#free him from the usa TRULY free him

[finexbright]

make it make sense. and this is not even taking into fact the residencies and how "asia" never got a fine line tour

[apollosbirthdayplaylist]

Sam Tutty, Andrew Barth Feldman, Stephen Christopher Anthony, Robert Markus - For Forever (from Dear Evan Hansen)

[mostlysignssomeportents]

It all started with a mouse

For the public domain, time stopped in 1998, when the Sonny Bono Copyright Act froze copyright expirations for 20 years. In 2019, time started again, with a massive crop of works from 1923 returning to the public domain, free for all to use and adapt:

https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2019/

No one is better at conveying the power of the public domain than Jennifer Jenkins and James Boyle, who run the Duke Center for the Study of the Public Domain. For years leading up to 2019, the pair published an annual roundup of what we would have gotten from the public domain in a universe where the 1998 Act never passed. Since 2019, they've switched to celebrating what we're actually getting each year. Last year's was a banger:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/20/free-for-2023/#oy-canada

But while there's been moderate excitement at the publicdomainification of "Yes, We Have No Bananas," AA Milne's "Now We Are Six," and Sherlock Holmes, the main event that everyone's anticipated arrives on January 1, 2024, when Mickey Mouse enters the public domain.

The first appearance of Mickey Mouse was in 1928's Steamboat Willie. Disney was critical to the lobbying efforts that extended copyright in 1976 and again in 1998, so much so that the 1998 Act is sometimes called the Mickey Mouse Protection Act. Disney and its allies were so effective at securing these regulatory gifts that many people doubted that this day would ever come. Surely Disney would secure another retrospective copyright term extension before Jan 1, 2024. I had long arguments with comrades about this – people like Project Gutenberg founder Michael S Hart (RIP) were fatalistically certain the public domain would never come back.

But they were wrong. The public outrage over copyright term extensions came too late to stave off the slow-motion arson of the 1976 and 1998 Acts, but it was sufficient to keep a third extension away from the USA. Canada wasn't so lucky: Justin Trudeau let Trump bully him into taking 20 years' worth of works out of Canada's public domain in the revised NAFTA agreement, making swathes of works by living Canadian authors illegal at the stroke of a pen, in a gift to the distant descendants of long-dead foreign authors.

Now, with Mickey's liberation bare days away, there's a mounting sense of excitement and unease. Will Mickey actually be free? The answer is a resounding YES! (albeit with a few caveats). In a prelude to this year's public domain roundup, Jennifer Jenkins has published a full and delightful guide to The Mouse and IP from Jan 1 on:

https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/mickey/

Disney loves the public domain. Its best-loved works, from The Sorcerer's Apprentice to Sleeping Beauty, Pinnocchio to The Little Mermaid, are gorgeous, thoughtful, and lively reworkings of material from the public domain. Disney loves the public domain – we just wish it would share.

Disney loves copyright's other flexibilities, too, like fair use. Walt told the papers that he took his inspiration for Steamboat Willie from Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks, making fair use of their performances to imbue Mickey with his mischief and derring do. Disney loves fair use – we just wish it would share.

Disney loves copyright's limitations. Steamboat Willie was inspired by Buster Keaton's silent film Steamboat Bill (titles aren't copyrightable). Disney loves copyright's limitations – we just wish it would share.

As Jenkins writes, Disney's relationship to copyright is wildly contradictory. It's the poster child for the public domain's power as a source of inspiration for worthy (and profitable) new works. It's also the chief villain in the impoverishment and near-extinction of the public domain. Truly, every pirate wants to be an admiral.

Disney's reliance on – and sabotage of – the public domain is ironic. Jenkins compares it to "an oil company relying on solar power to run its rigs." Come January 1, Disney will have to share.

Now, if you've heard anything about this, you've probably been told that Mickey isn't really entering the public domain. Between trademark claims and later copyrightable elements of Mickey's design, Mickey's status will be too complex to understand. That's totally wrong.

Jenkins illustrates the relationship between these three elements in (what else) a Mickey-shaped Venn diagram. Topline: you can use all the elements of Mickey that are present in Steamboat Willie, along with some elements that were added later, provided that you make it clear that your work isn't affiliated with Disney.

Let's unpack that. The copyrightable status of a character used to be vague and complex, but several high-profile cases have brought clarity to the question. The big one is Les Klinger's case against the Arthur Conan Doyle estate over Sherlock Holmes. That case established that when a character appears in both public domain and copyrighted works, the character is in the public domain, and you are "free to copy story elements from the public domain works":

https://freesherlock.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/klinger-order-on-motion-for-summary-judgment-c.pdf

This case was appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, who declined to hear it. It's settled law.

So, which parts of Mickey aren't going into the public domain? Elements that came later: white gloves, color. But that doesn't mean you can't add different gloves, or different colorways. The idea of a eyes with pupils is not copyrightable – only the specific eyes that Disney added.

Other later elements that don't qualify for copyright: a squeaky mouse voice, being adorable, doing jaunty dances, etc. These are all generic characteristics of cartoon mice, and they're free for you to use. Jenkins is more cautious on whether you can give your Mickey red shorts. She judges that "a single, bright, primary color for an article of clothing does not meet the copyrightability threshold" but without settled law, you might wanna change the colors.

But what about trademark? For years, Disney has included a clip from Steamboat Willie at the start of each of its films. Many observers characterized this as a bid to create a de facto perpetual copyright, by making Steamboat Willie inescapably associated with products from Disney, weaving an impassable web of trademark tripwires around it.

But trademark doesn't prevent you from using Steamboat Willie. It only prevents you from misleading consumers "into thinking your work is produced or sponsored by Disney." Trademarks don't expire so long as they're in use, but uses that don't create confusion are fair game under trademark.

Copyrights and trademarks can overlap. Mickey Mouse is a copyrighted character, but he's also an indicator that a product or service is associated with Disney. While Mickey's copyright expires in a couple weeks, his trademark doesn't. What happens to an out-of-copyright work that is still a trademark?

Luckily for us, this is also a thoroughly settled case. As in, this question was resolved in a unanimous 2000 Supreme Court ruling, Dastar v. Twentieth Century Fox. A live trademark does not extend an expired copyright. As the Supremes said:

[This would] create a species of mutant copyright law that limits the public’s federal right to copy and to use expired copyrights.

This elaborates on the Ninth Circuit's 1996 Maljack Prods v Goodtimes Home Video Corp:

[Trademark][ cannot be used to circumvent copyright law. If material covered by copyright law has passed into the public domain, it cannot then be protected by the Lanham Act without rendering the Copyright Act a nullity.

Despite what you might have heard, there is no ambiguity here. Copyrights can't be extended through trademark. Period. Unanimous Supreme Court Decision. Boom. End of story. Done.

But even so, there are trademark considerations in how you use Steamboat Willie after Jan 1, but these considerations are about protecting the public, not Disney shareholders. Your uses can't be misleading. People who buy or view your Steamboat Willie media or products have to be totally clear that your work comes from you, not Disney.

Avoiding confusion will be very hard for some uses, like plush toys, or short idents at the beginning of feature films. For most uses, though, a prominent disclaimer will suffice. The copyright page for my 2003 debut novel Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom contains this disclaimer:

This novel is a work of fiction, set in an imagined future. All the characters and events portrayed in this book, including the imagined future of the Magic Kingdom, are either fictitious or are used fictitiously. The Walt Disney Company has not authorized or endorsed this novel.

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250196385/downandoutinthemagickingdom

Here's the Ninth Circuit again:

When a public domain work is copied, along with its title, there is little likelihood of confusion when even the most minimal steps are taken to distinguish the publisher of the original from that of the copy. The public is receiving just what it believes it is receiving—the work with which the title has become associated. The public is not only unharmed, it is unconfused.

Trademark has many exceptions. The First Amendment protects your right to use trademarks in expressive ways, for example, to recreate famous paintings with Barbie dolls:

https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/summaries/mattel-walkingmountain-9thcir2003.pdf

And then there's "nominative use": it's not a trademark violation to use a trademark to accurately describe a trademarked thing. "We fix iPhones" is not a trademark violation. Neither is 'Works with HP printers.' This goes double for "expressive" uses of trademarks in new works of art:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogers_v._Grimaldi

What about "dilution"? Trademark protects a small number of superbrands from uses that "impair the distinctiveness or harm the reputation of the famous mark, even when there is no consumer confusion." Jenkins says that the Mickey silhouette and the current Mickey character designs might be entitled to protection from dilution, but Steamboat Willie doesn't make the cut.

Jenkins closes with a celebration of the public domain's ability to inspire new works, like Disney's Three Musketeers, Disney's Christmas Carol, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Disney's Around the World in 80 Days, Disney's Alice in Wonderland, Disney's Snow White, Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame, Disney's Sleeping Beauty, Disney's Cinderella, Disney's Little Mermaid, Disney's Pinocchio, Disney's Huck Finn, Disney's Robin Hood, and Disney's Aladdin. These are some of the best-loved films of the past century, and made Disney a leading example of what talented, creative people can do with the public domain.

As of January 1, Disney will start to be an example of what talented, creative people give back to the public domain, joining Dickens, Dumas, Carroll, Verne, de Villeneuve, the Brothers Grimm, Twain, Hugo, Perrault and Collodi.

Public domain day is 17 days away. Creators of all kinds: start your engines!

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

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/15/mouse-liberation-front/#free-mickey

Image: Doo Lee (modified) https://web.law.duke.edu/sites/default/files/images/centers/cspd/pdd2024/mickey/Steamboat-WIllie-Enters-Public-Domain.jpeg

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

[buttercuparry]

I am very worried that Siraj ( @siraj2024 ) may not be able to get to 30k CAD by the end of this week 

We have got only 2 days left now!!

