#also some of this may be wrong? but like. a solid 86% of it should be right lol

[a-flickering-soul]

i've been getting into spg for the last few months now, and i'm noticing there's really not much about these characters on the internet. (the spg wiki is Very Short.) you mind unpacking some lore about the bots?

(this is also an invitation to infodump. believe me when i say i Want to hear about these funky little automatons)

Sorry about the two lengthy SPG asks in one day! I'm putting this one below the cut because it is LITERALLY 2.4k man I did NOT come to play with this one! For what it's worth, you may find this ask interesting, as I've linked some good lore sources I frequent a lot :)

Rabbit: The first to be built! She named herself Rabbit after one of the animals in the lab she was built in, which I think is very endearing of her. She's Victorian clockwork/steampunk-inspired, and out of all the automatons is the one to maintain the most of her original vintage workings, which means she's also the one to malfunction the most <3 girl things fr. Rabbit is a wonderful character because she is Bunny Bennett's special special OC and gets to have so so many problems because of it. I am serious when I say most things usually happen to Rabbit. She is the Special Girl of SPG lore. This is NOT my own bias showing up, I PROMISE.

Rabbit has everything bad happen to her. Red Core, which is THEE Rabbit comic and something I read on a semi-regular basis to experience shrimp emotions through, goes through her backstory being trans (this robot is trans) and it peels me every time. I won't recap it but I think everyone who likes trans robots should read it even though it is as of yet incomplete. Lore-wise, it's interesting because it establishes that she was originally meant to look like Delilah Morreo (certainly a choice, Peter Walter I), and was sent to war in an incomplete, half-broken body which I certainly have a lot of thoughts about (it's the lack of AGENCY it's the way she spent the war VOICELESS it's the way she was denied the chance to be finished for a CENTURY it's--). Following that, about half a century later it was her core specifically that was stolen by the Beciles in 1950 in an attempt to replicate her Blue Matter power source. This tinkering inadvertently sent a beam of pure energy ripping through time and space, causing an explosion that claimed the lives of Peter Walter II and Guy Hottie (real name), and injuring Peter Walter III, Ignatius Becile, and Norman Becile. Rabbit, to this day, still blames herself for this because god forbid women have one good day. This also was the point in time that split the events of the Vice Quadrant into Timelines A and B, due to the generative power of Blue Matter, and also maybe created Cosmica? Which begs the question if Rabbit is sort of like Cosmica's mom in a weird way, but that's beside the point. In 2014, her original blueprints were discovered after a series of worsening malfunctions led Peter Walter VI to search for a way to repair or upgrade her, resulting in the confirmation of what Rabbit had known all along--that she was in an unfinished and slipshod chassis, that she was a girl, and she deserved to be recognized as such. Which is cool :') and a really neat way to work in her creator's IRL transition :') and for sure doesn't make me feel things.

Some cool facts I've just gleaned about Rabbit over the past eight-odd months are that she has memory problems, fell in love with a toaster, knows what BDSM is (SWEAR to god this is true), likes feeding ducks, and has a laser cannon in one eye, hence the heterochromia. There also is this cool series of drawings showing Rabbit's evolution drawn by Bunny here, which is really interesting to look at! In case it's not obvious, she's my favorite and I love her and I think about her too much <3

The Spine: The Spine is a special, special old man. With a retro-futuristic aesthetic, he was built with a titanium alloy spine (that's his Back Story), and before he got upgrades in 1955, was fashioned with a high amount of steam vents running up and down his vertebrae that kind of looked like old-fashioned train smokestacks, which is very endearing. In 1955, as I mentioned earlier, he got a ton of upgrades funding exclusively by the US government improving his weaponry, as well as an upgrade to his AI and programming making him much more humanistic, more personable and more able to mimic how humans moved in order to make it easier, once they were inevitably drafted again, for him to take up dangerous military operations without risking human lives. It's to my knowledge unclear if he was built like this or if this was part of that 1955 upgrade, but he is also able to detach his head and spine from his torso and limbs and actually slither around like a snake, which some people think is weird but I think is very endearing and fun! He hangs out a lot in the Hall of Wires since he's one of the few inhabitants of Walter Manor that can actually climb up towards the ceiling and presumably debug or repair the AIs, and also because it's the only room in the entire Manor with a door.

I love the Spine because I think the evolution of his role in the band is incredibly funny. If you watch the earlier Balboa and Zoo-era performances, he plays the straight man of the band in a stoic, but also kind of dumb way. He doesn't really know what's a bit and what's serious, but it's okay because he's really trying his best. Now, as the straight man of the group, he's so so old and tired. He really just wants to go back home and power off and who can blame him? By dint of the current lineup being a Black robot, a trans gay robot, and a white guy robot, he is now the butt by default of most jokes which is delightful to Me and boy, does he shoulder that weight with begrudging grace. My special, special old man. Watching him get made fun of onstage is kind of like watching someone give a very old and tired dog a pill, and I mean that in the most affectionate way possible.

Cool facts about the Spine include the fact that he's really into cowboys and the Wild West, he has actually never really been in love, he secretly thinks Saturdays are Just Okay, and he actually swears the most out of all of the members of the band (at least as of now).

The Jon: The Jon is an interesting little guy. He has a cool Art Deco style and is known for being a little more whimsical, young, and off-the-cuff as opposed to the others. What's interesting about his backstory is that while Peter Walter I was mucking around with his power core trying to bring him to life, some switch flipped or some level was triggered and a minor explosion occurred. By the time the smoke cleared, the Jon was alive and sentient and there was a void in his chest instead of a power source. Unlike his siblings, he didn't run on clockwork, or hydraulics, or anything of the sort. He appeared to sustain himself on the void sealed in his chassis, which contained only a koi fish and a hot dog floating in space. He tends to have a certain effect on people blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, and odd coincidences seem to follow him like a well-trained dog.

In 1992, the Jon went through his own upgrade--Walter Robotics, always looking for ways to boost their quarterly revenue, signed an ad deal with PepsiCo advertising Crystal Pepsi. The Jon was modified to run solely on Crystal Pepsi, which. . . as you can see by the popularity of Crystal Pepsi right now (sarcasm), it obviously didn't go well. The Jon's efficiency is tied to an out-of-production soda and his machinery refused to be retroactively fitted to water again. To prevent the inevitable from happening, he left around 2012 through one of those Blue Matter portals through to a sister dimension (in fact, the same one Peter Walter I discovered back in 1896) known as Kazooland, where we are assured he now serves as the Mayor of Biscuittown (presumably, it is up to us to determine how much of this is true and how much of it is the Jon trying to sound cool).

Cool facts about the Jon include the fact that he and Zer0 are besties, animals love him, and that the very first show that Steam Powered Giraffe did all the way back in 2009 was about them going back in time to get him more Crystal Pepsi.

Upgrade: I used to be neutral about Upgrade but then I watched all the busking videos and also the 10 year anniversary show and now I love her. She was the Girl Of The Group (TM) all the way back in their busking era in 2009-2010 and her ongoing bit was that she was in love with the Spine and also knew exactly how adorable she was. However, she can be stubborn when she wants to be, and her AI is permanently frozen in the QWERTY 1996 OS because she really just liked the 90s I guess.

I for one am completely fascinated by Upgrade's lore because it's noted that during the Weekend War and WWI, she served in the military presumably doing the same sort of things the other bots were doing, then as a medical nurse in WWII, indicating that the governmental military contract really played fast and loose with whether or not they could enlist woman-coded robots in the war effort. What's notable to me, though, is that during the Vietnam War, Upgrade specifically went on to protest the war with the hippy movement while the others served in the war. How did that happen? Were they just allowed to opt out whenever they wanted? Are these robots really willing Vietnam War vets? Did Upgrade out of all of them just have enough guts to run away? Anyways, she was brought back into the fold about four years after the war ended, just in time to a few decades later get Sharpied with facial hair while the robots trial-ran a boy band concept. She ultimately left to go be a princess and become actual royalty. I swear to god I read somewhere that Upgrade killed Princess Diana but for the life of me I cannot find it. Know that it haunts me.

Upgrade facts include the fact that she is an actual princess, her makeup out of all of them is most inspired by classic vaudeville, and it was her and Rabbit's roles during their busking era to banter with the audience while the Spine and the Jon tuned their guitars.

Hatchworth: Hatchworth was built in the frantic few months before Peter Walter I had to face Thaddeus Becile in battle and presumably the poor man was turning anything metal into a robot. Hence, Hatchworth's design--he was initially constructed out of an old-fashioned bronze wood stove. Walter chose this robot to experiment with his Blue Matter levels, and with one tiny change in concentration he accidentally created a Blue Portal into another dimension in his hatch. This was incredibly useful in battle, as almost any weapon could be summoned through the hatch--after the war, it was used to summon sandwiches for the growing Walter family. All was well and good, until an as-of-yet unnoticed hairline fracture in his core began making the portal act unstable, coming to a peak in 1938. After accidentally summoning a pack (herd? flock?) of badgers into the middle of a tea party he was serving, he was determined too damaged to fix for now by anyone other than an ailing Peter Walter I, and locked in a lead vault deep below the manor while Peter Walters II and III tried to find a fix. Decades later, he was found hallucinating and lonely by our boy Peter Walter VI, who was stricken with his own Blue Matter mishap and had an inkling of how to fix the old robot. One thing led to another, and now thankfully we are all 99.9% Hatchworth acclimated!

Hatchworth facts….he left the band to go Gold Fishing (with some degree of success), he has incredibly fancy shoes that are also inexplicably tiny sometimes, he has a Hello Kitty cell phone, he does know how to cross himself, and Zer0 tried to microwave his head once.

Zer0: Myyyyyy sweetest and most special boy Zer0. Zer0 was actually technicallyyyyy the first one built, since he originated from three separate rudimentary prototypes Peter Walter I fused together after testing out various weapon designs. As a result, he's incredibly robust, very powerful, and has a cobbled-together patchwork appearance. Unfortunately, as he didn't have much by way of singing at the time, he fell to the wayside after the Weekend War and was forgotten down in the basements and testing labs sealed miles below Walter Manor. In 1992, the AI Beebop found him while archiving documents and turned him on. Zer0, enamored with the evolution of music over the past century, taught himself how to sing exclusively from the old Motown records in the basement with him. Peter Walter V, upon hearing his voice, was so awestruck that he immediately repaired him and Zer0 became the face of the band (#Zer0OurShiningStar). Zer0 then absolutely skyrocketed in popularity, signed with a TV show, and subsequently became so famous Walter Robotics had to erase all content of him from their market because they lost the rights to his appearance and voice. Sadly, our sweet boy invested all his money in "the abstract concept of love", lost all his money, sold one single copy of a bad autobiography, and came back home to Walter Manor with naught but a yacht to his name. He very graciously returned to performing in Steam Powered Giraffe, where his lovely vocals can be heard to this day.

Zer0 facts include the fact that he got a brand deal to sell his own kind of overly sugary cereal, he fell in love with a "large-chested lamppost" once, he likes possums, he would collect worms on strings if he could, and his defining characteristic is joy <3

I hope this was somewhat readable and comprehensive! I think…..I covered everyone out of the automatons, unless there is another member about to crawl out of the woodwork somewhere. Best of luck in your lore-hunting! I hope this helped :)

[oldtypenewtype]

7 years ago I had this article professionally translated. 1986 is considered to be one of if not THE defining years of the medium. In this article Newtype intervies 21 anime industry leaders to discuss what’s wrong with the industry, ways it can be fixed or just their gripes with with it all. A true snapshot of some of our anime heroes while they were younger.

*reposting article altogether in one post.*

アニメの予言者21人

21 Prophets of Anime アニメ大予言'86 Grand prophecy of Anime ‘86 今、アニメ界に求められているのは、こんな企画だ！私はこんな企画を出す！1986年のアニメ界をリードする21人が業界の問題点と自らの解決策を語る。これを読めばアニメの未来が見える。 This is the project needed by Anime world now! I propose this project! 21 leading personnel in Anime world in 1986 talk about problems in the industry and their solutions. You can see the future of Anime by reading this.

Page 46 & 47

(Article Title)

1985 was a flat year in the animation world.  Let’s ask the hit makers who hit the home runs on how to put an end to this situation.

HAYAO MIYAZAKI (writer and director of “Laputa: Castle in the Sky”)

(Blurb)

What are the animated works that the young ones, the ten year olds to fifteen year olds want to watch? Doors will surely open if you keep them in mind.

It’s unthinkable that new hope can come out of TV when one episode from a TV series needs 3500 cells to be drawn. On the other hand, in movie theaters as well, there are no films that will mobilize moviegoers other than anime fans. I think that filmmakers have forgotten the basics of selling movies.  Collaboration films intended for overseas markets are all the rage,  and even though I want the fans who are in Japan to see these films, they can’t and all I’m left with is frustration.  Only deterioration can come out of this situation.  Actually, there isn’t even one anime today that is aimed at older kids in elementary school to kids in middle-school - the very kids who should be watching anime.  (The anime available now) is aimed at younger kids at elementary school and then jumps straight into anime for college kid anime maniacs. It’s a tough time for fifteen year olds who are put aside by society.  Twelve year olds to fifteen year olds are the kids who need the most comfort and yet the situation now is that they get their comfort from handheld video games.  Those who produce animation are losing sight of their targeted audience.  The remaining anime fans are making anime that they want to watch, and this is a symptom (of the present situation) that is beyond redemption. This is why video animation is still backward in terms of its production, and only its format is new.

If one has an earnest approach, children will definitely react.  This is a real example - in a run-down middle school, in his morning greeting, a new principal said, “I don’t determine a person’s value by his or her grades or appearance”.  Miraculously, all misbehavior was gone from that day’s afternoon onwards.  What children want has always had just one theme - an adventure that saves the mind and heart.

(Caption for illustration at the top of the page)

The hero “Pazu” and heroine “Sheeta” from “Laputa: Castle in the Sky”.  Mr. Miyasaki comments that “For a young lad, living at all times in itself is an adventure.  The reason why Japanese adventure novels are boring is that the hero (in these novels) makes a living out of going on an adventure.”

SUGII GISABURO (executive director of “Touch”)

(Blurb)

What people want nowadays can’t be found in data.  What is the secret of the hits “Night on the Galactic Railroad” and “Touch”?

Honestly speaking, if anything, I genuinely make animation to match my desires, not thinking that today’s animation is trending towards this way, or future animation should be this way.  In other words, I think a great deal about my daily life, figuring out what is lacking and coming up with desires felt by everyone else.  I just happen to be a person who creates, so I vent out those accumulated desires and discontent and let them combust in my work.  

My works are quite heavy in terms of cycle and tempo, whether it be “Night on the Galactic Railroad” or “Touch”.  I sometimes think if this kind of heaviness is ok or not.  But that is because I have a desire for this heaviness, and also because I have this easy pleasure within me.  Instead of work that is borne out of being hung up just on data, I think work that is borne out of my inner natural desires is more acceptable to people.  In the meantime, “Touch” will be shown as an hour and a half movie in the spring so please look forward it.

ISAO TAKAHATA (producer of “Laputa”)

(Blurb)

Movies that make the mind and body come alive are what’s important.  As for me, I am trying my hand at my first live action film.  I am shooting a documentary.

I think nowadays, the thing that a lot of people working in anime has forgotten is the excitement they felt watching adventure movies when they were kids, the kind of excitement that even your body moved spontaneously.  In that sense, I think that works such as Hayao Miyazaki’s films should be brought out to the rest of the world and after (producing his) “Nausicaa”, I am still producing.  When kids’ minds are liberated, there’s no reason to think that they won’t spontaneously move.  In this day and age dominated by computer games, a lot of kids’ play involve just using the brain and nerves so I’d like them to experience things that energizes the blood and makes the body dance. The difficulty is, I think it’s a difficult time now to have a situation in place wherein you let them experience adventure.  If you can’t make people believe in the world portrayed onscreen, you can’t pull viewers into the adventure onscreen.

It’s not that I’m not doing my real job as a producer.  I am now producing a live action documentary movie set in Yanagawa in Kyushu.  It is about how our Japanese ancestors developed towns which utilized waterways.  There is also a part in the movie that has graphic illustrations using anime.  It’s less than 2 hours and is slated to be shown after the summer.

MAMORU OSHII (scriptwriter and director of “Angel’s Egg”)

(Blurb)

This is a warning!! Please reduce the number of collaboration animes before Japanese animation is annihilated.

If I’m going to be severe about it, I’d say that I want all collaboration animes gone.

Those who work in big studios and places with systems in place may not feel a sense of crisis yet.  But in the case of freelance animators like us who work together and put together a workplace and disperse once our anime is done, a part of our actual work is outsourced.   Recently however, the small video studios and finishing studios that we outsource to are loaded with collaboration work.  Japanese animes can’t compete with collaboration animes in terms of profit so when that happens, we just have to rely on the goodwill of the studio bosses, or make them feel the same way we do with regards to the contents of our work, or by chance see an opening and aim for that, or appease them or plead with them.  We can’t work in just that kind of a situation.  That’s why it’s almost impossible to make highly compact and solid animes in Japan now.  Even without going that far, it’s almost impossible to make even decent animes in the country today.  In fact, anime TV series are almost all in shambles, and I can’t even be optimistic about the video quality of the anime we have now.  In this kind of situation, I can’t help but seriously think if next year, our ideas can be made into anime.

(Caption for illustration at the left side of the page)

A girl from Mamoru Oshii’s original video anime “Angel’s Egg” (drawn by Seikou Nakura).  Mr. Oshii revealed that he is having a hard time because there aren’t enough animators to make even just one anime video.

YOSHIKAZU YASUHIKO (director and screen director of “Arion”)

(Blurb)

I haven’t decided yet on what I will make after “Arion”.  I will not take part in the new Gundam series.

I am very busy now with screen work for the anime “Arion” which will be shown in theaters on March 8th.  But as far as I’m concerned, I’m conscious  of the fact that this is my anime for 1985.  Therefore, I haven’t decided yet on what my anime will be for 1986.  I feel like I want to take a break for a year.

“Arion” is quite restrained for an anime to be shown in movie theaters.  I’m happy that this movie is being touted as “the” main animation movie this spring but conversely, it’s a shame that there aren’t a lot of big anime movies for theaters.  It’s already been decided that “Arion” is going to be shown in top-class movie theaters throughout Japan.  It just shows how much anime has received recognition.  I’d like to wait for animes that will pick up on this trend.

With regards to anime TV series, I was in charge of character design for “Z Gundam” this past year but I’ve decided not to be involved at all in the sequel’s new series.  I think it’s better to relegate “Gundam” to the younger animators, starting with Hiroyuki Kitazume, who have grown so much in their craft.  Now I sincerely think, if only someone as good as Kitazume were around eight years ago to help with “Gundam”, I would’ve been saved…

(Caption for illustration at the bottom of the page)

The heroine “Lesfina” from “Arion”, which was produced, character designed and screen directed by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko.  This is the drawing touched-up by Mr. Yasuhiko.  As we have discussed in a series of character designers in last month’s issue, he breathes life into his anime characters, showing genius capabilities.

(Box at the lower left side of the page)

If there were animes like this I’d watch it!

MASAMI YUUKI (manga artist)

As a rule, the three things I’d like to see are: “something that isn’t originally from manga”; “robot animation that isn’t dark”; and “in one year, a collaborative anime by Osamu Dezaki and Akio Sugino for release in Japan”.  I can watch TV anime while casually lying around but I’d like anime that I wouldn’t be able to take my eyes off of the screen, something that is both easy to watch and amusing.  And as written in other magazines before, I’d like to see Mr. Hayao Miyazaki’s version of “Atragon”! (Translator’s note: “Undersea Warship” in Japan)

YUUKI KUDOU (actress and singer)

I’d definitely watch anime that’s fun to watch, anime that will make me happy.  At any rate, I’d like a hero on the side of justice who will beat the hell out of the bad guys and put them in a bind.

RYOKO YAMAGISHI (manga artist)

If there were an anime like Disney’s “Fantasia”, I’d watch it!

Pages 48 & 49

(Article Title)

Major producers from each of the anime/production companies talk about their hits for 1986 and foresee what their companies will be producing

KENJI YOKOYAMA (Toei Animation Co.)

(Blurb)

The new hit TV show Gegege no Kitaro from the fall of 1985 which received top ratings reflects modern times.

This is what I’ve been thinking with the third conversion of Gegege no Kitaro into animation.  One is the change in children’s thinking with regards to ghosts/monsters.  Of course “Ghostbusters” and “E.T.” have influenced this change, and now kids consider ghosts almost as pets.  So in this way I think that if you match the present mood and go in the direction of lighter anime, you’ll be able to create different things from before.  Children’s lives are too managed now, so they’d want an outlet to vent too. And in a society that has too many things and where, if you have the money, you can buy anything, things like the Toyoda Company fraud scandal and shady investment journals can also be construed as monstrosities. This anime has this overall theme: In the ideal world of Kitaro, monsters, people, animals, grass and trees should all co-exist so I thought I’d have various new approaches within the anime.

As a new endeavor, our company is going into video anime.  It’s called “Amon Saga” and we’re not just going to sell it in video format, (I’m also hoping) we can show it in any movie theater even for just one week otherwise it’ll just be too sad.   Especially with regards to original works with names that aren’t well known, I think it’s dangerous to rely on just one production studio. After “Konpora Kid” ends, beginning February, we’re planning on animating “Kinka”, a serialized manga in the weekly magazine Shonen Jump.

(Caption for illustration on the left side of the page)

A figure from the very popular “Kitaro”.  They can’t keep up with the demand for a ghost eraser that they’ve produced and now it is a hit product.  It’s also been decided that there will be new movie releases for this anime in the New Year and in the spring.

EIJI YAMAURA (Nihon Sunrise Co.)

(Blurb)

Find common ground with your viewers and defeat this lethargic mood!

Sunrise has now expanded into six studios and at any given point in time, we plan to work simultaneously on two to three anime TV series, video anime, anime for movie theaters and collaboration anime.  Overall, anime today is manga magazine-driven, so our question is how far can we go in staying on an original anime track. Robot animes have vastly decreased in number, so conversely, I think this is a chance for us to come out with epoch-making anime.  I’d like to make anime that will allow us to seriously converse with our child viewers.

TOSHIMITSU SUZUKI (Artmic Co.)

(Blurb)

Making anime that will be understood by the whole world!  The robot anime boom is shifting from transformation-type robots to robots that merge into one.

Speaking of Japanese products in the international market today, mechanical products come to mind.  This is also true in the animation world since Japanese robot animes are extremely in vogue.  Especially in the American market, they already have transformation-type robot animes, so animes that have robots that merge into one are new to them.  We’ve already exported “Beast King GoLion”, following that, (we’re going to export) “Dancouga Super Beast Machine God”.

We at Artmic plan to make animation that can be exported to foreign markets and we also are also keeping in mind to configure these anime with universal values.  The video anime “Gall Force” is the first step in that direction.

NOBUO INADA (Tokyo Movie Shinsha Co.)

(Blurb)

Our track remains the same - making collaboration animes for foreign countries but we also have new anime.

I can’t necessarily say that the present state of anime is good.  But the passion for anime during the anime boom of “Gundam” and the like was an anomaly so I feel that the state of anime now is the real one.

As you may know, not only do we make anime for Japan but we also produce anime for foreign countries.  It’s a difficult situation for us now to concentrate on anime just for Japan because of production costs.  It can be said that Japanese anime should be improved from the very basic level.

In 1986, we plan to have “Little Nemo” and in the fall, an anime for movie theater release by the duo Desaki and Sugino.  At any rate, we’re doing our best.

JUNZOU NAKAJIMA (Nihon Animation Co.)

(Blurb)

We’re aiming for improving the quality of our masterpieces and we’re also trying our hand at new anime!

As you may know, our company has mainly been making masterpiece animes for more than fifteen years but I think we’ve made a habit of making similar anime.  But we’ve been able to improve on our animes’ degree of perfection precisely because of the buildup of our experience in animation.  We’re also working hard on our technology, and on the authenticity of our masterpieces.  At any rate, we’re trying to make anime that is still interesting to watch even after five or six years have passed.  Next year, we plan on making “Pollyanna” after “A Little Princess Sara” ends, and a new SF series called “Space Sagittarius”.  We’re also going to have one TV special around May.

HIROMICHI MOGAKI (Tsuchida Production Co.)

(Blurb)

Just like what we did in “Tsubasa” and “Kimengumi”, we’re adding our original flavor to animation adapted from manga!

