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preemshots · 3 years

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johnny + the nomads lore

alright, i know this is a screenshots blog but i'm going to go ahead and start dropping some juicy lore tidbits as i dig them up. part of what i'm doing outside of just photo diarying is shard hunting, and BOY is there a lot the game likes to hide in those little shards for idiots like me who like to read so we can write unnecessarily accurate fanfiction!

full disclosure, i know jack shit about the TTRPG/cyberpunk 2020 rulebook except what i read in the wikis.

so here’s my lore roundup so far of everything i know about johnny joining the nomads

we know johnny likes to narrate v’s quest objectives. here’s the first mention where he says it himself:

during the voodoo boys quest "transmission" there's a shard in the maglev tunnels beside the ice bath, presumably from brigitte's research into johnny in the first place:

okay, so the timeline is this: johnny joins the nomads after trying and failing to rescue alt. johnny hides out in the badlands for some years. then he and rogue come back to night city and nuke arasaka tower help alt escape the arasaka subnet by uploading liberator to their network once and for all.

this ultimately makes sense. in alt’s flashback, we meet santiago, who is a nomad/connected to nomads, joins rogue and johnny when they're trying to get alt back, and eventually becomes the leader of the aldecaldos.

part of santiago’s TTRPG lore is that he, johnny, and rogue have to lay low in the badlands with nomads after they storm arasaka headquarters (i am aware the game takes many liberties with the original lore so who knows the full accuracy of anything from the original rulebooks)

ENDING spoilers: in the rogue+johnny storming AHQ ending, it's revealed that rogue has a son while they're prepping for the job. if you eavesdrop on her calling him while you're at the afterlife, you hear her tell her son to (paraphrasing here) "pull over and look at the stars", which immediately made my brain go to: nomad, badlands, santiago = dad? maybe. (santiago also canonically has a son according to the TTRPG lore)

this immediately reminded me of another interesting shard that i believe you can find in multiple locations around night city: “"what REALLY happened in arasaka tower?“

i love this dang shard. at first i thought it was just a cute conspiracy with some juicy gossip (and i love how 99% of the shards that mention johnny in this game are reminding us that he's not a real rebel, he's a poser) but it brings some interesting shit together

one: it tells us where johnny got his hands on the nukes! he and the nomads jumped a militech convoy and jacked some bombs!

which is never directly explained, even as saburo arasaka is interrogating him shortly before using soulkiller. very nice of johnny to protect his homies like that.

...or maybe he didn’t. saburo emphasizes that the dead don’t lie like the living do, and we don’t know what exactly arasaka did to johnny’s construct in mikoshi.

it also explains why the obvious media narrative is that militech nuked arasaka, a nice neat political bow to the end of the fourth corpo wars, which is an entire section of the TTRPG lore that makes my eyes cross when i read it.

it also makes the star/nomads ending extremely interesting, because i originally believed it was the ending where V’s journey deviates the most from rewalking johnny’s path... which also has weird implications if the johnny’s nomad era is being kept from v.

(this also leads into my belief that the star ending/the devil ending are narratively two sides of the same coin, but that’s a WHOLE ANOTHER POST for another day.)

TWO, just straight up the fact that they turned the raid where they actually obtained the nukes into an action flick BD that pretty much ANYONE could watch. who the hell was doing that??

well, who else other than the guy who johnny (optionally) punched the shit out of for filming alt's death: thompson, media guy, and according to rogue, “bad luck”. because you know, recording your crimes is straight up evidence that can be used against you.

during the alt flashback we meet thompson, and just after that in cyberspace before meeting alt, johnny tells v that he has no idea what happened to him and that they never worked together again.

oh, johnny, you lying bastard man

this is blatantly untrue, and if V even had two braincells and better memory than a goldfish they'd know this--in the first flashback sequence where johnny and rogue nuke arasaka tower, thompson is on the comms as they ride the AV towards AHQ, questioning their plans and use of violence.

which leaves me with some questions, like where the fuck is thompson, why does johnny keep lying about this, why doesn't johnny say almost anything about how you interact with the aldecaldo clan nonstop throughout the game when he himself may have been a member of the family for some time?? is he continuing to protect the nomad clan that saved his ass? we know that a lot of his flashbacks are unreliable at best, that johnny changes shit up as desired when presenting V with his memories.

in 2077, you can also find that there’s a remake of “badlands raid” in the shard “new release braindances” that is pretty much everywhere. that shard doesn’t add much, but does mention something along the lines of “many people don’t know the ending of the original” which probably means johnny punched thompson out for filming again, or something.

my running theories: rogue ditched santiago and the aldecaldos with johnny and thompson to nuke arasaka tower, and when johnny died she was stuck looking for (heavily implied by johnny here:) corpo sellout ways to survive.

adam smasher obviously has something to do with this since johnny/rogue's vendetta against the guy isn't entirely clear beyond the smokescreen of "he killed johnny and he sucks". i have done 0 research into this though i'm tired of typing okay

i obviously cannot be certain i have found everything related to this in the game as i’m not even done with this playthrough where i’m trying to pay attention, but i hope this is fun for someone else to dig into.

enjoy, fellow silverhand freaks

EDIT: additional findings

ALRIGHT I HAVE DONE MORE DIGGING AND I AM BACK WITH MORE NOMAD/JOHNNY FINDINGS. these ones are kind of a bummer but VERY interesting.

there’s a shard called “excerpts from a history of the nomads by bb pires” that goes into detail about how nomads came to be

there’s an interesting quote in it: It's hard to imagine a group less inclined to wandering than farmers, but in fact they were the ones who sparked the age of nomads. Natural catastrophes, crops ravaged by bioplagues, armed conflicts and martial law allowing corporations to speculate and privatize land - all this forced them into a life on the road.

when you ask johnny why he wants to take down arasaka, he begins by referencing this himself!!

it’s a little awkward to imagine a nomad V doesn’t also know what he’s referencing, but hey, V is the fool because we are as players and that’s only one life path... so sure.

johnny also has unique dialogue during this scene about a nomad origin V, telling them that he’s been trying to understand how V thinks, and came to the conclusion that “their family was a crutch” and essentially made them stupid because they always had a safety net (lmao johnny calling v privileged basically)

BUT this also may reference why johnny would find it confusing as hell that V doesn’t immediately share the views he does when nomads, in terms of values, seem to be more aligned with johnny than V is. but once again V is the fool for a reason and this is all my own speculation so YOU KNOW.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, at the end of chippin’ in, when you ask johnny what he meant by letting down his friends... santiago is named directly

i thought this was interesting since the only glimpse of their relationship that we get is seeing johnny meeting santiago via the alt flashback for the first time.

so now it’s obvious that while johnny and rogue were with the nomads their friendship developed, and johnny went on to disappoint santiago in some way by being his normal dickhead self

but HOW? how did he disappoint santiago? is santiago even still alive?? did smasher kill santiago and is this why rogue mentions during chippin’ in that she wants smasher to “settle a score” moreso than avenge johnny??

the only additional hints i have are from this shard, which you can find at the aldecaldos camp: “nomads at ground zero”

i’m just gonna transcribe here and bold for emphasis:

It was no secret that Night Corp offered generous pay and, in some cases, free cyberware and biomonitor upgrades to anyone willing to help clean up the crater of radioactive rubble at AHQ ground zero. Some firsthand accounts recall the incessant ticking of Geiger counters, like the loud buzz of cicadas in summer. In retrospect, we can only guess how many "crater cleaners" lost their lives to radiation sickness shortly thereafter. Both the city government and Night Corp have claimed casualties were kept to a minimum, while providing no official statistics to substantiate the claim. That being said, they have never been under pressure to release such figures. After all, most rescue, engineering, and rubble cleanup teams were not local Night Citizens, but nomads. Surprised you didn't know? Don't be. It is a fact many history courses tend to overlook. The city employed hundreds of nomad mercenaries, primarily from clans in Aldecaldo nation. These nomads were hungry for gainful work and the city needed experts who were not only experienced but brave enough to knowingly put their lives on the line - all so Arasaka could one day erect another tower in its place. But history is not without its sense of irony. These nomads, who so deliberately live outside our so-called "system," came to its very rescue. Not for the first time. And not for the last.

a main theme we find in this game is the idea that the system of corps and exploitation cannot be stopped by grandiose rebellious gestures--no amount of samurai songs, assassinating mayors, or even planting nukes in towers will change things. yet johnny, his friends and mercs at atlantis in the 2020s, including rogue, chose to rebel any way they could, thinking it better than not. johnny criticizes her lack of rebellious spirit CONSTANTLY in 2077.

but ultimately, johnny, trapped in mikoshi, didn’t get to see the outcome of what detonating the AHQ nukes did to night city’s fragile ecosystem. rogue, however, did--and likely watched their former allies, the aldecaldos, be forced to take dangerous work at AHQ’s ground zero (from lack of other opportunities as detailed in this shard), then die from radiation sickness throughout the following decades, all as a result of what she and johnny did to try and fight the system. and she also watched all the former mercenaries of atlantis be hunted down by arasaka.

so rogue sees firsthand what the cost of rebellion is and johnny doesn’t. and nomads, considered the most free of any of the factions we encounter in the game, are the cost.

#lore post #johnny silverhand #cyberpunk 2077 #cyberpunk2077 #cp2077 #cyberpunk lore

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midethefangirl · 3 years

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Captain America: Civil War - My Thoughts

I know this is like 5 years late but for this, I’d like to resurrect a barely dead discourse that succeeded in not just dividing the Avengers but also dividing the fandom. Before we start, content warning for spoilers and let’s dive into this mess.

So, basically, the entire conflict of civil war stemmed from General Thaddeus Ross (who is a hypocritical dick, btw) coming to lecture the Avengers on being destructive despite conducting destructive experiments (ahem, the Abomination and the Hulk) but I digress. Then, Ross presents the Sokovian Accords which is really lengthy and we see Steve reading like a few chapters(?). Now, let us note that the Accords were presented to the Avengers after a mission-gone-wrong killed about 11 people in Lagos (lay-gos, not lah-gos that pronunciation gave me headaches as a Nigerian).

So, the Sokovian Accords were written by 117 countries and vetted by the UN asking for the Avengers to be under oversight (which SHIELD would have done if HYDRA hadn’t infiltrated it in the first place but it is what it is). Somehow, Steve made it about “our right to choose” (how?! Cause I’m not understanding) and decided to not sign*.

*he later got back to sign, then backed out when he learnt that Tony had placed Wanda under house arrest (even though it was for her protection. I do believe Tony should have fully informed Wanda about keeping her in the Avengers’ Tower)

My issues with the plot of Civil War are:

1. The Sokovian Accords were not read out loud or placed on some kind of PowerPoint slide for the audience to understand why Team Cap is against the Accords. No, the fandom wiki is not a source because that one is from Agents of SHIELD and not a lot of MCU fans are familiar with that show (yours sincerely included). Assuming the contents were read out loud or discussed by the Avengers, I’d have understood why Team Cap refused to sign the accords but since none of that was given, I’d remain Team Iron Man for this one.

2. The Sokovian Accords is not the American Constitution. Then again, the MCU fandom tends to be American-centric and most Americans seem to have this belief that the world revolves around them (and it manifests itself in Civil War discourse).

