009, 30% of the 18â29 cohort was liberal. In 2011, this had changed to 28%, with moderates picking up the two percent.

Survey Of The Site For The Federal City Of Washington

An Act for establishing the temporary and permanent seat of the Government of the United States, was signed into law on July 16, 1790. After giving cursory consideration to other locations, George Washington selected a site for the seat of government with which he was very familiarâthe banks of the Potomac River at the confluence of its Eastern Branch, just above his home at Mount Vernon. Andrew Ellicott , federal surveyor of the District of Columbia, prepared this plan in 1792 of what would become the District of Columbia. The outline of the cityâs grid system and the location of the Capitol, the Presidentâs House, and the mall are clearly visible.

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Don’t Miss: Democrats For Trump

‘trumpism Is Not Dead’: Gov Gavin Newsom Wins California Recall Battle And Slams Former President For Suggesting The Election Was Rigged As Top Republican Hopeful Larry Elder Says ‘let’s Be Gracious In Defeat’

Californians went to the polls Tuesday to decide whether Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom gets to keep his job in a special recall election;

Newsom won easily with the race called within an hour of polls being closed in the state – and he proclaimed victory from Sacramento;

‘Democracy is not a football. You don’t just throw it around. It’s more like, I don’t know, an antique vase,’ Newsom said in his victory speech, calling out ex-President Donald Trump for saying the race was ‘rigged’;

Republican Larry Elder was the candidate most likely to replace Newsom;

Instead of challenging the result, Elder said at his election night party in Orange County: ‘Let’s be gracious in defeat’ and kept the door open for a run next year when Newsom is on the ballot again;

Liberalism During The Cold War

American liberalism of the Cold War era was the immediate heir to Franklin D. Roosevelt‘s New Deal and the somewhat more distant heir to the progressives of the early 20th century. Rossinow argues that after 1945 the left-liberal alliance that operated during the New Deal years split apart for good over the issue of Communism. Anti-Communist liberals led by Walter Reuther and Hubert Humphrey expelled the far-left from labor unions and the New Deal coalition and committed the Democratic Party to a strong Cold War policy typified by NATO and the containment of Communism. Liberals became committed to a quantitative goal of economic growth that accepted large near-monopolies such as General Motors and AT&T while rejecting the structural transformation dreamed of by earlier left-liberals. The far-left had its last hurrah in Henry A. Wallace‘s 1948 third-party presidential campaign. Wallace supported further New Deal reforms and opposed the Cold War, but his campaign was taken over by the far-left and Wallace retired from politics in disgust.

Most prominent and constant among the positions of Cold War liberalism were the following:

In some ways, this resembled what in other countries was referred to as social democracy. However, American liberals never widely endorsed nationalization of industry like European social democrats, instead favoring regulation for public benefit.

You May Like: What Caused Republicans To Gain Power In Congress In 1938

First Bank Of The United States

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William Birch & Son. Bank of the United States with a View of Third St. Philadelphia, from The City of Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania, North America, As it Appeared in the Year 1800. . . . Hand-colored engraving. Springland, Pennsylvania: William Birch and Son, 1800. Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress

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Linking Jeffersonian Republicans To The French Revolution

Trumps RNC wrap up put the ‘fear of God’ into the Democrats

In 1792, political pamphleteer William Cobbett settled in Philadelphia and began writing pro-English and anti-Republican articles under the pseudonym Peter Porcupine. Cobbett once described Thomas Jefferson as a deist, a Frenchman in politics and morality and a man as much qualified to be president as I am to be an Archbishop!

Stop the Wheels of Government, illustration in Peter Porcupineâs Political Censor or Monthly Review of the Most Interesting Political Occurrences Relative to the United States of America. Philadelphia: William Cobbett, April 1796. Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress

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Recommended Reading: Did Trump Say Republicans Are Stupid

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advocatewrites-blog · 7 years

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Into the Unknown Part 3 Chapter 4

Into the Unknown

Fandom: Undertale, Coraline (book), Over the Garden Wall, Paranorman, Gravity Falls (season 2)

Characters: Frisk, Norman B., Dipper P., Mabel P., Coraline J., Wirt, Greg, the Cat, the Frog; Sans, Toriel, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, Asgore,; the Other Mother, the Beast, Agatha P., Bill Cipher, Asriel D., Chara D.,

Pairings: Not the focus. Alphys/Undyne, with mentions of Papyrus/Mettaton, sans/Toriel/Asgore, and Wirt/Sara. Due to the nature of Undertale and the dating segments, there is also interpretable Papyrus/Wirt, Undyne/Mabel, Alphys/Dipper, Napstablook/Norman, Mettaton/Norman, Mettaton/Mabel, Sans/Dipper, Sans/Norman, and Sans/Greg.

Rated a high +K for violence, mild language, horrific elements that may be disturbing to younger readers, mentions of child abuse and bullying, character death that is sometimes permanent, and mentions of suicide that may be triggering. These elements remain relatively unchanged from their source material, which most all are for children, but discretion is advised nonetheless.

Disclaimer: Undertale was created and owned by Toby Fox. Coraline was created by Neil Gaiman and owned by Bloomsbury and Laika. Over the Garden Wall was created by Patrick McHale and owned by Cartoon Network. Paranorman was created by Sam Fell and Chris Butler and owned by Laika. Gravity Falls was created by Alex Hirsch and owned by Disney. Any other work mentioned or homage are property of their respective owners. This is a fan-made, nonprofit work that only seeks to entertain. Please support the original franchises.

Start from beginning / Previous chapter / Next chapter

Chapter 4

More people came outside. They stared at the zombies. The zombies stared back.

Finally one woman moved and pulled a shotgun from behind her back. “KILL ‘EM IN THE HEAD!”

Frisk rushed out between them. They started to sign.

“THEY HAVE A HOSTAGE!”

“SOMEBODY SAVE THAT CHILD!”

Frisk tried to say something else. They were shoved back before they could get their hands up, past the crowd of the zombies.

Judge Hopkins took them by the shoulders and steadied them. With one hand, he gave them back the book of fairy tales and the notebook. With the other, he took his hand of Frisk’s shoulder and pointed into the forest.

Frisk nodded in understanding.

A gunshot rang through the increasingly large crowd. Judge Hopkins nearly fell over as it collided with his stomach. Instantly, Frisk opened up their FIGHT menu and ran a Check.

Judge Hopkins 80 ATK 80 DEF

He fell down a long time ago. He let his fear control him.

“Are you serious?” said Norman and Alphys at the same time.

“OHHHHHH YESSS!!!” said Mettaton. “GOOD EVENING, BEAUTIES AND GENTLEBEAUTIES! THIS IS METTATON, REPORTING LIVE FROM MTT NEWS!

“AN INTERESTING SITUATION HAS ARISEN IN EASTERN HOTLAND! FORTUNATELY, OR CORRESPONDENT IS OUT THERE, REPORTING LIVE! BRAVE CORRESPONDENT! PLEASE FIND SOMETHING NEWSWORTHY TO REPORT! OUR TEN WONDERFUL VIEWERS ARE WAITING FOR YOU!!”

It was a bit hard to see clearly with the sets Mettaton had put up, but there were objects that looked out of place scattered across the platform. A basketball that looked more plush that rubber, a binder, a CD case…

“A dog?” Norman asked aloud.

