#in defense of chicanery

[sergeant-spoons]

Bring back In Defense of Chicanery?

Hey folks - I've got some time over the next day and a half and I'm thinking I'd like to spend that time republishing (ie. unprivating) In Defense of Chicanery on both AO3 and tumblr. I've spent a while reflecting and I think it's best to just leave the fic as it is rather than trying to reshape it into an original work. And besides, that way I can write more epilogues for the fic and keep adding to the world here online!

So my question is: would folks want to be able to read IDOC again? There won't be any changes; the fic will return exactly the same as I last left it - completed post-war, 308k words.

Adding some tags here from my BOB taglist for a little more input if you're able to give it:

@thoughpoppiesblow @wexhappyxfew @50svibes @tvserie-s-world @indecisiveimpatience @ask-you-what-sir @brokennerdalert @holdingforgeneralhugs @coco-bean-1218 @itswormtrain @actualtrashpanda @wtrpxrks

[novlr]

How to Write Betrayal

Betrayal is a powerful plot element that is represented in countless stories. The gravity of betrayal brings a profound depth to character dynamics, plots, and themes alike, making it an indispensable tool for writers to explore emotions, conflicts, and the complexities of human nature. Let’s explore some quick tips on how to write betrayal!

Behaviour

Secretive actions

Dishonesty

Becoming emotionally distant

A sudden change in routine

Pushing people away

Nervous or fidgety movement

Frequent lying or making up stories

Unexpected aggression or irritability

Unjustified mood swings or emotional outbursts

Increasingly defensive

Interactions

Disturbed interpersonal relationships

Frequent misunderstandings or fights

Withholding information

Avoiding personal discussions

Insincerity in conversations

Frequently cancelling or missing plans

A sudden shift in relationship dynamics

Quick to deflect or place blame

Frequent subject changes

Gradual emotional detachment

Body Language

Avoiding direct eye contact

Defensive stance and crossed arms

Covering mouth or touching face

Shuffling or restless movements

Forcing smiles or laughter

Constantly looking around or at the ground

Stiff, tense posture

Heavy breathing or frequent sighing

Avoiding touch or skin contact

Exaggerated gestures

Attitude

A lack of concern or empathy

Increasingly personal and hurtful arguments

Erratic or unpredictable reactions

Self-centeredness

Insincerity

Dismissive or negative attitude

Callous disregard for other's feelings

A negative or pessimistic outlook

Inability to handle criticism

Withdrawal from relationships

Positive Story Outcomes

In the wake of a betrayal, a story can manifest various positive outcomes that add depth to the plot and its characters. Relationships can be strengthened, showing their resilience. Characters may discover newfound self-reliance and learn valuable lessons about trust and forgiveness, leading to an increase in empathy and understanding, personal growth, and the reinforcement of personal values. These experiences can encourage a clearer understanding of personal boundaries, prompt self-reflection, introspection, and the development of healthier coping mechanisms. Ultimately, these positive outcomes can bring about improved communication and honesty, forming the silver lining in the cloud of betrayal.

Negative Story Outcomes

The aftershocks of betrayal can reverberate throughout your story. This might include an irreparable fracture of trust and damage to relationships. Betrayal can trigger psychological trauma, leading to an increase in suspicion and insecurity. Feelings of inadequacy or self-blame may surface, and characters can experience a heightened sense of isolation. The fear of forming new relationships or trusting others can become overwhelming. There may also be an escalation of conflict or violence and the reinforcement of negative behaviours or patterns. Damaged self-esteem or self-worth may be another repercussion, and this can encourage destructive coping mechanisms.

Helpful Synonyms

Treachery

Deception

Double-crossing

Duplicity

Backstabbing

Two-faced

Disloyalty

Unfaithfulness

Infidelity

Falseness

Perfidy

Treason

Fraud

Deceit

Slander

Misrepresentation

Falsification

Chicanery

Double-dealing

[mostlysignssomeportents]

An excerpt from The Bezzle

I'm on tour with my new novel The Bezzle! Catch me next in SALT LAKE CITY (Feb 21, Weller Book Works) and SAN DIEGO (Feb 22, Mysterious Galaxy). After that, it's LA, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix and more!