3. Contrary to popular opinion, the Sokovian Accords were about 117 (mostly third-world) countries asserting their sovereignty and boundaries, not taking away rights from the Avengers. If we go by what the MCU wiki claims about the accords, yes, some parts are absurd (like asking for blood samples and using trackers, why are those necessary?). However, when 117 countries state that they want you to respect their boundaries, I think it is best to comply. Unfortunately, respecting boundaries is one thing the USA has a problem complying with and guess who happens to represent America?

4. The Accords affected only their hero lives, not their lives as a civilian. I doubt the UN would limit the Avengers’ movements as civilians

5. Let us not forget how Steve and Clint protect Wanda from accountability and responsibility. Wanda in the MCU is like y/n in many fanfics where everyone (except for the “big bad villain” who in this case is Tony and 117 countries) seems to love her and want to protect her from facing the consequences of her actions. Anyone *ahem Tony* who has a bit of problem with her is suddenly the enemy. Not to mention how Wanda seems to have a knack for causing destruction in African countries (Johannesburg, Lagos, Wakanda)

6. And fandom behaviour from the Team Cap stans

7. Also, why is Civil War not an Avengers part 3? It’s better than making it a Captain America trilogy and then trying to frame Steve as being right.

8. I do believe that the accords were sped up which left little time for the Avengers to discuss and compromise on certain issues. If they were given more time to discuss, compromise and negotiate, I think the movie would have ended better than it had.

9. In addition, I also agree with Team Cap stans on how the UN arbitrarily deciding to shoot Bucky on sight is a human right violation.

10. “The safest hands are our own” why does this sound like a white saviour talk point from Steve? The accords is about 117 countries wanting you to respect their boundaries and the best you can come up with to refute that is saying something a white saviour would say?

11. “Even if the whole world is telling you to move...” just shut the fuck up, this is no way comparable to 117 countries trying to assert their sovereignty.

12. Look if I have to choose between surrendering a few rights as a hero and just dismissing that of civilians as potential damage, I’d go with the former because the people whom I’m suppose to protect come first. For me to dismiss their deaths as “we can’t save em all” is just not it.

13. “She’s just a kid”, a few years later and I still hate that term. One, it’s infantilizing an adult white woman (something white men have historically done and we all know how that went) . Two, while Tony was obviously wrong for not informing Wanda about her house arrest, he was right to keep her in the Tower when they were people who would harm her with every chance they could find. **

** after watching WandaVision, some people might find every reason to want to harm her.

14. Let us also discuss the motivation of those in Team Iron Man vs Team Cap

Team Iron Man

Tony: feels guilty for the events of Age of Ultron, believes that he’s stepped out of line and the Avengers need oversight.

Natasha: believes that the Avengers should listen to the public and the UN after all, if they had one hand on the wheel, they can still steer.

Vision: believes that the Avengers as a whole bring challenge which brings conflict and then catastrophe.

Rhodey: a soldier; believes in following orders especially when it is from the UN and 117 countries.

T’Challa: dude is just there to kill Bucky. I’m sure if Bucky was on team Ironman, my guy would have joined team cap, lmao 😂.

Spider-Man: not really there for a reason except to bring in Steve to Ross. I do agree that Tony shouldn’t have dragged him to the fight without Peter making an informed decision.

Team Cap

Steve: didn’t want to sign because it takes away his “right to choose”. Idk what that means or how it is relevant to the Sokovian Accords but okay. However, I understand his mistrust considering a few movies ago, we found out HYDRA had infiltrated SHIELD and as much as I believe governments are corrupt and the UN is shit, you cannot just enter a country anyhow without warning ahead of time.

Bucky: was his motivation given? I mean, I believe he joined Steve’s side to stop Zeno from unleashing the other winter soldiers. Not that that’s a bad reason, it isn’t.

Sam: again, I don’t think the movie gave us a reason for him being against the Accords. Did he also believe it was taking away his “right to choose”?

Wanda: undecided as of moment of discussion. Joined team cap because Tony placed her on house arrest. While I agree that Tony should have informed her that he was putting her under house arrest and stated the reasons why, I believe it was for good reasons especially when some people might decide to carry out witch hunts (you get it, witch hunts? 😅)

Clint: only joined because Wanda was placed under house arrest. We aren’t given any reason why he would oppose the Accords.

Scott: fan boy of Captain America, need I say more?

15. Also, to Team Cap stans blaming Tony Stark for Team Cap being imprisoned, grow the fuck up. The people in Team Cap are all adults who made their own decisions yet Tony is to blame for them breaking the law (because they did break the law), wtf.

16. “Are you capable of letting go of your ego for one damn second?” Like Steve’s ego didn’t play a part in all this too, lmao.

17. Okay, the final battle was intense and while I believe Bucky was also a victim, I can understand why Tony lashed out at him. The one to blame here is Steve because even if he had no clue Bucky was responsible for the Starks’ death, he still lied to Tony by not telling him who was responsible. It is more appalling to learn that Steve, in an attempt to “protect Tony and Bucky”, was actually covering for HYDRA!

Also, the way Steve stood emotionless while Tony watched a footage of his parents being killed. Yet, he could shield Wanda from watching the news because of how it affected her, okay.

“I can do this all day”, fuck you, Steve

18. Clint exploding at Tony is so fucking hilarious. Tony is right, Clint has a family yet he decided to fight in a war that didn’t concern him. Also, his comments about breaking backs is so tone deaf after Rhodey just broke his back!

19. If Sam was Captain America, I think Civil War wouldn’t have happened at all, from the dialogue in the Raft.

20. Overall, this movie is a fucking mess and I hate it for dividing both the Avengers and MCU fans.

Before I close with this, I want to add that I am not anti-Steve but Civil War really made me hate him. I get, Steve is supposed to be a Boy Scout and shit like that, but he’s a Gary Stu in the MCU, let’s be honest about it. Civil War should have been an Avengers movie, rather than a part of the Captain America trilogy. The Avengers should have been given more time than three days to discuss the Accords and make necessary amendments; after all that went down in Lagos, Wanda should have been made to sit out missions and maybe we could have had someone like Doctor Strange help in training her; Crossbones would have made a great villain but it is what it is; Peter’s introduction to the MCU could have been as him actually interning for the Stark Industries and forming a kind of acquaintance with Tony Stark before Tony finds out that he’s Spider-Man; Steve should have told Tony about HYDRA‘s hands in his parents’ deaths. Anyway, I’ll go read Civil War fix-it fanfics and fanfics where the Avengers are more like family. Fuck Civil War and I’m outta here.

Edit: okay this was a thought I had when I was trying to sleep but it was too good to ignore. Rhodey has a point about Steve arrogance (if that’s the correct term) in saying “the safest hands are our own” and here’s why:

Like he stated “this is not the World Security Council...neither is this SHIELD nor HYDRA” (paraphrased). This is the UN as well as 117 countries. Look, I am as anti-government as one can go and I don’t believe that the UN are reliable (plus, if we really want to go by the AoS version of the Accords, the Accords are flawed and they need amendments), however, given the US records on disrespecting boundaries in many third world countries, I can understand why 117 countries are wary about a bunch of superpowered Americans entering their country.

To us, the Avengers are saving the world. To these 117 countries and the people who have families who were killed in the crossfire (Zemo is a good example), the Avengers are a bunch of nuisances who leave destruction wherever they tread.

I am still neutral on the whole Accords as I don’t know exactly what it entails but for Steve to go “we are surrendering our rights to choose” (again, how is the Accords threatening the Avengers’ right to choose?) when asked to be under oversight is tone deaf.

#marvel cinematic universe #captain america civil war #team cap critical #mcu critical #not anti steve rogers btw #wanted to clarify #steve rogers critical

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therappundit · 3 years

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***Best of the 1st Half of 2021: SONG EDITION***

Six months into 2021 and since 2020 wrapped up...some things in the world have changed, while other things remain the same (for better or worse). Folks, it’s time to talk about rap music in 2021...

One trend definitely has continued well into 2021: the underground rap world - I’m talking the artists, the aesthetic, the sound, the full projects, every box you can think of - continues to kick the mainstream rap world’s ass. There are already signs of the two imaginary separate worlds intermingling more and more, and we will have to deal with the pros and cons of that down the line...but one thing is for sure: rap music runs deeper, and more sonically diverse than ever before, and as long as there is an internet to enlist the ears and talents of artists from all over the world, the art form will continue to divide, change shape, borrow from the old and add some new, again and again. And we will all be better for it.

So let’s dive right in. As usual there are about 1,000 more songs that I would love to cram into this list, but there are only so many spots...and I’m married with a toddler, so even though I am listening to rap music for a concerningly large portion of my day, it takes a lot of extra coffee and less sleep to keep these posts going (but it’s still worth it, I love connecting with folks over the same under-discussed but ridiculously dope songs and artists).

There are many lists but none quite like this one, here is THE RAP PUNDIT’S LIST OF THE BEST RAP SONGS FROM THE FIRST HALF OF 2021....hope you find some joints you never heard before and really enjoy. And to all of the MCs, Producers, mixers, singers, curators, readers, writers, critics - anyone that contributes something to this music I love....thank you, as always. 🙏

[Bonus joint] 55. “GANG GANG” - Polo G feat. Lil Wayne

https://soundcloud.com/polo-g/polo-g-lil-wayne-gang-gang?in=polo-g/sets/hall-of-fame-675200176

[Bonus joint] 54. “Furious Styles” - Illa Styles feat. Nickelus F https://illastyles.bandcamp.com/track/furious-styles-ft-nickelus-f

[Bonus joint] 53. “Box of Churches” - Pooh Sheisty feat. 21 Savage

https://soundcloud.com/ceo-mrpooh/box-of-churches-feat-21-savage

[Bonus joint] 52. “Beating Down Yo Block” - Monaleo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnMPEfV0bSA

[Bonus joint] 51. “BUZZERBEATER” - Rahiem Supreme feat. Al.Divino & Estee Nack

https://franksvinylrecords.bandcamp.com/track/buzzerbeater-feat-al-divino-estee-nack

50. "A Man Apart” - Rx Papi

https://soundcloud.com/rxpapi/a-man-apart-prod-by-noisy?in=rxpapi/sets/100-miles-walkin

(Face it: you’re either feelin’ the Rx flow or you’re not. The endlessly quotable MC is not always taken seriously, but similar to how the saddest clowns are most adept at masking their pain behind a smile, Papi needs to be taken seriously as a talented rap artist.)

49. “Moving On Up” - Evidence feat. Conway The Machine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F35OOXvQ4c

(Evidence, Babu, Daringer and Conway all joining forces on a record feels like a timeline altering reach between two completely different generations of elite underground hip-hop artists, but in the case of “Moving On Up”, it’s not just a “hey wouldn’t it be dope if” fantasy, it’s a sweet reality. Ev has connected with the Griselda camp before and of course the results are dope. Add this one to the list, one of the many fine moments off of Unlearning Vol. 1.)

48. “Gordon Ramsay Freestyle” - Remble

https://soundcloud.com/remble2/gordon-ramsay-freestyle-prod-by-laudiano

(An attention grabbing MC if ever I heard one, Remble clearly hails from the same camp as Drakeo The Ruler - Stinc Team - but with that flow and sense of humor, he may develop a lot more than just a strong following out on the West Coast. Look out for Remble, he is knocking on the door of blowing, he’s just one key feature away...)