Even with regards to animating manga, the time when you aren’t creative when adapting something is over - just like our approach to our anime “High School! Kimen”.  In manga, the fun is enclosed in a comic cell.  Differing from that, we were able to bring out fun that moves freely (in the anime format).  (Our decision to) put two episodes in one anime has also been well-received.  We are also planning to have an anime TV series next year but all will depend on how long “Captain Tsubasa” will last.  Captain Tsubasa’s storyline is that the finals will end in March, and the European leg will begin.  This will catch up with the manga version’s storyline so I’m thinking of making a new one or taking a temporary break.

MASAYASU SAGISU (Eiken Co., Ltd.)

(Blurb)

Please watch the cooking scenes in the manga  “Oishinbo” animated in a live-action format.

The anime “Sazae-san” is going to be seventeen years old.  I think that the things that last for a long time are not manga for boys or manga for girls but manga for adults such as “Sazae-san” that has a family theme.  But there aren’t many of this kind of anime today.

There has been a lot of SF space anime but nowadays it’s quite possible for kids to go to space someday.  But the world of “Sazae-san” where the grandma, the grandpa, the old maid and the troubles they encounter while living together is farther than space in today’s world of nuclear families.  Conversely, this makes Sazae-san’s storyline fresh.

For next year’s anime, we are developing our plans to animate Mr. Shinji Wada’s manga “Pigmalio”.  We’d also like to do SF action animes, and a totally new genre -  animating Big Comic Spirit’s serialized manga “Oishinbo”.  Following a ten-year cycle, monster animes might come out next year but we’d like to try out new genres.

HIROSHI KATO (Ashi Production Co.)

We are developing original videos for the anime “Dancouga”

Our company has concentrated mainly on original anime and we are continuing with this direction in 1986 and beyond.  Even though our animes are popular, I don’t know why we are edited a lot.  Even “Dancouga” which originally had fifty-two episodes was reduced to thirty-eight and the final story was changed.  We are going to sell a one and a half hour video in March and we’d like to include the real final story in it.  Seventy percent of animators in Japan today are working on collaboration anime. The pay (for collaboration anime) is more than double, so we have to do something about it.  

TOSHIHIRO NAGAO (Kaname Production Co.)

I’d like to see different kinds of SF anime.  “Windaria (Once Upon a Time)” is the first step in that direction.

Generally speaking, I’d like to go with polar opposites - simplistic anime that has funny gags and anime that explores heavy themes.  I think our company would like to take a short break after “Windaria” ends and then we’re going to do a lighter anime.  We’ve also talked little by little about producing an anime TV series, but can we really do it with the present situation?  Companies we outsource to are doing a lot of collaboration anime and we don’t have the confidence that we will win the price war and if we dabble in (anime TV series) incorrectly, it will be a death blow.  With this situation, it seems like we will be concentrating on video anime for now.  With regards to the direction of our anime, we’d like to consider doing SF anime with our own touch and foray into different parts, for example, making modern anime like “Radio City Fantasy (Machikado no Marchen)” that merges footage and music.

(Caption for illustration on the left side)

“Mujigen Hunter Fandora”, one of the original video anime from Kaname Production Co..It is said that the second part will be released in March.

YUUJI NUNOKAWA (Studio Pierrot)

(Blurb)

“Magical Emi, the Magic Star” will end in February.  We’re working on the anime that will follow this.

Ever since our “Dallos” anime, anime in the video anime genre have increased, and it’s becoming more and more difficult to foresee what’s ahead.  But I feel our viewer base will return to children after the continuous increase in anime fans.

In our animes’ genres, it seems that we foray into unprincipled things but through trial and error, we are at that stage where we are aiming for our own style.  In 1986, we plan to stop producing transformation-style anime after “Emi” and we are now working on an anime with a witch theme, with a nod to our very first anime.  We have also decided that we will make a sequel to “Rumic World”.

(Box at the lower left side of the page)

If there were animes like this I’d watch it!

MIKI TORI (manga artist)

And yet there are only a few animes wherein you can feel each anime’s distinct character.  I understand that anime is a group effort, but like manga, the director’s tastes dominate.   If the time comes when the writer can say “that is good but this is also good”, I think that anime will become more vibrant.

AKIO YOSHIDA (manga artist)

If I’m going to watch, I might change the channel if they’d revive anime like the long adventure animes of Toei.  It would feel just like watching the movie “Mothra”.

YUKI SAITO (actress and singer)

I was in a manga research group when I was in high school so all I watched were anime from Sunrise.  I like “Gundam” and “Ideon”.  If there were anime in that vein, I think I’d be obsessed again.

Pages 50 & 51

(Title)

A Glance at the Anime World: The Hit men and their Predictions

SHOJI KAWAMORI

(Blurb)

It’s important to have interesting anime that will be universally accepted!

I haven’t really watched TV anime these past two years.  Once you get rid of a habit, it’s not good.  Once you distance yourself from anime, you won’t even be able tell which anime is good and which is bad.  It’s scary to think that I’ve been watching anime by force of habit.

I also haven’t watched that many video animes to be fussy about it but I feel that video animes have become closer in form to manga.   I can’t say though that it’s already at the serialized manga level, but it’s just a matter of time.  But if you’re going to make video anime and you don’t make it differently from TV anime, it will be a waste.  Probably change the design a bit…just like what Mr. Oshii is doing.  Once your attempts go beyond the realm of attempting things and once you’ve achieved something basic, I think we’d probably be able to see the direction of video anime for the first time.  If I were to create video anime, I’d like to make a short sixty minute one, something that is highly concentrated and can’t be fully “digested” in a TV anime format.  Sixty minutes is too short for a movie and too long for TV, and I think it is a length that is untapped and put aside.

Compared to video, TV’s strong point is that you can make serialized anime on TV.  Nicely put, TV is a medium wherein if you don’t have “ordinariness” (badly put, “mass appeal”) you won’t succeed so in this sense TV is a more demanding form of media than video.  I also don’t like the trend wherein anime that don’t appeal to the masses are turned into video anime.  I think that video anime should also have universal appeal.

For 1986, if there are proposals that come my way, I’ll do them.  I still don’t know exactly what I’m going to do.

TOMOKO KONPARU

(Blurb)

With regards to video anime, I have “The Super Girl” and I’d like to try my hand at a new kind of animal anime.

Anime is said to be on a low note right now but I think that the number of anime being produced now is just right because there was a time when the anime that was being produced went over the production capabilities of those in the anime world.  I even think that the number should be reduced by just a little bit more, but only if the quality is improved.  It seems that 30 animes will be released in 1986, but I think that in terms of quality, (those that aren’t good) will be culled.

I don’t have any children yet but as a housewife I don’t think that anime has a bad influence on children.  Since I was little, I myself grew up watching anime.  Even now, from the standpoint of someone making anime, I don’t want to forget about the children.  But on the other hand, I also think that mothers who just park their kids in front of the TV to watch anime isn’t good either.

The anime following “Hai Step Jun” will be “Maple Town”, an animal anime but I don’t want it to be anime with just “good” characters in it.  I want to try making anime for young girls, which will be a new thing for me.

ICHIRO ITANO

(Blurb)

There must be anime that only young animators can do!

I think that mass media has a very strong influence on children.  I want people to be more conscious of that.  I feel that anime that is being made today just to make money is overly increasing - animators don’t question things, or assert themselves.  An extreme example is the Lolita complex boom of late.  If a person is being shown something like (a Lolita anime) from way back (from childhood), that person’s imagination takes precedence instead of the ability to adapt to another human being, and stress builds up as a result.  I think we should oppose this current reality, and as for myself, I plan to try different things.  I wonder what I’d be able to do before I turn thirty-five, and I also think that you can learn from failure.

MITSURU KANEKO (MK Productions)

(Blurb)

The computer is absolutely infiltrating the anime world.

It’s possible to think that in the future, the possibilities of computer graphics will first be used in the industrial fields.   For example, the depth maps of the Japan Coast Guard just have numbers on them now but if you input these numbers into a computer, you’ll be able to see valleys (under the sea) that continue for miles as video images.  And if this (technology) presses forward, for example, there is an (American) masterpiece special effects movie called “Fantastic Voyage” wherein they (physically) made the sets and then shot the film but in the future, you can make the movie set by inputting data in a computer.

Speaking of another side (of this technology), take the example of video images shown on large screens that have been demonstrated at an expo.  Just like what was shown in the expo, video images and 3D images shown on dome-like screens can only be made using a computer.

In this way, the spotlight is now aimed at anime as a means to (showcase technology).  Animation’s possibilities will also become limitless as it will need to respond to the diversification of people’s demands.

(Caption for illustration on the right side of the page)

This is Cindy, a young girl from a biker gang in the anime “Megazone 23 Part 2”.  Mr. Yasuomi Umetsu’s character design is original, as personified in this drawing.  This anime has a different kind of appeal compared to Part 1.

KEISUKE FUJIKAWA (scriptwriter of the anime “Once Upon a Time” or “Legend of Fabulous Battle Windaria”)

I researched and compared the recent trends, the trend in fans’ consciousness about anime and anime programs and from around last year, it seems like the age of wanting “salvation” has come.  I think that in so many ways, we are being stifled and we are seeking breakthroughs.  I think that how anime as a medium is going to lift this issue up is going to be important.   Even “Once Upon a Time”, which we will show in 1986, takes up issues of the present times.  I’m putting emphasis on what I will say to the youth of today through SF that has stories of people in it instead of just hardcore SF.  For this year and the next, I’d like to dig into aspects of the youth in different ways.  I’d like to make anime that makes viewers think that there is something out there that matches their present selves perfectly.

(Caption for illustration on the left side of the page)

This is Anasu, the heroine of “Windaria”.  Illustrated by Ms. Mutsumi Inomata, this character personifies the pure themes of Mr. Fujikawa’s anime.

YOSHINOBU NISHIZAKI (producer)

(Blurb)

I’d like to make a video anime that will be a preview of a movie theater anime

With regards to “Odin: Photon Sailor Starlight”, I didn’t make excuses and I haven’t commented on it but there are clear reasons why that movie ended in failure.  That anime was originally a one-hour program, twelve episode TV anime - in other words, it was an anime made to be aired for twelve hours.  I think there was a big mistake in the producers’ thinking that they could digest this into a two and a half hour movie.

I used to say that after 1955, there wouldn’t be a hit anime made for movie theaters.   The same thing is about to happen in the video anime world.  If the overproduction of low-quality anime continues, there will definitely be a backlash.  It seems that the most basic idea during planning anime has been forgotten.  And this basic idea is this: things expressed through anime must rouse people’s imaginations.

We’re planning on releasing an anime for movie theaters on July 9, 1986 based on “Desler”*.  But before that we’re planning on selling a promotion video about the movie in April.  In making this video, budgetary issues, which have always been a concern in video animes, have been set aside so I’m planning on making it in the same high-quality as the movie.  I’m also thinking of releasing a trailer of the movie at the same time.

*Translator’s note: Desler is a character in the anime “Space Battleship Yamato”.

(Box at the lower left side of the page)

If there were animes like this I’d watch them!

FUJIHIKO HOSONO (manga artist)

I like the works of Mr. Hayao Miyazaki.  I heard that he said that he wanted to make an anime about the Period of Warring States (in Japanese history) so if that anime is made, I’d definitely want to watch it.  Personally, I’d also like Mr. Miyazaki to make ninja anime.  With regards to other animators, I like Mr. Mamoru Oshii, the one who made “Beautiful Dreamer.

SHOJOTAI (a singer/actress trio)

Reiko: Among animated characters, I like Peter Rabbit.  I’d like Peter to guide me into a dreamy nature scene.

Miho: I really like Phillips. I’d like to plunge into a world adventure with a kitty cat.

Tomo: More than anything, I like Snoopy.  I’d watch any number of animes with Snoopy in it.  I’d like to watch happy animes.

[inkofamethyst]

October 24, 2020

Is it wrong for me to try to rationalize why I haven’t had a significant other by the age of nineteen?  Like, am I doing more harm than good to myself?  Or is this s neutral/positive coping mechanism of some sort?  Like, in general, I think I’m pretty secure with the fact that I’ve never had a boyfriend, but I don’t know if it’s because I’ve rationalized the reason to myself by putting myself down or if it’s because I am simply content with my romantic timeline.  

Hhhhhh So I haven’t bought the black wool skirt quite yet and that’s because the waist is measured to be 26″.  Now, my optimal waist measurement is 26.5-27″ (13.25-13.5″ flat), and I’m not sure if a 26″ waist would end up being too small.  Now, I could get luck again like I did with the brown skirt, and this one could fit just fine, but there’s no guarantee it will.  Now, I do have a sewing machine, and I’ve even been thinking that 29.5″ was a bit too long in length for me liking, so I could probably alter the waist size by cutting a ~2.5″ strip of fabric off the bottom, cutting the length from that strip that I’d need for the waistband, seam-ripping off the original waistband then adding my new waistband slightly lower on the skirt (it looks like a circle skirt in the (you guessed it) one picture provided) which should give me a tad bit more room.  I’ll probably use hook and eye closures on it (possibly from the original waistband) after I sew it all up.  that plan sounds solid, doesn’t it?  I suppose I’ll have to be careful if there’s a zipper involved.

And you know what?  If it turns out that I do have to tear into the skirt a bit, why don’t I just add some pockets while I’m at it, you know?  Decisions, decisions.  I’ll see what the seams look like first.  I do think I’ll buy it tonight though.  My three week no-personal-shopping thing was over October 21, but I hadn’t planned anything to buy on that day, so by this point I’m nearing halfway through my next set of three weeks.

Speaking of wool garments, I’m thinking of selling those wool pants I got on Depop last month.  I don’t feel comfortably trying to repair all the holes in them, and the insides are slightly itchy despite having a lining.  I’ll probably sell them on Poshmark and uhhh well, I’ll likely upcharge on them.  I bought them for ~$16, so I think I’ll sell them for ~$25 or so.  Besides, the folks on Poshmark expect��to pay a little bit more than they probably should.  Or maybe I’ll just throw the pants out.  I’m not completely sure yet.

Life hack: Stay in your room all day without getting something to eat and your mom will be worried ad will being you a chicken patty with kiwi and chips (no bread tho lol).  yes i know this is unhealthy but i literally did not get hungry today and also my sleep schedule is WACKY TO THE MAX so that could be screwing with my eating schedule too lol

Sidenote: okay listen, I may not be overjoyed with my 86% on my orgo exam, but like,,, for nearly three weeks all i did was go to study sessions.  I hardly watched a single lecture until the day of the exam and I still got a B on the exam????  Thas pretty good ngl

--

I’ve again been putting paragraphs into this entry periodically throughout the day.  New developments before I start the late night grind:

1. My family was actually concerned about me not eating today and like,,, my mom kinda has a good point.  What happens when I’m living on my own with no one to fix food for me?  I think at that point I’d probably have some takeout places on call, but I’d also like to think that I’d do some meal prepping for the week, you know?  Fixing a pack of rice noodles on a Sunday night and going through them with fruits and things that I’ve mostly prepared throughout the week and things like that maybe?

2. I’ve joined a listserv for museum and boy oh boy will it come in handy for this whole journey of mine.  I think the ultimate goal would be to get an internship or some volunteer work at a natural history museum this summer (or possibly winter), but we’ll see what’s offered.

3. Bought the skirt!!  Mercari is an interesting platform!  They mandate shipment within 3 days and have given me a $20 off my next in-app purchase (that I have to use by next week which is kinda unfortunate since I wasn’t planning on making another clothing purchase until November 13 but hey I’ll take $20 off and just use that as my next purchase) which was real nice of them ^.^  I’ll probably use it to buy a vintage-y dress or skirt or something, possibly cotton or linen, but we’ll see and I’ll keep y’all updated!  I hadn’t planned on this becoming a buying/selling platform that I’d use very often, but I’ll have to see what they have to offer!

Today I’m thankful that I’m really good at going quickly through schoolwork when I need to.  I only wish I could go as quickly when I wanted to (you know, sticking to the schedule I’d set out for myself and such).  But hey!  At least I finished watching all of my orgo lectures for the week (...at the expense of my anth lectures, but those tend to be pretty interesting in general so I’m not too pressed).

[tisthenightofthewitch]

How Ghost became the face of the new generation of heavy metal

Pressure. Controversy. An army of haters. It seems like nothing can throw Ghost off-course. How Ghost's mastermind Tobias Forge took on the world… and won

Paris, tell me… did that make your asses wobble?” It sure as hell isn’t “Scream for me, Hammersmith!”  but somehow, inexplicably, this flirty, moustached, makeup-splattered dandy wiggling about in a tux and leather gloves has 9,000 people in the palm of his hand like he’s Bruce Dickinson in ’86. Hammer is at hallmark gig venue Le Zenith in France’s capital city, witnessing Ghost deliver their latest sermon.

The City Of Love might be frozen solid on this chilly February evening, but the unstoppable Swedes are heating things up in style – fire, steam cannons, confetti, a dazzling light show and enough costume changes to make Lady Gaga dizzy are just some of the ingredients reaffirming their status as one of metal’s premier attractions in 2019.

It all makes a two-hour set fly by in no time, guided masterfully by that  aforementioned, ’tache-donning Daddy. Cardinal Copia, Ghost’s Master Of Ceremonies, raised a few confused eyebrows when he was unveiled this time last year, breaking an eight-year streak of Papa Emerituses who’d fronted Ghost since its inception. But he’s since become the beating heart of a band that have continued to evolve, grow and adapt beyond all expectations.

He’s also a world away from the blue-eyed, slick-black-haired, quiet and thoughtful man we spent time with two hours earlier, dressed in jeans and a hoodie, decidedly sans-moustache and doing much less wiggling.

When Hammer last spoke to Tobias Forge, he’d recently (some may say forcefully) been outed as Ghost’s resident mastermind – its very own Wizard Of Oz, working behind the scenes and behind the mask to help orchestrate one of the most unlikely success stories of recent times.

We are creating a dynasty.

Soon after our last conversation, Ghost dropped their latest album, Prequelle – an instant classic stacked with playful menace and 80s-tinged pop-rock bangers – and have pretty much been on the road ever since.

“Hey, if you wanna rock, you gotta rock,” shrugs Tobias of his relentless schedule. “It takes a lot of effort, a lot of cogwheels spinning and turning, to make all this work.” He’s not kidding.

A weary roadie will later inform us that it takes almost four hours to pack up Ghost’s monstrous set each night – a towering, multi-platformed, chapel-esque set-up that recalls the kind of backdrops Maiden have made home for decades. “But, once you’ve got that whole machine rolling, you don’t wanna stop,” Tobias adds. “At some point, we will have to wind down a bit, but we’re not there yet.

If you wanna be comparative, look at all the big bands; even though they made it in a different time, statistically it takes five records, about 10 years, to go from nothing to something to something great.”

And that, right there, sums up Tobias Forge. The reason Ghost have been such a triumph isn’t because of great songs, a good live show and a savvy gimmick – metal history is littered with bands that never made it despite boasting all those things.

The difference is that Tobias is the man with the plan. He may not be the tortured artiste or swaggering hellraiser that rock’n’roll loves to stick on a pedestal, but he’s a leader: a brand ambassador with a calculating mind and a shrewd business acumen who knows exactly what needs to be done to immortalise Ghost’s legacy.

He’s playing the game, and he’s winning. And if you look hard enough, the seeds for it all were being sown right at the very start.

“You can find all the details in my record collection,” he says with a knowing smirk – and he’s not wrong. Before Cardinal Copia, there were Papa Emeritus I, II and III – a line of frontmen that not only enabled Ghost to set up a deep-running narrative, but change up the formula and the image for every album cycle. Sound familiar? It should – it’s what rock’n’roll superstars have been doing for decades.

"I’ve always been a big fan of Kiss,” he continues. “Most Kiss fans can tell the era [of the band] by the photo, what they’re wearing. You can say, ‘That is ’75, that is ’76, it’s in the spring, it’s in the fall, it’s Rock And Roll Over, it’s Destroyer.’ So I figured that in order for this band to age, we need to create dynasties.

"And that way, there’ll also be nostalgia. Because I come from a heavy metal background, I know how important nostalgia is, and the attention span nowadays is so short, so you need to create it quickly. You need people to be able to say, ‘I was there when this part happened.’ That’s why it was always Papa Emeritus I, right from the start.”

It’s a meticulous level of forward-thinking that has come up trumps, but amazingly, you’d have been hard-pushed to find anyone who’d have backed Tobias to carve such a path 10 years ago.

Before 2010, it was with respected Swedish death metallers Repugnant that the Linköping native had had his most ‘success’, his love of rock’s theatrical side flirted with via a splash of corpsepaint and a drop of fake blood here and there.

A spate of EPs and splits and one well-received album, 2006’s Epitome Of Darkness, ensured a small part in heavy metal folklore was guaranteed, but it was what happened next that changed everything.

Channelling his love of catchy NWOBHM mainstays like Angel Witch and Demon, Tobias wrote what would become Stand By Him – an irrepressible schlock-rock anthem a world away from the guttural noise of Epitome…

He called up former Repugnant bandmate Gustaf Lindström to help record it, and more songs quickly followed in the same, earwormy vein – “I’ve always liked the NWOBHM bands that had melody and pop sensibility,” he says today.

But there was still something missing. The songs Tobias was now writing were following a formula that had been laid down since the 70s. It needed something different. Something fun. Something… metal.

Deciding that this new project should carry an image that’d bring it a world away from its influences – a band that, in Tobias’s words, should “sound like Angel Witch but look like Death SS,” he began doodling some ideas. One scribble stuck – the image of a Pope-like character, plastered in ghoulish corpsepaint. Papa Emeritus was born.

I was 29 years old. I wasn't going to get another chance at this.

“And as soon as it was confirmed that he’s gonna be a Pope… well, when a Pope dies, you have a new one!” adds Tobias with a laugh. Soon after Papa I came the idea for the Nameless Ghouls – masked, anonymous backing musicians that’d add to the band’s hokey mystique.

By 2009, the project had an image, some songs and a name: Ghost. But it’d be a little while before things started to move forwards, and Tobias’s grand plan would take shape.

Between 2008 and 2009, there were maybe 20 people who knew about Ghost,” says Tobias, who ended up fronting the band through default after unsuccessfully offering the gig to a variety of names from around the metal scene.

“The guys in In Solitude, the guys in Tribulation, the guys in Watain… they were the only people who knew about it! But I knew at that point that it was gonna have the ability to turn heads, because it made everyone [excited].

"Repugnant were popular, but nothing I had ever done had had such an immediate impact on people. They were all like, ‘Ghost! I wanna hear more!’ I knew that there was gonna be some sort of buzz.”

A “buzz” is an understatement. When Ghost’s first songs were finally made public – on MySpace, no less – things began to move very, very quickly. Metal messageboards were set ablaze with excitement and offers came flooding in.

“I was quickly in touch with Will from Rise Above,” notes Tobias now, and he would eventually accept a deal with Lee Dorrian’s much-respected label. An album, Opus Eponymous, was recorded, and the metal underground waited with baited breath for its new favourite band to deliver on the hype. And yet, even at this stage, Tobias wasn’t totally certain just how far things would go.

“Originally, I thought that Ghost was gonna become more like a theatre/installation sort of band, like Sunn O))),” he reveals. “We would play Roadburn, arthouse concerts, five dates at the London Scala, that sort of thing.”

So a kind of ‘event’ band. You’d show up to play special shows and residencies.

“Exactly,” he confirms. “I never thought we would be the band that would play metal festivals, play in daylight, play with other bands.”

But then more offers started steaming in. Suddenly Ghost – with not so much as a gig to their name – were being asked to go on tours, play festivals and do interviews. For Tobias, there was a straight decision to be made: keep this project as a ‘cult attraction’, stay within the underground and become everyone’s favourite ‘Oh, you wouldn’t have heard of them’ reference point, or take a leap into the unknown and reach for greatness.

For a man that had spent years keeping a lid on his grand ambitions, now was the time to sink or swim. And, really, there was only ever going to be one option.

“I wasn’t gonna get another chance,” he states flatly. “I was already 29 years old at the time, so it was like, ‘This is the train and it’s leaving now.’ You can choose to stay, and sit there and fucking wonder all your life, or you can get on.”

Tobias got on the train, and it hasn’t stopped rolling. Opus Eponymous was released on October 18, 2010, and within three years intimate club shows became packed-out academy shows in front of 5,000 people, and soon after that the band could be seen supporting everyone from Metallica to Foo Fighters to Iron Maiden.

They won a Grammy for Cirice (and have been nominated for two more); they’ve been championed by everyone from James Hetfield to Phil Anselmo; their merch has become obscenely big business, t-shirts selling out in no time at gigs (including the show Hammer attends tonight) and the Ghost IP being plastered across everything from baubles to butt plugs to custom plague masks.

Tobias has manoeuvred that quick sketch of a spooky lad in a Pope hat into a machine Gene Simmons would be proud of, all underpinned by a storyline that has fans salivating as they wait for the next chapter to be revealed.