Today, I'm bringing you part one of an excerpt from Chapter 14 of The Bezzle, my next novel, which drops on Feb 20. It's an ice-cold revenge technothriller starring Martin Hench, a two-fisted forensic accountant specialized in high-tech fraud:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865878/thebezzle

Hench is the Zelig of high-tech fraud, a character who's spent 40 years in Silicon Valley unwinding every tortured scheme hatched by tech-bros who view the spreadsheet as a teleporter that whisks other peoples' money into their own bank-accounts. This setup is allowing me to write a whole string of these books, each of which unwinds a different scam from tech's past, present and future, starting with last year's Red Team Blues (now in paperback!), a novel that whose high-intensity thriller plotline is also a masterclass in why cryptocurrency is a scam:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865854/redteamblues

Turning financial scams into entertainment is important work. Finance's most devastating defense is the Shield Of Boringness (h/t Dana Clare) – tactically deployed complexity designed to induce the state that finance bros call "MEGO" ("my eyes glaze over"). By combining jargon and obfuscation, the most monstrous criminals of our age have been able to repeatedly bring our civilization to the brink of collapse (remember 2008?) and then spin their way out of it.

Turning these schemes into entertainment is hard, necessary work, because it incinerates the respectable suit and tie and leaves the naked dishonesty of the finance sector on display for all to see. In The Big Short, they recruited Margot Robbie to explain synthetic CDOs from a bubble-bath. And John Oliver does this every week on Last Week Tonight, coming up with endlessly imaginative stunts and gags to flense the bullshit, laying the scam economy open to the bone.

This was my inspiration for the Hench novels (I've written and sold three of these, of which The Bezzle is number two; I've got at least two more planned). Could I use the same narrative tactics I used to explain mass surveillance, cryptography and infosec in the Little Brother books to turn scams into entertainment, and entertainment into the necessary, informed outrage that might precipitate change?

The main storyline in The Bezzle concerns one of the most gruesome scams in today's America: prison-tech, which sees America's vast army of prisoners being stripped of letters, calls, in-person visits, parcels, libraries and continuing ed in favor of cheap tablets that bilk prisoners and their families of eye-watering sums for every click they make:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/14/minnesota-nice/#shitty-technology-adoption-curve

But each Hench novel has a variety of side-quests that work to expose different kinds of financial chicanery. The Bezzle also contains explainers on the workings of MLMs/Ponzis (and how Gerry Ford and Betsy DeVos's father-in-law legalized one of the most destructive forces in America) and the way that oligarchs, foreign and domestic, use Real Estate Investment Trusts to hide their money and destroy our cities.

And there's a subplot about music-royalty theft, a form of pernicious wage theft that is present up and down the music industry supply-chain. This is a subject that came up a lot when Rebecca Giblin and I were researching and writing Chokepoint Capitalism, our 2022 book about creative labor markets:

https://chokepointcapitalism.com/

Two of the standout cases from that research formed the nucleus of the subplot in The Bezzle, the case of Leonard Cohen's batshit manager who stole millions from him and then went to prison for stalking him, leaving him virtually penniless and forced to keep touring to keep himself fed:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/apr/19/leonard-cohen-former-manager-jailed

The other was George Clinton, whose manager forged his signature on a royalty assignment, then used the stolen money to defend himself against Clinton's attempts to wrestle his rights back and even to sue Clinton for defamation for writing about the caper in his memoir:

https://www.musicconnection.com/the-legal-beat-george-clinton-wins-defamation-case/

That's the tale that this excerpt – which I'll be serializing in six parts over the coming week – tells, in fictionalized form. It's not Margot Robbie in a bubble-bath, it's not a John Oliver monologue, but I think it's pretty goddamned good.

I'm leaving for a long, multi-city, multi-country, multi-continent tour with The Bezzle next Wednesday, starting with an event at Weller Bookworks in Salt Lake City on the 21st:

https://www.wellerbookworks.com/event/store-cory-doctorow-feb-21-630-pm

I'll in be in San Diego on the 22nd at Mysterious Galaxy:

https://www.mystgalaxy.com/22224Doctorow

And then it's on to LA (with Adam Conover), Seattle (with Neal Stephenson), Portland, Phoenix and beyond:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/16/narrative-capitalism/#bezzle-tour

I hope you'll come out for the tour (and bring your friends)!

Between 1972 and 1978, Steve Soul (a.k.a. Stefon Magner) had a string of sixteen Billboard Hot 100 singles, one of which cracked the Top 10 and won him an appearance on Soul Train. He is largely forgotten today, except by hip-­hop producers who prize his tracks as a source of deep, funky grooves. They sampled the hell out of him, not least because his rights were controlled by Inglewood Jams, a clearinghouse for obscure funk tracks that charged less than half of what the Big Three labels extracted for each sample license.