Siraj, who is both a journalist and writer, never imagined a time in which he would be forced to plead for monetary help from strangers on the internet. This genocide, now in its 10th month, has devastated his life and forced him to turn to us, and to you. His house, which was a dream come true for his family, has been bombed by the IDF, forcing Siraj to bear witness to a decade of hard work crumbling to the ground. All this injustice comes at the hands of the illegal settler state of “Israel” and its Imperial sponsor, the USA.

Because of the manufactured famine and violence by the occupation , everyday has been a nightmare for Siraj. Food is hard to come by and what little there is- it is extremely costly. There is also no clean drinking water in Gaza Strip either and this is all the more alarming, since recently there has been discovery of  polio virus in the free flowing sewage water putting all unvaccinated children at risk of an epidemic, with gaza's medical infrastructure almost completely destroyed

The settler colony is not only bombing and administrating deadly ground invasions but, it has also created such conditions that children who by some luck  have escaped being in the line of fire,  now have every possibility of contracting deadly illnesses!

Siraj's little son is seriously ill !!

It is something Siraj has worried about for some time now, with all the illnesses the children of gaza are being exposed to today and none of the medical resources left to help. You cannot afford to get sick in gaza anymore, just as you cannot afford to get injured. This is his worst fear come to life. 

This places Siraj’s son in a deeply vulnerable situation.For the past two days Siraj has been unable to come online properly to campaign - he can’t spare time for the campaign because he must care for his child, and in these two days where Siraj has been stretched thin between obligations, and time was taken from his pleas for help, his campaign stagnated.

If you truly believe in the Palestinian cause, if you truly want them to have a life of dignity then please do not turn away the moment they stop to take a breath.  

Siraj wants to rebuild his home to escape the tent life which is proving difficult for his children! He wants to remain in Gaza. He cannot bear to think that his wife Halima has no privacy, that she has to endure even this amidst trying to survive a genocide. Does he really  have to travel 3 km everyday, no matter what to post his daily updates, for you to keep  caring? Does he have to showcase pictures of his sick children to the world to garner your sympathy? Does he have to expose his family to the racist dehumanization faced by Palestinians in real life and on this site, when he already bears the burnt of harassment from Zionists who hate him for daring to  expose the occupation in all its brutality? If it is not so then please boost and donate!

We only have 2 days to reach 30k !!

Currently at $26930 CAD. Only $40 CAD donated in the last hour. Do not fail Siraj now!

(Vetting at number 219 on Hussein and Nabulsi's list )

[izartn]

Anyways Charles having to drag Edwin away from Niko's corpse in episode 8 so they avoid Death was a perfect acting choice. Holy shit.

The way Edwin is noticeable subdued for the rest of the finale; most clearly just in the aftermath at Jenny's with Crystal and Charles, but even to the end already back in London you can notice the difference to before. He's also been to hell and back and been tortured by Esther so like. What an ending to their visit to USA.

Niko truly was his friend, and died trying to free him from Esther and protecting Crystal when she was only a human without even psychic powers. So I love we both hear him when she's stabbed and that it has such an effect in him he doesn't seem to be able to leave her. Just. Perfect choices.

[crossguild]

one piece as a series actually displays an INCREDIBLE sociopolitical awareness that i think gets undersold because lol shonen and man i was NERVOUS about the slavery plotline with the fishmen but in hindsight mr. oda really hit it out of the park because it's not just about 'slavery bad' or 'heroes good because they oppose the bad thing', it's about an entire system that exists to protect and uphold it for the benefit of those in power and really digs into how those cycles of violence are so difficult to break.

op doesn't try to portray the fishmen as perfect victims who're deserving of not being oppressed because they're all actually good and kind people, and it doesn't try to say that liberation and justice is easy or that it comes without cost, nor does it even say that everyone who participates/has participated in the system as an oppressor is actually irredeemably evil. it's clear in that regardless of the good people in power, regardless of the shitty people being oppressed, people can (& must) do what they can to liberate others even if it's hard, even if it feels small or you face setbacks. and even from drum island, we have the message that kindness isn't enough-- you have to be able to leverage that kindness in a meaningful way, which i know twitter activists hate to hear lol.

a less sophisticated series would position luffy as a Hero who is the First Person who has ever thought that the system is bullshit and who has tried to change things and have him succeed in kicking off the great revolution, but OP could not be clearer about how many gears and levers were already turning, how many people were fighting and struggling and living despite that struggle, how much blood and sweat and tears were shed to bring things to a point where luffy COULD be that catalyst to set things in motion.

it sets up all these players who have been building and doing whatever they could with what they had. whitebeard planting his flag to protect FMI, for example, an imperfect solution that ties their safety to his life rather than true liberation, but it's all he could've done at that point and it was an important & meaningful gesture that made such a huge difference to so many people that the fishmen truly considered him their only true human ally. even by the end of fishman island, it doesn't show that luffy has brought freedom to FMI, but that he's helped to take one step in a series of steps that were taken before him and must be taken after him to repair relations between fishmen and humans.

and obviously all of this is analogous to certain real-world historical events which have repercussions to this day and draws heavily from the actual civil rights era of the USA, and we can quibble about how giving that narrative to a super-powered non-human sentient species to deliver a message about Slavery Wrong is a little tired, and i would agree with those criticisms, but somehow this absurdist action-comedy adventure series for boys 13-15 years old manages to nail those themes and stay on message without being preachy or ham-handed. fishman island isn't even my favorite arc but it definitely lives rent-free in my head

[darkeralmond]

Dance With Me

Luke Hughes x Reader

song: dance with me - beabadoobee

synopsis: luke and you dated all through sophomore, junior, and part of senior year. luke had his hands tied with hockey, so the both of you decide to break up. now, you’re alone at prom and luke is back to make things right

warnings: fluff, high school au!, exes to lovers, second chance romance, luke being the cutest ever, dance with me lyrics literally everywhere

word count: 1.6k

a/n: i’ve been posting a lot of conrad stuff so i would like to post something luke hughes related bc i just love him so much! i have a lot more conrad stuff coming don’t worry!! ALSO I LOVE BEABADOOBEE SHE IS THE CUTEST I SWEARR!!

masterlist | request info

4 MONTHS AGO

You would’ve preferred spending the night hanging out with Luke instead of sitting alone on your couch eating rocky road ice cream while watching Scream 2. Luke was busy preparing to go to Team USA for hockey. You wanted to be supportive and have him stay focused on that instead of you. He’s always wanted to go to the national hockey league, which is why playing on a national team was super important. You knew that.

Someone knocked on the front door which interrupted you from your movie. You looked back as your eyebrows knitted together. You placed down the quart of ice cream and paused your movie before heading up to the door. What if you were about to get killed? This was the start of every horror movie. Someone alone in their house while watching a scary movie.

‘Whatever,’ you thought. You opened it up to see Luke standing in the doorway, a frown on his face. Something was wrong. “Hey, baby. What’s the matter?” you asked.

He flashed a false smile, “Hey… can we sit for a bit?” That was never a good sign. You nodded your head as you listened to the beat of your heart as it pulsed. You invited him in and he sat down on the couch. “Look, Y/N…”

Instantly, you knew. The hanging of his head, the lack of eye contact, his anxiously toying with his thumbs. “You wanna break up,” you cut in. His brown eyes were full of sorrow as he met yours.

You nodded your head and looked at the tub of ice cream melting in the container. The lump in your throat grew, but you didn’t want to crack in front of him.

Luke placed his hand in yours, “It’s not because of you, I promise. It’s not that I don’t love you anymore. It’s just..”

“You’ll be gone for hockey,” you finished. He nodded his head, now looking down at his knees again. You watched him in your peripheral vision because you knew if you met his eyes, he would know how much it truly hurt you.

It didn’t take a look for your face to scrunch up as tears escaped your eyes. You took in a sniffled inhale through your nostrils and let out a shaky exhale through your mouth. “It’s okay, I understand.” You grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight.

He looked up and smiled sadly at you before leaning forward and kissing your forehead. You reached for the tissue box on the coffee table and retrieved a tissue. You dabbed at the salty tears staining your cheeks.

His lips met yours gently before he said, “I love you so much.” You stared into his brown eyes that were now red from holding back tears.

“I love you too,” you whispered. Holding back the sobs stuck in your throat felt impossible, but you had to stay strong for him.

His hand then slipped out of yours as he got up from his spot on the couch. He used the back of his hand to wipe away the few tears that seemed to escape. “Good bye, Y/N…”

“Bye, Luke…” With that, he left out the front door. You watched from the window in the living room as the headlights to his car turned on and pulled out of your driveway.

You hysterically cried on the couch, now letting all your emotions free. Your chest hurt and your body burned, it felt like your heart could explode right out of your rib cage. You hated the feeling that you were selfish for reacting this way. Luke was only following his dreams like you told him to, it was your job as your girlfriend to let him go when a bigger opportunity came. It’s just that no one warned you that letting go would hurt so bad…

PRESENT DAY

“Who’s having fun tonight?!” The DJ shouted over the mic. It was finally prom night and your first prom without Luke.

You had a date, Jason Porter. He was someone who showed an interest in you near the beginning of senior year, but you were with Luke. It wasn’t like you wanted to go to prom with Jason in a romantic way, but all your friends had dates, so it felt mandatory to ask someone.

When you all finally arrived at the dance, he immediately ditched you to go hang out with his baseball buddies instead of you. He stuck with his friends while you stuck with yours.

Your friend, Andrea, wrapped her arm around you and pulled you into a side hug. “He’s an idiot. He doesn’t know what he’s missing.”

Prom finally transitioned to the slow dancing period which is what you dreaded. The instrumental for Perfect by Ed Sheeran began playing, so your friends and their dates went onto the dance floor after you insisted you’d be good chilling by yourself.