The dog barked and wagged its tail at him.

“WHAT A SENSATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR A STORY!” said Mettaton. “A DOG EXISTS SOMEWHERE. FRANKLY, I’M BLOWN AWAN.”

The dog continued to wag its tail. A glint of black and orange at the end made Norman’s head turn.

“MY COULD THAT BE…IT IS! IT’S A BOMB!”

The backdrops fell apart. Mettaton hovered closer to Norman.

“OH MY!” said Mettaton. “IT APPEARS EVERYTHING IN THIS ROOM IS A BOMB! THAT PRESENT’S A BOMB! THAT BASKETBALL’S A BOMB! EVEN MY WORDS ARE—!”

Boom!

“BRAVE CORRESPONDENT,” Mettaton continued. “IF YOU DO NOT DEFUSE ALL OF THESE BOMBS, THS BIG BOMB WILL BLOW YOU TO SMITHEREENS IN TWO MINUTES! THEN YOU WON’T BE REPORTING ‘LIVE’ ANY LONGER! HOW TERRIBLE! HOW DISTURBING! OUR NINE VIEWERS ARE GOING TO LOVE WATCHING THIS! GOOD LUCK DARLING!!”

Panic swelled in Norman. Was he being serious?

The phone rang.

“Is now really the time?” Norman asked as he answered.

Alphys squeaked. “S-sorry, but don’t worry! I installed a bomb-defusing program on your phone!”

That one took Norman aback.

“Why would you have thought of that?” Norman asked.

“u-uh, I—“

“YOU’RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME, DARLING!!” Mettaton spoke up.

He was right. Norman would just have to ask about that later.

The riots did not stop even after Frisk got away. They wondered if there was anything that could make them stop. They dove inside a nearby alley and hid. Occasionally, they would poke their head behind the corner and watch as things got progressively worse.

There was fire now. The smoke blended in with the rest of the storm.

It took longer for the Cat to find them. The townspeople were probably superstitious of him, too. He gave Frisk a quick glance over to see they weren’t seriously hurt. His eyes narrowed at the book in their hands.

The Witch was watching them. The swirling clouds above began to take shape, and two glowing eyes stared down at them.

Frisk opened up the book and opened their mouth. Their voice seized up.

The cloud’s mouth opened. The sounds of cackling collided with the sounds of thunder. Lighting struck down, and as Frisk faded into unconsciousness, they heard something.

“I’m not listening to that story anymore.”

NAPSTABLOOK22 sent you a friend request. Accept?

The notification vanished before Norman could even tap it.

Seems like it rejected itself… said the Undernet.

Norman sighed as he put the phone away. He would have to find a way to talk to Napstablook later. Right now, he had more pressing concerns.

Behind this door must be the elevator to the King’s Castle. If he could get through it, and then get past the king, he would be home. Something swelled in him that he could not quite place as he stepped inside.

The room was surprisingly empty. Only a few lights were overhead, as dim as they could get. A chill ran down Norman’s spine as he took a few more steps forward. He wasn’t sure if he should be surprised when he saw Mettaton waiting.

“OH YES,” said Mettaon. “THERE YOU ARE, DARLING. IT’S TIME TO HAVE OUR LITTLE SHOWDOWN. IT’S TIME TO FINALLY STOP THE ‘MALFUNCTIONING’ ROBOT. …NOT!!!

“MALFUNCTIONING? REPROGRAMMING? GET REAL. THIS WAS ALL JUST A BIG SHOW. AN ACT. ALPHYS HAS BEEN PLAYING YOU A FOOL THE WHOLE TIME. AND NOW, IT’S TIME FOR HER FINEST HOUR. AT THIS VERY MOMENT, ALPHYS IS WAITING OUTSIDE THE ROOM. DURING OUR ‘BATTLE’, SHE WILL INTERRUPT. SHE WILL PRETEND TO ‘DEACTIVATE’ ME, ‘SAVING’ YOU ONE FINAL TIME. FINALLY. SHE’LL BE THE HERO OF YOUR ADVENTURE. YOU’LL REGARD HER SO HIGHLY SHE’LL EVEN BE ABLE TO CONVINCE YOU NOT TO LEAVE. …OR NOT. YOU SEE, I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS PREDICTABLE CHARADE. I HAVE NO DESIRE TO HARM HUMANS. FAR FROM IT, ACTUALLY. MY ONLY DESIRE IS TO ENTERTAIN. AFTER ALL, THE AUDIENCE DESERVES A GOOD SHOW, DON’T THEY? AND WHAT’S A GOOD SHOW…WITHOUT A PLOT TWIST?”

“h-Hey? What’s going on?” Alphys’ voice echoed from behind the door.

“SORRY, FOLKS! THE OLD PROGRAM’S BEEN CANCELLED!!!” Mettaton continued. “BUT WE’VE GOT A FINALE THAT WILL DRIVE YOU WILD!!”

The platform lit up in magenta stage lights. It shot itself up into the air, Norman and Mettaton still on it.

“REAL DRAMA!! REAL ACTION!! REAL BLOODSHED!! ON OUR NEW SHOW…ATTACK OF THE KILLER ROBOT!”

Norman’s Soul jumped from his body. Instinctively, he reached for the phone and pressed the yellow button.

“THAT WORTHLESS PEA-SHOOTER WON’T WORK ON ME,” said Mettaton. “DON’T YOU KNOW WHAT ACTING IS?”

The phone started to ring. He answered.

“U..uh…I can’t see what’s going on in there, but…” said Alphys on the other end. “Don’t give up! Th…there’s o-one l-l-last way to beat Mettaton. It’s…um…it’s…This is a work in progress, so don’t judge it too hard…if you can turn him around and press the switch on his backside, he’ll…he’ll become…vulnerable. G-gotta go!”

She hung up before Norman could get a word in edgewise.

Mettaton was still monologuing about something. He probably did not even see him on the phone.

If he was right, Norman realized, then there was no reason to trust Alphys. And if he was right, Norman realized, he was out of options anyway.

“H-hey Mettaton,” Norman spoke up. “There’s a mirror behind you, if you want to get ready for your big show?”

“OH???”

Mettaton turned.

The switch was huge, nearly taking up half the back panel. Someone had even taken time to hastily write “SWITCH” with an arrow over it. Norman decided not to waste any time. He jumped forward and flipped it.

Mettaton froze.

“DID YOU. JUST FLIP. MY SWITCH?”

Norman did not get the chance the answer. Mettaton spun. The lights on his face lit on and off randomly. The mechanical bits of him screamed. Puffs of smoke and fumes seeped from his joints, nearly blinding Norman.

And then it stopped.

“OHHH YES…”

“…on this day, you have been charged for the horrible crimes of witchcraft…witnessed by those whose testimonies have been heard…”

They were somewhere dark. Eyes watched them from every corner. Out of the shadows stood the judge.

“…you have been found by this court to be guilty…”

But this was not their judgement.

“I was only playing,” said a weak voice beside them.

There was a girl beside them, only a little older than Frisk. The eyes focused onto her, and she shrank under their gaze.

“Aye,” said the Judge. “Playing with fire! And it is passed on you, according to your grievous crimes, execution!”

The shadows with eyes came out of the shadows and approached them, taking up the space.

