#as evidenced by how many times i cut myself while working on it previously

[vvelegrin]

okay. gonna go settle down and break in my new craft area that i put together this week. i will work on some writing. and maybe start a new whittling project.

[rachelbethhines]

Tangled Salt Marathon - Rapunzel’s Return Part 1

We’ve finally made to season three and the entire reason why I made this review series. This season features some of the worst writing I have ever witnessed in a television program. And this season kicks off with the third worst episode of the whole series. Rapunzel’s Return is the iceberg that sinks this show and manages to assassinate everyone’s character.

 Everyone’s.  

Summary: Inside the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow (as seen off screen in "Rapunzeltopia"), Cassandra is greeted by the Enchanted Girl, a spirit who reveals that Cassandra is the biological daughter of the late Mother Gothel, who abandoned her on the night she kidnapped infant Rapunzel. Enraged that Rapunzel has been (unknowingly) overshadowing her for the entirety of her life, and that she will always be unfairly overlooked, Cassandra snatches the Moonstone Opal, absorbs it, and declared Rapunzel's destiny as her own. She manages to escape from the group and cuts all ties with them, with Rapunzel unable to wrap her head around the entire situation. The group returns to Corona and find that it has been taken over by Varian, who has aligned himself with Andrew and the Separatists of Saporia to erase the King and Queen's memories and enslave Corona's citizens.

Plot Hole Number One: Why Would Cassandra Just Blindly Follow A Ghost While Trapped Inside a Haunted House? 

Outside of that one snarky remark, Cassandra never stops to question the literal ghost who is bossing her around. The ghost she met in a creepy haunted house. A haunted house that she was already suspicious of before ever going in and that has tried to kill her and her friends many times now. 

Cassandra, the most distrusting and cautious of of individuals in the show thus far, just suddenly decides to leave her brain behind from this point forward for no given reason whatsoever. 

If you have to dumb down your main character and have them behave OOC in order to get your plot rolling along, then you haven’t a good plot. 

Plot Hole Number Two: Cassandra Sees for Herself How Awful Gothel Was to Her Here, So Why Would She Obsess Over the Woman? 

Forgetting for a moment that Cass very well knows that Gothel treated her best friend like shit and tried to murder her other friend, Eugene, as evidenced by Quest for Varian; Cassandra can see for herself right here that Gothel is a crap person who never treated her right. 

I mean there’s denial, and then there’s flat out stupidity. Cass being hurt by the this reveal is one thing. Cass believing that Gothel really loved her and blaming everyone else for her death is totally another and not based in any kind of sensible logic.     

Plot Hole Number Three: Why Would Gothel Even Have a Child to Begin With? 

Look, I’ll accept that the flower can deage Gothel enough for her to get laid and bare a kid, but that only brings up the question of why she would keep said kid? 

She kept Rapunzel cause she needed her powers in order to stay alive, but Cass? What reason would she want to have Cassandra around? A baby can’t do chores for you and it's a hell of a lot of work to raise one. Plus the show repeatedly tells us over and over again that Gothel doesn’t really love her or even likes having her daugther around so... yeah, what is the point of this? Why didn’t she just drop Cass off at an orphanage to begin with?  

You can’t make this type of reveal and have it go against the what we fundamentally know about the characters without explaining why they would partake in such actions.  

This is Manipulative Writing 

But of course the real reason why this flashback and “twist” exists is just to manipulate the audience into feeling sorry for Cass. It’s not here to actually enhance the story, further the characters, nor answer any mysteries in any real way. That’s why it’s such a poor plot point. 

It’s setting up the viewers to have a bias so that they’ll more readily forgive Cassandra for her irreprehensible actions later. In short, it’s the same bullshit that the writers pulled for Frederic back in season one. Only it makes even less narrative sense here because this ‘tragic backstory’ is so divorced from later events in the story. 

It’s also flat out lazy because all it’s doing it slapping Rapunzel’s backstory onto Cass instead of letting Cassandra be her own character with her own battles and character development to have. 

And before you say, “well that’s the point”, then let me tell you it’s a stupid point. One that makes zero sense for the character and is insulting to the audience’s intelligence.    

Plot Hole Number Four: Why Didn’t Gothel Just Stay Hidden Till the Soldiers Left? 

Hell, why did Gothel even come back here? We already established that she doesn’t really care about Cass and it’s a plot point that’ll only be further reiterated as the season goes on, so why? Why would Gothel behave like this? How does this help her in her goal? Gothel’s suppose to be smart remember? 

Plot Hole Number Five: How Does Any of This Logically Help Zhan Tiri? 

So Zhan Tiri is the blue ghost girl and while the series tries to keep it a secret reveal for later, it’s pretty obvious from the get go, so I’ll just be calling the character by her name. 

Anyways, Zhan Tiri’s plan is to show Cassandra her past, in order to make Cass angry enough to steal the moonstone and fight Rapunzel, so that the two powers fighting each other will then release her from her interdimensional prison. 

Now ignoring how literally none of that was set up nor previously established, and ignoring that Zhan Tiri’s disciples were trying previously to stop the sundrop and her friends from getting to the moonstone, thereby undermining their master’s plan; just how exactly is any of this suppose to work? 

Why would showing Cassandra how her mother was a shitty person somehow make Cass angry at Rapunzel, angry enough to try and kill her even, and somehow keep her angry for months on end, in order to fulfill this clearly illogical action that holds no personal benefit to herself?    

I don’t mind Cassandra becoming a villain; I just want it to make sense. 

This does not make sense. 

Not only does it require incredible leaps of logic and Cassandra acting out of character to work, it also depends far to much upon conquincidence and things playing out just in exactly the right way to benefit Zhan Tiri and her poorly laid out plan. 

Would it not have made more sense for this “evil master manipulating worlock” to just, you know, lie? 

Like shouldn’t she be trying to make Gothel look good? Shouldn’t she be trying to make it all seem like Frederic’s fault  (which it mostly is anyways)? If you want Cass to attack Corona and turn against Rapunzel, then why not lie about their involvement or tell some half truth?

Or better yet why not make Gothel and actual complex figure for real? 

Ugh... I got to move on from this point, but believe me, we will be back to this dumbfuckery in later episodes. 

Plot Hole Number Six: You Can’t Just Ignore that Cap Exists and Is the One Who Raised Cassandra for Most of Her Life 

Like I’m sure finding out that you mom was a piece of crap who abandon you hurts, but that doesn’t automatically erase the fact that Cass’s dad was there for her, raised her, and loved her for the majority of her life. I’m not saying that Cap is perfect, but he at least tried to do right by her (and is consequently the best parent in the show) and Cassandra is old enough to recognize that fact. Pretending otherwise is a disservice to everyone. It’s a disservice to the Captain, to Cassandra, to Rapunzel, to Gothel, and to the viewers watching along with this BS. 

Trauma Doesn’t Make You Suddenly Stupid 

Look, I’m not downplaying Cass’s trauma here. She is allowed to feel upset and yes trauma is painful and effects us all in different ways. Also yes, past trauma can carry on through into adulthood and still harm you. 

However that’s not an excuse for hurting others. Cass’s trauma isn’t any less traumatic than any of the other characters’, but neither is it somehow more important than any of theirs. She doesn’t get a free past to step on people just because she was sad once. 

Cassandra is, once again, old enough to know this and more importantly smart enough to realize that what happened in the past, if even true, has nothing to do with what she is currently dealing with right now. 

Like why is she believing any of this? Why is she still listening to the suspicious ghost that she met in a magical house that’s tricked her and her friends numerous times before? Why would finding out her mom was shit make her turn that anger against her best friend? What does any of this have to do with her current struggles with trying to build up her career or staying friends with Raps? 

Remembering past trauma does not make your brain shut off. Even having a mental breakdown or panic attack still does not render you completely senseless and anything done under extreme pressure like that is temporary. You don’t wind up acting bananas constantly for over a year. 

As a woman who suffers from complex-PTSD and is an abuse survivor myself, Cassandra’s story is deeply offensive to me. Not the least of which because it actively dumps her down. 

This Is the Point Where Cassandra’s Character Gets Assassinated 

Like I said in the opening, everyone’s character gets assassinated in this story. Cassandra just happens to be the first to die and it’s right here with this line. 

Not only is this line incredibly cringy and poorly worded, and I have to just feel sorry for the VA here cause there’s no way to make this much stupid sound good, but it’s also completely divorced from what’s going on. 

Cassandra is suppose to be explaining to her friends why she’s stealing the moonstone and her answer is “I’m this dead bitch’s daughter”? Like oookaaay, and that has what to do with it exactly?

Did Gothel have any connection to the moonstone? Does stealing the moonstone somehow bring her back or fulfil her revenge? What does grabbing the moonstone actually gain Cass and what does that have to do with her dead abusive mom? 

The reason why Cass doesn’t work as a villain because she has no goal nor reason for doing what she does. She just lurches from plot point to plot point with no idea of what she is doing nor why she is doing it. 

But watch as the show keeps digging in its heels and keeps insisting that Cassandra’s connection to Gothel is totally a sympathetic motive even as it makes less and less sense every damn time it's brought up. 

What Does Destiny Even Fucking Mean Any More???

What Destiny?!

There is no damn destiny. There is no prophecy to fulfil, no world to save, no consequence for just having everyone sitting on their asses for two whole seasons. And even if there was a destiny to even steal; why would Cass even want it? What does actually she gain from any of this? And how does any of it connect back to Gothel? 

This Should Have Been the Point of Resolution Not the Inciting Incident for Their Break Up

Look no idea is without merit. You can make the stupidest sounding idea engaging if you present it right. 

This was not presented right. 

If Cassandra being Gothel’s daughter was to hold any meaning to the story, then it needed to be what brought her and Raps back together again, not what broke them apart. 

Rapunzel says it right here. Logically this should be common ground for the two of them. There’s no real reason for Cass to direct her anger at Rapunzel over this. 

But this show doesn’t care about logic, reason, or treating it’s audience with intelligence. It’s just flashy bullshit “drama” that pretends to be deep but is really a shallow puddle once you stop to think about it for two seconds.   

Let’s Talk About “Sisters” 

Cass’s face just says it all doesn’t it? 

The creator, Chris, wanted to make a story about two “sisters”, because he has two daughters and he thought that would be inspiring and speak to little girls everywhere. 

It’s a nice sentiment. Shame he’s so utterly incompetent at it. 

There was no build up to them being sisters. Instead all we got was a bunch of meaningless parallels and a very toxic friendship. Even with the Gothel reveal the connection to them being siblings is tenuous at best because there’s no biological relation and more importantly, they weren’t raised together.   

Chris is basically trying to rip off the likes of Frozen or Guardians of the Galaxy here with Raps and Cass’s relationship but it doesn’t work when the two siblings in question didn’t actually grow up together. There’s no reason for Cassandra to project her anger at their abusive parent on to Raps because that parent wasn’t the one to actually raise her. And on top of that, said abuser is dead, and both her and Raps have separate guardians in their lives, so the jealousy angle doesn’t work either.  

And to make it all the more confusing, Chris failed to inform his crew of this brilliant plot twist, so we now have two seasons of gay baiting put in by the storyboard artists hitting that Cass is in love with her “sister”, And because the hardcore Cazzpunzel stans are the only fanbase that hasn’t given Chris the boot, there’s still even more gay baiting to come. 

Why are We Victim Blaming a Baby? 

Seriously, Cass? You are twenty four and have a brain. Why are you blaming someone for being kidnapped as a baby? What kind of sense does this make? 

Worse, there’s plenty of real shit Cass could get angry at Rapunzel over and this is what you go with show? 

If anything Rapunzel should be the one who is pissed here. Cass got to escape and lead a normal life with a loving father all because she got kidnapped as baby. And now said bitch is trying to gaslight her while stealing the very thing she’s been risking her life to grab for a year now. 

No You Haven’t Cass

Once again, you got to live a normal life with a loving Dad. You had plenty of chances to build relationships and further your career for 18 years while Rapunzel was trapped in a dang tower, and Rapunzel returning from said tower didn’t cut you off from anything. In fact Rapunzel being rescued from the tower actually presented more opportunities for you and you spent all of season one climbing up the ranks. 

There’s Nothing In the Show to Back Up This Statement 

Nothing is at stake. There’s no threat here other than Cassandra herself. Cassandra is dranger to the world here not the moonstone. If you wanted it to be the other way around then you should have kept the rocks active during season two. 

So Why Didn’t We Go With the Original Set Up From Season Two? 

As said before, there are real reasons that were set up during season two that could have motivated Cass. 

Rapunzel is irresponsible and can’t be trusted to save the world 

Rapunzel is a shit friend and Cass is better off going her own way and leaving everyone high and dry. 

Cass’s hand was injured by Raps and the moonstone might be able to heal it 

Cass sees the injustice in the class system and wants to fight back against the royals in order to help everyone, not just herself. 

Cass might believe she’s stopping Zhan Tiri and not realize she’s being manipulated by her instead

Or is playing along with Zhan Tiri under the idea that she can stall for time figure out how to stop her. 

Cass wants to play her and use the power of the rocks to save people only for it to go wrong later. 

Possession (which was the original idea in the concept stage) 

Like I said, there were plenty of ways to make this work. In fact some are so dang obvious that you’ll hear Cass fans try to claim that a few of those are what her real motivation was despite the the show clearly going against them later. The “fighting against the class system” is a real popular one despite the fact that Cass herself attacks a bunch of poor people repeatedly and doesn’t seem concerned about anyone but herself.  

But I digress. 

The real reason why we have this bullshit is cause Chris doesn’t want to hold his favs accountable. Rapunzel’s flaws can’t be called out in any meaningful way and Cass gets a convenient scapegoat in Zhan Tiri. 

In short both Cassandra and Rapunzel have their agency stolen away from them by the narrative, while still trying to pretend that they’re “strong independent women”. Even though those two things aren’t compatible at all.  

What Exactly Have You Been Denied Cass? 

Remember Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? 

Lance, Eugene, and Lady Caine were all denied physiological and safety needs while growing up in an orphanage and then later on the streets as a thieves. 

Rapunzel was denied psychological needs while being raised by her abuser. 

Varian was denied everything on that dang list. 

Cassandra tho? 

Trauma or no trauma, Cass was still raised in a safe and loving environment for the majority of her life. She, at best, has been denied “self-fulfillment” needs and even then that’s a stretch cause throughout season one we see her time and time again gaining what it was she wanted. 