You looked down at your hands and fiddled with your thumbs, something Luke would do when he’s nervous or upset. Just last year, you were dancing with him out there to this exact song. Now here you were, alone and miserable. You couldn’t help but feel pathetic.

You assumed Luke wouldn’t be back for prom, but you didn’t want to call or text him for confirmation. You figured he was too busy to talk to you which is why you didn’t make an effort to contact him.

“Y/N,” a voice spoke.

Guess you were wrong. You looked up and there he was standing right in front of you. Your heart skipped a beat as you stared at him in disbelief. “Luke?” You stood up and grabbed his face. It was him. You pulled him into a hug, laughing as you did so.

When you pulled back you rested your forehead against his. His hand was behind your head, resting on your neck. “Oh my God, Luke. I missed you so much!”

He kissed the top of your head and smiled widely, “I missed you too, Y/N. How have you been?”

You giggled, “Well at the moment, not too good. All my friends are out dancing with their dates, so I’m kind of lonely.”

“Well, where’s yours?” he asked, looking around.

“Um,” you mumbled. “He kind of ditched me, but it’s fine. Just sucks that there’s really no one to dance with.” You were obviously hinting that you wanted to dance with him.

He looked behind him at the people dancing and then back at you. “If you wanna dance… then dance with me.” Your mouth became too dry to speak. The fact he was here and the fact he wanted to dance. “It’s pretty fast, but this is what you do at prom, right?”

You cracked a smile and said, “Of course I want to dance.”

He led you toward the dance floor where you both started swaying with the music. He lifted your hand and rested it against his hip, he grabbed the other with his own hand as they moved to the beat. You looked up at his face to see his smile widening. “You look beautiful tonight,” he said.

You giggled and looked down at his suit. “Thank you, you look handsome.” You met his gaze again. “How’s Team USA?”

“Really fucking time consuming,” he laughed. You laughed with him as he continued his answer. “We’re always playing, and when we’re not playing we’re busting our asses on the ice.”

You felt unfamiliar with him holding you so close, you took a couple deep breaths. ‘Just take it slow and move your feet,’ you thought as you held onto the brunet. He held your waist and your eyes trailed along every feature of his face, memorizing each detail.

When you glanced up, his eyes were already trained on yours. He leaned towards you, capturing your lips in his. The kiss wasn’t long or passionate, instead it was sweet and comforting.

When you broke apart, he said, “I’m sorry about how things ended.” He ran his fingers through your hair to get the baby strands out of your face. “I’m sorry it ended at all.”

“I’m sorry for not reaching out,” you admitted. You bit down on your bottom lip as you stared into his gorgeous eyes. They held something else, some sort of pain and guilt.

“I’ve been miserable without you and I just really want to make things work. I don’t care about the distance, I only care about you.” His voice lowered to a whisper.

“Luke,” you frowned. “Are you sure you can handle a relationship while you’re gone?”

“You’re more than just a relationship, Y/N,” he said. “I know it’s kind of hard to tell, but I really like you.”

A small smile appeared on your face. “And I really like you too, Luke.”

He grinned at you, causing your heart to skip a beat. He brought a finger to your chin, raising it up. “Then will you give me another chance? I promise you won’t regret it.”

You nodded your head, trying to keep the tear that threatened to fall from falling. You didn’t want your makeup running down your face or to get mascara on your dress, so you quickly wiped away the escaping tears with your thumb. “Yeah…” You nodded once more. “I want that.”

Luke placed his forehead against yours again and held you closer. “So does that mean we can try again?” His words caused your heart to flutter once more.

“Of course it does, dummy,” you teased before kissing him gently.

[bagopucks]

T. Zegras - Disheveled Duckling

✄————————————

Trevor Zegras x Reader

Requested✨

Word Count: 4.2k

Warning(s): Insecurities, and a tiny tiff

—————————————

“Whose decision was it to make Zegras the cover of NHL 23?”

“Tried and failed to make the new face of the league Trevor Zegras.”

“What an absolute joke.”

“Too flashy. Not enough skill.”

“Good thing the Ducks hired another useless player. I was afraid they might actually make the playoffs.”

“Wonder if he has to hold onto sh** when the wind blows”

“His girlfriend need a man’s man?”

“Holy shit!” I slammed the door to the house I’d slowly grown to love. Trevor and Jamie’s.

Jamie’s head shot up from the couch, startled and frightened by both my abrupt arrival and my anger.

“You good?” I heard him chuckle. No doubt nervous. I took my shoes off, locked the door, and turned to look at my boyfriend’s best friend. Silence filled the air around us. Jamie’s nervous smile immediately disappeared.

“It’s impossible.” My shirt was dripping with water, as were my hands. “And you didn’t even come outside to help!”

“Trevor’s car is really that unclean-able?”

“It’s yours! It’s your Jamie! What are you driving through?” His cheeks turned red. Trevor was out for a hockey game, but when I informed him that my work place was trying to schedule a late night meeting, and we hadn’t known how long Jamie was going to be at the doctors office, Trevor said he’d simply take an Uber. I felt bad when Jamie came home five minutes after Trevor had left. So I decided to go out and wash their cars for them. It was a nice day anyway, a little outdoor time hadn’t hurt.

“I don’t know?” I had managed to get Trevor’s car practically spotless before I had waxed it. But Jamie’s was something else. It had tiny asphalt pieces all over. Which was usual on a car, but I couldn’t scrape them away without chipping paint, and they wouldn’t just wipe away either.

The sun had begun setting mere minutes ago. I had given up on Jamie’s car. I was tired, I’d missed more of the hockey game than I wanted to, and now I was simply angry.

“You’re lucky I have a moral compass that says I shouldn’t hit injured people.” I grumbled as I left the living room, walking through the house to find mine and Trevor’s bedroom. I needed a change of clothes. Something comfortable.

I had been getting notifications for a while on my NHL app. I had only stopped to look at a few, but from what I’d seen, the Ducks were losing. Another reason to be stressed. Another reason to worry about my boyfriend.

I met Trevor when he played for the USA hockey team. We just happened to be in the same town and in the same pastry shop the night it happened. He was trying to order a bear claw, and I had let out a rather exaggerated sigh over the fact that it was the last one. We shared it over two cups of iced coffee.

After that, we became friends and remained so for a long time. The year he got drafted into the NHL, it seemed he’d been on enough of an adrenaline rush to ask me out. I said yes. He pursued his dreams while I pursued my own. Our paths of life ran parallel, but close enough to hold hands along our walks.

I’d been around long enough to see Trevor make records in USA hockey, get drafted, play in the AHL, and eventually join the league permanently. I’d also seen the rise and fall of his mentality as those years went by as well.

I couldn’t pinpoint when it truly started, but I would certainly say when the media began pushing to make him the new face of the league. That was when Trevor began to feel the anxiety.

To everybody else, he loved it. To everybody else, he ate up every second of attention he got. He loved the videos online, the commercials, the sponsorships and free stuff. And part of that was true. Trevor did love all of those things.

But people put so much pressure on you when they expect you to be the poster child of anything. It can change people. Hell, Sidney Crosby’s first year in the NHL was spent screaming at any ref he could over a call he didn’t like. Getting misconducts and penalties he ought not to. Good men can fall long ways under immense pressure. But when the spotlight is on you, all people want is to see you fall and fail. People want to see the hero bend and bend and eventually break.

Trevor loved the attention, but he despised the hate. He didn’t like opening his sports news apps to find articles on himself, and not having the impulse control to not read them. He hated posting something on Instagram, and going back to check a comment from a friend, only to find hate surrounding it. He hated hearing people he looked up to all his life’s putting him down left and right. He hated being misunderstood, but not given the platform to express his grievances. He had no right to discuss his feelings. Nobody would listen.

Perhaps that had been what made him feel like he couldn’t come to me. What made him pull away when I could tell he was tense and disappointed. It took me forever to really understand why he would come home looking so defeated. Looking like a parent who should have expected better from their kid. It took me forever to realize how much Trevor hated himself.

I blamed it on the publicity over and over again. They built him up so much, just to tear him back down. And I knew with each loss, there was a new article. A new post. A new video. A new comment.

My hopes were whisked away when I opened the NHL app to see the score. 5-1. Not a good look for the Ducks. Then of course, upon further inspection, opening the live summary of the game, I realized Trevor had his own ten minute misconduct.

I was never happy that he fought. That he got in people’s faces and picked fights with guys who could have pinned him down to the ice in one shove. But I understood somewhat. Trevor was just trying to look out for himself. Trying in his own short tempered way to be heard in a league that would not listen to him. But we both found through time that nobody was on his side other than his team and few friends.

“Jamie!” I tossed my phone down onto the bed as I grabbed a spare shirt and a pair of shorts. I quickly changed, the lack of response leading me to assume Jamie was ignoring me. I rolled my eyes as I walked back down the hall, stopping once I was in the living area and over the couch.

Not ignoring, somehow asleep. I worried sometimes about him and his pain medication. He was responsible with it, but I still worried. I gently nudged him. Easy to wake, per usual. And he couldn’t have been out that long.

I nudged Jamie again, watching his eyes flutter open. I gestured for him to move, and he quickly cleared a space for me on the edge of the couch. I sat and took the tv remote, turning the screen on.

“Have you had the game on at all?”

“No.. it’s been.. kinda- stressing me out.” I nodded.

“Trevor got into another fight.” Jamie wasn’t surprised. But he knew as well as I did that Trevor was struggling. On his own little broken sailboat, refusing help because he didn’t want anybody else to be caught up in his storm.

“It should be over by now.” Jamie shifted and sat up, leaning against the arm rest of the couch.

I found the channel and flipped it on. Sure enough, Jamie had been correct. I crossed one of my legs over the other, eyeing up the tv in search of my boyfriend. When I couldn’t find him, I assumed they had kicked him out of the entire arena for the last ten minutes of the game. Banished to the locker room.