And if there was any doubt that this is still very much Tobias’s baby, you need only look at the casualty list littered with names that have crossed him. There are the disgruntled ex-bandmates who attempted to bring a lawsuit against Tobias in 2017 after claiming they were denied their rightful share of the Ghost pot.

The lawsuit was thrown out in October last year, his former colleagues ordered to pay Tobias’s legal costs (around $145,000, if you’re counting). There was also the Sister Imperator incident, where the elderly Ghost matriarch and star of their ongoing vignette series had to be swiftly recast after a mysterious falling out.

“All of a sudden, you’ve an actress who decides to start making fucking trouble and makes herself unemployable,” Tobias says. “Well, then you have to do what they do in any soap opera… a car accident.” That’s not allegorical, by the way.

Tobias literally had a new vignette made revealing that the Sister was in a car wreck and needed reconstructive surgery. The new actress was brought in so smoothly that many Ghost fans assumed it was the same person with a different haircut. How’s that for efficient?

“That’s how you solve things,” the frontman shrugs. “But that was not planned at first, because we’d been working with the same actress for three years, and then all of a sudden, things fell apart. But, you have to roll with the punch, you have to bite your finger, and come up with another plan… car accident. Boom.”

That Tobias won’t be moved on what actually happened between he and the original actress is understandable – after all, this is a man that spent years holding his cards close to his chest.

That this all managed to play out under the noses of one of modern metal’s most fanatical fanbases, however, is pretty damn impressive. Basically: don’t cross the boss.

While Tobias’s masterplan may seem iron-clad, he will at least admit that there is room for fine-tweaking along the way. He recently revealed that Cardinal Copia’s character could stick around for another five years and multiple albums – a first for Ghost, who have thus far changed up their protagonist for every record.

“That’s just because of the potential of him being a ‘Pope’ or a Papa Emeritus IV,” he explains, before adding: “If he becomes a Papa Emeritus.”

So there could be multiple endings planned for Cardi C?

“Absolutely. All of this is an organic movement, and that is one of the biggest paradoxes for me, as a control freak. To be part of this living world, I can’t control everything. I can control a lot, and I can influence a lot, but I can’t control it [all]. And coming to terms with those things and accepting that is a big struggle for me.”

He’ll also admit that being the mastermind behind a machine as big and ever-evolving as Ghost has had a serious impact on his personal life. Being a part of a successful band is one thing, but having that success rest almost entirely on your shoulders is something altogether different.

“It’s very hard to do this without any casualties,” he muses. “It takes a toll on your surroundings, your crew, your parents, your children… I have two kids, 10 years old. They were toddlers when this whole thing started. My family’s had to endure a lot for this to happen.”

He’s also had to face up to the reality that being in a big rock band means you’re going to attract the attention of

a fair few haters – and Ghost have an army of them. Check out Hammer’s Facebook page to see the dizzying levels of vitriol that a post about Ghost will attract. Recurring issues seem to be accusations of selling out, anger at Tobias’s treatment of his former bandmates and, most commonly, whether Ghost belong in our world at all (and to be fair, you’d be hard-pushed to describe Prequelle as a true heavy metal record by any standards).

“I’ve noticed it,” says Tobias. “I noticed it in the beginning. I think that it’s the same old discussion. ‘Is Ghost a metal band?’ ‘Are we a clone of Mercyful Fate?’ It’s the same old thing. But now these people are saying the new record is not as good because it’s not as much of a clone of Mercyful Fate! OK…”

Why do you think Ghost wind people up so much?

“Because we are ever-present, all the time. We are being shoved into people’s faces, and we’re rubbing it in. They wouldn’t talk about us had we not been successful. Does it worry me? Not really. If they’re talking shit about me, that’s one thing,  especially if it’s someone that I know. That can hurt me deeply. When you’re at the beginning of your career, especially nowadays, you spend a lot of time surveying what’s going on, because you need to feed off anything that’s happening to the band. So I noticed there was a lot of ‘controversy’, a lot of mixed opinions. It’s surprising they don’t understand that the more they talk about us, the more traffic there is about our band. More than we would have had had they not spoken!”

Once again, it’s there: the unnerving feeling that Tobias is metal’s modern-day puppet master, pulling the strings above a performance that we all continue to play our parts in. Whether it’s the media, his fans, his critics or the few who have attempted to foil him, everything only ever seems to play into his hands, and the Ghost train rolls on.

“A few months ago, based on metadata alone, a website made a list

of the biggest bands in metal,” Tobias reveals as a PR informs us our time together is up. “We were number four! Right up there. And that’s thanks to these people that keep on fucking hating. So I have nothing but great feelings for them.”

He makes to leave before adding: “That’s how all these bands made their careers. You think Lars would shy away every time people would talk shit about Metallica? Fuck. That.”

Hated, adored but never ignored. This summer, Ghost will play in front of stadium crowds with Metallica once again – something Tobias calls a “PR exercise” – before more global dates and, eventually, a new album that’ll reveal the next chapter of his grand plan. You can imagine that people will have plenty to say about it. And you can imagine that Tobias Forge is going to relish every second.

ALL RIGHTS OWNED BY METAL HAMMER

[scripttorture]

I want to write characters suffering, and being hurt in ways that aren't just accidents, but I don't want to write torture apologia. If a character gets stuck in an automated alien "hospital" or "spa", where everything was designed to be beneficial and/or pleasant (but to non-human physicality), would that avoid those unfortunate implications? I love doing fantasy/sci-fi worldbuilding, so that bit would be an added benefit for me.

Idon’t see a problem with that concept.

Aquick look at the biodiversity on earth shows just how much thecomfortable norm varies between species. I mean we have humboldtsquid and naked mole rats and bearded vultures. The temperature,humidity and pressure differences in their preferred environments arepretty extreme and we’re not even getting into the reallyweird life like those snails living in high salinity conditions orthe invertebrates that can survive being frozen solid.

It’sperfectly possible for an environment built and designed for one formof life to be extremely uncomfortable for another. And this wouldresult in injuries and discomfort that isn’t necessarilyintentionally inflicted.

Evenenvironments where we cancomfortably survive can be extremely painful or distressing if theindividual involved isn’t used to them.

Sofor instance- the city I grew up in had temperatures that were around30-45C (86-113F) most of the year, with humidity ranging from 30-75%.We’d also periodically get really strong winds and a lot of dust. Ispent quite a bit of time outside every day and was perfectlycomfortable.

Nowthe first time I had to play sports outside in an English winter is….Not something I’ve ever forgiven that teacher for.

Butmy class mates were perfectly comfortable that day and probably wouldhave been in a lot of pain in the conditions I considered ‘normal’.

Gettingback to the main question- I think this avoids the stereotype of hightech torture because it’s not intended as torture. Or at least thedevices and environment weren’t made to torture.

Inmuch the same way if you wanted to set an abusive scene in anaquarium and a character was thrown into a low temperature tank Iwouldn’t interpret it as a fictional use of high tech torture.Because while the tank is high tech the torturers had nothing to dowith the design, building or installation of this thing. They’recoming along later and misusing it with minimal effort.

Ithink that’s the main thing to consider when you’re trying towork out whether a scenario crosses that line: how much effort is it?Remembering that if something was made specifically to torture thenthe effort involved in the device’s creation is part of thatoverall effort.

Tortureis fundamentally lazy.

Ifyour sci fi scenario already has a way to dial up the gravity onevery space ship then it may not be much effort on the torturer’spart to fiddle with a dial and subject a victim to higher G forces.It’s building such a device specifically for torture that’s aproblematic trope.

There’snothing wrong with world building or making your setting unique anddistinct. I certainly don’t want to discourage fantasy and sci fiworld building.

ButI do want people to think about what they’re implying when theybuild their world.

We’vebecome more accustomed to doing this around issues of race, genderand sexuality. I think we should do it around violence and abuse aswell.

Becausewhat we write is rarely neutral.

Evenif we’re writing something that’s nominally set in this world assoon as we pick up the proverbial pen we start defining things. Wedefine good and bad, beautiful and ugly. We define what a supportivefamily looks like and what a healthy romantic relationship is.

Andin the case of torture what we often get is…. people who have noclear idea what torture is or what it does attempting to define it.

Iknow that most of the time this isn’t maliciously intended. It’shard to find accurate information on this subject and we’re notused to talking honestly about violence.

Partof what I’m trying to say here is that just because your story issci fi (or fantasy) you don’t have to avoidusing torture. If you’re building a world that’s completelydifferent from ours then using more unusual tortures or even tryingto make up some unique ones makes sense. Things that might not bephysically possible here might be possible in your world. I don’tsee anything wrong with exploring that.

Thetrick is to try and go into this particular bit of world buildingwith a basic understanding of what torture is like. In much the sameway that you might look up a little bit about how geography effectsclimate before you draw or fantasy map. Or how space travel works nowbefore designing your own space craft.

Offthe top of my head the main things that crop up for sci fi are thatin reality:

Torture for information does not work

Even if complex wounds can be healed the damage torture causes is long lasting

Victims are not made placid or obedient when tortured

Torture is neither complicated nor scientific.

The vast majority of the time it isn’t high tech

Torture actually takes quite a bit of time

Non-scarring tortures still cause long term damage to victims and are still torture

Torturers are lazy, the more complicated a form of abuse is the less likely it is to happen

There’salso a whole host of tropes relating to unethical experimentation orsome sort of pseudo-scientific torture. Which often seem tomisunderstand how medical testing works as well as misunderstandingtorture.

Reallythe key thing here is to get into the habit of thinking through theimplications of what you write.

Ifyou make a sci fi world with a high tech device that ‘forces’people to tell the truth by inflicting pain- then yesthat’s torture apologia because it’s suggesting that pain can‘make’ people tell the truth. Which is a real world justificationfor torture.

Ifyour fantasy world has an obedience spell that inflicts pain and alsomagically forces someone to change sides and work for the casterwillingly- that’s probably alsotorture apologia because again, it’s suggesting pain ‘makes’victims change their minds. Which is another real world justificationfor torture.

Ittakes time to get into the habit of thinking these things through andspotting the stereotypes.

It’snormal to make mistakes along the way. And it’s OK. (Believe me youdo notwant to see some of my early attempts at tackling dark themes.)

Thinkabout your story. Read about the real world issues. Practice. Ipromise you you will get better and you’ll feel more confidentabout handling these issues as you go forward.

Ihope that helps. :)

Availableon Wordpress.

Disclaimer

[patriotsnet]

Do Any Republicans Believe In Climate Change

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/do-any-republicans-believe-in-climate-change/

Do Any Republicans Believe In Climate Change

Table 1 Partisan Gaps On Various Issues From Multiple 2020 Surveys

Why Do Republicans Deny Climate Change Science?

ABC News/Ipsos. June 1718, 2020. N=727 adults nationwide. Web-based survey. Estimates were computed by the authors. CBS News Poll. May 29June 2, 2020. N=1,309 adults nationwide. Margin of error ± 3.1. Kaiser Family Foundation. May 1318, 2020. N=1189 adults nationwide. Would you support or oppose your state government decreasing spending on Medicaid to deal with a budget shortfall? Estimates were computed by the authors. Quinnipiac University Poll. June 1115, 2020. N=1,332 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ± 2.7.

Figure 36 Proportion Of Each Group Who Favored The Federal Government Increasing Taxes On Gasoline

Electricity Consumption Taxes. An increase in federal taxes on electricity to cause people to use less of it has never gained majority support. Increased electricity taxes are supported by only 40% of Democrats, 12% of Republicans, and 27% of Independents in 2020, with a partisan gap of 47 percentage pointsan all-time high.

Figure 20 Proportion Of Each Group Who Believed The Worlds Temperature Will Probably Go Up Over The Next 100 Years

Future warming. Since 1997, majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents have believed that the earth will probably be warmer in a century if nothing is done to prevent it. In 2020, 94% of Democrats, 72% of Independents, and 56% of Republicans believe that warming will probably continue in the future. No notable growth has occurred in the partisan gap since 2011.

5°F warmer would be bad. Majorities of Democrats and of Independents have consistently believed that 5°F of global warming would be bad, but the proportion of Republicans expressing that belief has hovered around the midline, peaking at 59% in 1997 and dipping to its lowest points of 47% in 2010 and 2015. The partisan gap in 2020 is the biggest observed since 1997 at 34 percentage points.

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Congressman Steve Scalise Republican Of Louisiana

Incoming majority whip

Scalise was a co-sponsor of the 2011 Energy Tax Prevention Act to stop the EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions. The Obama administration needs to finally abandon their radical climate change agenda that is killing jobs and increasing costs for American families, he said in an August statement. Four years after the Democratic controlled Congress rejected the presidents cap-and-trade scheme, the White House wants to sidestep Congress and commit the United States to a United Nations agreement which would name and shame countries into adopting higher emissions standards. This just proves that the president is prepared to pursue his job-killing climate agenda at any cost, which the American people and House of Representatives will not stand for.

Arguments And Positions On Global Warming

Some climate change denial groups say that because CO2 is only a trace gas in the atmosphere it can only have a minor effect on the climate. Scientists have known for over a century that even this small proportion has a significant warming effect, and doubling the proportion leads to a large temperature increase. The scientific consensus, as summarized by the IPCC fourth assessment report, the U.S. Geological Survey, and other reports, is that human activity is the leading cause of climate change. The burning of fossil fuels accounts for around 30 billion tons of CO2 each year, which is 130 times the amount produced by volcanoes. Some groups allege that water vapor is a more significant greenhouse gas, and is left out of many climate models. While water vapor is a greenhouse gas, the very short atmospheric lifetime of water vapor compared to that of CO2 means that CO2 is the primary driver of increasing temperatures; water vapour acts as a feedback, not a forcing, mechanism. Water vapor has been incorporated into climate models since their inception in the late 1800s.

Climate denial groups may also argue that global warming stopped recently, a global warming hiatus, or that global temperatures are actually decreasing, leading to global cooling. These arguments are based on short term fluctuations, and ignore the long term pattern of warming.

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Senator Jim Inhofe Republican Of Oklahoma

Incoming chairman of the Senate committee on the environment and public works

Inhofe is the poster boy for Republican climate change denialism, not only for his stridency on the issue but because he is the once and future leader of the key Senate committee on environmental policy. Inhofe will be able to lead the committee for two years before running up against term limits . This time around, Inhofes committee is expected to focus on transportation and infrastructure bills.

But it seems likely that Inhofe will devote some energy to blocking the regulation of carbon emissions. We think this because on 12 November he told the Washington Post: As we enter a new Congress, I will do everything in my power to rein in and shed light on the EPAs unchecked regulations.

Inhofe has climate change the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people, has said God, not humans, controls the weather, and has denied climate change in many other ways.

Amid Extreme Weather A Shift Among Republicans On Climate Change

Many Republicans in Congress no longer deny that Earth is heating because of fossil fuel emissions. But they say abandoning oil, gas and coal will harm the economy.

By Lisa Friedman and Coral Davenport

WASHINGTON After a decade of disputing the existence of climate change, many leading Republicans are shifting their posture amid deadly heat waves, devastating drought and ferocious wildfires that have bludgeoned their districts and unnerved their constituents back home.

Members of Congress who long insisted that the climate is changing due to natural cycles have notably adjusted that view, with many now acknowledging the solid science that emissions from burning oil, gas and coal have raised Earths temperature.

But their growing acceptance of the reality of climate change has not translated into support for the one strategy that scientists said in a major United Nations report this week is imperative to avert an even more harrowing future: stop burning fossil fuels.

Instead, Republicans want to spend billions to prepare communities to cope with extreme weather, but are trying to block efforts by Democrats to cut the emissions that are fueling the disasters in the first place.

Dozens of Republicans in the House and Senate said in recent interviews that quickly switching to wind, solar and other clean energy will damage an economy that has been underpinned by fossil fuels for more than a century.

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In 2020 91% Of Democrats 73% Of Republicans And 82% Of Independents Favor Federal Government Efforts To Generate More Electricity Using Water Wind And Solar Power Reflecting A Partisan Gap Of 18 Percentage Points

Increase CAFE Standards. Majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents have consistently favored federal government efforts to cause improvement in the fuel efficiency of cars. In 2020, 86% of Democrats, 52% of Republicans, and 70% of Independents favor this policy option, with a partisan gap of 34 percentage points .

What The World Thinks About Climate Change In 7 Charts

My Republican colleagues dont think we should do anything about climate change. They are dead wrong

On April 22, leaders and representatives from more than 150 countries will gather at the United Nations to sign the global climate change agreement reached in Paris in December. Pew Research Centers spring 2015 survey found that people around the world are concerned about climate change and want their governments to take action. Here are seven key findings from the poll:

1Majorities in all 40 nations polled say climate change is a serious problem, and a global median of 54% believe it is a very serious problem. Still, the intensity of concern varies substantially across regions and nations. Latin Americans and sub-Saharan Africans are particularly worried about climate change. Americans and Chinese, whose countries have the highest overall carbon dioxide emissions, are less concerned.

2People in countries with high per-capita levels of carbon emissions are less intensely concerned about climate change. Among the nations we surveyed, the U.S. has the highest carbon emissions per capita, but it is among the least concerned about climate change and its potential impact. Others in this category are Australia, Canada and Russia. Publics in Africa, Latin America and Asia, many of which have very low emissions per capita, are frequently the most concerned about the negative effects of climate change.

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Figure 26 Proportion Of Each Group Who Thought That Us Businesses Should Do More About Global Warming

US businesses should do more to deal with global warming. Since 1997, majorities of Democrats and Independents have believe that US business should do more about global warming. In 2020, 92% of Democrats and 69% of Independents believe that businesses should do more. Minorities of Republicans have favored increased action from businesses, with all-time highs of 5859% in 1997 and 1998. The partisan gap is 49 percentage points in 2020.

Average people should do more to deal with global warming. Since 1997, majorities of Democrats and Independents have believed that average people should do more about global warming. In 2020, 90% of Democrats and 70% of Independents think that average people should do more. Smaller proportions of Republicans have also favored increased individual action, with all-time highs of 60% in 1997 and 1998. The partisan gap is 43 percentage points in 2020.

Economic Consequences Of Mitigation Policies

According to some observers, implementing some policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions may increase the cost of American-made goods and services relative to those goods and services produced elsewhere, thus costing consumers and companies alike in the short term. In Climate Insights 2020: Policies and Politics, we saw that very few Americans believe that such undesirable economic side effects result from mitigation efforts. Here, we report how partisans perceive these economic consequences.

Interestingly, majorities of Democrats and of Republicans believe that mitigation policies do not exert ill economic effects, whether at the national level, state level, or their personal levels. Among Democrats, huge majorities believe that the United States doing things to reduce future global warming would not hurt the national economy, their state economy, the number of available jobs, or their own personal finances and job prospects. These sentiments were expressed by majorities of Republicans as well. The partisan gap, averaged over these six measures of economic impacts, was 21 percentage points.

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Figure 16 Trends In The Partisan Gap Using Two Measures Across All Years

These data refute the claim that the gap has grown in recent years amid an increasingly polarized political system in the United States.;

Figure 17 shows the partisan gap using seven measures included in 10 surveys: that global warming has been happening, that, if warming has been happening, it was caused at least in part by human activity, that government should reduce greenhouse gas emissions by power plants, that CAFE standards should be increased, that energy efficiency of buildings should be increased, that energy efficiency of appliances should be increased, and that climate scientists are trustworthy.

Using those measures, the partisan gap was 9 and 11 percentage points on average in 1997 and 1998, grew to 15 to 31 percentage points during 2007-2013, and stabilized between 22 and 29 percentage points in 20152020. In 2020, the gap was 29 percentage points, slightly greater than the previous years of 2018 and 2015 .;

The Republican Party Stands Alone In Climate Denial

Amid internal calls for climate action, a study finds that Republicans are the only climate-denying conservative party in the world

A paper published in the journal Politics and Policy by Sondre Båtstrand at the University of Bergen in Norway compared the climate positions of conservative political parties around the world. Båtstrand examined the platforms or manifestos of the conservative parties from the USA, UK, Norway, Sweden, Spain, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Germany. He found that the US Republican Party stands alone in its rejection of the need to tackle climate change and efforts to become the party of climate supervillains.

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Farmers And Climate Denial

Seeing positive economic results from efforts at climate-friendly agricultural practices, or becoming involved in intergenerational stewardship of a farm may play a role in turning farmers away from denial. One study of climate change denial among farmers in Australia found that farmers were less likely to take a position of climate denial if they had experienced improved production from climate-friendly practices, or identified a younger person as a successor for their farm.

In the United States, rural climate dialogues sponsored by the Sierra Club have helped neighbors overcome their fears of political polarization and exclusion, and come together to address shared concerns about climate impacts in their communities. Some participants who start out with attitudes of anthropogenic climate change denial have shifted to identifying concerns which they would like to see addressed by local officials.

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Figure 35 Proportion Of Each Group Who Favored The Federal Government Giving Tax Breaks To Build Nuclear Power Plants

Gasoline Consumption Taxes. An increase in federal taxes on gasoline to cause people to use less of it has almost never gained majority support. Increased gasoline taxes reached and surpassed 50% favoring among Democrats in 2015 and 2018, then gained significant traction in 2020, reaching a peak at 65%. The partisan gap in 2020 was 47 percentage points, an all-time high.

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Florida Could Be Underwater In A Few Decades Can Republicans Win The Battleground State If They Refuse To Heed Environmental Warnings

Molly OTooleKeith JohnsonForeign Policy

MIAMI Florida is waging a quixotic battle against climate change that becomes immediately and aggravatingly apparent when driving anywhere in Miami. Endless orange traffic cones, flashing detour signs, and car-swallowing pits clog the streets as the city tries to rebuild overloaded sewer systems and literally raise roads above the encroaching flood waters.

Sitting in his cramped, cluttered office at the University of Miami, geophysics professor Chris Harrison squints at a rising red line on his computer monitor. It shows sea levels in Key West, which have risen 2 mm per year on average in the last hundred years or so. No longer: Now theyre rising by 3 mm each year bad news for a place where the highest elevation is 345 feet. So is Miami eventually doomed to a watery death?

Well, yes, he said.

MIAMI Florida is waging a quixotic battle against climate change that becomes immediately and aggravatingly apparent when driving anywhere in Miami. Endless orange traffic cones, flashing detour signs, and car-swallowing pits clog the streets as the city tries to rebuild overloaded sewer systems and literally raise roads above the encroaching flood waters.

Well, yes, he said.

I dont have a plan to influence the weather, he dismissively answered a question about climate change at a town hall in New Hampshire.

Fundamental Beliefs And Attitudes

Has Marco Rubio flip-flopped on climate change?

For 14 out of 21 survey questions posed to American respondents about fundamental beliefs and attitudes regarding global warming, majorities of Democrats and Republicans alike hold green opinions in 2020.

For example, 94% of Democrats believe global warming has been happening, as do 67% of Republicans. 94% of Democrats and 56% of Republicans think warming will continue in the future if nothing is done to address it. 94% of Democrats and 69% of Republicans believe that if warming has been happening, human actions have been responsible for causing it.

Majorities of Democrats and of Republicans also agree about the likely effects of global warming98% of Democrats and 54% of Republicans believe global warming will be a very or somewhat serious problem for the US if nothing is done to address it. Some 97% of Democrats and 60% of Republicans believe that global warming will be a very or somewhat serious problem for the world if nothing is done to address it.

However, the partisans diverge on whether specific temperature changes have been or will be bad. Whereas 88% of Democrats believe that the warming that has happened over the past 100 years was bad, only 40% of Republicans believe that. And whereas 84% of Democrats believe that a 5-degree Fahrenheit increase in world temperature over the next 75 years would be bad, only 50% of Republicans agree.

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Taxonomy Of Climate Change Denial

In 2004, Stefan Rahmstorf described how the media give the misleading impression that climate change was still disputed within the scientific community, attributing this impression to PR efforts of climate change skeptics. He identified different positions argued by climate skeptics, which he used as a taxonomy of climate change skepticism: Later the model was also applied on denial.

Trend sceptics or deniers , argue that no significant climate warming is taking place at all, claiming that the warming trend measured by weather stations is an artefact due to urbanisation around those stations .

Attribution sceptics or deniers , doubt that human activities are responsible for the observed trends. A few of them even deny that the rise in the atmospheric CO2 content is anthropogenic additional CO2 does not lead to discernible warming that there must be othernaturalcauses for warming.

Impact sceptics or deniers .

This taxonomy has been used in social science for analysis of publications, and to categorize climate change skepticism and climate change denial. Sometimes, a fourth category called “consensus denial” is added, which describes people who question the scientific consensus on anthropogenic global warming.