47. “The Shifts” - maassai feat. AKAI SOLO

https://maassai.bandcamp.com/track/the-shifts-feat-akai-solo

(If you haven’t checked out one of 2021′s most quietly impressive albums, I cannot recommend With The Shifts enough.)

46. “BOXINABACK” - Bris feat. Alphie Blood

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3ai7WYivGo

(The career of Sacramento’s Bris was really beginning to pick up momentum in 2020...sadly, he was killed the same year. I cannot pretend to be an expert in the Sscramento rap scene, I just know that it’s been bubbling for a while, and this song really captured my attention as soon as I heard it. RIP, Bris.)

45. “Last Day Out” - Rio Da Yung OG

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB51CUUod1w

(Right before Rio Da Yung OG entered the penitentiary, he dropped “Last Day Out”, a song that perfectly captures what the rap game will be missing while he’s gone - and more brutal honesty than we are accustomed to hearing from Flint, Michigan’s punchline killer.)

44. “Thousand Miles” - MAVI

https://mavi.bandcamp.com/track/thousand-miles

(The whole EP is impressive, but I think this joint most actually captures MAVI’s rhyme skills, flow and song writing ability. With young talent like this bubbling up from the underground scene, the future of rap music is as strong as ever.)

43. “Appletree” - Valee & KiltKarter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPO2AXgZMSc

(Not necessarily a vibe that everyone will be into...but one that if you are into it, you will reap the rewards in abundance. It’s so enjoyable to hear Valee applying his unpredictable cadence to new music once again, made that much more enjoyable by the fact that he has already dropped THREE mixtapes in 2021 and it’s only July!)

42. “Next Chamber” - Peter Rosenberg feat. Method Man, Raekwon & Willie The Kid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1amHQefki98

(Admit it: this is the type of production we have all been wanting on Wu-Tang albums for years. We won’t get it, but this is closer to the sound that they represented....and of course let’s not forget about the always welcome WTK feature, who does more than hold his own over the NY legends.)

41. “St. James Liquor” - Skyzoo feat. Aaria

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWC_tFzqUz8

(Pen game’s don’t come much finer than Skyzoo’s. The Brooklyn MC put a lot of work into All The Brilliant Things, and the final result was a collection of thoughtful rap songs like this one: descriptive, autobiographical rhymes over beautiful instrumentation that conjures memories of classic Roots records, and the headspace that only the greatest early 90′s East Coast lyricism could provide. Great song, great album.)

40. “10″ - Drakeo the Ruler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIRJoQFyS6c

(One of the best stories in 2020 rap music was when Drakeo hit the street once again, after a painfully long stretch of time in prison. He really hit the ground running in 2021, dropping one quality track after another...but then again, he never really stopped making dope rap in the first place, be it in the studio or over prison phone.)

39. “MASSA” - Tyler, The Creator feat. DJ Drama

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vGz0bFutZs

(When folks were saying that Tyler was RAPPING rapping on his new album, this is what they were talking about. Not since Kanye West has a polarizing rapper-producer excelled so well at spilling his guts all over a track, and moments like this "MASSA” make Call Me If You Get Lost the standout project that it is.)

38. "DARTGUNZ” - Chuck Strangers

https://soundcloud.com/chuckstrangers/dartgunz-produced-by-samiyam

(Chuck Strangers remains low-key one of the best MC / Producers in the game, but Chuck is merely flexing his bar-work on this Samiyam produced gem.)

37. “Messy” - Nappy Nina & JWords

https://nappynina.bandcamp.com/track/messy

(Big shout-out to Pitchfork for putting me on to Nappy Nina within their rap song of the day section, The Ones. I love her music, and when paired with the incredibly gifted producer JWords - who I was only somewhat familar with thanks to previous terrific collaborations with MIKE and maassai - the result is a dope ass album like Double Down.)

36. “Nobles” - The Alchemist feat. Earl Sweatshirt & Navy Blue

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQoKO_v93g0

(The instrumental sounds as a triumphant as you could expect music from this trio to sound. My only complaint about This Things Of Ours was that it wasn’t 10-50 songs longer.)

35. “Nothing Like The Sun” - Tree feat. Roc Marciano

https://mctreeg.bandcamp.com/track/nothing-like-the-sun-feat-roc-marciano

(Okay so for the past few years, I had been pressing Tree, Closed Sessions, and just about anyone that would listen that a less than a minute clip from an old Tree promo featured an unreleased Tree & Roc Marciano joint. So finding out that this joint would *finally* being released on Tree’s Soul Trap album, it felt like Christmas morning. Now the world finally gets to hear two of the finest rap artists from the past decade plus!)

34. “nine lives” - maassai

https://maassai.bandcamp.com/track/nine-lives

(A great example of a song that seems to get better and better as it goes on, maassai & that horn sample are undeniably good on here.)

33. “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” - Drake feat. Rick Ross

https://soundcloud.com/octobersveryown/drake-lemon-pepper-freestyle?in=octobersveryown/sets/scary-hours-2-1

(This one really radiates, “YES, you have heard this before”...but when it works so well, that’s not such a bad thing. Drake came ready to rap, and it will propel this joint to the top of many lists you will find on those other web sites.)

32. “triboro.” - Remy Banks feat. Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire, Wiki & A-Trak

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwSJ-DtZRBk

(I dig this in a big way. A few of NYC’s finest, flexing over what feels like blasting Kraftwerk out of a boombox on the L Train? I’m so on board.)

31. “Safe To Say” - Good Gas, Fki 1st & Band Gang Lonnie Bands feat. Band Gang Biggs & Glockboyz Teejaee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aykhcv625u0

(Of all my favorite projects that dropped in 2021 thus far, I don’t know if any have been as inexplicably under-discussed as the Good Gas, Fki 1st & Band Gang Lonnie Bands banger, Street Dream Team. I stumbled upon the project completely by accident one week while thumbing through all of the new joints that dropped from Detroit MCs one week, and I have kept it in heavy rotation ever sense. While not necessarily a spot-on snapshot of Band Gang Lonnie Bands’ typical sound, for a Michigan outsider like me, it makes for a great entry level intro to one of my favorite rappers out of the Motor City right now.)

30. "Early Exit” - Lloyd Banks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BUofKVrb-A

(Yeah the Roc Marciano verse sounds like it was recorded over an old radio on cassette tape, but as someone from the real mixtape era, I’m not going to let shaky sound quality distract from the fact that every other part of the song is fantastic. The bars are there of course, but the beat and hook are all spot-on, and sound quality be damed it’s just great to hear Banks & Roc together.)

29. "Yonkers” - Wiki & NAH

https://wiksetnyc.bandcamp.com/track/yonkers

(Rife with experimentation and half-freestyles, and sonically living somewhere between Company Flow and Ratking, the subterranean metro sounds of Wiki and NAH’s Telephonebooth might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you have been checking for Wiki’s music prior to this point, chances are you are going to be feeling this collaboration with NAH, a producer that I was previously not familiar with, but became a huge fan over night thanks to cuts like “Yonkers”.)

28. “John Wick” - AKAI SOLO & Navy Blue

(Whether you still believe “lo-fi” rap is a legitimate sub-genre or not, there’s no denying the abilities of these two gifted writers/artists. The wind is blowing in this direction my friends, I just hope you get on board soon and stop neglecting all of the great rap music rising from this corner of the underground.)

https://akaisolo.bandcamp.com/track/john-wick-prod-navy-blue

27. “Let It Roll Interlude” by IAMNOBODI feat. Phonte & BeMyFiasco

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVA1hXEnwnE

(Hard to believe that arguably the strongest rap verse of 2021 would be so under the radar, but here we are...)

26. "Taylor Made Suit” - Evidence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qLIuc3z7KQ

(Perhaps the thing I love most about this new Ev - both the song itself, as well as the entire album - is how incredibly effective he sounds over minimalist production throughout. “Funeral suit, same as my wedding suit”...shout-out to the legendary MC and producer, both for everything that has has endured in his personal life and his ability to turn his pain into art.)

25. “GOOFIEZ” - Mother Nature and Boathouse feat. Valee

https://mothernaturebarz.bandcamp.com/track/goofiez-featuring-valee

(When Chicago talent gets busy on a record, not many can hang with them. Be on the lookout for more and more big things from the likes of Mother Nature, Valee, and Boathouse.)

24. “Peach Cobbler” - Navy Blue

https://navybluethetruest.com/

(I’m not sure if there is a “chosen one” right now, someone destined to reach such levels of success and/or respect that Drake & Kendrick-esque waves are felt over a generation...but if there is, the mega-talented producer/MC/skater/whatever he wants to be Navy Blue might fit the bill.)

23. “Rose Gold” - 42 Dugg feat. EST Gee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhmKfKZr-PQ

(There are more than a few songs off of 42 Dugg’s Free Dem Boyz that belong in my Top 50, but “Rose Gold” gets the nod off the strength of the menacing beat paired with 42 and one of the most scorching hot rappers walking the earth right now, EST Gee)

22. "MANIFESTO” - Tyler, The Creator feat. Domo Genesis & DJ Drama

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnDXCoHRl4o

(The Selena Gomez/Justin Bieber bar will garner most of the hype around this joint, but don’t let it distract from the fact that this song is one of the best collaborations between former Odd Future members since the collective’s creative peak.)

21. “What’s Next” - Drake

https://soundcloud.com/octobersveryown/drake-whats-next?in=octobersveryown/sets/scary-hours-2-1

(Pay attention to this Drake guy, I think he has a shot of making it. He makes it seem so easy, yet he has no peers at his level right now. There’s the growing underground elite...then there’s Drake, and little competition to duke it out with him when it comes to smash rap hits....assuming that is still supposed to be a thing?)

20. “MOMENTZ” - Mother Nature and Boathouse

https://mothernaturebarz.bandcamp.com/track/momentz-2

(You would be hard pressed to find a more enjoyable, high quality tape than SZNZ. The Chicago MCs rock a beat that sounds like a Camp Lo leftover - and I mean that in the best way possible - and show a natural penchant for earwormy choruses that should serve them very well in this biz.)

19. “Grace Jones” - maassai

https://maassai.bandcamp.com/track/grace-jones

(Somewhere between spoken word and where Lyricist Lounge-era Rawkus resides, you can find the warrior poet that is maassai: quite simply one of the most impressive MCs in rap right now.)

18. “How It Feels” - Lil Baby & Lil Durk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAsRTTO8L2k

(I know how it feels to care relatively little about a collaboration project between two of the game’s more revered Lil’s, then be blown away by both of them rapping their asses off for like 20 songs.)

17. “Falling Out the Sky” - Armand Hammer & The Alchemist feat. Earl Sweatshirt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctmTme9cG74

(There’s wavy, and then there’s wavy in the hands of The Alchemist, Earl Sweatshirt and Armand Hammer. One of Haram’s many standouts, this one is probably not what fans expected when they first saw the album’s tracklist, but it might actually be more special than we expected.)

16. “Capitol 1″ - EST Gee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ng7Sg1_RTM

(Mark my words: by the time we reach the end of 2021, EST Gee will be in the top 10 of every reputable rap site’s best MC list. At least I know that he will most likely be on mine.)