Cassandra isn’t anything special. She’s not suffered any more than anybody else in the show and in fact has lived a pretty cushy life when all is said and done, especially when compared to other characters in the show. 

The worst that she has to complain about is working a crappy job for a little while and having a shit mom that she can barely remember. Boo Fucking Hoo. 

Note How Easy It Is For Cass to Control the Rocks Here

The show can’t even keep Cassandra’s powers consistent. Like everything else about the character, Cass’s powers come and go as is convenient for the narrative with little explanation as to why. 

This Song Doesn’t Work Because It was Cut In Half Due to Time 

I’ve talked about the problems with this song before in my songs from TTS ranking list. It’s choppy and consistent. Yet it only feels that way because it was cut down. It’s missing a full other verse, second chorus, and a bridge.  

Which is inexcusable because there’s so much dang filler in this show! 

We could have had time for the full song if they had just cut one of the non-essential episodes and made all of this a full episode on it’s own. Just save the Corona and Varian stuff for later if need be. 

The management of this show is just atrocious.  

Why Wasn’t This the Cliffhanger for Season Two? 

Speaking of making all of the Cassandra stuff it’s own episode... Everything we just seen should have been in season two. 

It’s more connected to what happened last season, it flows better, it would have had more time to breathe, and it would have given us more time in the Dark Kingdom. Given as that this is what season two was building up too, it would have been more satisfying there.  

And if the writers still wanted a cliffhanger to end the season in order to draw crowds then this right here was it. 

So We We Spent A Whole Season Getting Here and We’re Just Going to Leave Now? 

The Dark Kingdom is Wasted!!!!

And because the Dark Kingdom is a bust, the entirety of season two now feels even more pointless. 

Chris said he cut the Dark Kingdom stuff because it didn’t interest him. 

Chris is a fucking fool. 

Ignoring that different people will gravitate towards different things and you need to keep that in mind when writing for mass audiences; you don’t spend valuable time setting things up just to drop them later. 

If you didn’t like that particular plot thread then you needed to just not bring it up to begin with. Once you’ve put it in there you need to commit to it. 

Behold the Only Thing Useful Shorty Does This Whole Season 

There is less Shorty overall this season which is ultimately a good thing, but it does highlight what a stupid decision it was to bring him along to begin with. 

I mean did we really drag him around for a whole season just for this? Couldn’t some other Pub Thung or townsperson have found them? One that could talk. 

Adria Gets Put on a Bus 

Adria doesn’t get assassinated like some of the other characters, but she does get unceremoniously shoved off without any real closure. The character will return later in the season, but brainwashed and without any lines. Which is doubly insulting to the VA who voices her. 

And Here Is Where Lance Gets Assassinated 

Lance is drastically dumbed down in season three. Even more so than in past seasons. You could call it flanderization specifically, more so than assassination, but the effect is the same. Lance’s character is effectively dead from this point onwards. 

Also this should have ended the Lance & Adria ship in the show for good. She flat out rejects him here, but nope. 

Eugene is the Only Person Acting Like a Real Human Being This Episode Thus Far

Edmund spent his whole life protecting the moonstone. He lost everything to it. He was convinced that letting Rapunzel take it would be best only for her to lose it right afterwards. And what does he do?  Immediately become the “comedicly bad dad” in show oversaturated with both comedic foils and poor father figures. 

Meanwhile Eugene is the only one properly responding to what is going on. Don't expect that to last. 

I Thought You Left Cass?

Remember that foreshadowing with Quirin way back in the pilot? 

This is just that, but dumber. 

There’s no reason for Cass to hang around out of sight only to stare menacingly at Rapunzel and company as they leave. It’s just a lazy hook to get viewers to believe that there might be more going on with Cass then what we’ve been told. There’s not.  

So This Map Proves That the Dark Kingdom Is North East of Corona 

Continuity and worldbuilding in this show is utterly garbage, so I’ll latch on to any little scrape of info that we get. 

According to the map shown here, the balloon is heading Southwest back to Corona. That means the Dark Kingdom is Northeast. 

So if Corona is somewhere in Northern mainland Europe that means the Dark Kingdom is either in a Nordic country (Norway,Sweden,Finland, ect) or Russia.   

Meta Jokes About Being a Bad Writer Doesn’t Excuse Bad Writing 

Get use to this. Season three is full of meansprited meta jokes that try to defend against the quite frankly valid criticism that the show has received. Or more specifically the criticism Chris had received. 

Most of season three was written during the hiatus of season two back when Chris was seeing backlash from the fans due to his PR fiasco and that’s not even taking into account the crew walkout after season one. 

Not only is that too late to be writing your final season, but it’s also reflective of how Chris can’t handle critique with grace nor listen to other ideas as jokes like this are in poor taste. 

Everyone Acts Shocked Here but Honestly this Fits King Frederic’s MMO

This is the same guy who prosecuted poor people for eighteen years with his crack down on crime, and thrented the life an orphaned teen. Is anybody really surprised by this? 

I Thought Your Real Name was Hubert? 

I guess he just prefers the name Andrew. I don’t know. But what do know is that “the devil is in the details” is a thing my animation teacher in college use to say repeatedly, and no one working on this show seems capable of remembering or keeping up with details. 

Why Are There Only Five Saporains? 

Saporia was set up as an entire race of people who’d been displaced from their homeland for generations. They’ve been living as nomads for centuries according to season two.  Why are there only five of them in this episode? 

How did they overthrow a kingdom with only five people? How do they maintain hold of it with only five? How do they expect to further their bloodline and culture with only only five of them?  

Why did we waste money on a bunch of one off villians that we sent packing in season two and not built more Saporian models instead? 

Like you could have had the core five here, as like leaders, and then imply that there are more of them with background citizens and guards ect. 

NO!!!

WE DO NOT IMPLY THAT A 15 YEAR OLD BOY WAS LOCKED IN A JAIL CELL WITH A GROWN MAN FOR NEARLY A YEAR!!!!!

I.... What?!

Who the fuck thought this was a good idea to put in a children’s show?

Did no one behind the scenes stop to think, “Hun, maybe we shouldn’t suggest that a teenager was trapped inside a small enclosed space with no way out twenty for hours a day with an adult who attempted to murder his girlfriend when lying to her stopped working. Perhaps someone might get the wrong impression.”? 

Like I hate censors as much as the next person, but editors work in the business for a reason, and that reason is to pull the artists aside sometimes and go “Hey, that shit don't fly with normal folk.” 

What’s worse is I don’t think the writers were even trying to be shocking and edgy here. I just think they were careless. They needed a quick exposition dumb to explain how Varian and Andrew know each other, and didn’t think through the implications of that line nor considered how Varian’s age changes the context of his situation. 

Which is beyond inexcusable because it’s so damn lazy! 

You wouldn’t need rushed exposition had you actually took the time to set up this plot point back in season two. Heck, you wouldn’t have needed to even set this plot point up had you not cut Varian’s original story out at the last minute. Finally, you should care enough about your characters to at least take their age into consideration when writing their development. 

There’s also the fact that it makes most of the ‘heroes’ look like assholes. 

We’ve seen these dungeons several times throughout the show. We know of their poor conditions. There’s little light, the food is slop, there’s no way to stay clean or use the restroom, prisons are never let out for exercise, ect. Like these are medieval style dungeons that are considered inhumane my modern audiences.  

Just because the show tries to play off the horribleness of it for laughs doesn’t mean the audience is going to find it funny that they traumatized a fifthteen year old with it.... again! 

Moreover Frederic had promised last time we saw him that he would give Varian help. He idea of ‘helping” Varian is supposedly to throw him into a nasty jail cell with a violent criminal? WTF? And there’s no indication that he tried anything to save Quirin either.

Not to mention that none of the mains act surprised by this revelation, nor comment about how awful Varian’s treatment is. As usual for them. 

It’s just sicking and most of the atempts to explain away this line by the fans have been super pathetic. 

“Frederic was giving him therapy while in jail” - there’s nothing to indicate therapy exists in this world and even if this were true it would be undermined by stupidly throwing him in a cell with Andrew. 

“It’s not literal, Varian was in a separate cell” - once again there’s nothing to back this up and even if that were the case it’s not that much better because it’s still a dungeon cell with zero privacy and Varian would still be close enough to Andrew to talk to him thus invading his personal space to some degree or other. 

“Well he tried to help but Varian wasn’t cooperative” -  still not an excuse and there’s nothing on screen to back up this headcanon. 

“It’s someone else’s fault.” - Who’s? Frederic is in charge of everything. The buck stops with him. If a guard did this without his knowledge then that means Frederic neglected his duties and his promise anyways. 

“Well maybe it’s true, but Varian did a bad thing and teens who do really bad things get sent to prison in the real world too” - Not an argument. Teens aren’t typically jailed with adults and the conditions for modern jails are at least somewhat better than those in Corona. Plus kids being sent to jail in any form is major topic of controversy in today's time. I’ve already covered why trying teens as adults is a vile abuse of power in the real world; I shouldn’t have to mention that the current government throwing children in cages is a bad thing as well! 

“Well that’s just part of the time period” - Doesn’t make it right, and sadly it’s not something in the distant past either. It’s currently happening right now in the US. It was happening when this episode and season was being written. The writers unthinkingly threw in a very real thing that affects hundreds of thousands of children and didn’t bother to follow up on it or comment about how wrong it is. 

There’s just no excuse for the way Frederic and Rapunzel treat Varian in this show. There’s just not, and some of y’all really need to stop trying to do so cause it means you’re inadvertently condoning real life abuses of power. 

You can like a character and except that they’ve done wrong. That’s a thing that you can do, you know. 

Let’s Talk about Character Design 

For the most part the art direction in the show is top notch. It really is the best looking animated show on tv today, and the character design is usually of this same quality. But they really dropped the ball with Varian’s design here. 

The structural bones of it isn’t bad. Taken on it’s own it would be fine, but good character design is supposed to give context and enhance the story and this doesn’t do that. 

We’ve haven’t seen Varian in a year, but instead of visually showcasing the passage of time by having him physically age we just get season one’s design but in bargain bin hot topic clothes and a drawn on barcode. 

Even the color palette is wrong. 

Varian’s is suppose to feature blues and earthy browns to go with his eyes and hair but instead we get bright reds, neon chimballs, and sharp contrasts with blacks and whites that just clashes with his base colors. 

And what does any of this tell the audience? How does it add to the story? What can we glean from his new design about what transpired in the last year?  

Nothing. 

At best it just reinforces that villian Varian is a try hard edge lord, but we already knew that. We would have known it even without the villain arc cause he’s a teenager. Not that he looks it. The boy is supposed to be either 16 or soon to be 16 and he still looks fucking 12.

What’s more they spent money on this. They made not one, but two new models with two new outfits, but they couldn’t be arsed just to make him a little taller? And no, he’s not actually any taller in season three. He was always Rapunzel’s height regardless of animation errors and squash and stretch techniques.  

It’s a waste. Just like nearly everything in season three. 

This Is Such a Cop-out

Speaking of things being a waste. Wiping Frederic’s and Arianna’s memories is taking the cowards way out. It’s them escaping any sort of meaningful consequence for their past actions and robs them of the chance to grow and develop as characters. All cause Chris didn’t want to deal with people pointing out the bullshit his self insert caused. 

Well guess what, I’m still pointing out Frederic’s BS, only now I’m extra angry cause I was robbed of a genuine character arc, so fuck you! 

Was Varian Actually Needed for This Plot?

No really. What does Varian even do here? The wand of oblivium is Saporian magic and they could and apparently did wipe the king’s and queen’s memories without Varian’s mindwipe concoction. That alone apparently gives them the power to run the kingdom.  

All Varian does is give them some alchemy based weapons and a bomb he accidentally invents. Both are things that the Saporians could have made themselves given how they know apothecary according to Rapunzel Day One.   

I’m currently in the middle of writing an AU fanfiction where Varian winds up in another world before the events of this episode, and let me tell you it is incredibly easy to write him out of the majority of season three without changing the plot much. 

Given how Varian is meant to be a main character this season, that’s not a good thing. 

So How Come None Of the “Heroes” Give a Shit?

Like I said above, none of the protagonists show the least bit of concern for what Varian is going through. Even though ignoring his needs is precisely what lead to this mess in the first place. It not only makes them look heartless, but it also makes them look plain stupid as well. 

Why is it so hard to just even pretend to care about the fact he’s been orphaned? Half of them are orphans themselves for fucks sake!  

Varian’s Not the One in Charge Here Rapunzel 

I know Varian is the bigger threat and has more of a personal connection to Raps, but it’s pretty clear that Andrew is the mastermind behind this coup. What good does shouting at Varian do? What makes Rapunzel think that any of the Saporians would listen to him even if he did change his mind? What makes her think ordering Varian around after she helped ruin his life would get him to change his mind. Like, my gosh is Rapunzel dumb! 

Why Are We Victim Blaming a Child Soldier?

That’s what he is at this point. He’s a weapons specialist for a rival kingdom fighting for control of the government. A government that has abused its own people leading to such an uprising. 

A teenager may not be as blameless as a baby but it's still beyond callous and cruel to blame kids and young teens who join extremist groups in war torn lands out of desperation.  

Is This Suppose to Be the Inciting Incident for Varian’s Redemption, Cause If So, That Makes No Sense  

This look of regret is the only indication that Varian is questioning where he stands before his redemption in part two. Except there he points out that he’s been thinking about it for while now, even before Raps showed up. Only there’s nothing to suggest why Varian would suddenly change his view point and motives. So the audience is still in the dark about his thought process even with this “hint” and I use that word loosely. 

Conclusion 

So that’s the end of part one. I hope to have part two up before the week is out. 

[missjosie27]

Year 3 Part 10- Defending

Hello, everyone.

Welcome back to another chapter. As we last left off, Barnaby officially joined David's side and we get to see some of the ramifications of that today. Wonder what poor Merula thinks of that XD

Elora Dunn I made a Hufflepuff in this version as opposed to Gryffindor. Seemed redundant with a character like Ben already in that house.

Also in this chapter I will feature a small cameo from Chester Davies. My character is a Gryffindor so of course we don't see him that much but I head cannoned him to show up at some point so I hope I did him justice. It is a small bit of filler in here today but as with everything in my story, it's all about the small details and development. Two more to go for Year 3! Enjoy!

If it were any other Slytherin, the new addition to the cursebreaking squad might have been quite awkward. With Barnaby the fit was so seamless, it was though he’d already known everyone for years. Despite his reputation as being one of the toughest kids in school with a penchant for dueling, winning him over revealed a key aspect of his character: that in reality he was just a big softie.