“No! I didn’t do anything wrong!” said the girl. “Leave me alone, or I’ll make you sorry! I’ll make you all sorry!”

The girl’s skin lit up with yellow magic, and the bright lights broke apart the darkness.

When Frisk came back around, they were on the floor in an unfamiliar room.

“You know,” said the Cat, his mouth full of their sleeve as he dragged them along. “One of these days you’re going to have to accept that you can’t fix everything.”

It took them a moment to figure out what he was talking about. The storm outside still raged, and the voices of the mob were muffled through the building’s walls.

“OOH, LOOK AT THESE RATINGS! WE’VE REACHED OUR VIEWER CALL IN MILESTONE! ONE LUCKY VIEWER WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO TALK TO ME…BEFORE I LEAVE THE UNDERGROUND FOREVER! LET’S SEE WHO CALLS IN FIRST!”

The phone started to ring. Norman took a look at the caller ID and his eyebrows shot up. Not knowing what else to do, he put it on speaker.

“HI, YOU’RE ON TV! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ON THIS, OUR FINAL SHOW?”

“oh…hi Mettaton…” said Napstablook.

And just like that, Mettaton’s demeanor dropped. His wild expressions vanished, now replaced with a thin expression that looked like it was holding back a lot. His eyes drifted from the floor to the phone.

“I really liked watching your show…” said Napstablook. “my life is pretty boring... but…seeing you on the screen…brought excitement to my life…vicariously…”

Mettaton’s expression cracked again, and this time it became clear he was holding back tears.

And then Norman put it together.

“I can’t tell, but…I guess this is the last episode…? I’ll miss you…Mettaton…oh…i didn’t mean to talk for so long…oh……………………”

“NO, WAIT! WAIT, BL—” Mettaton stopped as the dial tone became louder than him. “h—They already hung up...”

“You left him behind,” said Norman.

“I THOUGHT…” said Mettaton. “IT WAS THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE BODY I WANTED. THE LIFE I WANTED.”

“And what did you do to the person who got you that life!” Norman said. “You’ve left Alphys behind, too!”

“I DIDN’T MEAN—” Mettaton stopped himself. “HERE, JUST HAND ME MY LEG SO I CAN SLAP MYSELF.”

“What would happen if you took my Soul and crossed the Barrier?” Norman asked. “Would you leave them behind too?”

More and more messages poured from the viewer call in.

“Mettaton, I don’t know what I’ll watch without you!”

“Mettaton, your show made us so happy!”

“Mettaton, there’s a Mettaton-shaped hole in my Mettaton-shaped heart!”

With every new caller, Mettaton’s eyes fell just a little more.

The fight was over. Norman’s Soul retreated back into his body. There wasn’t any point to sticking around. Norman walked past him and went towards the door.

“WAIT, DARLING…” Mettaton spoke up.

Norman stopped, but did not turn back.

“THIS BODY’S ENERGY FORM IS…INSUFFICIENT. IN A FEW MOMENTS, I’LL RUN OUT OF POWER AND…WELL, I’LL BE OKAY. BUT…WOULD IT BE TOO MUCH TROUBLE TO ASK YOU TO TAKE ME TO THE TRANQUIL AREA OF THE WATERFALL? THERE’S…A FEW PEOPLE I NEED TO MAKE UP TO.”

#fic #Into the Unknown #Undertale #Paranorman #Frisk #the Cat #Norman Babcock #Alphys #Mettaton #featured

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jb-blaq · 5 years

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Luke Cage is the Voice of this Moment in African America.

By Jre Best

July 20th, San Diego Comic-Con, 5:45 pm, I am in the audience of the “Luke Cage” panel. Cheo Hodari Coker The showrunner for "Luke Cage" says "The world is ready for a bulletproof Black man" and when he said that I knew that we were in for something special September 30th, 2016. The Netflix "Luke Cage" series is possibly the most relevant television series of this decade so far, it is a show that not only captures black culture but discusses the problems within black culture with a level of intelligence that I rarely see. It's a show with a lot on its mind and a lot to say and tries to say it in the most entertaining way it can, making a modern-day blaxploitation television series. Does this approach work? Did it strike a chord with audiences? Did it get across its point clearly? That's what I'm going to be looking into.

A little context "Luke Cage" is based on the Marvel comics character of the same name more specifically the comic book "Luke Cage Hero for Hire” from 1972 which was where he first appeared. This was Marvel's way of capitalizing on the blaxploitation genre of film which was at an all-time height at this point. The premise of the series was simple Carl Lucas was arrested for a crime he didn't commit. At this prison he was subjected to cruel and unusual experiment that left him with bulletproof skin. After breaking out of jail he forms the Heroes for Hire if you need a job done and had the cash to pay for it then you go to Luke Cage. It was a fun and clever premise for the time, unfortunately, it didn't last too long with the series being canceled a year later. Then the series was revitalized and just called Heroes for Hire where it starred Luke Cage and fellow superhero Iron Fist, who also has received his own Netflix series. Nowadays this book is known for being a cult classic and rather important to the comic book industry known for its culturally relevant storytelling. Unfortunately, at the time Blaxploitations hay day had passed and started becoming derided by so-called “enlightened film press” As seen in Williams, LA and Carmona, George article in the New York Amsterdam News. So heroes for hire and Luke Cage faded into the background only really being brought up to be laughed at as a silly some might say offensive figure. It took a long time for mainstream culture to come to terms with blaxploitation movies and the conversation about these films is still going on today but generally, nowadays people agree that there was a lot of value in these seemingly schlocky films. This widespread reappraisal mostly happened around the early 2000s, documentaries like “BaadAsssss Cinema” and tribute films like “Undercover Brother.” This was also the same time when Marvel felt it would be good to bring back Luke and in a big way not only was he a supporting cast member in a critically acclaimed series called Alias but also was moved to Marvel's premier team the Avengers, eventually coming to lead his own Avengers team. Nowadays Luke Cage is one of Marvel's most respected and beloved black superheroes. So when Marvel decided it was going to start making Netflix series based on some of its street-level superheroes it was no question that Luke was going to get one.

With such an important and interesting character as Luke Cage who was going to make the show? Enter Cheo Hodari Coker the man behind Southland Tales one of the most beloved and well-written television series of the 21st-century. Coker was brought onboard to run "Luke Cage" not only because of his history as a showrunner but also because he had a pre-existing love for the character and knew that you could do a lot with the show. Coker was determined to make sure “Luke Cage” felt as authentic as possible even saying in an interview with the Philadelphia Tribune that it’s important that Luke Cage isn’t "a hero that happened to be Black, The same way I'm not a showrunner that happens to be Black." "Luke Cage" couldn’t have come out at a better point in time not even two years away from the infamous Ferguson riots and the mass reporting on police shootings of unarmed black men, “Luke Cage” came in and became the hero that the black community needed at that time. Speaking from my own experiences it was scary even for someone who lived in a place that seemed as safe as San Diego it was still a scary time, the community was angry and scared. And Coker knew that making a show about a bulletproof black man at this point in time was a big deal.