I used to love games that took place in the middle of the day. Trevor would come home and we’d have dinner together. Then we’d curl up in bed and whisper for hours until we fell asleep. Now, games in the middle of the day meant there was extra time to avoid aggravating Trevor.

We sat in silence until the goal horn sounded, frustrated Ducks players exiting the ice. It was a waiting game now. One Jamie and I were happy to do together, so neither had to worry about Trevor alone.

“He’ll probably be fine.” Jamie broke the silence with a statement we both knew to be false.

“He hasn’t been fine.” I knew that in my mind, but my heart broke at the first confession of the fact. Trevor had been a wreck of emotions and I hadn’t been able to fix even one of his problems.

And he hid it all so well underneath that big smile. And all those jokes.

Jamie and I returned to silence not long after, but when we caught the headlights through the window, he had been the first to get up to leave.

“You should handle this one.. right?” I gave a nod in approval to his suggestion.

“I’ve got him.”

Jamie retreated to his room after that. Always only one call away if Trevor or I ever needed him. I was supposed to be one call away for Trevor too. Why didn’t he ever dial my number?

I waited for what felt like hours for Trevor to come inside. He never did. So I decided to see what was going on. I unlocked and opened the front door, surprised by the sight of Getzlaf’s car in the driveway. I could just barely make out the silhouette of two figures, one pointing at the other in a manner that looked tense.

I leaned in the doorway, and waited patiently before I was spotted. Getzlaf gestured, and Trevor climbed out of the car. He grabbed his gear from the back, and I heard his voice shout something to his old captain before making his way up the short drive to the door. I wasn’t sure what to say, so instead I stood there, staring at Trevor as his eyes met mine. He looked like he was waiting for something.

“Can I come in?” I was surprised by Trevor’s tone. Playful and lighthearted. I looked skeptical, but I nodded and stepped aside nonetheless.

“I was thinking we could do dinner? I miss that. Maybe- we could try.. like steaks? I know Jamie just got a pack the other day.” Trevor’s always been talkative, but this time it feels off. There was a sound in his voice I didn’t know how to place.

“Trevor I can’t cook steaks.”

“Let me do it.” I stared at him as he shut the door. He hated cooking.

“Come on! It’ll be fun! Let me take care of you.” I shrugged. What’s the worst that could happen?

Trevor insisted I sit at the table while he did his thing. I was hesitant, but I allowed him space nonetheless. Trevor tried to talk about the game a bit, but the bitter laugh that occasionally fell from his lips, and the sad sound in his voice usually caused him to stop before he got into any good details. He often stopped his own comments with something like, “guess it doesn’t matter anyway.” And the repetition of the phrase made me feel like it was a media interview. Like he was repeating and repeating just to get me to go away and stop asking questions. I hadn’t asked any in the first place. That’s what he was hesitant about.

“And the misconduct?” I hoped to look disinterested. Like it didn’t bother me, so I looked down at my phone. Trevor never turned to look at me.

“It was bullshit.” I glanced up at him. His shoulders rose slightly.

“What was it on?”

“You didn’t watch?” Trevor turned to look at me, and I don’t know why, but this time he seemed upset. I had missed games of his before… but this was the first in a long time.

“I was a little busy.” I smiled at him, hopeful to keep the clean car a secret until he could see it in the morning.

“No that’s cool..” he shrugged it off and turned back to the stove. It was definitely not cool, not to him, but he wanted to move on. So we moved on.

I listened to Trevor occasionally mumble under his breath about whatever he was making, the sweet smell of cooked meat filling the kitchen along with the sound of the sizzle of two steaks on the pan. I was certain I hadn’t missed out on Trevor learning how to cook.

Once they were finished, my boyfriend beckoned me over, and I was quick to join his side. He cut a piece and I waited for it to cool off before biting the tender piece of meat off the knife he held. At first it was perfect. Then it was oddly sweet. I made a face. Trevor noticed.

“What’s wrong with it?”

My eyes searched the various items and ingredients strewn across the counter. When I noticed it, I giggled.

“Trevor,” I nodded my head toward the container I used for sugar. I never labeled it because I knew what it was, and the boys didn’t use the big box of sugar I had set aside for baking.

“That’s sugar.” His face fell for a split second. Then he started to laugh. I thought about joining him before it all just felt off. Trevor’s eyes quickly adopted a glazed over look, his smile falling into a frown as the laughter ceased and an overwhelming look of grief overcame his features.

Trevor shook his head before turning the stovetop off. I reached for him while he reached for his keys in his pocket.

“Where do you wanna eat?”

“Baby no. We’ll fix this.”

“I don’t want to. Where do you want to eat?”

“Trevor.”

“I said I don’t want to!”

We didn’t get into fights much. We didn’t like to, but I couldn’t keep disregarding his feelings for his comfort. Something had to give.

“I love you, but you’re gonna sit your ass down and talk to me Trevor.”

“Fuck this.” He shook his head, tossing his keys onto the counter and turning to walk away.

“Trevor!” I snapped and followed him. “I am so sick of seeing you so- so sad! You have to talk to me!”

“I don’t!”

“Then who are you going to talk to? Huh?” Because I knew he was horrible at opening up.

“I don’t know! Nobody fucking listens!” I followed him all the way into our room, pushing the door shut behind myself.

“I’m listening!” I was desperate. “Trevor, I’m right. Here.” He turned to look at me. His anger eased into a blank stare, and it seemed my offer brought everything crashing down at once.

We stared each other down. Both waiting for the other to give up or make some kind of move.

“I’m so tired.” Trevor’s voice quivered, his lips pulling into a frown I hated to see. His eyes fell to the floor.

“Everybody’s so…” he drew in a breath. “Too much- it’s all too much.” Trevor sat down on the side of our bed, his head fell into his hands. “They hate me.”

There was a little kid in there. Devastated. Heartbroken that his heroes wanted him gone. That kids parents didn’t deem him a good role model. That he was ruining his own track record by trying to stay afloat. Trying to survive when nobody respected him. When refs pushed him around and legends dragged his name through the mud. Trevor just wanted to live his dream. He had fun before all the publicity. He didn’t need it, but it was forced on him.

“Nobody hates you.” I slowly made my way over, raking my hands through his hair. Trevor lifted his head to look at me, his brow furrowed and his cheeks red.

“Everybody does! I don’t want to be the guy everybody hates!” Trevor raised his voice, but I couldn’t be bothered to be upset. This was only the tip of the iceberg.

“They liked me..” his voice dropped to a mere whisper. My brow furrowed as I rested my hands on his cheeks, prepared to wipe tears as they began to fall.

“Huh?” I met his volume, Trevor closed his eyes tightly, swallowing the lump in his throat.

“They liked me.. and I ruined it.” Sure, he hadn’t been perfect, but even the aggressive egotistical asshole players had fans. This wasn’t Trevor’s doing. This was the media realizing they failed and then deciding to spin his story. To make him a villain.

“It’s all my fault.” His words were interrupted by a broken gasp, I guided his head to lean against my stomach, pushing a sigh past my lips as I tried not to get too emotional.

“Trevor, this is not your fault.” I ran one hand through his hair while the other held his head.

“I just can’t- fuck!” His voice was muffled in my shirt. “I don’t want this.” I glanced down at him again, my hands travelled to his jaw to move his head from my body.

Trevor’s eyes met my own. So sad. So lost. So broken.

“I don’t want hockey if it comes with all this shit.” He tried to bury his head back against my body, but I held his jaw tightly.

“Trevor.” I carefully moved forward, resting my legs on the bed on either side of his own. I sat on his thighs and pulled Trevor in for a tight hug. His hands gripped the sides of my shirt.

“You just have to be patient. They’re gonna test you.” I whispered against his ear as his head buried in the crook of my neck.

“They test me every day.” I sighed. I didn’t know how to help. “I mess everything up.. they don’t want me. They want somebody who can actually get shit done. They want somebody bigger and faster.. and stronger. They want what I’m not.”

I rubbed at his back with one of my hands.

“Trevor, nobody gives a shit about your weight.” I had never heard a single thing on it before. Sure, maybe his mom made a comment or two about how skinny he was, but it was more so commentary when she was trying to feed him. It never had anything to do with his job.

“Yes they do.” He was insistent. I knew this was a projection. Him trying to find a reason to blame himself for something he couldn’t help. Not everybody gained muscle easily. It wasn’t a bad thing. But to him it was. To him, it was embarrassing.

“I think you look great already. If you get too big, then you can’t lay on top of me any more.”

“That’s not the point.” My joke crash landed. It only seemed to frustrate Trevor more. “People just.. they say shit.” I rested one of my hands on Trevor’s forearm while I worked the other through his hair.

“Like what?”

“That I can’t keep up.. that I’m too scrawny. I need to ‘build up.’ But I can’t! I try and I can’t! I don’t know what’s wrong with me!” He sounded desperate. Desperate for answers I didn’t have.

“It’s genetics Trev. It’s not something you can help.” I knew he tried a million different things. Nothing ever worked. And I knew how hopeless he could get when he’d go to take a peek in the bathroom mirror, and see absolutely no progress. Trevor never had an issue with his body until people started saying things about it.

He’d always wanted to get bigger, but he was patient before. He was willing to really take his time. Now one comment could leave him in the gym for more hours on end than he ought to be in there for. One chirp left him laid down next to me in bed with a shirt on and a pair of pants, curled in on himself like it would somehow make him and his insecurities any less noticeable.

“Or maybe I just shouldn’t be playing hockey. Maybe I’m just not cut out for it.” His sadness had shifted into acceptance. Like he was ready to give up.

“They drafted you Trevor. People talked about you forever. People were elated to have you in the league.”