Barnaby loved to duel and learn new spells, his physical strength was immense (as evidenced by being able to lift Rowan off the ground using one hand with ease) and he was already quite tall for his age. But he also carried many other previously unknown attributes, the first of which was that he had a way with animals. He took particular interests in bowtruckles and nifflers, being the only person who knew how to tame them. Professor Kettleburn was so impressed, he made him a full time protege in handling more dangerous creatures such as hippogriffs and even the invisible thestrals.

He also loved to eat and would consume so much food in one sitting that one of the prefects at the Hufflepuff table actually had to ask him to save some for the first years. But above all else, Barnaby Lee at his core was a kind person and despite not being academically inclined, had a simple way of expressing things that put a problem into perspective. Perhaps most telling was that he never truly desired to hurt anyone and would defend those he cared about with vigor.

He explained all of this to Penny in Herbology, who giggled at some of the stories.

“Honestly, I’m actually really glad you introduced him to us the other night, even if he consumed half the food on the table,” she laughed. “I know most people think he’s slow, but he’s so sweet. Chiara went redder than a strawberry when he complimented her necklace.”

The aforementioned girl proceeded to flush the same color.

“I did not!” she protested.

David rolled his eyes as he tended to his dried nettles.

“That’s just because you girls think he’s handsome.”

Penny gave him a playful swat on the head.

“It is not...okay maybe a little.”

David clutched his hands together in a girly, romantic gesture and began speaking in a mock feminine tone.

“Oh Barnaby Lee, he’s ever so dreamy with his green eyes and enormous jaw!”

That earned him a triple swat, this time from Penny, Tonks, and Chiara.

“Focus on your dried nettles, dears!” Professor Sprout called out spotting the mischief from her place at the center of the table.

“Sorry, Professor!” David called out and he added some water to his pot.

“He’s handsome don’t get me wrong, but he’s not my type,” Tonks commented.

“What is your type?”

The pink haired witch shrugged.

“Don’t know really. Haven’t thought about it much.”

“I know Penny and Chiara have been thinking about Madam Puddifoot’s tea shop,” David joked as he falsely gagged, while ducking another swipe from a giggling Penny. “Anyway, the point is, Barnaby is a good bloke. And he’s dead useful to have around.”

“I’m surprised you of all people have accepted someone from Slytherin so readily,” Rowan teased him, coming up behind him to borrow some soil.

“Hey I’m a pretty easy going bloke, I can admit when I’m wrong.”

“Except when it comes to Slytherin apparently,” Tonks teased, which earned her a splat of dung on her robes.

Despite the jokes, the more David was able to get to know Barnaby the more he could feel his animosity slip away. In fact, he almost didn’t mind when the Slytherins became the favorites to win the Quidditch Cup after trouncing Hufflepuff 400-70, the key word being ‘almost’. But there was a practical side to it as well. Upon learning her former minion switched sides, Merula was beside herself with rage and began embarking on a campaign to make both of their lives as difficult as possible. Her taunting became subdued but she constantly attempted to blow up his cauldron in potions, put a flobberworm down the back of his pants, and tried hexing him on more than one occasion in the corridors. It was a mark of frustration; she was no closer to finding the vault but the constant attempts at sabotage began to wear thin.

“You need to learn how to properly defend yourself,” Barnaby told him one day after potions class, a session in which Merula caused the fire underneath his cauldron to flare, which singed off his eyebrows.

“I already know how to defend myself, I’ve beaten Merula in every proper duel we’ve had,” he argued keeping his head down, trying not to let passerbys witness his eyebrow less state.

“Most duels aren’t ‘proper’, Dave. Especially not if Merula is the one starting them. It’s better to be prepared for all kinds of ways people will try to attack you.”

“How come she leaves you alone?” he bemoaned.

“Oh, she doesn’t,” Barnaby admitted. “First she yelled at me and told me I was a traitor so I don’t sit with her anymore. Then she somehow snuck into my dorm and put bulbadox powder into my sheets. I was itching for days after that...”

“-that’s good to know-”

“But you still have a lot to learn. Especially defense.”

“Bill Weasley taught me a few things,” David offered.

“Did he?” Barnaby asked with wonder. “I’ve always heard the Weasley family loved the color orange. Don’t know much about their dueling, though.”

“Er right...well Bill’s definitely talented there’s no doubt about that. Perhaps we could work together on improving.”

Barnaby puffed up his chest with pride.

“If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s how to fight and teach others how to do it. Also I’ve always wanted to duel a fifth year!”

“We’ll get a spar going soon, mate,” David promised. “In the meantime, I need Madam Pomfrey to regrow my bloody eyebrows.”

It turned out to be solid advice. Though his offensive prowess was high, especially for his age, it turned out the third year Gryffindor did not know much about spells that would protect him from harm as well as cause it. This became apparent when both Bill and Barnaby bested him by simply using shield charms to block whatever he cast. In an effort to improve and become more versatile, he began learning defensive strategies and the application of the shield charm itself. The burly Slytherin also warned him that Merula and Ismelda were constantly studying in the library and by the fireside in an effort to gain an edge when the inevitable rematch occurred.

With Merula Snyde, it’s more like a never ending rematch

However, what he didn’t know was all of this was about to come in handy in a most unexpected way.

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

It all happened quite suddenly and quite by accident.

On an average Saturday morning in early April, David was walking back from his brother’s room after another planning session with Tulip when he noticed Argus Filch prowling along the usual route past the Transfiguration classroom. Though he technically wasn’t doing anything wrong, he still didn't want the caretaker to cast a suspicious eye towards him anywhere near the secret location. So he took a detour through the gardens instead.

Inside the viaduct architecture, he was idly wondering to himself how close Rowan was to breaking the final bit of code inside his brother’s notebook (as well as how pretty Penny looked in her new jumper dress and spring boots) when he noticed something peculiar and also a bit disturbing. Over by the large tree where some the older students liked to hang out, he noticed five of them were standing over a smaller, terrified looking girl who was practically trembling with fear.

Part of himself told him that it wasn’t his business and it was best not to get involved. But the sense of justice, always strong in his persona, prevailed and he made an abrupt perpendicular cut across the grass and towards the commotion. As he drew closer he could hear the dialogue, which only served to feed his temper.

“...didn’t mean to. Please, I don’t want to fight.”

“Shoulda thought of that before you nosed into an area that you don’t belong in,” one of the lead bullies said harshly.

“B-but it’s not your area,” the little girl argued. “It’s for everyone who goes to Hogwarts!”

By now, David had a better look. The girl in question was a first year Hufflepuff who definitely fit the part of someone traditionally ‘uncool’. Thick glasses, short, copper colored brown hair, an oversized sweater to couple with several books clutched in her small hands. There were five who were currently bullying the poor first year, three boys and two girls, at least half of which were from Slytherin and the other two appeared to be Ravenclaw. The leader was a sixth year he recognized as Hadrian Flint, a member of a prominent family of the same name, a brown haired, freckle faced boy with poor teeth and an upward nose that reeked of arrogance. Also present was Ismelda Murk for some reason, who looked as though she happened upon the scene and was along for whatever kicks she could find.

“Just beat it, kid,” one of the Ravenclaws said. “This is our spot. Don’t make us do this the hard way.”

“And besides, Hogwarts doesn’t belong to people like you,” Flint told her nastily while his Slytherin companion nodded in agreement.

“And who would that be exactly?”

His unannounced presence caused Hadrian to spin around and face his challenger. His face immediately became a pronounced sneer.

“Get lost, Gryffindor. This doesn’t concern you.”

“Don’t be shy, Flint. Let the whole world know what you were about to say. I’m sure it will be most enlightening.”

Flint took a step forward but was soon informed by his companion who exactly this Gryffindor was with a whisper to the ear.

“Ahh...the cursebreaker. Well how bout I cut you a deal since I’m feeling right generous today. You go back to your curses and I’ll go back to this curse. Sound fair?”

“She didn’t have any idea this spot is where the older students hang out. Let her go.”

Though Hadrian was taller, David was not about to back down. He knew the reason he was picking on this poor girl and despite being outnumbered was not about to let her become the victim of a borderline torture session like Diana Blishwick the previous year.

“Mudbloods like her don’t deserve anything except learning their place,” Ismelda spoke now, a vicious gleam forming in her cold, gray eyes.

“Shut your hole, Izzy. I’m not even sure what you’re doing here but I do know that Merula’s boots need polishing. Give them some extra shine, will ya?”

Ismelda pulled out her wand in retaliation for the remark but Flint told her off in equally harsh fashion.

“Stow it you greasy giraffe neck. Honestly you could be Snape’s daughter with that hair.”

David might have laughed had the older Slytherin not been as equally reprehensible. The Ravenclaw girl and boy (which were evidently a couple) didn’t seem as perturbed anymore, but the rest of the group was hellbent on doing something awful to the muggle born Hufflepuff.

“Last chance. Leave or you suffer just as she does,” Flint told him menacingly. Again, David did not back down, instead he crossed over and put the much smaller girl behind him.

“Don’t make any sudden movements,” he told her. “And stay behind me. What’s your name?”

“Elora...Elora Dunn,” came the frightened reply.

“Well, Elora...brace yourself.”

He turned his attention back to Flint, Ismelda, and the other three students that were there. The Ravenclaws did nothing but the other two Slytherins withdrew their wands and Ismelda’s evil smirk grew wider.

“Have it your way then,” the tall Slytherin shrugged. “Immobilus! ”

“Protego! ”

It was his first attempt at using the spell in an actual battle and the results were quite effective. An invisible, reflective shield formed in front of himself and Elora Dunn, causing the spell to ricochet and deflect right back at its owner, freezing his body in place. Within seconds, Hadrian Flint toppled over in a heap on the grass.

It was a victory but a short lived one as the other two Slytherins readied their wands while David still guarded the first year girl. Given his narrow position and the fact that he was protecting someone else he doubted he could fend off two more opponents at the same time. Thankfully, it was not required as suddenly a prefect arrived at the scene, recognizing him to be Chester Davies, who was also head boy.

“Enough! You will stop this now!”

The Ravenclaw couple hadn’t drawn their wands in the first place, but Ismelda did not comply, sending a common cold hex towards David which missed, though the other Slytherin did heed the order.

“I said that’s enough! Five points from Slytherin!” Chester shouted, pointing directly at the third year Slytherin, who reluctantly relented, her pale expression now extremely sour.

“What in Merlin’s name is happening here?” he continued to inquire. “Dueling is forbidden.”

His gaze settled on David and he knew the time to explain was now. He had never interacted with Chester before though there was a chance he knew of his cursebreaking exploits. Either way it was best to act quickly.

“I didn’t start whatever you witnessed,” he told him. “Flint and his goons were attempting to harm Elora here.”

The first year Hufflepuff peeked out from behind his back at long last.

“It’s true. He defended me when I thought I was about to be hexed. They called me a uh…”

The poor thing, David thought sadly. She clearly had not heard that word used against her yet. Anger flared within him knowing it wouldn’t be the last.

He mouthed the word ‘mudblood’ to the Head Boy, who’s face reeled in horror. Chester Davies, known for his mellow, taciturn demeanor then unleashed quiet fury, first on the Ravenclaw couple.

“But we didn’t do anything!” the fifth year boy protested.

“You still threatened her,” Chester said coldly. “And by standing by and allowing the other three to do harm you have disgraced yourself.”

“The little brat wouldn’t leave!” the girl shouted back.

But that only served to further their scolding

“You claim to be part of our house and yet have the wit and foresight of a damp rag. I will be reporting this to Professor Flitwick and I will recommend detention for a week. Five points from Ravenclaw.”

Chester then took the time to reluctantly unfreeze Hadrian Flint, who immediately leapt to his feet and tried to spin a tale.

“You all saw it! He attacked me!”

“Stuff it, Flint,” the Ravenclaw immediately shut down. “I saw you cast the first spell and I know the word this one used to describe Miss Dunn,” she said, indicating Ismelda, who looked as though she wanted nothing more than to kill everyone present. “Rest assured, McGonagall will be informed as will Professor Snape.”

Furious and belligerent, Flint spat on the ground, uttering, “Blood traitor.”

David thought Chester might blow a gasket (he knew he would have) but instead he coolly regarded him as though he were simply another stone inside the Hogwarts walls.

“Better a blood traitor than what you are, Flint. Now get out of here.”

The tall, lanky Slytherin heeded her this time and shuffled away with his companion. Ismelda had seemingly skulked off as well.

“I’ll handle these two,” Chester told him, as he too ordered his housemates away. “You see to it that the first year gets back to the Hufflepuff common room. You did a good thing today.”

Admiration increased for the Head Boy as David nodded and looked over to Elora, giving a kind look.

“Come on, let’s go.”

As they walked back towards kitchens, he noticed Elora fidgeting as though she wanted to say something. Eventually, she mustered up the courage.

“Um...what’s your name?”

“David,” he replied simply.

“Thank you, David for saving me back there. I wish I was brave like you.”

He stopped just before they reached the barrels leading to the Hufflepuff common room and knelt down to make proper eye level contact with her.

“Elora, you’re already brave. At no point in time did you move when those gits asked you too. There wasn’t a braver person today in all of Hogwarts.”

She beamed so much David thought she might shed tears over the books she was carrying. Then, her face became puzzled.

“What was that name that girl called me?” came the innocent but horrifying question.

David sighed, he’d hoped it wouldn’t come to him having to explain something like that. But he wasn’t going to pull punches either. Someone like Elora needed to know the intentions of people such as Flint, Ismelda, and others.

“You come from a family with no magical background. Therefore some that do think you aren’t as good as they are,” he said sadly.

“But why?”

Therein lay the crux of the issue: why . Truth was, he could give many reasons why but none of them could adequately explain prejudice. It was something you lived through, but nothing about it was logical.

“It’s complicated,” came his reply. “Just know this: you are just as worthy to study magic as anyone else here. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise….also learning a few jinxes wouldn’t hurt either.”

“Can you teach me?”

Though he was a bit surprised, the innocent eyed look of this first year softened the dubiousness of his answer.

“Sure thing. We can find the time.”

Elora nodded and suddenly gave him a big hug, unexpectedly throwing off his balance.

“Ack! He...thanks kid.”

The first year tapped second barrel from the bottom in a distinct rhythm and skipped her way inside, but David didn’t immediately leave leave the area. He paused, willing himself not to drive himself into a fury over what just occurred.