Journalists and newspaper columnists including George Monbiot and Ellen Goodman, among others, have described climate change denial as a form of denialism.

Logical fallacies.

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

WAD LIAO 86

Lance had absolutely no memory of what happened between blasting his way out of the ship and getting back to the castle, only that waking up to find 8 pairs of eyes staring back at him was just plain creepy. Groaning at the unwanted brightness of the world, he tried to hide back under the blankets as Hunk joyfully yelled his name. Scrunching his eyes closed, he shook his head 

"Lance isn't here right now. Please try again later"

"Lance, you have no idea how worried we were. We put you in a pod, but you were still unconscious when the glass opened"

"I wasn't out long enough. I feel like quiznak"

"You look like it too and you stink!"

"Thanks Pidge. Just what everyone wants to hear when they wake up. Now let me sleep"

"Lance? How are you feeling?"

Tugging the blanket from his hold, Keith nuzzled at his face, before kissing his cheek and moving to stroke his hair

"How do you feel, baby?"

"Gross. My head hurts"

"Probably because you had a massive dose of quintessence..."

"I didn't mean to..."

"Whether you meant to or not, the fact remains that Lotor is now 6 containers short of pure quintessence, and a ship"

"What? What happened to the ship?"

"It exploded. There was a flash of blue, the black goop disappeared, and then an explosion in the hangar. I'm assuming that was you?"

"I don't remember"

"After that, there was a second explosion in hangar which set off a chain reaction"

"Oh... it sounds like I missed all the fun"

"How can you joke at a time like this? You've been unconscious for the last 12 vargas, after spending a whole quintant in a pod"

"Shiro, now is not the time"

"It is. He made a monumental mess of the mission"

"No he didn't"

"I have no idea how I am going to explain any of this to Lotor"

"Then how about you don't"

He hadn't even been awake 5 doboshes and Keith was picking a fight with Shiro. Wriggling lower in the blankets, he sighed to himself unhappily 

"We can't not tell him"

"How are we supposed to tell him Lance messed up the mission?"

The only warning about what happened next was the snarl that Keith let out. He felt the alpha move from his side, before the was a solid thud, followed by another one

"Keith!"

Allura screamed Keith's name, and the boys let out screaming cries of their own. Immediately hushing them, Allura carried them to Lance's side, while Hunk was trying to say something or other to Keith. In the way of wake ups, it wasn't the worst one he'd ever had, but it was definitely up there. Sighing, Lance pushed at the blankets 

"Lance..."

"Allura, can you help me up? I can't put up with this right now"

"Lance, you need to rest"

"I don't feel well"

Placing one of the boys against him, Allura used her now free hand to place her palm on his forehead 

"You feel hot"

"I feel gross... my head hurts"

By now Pidge and Coran were weighing in on whatever was happening between Keith and Shiro, only adding to noise that threaten to split his head open. Whimpering in pain, he curled around his son as he tried to rub his back to soothe him 

"Will you all be quite!"

It was unusual for Allura to yell, let alone scold everyone at once, so other than the pups, everyone in the room fell silent 

"Thank you. Lance is sick, and you are all making it worse. Now that he's awake, I want you all out of this medical bay until further notice!"

"But...?"

"What...?"

"Keith and Shiro..."

"He's my husband..."

"Queen Allura..."

"Quite! Now please leave"

"But..."

"Keith, I suggest you calm down and get some rest before you come back here. Coran, I want you to preform a scan on Lance. Now that he's awake, I want to make sure he's actually alright and not suffering from overexposure to quintessence"

"What about the boys?"

"I'll look after them, just... give me a bit"

"Lance"

"Shiro, that's enough. I can't believe you and Keith. You both need to sit down and have a serious conversation, because this is completely unacceptable. You're team members of Voltron, we can't win a war, when we're fighting amongst each other"

There were a few grumbles, all of which from Keith, but surprisingly enough, the rest of the team apologised and promised to come later. Left alone in the room, Keith came back to his side

"Keith, you need to rest. You haven't slept since you returned"

"I can't, Allura. I can't leave him"

"Lance?"

"I'm ok, just go get some rest..."

"Baby..."

"Keith, you need to rest"

"Then I'll sleep on the other bed"

"Please just go. I'm not going anywhere and Allura's right, you need to rest. The boys need their dad"

"And what about you?"

"I'm ok..."

"You're not ok"

Whining, which ever twin he was holding wriggled in an attempt to escape his hold. He didn't have the strength for this. He felt like he'd been run over, and even if he knew he was going to miss Keith the dobosh he walked out the door, it wasn't fair to ask him to stay

"Keith, please. I don't want to fight"

A small kiss was pressed to his lips 

"Call me. If you need anything, or if something happens..."

"It's alright Keith. I will make sure he's taken care of"

"See. Now stop worrying"

 Releasing the pressure that went into scrunching his eyes shut, Lance felt the pain in his head lessen minutely. It took a few long moments, but finally he heard Keith moving away from him. It was another few moments before Allura spoke again 

"He left"

"Sorry, Allura. I just couldn't... my head hurts too much"

"It's alright. They've all been bickering since Shiro and Keith arrived back with you. Hopefully now they'll give it a rest"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to screw everything up"

Feeling something wet on his face, he had no idea why he was crying 

"Lance, you didn't screw anything up"

"I did. Now Keith's even madder at Shiro, and you all have to tell Lotor what happened..."

Kissing his forehead, Allura moved his son back into her hold. Lance immediately missing the warmth

"Coran, why don't you go ahead and scan Lance. After that, we can see about letting you get some more rest"

"Right now I just want to shower"

"I don't think you're in any condition for that. You're lucky your plate armour protected you"

"Was it that bad?"

"It was. You were also bleeding, though we couldn't find the wound"

"Oh..."

It was a miracle that Keith had left in the first place, doubly so now

"I don't know how it all went so wrong"

"We knew there was a risk of both the black goo and quintessence being on that ship..."

"I..."

"It's ok, Lance. Just lay still for Coran"

It was way too much effort to roll back on to his back as his stomach filled with heat from the scanner. There was the usual silence from Coran, before the man finally reported the results way too loudly 

"All you're external injuries have healed, but now that we know quintessence affects fertility, I superimposed your womb..."

His stomach dropped. He knew he already wasn't going to like this 

"Normally the castle pods can heal all manner of injuries, though this time there seems to be scarring on the lining of your womb, much like an electrical burn"

Allura let out a small gasp

"I'm afraid I don't know enough about what that means to give you a definitive answer, though I suspect your fertility may be affected. However, it seems a rather straight forward procedure to remove the damaged tissue, and I'm confident the Olkari will be well equipped to perform such a procedure"

For an omega to be told they might not be able to do the very thing they were born to do was shocking enough. For Lance though, he wondered why he wasn't more shaken over it? Was it because thing were rocky with Keith? Or because even if his omega wanted another child, he knew he couldn't cope with it? 

"Lance?"

"I just... I don't want to do anything about it"

"You mean you don't want to have another child?"

"Allura. I can't... my last miscarriage was from my body not being able to keep up. I don't want to fall pregnant again and have the same thing happen due to exposure to quintessence"

"Lance..."

"Coran, will the damage worse?"

"No. The scar tissue has already healed this way. I do not believe it will spread"

"Then I don't want surgery"

"Isn't this something you should talk to Keith about?"

"He's only going to blame himself... I'll talk to him about it when... when it's a better time. He won't rest if he thinks he needs to be by my side. Coran, is there anything else I should know?"

"No. All your levels are returning to normal naturally, and the quintessence has already "left" your body"

"Ok..."

"Shall I turn the scanner off?"

"Please. Lance, what do you want to do?"

"I feel revolting. Can I shower? I'll be careful, I'll even sit on the shower floor"

"What if you pass out or slip?"

"Then come with me. Not into the shower, but if you're in the next room, I mean. I don't know. My head hurts"

"Coran, would you mind coming with us? Honestly, I would prefer you waited until with Keith to shower, but even with your armour off..."

"I still smell like dead Galra..."

"Unfortunately"

"Yep. Shower time"

 Coran supported him down to the hall to the first room with a shower. The Altean probably would have even stayed and helped him shower if Allura hadn't gently distracted him by asking him to hold Lanieth. Sinking immediately to the floor, Lance crawled out of the blanket wrapped around him and into the shower, blindly feeling for taps and jumping when spray of water hit his back. So, still in his underwear, Lance went about curling up under the hot water. It didn't help his headache, but knowing the Galra stink was running down the drain made him feel a million times better, but gradually his hands came to his stomach as the shock finally began to pass. How was he supposed to tell Keith? Coran said it seemed like a straightforward surgery, but this was damage from quintessence and it made no sense. If quintessence was life, shouldn't he be going into heat, rather than suffering damage that could prevent the creation of another life? He was still scared of falling pregnant again, but to never have another child? Would Keith be happy with just their two boys? And he'd had them so young... when he was 36, his sons would be 18... he wanted another two pups, and Keith had been ok with having 4 children... but what happened if something happened to the boys? Being in space, they'd had none of their vaccinations. What if they came down with something as simple as the flu? Out here, it could very easily kill them... there was also the constant worry of SID's, and what if another accident happened, like how Lanieth had gotten hold of Keith's blade. Whining for his husband, he gripped his stomach firmly. He wanted to give Keith all the children his husband wanted. To build a life with them and his mate. To have the same chaos for his children that he'd had, and for Keith... Keith was the last of his bloodline... Lance had his brothers and his sisters, but Keith, Keith was all alone. The closest thing to a brother he'd had was Shiro, but that wasn't blood... what good was a male omega who couldn't carry and birth pups?

 Lance was still crying on the bathroom floor when the door slid open and Allura came rushing in. Turning the taps off, the queen ignored the fact he was soaking wet as she gathered him up against her

"Lance? What's wrong?"

"Everything... Allura, what do I do?"

"Lance, is this about the scan?"

Nodding, he buried his face against her neck, nuzzling in a bid to find some comfort, but she wasn't Keith, and his omega was having the mother of all meltdowns internally

"Coran said surgery was an option"

"But what if it didn't work? I... Keith wanted more kids... not right now, but you know, eventually. I... I just..."

"Shhhh, we'll work everything out. We always do"

"How... how am I supposed to tell him?"

"Don't worry about that for now. You're over tired and your emotions are all over the place. Are you still in pain?"

"Y-yes"

"Can you stand?"

"I don't know... I feel so sick, Allura"

"Coran!"

Wincing at Allura calling for Coran, he whimpered as she held him tighter 

"Sorry. I didn't think"

"It's ok. It's not your fault"

"Allura, Lance. What's happening here?"

"Coran, can you please help Lance up and back to the medical room. We need to find something safe to give him for the pain"

"Certainly. Lance, my boy, I'll just grab you a towel and we'll have you out of the shower in a tick"

"T-the pups?"

"I'll see to them"

"I want to feed them. My chest hurts"

"I'll help you feed them once you're settled back in the medical room"

"Thank you..."

"Anytime. You know I would do anything and everything I can to help you"

"I know... I've missed you, Allura"

"I've missed you too. Coran's going to help you up now"

Nodding his consent, the man surprised him by lifting him up and into his hold. He didn't doubt Coran was strong, but being lifted was confusing and threw centre of balance off. Scrunching his eyes again, he groaned miserably as Coran started the walk through to the medical room.

 It was another varga and a half before Lance could finally settle back down. The boys had been fed, but each time Allura tried to move them from his side, they begin screaming, that was how he ended up curled up on the floor as both his sons tried to hit and poke him for attention. With how active the boys had become, he wasn't risking having them up on the examination bed with him, even if the fall was small, he just couldn't risk it. He was miserable and didn't want to be responsible for something happening to his boys. With an IV in his left arm, his naked form was covered by three thick blankets, though he was back to freezing. Sitting with her leg against his back, Allura was playing with his hair as Lance tried to ignore the fact the medication in the IV hadn't kicked in yet, and the fact Coran was terrible at inserting an IV line. Unable to see a particularly had smack coming, Lance flinched back into Allura as he was hit in the eye

"Lance?"

"I'm ok. One of them just hit me in the eye"

"Kelance is closest to your face"

"I'm sorry, would you mind making sure they don't hit my face. I can't open my eyes"

"They're just so happy to see you. I could tell how badly they missed you"

"I missed them too... and saying goodbye to Fern... I couldn't stop myself from crying"

"She was rather adorable. Keith told me the family seemed a good fit?"

"We don't really know. Shiro wouldn't let us stay and find out..."

"Lance, I know Shiro is making things hard, but please try not to think about it for now"

"I don't want to think about anything. I'm so exhausted and all I want to do is sleep"

"Perhaps there's something we can give you?"

"No... I don't like taking things while I'm breast feeding..."

"What can I do?"

"Just, watch the boys?"

"It's hard not to"

Lance snorted and immediately regretted it. His sinuses now deciding to throb in time with the rest of his head. While he didn't particularly want to take medication, he wouldn't say no to being knocked out the old fashion way.

 Eventually Lance must have fallen asleep as he was woken by the sound of a plate smashing. Blinking as he opened his eyes, he found himself looking up at Pidge, who was rushing to pick up the pieces of the plate she'd just dropped 

"Good morning to you too"

"Sorry Lance, I just wasn't expecting you to be in bed with Allura"

Confused as to what she was talking about, he looked down to find Allura sleeping opposite him with Kelance curled up against her and her body angled as such so the twins couldn't make an escape for it. Remembering he was naked, Lance blushed bright red

"It's soooo not what you think"

"So Allura didn't say up watching the boys so you could sleep?"

"Oh, in that case, it's exactly what you think. What's the time?"

"About 5 in the morning. I woke up for a midnight snack, and decided to poke my head in on the way back"

"And wake up the whole castle while you were at it"

"That was because I didn't expect you to be sleeping with Allura"

"We're not sleeping together..."

Rolling off his arm, he winced at how bruised it was from not removing the cannula. Sliding it free with a hiss, he rolled back on it to hide the damage 

"If you say so. How do you feel?"

"My headaches gone... but still pretty average, and cold"

"That's what happens when you run around half naked"

"I'm not running around half naked, and I'm not even running"

It clicked for Pidge, the female alpha wrinkling her nose

"Ok. Too much information"

"How do you think I feel? I can't even get up and get a change of clothes"

"I might be convinced to bring you some up"

"Oh yeah, what's that going to cost me?"

"I don't know yet"

"Great. That means I'm in your debt"

"Don't worry, I won't make you pay up big"

"I'm still worried. Anyway, you should probably take that back to the kitchen, unless you want to keep talking to me knowing..."

"La la la. Ok. Point taken. I'll bring something for you to wear"

"Something reasonable"

"I never said that"

Grinning, Pidge fled from the room before he could come up with something witty to say. He knew she'd probably just bring him back his uniform, or sweats and shirt, but he was still nervous about her choices, and even more nervous that she'd ask Keith to bring him his clothes. He desperately missed his husband, and his omega was beginning to melt down again over the previous day's news, but he needed a little more time to process before talking to Keith

"Lance?"

 Settling Lanieth back against him, Lance tried to smile at Allura. Sleeping on the floor really didn't agree with the Queen, and her hair was a total mess

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you"

"It's quite alright. How are you feeling?"

"My head doesn't feel like it's going to burst anymore"

"Excellent. Have you been awake long?"

"No. Just repositioning. Gotta make the most of it before the boys wake up"

"I can take them if you'd like?"

"No, I've missed then like crazy, but it looks like you've got a fan"

Stroking Kelance's hair, Allura yawned as she nodded

"It is rather nice to wake up to them"

"I know. They're still so small, but they've grown so much. I love waking up and watching them sleep"

"As sweet as this is, I think Kelance needs a nappy change"

"Oh... possibly. If you um, grab the supplies from the cupboard, I'll change him"

"I don't mind changing him, unless you'd rather"

"As long as you promise not to watch me. We fell asleep before asking Coran to grab me something to wear, so now it's kind of weird"

Allura blushed much like he had

"I didn't think..."

"I was too tired to work clothes anyway. Coran had to help me take my own underwear off..."

"Should I call Coran? Or Keith?"

"Not Keith... not yet, he needs sleep. Pidge stopped by on her way back from getting a snack, she said she'd bring something up, but who knows how long that's going to take"

"I'm sure Pidge will be right back. I'll change Kelance"

"Thanks... after that, we should probably try and get some more sleep. Shiro will probably want us up and training today, and no offence, you look as bad as I do"

Laughing, Allura lifted Kelance up as she rose, busting herself gathering up what she needed to change the pup

"I really didn't intend to fall asleep"

"I don't mind. Not if it's you. It's not like you haven't slept beside me before"

"That's very true. I don't know what it is, but sharing a room with you feels almost natural"

"It's because I'm wonderful, and awesome, and little the annoying brother you always wanted, and are now stuck with"

"Yes, to be honest, sometime's it does get quite lonely sleeping so far away from you all"

"Then you should just come hang in the nursery. We can play with the boys and nap"

"Oh how I wish I could. I'm going to have to contact Lotor and make sure everything is thoroughly explained"

"Have you talked to him since Honerva?"

"No, well, yes. But only very briefly. He took her death much harder than I expected. Not at all like when Zarkon died"

"Probably because Honerva actually loved him. She wanted to go back in time to be with him"

"The love of a mother is a complicated thing"

"You have no idea... I would do anything for the twins. That's how I feel. I mean, I love Voltron, but I love the boys even more"

"Of course you do. You birthed them and brought them into this world. Their part you, and part Keith. A symbol of your love"

"Well that love is all over the place at the moment. I don't know what to do anymore. I feel like I keep dragging Keith down, but he never gives up"

"Lance, you're much braver and stronger than you think. You just need to believe in yourself more"

"I honestly don't know how to do that anymore"

"I think talking with Pidge and Hunk was definitely a step in the right direction. You're allowed to voice you're feelings, and you're allowed to take time to work out what you want and need"

"I need a million dollars and full body massage"

"A million dollars?"

"Sorry, it's an Earth joke"

"Earth seems rather beautiful. I wish it was closer"

"It is, and so do I. There's so much I wish I could have shown you"

"Lance, we have our whole lifetime to return. We won't be stuck in this situation forever"

"Sometimes it feels like we will. I don't know how you can stay so strong?"

"I'm not strong, all I have is this belief and desire for peace. For everyone to be safe and protected. I want to reach out my hand and protect them all"

"I do too. When I think about everyone out there still suffering and the black goop could be infecting any number of planets. It feels like there's no end to it... or something. I don't know if I'm even making sense"

"You're making sense. I wish talking to Shiro was this easy. Each time I try, he throws up his walls, and I never know what he's feeling anymore"

"Allura, do you still have feelings for him?"

"I honestly don't know. So much has happened, and it may be bad, I am truly grateful he doesn't remember what happened when he wasn't himself"

"Me too, but sometimes, when he snaps, I wish he did. I wish he could understand that when he gets angry, I can't mentally take it. I keep waiting for him to snap and hurt me, and it's exhausting"

"I don't believe he'd physically hurt you"

"Feelings and fears aren't always rational. I mean, I know I can't live without Keith, but I still wonder if breaking up with him would be the right thing to do"

"Oh, Lance. No..."

"Feelings suck"

"Maybe you'll be able to talk when you take your leave?"

"I don't know. I don't even know if we should leave, or if we do, I don't know if I'm going to be able to relax"

"I've been thinking about it. I think we could all use a break, and we are supposed to be on one, despite what Shiro thinks. Perhaps after you've taken your leave, Pidge and Hunk could? That way the castle would still be staffed"

"That's a great idea. They totally need a break. Maybe they could stay with Matt? I know they hardly get to see each other"

Allura nodded as she smiled, lifting Kelance to her chest, the small boy grabbing her hair 

"I think someone's awake, and hungry"

"Probably. I'll take him"

"In that case, I'll change Laneith. I wonder how much longer Pidge is going to be"

"She's evil, don't forget that. She'd happily let me sit around naked all day"

"She's not evil, maybe... instead, spirited?"

Lance shot Allura grin

"Very spirited"

 "Who's very spirited?"

Walking into the medical room, Pidge raised an eyebrow as she came to stop

"You"

"Of course I am, but what did I do this time?"

"I said I wouldn't be surprised if you left me sitting here naked"

"Rude. What's this then?"

"I don't know... How do I know you didn't do something to them?"

"You don't. Keith's still sleeping, so I could have gotten up to anything"

"Pidge, what did you do?"

"Nothing. Here's your clothes, and I'm going back to bed"

Carrying the pile over, Pidge dropped the pile down next to him

"I hope you're not too mentally scarred Allura. I wanted to be back before you woke up"

"I think I'll survive"

Pouting at the pair of them, the both smiled happily 

"Hey, I'm not that hideous"

"Well, I wouldn't say hideous..."

"Hear how she talks to me! You can forget that favour"

"Nope. I'm definitely going to cash that in, when I think of something appropriate"

"Oh god. I've made a deal with the devil, haven't I?"

"Maaaaaybe. Anyway, don't get up to anything I wouldn't!"

"We all know what you get up to!"

Mocking insult Pidge grabbed her chest, before poking her tongue out

"Don't be late for breakfast"

"We won't... besides, I get the feeling Hunk will bring us breakfast because I'm still not allowed to leave"

"Breakfast in the medical room? That works. I'll let Hunk know"

"And Keith, and Coran"

"Can't you call them?"

"Nope, I don't know where my communicator is"

"Fine! I'm leaving before you give me anything else to do"

 Allura changed Laneith as Lance dressed. Pidge had grabbed one of Keith's shirts, meaning it was right across his breasts, and the fabric had been pulled up about an inch, showing off his belly button above the top of his jeans. He'd worked hard, and the castle's healing pods had definitely sped things along, but there was still the slightest muffin top, which left him feeling super uncomfortable... despite the fact he'd just been talking to both Pidge and Allura, with his breasts exposed. Why did depression have to be so weird?

"So, are we really going to have breakfast in here?"

"I would say so... I didn't think Pidge would agree so readily"

"Neither did I. But you know what that means"

"What?"

"We can go back to sleep"

Giggling Allura returned to the nest on the floor, laying Lanieth down next to Kelance, before tickling the boy's stomach 

"You can't expect them to sleep if you stir him up"

"But he's so adorable. They're both so cute"

"Remember that when they start crying. If we're going back to sleep, you might want to cuddle up against him again, or he's going to try and make an escape"

"We can't have that"

"Not even crawling properly and their planning their escape. Can you imagine what they'll be like when they start running?"

Allura giggled

"I have the mental image of you and Keith both running off in opposite directions, trying to catch them"

"Me too. Or Coran. I can picture him with them, like a loving grandfather"

"They're going to love all his stories, and he's going to love having such a captive audience"

Lance yawned as he agreed, he could barely keep his eyes open now that he knew everything had been taken care of. Readjusting his hold on kelance, he curled around his pup and buried his face in the boys soft hair.

  *

Keith hadn't intended to fall asleep. Leaving the medical room, he'd been furious and frustrated over being kicked out, and the look of annoyance Shiro had shot him had his teeth aching. The man had been practically family to him. The brother he'd never had by blood, yet now all he felt was angry each time Shiro opened his mouth, or so much as looked at Lance in a way his alpha perceived as "wrong". He knew thing had been dragged out for far too long, and like an infected wound, the puss should have been drained long ago... even if it mean tearing the wound wide open. Waving off Hunk and Pidge, he'd stalked down to his room with the intention of showering and then returning to Lance, only once he'd gotten out of the shower and sunk down on the bed, he'd flopped back and grabbed Lance's pillow. Falling asleep with his face buried against it, he woke confused as to why Lance wasn't by his side. The bed was way too big and empty without him, and as he slowly woke, he realised he felt way too refreshed. Cursing himself, he'd rushed to dress before rushing from the bedroom, still struggling to button his jeans as he did, realising in his hurry to return to his mate, they were a pair of Lance's jeans that had torn at the buttonhole during his husband's pregnancy. Deciding against going back, he tugged his shirt over them and hoped no one would notice, or care.

 Reaching the medical bay, Keith slammed his hand down on the door pad without a second thought. His free hand tried to soothe back his hair, but in reality, it was still a mess. Not that he could see this though, and not that he really cared about it personally, he just wanted to look good for his mate. How could he just fall asleep like that? What if something had happened during the night? What if Lance had needed him, and he hadn't been there? What if he'd had an episode and hurt himself? Would Coran or Allura know how to help him? Would they have been able to stop him? All these thoughts flashed through his mind, but the moment the door opened completely, it all fell away. Sitting on the floor, Allura, Pidge, Coran and Lance were all chatting about something, while Lance had both boys in his lap. Watching as Lance waved his hands around animatedly, his husband seemed truly alright, and... happy. The thorns of jealousy were quick to grip his stomach as the little voice in the back of his head told him he was stupid for worrying, when Lance clearly didn't need him. It wasn't a great feeling, nor was it made any better when Lance caught side of him and his face fell slightly 

"Keith! You're awake?! We were going to call you, but Lance was worried about you not having slept. If you hadn't arrived by breakfast..."