15. “LUMBERJACK” - Tyler, the Creator feat. DJ Drama

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WOjaYotX1c

(Who knew we needed Tyler to join forces with DJ Drama to rap over a Gravediggaz joint? Never one to do what everyone expects, when this cut dropped about a week before his new album was released, it was clear that he was ready to pick up where he left off with his impressive bar-work on a flurry of features in 2020. Now that I think about it, after “Something To Talk About” and “327″ maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that Tyler dropped one of the hardest joints of the year.)

14. “The Stellar Ray Theory” - Mach-Hommy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3GWJrL2ht0

(The single that Mach & Griselda stans were terrified to hear, at the risk of revealing their no-longer-a-secret project to be a painful example of how far the parties had drifted since their over-publicized fallout, only to find the opposite: Mach & Gunn didn’t just find their chemistry once again, they improved upon it.)

13. “Sandra” - MIKE

https://mikelikesrap.bandcamp.com/track/sandra

(With his new Disco! album, MIKE managed to step outside of his typical lane of delivery, showing how nimble he truly is as a MC, and even takes his skills to another level as a producer, delivering what might be the most enjoyable album of his career thus far.)

12. "No Time” - Your Old Droog feat. Wiki

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y8Ozq9tMLE

(The new YOD album sounds so painstakingly written and executed, you would never believe it just casually dropped out of the blue one evening. Few are better at crafting themes without compromising the joy of listening to the music, Droog delivered once again.)

11. "What The Money Taught Us” - Skyzoo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JV2QEbxMYgU

(This new Skyzoo album has so much beauty to unpack, please dig in if you have been keeping it on the back-burner for some reason.)

And now the Top 10...

10. “Folie Á Deux” - Mach-Hommy feat. Westside Gunn & Keisha Plum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF1-VvJsbqI

(Conductor Williams does it again, putting his own unique touch to one of Pray For Haiti’s standout cuts. The song is almost beautiful sound if it wasn’t for Westside Gunn, Mach and Keisha Plum pumping their own unique rawness into the beat. This one represents everything going right with Griselda right now.)

9. “Hallways” - Peter Rosenberg feat. Roc Marciano & Flee Lord

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrDrvozDzo4

(Superior to anything on last year’s Mt. Marci, Disco Vietnam really blessed Flee Lord and Roc Marciano with the type of late night loungin’ in New York banger that Roc knows how to knock out the park better than anyone. “Hallways” screams late night underground radio in a way that feels both nostalgic and fresher than just about anything out right now.)

8. "Seeing Green” - Nicki Minaj feat. Lil Wayne & Drake

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

(Many have tried to recapture the skill, swagger, and star power of The Roc in the early 00′s, but most have not been able to come close. Leave it to the diamonds in Young Money’s crown to come through and capture the pomp and circumstance so successfully, it’s amazing that Just Blaze wasn’t somehow involved. If you aren’t feelin’ at least one of these verses, time to join a hater support group.)

7. “Prayers Over Packages” - DJ Muggs & Rome Streetz & DJ Muggs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r2AYxN20ZI

(Most underground artists must be so excited to have the legendary DJ Muggs lace them with a full project, and I’m sure Rome Streetz was honored. But while Muggs delivered another strong performance on Death & The Magician, it’s Rome that elevates the material to truly masterful levels.)

6. “Wants and Needs” - Drake feat. Lil Baby

https://soundcloud.com/octobersveryown/drake-wants-and-needs-feat-lil?in=octobersveryown/sets/scary-hours-2-1

(Yes Drake still has the touch, one of rap music’s few legitimate hitmakers left....but hot damn, it’s Lil Baby coming through to turn the joint to ashes that carries “Wants and Needs” to song of the year caliber levels.)

5. “S.R.D.” - Peter Rosenberg feat. Styles P, Ransom & Smok DZA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tzSrIZ8tso

(Don’t overthink it: the watery boom-bap backdrop provided by Buck Dudley is exquisite, and all three MCs go in. I think it’s time to admit that if it wasn’t for the like him or passionately hate him aura around Peter Rosenberg, a lot more folks would. be praising this compilation as one of the finest since peak DJ street tape era.)

4. “Black Sunlight” - Armand Hammer & The Alchemist feat. KAYANA

https://armandhammer.bandcamp.com/track/black-sunlight-featuring-kayana

(What more can I say about this union by now? Al dipping into his breezy bag to bless the lyrical onslaught of billy woods and ELUCID was not something that I thought I needed, but after hearing them cook together I don’t know if I ever want Armand Hammer to go back to the bleak soundscapes they’re often know for. The contract in style was so effective throughout Haram, bringing out the best from all parties, in my not-so-humble opinion...hopefully even more to come from this alliance.)

3. “TV Dinners” - The Alchemist feat. Sideshow & Boldy James

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

(A slick, seemingly harmless little head nodder from The Alchemist, Boldy and the rapidly ascending main-stage level Sideshow. I felt this one right from the jump the day Al’s This Thing of Ours EP dropped, and it’s remained high on my list of 2021 favorites ever since. Give me a bunch of chill MCs doing deceptively slick pen-work over a jazzy but simple loop, and I’m set.)

2. “The 26th Letter” - Mach-Hommy feat. Westside Gunn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7jcjW8h230

(Forget the albums that go for thousand of dollars. Forget the mysterious aura around him, forget the Twitter stan-dom and those that loathe them, and forget the flames of Griselda gossip that are fanned by both fans and doubters....and just imagine you never heard this MC rap before and you have just pressed play on “The 26th Letter”. )

1. “Kill All Rats” - Conway & Big Ghost LTD. feat. Ransom & Rome Streetz

https://bigghostlimited.bandcamp.com/track/kill-all-rats-ft-ransom-rome-streetz

(Whenever attempting to wrangle my favorite songs into one tidy list, there is one ex-factor that can elevate a collection of bars to an elite song: execution. You already know that when punchlines kings the caliber of Ransom, Rome Streetz, and Conway The Machine get on a record together, it’s bound to be a bar-fest....but to the extent of “Kill All Rats”??? Not expected. The name of the song itself invites a certain degree of redundancy, but when three great MCs jump on a track and write verses near the top of their skill level - and when a producer like Big Ghost sounds equally incensed with the instrumental that he brought to the table - even a straight-forward posse cut can end up being the best rap song of the year thus far.)

*COMING SOON: BEST RAP ALBUMS, AND RAP VERSES OF THE FIRST HALF OF 2021...stay tuned.* 👀

See also:

https://therappundit.tumblr.com/post/649527317251670016/best-of-the-1st-quarter

https://therappundit.tumblr.com/post/638904640503726080/the-best-rap-songs-of-2020-great-songs-that

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beanenigma · 5 years

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Journalism 101 for writers: a writing guide to media

When I was a little girl, I asked my mother what college course I had to graduate in to be a writer. She said none, but that I had to do one either way. So, with no writing majors in the country, I chose journalism. I hated every second of it, but hey, I have a piece of paper that says I understand these matters. And today, I come to bestow upon you the knowledge I’m cursed with and to beg, to please, stop with the blaming the messenger in your pieces of media. Journalists are people too.

(Please, keep in mind media is drastically different depending on your country. This is how I learned it Brazil. Feel free to add one things you know about your country).

How to write a news article in your WIP?

This is what gets writers every time. We can see you struggling and it’s okay. We understand. People (like me) go to school to learn how to write news. But it’s really not hard. And believe me, it can help you in the rest of your writing too.

Key word in journalism is hierarchy. Hierarchy for the win.

We work on an inverted pyramid scheme. Don’t worry, I’m not about to ask you to join. It’s a writing technique. What is more important comes first in the inverted pyramid. What is more general, what is more important, what will the people want to know more must be in the first paragraph. This first paragraph is called the lead. In the lead, all (or most of the) W questions must be answered: what, where, when, who and why. Remember, in journalism there is no “spoiler”. The point of a journalistic article is to spoil, to give information.

When you’re done with the lead, you start on going to slightly more specific information and slightly less vital to the understanding of the article. Therefore, going forward down the inverted pyramid. Take a look at some articles and you’ll easily identify the structure. Simple, right?

But Bean! How will I know what is more important than the rest? I’m not trained in journalism! I don’t even like journalism!

Neither do I. But we journalists have a little… Cheat sheet. They’re called news values. News values are what we look for when organizing our articles and our overall pages. This wiki link has the whole list, of them, but it’s mostly things that impact people’s lives, that happen to notable people and/or things that are unusual. My professor used to say that a dog who bit a man was no news, but a man who bit a dog is. And if that man happens to be Benedict Cumberbatch, it would matter even more.

Of course, it also depend on the type of media that’s publishing! News for radio and online news portals have to be very imediate, while TV might take a day or two to deliver the same news.

What we chose is always really the most important news? No. But it helps to decide what people normally take as important when reading their news and therefore, put it into a hierarchy. Also, for your WIP consider what the news company values. That will make sense further on.

What is a journalist’s routine like?

Pure madness. But organized madness. Day-to-day goes a little bit like this.

Morning meetings (you’ve probably seen in movies) to decide what will be pursued during the day. Themes are suggested, but themes are not news. When you offer a theme, you must also offer someone who could be interested in talking to your company, how long you will take to do it and if you need someone else to go with you.

And there is not a lot of competition: if you suggest something and it gets picked up, you might not be the one to do it - because it’s not your specialty, because you have other assignments, because you don’t have the contacts. But that’s not a big deal. We’re not all egocentric maniacs. Mostly, we just want the paper to run or for the segment to air. Doesn’t matter whose name is up there. In your career, you’re going to do so many of these you won’t even care anymore. Besides, newsrooms don’t have that many people anymore. It’s not unusual for people to have to do two or more stories at once.

Some days are slow. There is not that many notable events happening everyday. That’s why we use “drawer” news. Things that are kept “just in case” nothing comes up. Stories that don’t get old, like a recurring club in the local library or a short human interest story. This is what newbies in fiction whine about. But relax, they’ll be stuck with it for a day. There will surely be more news tomorrow. It’s not a big deal.

After the morning meeting, everyone goes out their desks to make calls or into the city. Like I said, newsrooms don’t have a lot of people and a lot of roles were suppressed.

In online and printing, nowadays, the journalist goes on their own, makes the interviews, take the pictures, comes back into the room, writes and publishes it on the website, or sends to the editor for printing. In TV, journalist and cameraman take a regular car (unless they’re doing a live insertion on the news segment) drive themselves, collect interviews, extra footage, write a script for the editors, go back, record the off voices and take it to the editing room.

And deadlines are very real. If you don’t meet the deadline, something will have to go on the air/ on the paper. Feel the pressure yet?

What about investigative journalists? Like in Spotlight! Ah. That’s not a thing. I mean, it is. But only in specialized companies focused on investigative journalism. Nowadays, news companies don’t have the money to keep recurring investigative teams. It costs a lot of money: pay salaries, pay for their moving around to do interviews… And it can take several months to investigate something that will get published in a week (or get stumped and not get published at all).

That doesn’t mean they’ll never get investigative pieces. But normally journalists will investigate on their own (paying for their own travelling costs, etc) and the company will only get involved when it’s time to publish it. That is, if it’s not against their own interest. Which takes us to the next segment.

Are journalists life-sucking, money seeking unresponsible pricks?