Not all Slytherins are bad

Not all Slytherins are bad

David thought of Barnaby and how he was able to persuade him to change sides and the difference it made in his character. Or the eccentric Liz Tuttle helping him with potions ingredients. Then he thought of people like Ammon Lucian, Hadrian Flint, Ayla Yaxley, and Ismelda Murk and the pit of black vengeance returned, bubbling like tar ready to consume all who became entrapped in it.

As if to punctuate the conflict, Merula Snyde popped into his mind as did Liz Tuttle’s words regarding her

“Merula’s not all bad…well she’s mostly bad. But I know for a fact she’s had a hard life and she’s not always what she seems.”

He shook his head. What did she mean by that? He knew Merula’s parents were locked up in Azkaban but by all accounts she lived like a queen in Hertfordshire in the Snyde Manor. At no point in time had she ever apologized or bothered to show there was anything lurking beneath except vicious arrogance and deceit.

So why was there pain in her lavender eyes every time he beat her in a duel? Why was she so obsessed? What was it about him and his brother that Merula couldn’t let go?

David pushed those thoughts aside for now, having little time or patience to figure out the psychological ramifications of the house of snakes. There was homework to finish and another vault to find and break its curse.

If it took a few Slytherins, whether enemies or friends, to get there he would do so.

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

David never expected much to come of his deeds the previous Saturday. As far as he was concerned, the act of aiding Elora suited him just fine. They’d even scheduled a time to meet where he could show her a few spells. Come Monday, however, that changed.

While at breakfast with Ben, Charlie, and Jae (the latter of whom was chugging multiple goblets of milk on a bet) he was called to the head table by Professor McGonagall.

“David Grant!” she called out. “Please step forward.”

By this time, he temporarily forgot about what had happened and assumed whatever his head of house wanted was nothing good. Usually when they talked outside of class it was due to some trouble he’d been up to or the cursed vaults...oftentimes both.

“Yes, Professor?” he asked as he reached her place at the faculty chair.

“It has come to my attention that you were involved in an altercation last weekend involving a first year student and five others.”

David felt his heart quicken. Was she really about to punish him for doing the right thing?

“Yes...I was.”

But he need not have worried, for in the next moment she gave him a rare smile.

“Do not worry yourself, Mr. Grant. I know you were attempting to protect Miss Dunn from those who sought to make her feel unwelcome and unwanted.”

Her nostrils flared showing a subtle moment of anger before it vanished and she continued.

“Your actions are to be commended. Twenty points to Gryffindor for your courage and defense of those younger than yourself.”

Fear instantly turned to immense happiness as he reciprocated the smile.

“Thank you, Professor.”

“You are welcome. And do tell Mr. Kim that he will likely vomit if he continues in his high consumption of milk. I do not want a mess in the Great Hall nor in my classroom when it occurs today.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“I expect nothing less from one of my best Transfiguration students.”

He was sent on his way feeling considerably proud of himself for getting the normally strict and reserved Professor McGonagall to show not only a positive emotion but pride in him. And there was more yet to come. Before he could retake his seat, another familiar face confronted him, this time in the person of Angelica Cole.

“I heard what happened as well, David.”

“In case you were wondering, I earned twenty house points out of it so by your standards I should be showered with roses, am I right?”

Angelica rolled her eyes but her mouth twisted upwards in a smile all the same.

“Incorrigible as ever. But I want to echo McGonagall’s sentiments. Chester told me everything and what you did is precisely what our house is supposed to entail: courage, protecting those who cannot protect themselves.”

She paused before continuing.

“When we first met I thought you were going to be another troublemaker. But I was wrong. And I want to apologize.”

David was surprised, not necessarily by the apology (he and Angelica had gotten on fine this year) but the sentiment she was showing. There was a heavy amount of emotion in her eyes and an acute sense of something bigger at stake.

“Angelica, are you alright?”

“Do you know why I’m saying these things?” she asked him point blank.

“Because I’m just so naturally charming?”

“Because I’m leaving,” Angelica corrected, ignoring his joke. “I have less than two months left at Hogwarts before I graduate. And whether you realize it or not, you’re rising in seniority. David, I want you to take my place after I’m gone.”

He blinked a couple of times, hardly daring to believe his ears.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I know it isn’t coming for at least two more years. But before I leave Hogwarts I’m going to recommend to Professor McGonagall that you be made prefect when your time comes. Through everything there is a quality you have that stands out: leadership.”

David couldn’t help but remain shocked at the ringing endorsement but there it was. He had gone from pain in the arse to leadership material in the span of two years. Nevertheless, he thanked his prefect sincerely.

“Angelica...this means a great deal. I can’t thank you enough.”

“Thank yourself,” she said smiling. “I told you at the beginning of the year that you were worth more than wisecracks and being Jacob Grant’s younger brother. You’ve earned that distinction and much more.”

The conversation ended as the seventh year was forced to quell a potential food fight at the end of the Gryffindor table and David rejoined his group but with positive thoughts to enjoy for once.

“What happened with McGonagall and Angelica?” Charlie asked. “You certainly seem pleased.”

“I dunno mate, they’ve appeared to take a liking to me all of a sudden.”

“Everyone likes you, Dave,” Ben reminded him.

“Thank you for the vote of confidence, Ben. But even my popularity has limitations. In particular with a brown haired, deriding, boot wearing, Slytherin girl.”

“Wouldn’t worry about her so much,” Jae replied, by now having stopped chugging milk though he still sported a white mustache as a result. “She ain’t exactly popular among her own house anymore. Most people find her insulting and cruel.”

“She can sit on a pin for all I care,” David shrugged. “Maybe I’m just becoming a little more mature.”

“That’s hilarious,” Charlie laughed.

“So is your bloody snoring even though it keeps me up at night.”

They continued to banter like this for the rest of breakfast when Rowan happened on the scene and right away everyone could tell he had stumbled upon something quite important just by the look in his eye.

“Rowan, you’re just in time to see whether or not Jae can light a fire from his wand with a fart."

But the joke either didn’t register or it paled in comparison to the news

“I need to speak to you,” he said directly to David. “Alone.”

Shrugging but also silently recognizing that something big was going on he played it off as though it were nothing to avoid arousing suspicion.

“Alright then. Lead the way.”

As careful and inconspicuously as they could, Rowan and David exited the Great Hall and into a private column within the corridor. Upon making sure no one was watching, the former of the two boys pulled out a familiar, leatherback, brown notebook.

“I did it,” he whispered. “I finally managed to match the half page to another message in the book and decipher it.”

This was indeed wonderful news and David could hardly wait to hear it. Excitement pulsed through his veins, barely being able to contain it.

“Rowan that’s amazing! Go on! What does it day?”

Proudly and pompously flipping to the correct page, Rowan read the information aloud but also in a hushed tone so no one would hear them.

“‘The entrance is the Restricted Section of the library. That is the source of the fear and the vault itself.’ ”

David ran a hand through his hair, ecstatic but also mentally kicking himself. Of all the places they looked, the one place they forgot was the restricted section?

“I know that look,” Rowan told him seriously. “Don’t beat yourself up. None of us here had any idea where the entrance was, even with your brother’s notes. But it doesn’t matter now.”

Drive and passion drove David to new levels of happiness and determination. They had managed to navigate through all manner of blockages, dead ends, and run arounds only to finally come through in the end. They knew where the vault was and now it was time.

“Time to break into this latest cursed vault,” he spoke aloud.

[gretamclaughlin]

Environmental History Leading Us to the Future

The materials largely focus on environmental history and its impact on policy, and people can lean on this field to improve the environment and limit the effects of climate change. The readings go over what environmental history is, and scholars of this subject study how humans and cultures have interacted with the environment over time, as well as how the environment has affected them. It is essentially the history of the universe, earth, human evolution, and interactions until the present. Big history is a type of environmental history, and it places cultural history in the context of the universe, beginning with the Big Bang and continuing into the present. Through this, one can notice patterns and answer larger questions regarding humans’ place in history and more. It is essential to understand this subject and recognize how to use it to improve the environment. People can learn about the history of issues, how they have been solved in the past, and why certain tactics failed (as explained in Jared Diamond’s Collapse). One can then apply this knowledge to current issues to solve them in a more efficient and effective manner, as well as lean on the principles of sustainability that have been evidenced in environmental history. 

The sources also speak about the Anthropocene and how it fits into environmental history. This era, whose beginning is disputed, continues today, and it covers the period of human impact on Earth’s geology and ecosystems, which is overwhelmingly negative. Human interaction has led to decreased biodiversity, greater pollution, species extinction, and increased CO2 emissions, thus affecting climate change. Many of these consequences have come from globalism, and connections throughout the world have caused environmental degradation through industrialization, unsustainable agricultural practices, and more. Further readings speak on how humans have exploited land throughout the U.S.’s environmental history, such as during the frontier era. Certainly, the human-focused view of the world that so many people hold is eventually going to destroy us, along with all other organisms on the planet. If one travels anywhere in the world, they will find that it has been touched by humans through direct contact, pollution, etc. When I was visiting Iceland a few years ago, I went on a hike off the beaten path. The land looked positively untouched by humans, and I remember thinking that this was probably the cleanest air I would ever breathe. However, looking out into the distance, I saw a melting glacier, a sign of the warming planet. Even in this remote area, humans, myself included, were destroying the environment.

I found it intriguing how these sources significantly focused on capitalism and how this system has engendered environmental issues. Capitalism has caused people to disregard the environmental impacts of their actions to amass greater wealth, and competition and a free market have led to extensive exploitation of the world’s resources. After all, capitalism caused the divide in preservation advocates. Conservationists, who valued preserving resources for economic reasons, opposed environmentalists, who did not attach economic value to these resources. The U.S.’s environmental history explains how corporations have worked to block important regulations and have even carried out schemes to make communities less sustainable. The National City Lines was a group of corporations that dismantled public transportation or made it more polluting; this continues to affect the environments of American cities. In Lewis H. Lapham’s article “Paying the Piper,” he explains that the biosphere’s “resources are finite and cannot accommodate the pursuit of infinite growth that is the capitalist dynamic blowing up the hot-air balloon of the global consumer economy” (Lapham 20). The brutal exploitation of the earth by companies as a result of the capitalist system will inevitably destroy us all. It is shocking how corporations have controlled America as a whole, especially the environment, leaving the people to pick up the pieces.

Furthermore, the materials center on how those living in poverty have been impacted by environmental degradation the most throughout history. While the wealthy can leave after they have damaged their community, those living in poverty must face the effects. Unfortunately, as referenced in previous blogs, in Newark, NJ, this is a reality, and those in the Ironbound live near Superfund sites (Mansnerus 1998). During the Vietnam War, the Diamond Alkali Company dumped Agent Orange in the Passaic River, and the site remains extremely toxic. Inhabitants of the area have become sick from the toxins, leading to asthma, cancer, and more and affecting children’s development. The federal government is doing little to clean the area up, and as more people move to the Ironbound, the situation becomes direr. Clearly, the wealthy can escape the effects of environmental degradation, but those in poverty are forced to deal with the impacts. As someone who lives about 20 minutes from Newark, I am one of those well-off people who can live a life free of these toxins. How is this fair? I do not hold any special qualities.

The sources speak about how environmental history has been used to improve the world. By learning the Bronx River’s history and what led to degradation, people have been able to spearhead efforts to clean it up, which has drastically improved communities surrounding the river. People can now get a taste of the natural wonder that was prevalent years prior, acting as an oasis inside of a bustling urban environment. Understanding where the land came from can inspire people to create greener communities that return some of the natural beauty and resources these areas previously offered. On Fordham’s Rose Hill campus, improvements can be made to make it more sustainable and natural, returning some of its original environmental glory. Unfortunately, in the past, the University has been lackadaisical when it comes to using environmental history for projects, despite the fact that its sustainability plan claims it is “keeping with the Jesuit traditions.” For example, when Fordham built CSC Halls in 2010, a small forest was destroyed. There is a blatant disregard for environmental integrity and an almost forced urbanization of the campus; the administration fails to realize the power of restoring the school to its greener past.

We need to lean on environmental history in order to reduce the human impact on the planet. This can be done by analyzing previous environmental policies, like PlaNYC, and working off of their successes and failures. The world as a whole needs to make improvements on mass transit through governmental policy and regulations, creating better systems and rendering them more sustainable. This would cause fewer people to use cars, reducing congestion, pollution, and emissions. Improvements in energy efficiency and a greater reliance on renewable energy also need to be made, as was done in New York City, which caused the city to cut its emissions by 13% between 2007 and 2011. Of course, this is easier said than done, as older cities have more difficulties retrofitting aged systems; however, it can be completed with the proper technology and resources. The U.S. must continue working on a smart grid as well to make renewable energy a better option for people across the nation, and similar tactics should be employed elsewhere. Certainly, government intervention is necessary in order to make this a reality, and public servants must be held accountable by their constituents.

In the U.S., we should lean on our environmental history, specifically that of indigenous peoples, in order to become more sustainable. Prior to European intervention, indigenous tribes lived in manners that generally had a low impact on the environment, and they did not use nature with the goal of exploiting its resources but rather to live as a part of it. Recent studies have noted the power of indigenous knowledge in land rehabilitation and sustainability. According to the Autonomous University of Barcelona, “Through traditional practices, indigenous peoples have contributed to managing, adapting and restoring...land, sometimes creating new types of highly biodiverse ecosystems” (De la Malla 2019). Similarly, the University of British Columbia found that biodiversity was the most prevalent on lands managed or co-managed by indigenous groups (Corpuz-Bosshart 2019). Certainly, indigenous people should be incorporated in sustainability efforts, and we should consider how they use land, both in the past and today.

Further policies must be enforced to regulate corporations to ensure that they do not further degrade the environment and influence politicians, which has shown to work in the U.S.’s environmental history, such as with the 1916 National Park Service Act. Taxes on emissions can mitigate some of these companies’ negative effects and raise money for further environmental programs. Additionally, subsidies need to shift to support the development and production of renewable energy in order to have it make up a larger proportion of the U.S.’s energy sources. Further development of sustainable infrastructure, green buildings, etc. can also be financed by the government. Through environmental history, improvements such as these have created safer communities and helped limit climate change. This is especially important to employ in impoverished communities, where people are more affected by the results of environmental degradation; more sustainable housing and access to cleaner food are good steps to take. Developed countries also need to provide resources for developing countries to become more sustainable because environmentalism is a group effort.