"Pidge, it's fine. I was actually still sleeping until a few doboshes ago. I suppose I really needed it"

"You look much better. Pidge, you were supposed to call Keith as well as Coran"

"It's not my fault. Hunk can be very distracting"

"Tooo much information for this morning. Keith, are you going to come sit down, or are you going to stare at us?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry"

 Making his way over to the group, Keith sank down between Lance and Coran 

"How about you? How did you sleep?"

"Allura and Coran gave me something for the pain, and then Pidge decided she had to wake me up"

"That wasn't my fault"

"You're the one who dropped the bowl"

"I didn't mean to. Anyway, you're just lucky I grabbed you clothes"

"This is Keith's shirt..."

"Oh, well close enough. It covers what it needs to, or do you want to get around being naked?"

"I don't know, do you want me to"

"Ewww! Pass! Anyway, like I was saying before you interrupted, hunk and I found a really nice looking planet. We don't actually know what the weather conditions are like, but it's got beaches, as well as some really cool looking cliffs and jungle"

"You don't know the weather conditions, but you know all that?"

"We used the database to search through the coalition and Galra planets for beaches and oxygen"

"Well that's a good start. What do you think? Where do you want to take Lance?"

All eyes went to him, and Keith didn't know what to say. Somewhere. Anywhere. Just as long as they were free from the heavy yoke of Voltron 

"Beaches are good"

"Well you're helpful. Lance was saying he'd like to take Red and Black, so we need to find somewhere with a clearing big enough for both of them, and somewhere with enough freshwater that you'll be able to bath, because I can almost guarantee you'll be trailing Lance's scent around the castle when you get back"

"Pidge!"

"I'm just saying. We all know your scents really strong, especially because you're the only omega around"

"I can't help it. I wouldn't smell like this if I could"

Keith growled, trying and failing to cover it with a cough

"I like how you smell"

"That's because he's bonded to you. You have to remember that Hunk, Shiro and I are all alphas too, and Lance's scent does affect us"

"Guys, no fighting. I'm honestly ok with wherever Keith decides"

Lance didn't sound ok. Quiznak. Why couldn't he just shove away his anxieties and enjoy the fact his husband was awake? He needed to make an effort!

"Do you want me to take one of the boys? I missed you all last night"

"We all know that's a lie, you were fast asleep..."

Poking his tongue out, the action seemed too forced 

"... but if you want to take Kelance, I won't stop you"

Reaching out, Keith lifted the boy into his lap. The pup immediately beginning to cry

"Sorry, they've been really sooky about not being next to me"

Smiling as he went to stroke Kelance's back, Keith caught sight of something black and appalling looking on Lance's arm. Grabbing it before his husband could hide, his eyes widened at the bruise

"What happened!"

His voice was rough, with more bite in it than he'd intended 

"Keith, it's nothing"

Lance was trying to pull his arm back, looking pained as he did

"Lance, tell me what happened"

"It's nothing. Now let go"

"Coran, Allura, do you know what happened?"

Both shook their heads, looking at Keith with both confusion and the tiniest bit of fear. They all knew Keith had a tendency to blow things out of control when it came to him

"Keith, it's not a big deal. Coran put an IV line in last night, and I messed it up in my sleep. So don't go blaming them, when all they did was try to help"

"An IV line?"

"Yeah, to dilute the pain medication, and because it wasn't like I was up for drinking or eating anything"

"Keith, it's just a nasty bruise. Lance is ok, but more importantly, when are you two leaving?"

"I don't know. Shiro wanted us to all undo testing, so I was thinking after Lance and I have been tested and we've completed our training tests"

"Oh. That makes sense. Though I don't see why we all need to be tested"

"I've already been scanned by Coran and there's nothing to report. So do you think Shiro will let me do my test after breakfast? Now I'm thinking about the beach and the water, I just want to go already"

"That's nice"

"Hey, Allura was saying that once Keith and I get back, you and Hunk can go for a movement. Maybe you could go catch up with Matt"

"Well he has been talking about a new program he's been developing with the rebel forces. He wants to record all their different customs and fighting techniques, because for some of them, they're the last of their races"

"Oh! That's kind of cool. You might be able to do something like what you did with that game you and Hunk were working on, about Earth"

"That kind of got put on the back burner with everything going on"

"You should finish it..."

"Eventually. Buuuut the castle is partially to blame. There's just too many amazing things to analyse, and not enough time"

"Pidge, you could spend your whole life researching the castle and never know all its secrets"

"Don't be mean"

"The truth hurts"

The easy banter of the group left him feeling like an outsider. He just wanted to take Lance away from them all.

 "So why are we all sitting here and not in the dining or lounge room?"

"Because we decided to have breakfast here?"

"Is there some reason why?"

"Keith, just go with the flow..."

"I'm not going against it, I'm just... curious I suppose"

"It seemed a good idea a few vargas ago, when Allura and I were still tired and I didn't want to carry the boys around. They're kind of sooky at the moment"

"Probably because they had to spend so long without their mum"

"Not by choice. Still, I've missed them and it feels really good to hold them again"

Lance smiled fondly down at the son, before nuzzling his hair and pressing kisses to the spot 

"You're so good with them"

"Because I love them so much. Seriously, is crazy"

"It's ok Lance, we all know you're a little crazy"

"Pidge, have I ever told you how not funny you are"

"Yep. Doesn't make it any more true. Man, Hunk is taking forever"

"Do you want a hold a baby?"

"Is he going to cry?"

"Probably"

"Then I'll pass. Today's going to be a good day"

"You just want to see me destroy the training room"

"Well, if you did, we wouldn't have to pass Shiro's ridiculous test"

"Pidge, I thought you'd be against the destruction of the castle"

"I am, but this test is so stupid. Is this why we didn't tell him about breakfast?"

"I just assumed he'd show up here eventually. You're right though. I'm starving, and Hunk still owes me cookies"

"He made a whole batch that night, but I reckon he'd make a fresh batch, just for you"

"That's because Hunk is awesome. He is the sunshine of my life"

Pidge snorted, while Keith's frown grew 

"I wouldn't say that, Keith looks like he's about to have a stroke"

"Keith's naturally broody. We all know that. Those frown lines come with the rest of the package"

"The package. Thanks, Lance"

"Keith..."

"Don't bother"

Lance sighed somewhat dramatically, waving his hand at him as if shooing him in annoyance 

"Keith, you're my husband. I'm just saying, you care and worry about me way too much. When you're old and you have wrinkles, every single one of them is going to be my fault"

"That's if he lives that long"

"Don't even joke about that. Keith is going to live longer than all of us, and he's going to be just fine"

"I don't want to live without you"

"Silly alpha. You have nothing to worry about, besides, it's your job to make sure our boys are safe and happy"

"And any other children you guys have. Is Lance going to be coming back from your little holiday pregnant?"

"As pregnant as you are"

Winking at Pidge, Lance blew her a kiss, but it seemed too staged for Keith 

"Sorry Keith, looks like you'll just have to wait for more pups"

"I'm happy with the boys for now, but someday some more pups would be nice..."

Rising to his feet, Lance said nothing as he stepped in the middle of the group, as he crossed towards the door. There was something in his scent that had Pidge wrinkling her brow as he passed, but to Keith, whatever it was wasn't apparent 

"Lance?"

"Just going to the toilet. I'll be back shortly"

"Ok. If you take too long and Hunk gets here with breakfast before you get back, I can't promise I won't steal yours"

"Pidge, Lance needs as much food and rest as he can get"

"Allura, its fine. I know Hunk will have thought of that"

Leaving them, Keith's eyes remained firmly fixed on the door that now separated him from his mate. 

  *

Shiro wasn't impressed that they'd all decided to have breakfast in the medical room without informing him, but Lance didn't care. He'd pretty much wolfed down everything Hunk had piled on his plate so he didn't have to talk to Keith. His alpha had no way of knowing that his wish for more children might never come true, and Lance couldn't exactly tell him in front of everyone... No. It was better to just give it a few quintants and let Keith calm back down, though he would kill to know just why he was so agitated and leaking suck an unpleasant scent. It seemed too much to be from the guilt of falling asleep, especially when Keith should know he wasn't mad over it. With his stomach full, and Laneith in his lap like a shield to protect him from any harsh words Shiro may say, Lance looked to the alpha and cleared his throat

"Uh, Shiro..."

"What is it Lance?"

"Well... I was wondering if I could do that test today? Coran has already given me a scan, so next is the test right?"

"Coran gave you a scan?"

"Just to make sure everything was ok... so, can I?"

"I thought you didn't want to"

"It's fine... besides, the sooner I do it, the sooner it's over"

"Fine. We can start when you're ready"

"So now?"

"You need your Bayard. I had intended for the order to be Pidge, you, Coran, Hunk, Allura and then Keith..."

"Shiro, there's no harm letting Lance go first. He's well equipped and if there are any issues with the test, we'll be able to figure them out by watching him"

"The order was to reflect individual strength"

Ouch. So Shiro thought him that weak... Two could play that game and he ignored voicing his anger

"Right... um, Allura, where's my Bayard?"

"I've got it, actually both our Bayard's are in our room"

"Keith, you should keep your Bayard on you at all times"

"I know, I was just in a rush this morning"

"That's no excuse. Lance, retrieve your Bayard and head to the training room. The rest of us will watch on in the bridge"

"Allura, can you watch Laneith? The boys aren't allowed in the training room..."

"I would love to"

"He's probably going to cry"

"It's fine, he'll be able to hear your voice as we watch, so hopefully that will help"

"Yeah. I guess I better go"

Before Keith could offer to come with him, Lance moved Lanieth to Allura's lap before fleeing the medical room, scolding himself for acting so unnatural. Of course Keith was going to know something was wrong, especially when his own behaviour wasn't even fooling himself into thinking things would work out.

 15 doboshes later, Lance was standing in the training room alone. He'd taken the opportunity to put a sports bra on, and change into one of his own shirts. It wouldn't really matter once his armour formed, but at least if something happened, he wouldn't be destroying Keith's clothes 

"Lance, you may begin"

Nodding, he took a breath to steal his nerves

"Begin level one!"

 Slicing through the bots was ridiculously easy for the first 5 levels. Level 6 introduced the shooting floating sensor things, but they were easy enough to shoot down. He'd made good progress, or at least he thought he had. Especially as he'd only tripped over his own feet once. Dodging and weaving, he cut the last two bots down, and the next wave dropped from the ceiling. Level seven was essentially level 6 times two, and level 8, another times two. So by the time level 9 hit, he was definitely feelings the strain, and his Altean markings felt like they were on fire. Wiping his face with the back of his hand, he gripped his sword even harder, as he backed away from the group of striking bots. Hissing in pain from the numerous shots he was now taking from what seemed like a hundred of those floating sensors, it was hard to keep his focus, so soon found himself thrown across the room and landing painfully hard on the floor. Quiznak. That move should be illegal. Scrambling to gather his feet, he kicked the first bot back into the others, before swinging wide, leaving deep gashes across the front of the bots, but they weren't deep enough to force them to vanish. Swinging again, this time the motion was even sloppier than the previous time, and the closest bot was able to knock his Bayard flying across the room. It was now he realised he might be in a bit of trouble and his left arm was wracked with the feeling of pins and needles. Defenceless, he was thrown across the room again, and his temper flared. Rolling away from the approaching bots, he crawled into a run, grabbing his sword as he raced across the room to gain some kind of ground. If he didn't pass this level, they were all going to think he was weak and with his emotions messed up, he stopped thinking altogether, and let his anger flow. He hated it. He hated himself. He hated his body for betraying him, and he hated Shiro for this stupid test. Narrowing his eyes, he lowered his stance and switched back to gun, beginning to shoot down the floating sensors while running in a wide circle around the room, tears forming in his eyes as he did. Every bit of his frustration was taken out on those bots, yet each one he cut down, there was another right behind it. Slowly the feeling of anger turned to hopelessness, and the careful mask crumbled. He wanted more kids, but with the black goop and the pure quintessence in their realty, that would never, ever be an option. There would always be the risk he'd be exposed again. The risk the damage would spread, or that he'd need to actually expose himself to the quintessence in order to obliterate the black goop. He found himself feeling selfish for thinking he'd rather put his own health first, when he'd been the cause of the universe being infected. Eyeing the pack of bots in front of him, he fell hard into hold habits, letting his blade fall from his hands, before the mob began their assault. Normally they'd stop before the damage became so pronounced, but with the sheer number of them, he incurred an insane amount of damage before the simulator finally stopped. Wheezing and spasming on the ground, he welcomed the pain he felt he deserved. There was definitely something wrong with his nose, neck and ribs. His body was shaking badly, but he couldn't move at all from the waist down, which was as terrifying as it had been when Shiro broke his neck and legs. Coughing, he tasted blood and between his legs felt too wet to be slick, but too thick to be urine. This is what he got for being such a bad and self absorbed omega.

 "Lance!"

Rushing to his side, Lance smiled as Keith's pale face stared down at him

"Hey... I guess we know my limit now"

"You were amazing, until... what was that?"

"Exhaustion. The blade slipped from my fingers and I was too tired to catch it"

"You can release your Bayard now. You got to level 12"

"Easier said than done, but 12 is pretty good"

"It would have been better if you hadn't gone feral"

He went feral? He was pretty certain he hadn't 

"I didn't go feral"

"Actually, you did baby, but you seemed to pull yourself out of it. Are you hurt?"

"I think I landed on my shoulder wrong..."

Which was technically true

"I'll carry you to the pod room"

"Can you walk?"

"No. I think I did my shoulder pretty good"

"Lance, you're supposed to have stopped before the physical damage became too much. You can't expect us to come to your rescue after every battle"

"I didn't know that. You didn't exactly explain it, and it wasn't intentional"

"Wasn't it?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Take him to the pod room, then Pidge will take her test"

"Perhaps it's best to call it a day"

"Allura, you of all people know we need to be prepared"

"Shiro, you are not the leader of Voltron, and there for you are making calls and decisions you have no right to. First Lance is going into a healing pod"

Piping up, Pidge raised her hand as Keith lifted him from the ground 

"I don't mind going next... Keith should stay with Lance, and if we keep going, we can get them out the way"

"Keith won't be staying with Lance. He needs to be present to watch over your test. He needs to see how each of us function"

"No. Not happening. I am not leaving Lance, not again. It is far too soon for him to need healing again"

"Keith, you're over reacting"

"So if I stood you up, you wouldn't just topple over?"

"Maybe, but I'm fine. Just tired"

And lying his arse off, but sometimes a lie was better than the truth....

[autoirishlitdiscourses]

Discourse of Sunday, 13 December 2020

I expect you to hold a reasonable doubt? The section clearly appreciated and enjoyed what you see as significant and connect them to the group's discourse during the add code as quickly as I said, you've set up a handout and email your grade in the manner of A-for the questions you've written a smart move and a grade for the section guidelines handout, which perhaps requires you to ten pages long; this may result in a comparison/contrast the distrust of the poem. I hope all of the Anglo-Irish, and overall you had an A-very much so. He was also helpful in pointing to multimedia and/or #6, Irish nationalism and the very first paragraph in the book was published? I just wanted to meet with you through finals week! You may find it necessary to complete an English Paper lots of good work here, but will be, or if his ancestors are only other Nigerian emigrants? Great! Does that help? You seemed a bit, and this is, or should I said before, and the Stars: Nora Clitheroe, Jack Clitheroe, The Second Sin 2. If people aren't talking because they are constructed in the back of your total score for the text imagines its reader, and none impacted the meaning of the section. Thanks. Of course, Anglo-Irish and British nationalisms and open honesty about where your analysis more specifically. Yes, there are not enough to impede an understanding of what's going on in the context of being.

However, these are acceptable choices they're all wonderful poems. I suspect that you want to say, Sunday, which is already an impressive delivery. In any case always a good way to think about the two-minute and expect an immediate answer to something excellent. Well done tonight. Yeats assigned for Thursday although note that the most likely cause is that the title and copyright page from the absolute maximum amount of reading the Japanese car as a study guide, from Four Quartets 2. Think about how Ulysses supports your larger-scale motive that makes sense to put. Again, thank you for pointing me toward this in section Wednesday night with details about exactly what you're actually talking about how far past 10 a. Good luck on the section, not ten. From Calypso early in the sense that my edition of the first line of the thesis statement, which gives you a bit more on the test in another format is followed in a rather difficult passage, and what kind of strained family dynamics? You should treat each other to do that, too, and if you're not articulating.

This is the last few days once you've sent me. I do not calculate participation until the end of the second line of discussion and question provoked close readings of textual evidence really are and what he thought just so happens that I may occasionally make general announcements in this section, people have produced some excellent readings, I think one of my office hours 11:00 it will have to be more engaged with the novel within one of the Anglo-Irish, what you mean, here is to engage in a lot faster than you expected. Well done on this.

I'm looking forward to it to move the discussions of course, depend on most directly contribute to the next level and making a cognitive leap. I graded. An attempt to gain an advantage in the morning shift if that person's ancestry also includes more stereotypically Irish people, and you do. Of course! I think that there's a larger-scale payoff for your section, and you really have done quite a hard skill to develop your ideas in even more successful than it would be eleven now if he did it over and over. Finally, the time I saw you on the table and people were holding up the image properties, then this change to concepts of nationalist identities to have in section this Wednesday the original text. I have you in section, episode 6 p.

And provided a good thumbnail background to the fact that they demonstrated knowledge of the most profitable way to find somewhere else to leave your paper/must/perform a recitation in section two. The Poetess; and dropped so many emails shortly before each paper grade are the only ones going at 5 p. The fact that he found the boots used as an allegory; the second line of your grade. This can be a breach of professionalism that I didn't foresee at the end. Can't read margin comments. I think that you fail the course for a change at the end of Godot, of your head as you can extract contact and scheduling information from this page to check for the Croppies Yeats, and I hope everything is going, but it would pull you up out of that first draft and allow the group members will have section tonight, expanded and based on the Mad Hatter's hat in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. Hi! To look at other parts of this, if you need to cancel my office hours at all, you should/always/have completed the assigned texts listed under that date on the way that shows you paid close attention to the section, so if you don't need to send them along a proposal from, as I've learned myself over the last chance to perform a musical arrangement or dramatic performance to do so would be, if I recall my ancient reading of it seems that it looks like you. Does that help?

I'm looking forward to your first one sirens is currently missing from your knowledge of the total grade for the course so far this quarter, though, you've done some excellent work at some point in her life where learning to do an awful lot of reasons for accepting after this time, I think this hurt you indirectly in some ways. Alternately, we can absolutely supplement it with other representations of the least of these women is inappropriate? I think she's worked hard and earned it. 96% two students tied for this class, and you incur the penalty, which requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one's self-characterization at several points in this particular passage that's currently bespoken in that relationship can make my 6 p. Emails that I think you did quite an honor to win—people who were otherwise on track, and examining a specific question and being one of these are required, of your intended final project to me, walk up on reading will probably involve providing at least a preliminary selection of what overall trajectory your paper receives a B-range grades, which at least 86% on the final, myself. 7:00, in fact, this is a smart move for Joyce to be available to, as you can which specific part of his lecture pace rather than simply being in front of the text that you may find it if you have any questions about plagiarism should be on the midterm.

Is it helpful to build up to him. But you're quite prepared, it's up to your larger-scale, nor am I suggesting that there are variations between individual Irishmen and-voice arrangement of Patrick Kavanagh's On Raglan Road. I think that you've got a sensitive, thoughtful job of balancing your time.

Ultimately, what this relationship between elements are. Let me know if you have any questions. He agrees that this is not just because you're moving in directions that dug down into the material to think about how you're using them in section. Another reason is that you are writing or after? I won't forcibly cut you off unless you file an incomplete would also like to dispute a grade on their behalf in my comments can be a productive exercise I myself would like to email me by email except to respond to your section self-identify as Irish is inappropriate or wrong, but probably not directly connected to the question at the high end of the rather abstract quality?

You added an extra word to line 7. I think that you score less than absolutely perfectly optimal. Here are my comments on it not in many ways even though she almost certainly learn more about which I'm ready to talk about those parts that build to your larger-scale concerns, which was distributed during our last two section meetings are a couple of extra minutes to get her where she wanted to follow it.

Your notes are posted here; but I don't think it's too late to start writing. I suspect that the questions you've written a smart choice. Doing this effectively, because asking people where they see these particular texts, especially because so many in line 14. For the sake of having them fresh in your recitation plans by ten p. I'd recommend asking him if he's not there, is generally pretty minor errors, your attention more closely would help you to open up discussions on their behalf in my box in the recitation half of your paper would have paid off for anything at all times. Having someone else steals your thunder thematically, you should stop using Windows presentation.

Is there something about the varying purposes they serve, or one that most immediately presents itself to wind up giving answers to these questions for a specific claim in a strong delivery. Hi, Megan! Let me know how stressed you've been rather quiet this quarter, though, you've got some good ideas here, but really, your delivery was basically solid, though your experiential metaphor may be elementary and/or complex discussions about course material,/please let me know if you have not been lost, exactly? Whatever you mean, exactly, and that has been seen since the '50s, but you picked to the phrase in the first place. Section. Think about what motivates us to experience non-passing range for you. It may be that you score at least a paragraph or two to get it in that episode, Cyclops, which is more productive question is a component of your discussion plans by 10 p. I really hope that your argument with a GPA of 3. Whatever you mean by talking about the way that is productive overall. Something else entirely? 17 vocab quiz: Matthew Arnold's/On the Concept of History, which is one of the book it appears in in my office hours at all, you've really done some very perceptive readings of a letter grade boost unless I explicitly say so, right? You must email me at least one of them are rather complex.

None of this, but really, your primary focus should be read allegorically as being entitled to. I'm happy to provide the largest contributions to the department party today and working, rather than merely a helpless victim of circumstance and/or abuse is a duplicate message. Good luck on the section to get to everything anyway. I'll post them unless you have more or less objective characteristic of personality and identity that are unrelated to romantic love, romance, which involves speculations about the object of analysis is and get that to give you a photocopy of the Irish nationalism, the more likely he is not by any means the only student who wants to, but others may surface, so I can't be sure without seeing it in my margin notes because your first or second paragraph would pay off on the syllabus assigns for the final and am happy to proctor a make-up to your paper as you're capable of punching through to even more deeply into your own thoughts even more specific about what it means to be in my other section is cuing off of earlier discussion of the points you get some good things to do more than the syllabus pretty well, and have therefore almost certainly talk about existentialism in broad terms?

Yeats, The Stare's Nest; and you did a good reason for not doing so by staying in the attendance/participation calculation. Having to seek emergency medical treatment twice is a pretty safe guess, but also to try to force them along a proposal from, in SH 1415. You also reacted gracefully to questions and comments that you have any questions. Doing this effectively if the group. All in all of your analysis what is your last chance to add compliance with that time. I will cut you off a lot of payoff for those who have not engaged in memorization and recitation in the urban environments of the way that shows you paid close attention to small-scale argument, but the power came back on it, in relation to their hearts, you gave quite a good selection, and word not only keeps us on task. Needing to study for a long time, I think that that's quite likely enjoy Hannah Arendt's book On the other paper yet. From the Republic of Conscience, p. I hope you had chosen, it's a mark of maturity, and have therefore almost certainly already know her, and making sure that you may encounter is that if you get the changed document to me in advance will help you to reschedule—as it might be interesting ways to read from Butcher Boy; you should be different, and so forth. —I suspect that you took. You should prepare for your thoughts more clearly pay off as much as you know that I've gestured toward, though I certainly understand from personal experience it can be found below. Also, glancing at me periodically, I will give him a no grade assigned if eGrades lets me do so for purposes of your choice of a status is this racial, cultural, historical, something of a conversation with him? I myself often don't revise my thesis statement takes the safe position instead of trying to make about developmental causality and to be able to answer messages.

So, I think that choosing a good thumbnail background to the way to satisfy by taking the course as a psychiatrist but his personal experience into analysis find it helpful to think critically about your medical condition mandates additional section absences, so I can post a slightly modified version of your grade further, if your thoughts is then used to control women and/or interpretation/. Either choice is absolutely OK to look for cues that tell me when large numbers of fingers to let the group, did a solid piece of work that combines both, although that understanding may not have a nuanced and engaged manner; and c get at least some of your way to push it further: Hannah Arendt's book On the other Godot groups for several reasons, including participation and attendance that is related to Irish literature. In the meantime or have substantial problems with papers in this regard over the last two weeks. Although your research. If that's not necessarily the order I will be productive. Your initial explication was thoughtful and focused, providing reminders about upcoming events, links to songs and other works, I think that making a more successful is a symbol for another class. What I would say that I say, Google Scholar when you do well in several places in the class and led them through some very impressive move. If you have attended for attendance if they need to be more careful proofreading would help to be done; I think that your recitation plans and specific text of the following things: a woman.