As for the show itself it delivered. "Luke Cage" is a show that gets black culture. I watch a lot of TV & Movies, I read a lot of comics, and due to the states of those industries most of the media I consume is made by white people which isn't a problem at all but I've always felt a sort of disconnection from it; there's something about the way the characters talk they don't feel relatable to me. In the same way, I find there's a disconnection when I'm talking to white people as opposed to say, my family. But with "Luke Cage", I don't get that. I often say everyone in "Luke Cage" is someone I've met before. This is because "Luke Cage" is one of the few western tv shows where the characters don’t speak “proper English” they speak in AAVE or African-American Vernacular English. AAVE is commonly misunderstood as slang AAVE is actually the evolution of the specific type of English Africans slaves used when they were brought to America. Most fail to understand the difference and simply have their black characters lazily speak in ridiculous and vapid slang. The use of AAVE is a big part of the reason "Luke Cage" is so good at representing black culture.

Bulletproof. Bulletproof Skin isn't something special in the realm of superheroes, it isn't even special when compared to superheroes on TV or film. It's usually among a heroes least impressive abilities so why is it so important in Luke Cage? To understand why Luke Cage having Bulletproof Skin is so important you need to know the history not only of police brutality but of America's relationship with the gun. America's one of the youngest first world nations out there. The United States didn't exist before firearms, more importantly, we wouldn't be an independent country without them. Guns whether you like it or not are a part of the American identity. But the slaves that these Americans owned, the gun wasn’t a symbol of power, how could it be? It was just another tool for oppression. Quick long range death that guaranteed that even if you were a fast runner there was still no escape from your enslavement. Even when slavery was abolished and torture devices like the cat-of-nine-tails or the tin mask faded away the gun remained. Guns have never stopped being a symbol of oppression for African Americans. Gun violence from Law Officers on people of color has never not been an issue in America as seen in Katie Nodjimbadems article “The Long, Painful History of Police Brutality in the U.S.” but in recent years the media increased their coverage of stories like the shooting of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown and now people are angry again and want things to change. Things like Black Lives Matter have started and people aren't afraid to talk about this anymore. Here comes Luke Cage a character whose defining trait is that he is a black man that cannot be shot down, is getting a show released on the biggest streaming platform on the planet (Netflix) backed by the biggest entertainment company on the planet (Disney) the timing couldn't be more perfect. Samantha Blackmon shines a light on Lukes clothes in her essay “Be Black for Me: Lincoln clay and Luke Cage the Heroes We Need” she points out that Luke is commonly dressed and dark hoodies which resemble the clothes that Trayvon Martin was shot down in. This is not some coincidence, the image of a black hoodie riddled with bullet holes is use time and again in "Luke Cage" all this culminating in the sequence Bulletproof Love. A little context Luke Cage is being assaulted by a police officer well he's heavily injured, he doesn't want to engage the cop but he is forced into throwing the man into a nearby car and injuring him. Footage of this is captured and goes viral, along with Diamondback the main villain killing a cop while impersonating Luke. In one day Luke goes from Harlem's hero to public enemy number one with the entire Harlem City Police Department after him. Later on, Luke Cage ends up running into and saving Method Man from the Wu-Tang Clan and Luke gives him his hoodie which just so happens to have bullet holes in it at the time, what first seems just like a cute cameo becomes a whole lot more. We follow Method Man to a radio show where he talks about his experience running into Luke Cage. He defends Luke's character describing him as a hero and when the host of the show ask Method Man to end the show with a freestyle he raps Bulletproof Love. It's a song all about Luke Cage describing him as the hoods superhero someone who stands not only for himself but for his community of Harlem. And as this song plays we see a montage of the police in pursuit of Luke but unable to find him because the people of Harlem start wearing all his previously cast aside bullet-riddled hoodies in an effort to protect Luke. The hoodie has become a symbol of Harlem’s hero. It's a sequence that is great not only because of the context of the show around it but also because of the then current day. After the 24-hour news cycles covering all these police shootings, a song that acknowledges the love shared between the black community. Something saying that things will be okay, it made me cry the first time I saw it. That's why Luke Cage being bulletproof is so important.

Unfortunately, the thing that's probably the biggest mistake of "Luke Cage" is also the thing most people were looking forward to and that was the commentary on police shootings and gun violence within the black community. Besides the bulletproof sequence, and a few bits in the latter half of the show it's hard to even say that it fumbles the police brutality angle and more so doesn't want to talk about it. Except for flashbacks of Luke being treated unfairly in prison most of his interactions with police officers are peaceful, there are dirty cops but they're under the employee of the real villains of Cottonmouth, Black Mariah, and Diamondback. Not that it’s necessarily a flaw that the police are depicted mostly in a positive manner but to come out of the time that it did with the premise that it has it seems like an immense missed opportunity to not comment on the then current events more. These events are probably the reason this show got so much marketing and attention on it in the first place. But that's not the only flaw. Luke Cage's main ability is that he is bulletproof this is important to his character and to what he means, while the "Luke Cage" show does not choose to talk that much about police brutality it does have a lot to say about gun violence and it does it very well. Which is why it's so unfortunate that one of the biggest twists in the shows and the main plot element is that one of the villains Diamondback creates a gun that actually can pierce Luke Cage's skin. The metaphorical meaning of that is zero; what does this represent? Nothing, it comes off as cheap only there so there can be some suspense that Luke Cage might die at some point during the series. It doesn't work and these two issues are the biggest problems in "Luke Cage".

Despite these issues I love Luke Cage, It's a bright and bold television show that takes all the elements that informs and inspires it and presents them proudly. This show is destined to become one of those classics in the realm of African American entertainment that captures it's moment in time so well it's surprising. As I'm writing this we are only two weeks past the premiere of “Black Panther” Marvel's first film starring a black main character, the most successful blockbuster with a majority black cast and the first Hollywood feature to embrace Afrofuturism as its defining aesthetic. And we are only one week away from A Wrinkle in Time premiering in America the first film directed by an African American woman to have a 9 digit budget. We're entering into a new era of media. Stories told by African-Americans about African Americans are finally being put on the same global stage as everybody else. And Luke Cage is a part of that movement a little bit of the future that we got in the present. Sweet Christmas.

Work Cited

Blackmon, Samantha. “Be Real Black For Meâ: Lincoln Clay and Luke Cage as the Heroes We Need.”CEA Critic, vol. 79, no. 1, 2017, pp. 97–109., doi:10.1353/cea.2017.0006]

Coker, Cheo Hodari, et al. Luke Cage, Season 1, Netflix , 30 Sept. 2016.

L A, Williams, and Carmona George. “Cage Match: Does the Comics' 'Luke Cage' Jibe with TV's?” New York Amsterdam News, 6 Oct. 2016, pp. 1–1.

Lisa Respers, France. “'Marvel's Luke Cage' Is Music to Cheo Coker's Ears.” Philadelphia Tribune, 4 Oct. 2016, pp. 4B–4B.

Nodjimbadem, Katie. “The Long, Painful History of Police Brutality in the U.S.” Smithsonian, 27 July 2017, www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/long-painful-history-police-brutality-in-the-us-180964098/.

Sliva, Tylah, and Emerson College. “What's the Difference Between Slang and AAVE?” Study Breaks, 5 July 2017, studybreaks.com/culture/aave/.

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dollfied-blog1 · 6 years

Text

A Purpose

So. I’m setting this thing up as a sort of personal vent for thoughts I’m not comfortable sharing in my other writings.