No. They get bad reps, but they’re merely the messenger to both good and bad news. Most times, they hardly have control over the things they have to write/produce. They’re overworking, underpaid, and the clock is ticking. Something has to go up, something has to be printed.

I’ve seen this time and time again in entertainment. Normally it takes the figure of the editor-in-chief. They’re not bad people. They’re demanding, hell yes. A nightmare to their journalists? Sometimes. But that’s their job. If they don’t have a strong hand, the paper won’t go out, the segment won’t air. That doesn’t make them bad people and they’re hardly as bad as you see out there in media (well, mine was, but I’m sure he’s just an odd case).

Why do we get a bad rep? Well, allow me to introduce the real bad guys of the story. Company owners.

Doesn’t matter who they are. Millionaires. Corporations. Politicians. They always manage to stall the advancing of news as they’re supposed to be. There’s no fighting them, they’re the ones that pay. Their relations and their interests dictate what goes in the news. This is called Agenda Setting. Look it up.

Sometimes editor-in-chief will try and discuss these matters, but their power only go so far. In my city, we had a scandal involving the school I went to. The biggest newspaper of the city set on investigating, had the whole thing ready to go. Editor-in-chief was giving full support. They were forbidden to publish. Why? In comes the other villain of journalistic tales.

Advertisers. The school had a two page ad in a coveted spot at the middle of the newspaper. As much as people claim journalism is important, it can’t sustain itself. It has always depended on advertisement. So when big advertisers complain to the owners, the company loses money. And in the end, that’s the objective of a company. Making money. Make no mistake. We are all aware of how journalism is vital to society, but everyone wants to eat and pay rent at the end of the month.

Of course, there are independent newspapers, some really awesome people who dedicate their lives to producing quality journalism independently. Are they successfully? Not normally. But they’re out there! So don’t think everything is always hopeles and your adorable OC will have to sell their soul to this terrible state of journalistic indecency.

I hope this helped you if you use news pieces in your WIPs or if you have journalist characters! If you want to know anything else, I’d be happy to answer any questions (or even write more on the subject). If you like the guide and would like more writing advice, you can follow me or check my tag HERE.

Thanks for reading <3

#writing advice #amwriting #writeblr #Writing tips #writers on tumblr

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ralfstrashcan · 5 years

Text

3x13 Reaction / Commentary

Yeah I'm aware, stop judging X___X

I feel the need to point this out. Apparently it's common practice for the Praetor to just, kill off their more troublesome charges. Interesting. But Jordan has a different work ethic which is a) apparently not usual for praetors and b) something at least Nick attributes to his past and not, idk, common decency. Just how savage is the Praetor exactly?? (Also let me add this to the list of things why 3x15 makes no sense at all.)

Okay, so they found another mundane dead by Heidi's hand...... why exactly don't they call the Shadowhunters? Aren't they obliged to? I mean?

True, but it sure as hell is her responsibility how she handles them. But we established already that she has a serious perception problem and always sees herself as the victim.

I mean, prime example, if she could have made that smooth exit through the vent where the werewolves couldn't follow, why didn't she just do that from the start instead of attacking Nick? Because she wants to cause trouble and not just “live her life in peace” as she's pretending to.

More like, he didn't have the guts to face Alec like that. Also does that mean he draped Izzy on the couch like that in that cliché sleeping pose with one hand under the head? At least he took off her boots like a sane person.

“I'm just drained.”

Haha it seems Alec isn't the only Lightwood sibling with a shitty sense of humor.

“I don't have the same preexisting condition.” “You mean my addiction?”

No, Izzy, he obviously means your fashion sense, keep up. Seriously, who wrote that stupid ass line of dialogue.

I found it pretty hilarious that Simon, Clary's literally oldest and bestest friend since kindergarten, feels the need to apologize to Izzy for taking up so much time with his Clary-reunion and blocking the path for her. The Clizzy Energy is Strong.

“Hmmmm hot hot hot Clary, please show me more.”

MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY HAHAHAHA PERFECT

Also, Morningstar.... didn't Val name his dumbass tanker ship in S1/S2 Morningstar? Guy really has it with name repetitions, first Jonathan 1 and 2, now Morningstar Ship and Morningstar Sword... I bet he named all his stuffed teddys Mr Snuffels 1, Mr Snuffels 2, Mr Snuffels 3.....

The way he delivers this line me might've as well said “Please cut out the emotional disgusting bullshit my skin is crawling already from this I can't take any more mushiness PLEASE GO AWAY.” Gotta love Alec.

MAGNUS RAGE PUNCHING THE KEYBOARD IS THE MOST RELATABLE THING I HAVE EVER SEEN

Magnus opening up about missing his magic MY HEART OH MY GOD

(Sidenote though: No wonder he got frustrated with the pretentious Shadowhunter Technology, I mean, look at it. There are only runes. Runes may be called runes, but they don't actually make up an alphabet. Why the heck is there a flexibility rune on the screen? It makes no sense.)

This whole scene (and Izzy's lipstick lol) is absolutely perfect. I love everything about it, especially Magnus and especially Izzy. I'd be really surprised if Magnus didn't find a way to get her that weird root thingy anyway, because he surely doesn't buy the “feeling a lot better now” line.

(Edit: Now thinking about it I realized two things, a) she probably didn't take him up on his offer to go to another warlock because she felt like that was unnecessarily rubbing in that he can't do it himself anymore* and b) with that line she probably meant she feels lighter already for sharing what happened and just <3<3<3<3<3)

*The only think that would have made this scene more perfect is if Izzy hadn't skimmed over his magic comment without acknowledging it in any way. Though with this thought in mind, that she rejected his offer to spare his feelings, I find myself placated.

Also I love how Magnus pretends he's going to look for pen and paper when really he's running straight to Alec to tell him all about this (and to prevent a repetition of 2x09 form happening.... and now I made myself sad again).

#effortless (Also reminds me of that post about fire message mechanics that I still owe a certain someone. Where is the time.)

HAHAHAHA

???????????? How do they know that? More importantly, does Alec know? Will he hear through the Shadow World grapevine??? So many questions.

I mean, I have sympathy for her. But like, she's too smart for me to buy that she genuinely can't see any other course of action. She just does this because it's the least effort for her, not because she's truly clueless what alternatives are there for here (aka not running around, killing mundanes, starting a fight with everyone). She just thrives on chaos.

Also “Wolves don't just attack without cause. Not in New York” ? Seems like all Institute except the NY one do a shit job since supposedly keeping peace between the Downworld factions is part of their responsibility. Yes, I am still salty about 3x15. (Also, if anyone's confused by this weird foreshadowing, I wrote notes for this reaction post while watching 3x13 when it first aired, but only got to finish it now after 3x19 aired and I can't keep my chronology-screwing bitterness to myself while finishing up the post. But mostly these are my thoughts from then.)

Yeah something tells me she's not gonna be totally uninvolved in that.

This and the fact that Russel wants to stop Bat from even leaving the Jade Wolf are the final proofs that all the werewolves actually live at the Jade Wolf and pile up in a giant snuggle pile in the kitchen at night. This is further cemented by the fact that Luke and Maia claim to have flats of their own but we never actually see them. Clearly they're both dirty liars that just wanted to mislead.

*late Jocelyn's late friend Eliot #rude #whatever

.......why the hell would Elias code that shit in Circle short hand? So other Circle members, who Jocelyn was hiding from, could easily open that super important safe? So smart! Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Luke in the Circle as well? Shouldn't he be able to read that, too?

1) Eliot is such a loser and a showoff for ostentatiously writing that J in Jocelyn 2) His hint is seriously “Don't open with brute force.” Wtf kind of hint is that man are you even real.

I'm sorry, okay, but everytime I see / hear Bellicosi I think Maxi-Cosi XD

*glares at 3x15* Will I ever tire of raging about that episode? Unlikely.

Why.....? Since he didn't have any problem 100% blaming Raphael for everything Heidi did (not unjustified, but I'm just saying he's suddenly changed his mind). I mean, if he'd said she's dangerous to him and his family that would've been another matter.

These are all runes that I don't remember seeing on the Shadowhunters' Wiki Rune Page. Please tell me more.

Jace: “Clary, you've been going nonstop since you came back. You need to take a minute.”

lol if only Jace would implement the same advice himself.

“Wow I suddeny remember I had a life before I was 10.”

German Dubbing: Yeah, the ones Consul Penhallow categorically ignored. Honestly. Who dubbs this shit. Wtf.

Listen I love everything about this scene. (Fun Fact: In the German Dubbing she says vampire addiction, not venom addiction lol as if she was addicted to vampires XD)

Alec Lightwood, best brother of the year. Btw he's been holding that title since birth. I also don't think Alec would ever judge Izzy for her addiction / look at her as if she's weak, so the fact that she thinks that says a lot about how the addiction affected her self-image.

Too bad Alec forgets this for the next few episodes and acts like a total tool in that Clave Investigation Thing, smh.

Good to know.

Haha that was witty.

Oooooh why don't they ask another warlock then? For example one who's actually always the smartest person in the room?? Who's also willing to work on this??? Just a thought tho, don't let me interrupt the Maruke Bonding. No, you know what? I hate the shipname Maruke, it's shit, so I'm calling it Luryse as it should have been called. Then again, when am I even gonna talk about that pairing? We shall see.

“Outrageous, just because people around me keep turning up dead! It's ridiculous, really, that they'd think I could have something to do with that. It's as if they're not aware this is a TV show and supporting characters die because *Moriarty Voice* THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE DO!”

“That what the kids call it these days when they get kicked out on their ass?” She literally says “From one exiled to another” so she clearly realized he's full of shit.

“And that's why in two episodes Imma get myself arrested by behaving like a dumbass and then chill in prison as if it's my greatest accomplishment.” Honestly Luke, so many No-s. I can't even.

“Wow I can't believe I have to see this Luryse bs up close.” Hah, now I used the right shipname and can move the f on from bashing that pairing. Sorry about that. I'm sleep deprived. That always makes me extra salty.

“When you're alpha you need to make the pack your first priority. Your personal life needs to take a back seat. And mine never did.” I applaud Luke for admitting he was a shit alpha because he didn't proritize the pack. Hindsight is 20/20.

Wow Luke so helpful <3<3<3 Just like I know and love you.

I also love how nobody questions that Heidi bit that mundane and then chilledly made a phone call at the scene of her Accords-violating crime. How frakking convenient.

But their runes aren't on the same side. Sloppy work. Also, if the illustrator obviouly takes artistic liberties, then the rune missing on the second pic doesn't have to mean anything. Maybe they just forgot to draw it. Then again this isn't even the most flimsy conclusion-making I've wittnessed on this show so I'll let it slide.

lol Jace and Jonathan are basically playing tug of war with Clary: Jonathan burning himself, Jace activating her healing rune XD

Ooooh brainless S1 Clary, how I have not missed you. Srsly now? Carve it out? That didn't work for Simon so why should it now? lol she should ask the seelie queen if she has some handy floor mosaic thingy in her courtyard to help with that.

In his defense, he moved.

It's not gonna work is what it is. Srsly how dumb are they? Why the hell does she think something so powerful can just be carved out?? Wtf.

Woooow they're using a rune removing device, color me impressed. I really thought they'd just put a scalpel to it. So, at least points for trying.

Uuuuh get some morphin, try again. I mean. But anyway.