Even at that lower rate, those license payments would have set Stefon up for a comfortable retirement, especially when added to his Social Security and the disability check from Dodgers Stadium, where he cleaned floors for more than a decade before he fell down a beer-­slicked bleacher and cracked two of his lumbar discs. But Stefon didn’t get a dime. His former manager, Chuy Flores, forged his signature on a copyright assignment in 1976. Stefon didn’t discover this fact until 1979, because Chuy kept cutting him royalty checks, even as Stefon’s band broke up and those royalties trickled off. In Stefon’s telling, the band broke up because the rest of the act—­especially the three-­piece rhythm section of two percussionists and a beautiful bass player with a natural afro and a wild, infectious hip-­wiggle while she played—­were too coked up to make it to rehearsal, making their performances into shambling wreckages and their studio sessions into vicious bickerfests. To hear the band tell of it, Stefon had bad LSD (“Lead Singer Disease”) and decided he didn’t need the rest of them. One thing they all agreed on: there was no way Stefon would have signed over the band’s earnings to Chuy, who was little more than a glorified bookkeeper, with Stefon hustling all their bookings and even ordering taxis to his bandmates’ houses to make sure they showed up at the studio or the club on time. Stefon remembered October of ’79 well. He’d been waiting with dread for the envelope from Chuy. The previous royalty check, in July, had been under $250. The previous quarter’s had been over $1,000. This quarter’s might have zero. Stefon needed the money. His 1972 Ford Galaxie needed a new transmission. He couldn’t keep driving it in first.

The envelope arrived late, the day before Halloween, and for a brief moment, Stefon was overcome by an incredible, unbelieving elation: Chuy’s laboriously typewritten royalty statement ended with the miraculous figure of $7,421.16. Seven thousand dollars! It was more than two years’ royalties, all in one go! He could fix the Galaxie’s transmission and get the ragtop patched, and still have money left over for his back rent, his bar tab, his child support, and a fine steak dinner, and even then, he’d end the month with money in his savings account.

But there was no check in the envelope. Stefon shook the envelope, carefully unfolded the royalty statement to ensure that there was no check stapled to its back, went downstairs to the apartment building lobby and rechecked his mailbox.

Finally, he called Chuy.

“Chuy, man, you forgot to put a check in the envelope.”

“I didn’t forget, Steve. Read the paperwork again. You gotta send me a check.”

“What the fuck? That’s not funny, Chuy.”

“I ain’t joking, Steve. I been advancing you royalties for more than three years, but you haven’t earned nothing new since then—­no new recordings. I can’t afford to carry you no more.”

“Say what?”

Chuy explained it to him like he was a toddler. “Remember when you signed over your royalties to me in ’76? Every dime I’ve sent you since then was an advance on your future recordings, only you haven’t had none of those, so I’m cutting you off and calling in your note. I’m sorry, Steve, but I ain’t a charity. You don’t work, you don’t earn. This is America, brother. No free lunches.”

“After I did what in ’76?”

“Steve, in 1976 you signed over all your royalties to me. We agreed, man! I can’t believe you don’t remember this! You came over to my spot and I told you how it was and you said you needed money to cover the extra horns for the studio session on Fight Fire with Water. I told you I’d cover them and you’d sign over all your royalties to me.”

Stefon was briefly speechless. Chuy had paid the sidemen on that session, but that was because Chuy owed him a thousand bucks for a string of private parties they’d played for some of Chuy’s cronies. Chuy had been stiffing him for months and Stefon had agreed to swap the session fees for the horn players in exchange for wiping out the debt, which had been getting in the way of their professional relationship.

“Chuy, you know it didn’t happen that way. What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about when you signed over all your royalties to me. And you know what? I don’t like your tone. I’ve carried your ass for years now, sent you all that money out of my own pocket, and now you gotta pay up. My generosity’s run out. When you gonna send me a check?”

Of course, it was a gambit. It put Stefon on tilt, got him to say a lot of ill-­advised things over the phone, which Chuy secretly recorded. It also prompted Stefon to take a swing at Chuy, which Chuy dived on, shamming that he’d had a soft-­tissue injury in his neck, bringing suit for damages and pressing an aggravated-­assault charge.

He dropped all that once Stefon agreed not to keep on with any claims about the forged signature; Stefon went on to become a good husband, a good father, and a hard worker. And if cleaning floors at Dodgers Stadium wasn’t what he’d dreamed of when he was headlining on Soul Train, at least he never missed a game, and his boy came most weekends and watched with him. Stefon’s supervisor didn’t care.

But the stolen royalties ate at him, especially when he started hearing his licks every time he turned on the radio. His voice, even. Chuy Flores had a fully paid-­off three-­bedroom in Eagle Rock and two cars and two ex-­wives and three kids he was paying child support on, and Stefon sometimes drove past Chuy Flores’s house to look at his fancy palm trees all wrapped up in strings of Christmas lights and think about who paid for them.

ETA: Here's part two!

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/2024/02/17/the-steve-soul-caper/#lead-singer-disease

[attorneys-against-court-violence]

The Defense is not ready, your Honour...

🌙🪶Our main: @panged-lin

A sideblog for all the Ace Attorney discussion & fanart I happen to think of and like, respectively.