Not that I’m uncomfortable with my thoughts on certain things, I just think that the platform doesn’t call for too much commentary, and I feel like I need to stick more to facts and historical data and whatnot to analyze something rather than my own feelings about what might be going on.

For example: the James Gunn debacle. I’m going to assume everyone knows about it. If you don’t, just type it in your google search bar and get a little educated. Just don’t get overwhelmed, because you can be easily overwhelmed with all the information out there.

So I have a site where I talk about issues relating to comic books and movies and such, and there’s a bit of a problem in presenting this because I’m a bit on both sides of the fence when it comes to how the whole thing was handled. True, Disney’s hands were wrung when it came to Gunn and what he had represented in his time at Troma versus his current status in the MCU with production on all things GOTG. But Here’s the thing, Disney knew what kind of person Gunn was (And how could they not?), and they greenlit Marvel for hiring him on to direct the first Guardians movie anyway. He since apologized for the crass humor and it has been a significant amount of time since those tweets. He didn’t delete them, and I’m thinking and sleuthing reported could’ve brought them back to the limelight even if he did. But there they were, in the ether, ready to be plucked up at a moments notice.

And someone plucked them up. I’m not going to recap the entire story, just that he pissed some folks off with his constant bickering on about how bad Donald Trump is for the country, the folks fired back. Now, Gunn has been very VERY vocal about his displeasure with the current administration. I think a lot of people are, especially in Hollywood. And he has every right to be angry and vocal, because no limits to free speech and all that when it comes to certain subjects. Just don’t advocate illegal activity, causing riots, etc. Can’t yell fire in a packed theater, can’t call people to do violent action, etc.

With that said, his tweets from that time at Troma weren’t calls for anyone to do anything illegal, but rather horrible attempts at humor. (However, if something later is fount out about him where he actually is a pedophile, then he’s a piece of shit who needs to go directly to jail). He’s been on the straight and narrow for the most part, promoting upcoming MCU films and even having some creative direction for Avengers films and such. He was even speculated to be the one to take over the MCU if Kevin Feige ever left the gig.

What gets me unhinged from a personal standpoint is that Disney fired him for a shitty tweets he apologized for years ago. He was hired by Marvel to make movies, and Disney ok’d him. That means they saw his tweets from his time at Troma, and despite that put their stamp of approval for them to work with him. He cleaned up his tweets since then, but in the back were the awful shitty tweets, still lurking in the past.

Enter the dragon. Er. Far right agenda. Gunn is vocal about Pres. Trump, and they don’t like such a prominent figure bashing the president. So, they organize and manufacture an outrage over his tweets, the shitty tweets lurking in the past, when in actuality they are more pissed about his political tweets in the present.

Now, to be fair, James Gunn is a director. We see his face because we’re nerds and follow the films like the Hebrews following Mana in the wilderness for 40 years. However, most of the general public doesn’t know who, or what James Gunn looks like. They don’t follow him like we do, and they can only loosely associate because of Guardians of the Galaxy. “Oh, that guy directed the two movies got fired?” was a response from a few folks I talked to.

GUNN: I support the guy because he’s in a shitty bind. The company that hired him despite the luggage of tweets in his past just turned around and said that those tweets from so long ago are why he’s no longer working with them. He didn’t violate any contract agreement with Disney. He’s passionate about the projects he works for at Marvel, has worked with Kevin Feige closely to sculpt the universe we are now seeing flourish, and here he is. Fucked. Well, not so fucked as we are led to believe, because he’s gonna get a fuck ton of money for not only pumping out the script for GOTG3, which Disney might be pressured into using after all, but also for usage of his name in DVD releases and upcoming films (I think he’ll get some creative credit for A4, whatever that movie gets called later next year).

So he gets money, A LOT of money. And there are other studios tapping him to direct their upcoming films. Cuz let’s be real, the guy took a franchise that wasn’t making shit, GOTG, and made it into a BILLION dollar IP. That’s not only movies, but that’s making the comics more profitable, the solo title arcs, and the group comic as well. That’s merchandise. That’s promotional material. The whole kitten kaboodle as they call it, well worth over a billion dollars. And now they canned him. I’m surprised DC hasn’t put a briefcase full of moneys in front of Gunn, asking him to give creative direction to the DCEU films for the next 20 years. Maybe they’re waiting for the air to clear with Disney before putting that duffel bag of Benjamins in front of Gunn.

DISNEY: Yet, I understand Disney’s position from a company standpoint.. There are a lot of moving parts involved in James Gunn’s tweet history, and I think his most recent tussle with the far-right might’ve been more the instigator for the firing than his past tweets. Although Disney is saying more the latter than the most obvious former. The guy is a ticking time bomb that sets a divide with the very audiences Disney is trying to reach, and it will hurt their bottom line at some point. “Why doesn’t he keep his mouth shut and make movies? Why can’t he be more like Feige?” Which goes to tell you how much Feige walks on eggshells with his content compared to Gunn.

Gunn can’t be the next lead for the MCU, because he can’t roll with the right, the fraction of audience Iger and Horn with Marvel properties and Lucasfilm are trying to reach. Yeah, they have the females with their disney animated films, but they need the boys. And sometimes the boys are bad. It’s just they can’t be THAT bad. So, you let some of them go to protect a potential audience.

Plus, they already fired Roseanne from her show for tweets of offending nature (broadly speaking) so the image they have to protect is their own necks. Not Disney itself, but their leadership roles at Disney. We had no qualms cutting off the right, so we have to equally cut off the left. However, the backlash comparing the two is like night and day. Roseanne’s co-stars weren’t standing behind her when she got her show cancelled. Almost all of them with one voice stood behind ABC’s decision and condemned Barr’s tweets.

Yet something different happened with James Gunn. Support. From the industry. From people outside of the industry. From the actors. From his family. From different sectors of the Marvel fanbase and so on.

Feige, who has worked so closely with Gunn for years now, has been silent on the matter. And it looks like he won’t be saying anything outright anytime soon since that meeting Tuesday between Gunn and Alan Horn at Disney.

#Marvel #Disney #Bob Iger #Alan Horn #James Gunn #guardians of the galaxy #Chris Pratt #Zoe Saldana #Bradley Cooper #dave bautista

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newagesispage · 7 years

Text

MARCH 2018

PAGE RIB

*****The Stones win best trad blues album at the Grammy’s : Blue and Lonesome. Keith says, “It’s about fucking time.”**The Stones are doing 11 more dates on the No Filter European tour. ** Keith Richards made news with his comments in the WSJ. “It’s time to snip. You can’t be a Father at that age. Those poor kids.” He said about Mick Jagger. He could say the same about Ron Wood. He has since apologized.

*****UK parliament is debating the legalization of weed.

***** West Virginia teachers marched across the state and finally got a raise.

*****Kevin Smith, 47, had a heart attack on Feb. 26. Colin Quinn also had a heart attack on Valentines day. Get well soon.

*****Black Panther has 2 record setting weekends.

***** Three billboards were hijacked by street artist Sabo. They say: And the Oscar for biggest pedophile goes to…/ We all knew and still no arrests / name names on stage or shut the hell up. The artist previously altered a movie sign to make it seem like Al Franken was grabbing Zendaya.