“Yeah. Were.“

“They still are.” I sighed. “So you have an attitude? They’ll get over it. You know how many people have said they love you? They love your personality, and your talent? You’re a new version of the game. A new type of style everybody is going to know you for.” I moved my hand from Trevor’s hair. I gently traced his jawline with my fingers, holding my breath at the sight of my disheveled duckling.

“What if it never gets better?” Trevor had thought about this more than I realized. I shook my head.

“It will. There’ll be some new hotshot they’ll idolize and attack. Some new player who takes a downward spiral that they decide to torture. This won’t be you forever.. you just have to stay strong while it happens. Okay?”

“I just wanted to play hockey..” exhaustion was evident in his tone. I allowed Trevor to rest his head on my shoulder again, his breaths were heavy from trying to hold back the tears that hadn’t fallen.

“It’ll all work itself out, Trev.” My voice lowered to a whisper. “They did the same thing to Jack.. they did the same thing to Crosby. You just have to handle it better.. that’s all. You know I love you, I just think they get under your skin too easy.”

“I know.” Trevor sighed.

“You have to remember to calm down sometimes. Nobody’s ever going to listen if all you do is yell and fight.”

“That’s what Getz said.” I had been curious, but at no point did I consider asking what Getzlaf had said to Trevor. It hadn’t been my place. But I was happy Trevor told me nonetheless. It was reassuring to know somebody else was telling him the same things.

“You need a stress ball out there or something.” I joked softly, running my hand through Trevor’s hair one last time before I rested my hands on his shoulders, pushing him back so I could see him.

Trevor mustered a sad smile at my words.

“Maybe you just need to chew on your glove like Jack.” I added, trying to go two for two. It seemed that comment earned a giggle from him.

“Or reach out and talk to him.” My tone took up a more serious sound. Trevor pursed his lips and nodded. “You guys don’t talk as much as you should. He probably gets jealous of Jamie.”

I went three for three the second I noticed Trevor’s smile widen, his eyes squinting as well when he laughed.

Silence enveloped our own little world. I tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear. Trevor seemed to finally relax.

“We’re gonna be okay,” I whispered as I gently placed my hands on his chest. Trevor picked up the cue to lay back as I propped myself up over him.

“And I love you.” I added softly, pressing a kiss to his collar. “And Jamie loves you,” Trevor smiled again. “And your mom, and your siblings, and your dad. And all of your friends all scattered about.” I climbed off of Trevor and slipped off the bed. He looked confused before sitting up to look at me, eventually standing as well.

“You don’t have to be perfect.” He stepped closer, resting his hands on my sides as my own slipped beneath his shirt to hold his hips. “Nobody needs you to become a body builder.” I continued. Trevor nodded slowly. “And nobody needs you to lose that attitude.” I wrapped my arms around his body beneath his shirt, gently scratching his back. His weakness. He loved back scratches. “Just keep being the Trevor I know and love. Just be yourself, okay? Everything comes after that.”

And everything did come after that. I didn’t want Trevor to lose himself or his confidence because of others.

After I got him settled, Trevor and I had cleaned the mess in the kitchen and I took him out for a quick dinner. We ate on some curbside, talking and laughing over nonsense. When we did get home, I had checked up on Jamie, prepared to ask if he was hungry before I found he’d been asleep. After that, I slipped back into our room and got settled in bed with him, flipping through streaming services until we found something to fall asleep to.

✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾

[emily84]

ok, toning down a few embellishments there.

she didn't "beat him nearly to death", first of all. that is the accusation by hungarian prosecution who want to throw her in jail and lose the key. no one has stepped forward to accuse her and no witness has pointed to her as the "perpetrator"

her name is ILARIA SALIS, not Laria. yes, she is an anti-fascist activist, and a teacher. in this instance, her only crime is that she traveled to hungary to a counter-protest after a disgusting far right rally that took place over there. that's it. there were skirmishes at the protest, chaos ensued, but that's what happens usually at these events

what's truly ludicrious is that the hungarian authorities arrested her and she has been kept in jail for months. treated like an animal, chained hands and feet whenever she was due to appear in court at her sham trial. the italian government (also right-wing so, secretly thrilled about this development) had to finally throw their weight around and demand she be moved to house arrest at least.

finally. she faced a sentence of up to 20 (TWENTY) years in jail for a simple fucking misdemeanor. because Hungary is a fucking dictatorship - just imagine how many Hungarian protesters and activists have been jailed and are routinely terrorized and oppressed without the privilege of an Italian passport. we don't hear about them, right???

as for the "communism" part. there is no communist party in italy at the moment. the USA have made sure of that over decades of, let's say, involvement in Italian affairs. the Greens and Left Alliance, the party Salis was elected with, is a left-leaning socialist, progressive party. many former communists vote for them but only because it's the "closest living relative" to what they used to stand for.

this isn't a "get out of jail free card" by the way, or a win whatsoever (except that she finally was released, which we have been protesting nearly a year for). because nothing's stopping, say, the German neonazi party AfD from doing the same thing to save a neonazi on trial for hate crimes.

so, like. Europe is going down a very dangeorus path and there's very little to rejoice here. it's making us who go to protests against the rise of neonazi - far right sentiment in Europe very, very scared.

[mamaestapa]

exposing my drafts!

some of these fics are just ideas right now and other have been started. some of these are also “outdated” like they been in my drafts for so long the plot isn’t even relevant anymore…BUT i’ll still finish them ;)

NFL

Joe Burrow:

Leather and Lace (Smut)

You surprise Joe with some special lingerie after the Bengals win their first Super Bowl

Call It What You Want (Angst & fluff)

Fans love to speculate about your relationship with Joe, but only the two of you know what you truly are. The fans can continue to call it what they want

NHL

Jack Hughes:

False God (Smut)

Based off of False God by Taylor Swift

Trevor Zegras:

Electric Touch (Smut)

Remote controlled vibrator, team dinner party, sex in a bathroom

Want You All Over Me (Smut)

Lazy, sweet, morning sex with Trevor after you sneak into his bedroom (Set in Devils Advocate universe)

Is It Over Now? (Angst)

Based on Is It Over Now? by Taylor Swift

Trevor Zegras & Jack Hughes:

Surround Sound (Smut)

During a party at the lake house in Michigan Jack and Trevor discover that you never had a prom night experience like theirs, and they make it their mission to make sure you finally get to experience what they did…

Jamie Drysdale:

Ducklings First Holliday (Fluff)

Celebrating your first holliday with your newborn baby girl (set BEFORE Jamie got traded)

You Were There (Angst & Fluff)

Takes place during Jamie’s trade to Philly, based on the bridge in evermore by Taylor Swift

Adam Fantilli:

Mile High Club (Smut)

On a flight to Cabo for your birthday, your boyfriend suggests you become members of a certain club…

When in Rome (Smut & a little Fluff)

Italy trip with the Fantilli’s, Adam goes crazy over you in your bikini, rough sex in the hotel shower & bed

UMICH

Ethan Edwards:

A little Death (Smut/Angst/Fluff)

Based off of the song A Little Death by The Neighbourhood

Good Kisser (Smut)

You give Ethan the best blowjob (and more) of his life after the team goes to the Frozen Four

Rutger McGroarty:

Oh Mama Don’t You Cry (Smut & Fluff)

Celebrating Team USA winning gold at World Juniors with Rutger

Hey Jealousy (Angst/Smut/Fluff)

Puck bunny hits on Rutger and you get jealous. Rutger shows you that you’re the only one for him…

Butterfly Kisses (Fluff)

Some cute date night fluff with Rutger

Ethan Edwards & Rutger McGroarty (Digital Animal):

Freaky Folks (Smut)

Ethan still has a thing or two to teach Rutger about how to make his girlfriend feel good (Sequel to Digital Animal)

Cruel Summer (Smut)

Rutger fingers you in the back of an Uber while you’re sitting on Ethan’s lap (Literally the scene from Icebreaker just with Ethan and Rutger)

Look After You (Angst & Fluff)

After an argument with Ethan and Rutger, you go to a party out of spite. When things go south, the boys are there to rescue you despite your fight from earlier

The Hills (Smut)

Loosely based off of The Hills by The Weeknd, lots of sneaking around with Rutger behind teammates backs

Luca Fantilli:

Lucky Charm (Fluff)

Celebrating Luca’s first goal with him since you started dating

Mark Estapa:

Cherry Flavoured (Smut)

Based on Cherry Flavoured by The Neighbourhood

if you have questions or thoughts about any of these, feel free to send some asks!🤍

[hanna-lulu]

i’ve been comparing the usa now to germany circa the late 1930s and it is not a favorable comparison.

let’s see what we’ve got:

increasing antisemitism

increasing transphobia

increasing ableism

continued oppression of indigenous peoples

laws being introduced to ban gender-affirming care and remove children from their homes if they are allowed to live as they wish

books being banned for having honest and age-appropriate portrayals of race/racism and queerness/homophobia

pushing maid (medical assistance in dying) on people with disabilities and even people who are just poor (this is more in canada but i’m including it here anyway)

a right wing that is seen as ridiculous and absurd, yet is somehow still managing to hold onto power while liberals/leftists laugh it off as if they’ll run out of steam

it’s important to note that in the 1930s, when hitler came to power, the international community thought he was a joke. his overblown rhetoric was silly, his history was laughable, and nobody took him seriously. they thought it would all blow over. also, he wasn’t saying anything that a lot of people didn’t secretly agree with. antisemitism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and racism were widespread throughout europe and the usa, and a lot of people had less of a problem with what he was saying and more with how he was saying it. (think kanye west’s antisemitic comments, which joe rogan did attempt to stop him from making so blatantly, but didn’t actually disagree with.)