People need to participate in grassroots projects such as the Bronx River Alliance in order to improve their communities. By leaning on environmental history, one can learn how to repair the land around them and understand how humans can affect their environments or vice versa. I currently work for the Community Business Partnerships group for the practicum, and we are working with the Alliance to participate in and promote volunteer opportunities and events. The work they do to clean up the river has had extensive effects on the health and well-beings of those living nearby. People have it in their power to improve public health, morale, and reduce environmental issues as a whole by restoring their local communities to their more sustainable and natural pasts.

Furthermore, people should be exposed to the impact of their actions more, especially those living in developed countries. After all, people do not always understand the impact of their actions because they cannot see them (i.e. recycling is sent to China). For example, the Manufactured Landscapes documentary displayed the influence their lack of sustainability has caused. Through community education, people will hopefully be more willing to improve their individual actions and hold others accountable, including corporations, to help break out of this unsustainable society. 

Environmental history is a helpful tool that teaches us how to improve the world and reminds us of our place in the universe. The world was not created for humans, and we should not treat it as such. It is our job to mitigate the unfortunate consequences of our actions. Hopefully, people realize this before it is too late.

Word Count: 1810

Question: How has environmental history fit into wider social movements such as Communism?

Diagrams:

The effects of National City Lines can still be seen today in cities like Los Angeles.

Superfund sites affect much of the U.S. population, yet the government is slow at cleaning them up.

Work Cited: 

Mansnerus, Laura. 1998. “Newark’s Toxic Tomb; Six Acres Fouled by Dioxin, Agent Orange's Deadly Byproduct, Reside in the Shadow of an Awakening Downtown.” New York Times, November 8, 1998. https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/08/nyregion/newark-s-toxic-tomb-six-acres-fouled-dioxin-agent-orange-s-deadly-byproduct.html. 

De la Malla, Joan. 2019. “Indigenous knowledge, key to a successful ecosystem restoration.” https://www.uab.cat/web/newsroom/news-detail/indigenous-knowledge-key-to-a-successful-ecosystem-restoration-1345668003610.html?noticiaid=1345783300762.

Corpuz-Bosshart. 2019. “UBC-led study highlights importance of collaborating with Indigenous communities to protect species.” https://news.ubc.ca/2019/07/31/biodiversity-highest-on-indigenous-managed-lands/.

[kentonramsey]

If You Want More Colour In Your Wardrobe, You Need To Know This Designer

Update 16th June 2020:

Sadly, COVID-19’s impact on the fashion industry has been felt by many, but particularly by small, independent labels with cult followings that couldn’t break into the mainstream. Five years after bursting onto the New York fashion scene and bringing colour to the capital, Sies Marjan is closing its doors. “What we have worked on has been a dream come true,” founder Sander Lak said. “Thank you to everyone who has given their time and talent to Sies Marjan over the years. We have built a singular brand whose legacy is not just in the clothes and collections but within each person who contributed along the way.”

The original story was published 26th July 2018:

“Everything is so dark…” Sander Lak, the man behind New York brand Sies Marjan (the name a combination of his mother’s and father’s names), tells me over coffee in London. “Everything is doomed, it’s all so apocalyptic; so there’s something really nice about wearing a bright pink shirt on a day that you really feel like shit – it lifts you up.” The shirt Sander is wearing right now is actually a baby blue tie-dye number, but no less joyful. The designer’s optimism, charm and lack of pretence – evidenced in his choice of attire – has garnered Sies Marjan a cult following, and unsurprisingly so. When a single scroll through Twitter reminds you of Brexit, nuclear war, and men in high places abusing their power, protecting yourself from the ills of the world with a piglet pink shearling coat, high-shine holographic two-piece, or egg yolk yellow silk cami is the mood-boosting antidote we all need right now.

“I don’t directly consider the political climate when designing but, like everyone else, I’m in the centre of it all and sometimes want to crawl in a corner or hide myself under a blanket,” he says. “Other times, though, I want to just burst into colour.”

With metallic burnt golds, vibrant tomato reds and delicious mint greens, Sander’s collections are a kaleidoscope of colour, from pastels to paintbox brights. This vivacity came as both a shock and sweet relief to the previously sombre and monochrome New York fashion scene. When the brand’s first collection landed in Barney’s et al, in February 2016, it stood out amid the black, grey, navy and white. “People said to us, ‘You’re in danger, nobody in New York wears colour’.”

How wrong they were. From the once-unspoken rule, upheld by giants like Diana Vreeland in her signature monochrome attire and Grace Coddington in her favoured black, New York is now a city – and fashion week schedule – awash with colour. Just look at SS18’s offering: slinky serpent greens at Adam Selman, chirpy blue rain macs at Calvin Klein, buttercup yellows at Marc Jacobs. Of course, this can’t all come down to Sander’s vision at Sies Marjan, but he has undoubtedly had a strong hand in altering the city’s sartorial aesthetic.

Beyond serotonin-boosting colour, what’s so appealing about Sies Marjan is the sense that the clothes really are for everybody. Sander has cast trans models in his shows, presents menswear and womenswear together, and wears the pieces himself, a walking advert for the tactile fabrics and playful cuts that embody the brand. While we fall in love with and admire clothes every season, it’s not very often that we feel we can wear them in real life.

“We are a high-end fashion brand, and our lookbook is always a fantasy, there’s a reality in everything we do,” Sander tells me. “Our clothes aren’t driven by the full look, where if you have only one piece it looks out of place. I think that’s why streetwear is having such a big moment – it’s grounded, it’s about reality; that’s what people want.”

This outlook comes down to Sander being simply “a lover of clothes”, a designer that creates pieces he wants to wear, which would suit his friends and fit in with their lives. “What I’ve always found weird is when a designer proposes a certain look and then comes out to bow at the end of a show in a black T-shirt and black jeans,” he laughs. “I wear our menswear and womenswear, it’s important for people to connect with me and the brand this way. I wear colour and full tonal looks; I practise what I preach.”

This we saw at the 2018 CFDA Awards in June, when Sander wore a playful Sies Marjan ombre red and black two-piece suit, also dressing actresses and models Julia Garner, Bria Vinaite and Lineisy Montero in the brand’s pastel-hued and reflective pieces. The colour naysayers certainly ate their words that night, as Sies Marjan picked up the sought-after Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent. Yet despite that newcomer nod – the brand was founded in 2016 and applauded by editors and critics alike, who left the debut show buzzing about its pieces – Sander has been working behind the scenes of the industry for some time.

Before moving to New York in 2015 for Sies Marjan – he’s based in Manhattan because “Brooklyn for me is like London, Berlin, Antwerp, like a fake Europe” – he held tenures at Dries Van Noten in Paris as head of design, and before that at Balmain with Christophe Decarnin, Phillip Lim, and Marc Jacobs. “What’s great about the experiences I’ve had is that they’re all so different – not just in terms of aesthetics, but in how they run their business,” Sander explains. “I loved having a frame to push up against, where it wasn’t about me and I had to navigate through it.” Learning the various aspects of a fashion house – from new languages and a social presence to business models – gave him a 360° perspective, meaning he could jump into Sies Marjan knowing what was to come.

Adaptability comes naturally to Sander, who grew up all over the world. “I was born in Brunei, I lived in Malaysia, Africa, Scotland,” he tells me, “so I was exposed to so many different things, from the colour of nature in a place to people’s religious beliefs.” While he wouldn’t say his work is a direct product of that global upbringing, he admits it brought an openness to his designs. “I’ve seen so much from such a young age that not a lot surprises me – there aren’t a lot of things I find really ‘wrong’.”

This broad-mindedness could also be attributed to his time studying under the late Louise Wilson at Central Saint Martins. “She was very tough, but really understood what she was able to do with me, to push me,” Sander says of the legendary professor. “For me to doubt myself as much as I did when I was under her wing was so healthy, because it broke down all of the little tricks and trades I had always thought I could charm my way into,” he laughs. “She broke you down and expected you to build yourself back up, and she created this stressful environment that totally prepared us all for the industry – it was like therapy, one of the most important experiences of my life. I do miss her.”

While Sander – like many of Wilson’s students – is now thriving in the industry, he wasn’t supposed to be at Central Saint Martins at all. “I only went because I didn’t get into film school. Fashion was sort of an unimportant mistress on the side of my marriage to film,” he chuckles. “I’d never even touched a sewing machine, but once I got to school, it made so much sense. Being a designer and a director are the same thing with a different end product; you have a vision, a team of people that contribute, a premiere or catwalk show, reviews, then you have to see if your film has longevity, if your clothes work off the catwalk. There are so many parallels.”

It’s unlikely we’ll be watching a Sander-directed Sies Marjan fashion short anytime soon – “I never look at films and fashion with the same eye” – but one film that inspired him years ago was The Fifth Element. “It’s a shitty movie, but Jean Paul Gaultier did the costume design and had Milla Jovovich with orange hair in the orange braces. That was the first time I was distracted by the clothes in a movie.”

This first love is one of the many reasons Sander is an intriguing designer. Another is his avoidance of Instagram – unlike figureheads such as Virgil Abloh who use it to promote their brands, friends, collaborators and subcultures. While Sies Marjan the brand has an Instagram account with 90k followers, Sander explains that he’s seen what overexposure and an invasion of one’s privacy can do to a person. “I’ve been in the industry for a while, and I’ve seen what both immense success and crashing failure do to someone. I’ve always been behind someone going through that, and I know what it would do to me. I stand by social media as a tool to make my business work, but I want to keep a part of myself for me and my people, because I know I could get lost in it.”

Luckily, he says, he’s not a creative that needs to be battling his inner turmoil to make great work. In 2018, when it’s easy to be seduced by the followers, likes, and fame that one’s personal brand brings, it’s refreshing to hear someone in the centre of a circus assert the importance of self-preservation. In an industry full of egos and characters, Sander is someone you’d want to grab a drink with and chat for hours about a director’s best film – and of course, to dress you in every colour of the rainbow. Even in the face of the relentless volume and pace of collections, presentations and shows, he remains optimistic. “I love working, I love creating, and if I have to make more, I will – I don’t want to do anything else, and anyway, we get to rip up the rulebook now – it’s so freeing.”

Sies Marjan’s fuzzy, silky, shiny, kaleidoscopic clothes perfectly translate its leading man’s magic. So here’s to more positivity and more colour in fashion – and in the world, too, please.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

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Fashion From Africa Is Not Just A 'Trend'

Inspiring Our Summer Style: <em>Picnic At Hanging Rock</em>

If You Want More Colour In Your Wardrobe, You Need To Know This Designer published first on https://mariakistler.tumblr.com/

[nelliievance]

Appropriate For Starting Off The New Year- "How Not To Diet"

I have mixed feelings about New Year’s resolutions. I think it’s a great idea to take stock and think about what’s working and what’s not, and what we could change to make our lives better. But the stereotypical approach is too drastic- start another diet, or restart the last one but “try harder” this time, and join a gym, or dust off our old membership, or take the pile of clothes off the exercise bike in the corner and resolve to “try harder” . Or better still buy a new one! Maybe an elliptical trainer will work better than the bike. And now there are lots of ways to get online classes so you can have someone shouting “you can do it!” at you in the comfort of your own home. As for diet, the drastic approach is to get lured into a fad diet that flies in the face of mainstream nutritional wisdom. Many people see short-term weight loss this way, but sustaining it is another matter.

Trying to eat better and get more physical activity are of course laudable goals. My birthday is January 12th, so usually by about the end of October I’m thinking of how I can get on a streak of doing better in time to give that to myself as a birthday present. It’s the drastic approach that’s wrong. Statistics show the vast majority of diets are going to flop within a few weeks, and as any regular gym goer can tell you, the gyms are going to be crowded in January but it’s all going to fizzle out in February. It brings to mind the saying “insanity is doing what you have always done and expecting a different result”. There’s a variation I learned from my brother that resonates with me: “whatever you’ve been doing up till now isn’t working”. He told me that once when I was going through a bad time in my life and it really helped.

Dr. Michael Greger’s book How Not To Diet is timely because it goes in detail into what the scientific evidence shows on the proper way to eat for health and sustainable weight loss.

Dr. Greger is one of my go-to sources for evidenced-based nutrition information. I’ve previously mentioned his site www.nutritionfacts.org. His first book, the New York Times bestseller How Not To Die, was full of information about the relation between nutrition and the top chronic diseases that plague modern society. Dr. Greger is an advocate of whole-food plant based eating because in his opinion the preponderance of scientific evidence support that.

Now in his new book he has tackled the subject of weight loss. His objective is to find the most effective method, based on the scientific evidence, for achieving long-term sustainable weight loss and maintenance for health reasons.

I was not surprised to find that the evidence shows whole-food plant based eating is the overall winner for weight loss as well as health. This is because, as Dr Greger and other author’s have pointed out, whole plant foods are nutritious but not calorically dense. It takes a lot of broccoli to match the calories in a slice of pizza. Whole plant foods fill you up with fewer calories. leading to weight loss without feeling hungry. As I’ve emphasized before, this does not necessarily mean becoming vegan, but cutting back on animal foods and replacing them with minimally-processed plant foods. Dr Greger also stresses throughout the book that it is not “all or nothing”. You don’t have to buy all your food at a farmer’s market. Less meat, more beans. More fruits and veggies. It doesn’t work, however if you replace meat or dairy with low-fat cookies.

I’ve discussed the Community Health Improvement Program developed by Dr. Hans Diehl previously. This is a highly effective program, based on the whole food plant-based diet, for improving heath and alleviating chronic disease. In Dr. Greger’s new book he points out that this program has proven highly effective for weight loss as well.

Other popular weight loss approaches like low-carb were covered in the book. The scientific evidence clearly shows that while this may lead to effective weight loss, it actually leads to slower fat loss, which means more loss of lean tissue, like muscle, which is precisely what we don’t want, especially while aging. This was a surprising result to me, especially for the ketogenic diet, because ketosis is supposed to prevent loss of muscle. I had covered this in a previous post, but there is additional information about it in the book. Low-carb approaches are popular because initial weight loss in often fast, and the authors promise to turn you into a “fat burning machine” or “fat burning beast”. Your body does indeed become adept at burning fat- but it’s mostly the fat you are eating that is burned. Unfortunately it actually burns the fat from your body, which is what you really want, about twice as slowly.

The other result I was unaware of is that low-carb high fat eating actually makes insulin resistance worse. Various authors have promoted it as a remedy for type II diabetes [1], because even though your body cannot handle carbs well, you are eating so few of them that your blood sugar remains under control. But if you ever go off low-carb, your symptoms will come roaring back because your insulin resistance is worse than it was before. There was a lot of information on insulin resistance and diet in Dr. Greger’s new book, since this is strongly related to both health and weight loss. I’ll cover this at greater length in my next post.