Our court record contains the following evidence:

Analysis on things that have stuck in my brain like corn kernels

Random ramblings I found amusing enough to put into words

JUSTICE!

Fanart. A lot of it. There's too much I can't not reblog...

An unusual amount of Dual Destinies-related posts. Athena and Simon have overwritten my neurological functions, to my chagrin.

Court Proceedings:

Posts that deconstruct canon & ones that discuss fanon/headcanons will be clearly denoted. Keep discussions neat and cleanly defined in the pursuit of the truth!

Reblogged ship art will always be tagged for those who wish to block/find the respective pair tags.

Parrots are permitted on the witness stand to provide testimony under extreme circumstances.

Anon asks are enabled. Any assassins that wish to give testimony may do so with complete anonymity and safety.

The Investigation games and other spinoffs are unfamiliar territory for this page. Bare that in mind!

Orcas are permitted on the witness stand under the same conditions as for a parrot to be brought to the stand.

Old personal tags:

#order in the court! - Any old nonsense. If it would get me yelled at by a judge it's going here.

#witness testimony - Reblogs from other sources

#cross examining the witness - Replies via reblog

#evidence approval - General fanart tag

#the court record has been updated - Follow-ups from posts made here

#turn your thinking around! - Story analysis. Headcanons are kept to a minimum.

#this is baseless conjecture! - Headcanons and similar musings. Ranges from educated to pure nonsense.

#psyche-lock cracking - Character analysis.

#perceiving secrets - Visual analysis.

#let your heart be heard - Asks, either requesting or answering.

#herman crab approved - marker for strictly non-romantic readings of plot or pairings. Those without this are open to interpretation going forward!

#the cykes brigade is totally cyked! - Athena Cykes.

#auticykes - niche tag for Autistic Athena Cykes posts

#arothena/#arothena agenda - niche tags for Aromantic Athena Cykes posts

#hi widget! - erm, Widget. Duh.

#prosecutor birdman - Simon Blackquill.

#psych siblings - Athena & Simon duo posts. Mis-written frequently, my bad.

#twin-horned devil - Aura Blackquill.

#quillblings - Simon & Aura duo posts.

#rare moon of hope - Metis Cykes.

#dear bosom buzzard - Taka.

#in robert we trust! - Bobby Fulbright.

#blade of JUSTICE - Simon and Bobby's pair tag. Non-romantic variations included.

#fey appreciation posts - Mia, Maya, and Pearl-oriented posts. Other Fey clan-related chicanery is also included.

#maya apprecition/#mia appreciation/#pearl appreciation - See above, but more specific.

#mr fine - Apollo Justice.

#what's faith without doubt? - Apollo and Athena's shared tag. Do as you will, I just really like these two and their arc.

#apollo's girlfriend - Mikeko.

#the wright man for the job - Phoenix Wright (PW1-3, DD/SoJ).

#you've come to the wright place! - Trucy Wright.

#the perceptive pair - Duo tag for Apollo and Trucy. Non-negotiably platonic/sibling.

#the king of prosecutors - Miles Edgeworth.

#beanix - Phoenix Wright (AJ:AA).

#piano man - Klavier Gavin.

#for skyentific purposes - Ema Skye.

#gone swimming - Damon Gant.

#foolishly foolish fools! - Franziska von Karma.

#call them karmic justice - Egdeworth/Franziska's shared tag. Non-negotiably silbing/sibling-esque.

#man freed from karma - Manfred von Karma.

#dirt earthman - Clay Terran.

#judge junie - Juniper Woods.

#an orange for strength - Thena and Junie's shared tag.

#17 cups of coffee - Godot/Diego Armando.

#moon's haunted - ???/"The phantom".

#hang loose baby! - Roger Retinz.

#a sad monk - Nahyuta Sahdmadhi.

#udgey - The Judge.

#this isn't texas dude - Jake Marshall.

#DISMANTLE DISMANTLE DISMANTLE- - Ted Tonate.

#a covetous crow - Kay Faraday.

#fresh as a spring breeze - Matt Engarde.

#splendiferous! - Redd White.

#i want to protect you! - Blue Badger. Yes I'm serious.

#emotional noise - Old version of #order in the court!

#updating the mood matrix - Old version of #the court record has been updated

#dual destinies analysis - dedicated tag for DD analysis posts, defunct

#dual destinies watchthrough - officially retired

#thena thoughts/#a thena - Athena Cykes text and fanart respectively, defunct

#simon soliloquys/#art of the twisted samurai - Simon Blackquill text and fanart respectively, defunct

#case 6 2 watchthrough - officially retired

[italianldcurtain]

THE REVEAL!!!!!!!!! IT IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the man behind the slaughter, the man behind the shenanigans.....