the first medical and educational facility for gender affirming care was in berlin. did you know that? the institut für sexualwissenschaft (known variably in english as institute of sex research, institute of/for sexology, or institute for the science of sexuality) was founded in 1919 and headed by magnus hirschfeld, who was both gay and jewish. he helped build a library in the institute that was dedicated to the topics of gender, eroticism, and same-sex love. the research undertaken there regarded sexual health of all people, gay, transgender, and intersex, as well as counseling and treatment for alcoholism, gynecological issues, venereal diseases, contraceptives, and more. sexual reassignment surgeries were performed successfully there. the goal was to help those who were suffering because they could not live as who they truly were and to educate the common people, because people fear what they see as different, what they cannot understand.

you won’t find the books in that library today. they were burned as part of the nazis’ campaign of terror and censorship. in 1933, 6 years before world war 2 officially broke out, the institut was broken into and looted by the deutsche studentenschaft (aka the german student union). young adults who had spent their formative years surrounded by hateful rhetoric were accompanied by a brass band as they destroyed this oasis of understanding and knowledge. hirschfeld himself had fled germany years before, as he had been targeted numerous times by nationalists/far right “activists”.

berlin once had a thriving queer community. germany was a home to many jews, my own great-grandparents included. my great-grandmother’s younger brother had a learning disability. their home turned on them out of fear and ignorance, the people told by their leaders that other human beings were not really human, but degenerate filth. my great-grandparents escaped with their lives. many– my great-grandma’s brother included– did not.

the concentration camps that imprisoned and killed so many jewish, queer, and/or disabled people (as well as romani and political prisoners, and japanese-americans IN THE USA) are not consigned to the past. our prison system disenfranchises those who are placed in it and uses them for unpaid labor. refugees are caged for daring to hope that our country– the so-called “land of the free”– would take them in when their homes turned on them. indigenous people are ridiculed and attacked for wanting to help our planet heal and for asking to conserve the land that was stolen from their ancestors. almost a hundred years since the holocaust, and we still haven’t learned.

don’t look away from this. it’s not going to blow over. those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it, and we are already experiencing a resurgence of fascist beliefs and rhetoric.

write to your representatives. VOTE. protest if and when you can. show them that we are HERE and we refuse to be written out of the history books, banned or burned away. we are human beings. we live and love and deserve to do so with dignity.

and if appealing to your humanity isn’t enough, remember this poetic version of a quote by german lutheran pastor martin niemöller, an early nazi collaborator and antisemite who later changed his views and opposed hitler’s oppressive regime:

“first they came for the socialists, and i did not speak out–

because i was not a socialist.

then they came for the trade unionists, and i did not speak out–

because i was not a trade unionist.

then they came for the jews, and i did not speak out–

because i was not a jew.

then they came for me– and there was no one left to speak for me.”

there is always another enemy in fascism. anyone who is different will eventually be a target. white supremacy is poison, and fitting the mold of a “perfect citizen” cannot keep you safe. queer infighting and pushing down people who you find “too weird” will not stop the people who hate all of us. to the far right, we are all wrong to our very cores. solidarity in the face of oppression is the only way to survive, live, and thrive.

[fanfic-lover-girl]

Christian Take on the Southern Raiders

As a Christian, I wanted to examine Katara's desire to pursue her mother's killer in the Southern Raiders episode. Especially the topic of forgiveness and justice.

Was Aang right about forgiveness?

Aang claims Katara has a second choice: forgiveness. Zuko claims forgiveness is the same as doing nothing. Aang responds:

"It's easy to do nothing. It's hard to forgive"

Aang is 100% right. Forgiveness is hard. Even when the slight is minor, forgiveness can be hard. Aang is also right about revenge. Revenge can poison someone beyond repair. Forgiveness is meant for the victim, not the perpetrator. As Christians, we can not be forgiven by God if we can't forgive others. In secular terms, forgiveness sets you free from the shackles to your tormentor. So as a friend, Aang is right for pointing this out as an option.

HOWEVER, how he goes about it is insulting and condescending. Comparing the death of Katara's mom to losing Appa temporality. I know Appa is one of his last links to his culture but Appa is an animal and comparing him to a mother is disrespectful! And comparing her to Jet. Another issue here is that Aang presents confrontation as mutually exclusive from forgiveness. At least initially. For me, I struggle to truly forgive unless I confront the person who hurt me first. He did validate her need to confront Yon Rha though when he confronted her and Zuko at night. So right idea but poor execution, Aang.

I think Aang may be a bit too demonized in this episode by Zu/Katara fans.

Justice vs revenge

So justice and revenge both involve addressing wrongs. However, Christians should not carry out revenge. We should leave punishment to God and the law. Justice is also tied to forgiveness. Any Christian who says that we should just forgive criminals and let them off the hook from the law is speaking nonsense. Shame on the Christian press who bashed Rachel Denhollander in her sexual assault case.

Zuko called Katara's desire justice. Aang called it revenge. Who's right?

What was Katara going to do?

What's interesting is that Katara does not explicitly specify what she will do when she confronts Yon Rha. Aang is the one who brought up seeking revenge. But even then no one outright says murder. Maybe because it's a kid's show or maybe Katara did not know herself. It's not until she goes for the kill that it is explicit that she wants to actually kill him. Although her wanting to kill him was heavily implied or could be inferred from the tone of the episode.

Is it revenge or justice to kill Yon Rha?

Technically, yes it is revenge. Justice is meant to be carried out by an impartial party (eg. the law) and/or someone with absolute higher power (God). It is an eye for an eye, but it is still revenge.

HOWEVER, Katara has no avenue for proper justice in the Avatar world! And Christianity does not exist in ATLA obviously lol.

ATLA has spirits but the spirits are indifferent to human problems. Tui and La or Agni will not avenge Katara like God promises to do for Christians.

There is a war going on and there is no law that will condemn Yon Rha. He was doing his duty as a fire nation soldier so he is not guilty under fire nation law. Katara could THEORETICALLY get justice by waiting for Zuko to be crowned and letting the new regime prosecute Yon Rha. But then it poses another problem! Zuko would be forced to prosecute who knows how many FN soldiers! Would all retired military leaders be sent to prison?? What if there was some super old guy who participated in the air nomad genocide and was on his deathbed, on the verge of croaking? Should he be carted off to jail?? And you can't (or shouldn't) lawfully prosecute someone for doing something that was not illegal at the time of the action.

If the WT captured him and held him accountable for murder under their law that could work.

Thankfully, Katara made what I believe to be the right choice for herself. Killing Yon Rha would not bring her mom back and probably would not bring her the closure she needed. There are things worse than death after all.

Even though Katara claimed she did not forgive Yon Rha, she did in a sense. By confronting him, she let go of his hold over her. She no longer fears him. She is able to move on and let go of her anger. She does not demand any payment from him by sparing his life because she sees him as a pathetic waste of space already. She found closure. The difference with her forgiveness of Zuko is that she chooses to put her animosity in the past and give him another chance. Reconcile with him. Unlike with Yon Rha. Not that there is anything to reconcile with him anyway...

[stardustpinkart]

So, someone tried to assasinate Trump.

Pity they missed.

I KNOW its wicked to wish people harm but... Some people I dont think you would be sad to see drop dead. Trump, Putin, people who hurt young woman and children. The isarealis! The ones murdering, slaughtering children, bombing homes, raping prisoners, all while LAUGHING and smiling about like its a big game.

At the very least strip them of power so they cant hurt anyone anmore, which I though they were doing, his name dirt, losing money, being cut of tv appearences, losing buisiness... AND yet they allowed him to seriously try for a second candecy?

Im only sorry for the victims who were in the area. Supporters of him or not. I wish they hadent got killed.

Some of the plans Trump has for America include:

Ending gay marriage.

Ban-remove trans troops from the military.

Ban trans healthcare for kids

Outlaw Pornography

Imprison people who create pornogaphy(DEMONIZING sex workers)

Oh and btw the asshole and his platfrom "project 2025" defines transgender ideology as porno, so, YEAH, gunning to get any "dirty trannies" into prioson

National abortion ban

Abortion medication ban, restrict ivf acess, limit acess to conctraception in an effort to end recreational sex( SO your sex life is now the govs buisiness, and if you dont want a baby, there taking away you right to engage in safe sex)

End no fault divorce

Public health clinics must EMPHASISE the important of STRAIGHT marriage

Repeal any programs that support single mothers or LBGT parents

As per the bible the only legally recognized families are those of a husbad wife and BIOLIGICAL children(so I guess adopted dont count)

Limit social media interaction for children via parental and govermental controlls. They claim its cuz its for there own good, but its so they can controll what they see. They dont want confused kids looking up infromation about feeling trans, maybe gay, non binary, whatever, or even Gaza and progessive issues via the net. ITS CENSORSHIP and there thinking "Our kids wont be dirty lil homos and freaks if they cant SEE these sites"

End free school lunches

Infuse public education with christanity

Band education on race gender and slavery

AND thats just some of it.

....TRUMP is a bigoted, STUPID, racist, intolerant, SACK of shit. Hes like one of those old time polictions in the old days where segagration still existed and a woman was still property of her husband. And seems to want America just to be that way again. HOW much misery did he cause the last time he was president?

I dont care who defends him, he is a terrible human being with terrible, EVIL policies. And I wont be convinced otherwise, EVER.

There are some people SO awful, the world truly doesent need them

Voters, please, do your best! I live in England, but I would, I would WEEP, if these policies came into effect in the USA. I thought MOST of the world would.

[mask131]

Other Odysseys: 1954's Ulysses

When it comes to a cinematic adaptation of The Odyssey there is only one movie to know, THE movie, I am speaking of course about the 1954 Ulisse (or Ulysses in English).

In the middle of the 20th century, Italian cinema absolutely dominated the world when it came to peplums, adaptations of Roman history, or of Greek mythology. It is from this era that came so many famous, cult, classic or influential movie that later ended up creating this same craze in the USA (for example, the huge wave of Hercules movies that later led to the series of American Hercules movies - I made a post about it a loonngg time ago I never followed upon). And this specific movie still remains to this day a big name in the list of Odyssey adaptations.