*break up

......didn't she just break up with him because pack reasons? Where is that not a Shadow World Reason? Please explain. (Also choosing an unflattering screen cap of Simon because he annoys me? Absolutely. I am petty like that.) The easy way Simon accepts their break up really makes me wonder. If Maia hadn't said anything, would he have broken up with her? Since apparently things “changed” and they could “both” “feel” it. Honestly. He literally calls her his girlfriend at the start of the scene as if to draw attention to how ridiculous this is.

You know what, I don't even have the energy to rage about this. Their relationship was so great, they were so supportive of each other, they had great chemistry, great communication, they always stood by each other. And just because Sizzy has to be endgame there were suddenly weird-ass tension between them for no real reason – none that 3A Saia wouldn't have worked through like pros anyway – just so this break up wouldn't come out of absolutely nowhere. It's shit treatment of both their characters and their relationship and I'm just so exasperated with it all. (Also not the way to endear me to Sizzy. But at this point I feel like a broken record.)

Discount? It was free. Which I'm still finding super hard to believe by the way, that a werewolf establishment would just give out free food to vampires who don't even work there. But what do I know, right, I mean it's not like they just mentioned a few minutes ago how werewolves and vampires hate each other? Right?? Hahaha.

Wow. This actually takes the time to highlight that this break up wasn't as amicable as Simon thought. Maybe he thought that they were breaking up for human reasons, but Maia clearly feels she threw her relationship away for the pack and it's hard for her. And Simon's tirade wasn't really encouraging her to let him know that. I really appreciate that detail.

Other things I want to say: 1) I didn't like that Maia just flat out broke up with him. She should have informed him that she was going to step up for the pack and would have to prioritize that over their relationship and then leave it up to him if he wants to put up with that or not. By breaking up she made the choice for him. Her course of action is ic, I'm not critizising that, but from like, a personal stand point I don't like it. 2) Foreshadowing: Since her whole pack gets slaughtered, if that would have been the only reason to break up with Simon she coulda just gotten back together with him lol. Haha sorry I'm trash. I know.

Wow he's really dumb. He knows Heidi's brand of crazy and still he doesn't realize this was a trap. He said himself that Heidi must have done something for the Preator to be after her, and when the Praetor tells him she's been leaving copses left and right he...... takes this as his cue to ally himself with Heidi??? Wtf?????? Does he not believe what Jordan said? Again, he suspected something like that himself and since the Praetor are playing at being the Downworlder Police they wouldn't just make something like that up with no proof. The heck. I don't get you, Boss Vampire Guy.

Also, thumbs down for the Praetor, if they'd just told them their source was Heidi herself (on the phone) this could have been prevented. But, ugh. With how things are I can at least kinda buy that no working communication between vampire clan and Praetor exists.

Still, if the Praetor wants to be accepted as some kind of Shadow World Institution they should really work on their manners.

.................................................

I I don-- I can't. *sigh* I can't believe I just had to watch this with my own two eyes. Have they not been trained for a case like this? A fellow shadowhunter injured in the field? That activating the healing rune should be the first thing you do? Before lovingly prying information from the dying person?? I mean, if that's not Plot Convenience then I don't know what is. Sure, he needs to give them a snippet of info, but not too much. But please, please, couldn't writers have found a way for this that didn't make them look like the stupidest of idiots in the entire frikkin world?! Wtf. WTF. I can't believe it.

Uuuuuuh how did she know how to turn those things if all she had to work with was Don't use brute force?? Do I have to understand that?

“You brought coffee, after all.”

Look she's so ashamed she even turned away from the screen haha. Also it's so refreshing to see grown ass people approach a relationship like idiotic teens. (Yeah, that was sarcastic.)

“And right now I wanna do you.” Hahahaha sorry, too good to pass up, you can bet your ass imma turn this into a dumb comic XD

“I love you, Clary. And I'll love you until I die. And if there's a life after this I'll love you then, too.”

Okay, I wanted to roll my eyes at their love confession, but what Jace said was actually really sweet <3

Alec: All our people were accounted for at the time of the murder. Izzy: We think it was a Clave hit.

Oh couldn't have been one of the millions of Shadowhunters from another Institute? No, I'm sure Alec checked that on their neat little Shadowhunter Intranet, that all other Shadowhunters all over the workd were accounted for as well. Honestly.

Also, Maryse says “By the angel,” but in the German Dubbing she says “What the angel” which makes it seem as if Shadowhunters curse by replacing dirty words with “angel” and just... what the angel XD

Why the hell are they all so obsessed with Latin? Ugh. Exhausting hobby.

Btw lol, please rewatch that scene, the background music is weirdly reminiscent of the Stranger Things Theme hahahaha. (Also omg I'm peeking into the German dubbing and it doesn't even make SENSE hahaha what the shit.)

LOL that's like the soulmate trope but in painful XD basically the creepy incest edition XD But honestly can we appreciate what a nice hand Jonathan has with a knife and with his left hand?? Prodigy.

This is it, the final proof that they actually all live at the Jade Wolf hahahha.

...................................? Why the f is she happy to see Jordan? Last time they saw each other she clearly stated she hated him?? Do I need to understand?? Oh right. In the books Maia and Jordan get back together. Right. Stupid, why am I even surprised by this??

Wtf isn't he the clan leader? Why the hell is he acting so submissively to Heidi all of a sudden? Literally half a day ago he threw her out of his clan, knowing his place. And now he's like a puppet on her strings. Wtf. But I guess that happens when you treat characters as plot devices. They get inconsistent even if they only have two scenes. *sigh*

Awwww would you look at that, werewolves and vampires fighting with fists like mundanes. (Okay some of them had like, daggers, but where are the fangs and the claws? Honestly.)

Okay I did her injustice in my trailer reaction since this is a vamp and a legitimate fight situation.

Wow that actually surprised me. But Jordan also dies in the books so, oops. Just didn't think they'd skip the getting together.

WOW that really surprised me. I thought Maia would challenge him and they'd have an epic fight to the death or something. (Also wtf Griffin guy, what's with that creeper face.)

To be honest I find it hard to believe that Maia acts like this. Scared out of her mind, yeah sure. But she acts helpless, and she's never been that. When she got that pipe thing I thought she'd use it as a stake. Using it to block the door is smart, too, but why didn't she get another to have a stake? Her whole posture, uselessly hangig over Jordan screams damsel in distress and I don't like it at all.

Edit: I had certain fears how this plotline would be developed in 3x14 which thankfully didn't come true, but my conflicted opinion on this ending scene remains.

Anyway let’s take a moment and appreciate Maia’s Killer Boots.

BTW watched the 3x14 trailer and just.... what. Why the f would Magnus ask Lorenzo of all people for help? He can't be trusted. As if he wouldn't use that opportunity to break Magnus even further! WTF! Where's Catarina? Oh, let me guess, another Drunk Doctor Conference *epic eyeroll*

#shadowhunters #3x13 #clary fray #magnus bane #alec lightwood #jace wayland #isabelle lightwood #simon lewis #maia roberts #luke garroway #maryse lightwood #kyle #heidi #reaction

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spidey2k19-blog · 5 years

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Fandom - The Kingdom of Fans

For this week’s topic, we will be taking a look into Fandom, the general perception that our media has for Fans as well as the impact that these fandoms leave, whether or not it empowers fans to join in the cause for fan activism.

Fandom

“Fandom as a whole is a subculture that celebrates a mutual bond formed between people over a book series, TV show, movie, band, or other forms of pop culture” (Morrison, 2016).

Here are a few questions that you may ask yourself. Do you enjoy watching certain television series or movie series? Do you like a certain brand or is loyal to a certain brand? Chances are, you are also a fan of something yourself. What does this mean? It means that you have a personal ticket to the Kingdom of Fandom! In simpler term, you get fandom when a group of individuals who shares the common interest gathers and forms a group or community. Using some of the most notable fandoms, we can see that there are a handful of fan communities for certain television series or movies such as Lord of The Ring, Harry Potter, or better yet, Game of Thrones. Oh, by the way, have you heard the latest uproar that fans caused which led to a petition being made for the final season of Game Of Thrones to be remade? That is among the many few movements that you will see coming out from Fandom.

(Look at the number of people that has signed the petition, over 1.4 million people, that is crazy!)

Apart from fan communities, there are also other forms of fandom such as the offline extension which comes in the form of Comic Cons and fan community gathering. Fan Wikipedia is also another form of fandom whereas a Wiki page for a certain series/movie/brand is made and fans from all around the globe can re-edit the page based on the latest information. This serves as a platform for those that wish to seek for more information regarding a certain TV series or characters.

(I myself am a fan of the anime series One Punch Man so I consider myself as a frequent visitor to this fan Wiki. I have to say, this is also one of the many few benefits that our general community can reap from the presence of Fandom.)

Media’s Perception of Fandom; are they weird people and do they benefit our community?

With the existence of Fandom, it brings us to the question of whether Fandom is good or bad and what are the perception and view that our media today has for fandom and fans? Are they nothing more than people who are overly-obsessed on their favorite TV series, character or movies? Or are most fans jobless, in their mid 30′s and has a weird sense of fashion as shown in the image above? You see, the answer is simply none of the above. Fandom can be so much more than how the media today may perceive them to be.

“The hit Adult Swim show “Rick and Morty” is a good example of fandoms gone wrong. Fans of the show run the gamut of people who casually enjoy the show to mindless reference-slingers to elite fans who hold all others in disdain” (Richoux, 2018).

In this case, there are also cases of some fans who bear the nature of being overly-obsessed on their favorite TV shows which may also prove to be toxic to the general fan community, also seen from the statement made by Richoux (2018). Richoux (2018) also argues that “financially backing the series, discussing it with friends and sharing the franchise with your kids is a healthy and reasonable way to enjoy the product while obsessing over and judging people for their Harry Potter house is not.” I personally agree with this statement as I believe that as a fan of something, we shouldn’t be comparing how superior our favorite tv series is to others, or intentionally insulting other fan communities just for the fun of it. Trust me, it really isn’t that hard to just sit with your fellow friends and talk about your favorite show, why the need to drag others into it?

Apart from all that, another way that fandom may benefit our community is the self-healing power that it may carry along with. “Belonging to a fandom group helps adolescents connect to other like-minded youths on social media throughout the year, as well as at concert events. Feeling like you are part of a group can help one define his/her identity and give a sense of purpose to what might be an otherwise routine lifestyle” (Wiest, 2017). With this statement being laid out, one thing for sure is that being in fandom may also help an individual to further improve and fix their communication skills.

Also previously stated on how fan Wiki is part of Fandom (One Punch Man), one benefit that this brings is that it actually refreshes your intellect and adds on to your research skills are you would need to do proper research before editing or even coming up with a fan wiki page. To keep your mind active and to be ready to receive new information while enjoying your favorite TV Show or Movie at the same time is truly a wonderful thing to do.

So, am I a FAN?

I can say that I definitely am a fan of something myself! There are just too many movies and TV shows that we can sit back and enjoy and I really do believe that there is no need to make fun of other fanbases just because you may think that your favorite series or movies are more superior. The beauty of fandom lies in the harmony interaction that fans have with each other, be it in the form of information sharing or gathering of fan communities. With my experience, all I can say is that Fandom and Fan Communities can truly bring people from around the globe together.