Fasting was another popular weight loss approach discussed in the book. Various versions of fasting and intermittent fasting were discussed. This may be a good short-term strategy for purposes like “plateau busting”, and intermittent fasting in particular has been claimed to have health benefits [2]. But fasting does not seem to show any advantages long term for weight loss. One exception is the “narrow eating window” technique which is often promoted as a type of intermittent fasting. For example, if you eat breakfast at 8 AM and finish dinner by 6 PM, and don’t have any evening snacks, your “eating window” is 10 hours and you fast in the evening and overnight for 14 hours. This is a sustainable approach to weight loss as an adjunct to a healthy diet . It is what I practice and I find I feel a lot better doing this. As I nice side effect, I used to have problems with acid reflux at night which are now completely gone.

After covering the main issues of nutrition and its effect on weight loss, Dr Greger discusses a lot of dietary “tweaks” that help with weight loss. These are similar to the “hacks” you’ll often see on the internet (“use this one weird tip to lose 10 pounds”), but there is scientific evidence to back them up. I would emphasize, as does Dr. Greger, that far and away the most important thing is a healthy way of eating. I think many people want a quick fix and try and jump to straight to the “hacks”. But the tweaks presented in the book appear useful as a supplement. An example is “front-loading” your eating. I remember a Seventh-day Adventist Cookbook I read years ago promoting “breakfast is golden, lunch is silver, supper is lead” [3]. Dr Greger discusses a similar maxim “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, supper like a pauper”. It turns out there is evidence to support this. There are a lot of other tips such as spices that boost metabolism. You can read about them in the book and they are also included in “Dr Greger’s daily dozen” app from www.nutritionfacts.org.

I’m not in agreement with everything in the book. For example, he recommends weighing yourself twice a day because there is some evidence from the national weight control registry that people who do that manage their weight better. This is potentially problematic. Your body can easily except daily fluctuations of a couple of pounds just due to water loss or water retention. For many it can be discouraging to see your weight bounce up and down like the stock market. But if you can gut that out, and graph your weight loss over time, it can work. I once weight myself daily for 16 weeks. That’s 112 weigh-ins. I gritted my teeth when it went up and resolved to just look at the graph at the end of each week. It worked, I gradually lost 16 pounds, But the graph was to put it mildly, not smooth. I now weigh myself at most once a week. I try to make conditions “reproducible”, as us techies say, by eating a similar meal the night before and doing the exact same workout on “weigh day”. That works out better for me. The danger in weighing too seldom is you can start to drift up without noticing it, so I think once a week is a good compromise. It also prevents you from focussing on weight too much when health is the top priority.

You can also drive yourself crazy trying to follow all 21 tweaks. But you don’t have to- Dr Greger emphasizes that. Just pick the ones that make the most sense to you for starters. Drinking enough water is an easy and obvious one on the list.

So I wish everyone the best starting off the New Year. Here’s to sustainable changes in healthy eating, and finding fun physical activities.

References

Pinney, S, and Volek, J, The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living, Beyond Obesity LLC , 2011.

Schofield, G, Zinn, C, Rodger, C, What The Fast?, Blackwell and Ruth, 2018.

Hurd, R, Ten Talents Cookbook, Brigham Distributing , 2012.

Appropriate For Starting Off The New Year- "How Not To Diet" published first on https://steroidsca.tumblr.com/

[thrashermaxey]

Ramblings: Jordan Staal Update; Coyotes Injuries; Deadline; Dahlin – February 19

  Jordan Staal was back at practice for the Carolina Hurricanes, but this time he was in a regular jersey instead of a non-contact one. For a player returning from a concussion, this is a significant step. I imagine he’ll need a few more practices under his belt before he’s cleared, but it looks like he should return to the lineup sooner rather than later. That’s a huge boon for the Hurricanes in this playoff push, if not overly fantasy-relevant.

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Pontus Aberg should be back for Minnesota’s game Tuesday night while Victor Rask will not be.

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Boone Jenner returned for the Blue Jackets having missed their last couple games, skating in his usual spot with Nick Foligno and Josh Anderson. Anthony Duclair, meanwhile, was a healthy scratch:

  Asked why Duclair is a healthy scratch again, Torts said: “bad listening skills.” Wouldn’t elaborate.

— Tom Reed (@treed1919) February 18, 2019

  I know it’s the way of the world that a player at the end of the roster will get nitpicked to death while those at the top of the roster will not. However, it always struck me as a way to alienate a guy who could help a team win.

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Corey Crawford is still skating with Chicago, which continues to be a good sign, but there’s still no firm update on a return.

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We got an update from Craig Morgan at The Athletic about a few of the injured Arizona players:

To summarize:

Still not expecting Antti Raanta to return this year.

Christian Dvorak’s conditioning stint length is not determined, could be one game, could be several.

Michael Grabner is back skating with the team but in a non-contact jersey following his eye injury. There’s no firm timeline yet.

Jason Demers is also skating with the team in a non-contact jersey recovering from knee surgery. Don’t expect him back anytime soon but it certainly seems possible he’s back before the season is out.

The Coyotes will get some reinforcements in the next month but it’s a question of how many players and if it’s too late to push for the playoffs. It’s a wonder where this team would be with any injury luck.

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After an unlucky start to the year, Vladimir Tarasenko is up to 0.46 goals/game (he was 0.46 over the previous three seasons) and 0.89 points/game (he was at 0.89 points/game over the previous three seasons). Hope you all bought low when we told you to.

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Carolina is having a bit of fun with Don Cherry:

  The jerk store called…we are now taking orders!

» https://t.co/FWVvmuiYym pic.twitter.com/kDoJdRPvxM

— Carolina Hurricanes (@NHLCanes) February 17, 2019

  Heaven forbid players have fun playing a game. 

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Brent Seabrook was scratched just before warmups for the Blackhawks with an abdominal strain. When there is a timeline for his return, we will pass it along.

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Colorado has seen their power play go cold of late so Nathan MacKinnon was dropped to the second power play unit. They also split their top line across their top three lines. I'm as confused as you are. 

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Victor Hedman left Monday night’s game at the end of the first period and did not return. Though Jon Cooper wouldn’t elaborate much further, he said he didn’t expect it to be serious.

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We are less than a week away from the trade deadline, typically one of the busiest times of the year for fantasy owners outside of draft week. Just a reminder that we’ll have you completely covered here at Dobber Hockey. Any trade of significance will be broken down here by either myself, Ian, Cam, or Dobber himself. Whenever fantasy owners see a trade go down, they should head over here within the next few hours to get a breakdown of what that means for them and their fantasy leagues.

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While on the topic of trade deadlines, we need to get something out in the open: a lot of what happens between now and the end of the season is driven by luck, and that goes for both teams and individual players. With about one quarter of a season left, just think of all the quirky things we’ve seen this season alone in quarter segments:

Through the season’s first 21 games, Buffalo had one fewer point than Tampa Bay, The Rangers had one fewer point than the Flames, and the Blues were 30th in the league.

In that same span of games, Matthew Tkachuk had as many points as Nikita Kucherov, Max Domi had as many points as Johnny Gaudreau, and Pekka Rinne led all goalies in save percentage at .944 (he’s been a .901 since).

In the next 20 or so games, Jonathan Huberdeau put up as many points as Sidney Crosby and Sean Monahan, Gaudreau led the league in goals (what?!), Vegas accumulated the most points in the league while Buffalo, previously fourth, fell to 22nd in the league. The Rangers went from accumulating one fewer point than Tampa Bay through the first ~21 games to accumulating 20 fewer points than Tampa Bay over the next ~21 games.

Those are a handful of extreme examples, but I think fantasy owners will get the general idea. We can talk about how Player X is a good fit, or Player Y will get better line mates, or Team Z is suddenly better defensively because of an acquisition, but the truth is we’re at the mercy of the hockey gods (and ensuing puck luck) a lot more than we’d care to admit.

It’s not to absolve everyone of their sins in decision making. There are still optimal decisions to be made that can put a fantasy roster in the best position to succeed. That does not guarantee success, or even make it likely. Just something to keep in mind if Matt Duchene gets traded to Winnipeg and puts up 11 points over the balance of the season.

*

On the topic of luck, I wanted to check in with the best ball league over at Fantrax that Dobber, Cam Metz, myself, and others from around the industry took part. For those unfamiliar, best ball leagues are draft-only. That means you draft your team and leave it, with no trades or free agency. Your best scores from a pre-determined number of players – your best 6 out of 10 forwards, 3 of out of 6 defencemen, and 2 out of 4 goalies or whatever – determine your overall score.

In these types of leagues, it can be helpful to stack and try to hit a line that explodes for the year. I did exactly that by drafting Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau, and Mark Giordano. That worked out well! However, injuries have gotten the better of me, having lost John Klingberg for six weeks, James van Riemsdyk for six weeks, Oscar Klefbom for nearly two months, Justin Schultz for over half the year, and Taylor Hall still hasn’t returned to the lineup, having missed eight weeks already. That’s two of my top three defencemen (and a potential top-5 blue liner) plus my first round pick with significant injuries. Needless to say, I’m nowhere near the top (though I’m second in points/game, I’m last in games played because of the injuries). Cam Metz can still win the title though and has drafted a solid squad.

That’s just a long lament to show that even if your players perform that you hoped they would (and I do think I drafted a very good team, as evidenced by being second in points/game), there’s still the injury factor that can crop up at a moment’s notice. Not only do fantasy owners need puck luck, they need injury luck. Fantasy hockey amounts to a roulette wheel sometimes.  

*

Dobber released a couple of his rankings last week but the one I want to focus on is his top-100 keeper defencemen list. Namely, one defenceman on the list, coming in at number 20: Rasmus Dahlin.

Before the season, I was adamant that Dahlin would not be worth his ADP in standard Yahoo! leagues (you can read my stuff from the offseason here, here, and here. That’s not all of it, but it’s a start). He’s already surpassed my projections but whether he lives up to his ADP remains to be seen. All the same, I wanted to say this: his rookie season has been exceptional.

In the history of the NHL, Dahlin is one of three defencemen to average 0.55 points per game in their rookie season, the other two being Bobby Orr and Phil Housley. Not that he’s guaranteed to maintain that mark over the balance of the season, but the fact he’s at that point when we’re a week away from the trade deadline speaks volumes of his talent.

This production isn’t all smoke and mirrors, either. In cases like this, we’d often be concerned with a sky-high individual points percentage at five-on-five (he’s under 40 percent personally which is kind of high but still outside the top-40 defencemen), a sky-high on-ice shooting percentage (he’s at 8.7 percent, which doesn’t even lead the Sabres and is outside the top-60 league-wide), or a high secondary assist rate (that is high, by the way, tied for 10th across the league). While there is a bit of a concern of a slowdown because of the secondary assist rate, the additional power play time he’s seen recently can make up for that.

Under the hood, he’s driving offence at a considerably higher rate than his teammates on the blue line, and at a comparable rate league-wide to other dynamos like Morgan Rielly and Mark Giordano. He can find his teammates regularly in shooting positions and can get out of his zone and into the other zone with control as often as almost anyone (from CJ Turtoro’s viz):

  His performance in the defensive zone still needs work but, I mean, come on, the kid is 18. We can cut him a little slack!

All this is to say that Dahlin is performing every bit the future superstar he has been. Though that may not be enough to pay off his preseason ADP, this is about as good as we could possibly hope for. I can’t possibly imagine he can be had for cheap in dynasty/keeper leagues, but I would be checking with the Dahlin owner in your league. If he can be a top-30 fantasy defenceman as an 18-year old and do it without being driven by luck, we’re only a couple years away from a top-5 defenceman.

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-jordan-staal-update-coyotes-injuries-deadline-dahlin-february-19/

[gaiatheorist]

At what cost?

‘This’ is very ‘me’, I’m on the edge of one of my low-phases, scrabbling not to fall into the Big Deep Hole, with fingernails that are splitting due to malnourishment, despite having the house stocked with enough food to survive an apocalypse. The bit of it that’s entrenched in me is ‘waiting for something to go wrong’, something has gone right, so I’m immediately paranoid about it being taken away, I’m self-sabotaging. 

The thing that went ‘right’ was ‘winning’ my disability tribunal, I didn’t find a coin in a gutter, and buy a chocolate bar with a golden ticket in the wrapper. I had a catastrophic brain haemorrhage, which altered my life more than I was willing to admit for too long. Queen of cliches, when life builds a 10ft wall in front of me, I find a 12ft ladder. The DWP systems and processes are the 10ft wall in this instance, and, perversely, if you do manage to find and climb the ladder, a box will be ticked to say you’re ‘functional.’ 

How functional, and at what cost? Yesterday I saw a post entitled ‘Faking it’ on the Health Unlocked website, and over the last few weeks I’ve seen a lot of tweets about ‘not looking disabled’, and ‘not hitting thresholds for mental health support.’ It’s the ‘hidden disability’ angle, unknown numbers of us conditioned-to-cope, for myriad reasons. The easiest response to give to people who unhelpfully try to congratulate us for functioning by saying “I don’t know how you cope!” is “What’s the alternative?”, those of us who force ourselves functional, until we’re not any more, know that our functionality comes at  a cost. There are many and varied reasons why we do it, unlike the ‘many complex reasons’ people are using food banks. (There’s a separate side-rant about an article I saw yesterday on Job Centre staff manipulating data collection on food bank referrals, to skew statistics on the known-number of people who can’t afford to eat. I’d explained and evidenced to my ‘Work Coach’ that I’d done everything I could to avoid using the food bank while my PIP application was stalled and delayed. I had the outcome on paper, but the potential of 6-8 weeks ‘processing time’ to actually see the money, 2 months of living on fresh air, there’s a box on the food bank voucher for ‘reason for hardship’, one of the options being ‘benefit delay’, the Work Coach ticked ‘ill health’, then proceeded to make multiple mistakes on the voucher, which made it virtually illegible for recording purposes. She did record the voucher-number on her system though, because I’d directly asked “Can I have a food bank voucher, please?”. I suppose people who don’t ask directly will be ‘signposted’ with a leaflet instead, no voucher-number to be recorded, and the food bank staff won’t want to turn them away.) 