Directed by Mario Camerini (with Mario Bava also being involved!), this movie had quite an international fame due to not being exclusively Italian. Most notably, it has quite an amount of Americans involved, Kirk Douglas even playing Ulysses! (or Odysseus if you prefer the Greek name) You also have Anthony Quinn as Antinous. France also had its share in the movie, with actors like Daniel Ivernel or Jacques Dumesnil playing men part of Ulysses's crew.

What to say that hasn't been said before? If you enjoy the Odyssey you must watch this movie. I prefer the French dub over the English one because it clarifies some details that are more vague and left to interpretation in the English dub, but that's just me. The costumes of the movie were designed by a French haute couture house: they were the works of Madame Grès. Some scenes were originally planned on Ithaca itself, but an earthquake prevented the shooting. And some of the weapons and armors were historical pieces, lended by museums from Greece and Italy.

If you are interested by how this movie handled the Odyssey, I'll let you discover this by youself (given it is a movie from the 50s it is easy accessible around, even on Youtube you've got several free versions in various languages), but I will tell you that the movie had to condense the Odyssey as much as it could, due to the limits of being a single movie AND a 50s production, while still producing a story that felt satisfactory and complete. I believe it did, though I might be biased because this was literaly the first time I saw the Odyssey on screen after reading about it, and it was one of my childhood movies.

The most striking part of this piece being the synthesis of Ulysses' many trials into three specific steps, with the Nausicaa segment being the first third of the movie: it is a slow opening mimicking how the Odyssey itself begins, but with the additional detail that if Odysseus stays so long by Nausicaa's island, it is because he lost his memory. The sea adventures are actually Odysseus' narration as he finally starts to remember who he was - and this leads to the three iconic segments that marked the "Greek mythology cinema" of the time.

The Polyphemus segment, which was THE marking depiction of a cyclop on the silver screen ; the Siren segment, which explored this movie's tactic of purposefully not showing the most supernatural or gruesome elements of the tale, by the old theater trick (this movie has a strong theater vibe to it in terms or choices and staging) ; and finally the Circe segment. A segment where Circe is also Calypso and Charybdis all at once, and that chose to depict this mysterious enchantress as supernatural double of Penelope (both played by Silvana Mangano), forever clad in a green aura and acting in an eerily ambiguous and unnatural way which leaves you wondering if she is truly a divine witch loving in an unhealthy way Odysseus, or a malevolent agent of the god simply fooling him all along...

All in all, this is THE classic of the Odyssey adaptations that needs no introduction.

[flu5zn]

✼⠀⠀.⠀⠀⠀،،⠀SO S!CK⠀┉⠀is a fictional co-ed band formed in new england by its members as an independent act in january 2011. consisting of COREY, DEVIN, KIAN, and BILLIE, the band began playing college bars across the region while simultaneously posting song covers to youtube.

the early beginnings of attention placed on the band were first drawn from their respective universities. with corey and devin both attending yale university, they quickly became established as a popular college band, appearing across new haven before eventually being invited to perform at bars associated with other ivy league schools in the area. with kian joining the band's older members at yale and billie beginning to attended columbia university, their popularity would skyrocket, eventually allowing them to notoriety necessary to rent out a small studio for the formal recording of their first original body of work.

securing their manager, DENVER OWENS, would prove to be instrumental in so sick's rise in national prominence before the band would sign an exclusive recording contract just five years after forming.

though active in both the asian and western markets, the band has notably struggled to grasp commercial attention in south korea. despite this, members corey and kian frequently appear in korean programming due to their status as members of the highly influential kim family. similarly, billie, has become a rising star within vietnamese media, even securing a spot as a judge on vietnam idol in 2023.

&.⠀ʿʿ⠀✹ ﹕ it's all romanticism, nonsense, rottenness, art.⠀⸻⠀MEMBER PROFILES.

CORNELIUS ALFRED KIM, better known by his stage name COREY KIM, was born the eldest son of business mogul charles kim and his wife, gemini inc. chairwoman, johanna yeun kim on july 27, 1993 in hamburg, germany. from a young age corey made it known that he was a square peg in a family of perfectly rounded circles. he was thoughtful to a fault, much too sensitive for the ruthless expertise necessary for the businesses he would inevitably lead in his fathers' stead.

a torublemaker at heart, corey's interest in the heavy rock records he collected on vinyl only initially served as a rejection of his impending responsibilities. convinced musical success could free him from his imagined shackles of affluence, corey was the one to first bring the band together in 2011. undeniably, corey continues to be the glue of so s!ck, often acting as the mediator between the ambitions of devin and the sober rationalities of kian.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE BASICS.

STAGE NAME: COREY

BIRTH NAME: cornelius alfred kim

OTHER NAME: kim jaeyoung

DATE OF BIRTH: july 27, 1993

ZODIAC SIGN: leo

PLACE OF BIRTH: hamburg, germany

HOMETOWN: new york city, usa

ETHNICITY: south korean

NATIONALITY: german & american

LANGUAGES: german, english, korean

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE CAREER.

OCCUPATION: singer-songwriter, guitarist

YEARS ACTIVE: 2011 - present

LABEL: kayak72

BAND: SO S!CK

POSITION: frontman, lead vocalist, guitarist

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE APPEARANCE.

HEIGHT: 6’2” (188 cm)

TATTOOS: n/a

PIERCINGS: n/a

FACECLAIM: woo dohwan

born and raised the third of five daughters, CHRISTINA XIE has never been a stranger to inconsistencies. from her parents' secret divorce to the six cities she had called home before her 16th birthday, her family was never anchored anywhere long enough for devin to care much for anything.

from a young age, she was quite aware of her surroundings. aware of the tension between her parents, aware of her changing environments, but most importantly: aware of the pressure to succeed. the daughter of two celebrity lawyers, devin recognized very early on that she only ever truly fit in with the other misfit kids who stuck to the back rooms of the fancy galas she couldn't stand.

her family's move to new york city in devin's freshman year of high school brought not only new vices to get high off in the school bathrooms, but also a blossoming friendship with a dark haired boy with darker under eyes and an impressive vinyl collection to match. corey and devin's friendship slowly moved from listening to his grungy recordings of their favorite bands to crafting recordings of their own in euphoric stupors in the early mornings before classes.

though corey would never admit it, devin's slow source of joy in the music they'd made together would eventually lead him to assemble a band of their own the summer before their freshman year at yale. as so s!ck's lead guitarist, devin takes an active role in the composition of the band's music, drawing influence from bands like fleetwood mac, paramore, coldplay, and u2.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE BASICS.

STAGE NAME: DEVIN

BIRTH NAME: christina xie

OTHER NAME: xie ting

DATE OF BIRTH: august 21, 1993

ZODIAC SIGN: leo

PLACE OF BIRTH: santa ana, usa

HOMETOWN: new york city, usa

ETHNICITY: chinese

NATIONALITY: american

LANGUAGES: english, korean

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE CAREER.

OCCUPATION: singer-songwriter, composer, lead guitarist

YEARS ACTIVE: 2011 - present

LABEL: kayak72

BAND: SO S!CK

POSITION: vocalist, lead guitarist

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE APPEARANCE.

HEIGHT: 5’4” (163 cm)

TATTOOS: thirteen total

PIERCINGS: seven total

FACECLAIM: amber yang

born the second son to charles and johanna kim on october 15, 1995, MARKUS KIM, usually referred to by his middle name, KIAN, often found himself happiest when he was on his own. the title, "corey kim's younger brother" never bothered him much considering the fact that his brother's peers would never be his own. if anything, in kian's mind, he often reversed the misconceptions people had founded about their family based on his older brother.

the overachieving, know-it-all of the family, kian never struggled with knowing what his place was within the family. frequently, he would even find himself picking up the responsibilities corey had left behind in favor of whatever it was he did in the early hours of the morning. he had his mind set on the future much earlier than most even decide what their favorite color was.

his initial interest in music was brushed off by his family who knew better than to believe he had found an interest other than the family business. but as he began to use music as a free release of negative energy, they all began encouraging him to pursue the industry in hopes of what opportunities it might present him. along the way somehow, corey managed to convince kian to join his band. although apprehensive at first, kian joined the band, figuring he would follow in corey's footsteps for once. currently, kian is the bassist of the group, often lending his talents to playing keyboard for the band as well.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE BASICS.

STAGE NAME: KIAN

BIRTH NAME: markus kian kim

OTHER NAME: kim jaehwan

DATE OF BIRTH: october 15, 1995

ZODIAC SIGN: libra

PLACE OF BIRTH: hamburg, germany

HOMETOWN: new york city, usa

ETHNICITY: south korean

NATIONALITY: german & american

LANGUAGES: german, english, korean

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE CAREER.

OCCUPATION: singer-songwriter, bassist, keyboardist

YEARS ACTIVE: 2011 - present

LABEL: kayak72

BAND: SO S!CK

POSITION: vocalist, bass guitarist

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE APPEARANCE.

HEIGHT: 5’11” (180 cm)

TATTOOS: n/a

PIERCINGS: n/a

FACECLAIM: im changkyun

WILHELMINA HUỲNH was born to her parents on a quiet night in december. that quietness seemed to be a common theme throughout her young life. speaking very sparingly until the age of 5, billie always had an appreciation for stillness. it was often in the stillness that she was able to get away from the constant doting of her parents who were particularly protective over their youngest daughter.

early on, billie ventured into child modeling even being featured by major brands throughout elementary and middle school. although she loved getting all dressed up, it wasn't uncommon for billie to throw silent, pouty fits to her parents' dismay.

always a girl of very few words, her parents enlisted the help of a close friend to teach billie to play the piano. unknowingly, they ushered in a love for music within the young girl that would continue to determine her dreams for at least another decade.

becoming friends with kian kim and his older brother corey in her freshman year of high school proved to be the greatest decision billie ever made. particularly so when corey begged her to join his band after discovering her musical talent. continuing to be a girl of few words, billie is regarded as the most elusive member of the band and therefore, one of the more popular members.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE BASICS.