It'sa me!!!!

In truth, this was originally supposed to be one (1) joke, a parody of a parody (Italian Elon Musk) to clown on @ldcurtain in the spirit of clowning on Curtain (I do not run that or any of the related blogs--I do run @ccontraire and @drgarrison + her clones, ccontraire was to "take credit" for this and drgarrison was just for the silly snapcube clone joke, as well as @mrbenedict which I haven't really done anything with) and it quickly spiralled into many other Italian accounts because I don't know when to quit the bit. I will beat that dead Italian horse forever.

The accounts include: @italianjeffers-headofsecurity (the one that started the slippery slope: essentially sophie was like "is there an italian jeepers?" and i was like [five minutes of vigorous offscreen construction noises] [returns panting and covered in dust and paint] "yes of course there is what do you take me for") @italiansq @italianjacksonandjillson @italianmartinacrowe (both made after being asked about the executives and being so tired of frantically constructing italians--i'd hoped someone would search to see if the executives existed and see the hint of "i'm just one little guy") @italiannicholasbenedict (mostly for the comedy of him not speaking in the silly terrible bad accent like everyone else) @italian-nerissaeurusbenedict (literally because what else could i say to "i don't care who's doing this as long as they make more!" but also italianize her?) and several others meant as one-off jokes (@italiandrgarrison @italianseymourtheorphanagecat @italianthe-italian-benedictmafia @italian-mvshortcut @italian-bi-demon-ium) and @themysteriousitaliansociety just to make a list.

Admittedly, this all spiralled so wildly out of control that while I did create all of these accounts, icons and all, myself (imagine several browsers and windows both incognito and normal open, several election fraud accounts being utilized--no new accounts, hence why no follows from italians--that were from me, anyway) I did have a few conspirators, by which I mean people I told before I realized my identity was going to be a wild secret. I was a few Italians in, but there wasn't a fandom-wide game of Italian Werewolf happening. None of these conspirators had all the pieces (and I didn't either! I have my suspicions about who "the mafia" is, but they weren't me--and the RP blogs for curtain, sq, the sister, etc., weren't me either) although Milk did create a lovely video for me. I'm afraid Nobody and Sophie were not involved, at least in the Italian empire I accidentally created. My apologies for shamelessly accusing Sophie (among others) so much, and for the accidental attention this put on our dear Odysseus. (I think having a "two villains talking ominously over chess but the conversation is the real strategy game" conversation with someone but I had to do a bad Mario impression the whole time was the highlight of my day.)

Also, I hope everyone following all of these accounts knows I don't have the energy to keep this joke forever. They are probably going to go inactive unless I randomly get a funny little idea. Sorry about that. In my defense, this was originally supposed to be one (1) silly.

Some other notes:

I am literally in class right now. At this second. My god, was this badly timed.

I am not a FNAF fan, actually, I just think "the man behind the slaughter" is a very funny phrase. But I do know a bit about it if that helps, due to an intense phase someone I know went through + watching videos about it when bored. I don't know why I'm clarifying this.

I am a Doctor Who fan though. Lol.

All of this to say: largely, I acted alone. I created... so many sideblogs and icons. You were almost right! However, some people may or may not have known about my shenanigans, my tomfuckery, my chicanery, if you will. And Milk was certainly chief among them. Sometimes the answer is, in fact, the obvious one--the glass onion if you will--because I'm a mischievous little guy and I commit to a bit. (A non fandom friend, upon being informed of this, said something along the lines of "You silly little catboy. You are a force of chaos" which is the most powerful thing anyone's ever said to me. Thank you so much.)

I hope everyone had fun with this unintentional game of fandom-wide Italian Werewolf. Thank you all, and good night! [DISAPPEARS IN CLOUD OF PASTA SCENTED GLITTER AND SMOKE]

[wrestlingisfake]

Full Gear preview

MJF vs. Jay White - Max is making his ninth defense of the AEW men's world championship; if he retains it tonight, then tomorrow he can say he's held the title for an entire year. White stole the title belt on October 4, in retaliation for an attack on September 27. Although the attackers were led by a man wearing MJF's signature devil mask, Friedman has denied any involvement. This will be Max's second match of the night, as he's working the pre-show in a tag match against White's henchmen, Austin and Colten Gunn.

I never expected to be so excited for this matchup. At times I have loathed both men, because they're so dedicated to their heel work that they sometimes cross the line from "boo" to "this is stupid I'm gonna make a sandwich." When White joined AEW it seemed inevitable they'd work together, and I was dreading that black hole of heel heat. In their first promo battle they kept harping on how alike they're supposed to be--a take so tepid I could get that from any idiot on Twitter--and I was like "hoo boy." And yet, they've sold me on it.