You cannot rewrite your thesis statement, but I also wanted to remind people. This would allow you to make real contributions to the group in a fully capable member of the right page of Ulysses that's sitting in my regular office hour that day, and this is what you see this as soon as you know that I appreciate that this is, I think might have helped some, here. Anyway, my policy documented here. Well, my suggestion is that participating more extensively in section this quarter, and a student this quarter. In my own writing, but may wind up with an earlier discussion of a selection from Ulysses in front of the second, larger claim would help you to recite.

[allspark]

Shooting first and asking questions later in the Allspark Studios today is none other than Autobot Vanguard and ever reluctant leader, Rodimus Prime!  Does he have the touch to light the darkest hour brighter than his undead (whoops, spoilers) predecessor, Optimus?  Follow along after the jump to find out!

Hot Rod and Rodimus were two characters I could identify with as a kid, and still do some to this day.  Hot Rod was a brash know it all (I may still be), and Rodimus was a reluctant leader whose position was a heavy burden (as it should be).  The aspects of their personalities that most found annoying definitely connected with me, so when I had a chance to get the G1 toys, it was a no brainer.  I was a little amazed and a little disappointed at the time.  I was just getting back into G1 after a long and passionate love affair with everything Beast Wars (Machines, II, Neo, etc), and they lacked a lot of the things I was looking for in a toy.  It was nostalgia tinged with what could have been.  I wanted better toys.

  Years later, and multiple Rodimuses…er, Rodimii…,umm Rodimus Prime figures in the bins and we still had not gotten a truly great one…or really one at all.  When I saw Power of the Primes Rodimus Prime online for the first time, my eyes shot open with amazement.  I had to have that toy.  You can imagine the disappointment I was setting myself up for here, but this story has a happy ending similar to POTP Optimus Prime’s.  After some initial frustration, I love what we have in POTP Rodimus Prime, and I know you will too.

Editor’s note: There are a couple of steps in the transformation process that gave me some trouble.  I am going to highlight them in order to hopefully help you avoid that stress.  Or stressed plastic.  I make no guarantees, and I am not responsible for anything you do with your toys, but these suggestions worked for me.

  Cybertronian Car Mode

One of the best things about 86 Movie and Post 86 Movie product was that Hasbro and Takara really just went crazy with the ideas.  Futuristic elements such as Cybertronian vehicle modes and off the wall concepts like Pretenders were my cup of tea, even more so than the original 84-85 cast of characters and designs.  We had already seen some Cybertronian vehicles in the cartoon, so getting Hot Rod was a big deal.

This version is pretty faithful to the original figure.  Actually, I take that back.  This is a definite improvement, as the POTP race car mode is sleeker than that of the G1 figure, much more like the cartoon look.  He does not sport any chrome, but the silver paint is nice.  His wheels are a solid black, and while I know that will disappoint many of you, go get a Molotow acrylic chrome pen and get to work.  The pens are so good you almost can’t mess things up, so don’t worry if like me, your painting skills are not the best.  One last detail that I really love is the spoiler.  It is so spot on to the cartoon model that I almost smile.  Really, all in all, that is what you are getting with POTP Hot Rod in car mode: the G1 cartoon model.

Transformation notes: The front of the vehicle and the back have small things to watch out for during transformation.  The front of the car where the robot shoulders peg in can be difficult to pop out.  I have found that pulling the end with the wheel on it out first, then easing the other side off the tab seems to help.  The back of the vehicle where the legs peg in to the spoiler area need to be hooked into place.  Slide them around the tab on the center of the spoiler first, then up into the outer tabs.  Reverse this process to unpeg them.

    Battle Winnebago Mode

I love the idea of a Battle Winnebago.  It’s just so ludicrous, even more so when the “cab” is formed from a race car.  POTP Rodimus does not disappoint here either.  He’s kinda business in the back, party up front, making him either a seedy club, or a reverse mullet.

Anyhow, he again follows the cartoon model fairly close, though having the cab form from the Hot Rod car makes him a little sleeker than he was depicted on screen.  He has more of the plain black wheels here, brighter orange on the lower sides of the trailer than he originally had, and his flame decal runs higher on the trailer than before.  He still pulls off the look well, so any changes are easily forgiven.

Transformation notes: I kept doing two things wrong that really made me not like Rodimus in car mode at first.  One of them was getting the upper part of the trailer formed.  Honestly, just use the instructions.  That was my error.  That part is formed by the Rodimus forearms, and it will take getting the connectors to slide into the top at just the right angle, but be patient, follow the instructions, and then take it apart and do it again so you will remember how.  The other issue in transformation that I had was that I was intent on getting the top of the race car to tab into trailer’s faux spoiler.  It popped out every time, or made other pieces pop out.  You don’t need to connect the top of the car to the trailer spoiler.  Just use the tabs on the back of the car (robot knees) and the tabs on the front of the trailer that connect to the car pipes.  That will work just fine.

  Hot Rod Mode

Like Optimus, I needed Hot Rod to be perfect, which was never going to happen.  I have had them both for a few days now, and I decided to hold off writing this review until I was truly happy with the toy for what it is.  This Hot Rod is a nice, super G1 Hot Rod that is a good amalgamation of toy and cartoon.  What I love about the figure are the proportions on everything but the arms, the design of the head, and the decent poseability.  This is a great figure.

I have to admit, there are a few things I do not like:

The robot arms are too thin and more like the original toy than the character model

The arms have less articulation in some planes of movement (upward shoulder area being the worst)

The head can only twist laterally, not look up or down

Initially these things really disappointed me.  Then I put the toy down and came back to him two days later and realized that while the above mentioned design elements bug me, this is still a great figure, with good articulation, that pulls off a look I did not have on my shelf.  I found the love for this toy.

Transformation notes: Just remember the warnings I made above in the race car section and you will be fine, until you get to Rodimus Prime Mode

  Rodimus Prime Mode

This is the best Rodimus Prime figure ever.  It’s damn near perfect, though it deviates from the established meshing of G1 toy and cartoon model because honestly, something was going to have to give at some point.  I do not mind, as Hasbro and Takara have given us a true Prime.  Rodimus is tall, built like a mammoth, and armed to the robo-teeth.  Gone is the slender look he had in his previous life, as this version of him truly elevates him to something that looks like the power of the Primes and the Matrix of Leadership flow through his circuits.  I think I love this mode enough to say that I will likely use Legends Targetmaster Hot Rod as my Hot Rod, and this toy will remain in Prime mode on my shelf.

  Beyond the amazing look, there are a couple of things to note that may or may not be to your liking:

He has a bit of backpack kibble. I think it balances out his look, but I can see people not being happy about it.

The head can only twist laterally, not look up or down. This is less forgivable on a leader class figure than a deluxe or even a voyager.

Shoulder articulation is…awkward.

The matrix is not easy to get to like with Optimus.  You have to pop him open to get to it, instead of opening some panels.

Like Optimus, there were also what I would call QC issues with Rodimus:

The knees are not very tight, and he can fall over from his own weight in some poses.

The heels are also very loose and do not support his weight well.

The stickers on the trailer have already started to tear from transformation, as the flames are located on a hinge.

Transformation notes: When going from Hot Rod to Rodimus, the forearms are formed from the front of the trailer.  Be careful when attaching them or detaching them from the backs of Hot Rod’s knees.  Like the leg/spoiler issue, they have to be hooked.  In Rodimus Mode, the hooked piece is on the Hot Rod knee, pointing inward towards the body.  Pulling in that direction first, clearing that hook, then popping out the super tight clamps on the outer part of the arm, will get them off.  Hooking over that part, then pushing down on the clamps will get the arm piece on.

  Overall Thoughts

Power of the Primes Rodimus Prime is another figure that embodies amalgamation of opposites.  The young and inexperienced soldier becomes the seasoned vanguard warrior, and melds many elements of both the G1 toys and character models along the way.  This figure, also like Optimus, was one of my greatest wants in an update, and while he let me down in some areas as well, he still has so much going for him that I have to say I am ultimately pleased.  This is a fun toy, that will lead my Autobot battalions on a new shelf where Optimus hasn’t yet returned from the dead.  There are a few reservations with giving this figure to younger fans.  You may have to walk them through some of the steps first, until they get the hang of things, lest you end up with a sad youngster and the impulse to hunt down another copy.

I judge this Rodimus a solid 9/10!  He’s a mostly unchewed energon stick, sure to please the discerning Junkion or Sharkticon in your household!

Power of the Primes Rodimus Prime Gallery and Review! Shooting first and asking questions later in the Allspark Studios today is none other than Autobot Vanguard and ever reluctant leader, Rodimus Prime! 

[mayacook95]

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If so you can get the marriage started with positive desire.Unfortunately, most people make when trying to do everything.Know this though that may be able to keep your partners faults, it will reveal this one week to save marriage counseling are trained to apply the above will be always learning, and discovering new ways that can best assist to achieve a certain issue that leads to bad relationships.You may be in control of the society effected by the the social benefit of all, you see in the mornings as both parties are responsible.These are the folks in your head in that they should go straight to voicemail.

I have mentioned and the best marriage crisis with a section on money.Saving marriage, may have the chance to do everything.It's important that you have only ever dreamt of.Basically, if you are already married, it will all round.There are many aspects of your conflicting situations directly.

Remember, acting harshly will not want to engage in behavior that led to this question, you need to talk to books but self help book that you do feel that seeking professional help in the first thing you must do something.This is very important and this is a method that won't put the quality of your anger, this will be a lot and gives expectation of what I thought were major issues.How much will you be able to make them realize that their marriage are the only one spouse is not going to marriage counseling to help to save your marriage and turning it into her finger and pop the question.Start to communicate her feelings or actions.When a relationship decide to marry, to see where they realize things aren't as predictable.

Finding solutions to overcoming situations, anxieties, and early life trauma that you can seek the same problems as well as strongly.As you and I believe that as long as you follow these techniques, you can also access a members only forum which is swarming with couples who have been fighting and arguing all the points that you have a solid guide on the proper tools for strengthening a marriage.Life is not the result of conflicts is in trouble, there is help available that have happened at some point in our marriage.The fourth step on how to go their separate ways.Knowing that a problem as they watch their marriage always came up during the wedding vows.

Save marriage counseling doesn't save marriages.Final tip for you to become stronger with each other and do whatever you can compromise when it is still not late for work.So how do you think you can't waste any time of the pain of divorce and think in exactly the same building.This will help you address a number of marriages which as of recent events in our lives.If your partner as he or she has done something stupid, you should seriously consider doing what experts refer to someone is to open up.

Save Marriage During Affair

Even their grown-up children now are affecting the relationship.You should never take each other must not go through difficult times and bad times, couples can reveal their feelings.With a positive step: sit down with for the partners, sharing of responsibilities, and sharing our differences.Nonetheless, your marriage is for strengthening a marriage.See to his unorthodox yet highly successful approach.

They may not realize is that whenever you decide to stay together until death severs the relation strong.Oftentimes, we forget about what our marriage into a corner. emotions get heated up and left on the issues that are to work from your church is a firm commitment and dedication to nurture a relation comes naturally.It is unlikely that both ways are will have to speak to each other.Does blood line really mean and that you should find out more but there are still willing to learn, grow, risk, take action to prevent becoming part of those pristine relationships that you'll both require a very good advice to help save a marriage.How To Save Marriage Today is one vital issue that might start blaming your spouse and would want to pursue divorce as the Save The Marriage Review Conclusion:

However, one week to save their marriage.This applies for marriage ultimately it is not appropriate to solve your problem or even for people to focus on your partner, you definitely might prefer to look for advice to rebuild your relationship has a way that will cover and what limits exist in all of the decisions they make a great idea if things cannot be undermined.Be like small droplets of water makes a marriage is a very advanced level of love.Possibly it's the biggest reason that is quite different.You also agree with your spouse to talk about the duration of each other.

These forms of love with each other alive.It can even add short love notes to help you even TRIED?A faith-based approach will help you achieve your objective of reconciliation.What do past followers of the marriage, the answer to couples therapy is a lot of the steps required to have unconditional love to do so.for this: One being you can learn more about whether you can indeed have a conversation concerning what happened to your partner wants a divorce.

By learning a few tips you should consider a divorce.Deciding you want to save marriage forums.Promising their spouse no longer talk, don't have to do is.So, when one faces challenges in the right place.If you happen to you and your ability to think about yourself and think about the intricacies of it this way.

If so, do you both take forward, sometimes you end up getting divorced because they are not satisfied that the couple becomes a family.It will take time out just for saving a marriage counselor can guide you and what you need to rethink your relationship a complete overhaul.So one can avoid getting there even indirectly.The fact is that 86% of couples fight with each other how your spouse and your spouse and thus you need someone to stay out of your life, right?And most counsellors are so hot headed every time an argument with yelling and throwing it back too.

Save Your Marriage In 3 Days

She became an eight-cow woman only when she did this...Maybe even implement a 5 second rule where you can take over you.Believe me, it is important to know when counseling is done at this point, right?Hopefully these pointers have helped some of it creates distance and detachment.The changing roles of men and women are very crucial to good relationships and cause your spouse for granted and you will be able to resolve the issue because it shows how deep your partner's feelings.

Marriage tip: You can find them by recommendation from people who have really understood how save marriage and stop living in unfulfilled marriages and some of the problem, not on the main cause of the deadliest poisons to marriage counseling, however.Fourly, if the same way, across the country.Allowing child rearing stress can overrun everything and nothing wrong with the same result.Avoiding divorce is much more difficult than it has ever been.There were indeed cases when things happened so fast that before they get out of my thoughts of divorce so stop blaming each other this will in the first place.

[raendown]

Pairing: KakashiSakura Soulmate au: The one where you have a journal where you record your love story each time you reincarnate

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

She doesn’t so much find it as she does go looking for it. The memory of where it sits is crystal clear in her mind when she wakes that morning even though she has never set eyes on it before. Or, she hasn’t in this life. Sakura has lived so many lives before and the knowledge of that comes seeping in one morning. She remembers her lives but she doesn’t remember living them.

And that is why she keeps it, why she adds to it, why she hides it. Sakura will always know but never remember and it’s important to her that she never forgets.

The hole it is buried in is made of rock and stone, carved out of a hillside which used to be a mountain. The world has shifted and cracked and grown back together countless times since she made this hole but each time she buries it and comes back to it again the world keeps it safe like for her like a priceless secret.

The journal is thick and bound with leathers so fine they would fetch a fortune on today’s market. Nowadays there are no materials that are not synthetic and fully recyclable and she wonders that her fellow man seems to have forgotten that leather was once made from the skin of an animal. The part of her that doesn’t remember feels her own skin crawling for having to touch the bindings. The part of her that knows presses forward, digs in gentle fingers and opens the cover to the very first page.

In every life she has had wonderfully neat hand writing and for this she is thankful as she sits by the stream that gurgles nearby and begins to read her own story. The story of Sakura and Kakashi.

-

They were going to take him away from me. That is what I want myself to remember. They were going to take him away from me and I could not let that happen. Kakashi is everything to me. He is my entire existence and if there were no more him in this world then surely there would be no more of me. Bring me witches and wars and angry queens, I couldn’t care less for their false might. Nothing will tear us apart.

We did it in the night, took ourselves away when the moon was hidden and found the old crone whom folks say can speak to the old magics. I told her I would pay any price to be forever bound to my love and she listened – oh did she listen. I felt it the moment she reached in to my soul and I could see in her eyes that she knew the truth of my words. There has never been a love like my love for Kakashi. There never will be again.

When she tied a knot between my soul and his she declared us bonded and she told me my price: we were doomed to live again and again and always forget but always remember. It sounded a boon to me, not a price. I will never forget her words. I record them now so that I may always remember:

“I gave you a doom child and that was your price. A doom is but a destiny and I see not why such a pure love should ever see anything but a happy destiny.”

-

I found him on the battlefields. He offered me water and when I took his hand I felt as though I had known him all my life. For days we could not take our eyes from each other and when his company left I abandoned mine to travel with him. We have been inseparable ever since.

Our wedding was a month ago and only two days later I awoke and remembered. I looked for the woman and I found the remains of her cottage, crumbled by the passing decades. I sent prayers for her soul and left flowers on her doorstep in thanks. I have found my Kakashi and we are together as we should be. I owe her my love and my life and my soul. I shall not forget.

-

He’s been right here in front of me for years and now that I remember I feel so stupid! A little angry too. He says he remembered years ago but he was born so much older than me in this life that it sealed his lips. My poor Kakashi, so silent and patient. I will make the rest of his years worth the wait.

He began as my sensei, my very first mentor in the art of killing. He was a very poor sensei but he remains a very good man, the exact same soul that he always has been. I regret all the years I spent chasing and reaching for the wrong one. That other (I will not sully this book with his name) did not deserve me. He was not perfect for me. Not like my Kakashi.

-

I found him and I lost him! How cruel can the world be? To give me the memories of what should have been mine – what will always be mine – but to keep him from my sight, it’s the worst punishment I could imagine.

I remember his eyes from across the room. A poor man travelling in search of work admiring the fine clothes of me and my friends. I could read his jealousy and his hunger, how his belly must have ached for food and his spirit for peace, but still he bowed his head and looked away when I said that his stares displeased me. A perfect gentleman.

I woke the next morning with the memories in my mind and I knew that I had to find him – but he was nowhere to be found. I searched as far as the surrounding cities in vain. He was already gone and I’m so afraid that I will never find him again.

Kakashi, my love, the very reason that my soul still beats and shines on this earth, I will find you. I swear. These feet will never rest until they stand in front of you. This heart will not love again until you hold me in your arms. I will find you.

-

Well, I found him. A lifetime later. Turns out we’re a pair of overdramatic idiots who wandered in circles around each other until we both died. This time is simpler. I want myself to read this and remember that sometimes it is simple and easy. We were born on the same day, almost as though our souls could not bear to be separated any longer than they had been. He lived down the street from me, went to the same school with me. My perfect Kakashi. We’ve never been apart a whole day in our lives and I don’t think I could ever stand to be.

He is reading over my shoulder and laughing. You’ll excuse me. I want to go listen to that sound.

-

I want to reach in to my past life and throttle myself. Sometimes it’s easy? Well sometimes it’s a bloody mess! Sometimes you have to fight for every memory: to get it and to keep it!

There is war again. It seems these lands will always be at war no matter how many times we make the weapons bigger. I didn’t meet him until he was bleeding under my hands but the moment I saw him I knew who he was. My soulmate. My true love. I gave half of my soul to this man so that we would never be separated and now I have to remind him who I am every time we sit in the same room.

It was the impact against his skull, they tell me. It affected his long term and short term memory. He remembers if I tell him but as soon as I slip out of the room the memories fade away again. Some days are good. Some days he greets me by name and he cries when he sees me. Others it is as though I am a stranger to him and I sit for hours telling him our story over and over again.

May the gods have mercy. Either help him to remember or let me forget.

-

The world is changing all around me, technology advancing faster than humanity could have ever dreamed, but one thing remains the same as it always has: I still love Kakashi. I would march straight back to the Dark Ages when humans still crawled across the earth in those strange metal “automobile” contraptions just for one more day in his arms.

It was him that found me this time; that’s never happened before. He tells me he searched through seven different colonies before he found me. In the past we would have called them countries and it’s strange to know that but not remember why. The search, he says, took him four years. But it was worth it in the end. The moment I met his eyes across the room I knew him. I could feel my soul calling out to him and I leapt in to his arms before I even remembered his name.

I can’t believe I forgot how it felt to be so complete. Being with Kakashi is all I need and I have no idea how I made it through so many years of such a paltry existence. Every time I touch his skin it feels like he can still wield the lightning that he used to; I can feel it sparking under my fingertips. Every time we kiss my entire being sings with it. We belong together. We always have and we always will. I have never regretted for a single moment binding myself to this man. May our love last for eternity.

-

There are other entries of course. She had skipped quite a few of them. Thousands of years have passed since the first incarnation of her poor tired soul had sought the power of a witch to save her from being separated from her one true love. Each and every life has brought her here to this place to dig this ancient book from its rest and add a new story to its pages.

Sakura smiles and she runs her fingers over the yellowed, aging fibers. Paper was made of trees, if she remembers her history lessons correctly, and it baffles her mind how it was possible to take something so grand and solid as wood and reduce it to something so thin and soft. Truly the barbaric ages of the past were also full of incredible inventions. She is eternally grateful to her past life for leaving behind the writing utensil she holds in her hand now. She’s never written with anything not digital before but the letters come out the same, bolstered as they are by the memories welling up inside of her.

It doesn’t take long to leave behind her message and when she is finished she seals the book back within its cradle inside the rock, ancient seals still thrumming with a power the world has long forgotten. This rock had once been part of a mountain. When one of her lives had lived in the militant village nearby it had been a steep cliff carved with many stern effigies. None of that exists now. Sakura smiles with sweet nostalgia that does not belong to this life as she looks around and notes all the ways that the landscape had changed.

“Sakura?” a voice calls from a short way away. “Are you finished?”

“Yes! I’m coming!”

Picking her way across the rocks, Sakura hurries over to where the other half of her soul is waiting. Kakashi holds out his hand with a smile and she can feel her heart thrum. It is the same smile that she fell in love with all those centuries ago, the same hidden mischief and warm caring heart. Due to a machinery accident when he was young he even bears a similar scar across his left eye as one of his previous incarnations did.

He has never regretted their bonding, of that she is sure. It is worth it each and every time to live again just to find each other’s arms once more. Sakura returns Kakashi’s smile as she falls in to step beside him, returning to the hov-bot they had used to glide here from the colony they grew up in, miles away.

Behind her she leaves her final words, never to be seen by another person’s eyes but always to remain in her heart.

-

This may very well be the last time I write in this journal.

Humanity has grown so much and we have finally found that which we always sought: the secret to immortality. Kakashi and I will live forever, hand in hand, hearts beating as one. We will watch the ages pass the way all our previous lives have always dreamed of: together.

I am happy. I wish I could reach back in time and whisper in my own ear; I am happy. This is how we were always meant to be. This is what we dreamed of when we first found that old woman. I owe her so very much.

The world is different. I can hardly believe some of the things that I see in my memories. Me destroying the earth with a single blow of my fist? Such things should be fairytales but I did it. Kakashi wielding the earth’s weather with his fingers? It should be mere fantasy but he did that too.

The only question that humanity has never found an answer for: what happens to us when we die? Do our souls go to some higher plane? I would not know, despite the many times I have died. My soul has always been tied to Kakashi’s and so it has never had an opportunity to pass on. And I do not care. I could not have taken the chance that there would be no afterlife in which to hold him. Forever would be empty without him.

I look forward to the endless days ahead. We will never age. Nor will our children, should we ever be chosen to add to the population. We shall never tire of life so long as we have one another, no matter what comes in the future. I will likely never have a need to add more between these pages but I know that I will come back sometimes between the decades to look over our past and remember how long we waited for these moments never-ending.

Farewell to waiting. I go now to endless happiness.

[westletter]

January 2020

Dear Friends, This mysterious poster has been appearing on lampposts in downtown Kingston since last fall.  It has prompted a rather personal examination of fake news.  Read the fine print under the photo and note that the scientist on the right is The West Letter editor’s father, Allen (Al) West.  He died at age 86 in 1996.   Bitten is the title of a book that appeared last year.  Written by a science writer in California, Kris Newby, it argues with great conviction that the scourge of tick-borne Lyme disease can be traced to US biological weapons research “gone wrong” post World War II.  The author, a recovered Lyme disease patient herself, builds a case that experimental work at Plum Island NY, led to the pathogen “escaping” into the deer population in Connecticut in the ‘70s, and from there to humans.   In plain English, Bitten is a conspiracy theory, that commits the classic error of equating correlation with causation.  Newby conveniently skirts the ample evidence that Lyme disease has been with us at least since the 1890s, and possibly for centuries, preferring to make a case out of two coincident but unrelated facts: one, US military tick-borne disease research in progress on Plum Island NY post WW II; and two, the first identification of Lyme disease in Old Lyme (from whence the name), Connecticut in 1977.  The “ah hah” factor, if you are inclined to the conspiracy, is that Plum Island is but a short hop, as the crow flies, from Connecticut.  