***** The anti- defemation league reports that anit-semetic incidents are up in the US by 57%.

*****It looks like ABC is giving Alec Baldwin a talk show.

***** Celebs are jumping on board to stand with the kids in the March for our lives. Fallon and Goldberg will be there.

*****Michelle Obama’s memoir, BECOMING, will be here in November.

*****Studies show that so many animals found or turned in to find new homes are not given the 7 days that most people think. So many animals are simply euthanized immediately. Adopt if U can!

***** Daryl Hannah’s first full length directorial effort, Paradox is coming in March. The western stars Neil Young, , Willie, Micah and Lucas Nelson.

***** LA to Vegas on Fox is really so fun!!

***** Brad Pitt is joining the Tarantino/ DiCaprio movie that is in the works.

*****It is surprising that the department store Bergner’s has lasted as long as it has. It is the end of an era though that the Sheridan Village branch in Peoria, Il. will close its doors. ��Bergner’s was founded in Peoria 130 years ago. The Sheridan Village branch opened more than 60 years ago. The parent company Bonton has had financial issues and is closing 7 stores.

*****Lebron James was speaking out as is his right and Laura Ingram told him on the air to “shut up and dribble.” The NBA star replied, “Laura who?” She wants him to go on her show. Why would he want to help her ratings? Why does Fox news believe in free speech for themselves but nobody else?

***** Jake Shears ,formerly of the Fab Scissor Sisters has gone solo and has also released a book, Boys keep swinging. Woo Hoo!! He is also playing Charlie Prince in Kinky Boots.

*****Indonesia is looking at outlawing sex before marriage.

*****Recent articles tell us that George Washington’s teeth were pulled from the heads of slaves.

*****Russia was behind the hacking in Korea during the Olympics.

*****The US was 4th at the Olympics with 23 gold medals.

***** The latest accused: Ryan Seacrest. ABC and E! are standing by him. Bellamy Young, for one wonders why he does not step down from his Oscar red carpet hosting duties. Seacrest has not mentioned any of this on his Live with Kelly show. I think the red carpet and Live would be better without him.

*****Do people get just how hard it is for sexual abuse victims to come forward? Do we see the pattern of victims who are not believed or shut up by powerful agendas already in place? C’mon Congress, priests, teachers, police and everyone please speak up. The Nassar Olympic doctor had an unbelievable 265 victims. Open your hearts and your ears and show compassion. **Scary Clown tweets that lives are being destroyed and what happened to due process? WTF? You can’t have it both ways. What about the women who claimed you assaulted them? What about Al Franken and how he was pushed out? ** And Sara H. Sanders and Kelly Ann Conway should be ashamed of themselves and the way they support these abusers. What about the grace of Sorenson and Porters alleged victims? These women had to be interviewed, disrupting their lives when these men wanted these WH positions. They told their truth but added that the men were good at their jobs. They tried to do right by men who they say abused them. It is unbelievable that our President discards them and sticks up for his buddies. As a woman we are used to this sort of behavior but it does seem time for this to end. ** Now even Trump’s celebrity spokespersons are having sex issues like Scott Baio. Why are these good old boys just allowed to go their merry way? **Brendon Fraser claims the former President of the Hollywood foreign press, Philip Berk, groped him in 2003. The’ me too’ movement gave him confidence to come forward.

*****The DOJ is cracking down on phone scammers who target the elderly. Now that is a worthy cause. I hope they get somewhere with this because this is a huge problem.

***** Olya Borisova and Sasha Sofeev of Pussy Riot have disappeared in Crimea.

*****Michelle Wolf will host the White House correspondent’s dinner.

***** Thanks for this reminder Mia : Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none. ….. Shakespeare

*****James Comey tweeted: American history shows that in the long run, weasels and liars never hold the field, so long as good people stand up. Not a lot of schools or streets named for Joe McCarthy.

*****Have Senators from Michigan and Wisconsin raised a red flag about abuse with voting machines? As Streisand reminds us, Gore ‘lost’ by 537 votes . Paper ballots please!!!

*****Atlanta will be back on March 1.. Woo Hoo!!** Donald Glover got a standing ovation on Colbert. He so absolutely deserves it!! He also bought a lot of girl scout cookies.

***** Ellen DeGeneres surprised Jimmy Kimmel by dedicating a children’s hospital room to his son.

*****Poland has passed a bill that will give citizens up to 3 years in prison for accusing the Polish state or people of involvement in the Holocaust.

*****Netflix will bring us Amber Tamblyn in Paint it Black.**Ryan Murphy is moving to Netflix . FX and Fox will still bring us AHS, Feud, American Crime story and the new Pose about the transgender community in the 80’s. Word is that Murphy was unsure about the Disney/20th Century Fox/ Comcast talks. ** Netflix cancelled Disjointed.

***** What I love about politics is the balance of power and how people who are completely different can use this beautiful government as it was set up by fairly coming to a compromise. It is not the first time but it has gone off the rails. This President pays no attention to rules. I am not always a big lover of rules but damn if we don’t need them for the running of this country. I mean he really, truly does not seem to give a fuck about this great country. ** VOTE!! The most important thing we can do is vote! Funny or Die is giving a big push to sign up voters by going to the most important races and educating citizens.** Again, Paper Ballots please.. everyone should insist on paper ballots!

*****Mandy Patinkin got his star on the Hollywood walk of fame.

*****Zach Braff is in a new series called Alex Inc.

*****Aniston and Theroux have split.

*****Wes Anderson is back with Isle of Dogs.

*****Amy Schumer married chef Chris Fischer.

*****Another shooting and we must vote these fuckers out. Go Go Sen. Chris Murphy from Connecticut who called himself and his colleagues out. Some NRA lovin’ are trying not to trot out the same old tired line but with a twist, ”I won’t say it’s not time to talk about it but” and then talks on about the emotion involved and the gun issue should be set aside. Some blame video games. Others talk of metal detectors and arming teachers. Apparently our kids should walk into fortresses. Teachers don’t have enough worries with teaching our children and figuring out how they can afford supplies. Now they want educators to have firearm training. This is better than a little gun regulation? The Parkland shooting took place about 40 miles from Mar A Lago. The shooter bought an AR 15 in the last year after Trump signed a bill revoking an Obama era gun check for people with mental illness. The FBI did not look long and hard enough at complaints about the shooter. They get about a thousand tips a day. Police were called to his home at least 20 times. Scott Peterson, a deputy with a gun who was there to help prevent this did nothing. There is a lot of blame to go around.** This isn’t the first time that authority has dropped the ball. What is with all the incompetence? Patty Hearst’s name was on a list of people the SLA wanted to kidnap and nobody told her. Priests are simply moved around after they are found to be child molesters. Police who have been given warnings about racism and excessive force are left on the job. Domestic violence gets a slap on the wrist until they kill the family. Enough!!!**Big Kudos to the savvy kids who know what the fuck is going on. The young folk are not brainwashed, they want change. They haven’t had as many years to get as angry as we are, but they are just scared.** The shooter has pictures of himself online with a MAGA hat on. Gee.. did not see that one coming.** One cannot help but think of the young people getting killed in Vietnam and the mistreatment of so many that caused students to mobilize against the war and organize for civil rights. I think the women’s march, Black lives matter, me too , impeachment rally’s and march for science have set good examples for these kids. They were paying attention but we did not do enough, we must stand with them.