References

Richoux, K. (2018). Opinion: Online fandoms toxic to fans, poorly influence media perception. [online] Reveille. Available at: http://www.lsureveille.com/daily/opinion-online-fandoms-toxic-to-fans-poorly-influence-media-perception/article_af5c3b10-1590-11e8-b9f8-730b87ad390f.html [Accessed 19 May 2019].

Morrison, M. (2016). What Is Fandom And Why Is It Important?. [online] The Odyssey Online. Available at: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/what-is-fandom-and-why-is-it-important [Accessed 19 May 2019].

Wiest, B. (2017). Psychologists Say That Belonging To a Fandom Is Amazing For Your Mental Health. [online] Teen Vogue. Available at: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/psychologists-say-fandoms-are-amazing-for-your-mental-health [Accessed 19 May 2019].

#fandom #mda20009 #digital communities #fan

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consecotaleo · 6 years

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Boku No Hero Academia Light Novel Vol. 3 -- Unofficial English Translation -- Chapter 1: “Cheers”

T/N: I saw Aitai’s translation of the Fantasy AU today and decided to throw this out there... an unofficial translation for the first chapter of the BNHA Light Novel Vol. 3. I haven’t read the other light novels, so I apologize if this isn’t how they usually read. This is a Chinese > English translation, so some of the translations could be paraphrased or totally different from the actual Japanese version.

(The following occurs around Chapter 96-97 in the manga, where Aizawa and All Might go on home visits for 1-A. You should definitely reread those chapters and at least the wiki page for the Hideout Raid Arc so you understand what’s happening. Anyways, Aizawa and All Might agree to go out for drinks afterwards, so here they are.)

Chapter 1: “Cheers”

Hoping to better his relationship with Aizawa-sensei (despite their strong differences in personality), All Might strikes up a conversation. Unfortunately, Aizawa's responses are curt, and the atmosphere remains awkward. Though All Might can’t partake in alcohol himself, he plies Aizawa with drinks in the hopes that the man will relax and open up to him. Yet Aizawa, despite quietly finishing off several drinks, appears totally unaffected! Perhaps Aizawa has been accidentally drinking All Might’s own non-alcoholic beers? All Might despairs, but suddenly remembers Midoriya and the vow he’d made to himself on his home visit – to protect the boy and his dreams. Now he’s even more determined to better his relationship with Aizawa, who’s also a mentor for Midoriya.

“Aizawa-san,” All Might begins, “I’d like to ask you something. Can you tell me about the mindset of a teacher, or tips for teaching, or something to that effect? I’m still very new to teaching, after all.”

All Might had hoped to kill two birds with one stone: become closer to Aizawa while also gaining some insight on teaching. But the silence stretches out awkwardly, Aizawa scratching his head.

Finally, Aizawa replies. “If some secret teaching method existed, I’d ask for it myself. Personality, home environment, personal growth rate are totally different among the students. If there was a universal way to successfully mentor everyone, we’d live in a world with no villains at all.”

“Well said,” All Might mumbles, abashed. The conversation lulls.

Mulling over Aizawa’s words, All Might muses that youths nowadays were growing at an almost alarming rate. It felt like just yesterday the Young Midoriya had been chasing after All Might’s shadow, but now the boy was hurtling forwards all on his own.

Aizawa, who had been quiet for a while, suddenly chides All Might for favoring Midoriya too much.

All Might is eager to restart the conversation, but Aizawa’s phone suddenly rings.

It’s Present Mic, who’d called to let Aizawa know that he’d be over in 5 minutes once the secret meeting was over, and wanted Aizawa to save a spot for him.

Mic and Aizawa have a great relationship, despite their stark differences in personality. How did they become friends in their school years, All Might asks? Mic cheerfully exposes Aizawa’s student life.

“Aizawa in his school years?” Mic snickers. “He’d always doze off as soon as class ended. He’d never do anything beyond the bare requirements. For a while, his nickname was ‘Energy-Saver’.”

Aizawa shoots him a warning glare. But All Might looks surprisingly interested, so Mic continues. “First he was ‘Sleeping Prince of Relaxation’, which got shortened to ‘Sleep Prince’, and eventually became ‘The Master of Sleep’.”

“Stop saying unnecessary things.” Aizawa puts Mic in a firm chokehold. “It’s impossible to get this guy to shut up any other way,” he says to All Might’s dubious look.

Thirteen and Midnight suddenly come bustling in. Mic immediately complains to Midnight that he’s being bullied, but Midnight scoffs – Mic had clearly been shooting off his mouth again, and could only blame himself for his suffering. In the end, Thirteen kindly comes to Mic’s defense, imploring Aizawa to let him go.

Midnight settles in next to Mic, and Thirteen takes a seat by All Might. Since All Might coming out for drinks was a rare occurrence, Thirteen passes up on his usual tea and orders some alcohol as well. Midnight, who can hold her alcohol, picks something extra strong for tonight.

“Time to get wasted!” Midnight yells at Mic. “I’ll positively drown you in alcohol.”

“Do it,” Aizawa agrees.

Mic gasps. “Oi - my friend! How could you betray your own friend like this? Oh my friend! I was the one who gave you your hero name! I made you! You wouldn’t be a cool hero without me!”

**bold = originally in English

“If my hero name means I have to be nice to you, I might as well change it,” Aizawa retorts.

“…”

“… So you’ll switch to Energy-Saver?”

“Shut it.”

**Add-On 2--> Missing scene **Add-On 3--> Nickname mistake and missing line

Meanwhile, Thirteen and All Might are chatting animatedly about the Yaku cedar, a shared interest. But being too excited makes Thirteen’s body heat up, which makes him thirsty, which means he drinks even more! Thirteen finishes off his drink. All Might warily eyes the now-tipsy Thirteen and advises him to have some water. Thirteen immediately goes off on a spiel about the delights of water.

On the other side, Midnight has mixed together a terrifying concoction of alcohol and cajoles Mic into tasting it. He grimaces, for once speechless, after she forces him to take a huge gulp of the monstrosity. All Might looks on, a bit horrified. “A drink that tastes so bad that even Mic shuts up? How scary! It’s a good thing I can’t drink.”

All Might sweeps his gaze over the high-spirited bunch – with the exception of Aizawa, who still appears perfectly sober. Feeling rather out of place and not wanting to be a bother, he decides to head back home. As he attempts to quietly sneak away, Aizawa grabs his hand.

After letting go, Aizawa scratches his head. “Stay a while longer, okay?”

“Um,” All Might flounders a bit. “But…”

“There’s something I need to tell you today,” Aizawa presses on.

“Oh. What is it?” All Might concedes.

All Might is expecting Aizawa to tell him off again, perhaps tell him he’s not qualified to be a teacher.

“Because you fought out there, I can continue to protect my students. So… thank you.”

** This refers to the Hideout Raid Arc. Summary

All Might feels a rush of warmth in his chest. Finally, he and Aizawa are getting closer. There’s just one thing, though…

“Aizawa… that’s the Buddha…”

The whole time, Aizawa has been talking to the Buddha statue behind All Might.

“What are you going on about? I’m being serious,” Aizawa insists.

“No, we’re all pretty certain that’s a Buddha statue.”

“Aizawa’s quite drunk,” Mic confirms wryly. “He’s the sort of drunk that doesn’t remember a single thing the day after.”

When you don’t recall ever getting drunk, that means you just don’t remember all the times you’ve been drunk, All Might speculates.

But since Aizawa already roped him into staying longer, All Might can only sit back down. It’s rather difficult for him to fit into the group, since this is the first time he’s been out for drinks. And for some reason Thirteen’s called up some other teachers to join them.

** Add-On 1--> Alternate translation of above scene

** (2/15/2018) “Buddha statue” should’ve been "Daruma figure”

Once the other teachers are thrown into the mix, it truly becomes a shitshow. People are crying, people are singing, people are arguing (Aizawa and the Class-B homeroom teacher compare their students), people are puking (Thirteen).

All Might, the only sober one, just wants to go home. To collect his thoughts and give himself a breather, he escapes to the restroom. As he’s pondering whether or not he should just up and leave, Mic comes into the restroom as well.

“Everyone usually gets this wasted, huh? It’s a little scary…” All Might ventures.

Mic blinks. “Usually?”

“Eh?” All Might responds, “Isn’t this the usual behavior?”

“Oh no,” Mic laughs. “Today is totally out of the ordinary! The people who usually don’t drink are making an exception, and the people who do drink are going especially hard.”

Seeing All Might’s incredulous look, Mic smiles gently at him. “We get the chance to drink with the hero of heroes, All Might! Even among heroes, we all look up to you. Of course we’re celebrating the occasion.”

All Might stands in the bathroom for a few long moments, astounded. Finally, he heads back towards the others. Hesitating in the hallway, he peeks at everyone else. They wouldn’t actually notice if he was gone, right?

“Hold up, where did All Might go?”

“Isn’t he right here?”

“Aizawa, that’s the Buddha.”

“Eh? He didn’t head out, did he?”

And so All Might returns to the rowdy group. He’s immediately accosted by his colleagues, who quickly encircle him and welcome him back.

With the exception of Aizawa, who scoffs. “I told you All Might was right here.”

Someone, in their flailing, knocks over the Buddha statue.

“Ah!” Aizawa cries. “All Might has fallen over?!”

“Seriously, that’s the Buddha.”

The other teachers, completely drunk and all vying for his attention, finally drag All Might back to his seat.

Seriously... for real… I’m never going out for drinks again! All Might swears fervently.

-- End of Chapter 1 --

Chapter 2

Later Edits:

Add-On 1--> Alternate translation: Aizawa and All Might have a heart-to-heart

Add-On 2--> Missing line: Aizawa never gets drunk...

Add-On 3--> Energy-saver Shou-chan nickname correction + missing line & Add-On 3 correction

(3/5/2018) Add-On 4--> Missing scenes: (1) Awkward conversation between Aizawa and All Might, (2) Midnight offers Aizawa a drink, (3) Aizawa and Blood King argue over students

2/15/2018--> the Buddha statue is specifically a Daruma doll. You can see this in Japanese fanart for the chapter (e.g. here, here, and here) and explained in Japanese in a tweet by azxxxxxxx. Terribly sorry, this was my mistake!

Extra manga context for the last section

Full Light Novel Vol. 3 Translations Masterlist

Fanart compendium for Light Novel Vol. 3 at /fanworks.