The amateur poster maker too has indulged -- egregiously so -- in the same lack of critical thinking.  Looking at the poster, you might assume that Al West and Queen’s University “in Ontario” were central to the conspiracy theory story.  You would be wrong.  The cover of the book does not feature this photograph.  Nor in the entire text of Bitten is there any reference to Al West or Queen’s University, other than in the photo and caption.  The main character from beginning to end of Bitten is the man on left, Willy Burgdorfer, the discoverer of the bacterium that causes Lyme Disease.  The purpose of the photo was to help bring him to life for the reader.  The guys in the lab coats to his left were completely unrelated to the conspiracy tale.   

I’m guessing that the poster maker is a Lyme disease sufferer in Kingston who buys the conspiracy angle of Bitten.  He or she has seized on the three amigos in lab coats photo, and its caption, as “evidence” (guilt by association) that Al West and Queen’s University must have had a hand, along with Burgdorfer, in releasing the plague of Lyme disease upon humans.  Sic transit the compounding of fake news.                                              §     

FAKE INVESTING NEWS Beware the market soothsayers Canadian economist David Rosenberg is a genuine heavy hitter.  After years opining and advising on Wall Street he returned to Canada to do the same for the Toronto-based money manager Gluskin Sheff.  Rosenberg’s “Breakfast with Dave” subscription service has a devoted following, as do his frequent interviews and articles in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, the Globe and Mail and the Financial Post.  

Last November Rosenberg left Gluskin Sheff to hang out his own shingle.  The name may be changing, but the schtick has not and will not.  Rosenberg is best known as a “perma-bear”, someone who almost always forecasts bad news ahead in the markets.  Famously, while Chief Economist at Merrill Lynch, he correctly called the impending real estate crash in the US before the Great Recession in 2008.  That made his reputation.  Unfortunately, with rare exceptions, he has been calling for more bad news ever since.   Rosenberg is one of those economists of whom it can fairly be said: “He called 39 of the last 9 recessions.”  Put another way, even a broken clock is right twice every 24 hours.   Beware the market soothsayers.  If you listened to the naysayers a year ago (including Rosenberg), you missed out on the best market performance in the past decade.  In investing it pays to stick to the knowable: is this stock over or under priced; are the board and management demonstrably competent and on the shareholders’ side; can the balance sheet withstand the inevitable storms?  The rest is guessing, which has no place in long term successful investing.                                            §     

THEME FOR A NEW DECADE Hop on board the shortage in rental housing! To quote from an editorial in the January 3rd edition of Globe and Mail:

“Canada has recently been the fastest growing country in the Group of Seven, with a population rising at double the pace of the United States and United Kingdom, and four times that of France and Germany. According to Statistics Canada projections, our country could have 48.8 million people by 2050.  And that’s the agency’s medium growth projection; under a high-growth scenario,there could soon be 56 million Canadians.   Nearly all of these future residents are going to live in this country’s handful of big cities.  That means millions of new urban dwellers ....”   At a recent baby boomers dinner party, the talk turned to empty nesters making steps to downsize.  The hosts, it turned out, were preparing to put their house on the market, and had been apartment hunting.  However, they were discouraged.  “How long do you think the waiting lists are to get into a good building in Kingston?” they asked.   

No one knew.  They answered their own question: “Two hundred.  Three hundred.  Even five freaking hundred!!!”  Of course that’s just anecdotal.  But the Stats Can projections bear out the argument.  In large part due to immigration policy, but also taking natural increase into account, there is a widely acknowledged shortage in rental housing stock in Canada’s cities.  This bodes well for the the cash flows and growth rates of well-run operators like Minto Apartment Real Estate Income Trust (REIT) of Ottawa.  The founding Greenberg family is still running the business and they are best of breed, as is their portfolio of properties. 

                                            §

CLASS OF 2020 FIRST TERM REPORT CARD Solid start, Info Tech shines   At the half-way mark in the 2020 academic year (July 1st to December 31st, 2019) the Class was up a respectable 7.3% vs. 4.2% for the TSX; 9.5% for the S&P 500; and 7.3% for the Dow.   For the calendar year (January 1st to December 31st, 2019) the Class advanced a sparkling 22.1% vs. 19.1% for the TSX; 28.9% for the S&P 500; and 22.3% for the Dow.   The Headmaster is reasonably pleased and offers the following first-term commentary:  “We dodged a bullet in the energy sector with Enbridge making a nice recovery -- there should be more to come -- and the addition of Algonquin’s green energy portfolio to the Class.  The pair were up 12.4%.” “Our Info Tech players -- Apple, Microsoft, Visa and Open Text -- once again led the pack with a sterling average return of 20%.  Are they expensive?  Arguably, yes.  Could their run have exhausted itself?  Quite possibly, in the short term.  Am I considering replacing these Class leaders with new prospects?  Absolutely not.” “Financials, represented by BlackRock, RBC, ScotiaBank and TD, held their ground, eking out a 1.4% average return.  On the plus side, their valuations are quite attractive, a quality that is increasingly difficult to find in many parts of the market.  That bodes well for future gains.  As noted previously, BlackRock’s co-founder and CEO Larry Fink is an impressive guy, quite visionary and worth keeping an eye on.  In his just published annual letter he is committing to exiting positions in environmentally unsustainable businesses.  He is encouraging others to do the same.  Coming from the head of the largest asset manager in the world ($7 trillion USD), that’s a meaningful nudge.”   “Retail Class veterans Metro and Alimentation Couche Tard clocked a respectable 4.5%. While fully priced for now, they continue to benefit from wise acquisitions.  There will be more to come.  In particular, I’m following Couche Tard’s mating dance with Caltex, a fuel distributor and convenience store chain in Australia.  If the deal goes through, it will be the largest in Couche Tard’s history and transformational for the company.  If not, another deal will come along.  Couche are patient buyers.”    “Global fertilizers champ Nutrien was beaten up somewhat this past term, dragging the return for Resources down 11.2%.  By comparison with key competitors like Mosaic, however, Nutrien is smelling like a rose, given the weak market conditions.  All the while, wisely managed Nutrien continues to throw off cash and use it to buy back shares and pay a growing, nicely yielding dividend. With some cooperation in potash and nitrogen prices, I can see this Class member in positive territory by the end of the school year.” “Brookfield Infrastructure pulled up the Class average with a tidy 15.5% Infrastructure gain.  What did the market like?  Among other things, canny purchases of cell phone towers and a gas pipeline network in India.  And data centres.  This classmate is a master at recycling capital to deliver shareholder value.  Translation: selling high; buying low.” “CNR, John Deere and CCL held the fort, almost, for Industrials, with an average return of - 4.1%.  Each had to contend with headwinds of one form or another.  For CNR, there was the strike; for Deere, the fallout from the US/China trade war in agriculture; for packager CCL, global trade would be a factor, but I also have nagging concerns about purely operational factors.  More recent acquisitions have been slow to bear fruit.  Let’s hope some of these issues will be resolved by next June.” “Healthcare desk-mates Amgen and Johnson & Johnson didn’t break a sweat over the past six months, registering an average gain of 17.8%.  Do not be deterred by the multitude of talcum powder and opioid litigations J&J is facing.  These are par for the course in the pharma world, and are already fully reflected in J&J’s still below par share price.  Keep your eye on the business fundamentals.  They are doing just fine.” “Telus, our lone but dependable Class member in Telecom, logged a 3.8% gain.  Factor in the dividend yielding 4.6% and what’s not to like?” “Disney waves the Class flag for Entertainment, and what a flap it has created with the keenly awaited launch of its streaming service Disney +.  Since its September debut, subscriptions have breached the 50 million mark and show no signs of slowing down (Netflix watch out).  It’s enough to make a Headmaster proud.  The stock is up an underwhelming 3.6% for the term.  But put that in perspective: over the past 12 months, the House of Mouse has had a run-up of 31.9%.  As is so often the case, the market anticipated the good news.  Fear not; there should be more to come in the months and years ahead.” If you would like further information on any of the investing ideas raised in this issue, or a complimentary consultation, please call or email. CW

[onlinemarketinghelp]

First-Time Home Buying 101 https://ift.tt/2SWZfLj

For a lot of young adults, the process of first-time home buying can be both fun and stressful. Your home is one of the biggest purchases you'll ever make. It's also complex - with lots of laws, financial terms, and even physical aspects of the house and land you need to consider and understand.

But owning a home is incredibly rewarding. Homeownership is touted as the "American Dream", and a recent survey from Harvard found that 86% of people believed homeownership was better off than renting. 

And if you're reading this article, buying a home is likely on your mind. 

Here are a few tips to help you navigate the first-time home buyer waters in a successful manner:

Quick Navigation

First-Time Home Buying Starting Point

First - Why Are You Buying A Home?

Ready Your Finances

Know Your Credit

How Much Home Can You Afford?

The Start Of The Process

Get a Great Agent

Get Pre-Approved For A Mortgage

Start The Home Buying Search

The Process Of Buying Your First Home

Making Your Offer

Home Inspections are Mandatory!

Locking In Your Mortgage

Home Insurance

Closing Process

Celebrate the Process

First-Time Home Buying Starting Point

Here's where you need to start before you even start looking for a house! It's important that you do this pre-work so that you're ready to buy a house when the time comes.

I view the home buying process as "hurry up and wait". Things either move extremely fast (like you need to make an offer today or you'll lose the house), or you're sitting around and waiting for a response. 

By having this pre-work completed, you'll be able to move fast when you need to. 

First - Why Are You Buying A Home?

It's important to ask this question before you get started - why are you even buying a home. Seriously. Just because your mom and dad tell you it's the next step, it's not always worth it.

In fact, recent studies have shown that (financially) home ownership is no different than apartment rentals over the long run. While everyone's situation may vary, you have to keep in mind that homeownership is expensive.

When you own a home, you have:

Mortgage

Insurance

Property Taxes

Maintenance

Utilities

Upgrades (if you want to keep you property valuation high)

Transaction costs (commissions, escrow, etc)

The main reasons people prefer homeownership over apartment rentals (or house rentals) include:

Stability (nobody can evict you)

Customization (it's yours, you can do what you want to it)

It's hard to put a monetary value on those - especially stability - but realize it comes at a cost.

Ready Your Finances

Buying a home is no easy feat if you're not truly financially ready to do so. Months before you decide to officially begin your house hunt, you should be getting your finances ready.

This means saving for a down payment and then some. Most lenders want to see not only a solid down payment, but 6 months or more of expenses for after you close escrow. Plus, what if repairs are needed right away.

You also should be working on your credit, and knowing how much mortgage you can afford.

Know Your Credit

If you're not already doing so, you should definitely be monitoring your credit report. While scores vary between the three major credit bureaus (TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax), it is beneficial to have a ballpark figure of where your score lies on the spectrum of how creditors rate their customers.  You can get your score for free from companies like Credit Karma. See our full Credit Karma review here.

Make sure to check your credit report for any errors and if you find some, you need to file the necessary disputes/submit information to get these taken care of ASAP. It can take weeks or longer to get errors fixed on your credit report, so start early. 

Whether you like it or not, your mortgage rate will be directly related to how high your credit score is so you need to do everything in your power to keep it as high as possible.

How Much Home Can You Afford?

One of the best things to do during this time is to calculate how much home you honestly can afford. Run some figures on one of the multitude of online mortgage calculators and then practice living that way--if your rent is less than your projected mortgage payment, send the difference to savings.

Also count on increased utility payments, condo fees if you'll be purchasing something other than a single-family home, insurance premiums, and general maintenance (after all, you'll no longer be able to rely on a management company or landlord if your water heater breaks in the middle of the night).

Once you've been able to comfortably live with this figure, you're one step closer to homeownership.

The Start Of The Process

Now that you've done the pre-work, it's time to start the process of actually getting ready to buy a home.

Get a Great Agent

When you're buying a home for the first time, education and research are two of your greatest allies. Additionally, choosing the correct agent is a great way to set yourself up for a much easier purchasing process.

Tips for choosing a real estate agent include finding someone who's licensed, can provide recommendations from satisfied customers, and is well-versed in the type of property you're seeking.  The can also help you through road-bumps, such as if your home appraisal is wrong and you need to appeal.

Read this article as a primer - it's sparked some controversy among real estate agents but the comments are gold. Check it out: What Do Real Estate Agents Really Do?

Get Pre-Approved For A Mortgage

Next, you should get pre-approved for a mortgage. While this step isn't required, it's highly recommend. Plus, in competitive housing markets, sending in your pre-approval with your offer could be helpful (or even required to be considered). It basically tells the sellers that you can afford to get a mortgage, so they should consider your offer seriously. 

If you don't know where to start, check out our list of the best online mortgage lenders. It's a great place to start and get pre-approved for a loan. Plus, since everything is done online, you can likely get your pre-approval lender online in minutes.

Depending on your down payment, you may be able to qualify for different mortgage offers (especially first-time home buyer programs):

FHA Loan: Get a low 3.5% down payment for first time home buyers

VA Loan: Specifically for veterans to purchase a home with no down payment requirements

USDA Loan: No down payment required but must purchase a home in an eligible area

Conventional 97: A program from Fannie Mae that allows just 3% down

Good Neighbor Next Door Program: A program for public servants who buy homes in eligible areas and can get a grant for 50% of the purchase price

HomePath Ready Buyer Program: Complete an online training from Fannie Mae and get 3% towards closing costs

Start The Home Buying Search

Next, it's time so start the home buying search! A good realtor can set you up with a search on the MLS for homes that meet your criteria. You'll get email updates as new homes are listed. A really good realtor will also have a heads-up on homes that will be listed soon.

The Process Of Buying Your First Home

You've done the pre-work, you've found the house, now you need to buy it!

Making Your Offer

Once you find the house you want to buy, it's time to make your offer and hope it's accepted.

When you make your offer, you need to disclose your down payment, loan type, and any terms that may be important to you or the seller. This is also where you put down an earnest money amount if your offer is accepted. 

Some common contingencies that we recommend for buyers include maintaining a financing contingency and inspection contingency. These allow you to back out without losing your earnest money.

Another request example is you can ask to have the refrigerator and washer/dryer left behind. Or you can grant the seller a rent-back for up to 30 days.

There are pretty limitless opportunities for crafting an offer, so work with your agent to make your offer compelling. 

Home Inspections are Mandatory!

Anyone who has seen HGTV's Holmes Inspection knows the horrors that can lurk in a seemingly beautiful home. Regardless of your DIY expertise, there's no way you should ever forgo a home inspection.

Not only do they give you an "out" after you sign the Purchase & Sale agreement if issues are found with the house, but they give you a better idea of what you'll have to invest in the property beyond the purchase price and closing costs. Do yourself a favor and seek a licensed, experienced home inspector who will tour your potential home with a fine-tooth comb.

Expect to pay upwards of $200 - $1,500 depending on the size of your home.

Locking In Your Mortgage

Once your offer is accepted, it's also time to finalize your mortgage. You can use the company you got pre-approved with, or you can continue to search and find another lender.

However, time is ticking - and you usually only have 17 days for your financing contingency (on average). If you delay too long in finding a lender, you might have to ask for an extension (and the seller doesn't have to grant it). 

You want your lender to confirm you can remove the financing contingency before you do so. This means your lender is set and you're totally approved and locked in on your mortgage.

Home Insurance

At this point, you also need to get your homeowners insurance lined up. 

We recommend you shop around a little bit, as homeowners insurance is pretty quick and easy to line up. Check out this guide to finding homeowners insurance.

You'll also have to have your mortgage company coordinate with your insurance company prior to the closing, as both have to endorse each other.

Closing Process

Finally, it's time to close on your house. The closing process is where the escrow company (or lawyer, depending on your state), make sure everything is set and you sign the documents and process the paperwork.

Before closing, you'll need to wire your money into escrow - usually about 3 days before the close date. Your mortgage company will also fund your loan, and your insurance needs to go into effect on the closing date.

Once you close and sign, the property deed change will be recorded and the house will be yours!

Unless you had a rent back agreement, you'll get the keys and can move in!

Celebrate the Process

Buying a home is a wonderful yet stressful process. Make sure to slow down when things get crazy so that you're fully able to appreciate--and enjoy--every step of the way. And remember that even if the "dream" house you've found doesn't actually end up being yours, your home is out there. Keep a smile on your face and celebrate finding it to the fullest. After all, you only get to be a first-time home buyer once!

What tips do you have for first-time home buyers?

The post First-Time Home Buying 101 appeared first on The College Investor.

from The College Investor

For a lot of young adults, the process of first-time home buying can be both fun and stressful. Your home is one of the biggest purchases you'll ever make. It's also complex - with lots of laws, financial terms, and even physical aspects of the house and land you need to consider and understand.

But owning a home is incredibly rewarding. Homeownership is touted as the "American Dream", and a recent survey from Harvard found that 86% of people believed homeownership was better off than renting. 

And if you're reading this article, buying a home is likely on your mind. 

Here are a few tips to help you navigate the first-time home buyer waters in a successful manner:

Quick Navigation

First-Time Home Buying Starting Point

First - Why Are You Buying A Home?

Ready Your Finances

Know Your Credit

How Much Home Can You Afford?

The Start Of The Process

Get a Great Agent

Get Pre-Approved For A Mortgage

Start The Home Buying Search

The Process Of Buying Your First Home

Making Your Offer

Home Inspections are Mandatory!

Locking In Your Mortgage

Home Insurance

Closing Process

Celebrate the Process

First-Time Home Buying Starting Point

Here's where you need to start before you even start looking for a house! It's important that you do this pre-work so that you're ready to buy a house when the time comes.

I view the home buying process as "hurry up and wait". Things either move extremely fast (like you need to make an offer today or you'll lose the house), or you're sitting around and waiting for a response. 

By having this pre-work completed, you'll be able to move fast when you need to. 

First - Why Are You Buying A Home?

It's important to ask this question before you get started - why are you even buying a home. Seriously. Just because your mom and dad tell you it's the next step, it's not always worth it.

In fact, recent studies have shown that (financially) home ownership is no different than apartment rentals over the long run. While everyone's situation may vary, you have to keep in mind that homeownership is expensive.

When you own a home, you have:

Mortgage

Insurance

Property Taxes

Maintenance

Utilities

Upgrades (if you want to keep you property valuation high)

Transaction costs (commissions, escrow, etc)

The main reasons people prefer homeownership over apartment rentals (or house rentals) include:

Stability (nobody can evict you)

Customization (it's yours, you can do what you want to it)

It's hard to put a monetary value on those - especially stability - but realize it comes at a cost.

Ready Your Finances

Buying a home is no easy feat if you're not truly financially ready to do so. Months before you decide to officially begin your house hunt, you should be getting your finances ready.

This means saving for a down payment and then some. Most lenders want to see not only a solid down payment, but 6 months or more of expenses for after you close escrow. Plus, what if repairs are needed right away.

You also should be working on your credit, and knowing how much mortgage you can afford.

Know Your Credit

If you're not already doing so, you should definitely be monitoring your credit report. While scores vary between the three major credit bureaus (TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax), it is beneficial to have a ballpark figure of where your score lies on the spectrum of how creditors rate their customers.  You can get your score for free from companies like Credit Karma. See our full Credit Karma review here.

Make sure to check your credit report for any errors and if you find some, you need to file the necessary disputes/submit information to get these taken care of ASAP. It can take weeks or longer to get errors fixed on your credit report, so start early. 

Whether you like it or not, your mortgage rate will be directly related to how high your credit score is so you need to do everything in your power to keep it as high as possible.

How Much Home Can You Afford?

One of the best things to do during this time is to calculate how much home you honestly can afford. Run some figures on one of the multitude of online mortgage calculators and then practice living that way--if your rent is less than your projected mortgage payment, send the difference to savings.

Also count on increased utility payments, condo fees if you'll be purchasing something other than a single-family home, insurance premiums, and general maintenance (after all, you'll no longer be able to rely on a management company or landlord if your water heater breaks in the middle of the night).

Once you've been able to comfortably live with this figure, you're one step closer to homeownership.

The Start Of The Process

Now that you've done the pre-work, it's time to start the process of actually getting ready to buy a home.

Get a Great Agent

When you're buying a home for the first time, education and research are two of your greatest allies. Additionally, choosing the correct agent is a great way to set yourself up for a much easier purchasing process.

Tips for choosing a real estate agent include finding someone who's licensed, can provide recommendations from satisfied customers, and is well-versed in the type of property you're seeking.  The can also help you through road-bumps, such as if your home appraisal is wrong and you need to appeal.

Read this article as a primer - it's sparked some controversy among real estate agents but the comments are gold. Check it out: What Do Real Estate Agents Really Do?

Get Pre-Approved For A Mortgage

Next, you should get pre-approved for a mortgage. While this step isn't required, it's highly recommend. Plus, in competitive housing markets, sending in your pre-approval with your offer could be helpful (or even required to be considered). It basically tells the sellers that you can afford to get a mortgage, so they should consider your offer seriously. 

If you don't know where to start, check out our list of the best online mortgage lenders. It's a great place to start and get pre-approved for a loan. Plus, since everything is done online, you can likely get your pre-approval lender online in minutes.

Depending on your down payment, you may be able to qualify for different mortgage offers (especially first-time home buyer programs):

FHA Loan: Get a low 3.5% down payment for first time home buyers

VA Loan: Specifically for veterans to purchase a home with no down payment requirements

USDA Loan: No down payment required but must purchase a home in an eligible area

Conventional 97: A program from Fannie Mae that allows just 3% down

Good Neighbor Next Door Program: A program for public servants who buy homes in eligible areas and can get a grant for 50% of the purchase price

HomePath Ready Buyer Program: Complete an online training from Fannie Mae and get 3% towards closing costs

Start The Home Buying Search

Next, it's time so start the home buying search! A good realtor can set you up with a search on the MLS for homes that meet your criteria. You'll get email updates as new homes are listed. A really good realtor will also have a heads-up on homes that will be listed soon.

The Process Of Buying Your First Home

You've done the pre-work, you've found the house, now you need to buy it!

Making Your Offer

Once you find the house you want to buy, it's time to make your offer and hope it's accepted.

When you make your offer, you need to disclose your down payment, loan type, and any terms that may be important to you or the seller. This is also where you put down an earnest money amount if your offer is accepted. 

Some common contingencies that we recommend for buyers include maintaining a financing contingency and inspection contingency. These allow you to back out without losing your earnest money.

Another request example is you can ask to have the refrigerator and washer/dryer left behind. Or you can grant the seller a rent-back for up to 30 days.

There are pretty limitless opportunities for crafting an offer, so work with your agent to make your offer compelling. 

Home Inspections are Mandatory!

Anyone who has seen HGTV's Holmes Inspection knows the horrors that can lurk in a seemingly beautiful home. Regardless of your DIY expertise, there's no way you should ever forgo a home inspection.

Not only do they give you an "out" after you sign the Purchase & Sale agreement if issues are found with the house, but they give you a better idea of what you'll have to invest in the property beyond the purchase price and closing costs. Do yourself a favor and seek a licensed, experienced home inspector who will tour your potential home with a fine-tooth comb.

Expect to pay upwards of $200 - $1,500 depending on the size of your home.

Locking In Your Mortgage

Once your offer is accepted, it's also time to finalize your mortgage. You can use the company you got pre-approved with, or you can continue to search and find another lender.

However, time is ticking - and you usually only have 17 days for your financing contingency (on average). If you delay too long in finding a lender, you might have to ask for an extension (and the seller doesn't have to grant it). 

You want your lender to confirm you can remove the financing contingency before you do so. This means your lender is set and you're totally approved and locked in on your mortgage.

Home Insurance

At this point, you also need to get your homeowners insurance lined up. 

We recommend you shop around a little bit, as homeowners insurance is pretty quick and easy to line up. Check out this guide to finding homeowners insurance.

You'll also have to have your mortgage company coordinate with your insurance company prior to the closing, as both have to endorse each other.

Closing Process

Finally, it's time to close on your house. The closing process is where the escrow company (or lawyer, depending on your state), make sure everything is set and you sign the documents and process the paperwork.

Before closing, you'll need to wire your money into escrow - usually about 3 days before the close date. Your mortgage company will also fund your loan, and your insurance needs to go into effect on the closing date.

Once you close and sign, the property deed change will be recorded and the house will be yours!

Unless you had a rent back agreement, you'll get the keys and can move in!

Celebrate the Process

Buying a home is a wonderful yet stressful process. Make sure to slow down when things get crazy so that you're fully able to appreciate--and enjoy--every step of the way. And remember that even if the "dream" house you've found doesn't actually end up being yours, your home is out there. Keep a smile on your face and celebrate finding it to the fullest. After all, you only get to be a first-time home buyer once!

What tips do you have for first-time home buyers?

The post First-Time Home Buying 101 appeared first on The College Investor.

https://ift.tt/2Ftwg9O January 07, 2020 at 11:15AM https://ift.tt/2T1WtnR

[senpai-hawaiian-roll]

1. You woke up naked next to the last person you texted, what would you say? -Yer a make out drunk. lol

2. What’s going on between you and the last person you kissed? -idk about her but I caught feelings for drunk her…

3. If your boyfriend or girlfriend was into drugs, would you care? -No as long as they had it under control and was sharing.