Side-tracked there, wasn’t I? That’s one of my personal costs, my executive functioning is impaired, and I frequently struggle with ‘attentional switching’, I’m like a dog chasing a rabbit, I won’t come back to heel until I’ve caught the rabbit, or ended up stuck in the hole. I’m not going to hypothesise on other peoples’ reasons for ‘coping’ in whatever way works for them, there isn’t a universal model, each of us pick through whatever is left of our metaphorical ‘tool-kit’, and make our adaptations based on that. (Yes, I know, I’m guilty of trying to use tools I don’t have any more, effectively spending next month’s rent...)  We’re one big wonky kitchen drawer, we all have our tricks and knacks, and we all have episodes when the drawer comes completely off the runners, and we either sit on the floor and cry about it, or start picking things up, and calling the potato-masher things we wouldn’t say in front of grandma.  

‘Fatigue’ and ‘fluctuating’  are familiar terms for me now, and I’m exhausted from trying to explain them to people. When non-disabled people hear ‘fatigue’, they conflate it with tiredness, and suggest chamomile tea, sleep-hygiene, and all manner of unhelpfully-helpful ideas. I have brain damage, parts of my brain were crushed, so my synapses and neurons and such aren’t configured in the same way as they were ‘before’, they’re on diversion-routes around the dead bits of my brain. “No electronics in the bedroom” is a perfectly valid strategy for people who don’t sleep because they’re checking their phone, or playing games, with me, it just leads to a skewed-behaviour of getting up, and coming downstairs when I wake up at 3am. When I say ‘fatigue’, what that means to me is a complete mental shutdown, my brain just doesn’t ‘work’, so the relay of instructions to my muscles and nerves doesn’t work either. My ‘normal’ is being incapacitated to some degree every single day, my evenings are a complete write-off, because previously-normal things, like standing upright, or remembering I’ve put a pan on the hob take more energy than I have available. I have to ‘think about’ a lot of things that used to be subconscious now, and a lot of the adaptations I’ve normalised are incredibly draining and isolating. 

I ‘can’ attend medical appointments, because I know that if I don’t, I’ll likely be bounced out of thee system. I need to book myself in for my next brain scan, and I’m avoiding doing it, because I know that the physical process of getting there and having the MRA scan will be so draining that there’s the potential for me to get very badly disorientated and lost on the way home. It’s ‘just’ a monitoring scan, and it’s ‘only’ two bus-journeys. I’ve probably been to that hospital 20-odd times since the haemorrhage, I ‘know’ where it is, and how to get there. (There’s me, beating myself up about not being able to do something ‘simple.’, playing smack into the ‘cost’ of reflecting-back other people’s ‘only’, and ‘just’ terminology. I frustrated the ex by insisting on going for my scans alone, rather that ‘letting’ him drive me, I thought I could ‘stretch and challenge’ my way through. In the last full week I ever worked, I’d had to advise a new colleague that I wouldn’t be at my desk on the Wednesday afternoon, because I had a scan. “Oh, OK, what are you having scanned.” “Just my brain.”. That was a stupid, ridiculous coping mechanism, because most people could not deal with knowing that I’d had two (three) rounds of brain surgery, and was just trying to fit back into my old place in the world.)   

Every aspect of my life now is a juggling act, things that were ‘only’, and ‘just’ before aren’t any more, and I have built up ludicrous and over-complicated mechanisms and routines in order to have some semblance of functionality. I ‘just’ have to go to the Job Centre tomorrow. All of the documents and evidence I need/want to show the work coach have been in a neat pile, ready to go, for 3 days. The appointment is the earliest one she has available, she’s normalised the fact that I don’t ‘do’ afternoon appointments. (While the system she’s working within still has an overarching expectation that I’m available for any/all work...) I’ll allow half an hour to walk there, just short of a mile, but I allow time-and-one-half of my previous walking pace, in case I have to deviate my route, for hills I can’t climb, roadworks that overload my sensitive brain, or light coming through fences or trees at ‘weird’ angles. Of course, I won’t ‘just’ go to the Job Centre. The effort involved in walking into the village is draining, I can’t do that every day, so I’ll bundle-up the other tasks that can be done into the one trip. At a cost. Financially, I’ll pay a bill that isn’t due for two weeks, and go into the supermarket, to avoid multiple trips to the corner shop for over-priced ‘bits’. The lighting and noise in the supermarket, post office, and Job Centre will overload me, and I’ll spend the rest of the day kicking myself for being unable to do pretty much anything else. (The ex is working overtime for the summer ‘shutdown’ at his work, the days he has our son have changed, messing up the days I cook, luckily, the boy is with his grandparents on he afternoon of the Job Centre appointment, he’s seeing too much of the costs I pay recently. “Do you need me to rummage for food today, Mother?” has become too frequent an occurrence, on the days he can see that I have no ‘spare’ energy to cook.)

So, tomorrow I’ll find out what my new ‘claimant commitment’ is. The generic-vague wording on the letter refers to sanctions being imposed if I fail to complete ‘tasks your work coach sets, to prepare for work.’, I’m cringing at the prospect of being sent to the town centre, for ‘courses’ on how to format an application letter for work that the systems have now decided I have ‘limited capacity’ for. The costs of those wouldn’t just be the bus-fare, the ‘lost’ hours sitting in a room being patronised, or the sensory overload of being out of the house. The genuine cost to me is knowing how hopelessly skewed these systems are, that I have a letter declaring ‘limited capacity’, but will be allocated generic-universal tasks that will eat into that capacity.

I’m one of the ‘lucky’ ones, that the 2017 benefit cuts won’t have the full impact on. (Unlucky that I didn’t understand the systems ‘then’ as well as I do now, if I’d been able to navigate better then, and not been ‘too proud to beg’ when the union rep told me to sign on at the Job Centre before the termination of my employment, I would have been just within the cut-off window.) I’m lucky because I was ‘awarded’ PIP disability benefit, but the cost of that protracted process has been immense. Almost 18 months of paranoia about being ‘sent for’ a computer-generated job I knew I wouldn’t be capable of sustaining, on top of the ‘guilty until proven innocent’ DWP disability process have taken a huge toll on me. I have the PIP-award, so the stealth-dismantling of the Employment Support Allowance system won’t hit me as hard as it will some. (Nine months in arrears with all of my utility providers is still a hit, and I need to factor in time to speak to them to resolve that next week, juggling functional hours again, I can’t spare the processing time this week, because I have the Job Centre appointment, and my son has a resit exam that’s causing him anxiety.) 

The cost to other people, that the ‘ESA’ system is being subsumed into Universal Credit will have an impact. I’ve had various professionals completely unaware that the old ‘allowance’ doesn’t actually exist any more, that the goalposts have been moved, and people with ‘some’ disabilities will no longer qualify. I partially qualify, my ‘limited capacity’ box has been ticked, which is every bit as effective in real terms as a kid bringing a note from their Mum, to be excused from PE because they have a chest infection, and the PE teacher deciding that means they can ‘stand and watch’, in the rain. Job Centre frontline staff are as medically trained as PE teachers, and those of us with disabilities will be sent out onto the hockey pitch, to hand out bibs, or watch corner flags, to make sure nobody steals them, in the skewed-view that we’ll have a sense of inclusion and achievement through doing something we know is worthless. 

It’s the ‘universal’ assumption that’s so damaging, both in terms of the ‘if you can walk, you can dance’ mindset within the unemployment system, and the wider nastiness that’s starting to be acknowledged. Invisible disabilities are difficult. They’re difficult to have, and they’re difficult to understand. I ‘can’ usually wobble far enough down the bus not to use the priority-disabled seats, but that’s because I micro-manage my use of public transport, setting all my appointments for as early in the day as I can, when I’m more lucid and functional. I haven’t been refused a ‘disabled’ seat, but some people have. There’s that insidious ‘not enough’ mentality creeping back in, with the various global issues making everybody anxious, making some people ‘kick downwards’. In the UK, the government is still blithely berating Blighty to belt up and be resourceful. That will rattle the cages of the minority who see disabled people as quadriplegics-only. (Much like the DWP ‘Work Capability Assessment’ system, which has notes on assessing the ability of a paraplegic to complete tasks using their other limbs...)   

The majority of people won’t see the hoops and hurdles disabled people need to manoeuvre through. A significant and vocal minority will announce that people are ‘faking it’, like some obscure uncle or neighbour they remember in the 1980s, who claimed disability for a glass back, and worked on the side shifting timber. (Yes, that’s a weird example, it’s one I overheard two older men discussing in the doctors waiting room last week.) I’m mildly irascible about the ‘universal’ response to most things. “Running helps some people to manage depression!”, does it, BBC news? That’s nice, some people are allergic to shellfish, which is exactly as relevant, because it only applies to ‘some.’ people, not all. The mental cost of explaining to people that there are certain things I can’t do, and certain things I find very difficult has become too much for me, so I’ve stopped doing it. The last couple of years have thrown me into enormous introspection about what I ‘can’ safely do, with the Job Centre on one side assuming I can take ‘any/all suitable vacancies’, and the PIP system on the other side, stating ‘as she can manage her own appointments, she has no cognitive impairments.’ (Side-rage, at having to write things down multiple times to secure them, and have visual reminders, multiple mobile/email reminders, and considerable anxiety about accessing every damned appointment...)   

The majority of people, those without disabilities or other impairments, only see what we ‘can’ do, because most of ‘us’ end up working-around what we can’t do. At a cost. That the majority don’t see.          

[uoclimatereport]

On the South Slough

Early last Friday morning, Emily and I pulled ourselves out of bed and made our way towards the coast for one final trip to the South Slough. We knew we needed to get into the water in order to fully immerse ourselves into the Reserve’s unique habitat, and simultaneously dive deeper into our story. We connected with Eric Dean, the South Slough Reserve’s Education Program Specialist, and arranged for a kayak tour.

After attempting for weeks to find a time that worked for both our schedules and the daily schedules of the tides, we finally made a plan to meet at 10 am in the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology (OIMB) parking lot. We were slightly late due to an unfortunate smoothie accident that resulted in one backpack causality, but Eric was gracious and greeted us with a beaming smile regardless. Next to Eric stood Bethany, who was serving as a summer intern for the Reserve. They helped us with our gear and loaded us into Eric’s pickup truck.

As we climbed the winding road with our four kayaks in tow, Emily wasted no time in getting to know our hosts. She asked them things like how their names were spelled, their positions, and whether they thought the big clear cut we had just passed had any effect on the estuary beneath it. It was a treat to see her in action, and I think Eric and Bethany were surprised and honored to see a ‘student’ journalist operating under such professionalism.

We soon arrived at our destination of Hinch Bridge, and I realized it was my turn to go to work. I had my camera, three lenses, my iPhone, my GoPro, and three new dry bags to test out. The rest of them already had their kayaks in the water while I was still rearranging, double checking seals, and uttering panicked prayers to myself. Because estuaries are “where the river meets the sea,” the water we were getting into was salty and could destroy my camera with as little as a splash. With Bethany holding my kayak steady, I held my breath and pushed off. There were some wobbles, but I made a conscious effort not to overcorrect.  The tide was moving in much faster than I had thought, as was evidenced by the complete disappearance of a sandbar that was showing only ten minutes prior to us putting in. The wind was also a factor, although it was nothing compared to the first time our team came to Hinch Bridge.

Seeing that we were all ready and stable, Eric began to lead us up the finger of the slough. I quickly found that I would have to choose my photo opportunities wisely since clicking the shutter meant I couldn’t paddle, and not paddling could quickly turn my boat sidewise – leading to possible flipping. But as we got into a rhythm of pulling and dragging, the two motions competed less with one another, and I could maneuver my way around shots more easily.

At a particularly quiet section of the route, Eric pointed at what looked liked mailboxes attached to the top of old posts coming out of the water. “Those are nesting huts for the purple martins,” he said. Sure enough, just as he said this, a purple martin flew over our heads and landed on the box, which set off an eruption of peeps from its chicks. I could see their little beaks opening and closing as they impatiently waited to be fed. With bat-like speed, purple martins help keep the mosquito population under control, which is important in a wetland environment. The South Slough Reserve maintains boxes for the birds because purple martins have suffered nationwide habitat loss due to industrial logging, and similar species competition. I let the others go on without me, and waited until dad came back to feed the babies.

When I caught up with the group, Eric was describing to Emily where there had previously been flourishing beds of eelgrass. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), eelgrass is “one of nature’s most valuable and productive habitats in the marine environment.” However, researchers at the slough have discovered that eelgrass patches have been disappearing at a rapid pace for unknown reasons. It felt eerie knowing this as we drifted under trees that had dead eelgrass draped around their branches.

Past the eelgrass graveyard, we saw glimpses of an elusive blue heron. We also saw huge turkey vultures, seagulls, and beautiful white egrets in the distance. Sadly though, as we got closer to Valino Island, our guide noticed that conditions were changing for the worst. In the volatile tidal zone of the estuary, water can go from calm to two-foot waves in a matter of minutes. Therefore, we regrettably had to turn around and let the current sweep us back to our starting point.

When we returned to the bridge, the water level had changed so much that certain landmarks where completely missing. We loaded up the boats and just like that, Emily and I were back on the road to Eugene. We’re happy we went, and definitely got some usable material that we didn’t have before, but I can’t say that I’m completely satisfied.

We are doing a story on place. Yet, I still don’t feel familiar with the South Slough. I feel like I know it as well as someone who goes on vacation to a resort town during high season. I haven’t seen the slough on its worst days when the sun hasn’t shone for weeks and the rain casts everything in a permanent grey. I haven’t seen the season’s change, or the birds gathering in the water at sunrise, and I’ve never heard the sounds of the slough at night. So how can I really know this place, and appreciate how its persevered in light of the many challenges it's faced? The truth is, I can’t.

In order to know a place, you have to know how it changes, and in order to recognize that change, you need to either stay in one place long enough to observe it, or come back. As journalists covering stories about environments and climate change, I think that it’s important to be committed to seeing that change through. Obviously in our lifetime, we may not see the drastic changes in our environment that scientists are predicting, however, we can document what we see, and hear, now so that our work may be useful for comparison for future generations. We can also make efforts to produce more long-form journalism pieces. Not all things change as quickly as the estuary tides, some things take longer to see, like a purple martin feeding his hatchling, or much longer, climate change. If we are impatient, we may miss something important, or at least meaningful.

Jessica Smith | 8.30.18

[canyouhearthechurchbellsringing]

#48: HOLY HELL I FORGOT BEN HAD A YOUTUBE

03/19/17

Please refer to the title for the opening line. I am a moron. My mind’s been pulled in so many directions I forgot about the YouTube links in entry #24 completely. I don’t even blame Darek for that; it was my own oversight.