MJF's babyface works because it doesn't fundamentally alter who he is as a heel. He's still a spoiled rich kid trying to hurt everyone before they can hurt him. He's still extremely good at using rulebreaking and chicanery to get what he wants. It's just that now he wants to deserve to be loved--by Adam Cole, by the fans, and even by the Acclaimed--so now he's using every trick in his book to get something we want him to have.

Meanwhile, White's strengths as a heel aren't simply having the balls to get the cheapest heat possible, even if that's all he had to do in New Japan. What makes him stand out is that he's cold and calculating. He's too heartless to be distracted by his personal sentiment, which makes it easier for him to spot those weaknesses in an opponent and strategically exploit them. Max wants to be in your head to feel like a big shot; Jay wants to be in your head to dismantle you.

So now Max, the biggest cheater in AEW, is headed into a battle of cheaters, and the story is that he's the underdog, because Jay has stayed one step ahead at every turn. They've done such a great job with this that I almost believe Jay should get the title. Almost. Because at the same time, they've done an even better job building up Samoa Joe as the next challenger. And that story--that the invincible Joe will watch Max's back in exchange for a title match that Max can't win--is too good to disrupt by taking the title off of MJF. One way or another, I think the champ retains tonight.

Christian Cage & Luchasaurus & Nick Wayne vs. Adam Copeland & Sting & Darby Allin - Cage and Lucha have been feuding with Allin and Sting for months. Things escelated on October 1 when Darby's protege Nick Wayne betrayed him to align with Christian, and Adam Copeland debuted with AEW to stop the heels from injuring Sting.

Copeland is best known for his hall-of-fame career in WWE as Edge, which included seven tag team championships alongside Christian. The team broke up in 2001, although they've had more than a few reunions. Aside from battle royales, this is the first time these two have been on opposite sides of the ring since 2010. This is obviously building to a one-on-one match, probably for the AEW TNT title, so don't expect them to settle anything here.

The other big factor in this match is that Sting recently announced plans to retire in a few months. Ric Flair recently debuted with AEW to participate in Sting's final run, and he's going to be in the babyfaces' corner for this match. I suppose Flair doesn't have to turn on Sting, but their history suggests that he's totally going to turn on Sting. Sting hasn't been on the losing side of a match in eight years, but it may be about time for that to change. I could easily see Wayne or Allin getting pinned in this match, depending on what shenanigans happen.

Orange Cassidy vs. Jon Moxley - Cassidy's AEW international title is on the line. Moxley already beat Orange for the title on September 3, but within a few weeks a legit in-ring injury forced an unplanned title change to Rey Fenix. Mox was scheduled for a rematch with Fenix on October 10, but when he couldn't get medical clearance, Cassidy stepped in and regained the title. So even though Orange is once again the defending champion, it feels more like he's the challenger seeking to avenge a crushing defeat two months ago.

Very little has changed since the first bout. Moxley still thinks he can crush Cassidy like a bug, and Orange still has to prove he can weather the storm. If the original plan was a long Moxley title reign with Cassidy chasing him for six months, they could have him win again to get back on track. Or if the plan was for Cassidy to win back the title in the second match, he could simply retain here to set up an epic rubber match. I definitely think Orange needs to win the war, but that doesn't mean he has to win this battle. This could go either way.

Kenny Omega & Chris Jericho vs. Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson - The Golden Jets (Omega and Jericho) have been teaming up of late to fight their mutual enemies in the Don Callis Family, but Matt and Nick aren't happy about it. If the Bucks win this match, the Jets must disband as a team; but if the Jets win, they receive the AEW tag title shot the Bucks earned back on October 1.

The last time Kenny and a partner faced the Bucks, the partner was Adam Page and it was a match of the year candidate. Jericho is not Page, obviously, but even if you think he totally sucks, he doesn't suck enough to keep this match from being great.

It's only been six months since Kenny and the Bucks reconciled with Page, to get the Elite all together again for the first time in three years. So I don't understand the logic of having the Bucks turn on Kenny for no real reason. The only thing that makes sense is to build to Matt and Nick against Omega and Kota Ibushi. So it stands to reason the Bucks will win this match to remove Jericho from the equation.

Hikaru Shida vs. Toni Storm - This is for Shida's AEW women's world title. Shida won the title from Storm on August 2, but she lost it on August 27 in a four-way when Storm was pinned by her own ally, Saraya. Storm failed to recover the title from Saraya on September 20, but Shida dethroned Saraya on October 10. So yeah, Toni has been having a tough time of late, in case you were wondering why she flipped out and reinvented herself as an old-timey movie star.