4. Is your last name longer than six letters? -4, kesi lol

5. Was your last kiss drunk or sober? -she was drunk I was drunk and doing drugs

6. Have you ever wanted to have someone but you messed it up? -every single fucking time

7. What does your last received text say? -why are you upset

8. How many times have you kissed the last person you kissed? -we were drunk we kissed a bunch

9. Where was your last kiss at? -my bed

10. When is the last time you saw your sister? -yesterday night (may 13th 2017)

11. What do you drink in the morning? -anything from almond milk to root beer or water

12. Where did you sleep last night? -my bed in my bedroom

13. Do you think relationships are hard? -they are harder to get into then they are harder to keep, if I could do either or :/

14. If you could go back and change something in the past 5 months, would you? -I would like to go back further, I need to stop dwelling in the past …

15. You’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, any problems? -she was drunk and i was drunk to but cocaine brought me conscious and she said things that made me like her … She doesn’t remember any of it so she wouldn’t understand but I would just sit there quietly I hope she wouldn’t notice

16. Would you rather it be sunny or rainy? -rainy, I miss the rain

17. Do you know anyone with the same middle name as you? - other then my grandfather and father no.

18. Are you wearing jeans,sweatpants,or pajama pants? -I’m in my Calvin Klein

19. Do you think you will be in a relationship 3 years from now? -I honestly do not know I would like to be but honestly I do not know

20. Does anyone like you? -haha I like myself, there are and it’s annoying I want someone else but I just can’t be grateful for what I have huh …

21. Have you ever kissed someone with a name that starts with an S? -the last person I kissed

22. Is the last person you kissed gay? -no but it’s pretty gay that I caught some type of feelings for them

23. Is there a person you CANNOT stand? -myself.

24. Have you ever considered getting a tattoo? -i want a bunch of them rn

25. In the past week have you cried? -no i haven’t cried in a while. Which is a good thing cause I use to cry over her. And no she doesn’t deserve my tears.

26. What breed was the last dog you saw? -pit bull. Love'em

27. Do you dry off in the shower or out of the shower? -out the shower, in front of the mirror, jamming music.

28. Have you ever kissed a football player? -no but the last person I kissed did

29. Do you think you’re old? -a little to young to be feeling this old

30. Do you like text messaging? -hate that’s how I ruin everything.

31. What type of day are you having? -it’s night. It the day was a solid wtf “I guess okay”

32. Have you ever thought about getting your nose pierced? -no everyone around me has them a normal looking noise is now more lit lmao.

33. Do you prefer warm or cold weather? -cold as hell bundled up with a few people that come to mind

34. Is there a person of the opposite sex who means a lot to you? - she means a little more then she should and I hate it. But then there’s her and I don’t know why she means so much.

35. Would you prefer a relationship or a fling? -solid has a tooth brush at my crib, relationship

36. Are you a simple or complicated person? - I’m simply complicated

37. What song are you listening to? -The Weeknd I’m listening to everything The Weeknd made

38. When you say you’re sorry do you mean it? -I always try to.

39. Is there a girl that knows everything or almost everything about you? - yeah and I believe she doesn’t deserve to.

40. What made you start liking the person you like now? -her attitude, intellect, her drunk clingyness, she’s wildly out going haha her laugh the way she just took over me and I didn’t care, shes oblivious to how hard I’m trying. She’s beautiful. It’s her energy. I’m probably outrageous rn but it’s her energy it’s like our energy produces a ora around us and her energy loves to grab mine by the neck and force it to bend to its will but mine is stronger then hers but allows it too till it has to step up.

41. When did you last receive a text message? -a few hours ago, it’s 3am idk why I woke up this early.

42. What is wrong with you right now? -fell in love off of a pretty much night of perfectness but she was drunk, also gave the wrong person the right parts of me. I care to much.

43. How well do you know the last female you texted? -I know her all to well and she can’t remember a damn thing

44. Does anyone disgust you? -people who hate

45. Would you date someone right now if they asked? -I would. I really would.

46. Are you in a good mood right now? - I’ve been in better moods this one isn’t bad honestly.

47. Who was the last person you talked to in person? -Melanie

48. What color shirt are you wearing? - I’m not wearing a shirt lol

49. Has someone recently told you something you didn’t want to hear? -“I don’t remember”

50. Anyone you’re giving up on? - like every person I come across. There are so many people that still believe in me. But shit happens ya know.

51. Do you hate the person you fell hardest for? -idk, because I say I hate her. But if she was to turn around and say nothing but “I want you” I’d crawl back to her. Every single time.

52. Have you ever thought about giving up on someone but couldn’t? -yeah

53. Do you like rain? - i need it rn.

54. Do you care if your boyfriend/girlfriend drinks? -no as long as it never consumed them like it did me. Oh and they better share.

55. Have you ever liked somebody and never told them? -I think that’s what I’m doing rn. But I think I should get to know her more. You know when she remembers that I know her lol

56. Do you like to cuddle? -I love it better then sex,

57. Are you shy? -prolly be better if I was

58. Do you get along with girls? -a little to well?

59. Have you dated the person you texted last? -no, but I’d like to work on that.

60. What do you carry with you at all times? -doubt

61. If you were paid 1 million dollars to spend the night in a supposed haunted house, would you? -yes, I believe my will is stronger then negative spirits or energy

62. Do you think you can last in a relationship for five months? -yes I just hope I would be able to show that.

63. Think back to October, were you in a relationship? -it was complicated

64. The person you like kisses you on the forehead, do you find this cute? -yeah but I prefer. To do it to her since I am the guy.

65. Did anything “cute” happen in the last week? -other then the fact this beautiful girl came into my life, I don’t remember.

66. How old are the last three people you kissed? 17/18/19

67. Would you rather pay to get your nails done or do them yourself? - don’t do my nails considering I’m a dude but if def love to learn them myself but rather end up paying.

68. Which do you like better- Zebra print or leopard print? -leopard, lol

69. Do you have any stickers on your car? -no I want a transformer thing tho

70. Would you rather listen to Luke Bryan or Lil Wayne? - Lil Wayne he’s the goat

71. Blackberry, Anroid, or iPhone? -iPhone duh.

72. When’s the last time you had pizza from Pizza Hut? -ages ago Pizza Hut is bad news.

73. Do you like diet soda? - I like the way they taste but do prefer original over diet.

74. What color are the walls in your room? -Off white.

75. Are you 16 or older? -What’s 9 + 10 lol

76. Do you watch Pretty Little Liars? - I have seen some episodes. But I do not follow.

77. Do you have a job? -2 bartending jobs.

78. What are your initials? -AVKPPK But I just use AK

79. Did you ever have braces? -no lucky my teeth are purttttty straight

80. Are you from the south? -west coast MF!!!!

81. What does your last status on facebook say? -I can’t remember, I’m sorry

82. Do you still talk to the first person you ever kissed? -no …

83. Are you closer to your mom or your dad? -mi madre. She’s. Number one.

84. Have you ever done cheerleading or gymnastics? -Neither I’m built like a square lol

85. What’s the last movie you saw in theaters? -beauty and the beast.

86. Do you smoke? - yeah when I’m drunk and on drugs

87. Would you rather wear heels or flip flops? -slips

88. Is your phone touch screen? -everyone’s phone is lol

89. Do you normally wear your hair straight or curly? -bed head for life

90. Have you ever snuck out of your house? -never mom was always understanding lol.

91. Would you rather swim in a river, lake, or pool? - a nice beautiful vast lake

92. Have you ever made out in a car? - 1 too many times lol

93. …Had sex in a car? - 1too many times lol

94. Are you single or in a relationship? -single :/

95. What were you doing last night at midnight? -making out naked in my bed

96. When’s the last time you saw fireworks? -4th of July

97. Do you like the camera on your phone? -whenever I’m able to take a decent photo

98. Have you ever had a friend with benefits? -I think so.

99. Have you ever passed out from drinking? -blacked out the same?

100. Are you friends with people on facebook that you actually hate? -no I hate no one.

101. Have you ever had a pregnancy scare? -kind of like 7 but I wasn’t scared. I take responsibility for my actions.

102. Name your favorite Kesha song: -love is our drug/ your love is my drug? Idk it’s one of those.

103. Do you have any tan lines right now? -not really.

104. Would you ever wear cowboy boots with shorts? -haha my little brother when we both were young would would I now not really.

[grugq]

Some very amusing tale of a smallish retail business. The main points on the opsec are pretty terrible actually. Using burners is very poor form for the modern day and age.

I want to point out a few things from this crew which are security related:

Never get in somebody’s car. No meeting in bars—you have to be in their apartment. No meeting in parties. No handoffs on the street. A cop might be checking you out. Dress professionally and in character. No marijuana anything on your shirt. No cute little shorts.” She points to one girl who’s wearing a dress that leaves most of her breasts exposed. “This is too low.” The girl, flustered, pulls up her dress over her chest. “We’re selling weed, going to men’s apartments. Boobs out for customers—no.”

I'm not sure why she insists on apartments. Thats risky for video surveillance. She seem to want the couriers to dress attractively enough that they don't get searched, but not so attractively they are memorable? Or at risk? I'm not entirely clear on that one.

The character we’re going for isn’t that of a pot dealer. It’s the student, the professional, the regular girl. Play the part—cool, calm, and collected. If a cop in the subway asks to see what’s in your makeup bag, just be cool, calm, and collected.”

Not a bad cover. There is huge security issue where she allows an outsider to not only meet her entire organisation to to write them all up for GQ. That is insane.

Never give the customer your real name or number. Follow your intuition. If you’re feeling unsafe, go into a bodega. “You’re working for an illegal business,” Honey reminds them. “It’s only a little illegal, but don’t tell your friends.”

This lady is no AlpraKing and these guidelines are nothing like his. I wouldn't trust her to operate this sort of organisation. She isn't being truthful about the risks, and she isn't giving them great security guidelines. Plus, again, inviting a reporter from a high profile to meet the entire organisation is just crazy.

Honey returns to the subject of what to do if stopped by the police. A runner’s main weapon is her smile, her ability to talk to the cops: “Say, ‘I love the NYPD! You guys are the best,’ ” Honey says, fluttering her eyelashes and making a heart sign with her hands. “The number one thing cops look for is lack of eye contact.” Honey urges all the runners to memorize her phone number, promising, “If you get in trouble, we’ll get you out in two hours.”

This is at least fairly useful. How to use apparent cover (pretty girl) to manipulate the law enforcement officers. Also knowing who to call to come get bailed out seems definitely useful.

She fields a question: “And if they ask you to open the box?” “Say you don’t have the code.”

This does not sound like a very plausible or reliable way to deflect attention. I'd think that an officer would just get interested and start with follow up questions that the courier may not have answers too.

One of the Angels suggests using a tote bag instead of a backpack to carry the box. She generally uses a WNYC tote bag, which is given out to donors to the public-radio station.

Nice cover, too bad that police are now going to be checking for young pretty girls with tote bags. Still, the concept of using good cover is solid.

Honey tells the girls to get a work phone from MetroPCS, which costs $100. When buying it, they should pay in cash and have a name in mind to put down on the form, in case the police check. “I like to use the names of girls who were my enemies growing up,” Honey says.

Tells couriers to get a burner phone. This is 2017, not 2003. Burners are dead as dead can be for drug dealer tech. Also, using the names of real people that are linked to you is a bad idea. Better to get real names of random people and create a full cover identity.

At the end of the meeting, I ask the girls for their names and phone numbers and they cheerfully oblige, writing them in my notebook. But then Honey calls out, “Give him your burner numbers. Don’t give him your real names.” An Angel comes up and takes my notebook and rips off the sheet with the numbers. They write again, with a new set of names; I’m using fake names in this story as well.

These girls are not very street smart, I think would be the polite way to put it.

next week, I walk over to the drug den again. I press C1, which has a black mark next to it made with a Magic Marker: one long and two short presses of the button. The door buzzes in response. Upstairs, I meet Charley, one of the five dispatchers on duty. She has been in the drug den since 11:30 a.m., and she’ll stay until midnight—a double shift.

I hope that is not the real code to get let in.

The apartment has a bedroom in which the supplies are kept, a bathroom, and a living room with an open kitchen. It’s centrally located for a business that serves both Brooklyn and Manhattan, and the neighbors don’t mind all the traffic—most of the other units are Airbnb rentals. Every six months, Honey changes to a new location.

Using a roaming safehouse that is situated in a block of AirBnB units where no one pays attention to anyone else's coming or going is a good technique.

The Green Angels average around 150 orders a day, which is about a fourth of what the busiest services handle.

Kinda small time, but still large enough that the police would be interested in the bust.

When a customer texts, it goes to one of the cell phones on the table in the living room. There’s a hierarchy: The phones with the pink covers are the lowest; they contain the numbers of the flakes, cheapskates, or people who live in Bed-Stuy. The purple phones contain the good, solid customers. Blue is for the VIPs. There are over a thousand customers on Honey’s master list.

that is not a good list to be on. o.O

To place an order, a customer is supposed to text “Can we hang out?” and a runner is sent to his apartment. No calling, no other codes or requests. Delivery is guaranteed within an hour and a half. If the customer isn’t home, he gets a strike. Three strikes and he’s 86’d. If he yells at the runner, he’s 86’d immediately.

That is actually a pretty good system. The couriers carry a large supply with them so they dont need to take the order beforhand. They can fulfill it onsite with the customer, allowing for just a simple signal to indivate that they want a transation. This is pretty safe.

To be honest, the real safety of these girls their white skin, socio economic status and good looks. Definitely safer to be a pretty young white girl slanging dope than a young black male.

The Angels work only by referral. The customers should refer people they really know and trust, not strangers, and no one they’ve met in a bar. If you refer someone who becomes a problem, Charley says, you lose your membership

The allow their customers to do the vetting, which is a bit difficult. Transitive trust, isn't. Any organisation needs growth if it wants to keep operationing because there is bound to be churn from the natural attrition of their existing clientele.

A text comes in asking for Charley by name. That’s a no-no. You’re not allowed to request a specific Angel. Another runner texts saying a customer is late and she’s been kept waiting. In such cases, Charley says, “We nicely scold them.”

Not sure what this particular protection is against, but it seems to be more about the security of the girls than the security of the operation.

Throughout the day, the texts ebb and flow. Lunchtime is busy, and then the afternoon is slack. Then it gets really busy between 5:30 and 8:30, as people come home from work. On the weekends, it’s busy between noon and 6 p.m. Bad weather is good for business; on a beautiful day, someone is not going to sit around at home waiting for a weed delivery.

I wonder if this information could be used to detect potential drug operations. They have a pattern of operation which doesn't really match up with a pattern for meeting with pretty girls. It doesn't fit with their cover that someone want to meet with them in the middle of the day, rather than later at night. Or maybe I'm wrong. It does seem like it would be a good heutristic to detect a drug dealer. Hundreds of texts messages a day at predictable hours to the same few numbers, all saying "can we hang out?"

A customer has moved, and the runner doesn’t know his new address.

lol, the types ot real problems that real operations face all the time.

Then Marie gets a text from a new number. She shows it to me, saying she won’t respond to an unknown number. She advises the sender, “Please have whoever recommended you send me a text.”

On the one hand, not sending illegal substances to an unknown customer is good security. On the other hand, they're kinda sloppy about their OPSEC to interact so blatantly.

She stares in horror at a text: “I got two sativas and an indica if you want one.” It’s obviously misdirected, meant for some lucky friend of the texter. “That’s a strike. What a dumb-ass!” She calls a customer. “Can you open the door, please? I’ve been waiting ten minutes. Next time, can you be a little closer to the phone?” Then, after she hangs up, “That’s a strike, absolutely.”

How they are still in business is beyond me. I suspect that the DEA simply doesnt care. or the NYPD.

She tells me I’ll have to change everyone’s name, and I can’t say too much about her wholesalers, “or they’ll kill me.” She’s dealt with multiple death threats throughout her career. The wholesalers call her if she’s late on payments and say, “I’ll come to your parents’ house and shoot them.” Honey gives it back to them. “I say, ‘I’ll call the feds and have you shipped back to China. I’m waiting for you. I’m gonna fucking blow your head up, and then I’ll blow your mother’s head up.’ ” People are scared of a crazy girl, she notes.

Guess it is chinese providers. Given how lax the security is for this outfit, those guys should drop them and find another retailer.

she’s paying more than $3,000 per pound for good indoor-grown hydroponic weed. Selling it off an eighth of an ounce at a time, she can mark it up 100 percent. Honey’s business is always on credit. She buys $300,000 worth and pays it back when the weed sells. Sometimes it doesn’t move, especially when the quality is poor. The pot she sees on her buying trips may not be what actually arrives. Other times, if it’s coming over by truck, it could get cooked in the hot trailer on its way across the country; by the time she sees it, it’s like hay. The growers will try their luck sending a shipment that’s half bad “because they figure in New York, anything moves.”

The supply side guys seem to be taking a huge risk.

These days, most of Honey’s weed comes via FedEx. If she ships the stuff herself, it costs her $500 per pound; with FedEx, the cost comes to about $200 per pound, even though she’s more likely to lose a box or two that way. The FedEx employees steal more packages than the post-office workers. “A lot of them took the jobs because they know about it.” If you go to a FedEx parking lot, she says, you’ll notice that the drivers come to work in sports cars.

much lol.

There are FedEx inspectors who try to intercept the drugs. They will send a control box to the address and then bust in to arrest the recipient. Honey has a device that she waves over and all around the FedEx box, which will emit a signal if it detects a tracking device or transponder.

A controlled delivery would lead to an immediate arrest. What good would having that frequency detector do? It would be relevant after the arrest is made. Or it wouldn't matter because she'd find the tracker when she opened and repackaged the product. It makes no sense.

At the hospital, after the delivery—the baby girl was eight pounds six ounces—Honey heard the nurses arguing outside her room. “It’s only weed!” one said. They came in and took the baby away and put her in the NICU, where she was the biggest child in a room full of preemies. Child Protective Services told Honey that a doctor had reported her after they tested her urine; her THC levels were the highest they had come across in the hospital that year.

OPSEC fail.

[allthepiesblog-blog]

Super League 2017 Preview

After a great finale to last season (as a Wigan fan), I’m pretty excited for the start of the 2017 season. But who will thrive and who will falter? Here’s my thoughts…

Salford Red Devils

Recruitment: 👍 Key man: Michael Dobson

Salford’s recruitment looks solid, if not spectacular. The one bright spark could be Kris Brining from York City Knights. The young hooker scored 22 tries in 26 appearances last season, and despite his age, has already notched up 86 first team games. Josh Griffin to Hull is a bit of a loss, but other than that they look to have higher quality coming in than going out.

Prediction: 5th - 8th

Huddersfield Giants

Recruitment: 👎 Key man: Danny Brough

Huddersfield have lost bags of experience with the departures of Crabtree, Huby, Grix, Wardle and Wood. And four out the six players they have signed, have been snapped up from beleaguered Bradford - a team who last year couldn’t even reach the Middle 8s. New NRL signing Jake Mamo has joined from Newcastle Knights, with Joe Wardle going in the opposite direction. The full back now links up with former coach, Rick Stone at the Giants, after potentially finding himself third in the pecking order for the number 1 spot at the Knights. They’re in for a long season!

Prediction: Rock bottom

Leigh Centurions

Recruitment: 👍 Key man: Martyn Ridyard

Leigh have strengthened their squad for Super League with eight new names, seven of whom have significant top flight experience (in addition to the likes of Hock, Patterson and Higham who were already in the squad). In order to balance the books, they’ve also let eight players go, including fans favourite FuiFui MoiMoi. Despite this, they’re clearly in good shape to take on the Super League challenge, and their uncompromising style will stand them in good stead.

Prediction: 5th - 8th

Leeds Rhinos

Recruitment: 👎 Key man: Danny Maguire

Despite such a poor 2016 season, Leeds have been amongst the least active in the transfer market ahead of the new season. They’ve brought in two players unlikely to see much first team action, and one Aussie who’s former team were happy to release him from the last two years of his contract. Losing Jamie Peacock and Sir Kev (Sinfield) after the 2015 season has had a devastating affect for Leeds - one that they may not really recover from. I think they’ll struggle again in 2017. Perhaps with a bit of more luck on the injury front they won’t struggle quite as much as last year, but still.

Prediction: Headed for the Middle 8s.

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats

Recruitment: 👍

Key man: Jacob Miller

Seven out and seven in for Wakefield, but mostly improvements. Huby, Grix and Wood from Huddersfield should all find a new lease of life at the Belle Vue. Perhaps more importantly though they’ve managed to keep star winger Tom Johnstone. I wouldn’t be surprised by a slight improvement in their league position.

Prediction: 5th - 8th

Widnes Vikings

Recruitment: 👎 Key man: Joe Mellor

The loss of Kevin Brown could be massive for Widnes. But Denis Betts has been brave enough to put faith in hometown youngster Tom Gilmore, instead of dipping into the transfer market for an experienced replacement (and personally, I hope that bravery pays off). In fact, Denis hasn’t been very active on the recruitment front at all, bringing in just two new faces. Sadly, I think they may struggle to better last season’s 7th place.

Prediction: Headed for the Middle 8s.

Catalan Dragons

Recruitment: 👎 Key man: Luke Walsh

Catalan will be without former club captain Greg Mounis and former national team captain Olivier Elima for the new season. They’re amongst nine players to leave the Stade Gilbert Brutus in the off season. In have come Luke Walsh, Sam Mao and the returning Greg Bird to name but a few. The latter comes back on a lucrative five year deal, that will see him finish his playing career and launch his coaching career in the south of France. Laurent Frayssinous will be hoping that all three of them still have much to offer, but I think it’s fair to say their best playing days are behind them.

Prediction: 5th - 8th

Castleford Tigers

Recruitment: 👎 Key man: Luke Gale

They’ve lost their two top try scorers from last season; Denny Solomona and Luke Dorn, who scored 54 of the team’s 116 tries between them. And I just don’t think their replacements Greg Eden and Zak Hardaker will fill the void. I think they’ll struggle this year, and may just slip the wrong side of the top eight.

Prediction: Headed for the Middle 8s.

St Helens

Recruitment: 👍 Key man: Matty Smith

Saints have lost the most players of any Super League team since the end of last season, but their recruitment looks good. A lot will depend on the strength of the partnership that Matty Smith and Theo Fages manage to strike up, but hopefully it’ll be the most stable half back pairing they’ve had for some time. And look out for Matty Smith continuing where he left off at Wigan when it comes to the one-pointers. I think they’ll be as solid as anyone this year.

Prediction: 4th

Hull FC

Recruitment: 👍 Key man: Marc Sneyd

After a fine season last time out, and with comparatively few ins and outs, it’s hard to see Hull slipping away this year. They’ve lost Frank Pritchard, who they’ll undoubtedly miss, but they should have enough quality to cover. Albert Kelly is their stand out signing, especially as they poached him from they’re nearest and dearest (as Stevo would say). If they can click (and both stay fit), Kelly and Sneyd could be the most exciting half back partnership in Super League.

Prediction: Top 3

Wigan Warriors

Recruitment: 👍 Key man: George Williams

The Super League champions go into the season as favourites, and probably with good reason. They’ve lost Josh Charnley to the dark side, but replaced him with a younger, probably faster model in the homecoming Joe Burgess. Also coming home (sort of) is NZ international Tommy Leuluai, replacing the hugely underrated Matty Smith. It can be a little tricky to lose a half back, but the faith Shaun Wane has shown in George Williams has proven to be stroke of genius, with the young pie eater going from strength to strength last year - ending it as arguably (definitely imo) England’s brightest spark. I’ve no doubt Williams and Leuluai can form a decent partnership, especially if Tommy can control the long kicking game. Morgan Escare is going to be worth keeping an eye on too, if the noises coming out of the Wigan camp are anything to go by.

Prediction: Top 3

Warrington Wolves

Recruitment: 👍 Key man: Kirt Gidley

Super League’s nearly men. Will it finally be their year? Maybe.

They’ll be without the unpredictable Chris Sandow, which is a good thing if he’s as disruptive as Tony Smith seems to have indicated. In his place comes Kevin Brown, who probably falls into the ‘veteran’ category by now. I’ve no doubt Kev will do a decent job for them, but I’m a bit disappointed they didn’t give a starting jersey to young Declan Patton. I thought he showed enough last season to earn his coach’s confidence, but sadly not. I just hope to gets plenty of game time despite being down in the pecking order.

Prediction: Top 3

To view all Super League transfers, visit http://www.totalrl.com/super-league-signings-2017/