STAGE NAME: BILLIE

BIRTH NAME: wilhelmina mai linh huỳnh

DATE OF BIRTH: december 27, 1995

ZODIAC SIGN: capricorn

PLACE OF BIRTH: atlanta, usa

HOMETOWN: new york city, usa

ETHNICITY: vietnamese

NATIONALITY: american

LANGUAGES: english, vietnamese, korean

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE CAREER.

OCCUPATION: singer-songwriter, drummer

YEARS ACTIVE: 2011 - present

LABEL: kayak72

BAND: SO S!CK

POSITION: vocalist, drummer

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE APPEARANCE.

HEIGHT: 5’6” (168 cm)

TATTOOS: n/a

PIERCINGS: n/a

FACECLAIM: lynhci

[the-psudo]

Ukraine

Why does the United States prioritize Ukraine's survival and evolution into a modern market democracy? Why does Ukraine matter so much to the USA?

There are post-Soviet states with stronger democracies and market economies than Ukraine. There are also post-Soviet states that have slipped into dictatorship without much fanfare from the United States. Ukraine isn't the most promising nor the most oppressed. It is, instead, the post-Soviet state that is most on the fence. It is the post-Soviet state where international intervention is most likely to decide whether it becomes a free country or a dictatorship.

Twice in recent history, Ukraine nearly tipped into dictatorship only to see its own common people stand up in massive nationwide protests and pull their system back from the brink. In 2004, President Leonid Kuchma and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych tried to drag their country into dictatorship, and the people rose up to throw them out of office in the Orange Revolution. They saved themselves from dictatorship, but did not reform their constitutional system to prevent future wanna-be dictators.

This was a classic example of a post-Soviet "color revolution," which replaces one ruling party with another without deeper reforms to the system of government. The 'color' is just the symbolism of the new party placed into power. The new party is never a dream come true perfect solution, but only not a dictator and therefore good enough for now.

Russia used the Orange Revolution as an excuse to occupy Crimea. Putin claimed it was to protect ethnic Russians in the area, but Ukraine maintains that ethnic Russians were not at risk. Putin just took the opportunity to reduce Ukraine's control over their own country.

The second time their people pulled them back from the brink of dictatorship was in the winter when 2013 turned into 2014. President Viktor Yanukovych was elected to balance the interests of Europe and Russia to keep Ukraine independent of both, but diplomacy collapsed on the essential agreement with Europe and the people took to the street protesting the slip towards domination by Russia. President Yanukovych cracked down brutally on these Euromaidan Protests. Police shot into crowds with rubber bullets, and then with live ammunition. But the people objected even more aggressively to this brutality. Resistance to the crackdown overtook the treaty as the dominant reason for the protests. The name changed from Euromaidan to just Maidan (pronounced "my dawn").

Then Yanukovych went too far. Parliament was simply told to vote or a bill without having a chance to read it, with threats of career death or even violence if they didn't. Once they'd been forced to pass it, it came out that it was a sweeping constitutional reform that made protests illegal, eroded rights of the accused, centralized power... it was exactly the change that would bring about dictatorship. The protests exploded into the Revolution of Dignity.

It was no longer just a color revolution, to replace the party in charge or about political ideology. Protestors from the left, center, and right all allied together, demanding the removal of the dictatorial constitutional reforms. More than that, a positive philosophy of 'dignity' began to arise, an ethical roadmap to becoming a truly free and independent country. The Ukrainian people wanted more than merely to prevent dictatorship, but also to escape the limbo between dictatorship and freedom. Like the American Revolution, they sought a new birth of freedom and independence, where the state is subservient to the people and the constitution closed the door against dictatorship forever.

The protestors for dignity overwhelmed the police who served the dictatorial reforms in Kyiv, so much so that the police abandoned the city. President Yanukovych fled the country, and was missing for weeks before turning up in Russia. Those who accused him of pushing for subservience to Russia saw in this confirmation of every accusation against him. Russia further confirmed this view by annexing Crimea entirely and occupying the far eastern parts of Ukraine, including the Donbas region. Clearly, they wanted Ukraine to be a dictatorship so they could rule Kyiv from Moscow.

But the people, by rising up this way, got what they wanted. The illegal and dictatorial reforms were rolled back, and the constitutional system of 2004 restored. New elections were held, and a new President chosen. For the second time, dictatorship had been avoided. International observers who had expected the Revolution of Dignity to devolve into a Reign of Terror like the 1799 French Revolution did were discredited when peace returned to Ukraine. The new President and Prime Minister worked to enact reforms that would establish impartial law and order (modeled after the United States), to eliminate authoritarian relics of Ukraine's Soviet past, and to push forward the new mandate of Dignity.

Though strong reforms were made, some Ukrainian people were disappointed with the pace of reform. They also wanted to see the previous regime that had almost dragged the nation into dictatorship tried for their crimes, but the Prosecutor General's Office wasn't prosecuting any of them. There was also very little done about the long-standing (and, among post-Soviet states, very common) problem of oligarchs, vastly rich owners of privatized national services, operating largely above the law and using their wealth and power to amass ever more wealth and power. Oligarchs like Mykola Zlochevsky, current CEO of Ukraine's formerly-nationalized oil and gas firm, technically had investigations pending against them, but criminal charges never came down. No one was arrested. No warrants were served. No news came out of the Prosecutor General's office at all. Was any real investigation happening at all?

Protestors across Ukraine (but especially in Kyiv) had been calling for the prosecution of Yanukovych's criminal regime all along. But by summer of 2015, they wanted the Prosecutor General replaced with someone who would actually prosecute the oligarchs and former regime, too. Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin became a symbol of government's willingness to protect government officials from prosecution for even the most serious of crimes. By September, international diplomats from the EU, UK, and USA had joined the protestors' calls for Shokin to be replaced with a real prosecutor, someone who would enforce the law fairly, along with general anti-corruption measures.

In October, the US State Department called on the White House to lend some authority to the diplomatic anti-corruption efforts. Then-President Obama decided he was too busy to take a trip to Eastern Europe, and tapped his Vice President to answer the State Department's call. The State Department sent Vice President Joe Biden his instructions in November, including specific instructions for him to demand that Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin be replaced. Armed with these instructions, Biden visited Ukraine in December of 2015, and issued them an ultimatum: remove Viktor Shokin and establish genuine equality under the law even for the elites, or the United States would withhold the military aid that helped keep Russia at bay. Biden returned to the United States, with his efforts praised by the US State Department as exactly what was needed. Viktor Shokin was still in office at this time, but members of Ukraine's parliament were picking up the call to have him removed.

Around this time, Shokin fired a deputy and tried to scapegoat him for lack of results in prosecuting oligarchs and the Yanukovych regime. This was obvious scapegoating, Shokin acting desperate to keep his job. The fired deputy became a whistleblower, exposing Shokin's plan of taking bribes from oligarchs in exchange for not actually working on the investigations against them.

Finally, on March 29th, 2016, the Ukrainian parliament voted to formally dismiss Shokin from office. Joe Biden later bragged that they fired Shokin "within days" after his visit, but in reality it took about three and a half months.

This is the true story of why Biden pressured Ukraine to fire Viktor Shokin as Prosecutor General, told from Ukraine's point of view.

Republicans have spun this story into one of Joe Biden getting Shokin fired purely to protect his son, Hunter Biden, who was then an employee of the oligarch-owned oil and gas company Burisma. But 1) Biden was only following the State Department's orders to him (issued November 2015) and the wishes of the Ukrainian people for equality under the law, 2) Shokin's removal was making investigation of Burisma possible, and 3) it's never been proven that Joe Biden even knew that Hunter worked for Burisma at the time. The only Ukrainian person who has defended Republicans' conspiracy theory at all is Viktor Shokin himself, and he needs it to be true in order to preserve his personal reputation. He has the strongest reasons to lie.

Congressional Republicans investigated these allegations thoroughly, even after the new Prosecutor General publicly reassured everyone that his office had no evidence implicating Hunter Biden in any crime whatsoever. Hunter Biden's name isn't even mentioned in their file on the investigation into Burisma, and Hunter didn't work there yet when the investigation was opened.

In all their investigations, House Republicans found exactly one piece of evidence for their story: the FBI had a statement from an unknown source claiming that Joe Biden had demanded a $15 million bribe from oligarch Mykola Zlochevsky, CEO of Burisma. Both Biden and Zlochevsky deny this ever occurred, it's unclear who made the claim, and even in their statement to the FBI they make clear that they didn't personally witness the alleged bribe. They just heard about it from another unknown source. This only amounts to a rumor, not to any real evidence.

The historical story of why Shokin had to go is already complete and comprehensible. No conspiracy story is needed to make it make sense, and no evidence justifies the conspiracy story. Looking at any of this from Ukraine's point of view quickly makes clear that the conspiracy story is too based on myths about Ukraine that only Americans believe and that Ukrainians overwhelmingly know to be false.

Why does Ukraine's survival matter so much to the USA? Because they're going through what we went through: a battle to be free of an oppressive empire that believes they own you. A quest to build a government dedicated to a new doctrine of human freedom and success. The promise that Ukraine holds is precious to all who wish humanity to live well. America knows what it's like to fight a revolutionary war for principles like those. That is why we're sending them billions of dollars of our military surplus, and paying US defense contractors to build us new materiel to replace the aid we've sent. We know what it is to be on the edge of the world, holding the promise of future generations and fighting for its survival. It's our defining story.

God bless America, and God bless the heroes of Ukraine!