Ben has been quite active, shall we say, in my ignorance… what follows is an analysis of every video uploaded to the Ben Fiinix YouTube channel.

First Video: There is a distinct cut during the video in which Ben loses his alcohol and glasses. I suspect Mark may have done something here. Forest imagery is heavily present in all videos and may imply significance to that forest path in Ben’s neighborhood.

Additionally, several numbers are present in the title. Some refer to the filming date (and possibly time?) but there are certainly extra numbers in the string that have no apparent value. If Darek has taught me anything it is that accidents are rare when dealing with the Figments. Those numbers must mean something.

Second video: The numbers in the title recur here. I think the person writing the titles and descriptions is Mark. It makes the most sense. Chameleon and Zanark have a distinct communication style so that rules them out. Mark can control Ben like Darek controls me. Therefore he is most likely responsible for uploading the vlogs.

This entry details some irrelevant things like Ben taking up smoking again. I don’t blame him; he clearly is heavily stressed even over a year ago. He brings up a security app as a method of catching his hacker. It obviously is never brought up again as he can not technically call Mark a typical hacker. There is also an image of Veronika with a hooded figure cut into the entry. Could it be Mark?

Monaco: This is a video of Ben claiming he does not want to bad-mouth me and then proceeding to talk shit. I mean, he isn’t dishonest in a lot of what he says, just subjective. Despite the schism between us I still see the old friend I grew to trust like a brother. I hope one day we can reconcile our differences.

Here is another interesting tidbit about this video. The song that starts playing at the end is called Anna. Did Mark do that for me to see specifically?

GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY PHONE YOU COCKBITES: Here we see Ben’s outraged side in its natural habitat. There is a lot going on in this video that deeply troubles me and I wish I had seen it sooner. It was uploaded on Alice’s birthday. It was precluded by a video shown in between cuts that directly involves Alice. Most of the videos contain messages hidden within them for Ben to find, it seems, but I am also seeing things that clearly involve me. I do not know if Mark is the one leaving those clues, like the song in the last video and the message in this one. At this point in time(late March), it seems Chameleon had influence over Mark and used Ben to fuck with my head. I don’t like it. I’m even more uneasy about the future now.

There’s also a reference made here to Mammoth being victimized by ADDICT. I made some notes back in entry #11 about how I suspected based on Facebook evidence that ADDICT may have long ago completely coinhabited Mammoth’s mind. The two really are indistinguishable personality-wise.

Envelope: This video contains footage of a hooded figure, obviously Mark, placing the envelope for Ben to find. This presumably occurred during the strange camera cut before Ben was panicked running down the street. It reinforces the theory that the hooded figure beside Casey/Veronika was Mark in the second video.

There’s a lot going on with the coded messages in this video. As far as the ¾ code, I will save my in-depth thoughts for a later video. I have a pretty strong lead with evidence gathered and want to pursue it more before commenting on my thoughts. I will however say that the party in the pictures occurred when Casey and I were together, but the pictures show her with Ben specifically. This may strengthen the Mark-Veronika relationship hypothesis.

I also do not think the capitalization code was necessarily deciphered correctly. It could be “Ben, remember what was” or it could be “remember what was, Ben.” Semantics, I know, but there is one more possibility. “Remember what Ben was.” Could Mark be a version of Ben akin to a former self? It is a thought-provoking possibility regarding the general relationship between Figments and hosts.

Rememberance[sic]: Casey’s death really seemed to hurt Ben like it hurt the rest of us. I guess this is what made him hate me so much. He blames me for her death, and I can’t fault him for that. I blame myself as well. Actually I blame Darek, but Ben doesn’t believe in him.

Anyway, most of this is a drunken reminiscence and Ben dancing around the fact that he had feelings for Casey. That’s about as honest as I was concerning Ali in the early entries. While it shows the same social politics, that does not give me any clues about the circumstances surrounding us. One key puzzle piece(pun intended) this video introduced is the blue Mega Blok which has been present in past vlogs. According to Ben’s testimony, it is an object he cannot seem to get rid of. I’ll speak about it more in later video summaries.

A final note for this one: it contains footage from the last video that makes no sense. In the Alice video, it shows Ben saying “she’s really gone”. This was in late March. Casey died on May 14th. Rememberance features a clip of Ben saying this same line in the same context about Casey. How could this footage possibly have existed before he filmed it? The implications here make me scared to consider. This could only be possible if time were being manipulated… right? If that isn’t the answer, it’s something scarier. No rational explanation can justify this. Just how powerful are these entities we have been dealing with?

Forest Video: Third in the series of videos containing numbers in their titles, this video is the first to really heavily represent the previously mentioned forest motif found in the videos. As far as I can discern, Ben was taken here by Mark for some unknown reason. Ben seems to be very confused regarding his general situation in the video. He will bring this up himself in a later video which is blatantly related to events in this video. For now I do not have any special comments I feel need to be added.

Music Video: This one was interesting. It was posted in September but I suspect it took place at an earlier date given the next video. I have done my best to recreate the message in this video for you to read.

"Is there anybody out there? My name is Mark Graves. Is there anybody out there? Hello, my name is Mark. I’m your mind sending out an SOS. Tell the mad Chameleon I’m not afraid of [???a voice without a?] face anymore. I found [??? Likely 'a friend’] on the other side [???] kill Chameleon. [???] words unspoken. Soul of the night, I bring you a message. Listen to me. Two worlds are warring. In your mind's eye you'll see reality falling apart again. [???] Starting over again…”

After this everything becomes slowed down including Castle of Glass, the song Ben was originally playing. A lot of the punctuation in this is theoretical as punctuation is largely inflection which is hard to convey using broken up song lyrics. I’m still toying with a comma or two deciding whether or not I’m getting the correct message. For the most part it is refreshingly blatant.

Mark, Ben’s own version of Darek, is sending the message to reach out to Ben. Because of the assistance of someone on the other side(Zanark) plans are being made to kill Chameleon. A tiny piece of audio is too distorted to make out here, so this is largely speculation on my part as go the specific meaning of the phrase “kill Chameleon” and the previous line. The line about reality falling apart likely refers to the recent events shown in Ben’s last video and how he is clearly still being targeted.

There is nothing to infer apart from what the video itself reveals. This message will also be mentioned by Ben later so any detective work is already taken care of for it. It does show off a unique and previously unused method of communication by Mark that I will have to look out for. Perhaps music plays a bigger part in past videos than I suspected. For example, does this mean Mark played the song Anna in the third video? What about the songs in Rememberance?

Vacation Footage: In September, Ben went to visit Mammoth in California for a week. The video record of it was filmed entirely from Mammoth’s phone. It contained several candid moments which implied the entities were making his phone record. Part of the footage was of a short hiking trip at Lake Tahoe and the majority of it is the two getting drunk for Mammoth’s birthday.

The blue Mega Blok showed up around 2:48 in. It is an easy thing to miss but it proves Ben’s point in Rememberance that he can’t seem to be rid of it. If Mark didn’t subtly place it there off-camera, some random kid left it there and this is a huge coincidence. But as I mentioned in the analysis of the first video, I don’t believe in coincidences when it comes to the Figments.

I’ve mentioned before a connection between Ben and Zanark as well as Chameleon and Mammoth. This theory is evidenced as early as entry #11 and was reinforced in the last video. Proof on Mammoth’s end shines through with a clip of him just laughing insanely. In the same clip is the sound of television static, mimicking a moment in entry #43 inside the black cloud. At this point I believe Chameleon has not lost influence over Mark. However, he seems to be more interested in using ADDICT as his pawn as Mark clearly harbors deep resentment for Chameleon, choosing to ally with Zanark instead. There are some undertones in the second half of the video in which you could tell it was not Ben talking to Mammoth but Mark talking to ADDICT. All the while Zanark and Chameleon’s hold over them paints their motivations. For example, Ben mentioned that his fingerprints were the ones on the envelope, obviously trying to work out that this is because he himself put it together. Mammoth goes so far as to suggest someone stole his fingerprints with silly putty. It was a scare tactic that probably made Chameleon smile. Keep the victim thinking the threat is on the outside. Keep them paranoid and vulnerable from within.

There is some extra possible leads to note in here. The last excerpt of Ben singing the song Shepard of Fire by Avenged Sevenfold may contain pertinent lyrics given how music is obviously a chosen communication method by Mark. Several of the earlier lyrics may contain hints as well if that is the case.

Investigating: At twenty two minutes and nineteen seconds long, there is a lot to garner from this video. It contains a lot to support what I’ve already observed. Ben even flat out suggests on his own that the videos were put up for him to see personally.

He has been silent on social media for half a year at this point. He says this is because the hackers delete his posts so he gave up on even trying at a point. As the video goes on it splices in footage from different recordings. One of those recordings is an early theorizing session that leads to the woods again. It is in this video that Ben brings up the inconsistencies with his statements in the earlier video. It is possible that the forest for him acts as the dark cloud did for me, corroding the neural network and breaking the occupant’s sanity. Another clip contains the 4/4 code on Ben’s literal wall. As well, there is the main video which is Ben’s own analysis of the entities, and a few isolated clips with some interesting occurrences.

The filtered video of the forest recurs here. Is Ben wandering the same forest as I did in entry #43, only his own darker perception of it? He encounters a doppelganger of himself at the end which I can only assume is Mark Graves. In the opening clip, Ben reveals that the blue Mega Blok has been replaced by a red one, and at the end we see exactly how the switch occurred. Mark gave him the red block, and every time it appears in the video, Ben becomes noticeably agitated. Mark says in the woods that Zanark’s protection is running thin. This suggests that the blue block was a sort of talisman provided by Zanark. It’s disappearance also seems to mean that Chameleon has power over Mark again, given the corrupted music and the decline in Ben’s mental health. This brings me to a big theory I’ve been crafting this entire investigation.

I think Chameleon can possess the Figments like Figments possess the host. It makes a lot of sense given the evidence presented. The attacks on all of us seem highly coordinated despite Madrik claiming each Figment has an individual will. If we assume Chameleon can use the Figments to act on his behalf while controlling their host, a lot adds up. In the forest portion of the blog audio clearly shows Mark is no fan of Chameleon’s, just like the music message implied. Mark seems to want to help Ben. So why would he cut Ben off from the outside world completely? He didn’t. He is being forced by a presence beyond the Outer Layer which can move between the Figments at will. It may even account for Darek’s habit of helping me one day and hurting me the next. Chameleon and Zanark might exist on an entirely different level than previously assumed. They are so deep in all of our minds they can appear to be an outside presence. It is almost conclusive based on what I have observed.

Between the code in this video, the envelope video, and my twitter account, I am piecing together a key phrase that may lead to important revelations. As stated previously, I’ll save this for my next update. In Ben’s analysis, he finally admits he is just as crazy as the rest of us. The videos always prominently displayed it, but in person Ben is experienced at keeping his inner madness hidden. Seeing him confess the truth is a pretty big deal to someone who knew him in another life.

He also discusses something interesting which links him to Zanark. The name comes from his past. I actually knew of this character from Richee, who created the RPG and referenced Zane occasionally. I just never put two and two together as the character was always referred to as simply Zane. A potential decoding of one of the envelope codes could be relevant here. “Remember what Ben was”. Zanark just might be a past version of Ben when he was younger and more compassionate, before Mark’s obsession with vengeance overtook that part of him. I’m unsure if this is an accurate theory as it is based partly on speculation, but there is a definite connection between the two.

That concludes the video analysis. I have one more thing to bring up relating to Ali that happened while I was looking into the videos. I had been gearing up to question her regarding Kendra and all I had learned. I fully intended to reveal the truth to her about my renewed investigation. The cat’s out of the bag already, though. She caught me watching Ben’s videos.

It was the video containing Alice’s birthday video. I remember it well because it is the reason things went so poorly. I was researching it after giving it a bit of a wide berth for a while. I wasn’t really in the best frame of mind.

“What are you watching?” She asked. The tone if voice implied it wasn’t a question.

“I’m sorry, but,” I stammered, “I can’t hide from this anymore. This isn’t just about me. It’s happening to our friends too. Don’t you care about them?”

“Of course I do!” She said. “This isn’t something I can’t help them with though. Ben never answers my calls anymore. The last time I talked to Jake he seemed really out of it and he wouldn’t respond with more than one or two words. What do you expect to do?”

“Get to the bottom of this illness.” I said simply, my eyes glued to the computer screen, doing their best to ignore her. There was a sinking in my chest as the conversation progressed. “If I can figure out what is causing this, I can help somehow! I’m so close to a lead…”

“Mat, you always say that. You were saying that when we first had this conversation. You’re never going to find answers. Every answer is another question and you know that. So why are you even bothering to play into Darek’s games?”

“Are you seriously asking me that? Thats a little hypocritical if you ask me.” I laughed bitterly. “This coming from the girl who talked to that psycho? Who fell in love with him and let him tell you what you could tell me?”

She pouted at me. “Don’t make it about that.”

“But that IS all it’s about! You and Darek. Are you even really Ali right now?” I searched desperately for the truth, for the arguments I’d crafted from my entries. “Because if you are, you’re being played. We both are! They’re making these things happen against our will!”

“But it is our will.” Ali said calmly. I could sense a demeanor shift. “They’re extensions of us, and they’re defense mechanisms used to help us survive. Their games are harmless to us, Mat. If anything, you should just trust yourself more to be able to handle whatever comes. This obsession is not beneficial to you.”

“But it isn’t harmless! They can clearly be influenced to perform malicious actions! And what about the doorway, and that dark cloud? You read entry #43 too; I know you did!”

“… they were just dreams, Mat. It wasn’t real.”

Something about that, about the way she said it, struck me like a knife in the back. A white hot flame leapt into my eyes and everything got real fuzzy. I’m pretty sure I broke her precious bong at some point in my unawareness. That sobered me up real quick and I realized I was letting Darek get to me. Something about what she said had set him off on a rampage. Ali teared up and ran from the room without another word.

Sullenly, I set about the task of restoring order to Ali’s room. I think she knew about what I was doing. She was one of the ten early followers to my blog. I don’t doubt she saw me update and just decided not to say anything about it until now. I did my best to quote the exact conversation. Looking back I wonder how much Kendra and Darek had to do with this little argument.

So at least I am mostly free to stop sneaking around now. Ali may not want to talk about the investigation but at least she won’t stop me from making my own choices. I’ll update as soon as I have anything new to share.