#boku no hero academia #my hero academia #mha #bnha #aizawa shouta #toshinori yagi #present mic #bnha light novel #translation

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paranoidsbible · 7 years

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Saying Goodbye to Skype

===Saying Goodbye to Skype=== Non-profit and free for redistribution Written on August 10th | 2016 Published on August 10th | 2016 For entertainment and research purposes only

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===DISCLAIMER=== The Paranoid's Bible and its writers hold no responsibility for the acts of others. The Paranoid’s Bible is for research and entertainment purposes only. Please visit our blog for more PDFs and information: http://www.paranoidsbible.tumblr.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===Preface=== Skype’s an application meant to provide communication and sharing, to the user, by allowing not only chatting but also voice call services, the possibility to exchange files and video messaging. It was released originally in 2003 and then acquired by Ebay in 2005. From there, shares were bought and sold until Microsoft bought it and claimed ownership in 2011. Since then, Skype has become a perpetual thorn in the sides of those wish to remain not only anonymous but attain some semblance of privacy. __References:__ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===Why Skype Shouldn’t be Used=== Even if you’re not a fan of Stallman’s, anyone who’s concerned with privacy and security knows that the bearded one is someone to listen to from time-to-time. On one such occasion, it’s best to listen to the man when it comes to discussion of Skype’s horrendous behavior with the user’s information. His interjections aside, he does make several points, which you can read below. • Skype refuses to say whether it can eavesdrop on calls. That almost certainly means it can do so. • Skype gave personal data about a Wikileaks supporter to another company without any legal obligation to do so. • Skype churns the meaning of preference settings, and gives its users a run-around when someone cheats them. • Microsoft has changed Skype to make it easier for states to snoop on users. • Skype messages are not encrypted for the whole trip: Microsoft can read them. And Microsoft does read them. Those reasons alone will trigger a heightened response from the most paranoid privacy enthusiasts; however the layman and those who think they’ve nothing to worry about won’t give second thought to those issues. Though, knowing that a regular person with no real power can obtain several pieces of their information should be enough to put a burn into several bellies. Many people have written articles about Skype, like this one from Eric Martindale (https://www.ericmartindale.com/2013/02/07/why-i-dont-use-skype-and-why-you-shouldnt-either). It goes into details about Skype continuously sending encrypted traffic, snooping and even hindering activists and rebellions in non-Western countries. Of course, that’s just more technical mumbo jump. Not many care if people discuss several points of Skype’s lack privacy or malicious ADs. And honestly, why should you care when it’s so easy to just ignore the problem and buy a new computer or hire someone to fix the issue? Well… anyone can happen upon your information and use it to gain access to your other accounts or information. It’s as simple searching Skype with usernames or an e-mail addressed. Actually, it’s quite easy using any one of the numerous Skype resolvers out there or Skype bots that offer anything from checking for your e-mail address to your IP or even your avatars and a copy of your profile. This may not seem like much, however in the right hands it can lead to a nasty little surprise, like being doxed or someone using the information to use a Skype convo generator to fake you chatting with someone or saying things you’ve said. ***This is why you should fear Skype:*** It can be used against you and ruin anything you’ve planned or built. __References:__ https://stallman.org/skype.html http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2012/07/20/skype_won_t_comment_on_whether_it_can_now_eavesdrop_on_conversations_.html http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2012/11/09/skype_gave_data_on_a_teen_wikileaks_supporter_to_a_private_company_without.html http://www.nnsquad.org/archives/nnsquad/msg07079.html http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/05/think-your-skype-messages-get-end-to-end-encryption-think-again/ http://fossforce.com/2013/05/microsoft-snoops-in-skype-dissed-by-hp-more/ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-collaboration-user-data https://muchweb.me/why-you-shouldnt-use-skype https://www.grahamcluley.com/2016/02/skype-ads-angler-exploit-kit/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===In Case You Need Skype…=== Now before we introduce you to a lovely alternative to Skype, we should explain, just in case of school or work, how to secure your Skype account and retain just a tiny bit of privacy and security. This won’t make you 100% secure or anonymous, nor will it stop Mr.NSA agent from spying on you. However it’ll put a clamper into several works of any normal, non-government, person and their attempts at gaining your information. First off, let’s make it simple and start with the easiest settings and work our way down. You'll want to set these exactly, as they'll help you still use Skype but lessen the overall data you give out. Tools > Options > General > General Settings: The below settings are set for the purpose of decongesting startup and lessening the resource Skype originally eats up when you boot Windows. • Everything disabled/unchecked • Tick/enable "profile pictures" Tools > Options > General > Video Settings: The purpose for thise is to prevent automatic sharing of screens and video. Several bots have been known to add people and quickly ask for screen sharing or video-chat to record or whatever, it's very rare but still a concern. This just ensures you're notified and forced to allow or disallow invites. • Select "No one" Tools > Options > General > Skype WiFi: In general, it's good practice to avoid the use of WiFi. It's even better to avoid using Skype on your mobile phone/smartphone. • Disable/untick everything Tools > Options > General > Skype Translator: Less stuff for Skype to use against you, also uses less resources. • Disable/untick everything Tools > Options > Privacy > Privacy settings: Ensure you've selected "Advanced Options". • People in my contact list only • No one • People in my contact list only • Drop down > No history • Last two unchecked/disabled Tools > Options > Calls > Call Settings: Forces you to ensure you don't allow calls from just anyone, other than that it's just more secure this way. • People in my contact list only • Show call controlls when Skype is in the background • Untick/disable everything else Tools > Options > Calls > Video Settings: Just another precautionary tweak. • No one Tools > Options > IM & SMS > IM settings: Cleaner look, less data grabbed in case your rig or profile's grabbed. • People in my contact list only • Dropdrown menu > no history • Open a new window when I receive a new message in split window view • Quote copied messages • Send message • Untick/disable "show when I am typing" • Choose a folder to save the file in every time Tools > Options > IM & SMS > IM appearance: Cleaner look, less data grabbed in case your rig or profile's grabbed. • Untick/disable compact chat view • Tick/enable Show images and other media previews • Tick/enable show link previews • Everything else is unticked/disabled Tools > Options > Advanced > Advanced settings: Meat & potatoes here. • Untick/disable everything Tools > Options > Advanced > Automatic updates: Never let anything automatically uptate. • Ensure it's disabled Tools > Options > Advanced > Connections: Don't use TOR with skype, as it's unwise to do so besides being unsafe. This is due to Microsoft's Skype having control over the encryption keys and not the user. This means they can decrypt and encrypt regardless of what you wish to accomplish, ergo ruining anything you plan or discuss and making it an open book for the government or anyone willing to flash enough cash. It's also dangerous due to skype block certain exit relays, which could potentially lead to your IP being leaked. If you really need to hipe your IP while using Skype, invest in a VPN to use. This will help you lessen the risk of your IP being leaked without increase your risk of being flagged by Microsoft. Now, you’re not protected, in the slightest, however you’re not naked either. It’s like finding and putting on a pair of boxer shorts when you’ve nothing else to protect you during a violent, highly acidic rain of pain and even greater pain. It helps, albeit in a minuscule amount. It won’t protect you 100% from resolvers or bots, yet it’s better than nothing. Before you continue any further, we’ve a few more things to do to further help you lock down your profile and prevent as much data leakage as possible when it comes to using Skype. Now, before we proceed, ***I’d like to remind you:*** Skype’s bad. Click your avatar (circular image) or select Skype > Profile > Edit Profile, or simply just CTRL + I it Your username should be one that you’ve used nowhere else. Your nick/nick-name shouldn’t be related to you, at all, and has been used nowhere else. None of those two should be related to you, at all, in the real world. Your mood/quote shouldn’t exist or be something random and not related to you, at all, in the real world. Your avatar should be randomized or, at the very least, a smug anime girl to upset people. Phone numbers should never be posted on the internet or insert into your Skype. The same applies for e-mall addresses, except for the one you’ve used to create the account. That e-mail address shouldn’t be used for anything other than Skype and nothing else. All settings should be set to either “Contacts” or “Private”. Everything here should be either left blank, purposely false (different gender, timezone, b-date…etc) and set to either “Private” or “Contacts” to ensure no-one can learn of your information or try to learn of your information. This, again, will help hinder anyone from truly being able to use anything against you; however the government has better toys than some hobbled together resolver or a slightly modified bot. ***Again, avoid Skype, if possible.*** It’s also best to mention that, for the sake of covering all bases, that you can block ADs and do some slight modifications to Skype to make it less of a resource hog and potential malware bomb. It’s quite simple and easy to do. First off, depending on your version of Windows, simply do the following: Go to control panel > internet options Or Control panel > Network and Internet > Internet options From there, search for the security tab. Select, from there, the “Restricted sites” option and open the “Sites” dialog with the button indicated. Add these two sites to the blocked websites: apps.skype.com & g.msn.com Now you shouldn’t see any Ads, however that doesn’t mean Microsoft won’t add any new AD networks. Please look into our “Host Files” guide @ our Library (https/www.paranoidsbible.tumblr.com/library) located on our blog. We also wish to remind you that you shouldn’t ever accept anyone’s friend’s request unless you know who it is and can trust them. Block all non-trusted requests and accounts. Take the initiative and look online for a bot block-list. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to trying to use Skype and remain secure. If you wish to abandon Skype, ensure everything’s blanked out or replaced with a single character (+, _, =, -…etc). It’s also wise to put a simple white image up as your avatar, too, and block and delete everyone from the account. Never access the account, unless you wish to waste an hour, each day, for a week to flush your IP out and replace it with a random proxy or VPN to ensure nothing ties you any longer to the account. Never log into the account again, once you’ve abandon it. Let it sit and rot, it’ll fade into obscurity soon enough. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===Use TOX, Be Secure=== The best way to explain Tox is as if it was a person. Tox, to be precise, is the athletically built, 10/10, drop-dead-gorgeous, blond hair, blue eyed cousin of Skype. Whereas Skype is a bloated, trend-following piece of crap that believes outward appearance, regardless of size, is all that’s need to appease their user. Simply put: Tox doesn’t have the idiotic “aesthetics” and useless bloat. It’s just what it says on the box, thus far. TOX is a P2P instant messaging and video calling protocol that offers end-to-end encryption. All traffic is encrypted using the NaCl library, which provides authenticated encryption, perfect forward secrecy and no surprise visits from the FBI, yet. Tox is quite simple and easy to use. The FAQs (https://tox.chat/faq.html) alone should have you withering in orgasmic pleasure by knowing just how secure you are when compared to Skype. Just look at the below! • Removing the need to rely on central authorities to provide messenger services • Concealing your identity (in the form of meta-data, e.g. your IP address) from people who are not your authorized friends • Enforcing end-to-end encryption with perfect forward secrecy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forward_secrecy) as the default and only mode of operation for all messages • Making your identity impossible to forge without the possession of your personal private key, which never leaves your computer Seriously, we would like you to give the FAQ page a read. It goes into great details of why TOX is simply better than Skype. It’s near impossible for anyone to hijack or mess with your account. And, when using TOR and TOX, there’s near nothing anyone can do to trace you or your messages (as long as your rig’s clean and secure). There’s no need for an e-mail address or complicated signup. You just need to choose and download the flavor of TOX you want for your operating system, create a new account and start adding your friends. From there, it’s simple OPSEC and not adding people at random. No history is saved, it’s ready out of the box and if you want, you can monkey around with it however you wish. There’s nothing else you need. TOX does it all, so far. Unless, of course, you want to modify the settings in-program, like disabling that annoying typing feature that alerts people to when you’re typing or not. They even have a series of How-Tos already available for you, so there’s also that. The only drawback is the simple fact that if your rig fries, so does your profile and list of friends. So keep a list handy on a USB of your friends’ keys just in case. __References:__ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tox_(protocol) https://wiki.tox.chat/users/tox_over_tor_tot https://tox.chat/download.html https://wiki.tox.chat/users/howtos ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===Afterword=== This is probably one of our more lazily written guides, however since some people kept requesting it we decided to crank it out as quickly as possible. Like all work edits, content’s there, just not beautified or aesthetically pleasing, yet... Enjoy and get off of Skype!

#skype #tox #chat #im #privacy #security #microsoft

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