*****March 24, 2018: The March for our lives! These savvy kids are taking action. They blitzed the Sunday morning circuit on the 18th with their message. They have had it with the same old shit. They want to march and with Generation Z, minorities, women and millennials we could change this country. They want comprehensive gun control and are using the words of politicians past to get their point across. ‘You are with us or against us ‘and ‘they have blood on their hands’ are just some of the lines they are using. These students do not care about republican or democrat, they care about results. Neither party has been doing them any favors lately. They plan to give out badges of shame to those who accept money from the NRA. Go Go GO!!** Another idea floated has been to stop sending kids to school until reasonable laws are put in place.** And I always wondered about this ratings system they have. These politicians are proud to have an A+ rating? I mean who the fuck are they?

*****The NRA gave the kids a couple of days and then they came out swinging. The NRA used a Parks and Rec GIF of Leslie Knope as they thanked Dana Loesch for being the voice of the NRA at the CNN town hall. Creator Mike Shur responded, “I would prefer you not use a GIF from the show I worked on to promote your pro slaughter agenda.” He added, Amy Poehler isn’t on twitter but she texted me a message, ‘Can you tweet the NRA for me and tell them I said fuck off.’** Many companies have severed ties with the NRA.** Scary Clown won’t talk gun legislation. ** Hey Hey NRA: You can’t be the PTA!** Over a dozen different victims of the Florida shooting have received death threats. WTF?** An armed social studies teacher in Georgia fired off a shot after not allowing students into his classroom. He later surrendered.

***** Dick’s sporting goods are pulling assault weapons from their stores permanently. The owner says the law isn’t doing enough so he is taking the steps. Wal mart stopped selling them 3 years ago. Both have now decided to raise the age in the stores to 21. Wal Mart is taking out toys that resemble assault rifles.** On the last day of February Trump said: “Take the firearms first and then go to court- take the guns first, go through due process second.” Hmm!? So now Trump is calling out the NRA a bit. Lawmakers make it so obvious that they just did not want Obama to get any credit for helping with this problem. They claim the slippery slope but they knew he and other dems did not want to take anybody’s guns away. We all want common sense and either they never listen to other view points or they just want all the credit. Take a look at yourselves. Will Trumps hard core base like this new no due process take and how long will that point of view last? It does seem that this time businesses and states are just going ahead with their own agenda.

*****The new face on Face the Nation is moderator Margaret Brennan.** Thanks for your spotlight on the mass homicide in Syria in your first broadcast as host.

*****The Polk award winners are Jodi Kantor, Megaze and Ronan Farrow.

*****While the world was talking about the shooting and the bravery of the children for speaking up and the new revelations of Russia, Fox news spends the day in remembering of Billy Graham. RIP

*****Wendy Williams is taking time off due to a diagnosis of Graves disease.

*****A recent billboard: When will they love their kids more than their guns?

*****This whole ‘memo’ bullshit is bogus yet so dangerous. After the Dem memo, Trump tweeted a denial of phone calls.

*****Let us thank the conservatives for first funding this Russian dossier. ** Now we are hearing about a Playboy playmate that Scary Clown allegedly had a 9 month affair with. ** And hey.. Didn’t the signature red tie thing belong to Dangerfield? Stop it Trump!!

*****The Paramount network has brought us the great mini series: WACO with Michael Shannon and Rory Culkin. The biggest revelation: J. Edgar Hoover was on the Mickey Mouse Club.

*****Jedediah Bila married Jeremy Scher.

*****The 4 hour HBO doc, The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling will grace us on March 26.

*****The 5th season of Arrested Development is completed for Netflix. David Cross said in an interview that the cast stands behind Jeffrey Tambor after his firing from Amazon. Arrested will be out later in the year.

****Missouri Governor Eric Greitens was indicted for felony invasion of privacy.

*****Heather Locklear was arrested for domestic violence and battery on a police officer on Feb. 25.

*****Trevor Noah’s ‘ Born A Crime will be adapted to film and will star Lupita Nyong’o.

*****The BAFTA’s were handed out. Much love was given to Three billboards outside Ebbing, Mo. For film and also to Frances McDormand , Martin McDonagh for original screenplay and Sam Rockwell. Adapted screenplay went to James Ivory, it was so good to see him honored again. Gary Oldman and Guillermo del Toro also won.

*****Snoop Dogg has a new gospel album.

*****The talk show of Harry Connick Jr. is winding down.

*****Check out This is not happening with Roy Wood Jr. I am in when he is involved. It is a sort of tell all with stand ups. The amount of liquor bottles behind them in the bar is straight out of Bob and Ringo’s (refer to Grandview USA).

*****Hulu is giving us Castle Rock with …hell yea.. Sissy Spacek.

***** Somehow you never forget what poverty and hatred can do when you see its scars on the hopeful face of a young child.. Lyndon Johnson

*****After the Rob Porter mess Priebus and other flunkies were on the Sunday shows. The kiss ass idiots said a lot of’ I don’t knows’ and ‘from my point of views’. Why were they even on when they have no info? We heard a lot of, ‘I’d never heard of that’ and ‘I didn’t know who he was.’ These selfish, stupid men tripping over their words who seem so afraid of Trump. White men at the top of the food chain and they are not happy with that. They are bitter and mean. Men put in prominent positions who know nothing.. well done WH. I ask again, what does he have on these people?** But why was Porter and at least a hundred others still working with sensitive material without clearance? ** David Axelrod made a good point saying, “Everyone thought John Kelly would rub off on Trump but Trump has rubbed off on Kelly.” Or perhaps he mused, that we are finding out who these people really are. ** It seems they all think they are so smart and they are the first to ever be in the WH. There are others who know how this all works and it is good they call them on it, even though it isn’t nearly often enough.** Chris Wray contradicts the WH on the timeline of the Rob Porter investigation. The FBI tells us that their work was completed in July and new info was sent in January which closed things down. The President can clear anyone he wants so he can disregard that info. The WH keeps telling us this is all normal but other administrations disagree. The Obama team did top assistance clearance 6 months in advance. ** Jared Kushner was stripped of his high level security clearance. About 3 dozen others are in jeopardy as well.

*****Hope Hicks is out!** Josh Raffel is out!

*****Melania’s parents have just become US citizens, part of the migration plan that Trump wants to kill.** Melania made a nice speech in the East room of the WH on the 26th. Why is there nothing in the news feed about that? OK it is funny that she wants to stop the negative social media with what we see from the hubby on a daily basis. But she did address the opiod crisis and encouraged the kids from the school shooting to speak up. Well done!

*****Jessica Ford has made yet another attempt to gain access to the White House. She was charged with possession of a gun which I guess they don’t like? She sure wants to make herself known in Washington.

*****The children who were rescued from the notoriously evil parents recently were each given a guitar from Fender.

*****A judge has sided with John Oliver and HBO after they were sued by Robert Murray. Murray, a coal exec was told by the West Virginia state court that the humorous jabs were satire and the other statements were based on judicial opinion and government reports.

*****Red Fawn Farris took a plea deal from charges related to Standing Rock. She pled guilty to civil disorder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sentencing will sometime after April.

*****I wonder if any journalists are trying to get interviews with the first lady? I would like to hear what she has to say.

***** Steve Martin and Martin Short: An evening you will forget for the rest of your life is coming to Netflix. Their tour continues and this night was taped in South Carolina.