Toni's over-the-top gimmick may be the best thing going in the division right now, so you can make the argument she should be the top champion. On the other hand, that would mean feeding your top women to what is essentially a comedy act. I think my preference would be to keep her on TV but out of the title picture, to expand the footprint of the women's division. But I never understand AEW's priorities with the women, so I can't predict this one.

Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland - This is billed as a Texas death match, and I always forget exactly which version of the rules AEW uses. I think you can win by submission or if your opponent stays down for a ten-count. Regardless, the main idea is that the wrestlers can brawl all over the place and use all sorts of weapons.

These two had a big match on October 1, which Strickland won. For some reason that didn't end the feud, so Strickland upped the ante by invading Page's home, so now Page is out for blood. I wasn't wild about the build to the first match, and this time the whole thing feels even more superfluous. Page hit the nail on the head in one of his promos--Strickland should have taken the win in their first match, and moved on to chasing the world title, but instead they're still fighting each other for no particularly good reason.

I can't see Page losing this match, but I also don't see the point of doing this feud if Strickland isn't going to get the last laugh. So something tells me this match won't settle anything, and they'll run it back again next month.

Ricky Starks & Big Bill vs. Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler vs. Malakai Black & Brody King vs. Rush & Dralistico - Starks and Bill are putting the AEW tag championship up for grabs. This is a ladder match, so the tag belts will be hung above the ring and ladders will be placed at ringside--the only rule is that the first man to pull down the belts will win the match and the tag title for his team. In theory you'd need to climb a ladder to get the belts, but something tells me Ricky will try standing on Bill's shoulders at least once.

FTR (Dax and Cash) lost the tag title to Starks and Bill on October 7, so they're trying to reclaim the gold. The Kings of the Black Throne (Black and King) seem to have targeted FTR, although they've also targeted half a dozen other people. Case in point, they gave La Faccion Ingobernable enough grief that they kinda turned babyface to help FTR, so Rush and Dralistico are here to represent LFI.

It probably doesn't make a big difference who wins this match, because I expect the winners to be underdogs when they defend against the winners of tonight's Young Bucks-Golden Jets match. So yeah, let's just go with Starks and Bill to retain.

Kris Statlander vs. Julia Hart vs. Skye Blue - This is a three-way, so the first woman to score a fall will win the match and Statlander's AEW TBS title. I like all three women, but this match seems kind of pointless. Hart beat Blue on September 20, Statlander beat Hart on October 1, and Statlander beat Blue on October 14. Julia qualified for this match by beating Willow Nightingale (whom Statlander already beat) and Skye qualified by beating Red Velvet (who never beats anybody). This is why the women's division needs to have more depth, people.

The only good reason to do this match is that Julia sprayed Skye in the face with black mist. Everybody figured Blue would then turn to the dark side, but thus far she seems to not like Julia or Kris. So it's not clear where any of this is going, and we just have to hope doing this match will settle it somehow.

I get the feeling they've got an idea to do a title change here. I'd be cool with Hart or Blue getting the big win, although I'd prefer to see it happen in a straight one-on-one victory. I guess I'll root for Julia, since she's been killin' it lately.

Eddie Kingston vs. Jay Lethal - This is set for the pre-show. Kingston lost a Memphis street fight to Jeff Jarrett on October 21, which means he has to defend the ROH men's world title against Lethal, because nothing in the Jarrettverse makes any fucking sense. Eddie is also the STRONG men's champion, but that title isn't at stake here. I'm sure the heels will do all their usual cheap heat shit, and it won't matter and Eddie will just clobber them to retain. But...I suppose Lethal could win to set up a rematch at the ROH pay-per-view next month. So you never know.

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Buddy Matthews - Another pre-show match. Basically Buddy was clobbering Wheeler Yuta last night and Claudio ran in for the save and issued a challenge for this match. I assume this is leading to Claudio, Yuta, and Jon Moxley vs. Buddy, Malakai Black, and Brody King eventually, but they sure aren't in a hurry to get there. Claudio will probably win here.

MJF & Samoa Joe vs. Austin Gunn & Colten Gunn - The Gunns are challenging for the ROH tag title in the pre-show. MJF and Adam Cole are the titleholders, although Cole has been sidelined with an ankle injury since September 20. Max insists on defending the title until Cole returns, and Joe has graciously offered to help him in exchange for an AEW men's world title match. I wouldn't give the Gunns very good odds against either MJF or Joe, but against MJF and Joe they haven't got a prayer.