***** The WH revolving door continues: Rob Porter out.. Rachel Brand out.. David Sorenson out..

***** Word is spreading that law enforcement is identifying some citizens as ‘black identity extremists’ which gives police license to monitor protestors. Just when the public calls out harsh treatment, they find another way in.

*****Can we all promise to never use the phrase ‘nothing burger’ ever again?

*****Putin is reportedly so happy with all the mess he has caused in this country. With no sanctions being imposed, Turkey and China are now getting in the ‘fuck with the US elections’ game.** 13 Russians have been indicted and no Americans , so far, were involved. The operatives were supposed to do anything they could to hurt Hillary. It shows you how scared Russia was of her. So far, it looks like Trump campaigners helped unwittingly. ** Russia is now putting pro gun messages out there to add chaos to the Florida shooting.** Dozens of Russians were at the National prayer breakfast. Really? We need a unified Russian strategy. The elections are closer every day. Trump just keeps acting like a cult leader and making it all about him. Children are dead and he just keeps tweeting his ‘innocence’ in the Russian investigation. ** The History channel is taking on Putin with a new special, America’s biggest threat: Vladimir Putin**Alex Van Der Zwann, a lawyer who was part of a Ukranian ministry has been indicted for false statements to the FBI.**Top Trump aide Rick Gates has pled guilty to secret foreign lobbying, lying to the FBI and helping Manafort cheat on his taxes. It seems he committed another crime as he was making the deal!** Admiral Mike Rogers says they are not doing enough to stop the sustained aggression of Russia and he does not know why. Scary Clown says he is weighing several options.

*****No wonder so many put up with the way the WH tries to ‘handle’ us. Fox , the NRA and much of the conservative movement has been grooming us for generations. They aren’t all as honorable as John McCain. Many churches spoon feed their congregations what they want them to believe, how they want them to vote. The term’ fake news’ fits right in with all this. Stand up and investigate on your own, don’t just BELIEVE anyone!

*****Just when I start to get used to Meghan McCain, she is on camera rolling her eyes at the raw emotion of the kids and parents in the town hall meeting. ** The rumor is that Joy and Meghan fight a lot behind the scenes. I am not there but I think they probably get it out onstage. What is it about some conservatives that they seem to have such a problem with peace, love and compromise?

***** A complaint from whistleblower Helen Foster says that Cindy Carson, Ben’s wife pressured officials for big money to redecorate. $31,000 of taxpayer money was spent on a dining room set for Ben’s office. Federal law requires congressional approval to furnish or redecorate if costs exceed 5 thousand bucks. When Foster refused to comply she was demoted and transferred. The Department of housing and urban development has cut money for the homeless, the elderly and the poor.

*****Thank goodness for the Carl Reiners and the Ian Stewarts of the world who brought us wonderful art. They put their egos in check and approached things different than they had originally intended. The world needs more of this.

*****Wal Mart is really such a terrible place. I am much happier since I no longer give them money. I should have listened to my friends and done it a long time ago. Sometimes it has to hit me right in the face for me to see it.

***** One has to wonder if Rosenstein et al like it when Trumps doings shines a spotlight on them.

*****Andy Richter came thru his knee surgery ok.

*****So happy for The Philadelphia Eagles but what the fuck is the matter with those fans? With celebrations like that and all the injuries, it might be good to see the end of football that has been predicted.** It did seem a strange choice to me to have Justin Timberlake sing. Why not some diversity? Some other kinds of music genres? I mean.. boring!!

*****The Dow had its biggest 1 day drop ever. People have started to worry about inflation.

*****Jim Carrey is urging others to do dump Facebook stock and delete accounts. He called the Trump presidency a botched Russian black op.

*****Check out the committee to investigate Russia online. Rob Reiner is on the advisory board talking to John Brennan and James Clapper.

***** Bastille day? Really? Our dictator wants a North Korean military style parade? Is he fucking kidding? How many homeless vets could be helped with the millions it would take to give him this parade?

*****A new HBO doc, Elvis Presley: The Searcher is coming. Director Thorn Zimmy had complete access to Graceland archives. The score is from Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready and includes some deep cuts and alternate mixes.

*****Tribeca’s opening night will premiere a Gilda Radner doc: Love, Gilda.

*****Lenny Dykstra, a former buddy of Charlie sheen claims that Sheen is about to be brought down by the Feds. A Former inmate and Mets and Phillies team member, Dykstra is looking to make a documentary so some see an ulterior motive in talking. The charges he leveled were Sheens involvement in a murder, beating his pregnant x-wife, tax and wire fraud and knowingly spreading HIV. Lenny himself has been accused of being a racist and homophobe as well as indecent exposure, sexual assault and grand theft auto.

*****CNN’s The Radical story of patty Hearst is great. This is a story which will never go away and this is full of all the flashpoints. I am a bit sickened to listen to Bill Harris tell his story. He acts like he telling some cool story from a high school party or something as he tells of his role in the kidnapping and brainwashing of a woman. He looks so comfy and satisfied with himself.

*****Sam Waterston was back on law and Order SVU as Jack McCoy!!

*****Gerber chose Lucas Warren, the first down syndrome child ever picked as their spokesbaby.

*****Why was a tiny little company hired by FEMA to deliver meals? The 50 million needed in Peurto Rico were suddenly reduced to 50 thousand. They claimed nobody missed a meal.

*****It may have started in Florida with the Marlins but in baseball spring training all the teams will wear Stoneman Douglas caps. Some of the major leaguers graduated from there. They will sign them and sell them to aid the victims.

*****So Jeff Sessions has taken back Obama’s memo that allows Native American nations all the same rights as legal Marijuana states to go into the weed biz. They are shutting them down one by one. The state of California is no help by locking tribes out of the market. How many times do you think this country has to kick our native brothers and sisters in the head? How much longer will we torture these people?

*****Kathy Griffin has done the pixie cut in support of her sister who died of cancer in September. Kathy says: “When you’re a woman, you get one fuck up and Its all over.”

*****The Berlin International film fest gave the top prize, the golden bear to Touch Me Not. Best director went to Wes Anderson for Isle of Dogs, best actor went to Anthony Bajon and best actress to Ana Brun.

*****Days alert: Ok.. Days, I do wish all soaps could be a bit more original than one night stands that produce babies and then the origin of said baby is hidden. I wish people did not always come back from the dead or good characters didn’t suddenly act evil when they could have told family and friends they were being blackmailed and got their help. OK that said and suspending disbelief we watch Days anyway cuz it is great. Anna is back and I hope they keep her around. I am so glad Eric and Jen found each other again. Please someone kill Stefan. MORE LUCAS! Let’s get the Raif/Hope/ Sami thing resolved so they can move on. When did Kerry get so hateful? And Eli should apologize to his Mother since he is going to lie to his child and for much lamer reasons than she did.** Where the fuck is Adrienne?** Nice call back as Stefan was reading the Kimberly Brady Donovan book about split personalities.

*****R.I.P. Dennis Edwards, Louis Zorich, Christopher Cattrall, John Mahoney, victims of the Taiwan quake, victims of the Florida shooting, Reg E. Cathey, Johann Johannsson, Asma Jahangir, Sue Barton, Levone Bennett Jr., Jim Downing, Nanette Fabray, the victims in Syria, Sridevi, Emma Chambers and Benjamin Melniker.

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