[cauldronofmorning]

Kim is sooo messy...clearly she's struggling so much at disciplining herself for her rule breaking behaviour (by overworking herself, not accepting any help, insisting she needs everything under control etc.), and it all falls apart when things get heavier and she becomes more erratic. As her schemes become more intricate, the more she is indulging in the misbehaving, the harder it gets for her keeping it in check, the more she craves punishment, until it all snowballs in the Howard tragedy. She has so many issues I want to study her under a microscope

Something that really fascinates me about her, and you can see it in Slip, is that she has so much guilt about everything, and she punishes herself for it in various ways, but the minute someone (like Howard, and I’m not even saying what she and Jimmy did in Chicanery was completely wrong! But they both thinking using their trauma as a weapon is better than processing) calls her out of their own volition, she gets defensive and doubles down. And not to bring everything back to her childhood, but her survival methods from that time keep popping up even when they’re not helping her in the long run anymore.

[seraphtrevs]

what would Chuck think of Howard's wheelchair idea? would he *let* him or react differently that if he saw Jimmy do that?

I love this ask!

For my money, I think Chuck would be fine with the wheelchair scam if Howard was doing it and disapproving if Jimmy was. Chuck values honesty and the truth, but he is a fallible human being who doesn't always live up to his ideals. We've seen him be dishonest many times over the series - asking for Jimmy's help in tricking Rebecca into thinking that there was nothing wrong with him (and then calling Rebecca rude and throwing her cellphone instead of coming clean when he had the opportunity), tricking Ernie in order to trick Jimmy (and then having him fired to tie up loose ends and punish him for being his brother's friend), tricking Jimmy into confessing by lying about his mental state, asking Howard to lie to Jimmy and tell him that he's the one who doesn't want Jimmy to work for HHM, etc. He's never shown having any regrets about these lies he's told. He's a more honest person than Jimmy is, but he clearly feels justified in telling lies when it suits him

I think Howard's wheelchair scene was so interesting because all of the "good guy" lawyers pull these sorts of minor tricks for their own benefit. Like we saw Rich make some really sleazy arguments in defense of Sandpiper - which is of course his job, but does that really morally absolve any of these people if they are deliberately twisting the truth for their own profit? What's the difference between an unethical lie and a relatively harmless stretching of the truth like putting Irene in a wheelchair she doesn't need? Where is the line?

But back to Chuck - I am 100% sure Howard and Chuck have engaged in this kind of light chicanery before and Chuck wouldn't have an issue with it. Honestly, I'm not clutching my pearls at Howard's stunt and I don't think it's really that unethical. But it goes to show that everyone has a slippin' side - Jimmy's problem is that he always goes way too far

[all-fleshed-out]

YOU DIED

What loot items do you drop?

🌹COMMON: Eyeball. 

Crafting. It seemingly follows you wherever you go! .... Creepy. Toss it in your next potion for a nice dexterity boost! 

✨UNCOMMON: Baby shoes. 

Equip. Never used. +5 energy.

💎RARE: Stuffed Frog. 

Shield. +30 defense, this lumpy, frumpy, patchwork mess of an amphibian is a wonderful companion for bedtime, tea time, bath time, dinner time, and... well... all the time! In addition to being a wonderful defense against nightmares. 

👑ULTRA-RARE: Muddled Photograph. 

Key Item. This has clearly been loved, and sent through the ringer a fair share of times. You can’t quite make out who the people are, but one thing was for sure, they were very happy. Use at any “Memory Vault” for viewing. 

⚔️LEGENDARY: Hair Baubles

Accessory. Acrylic balls fastened to a hair-tie. Legends who are unworthy of wearing them get smacked upside the head with one of those cherry-red terrors. 

TAGGED BY: @opportunistic-chicanery​

TAGGING: VIEWERS LIKE YOU! 

[xxlordalexanderxx]

YOU DIED

What loot items do you drop?

🌹COMMON: Tuft of hair

Consumable. If used in crafting successfully will increase the user's fire resistance by +1 Pt. Sells pretty moderately at local merchants. Has a strong peppercorn flavor.

✨UNCOMMON: Dragon's Horns

Consumable. If used in crafting successfully will increase the user's defense by 5pts. Fetches a high price in shops. Has a chalky gritty flavor.

💎RARE: Alexander's Gold tooth

Accessory. If worn this item boosts all stats by 10pts and increases bleed damage dealt to all enemies. Sold very high in shops.

👑ULTRA-RARE: King's Cape

Armor. If worn the wearer is granted 100% resistance to any fire based attack and fire magic, and granted a 50% increase to one's own fire based abilities and magic. This item also gives all base states a 50% increase. This is a cursed item however, and will reduce user's health by %20 while worn. Is a debuff.

⚔️LEGENDARY: Alexander's Claymore

Heavy Weapon: A rare but powerful two handed sword, though the king was able to wield it with only one hand. This item can be slow to normal users with low strength but deals a devastating blow when it hits and can even catch fire giving opponents a burn status. Also has the ability to cause bleed damage to others thanks to the blade's age and light rusting and nicked edges. Anyone using this sword can experience a temporary wave of the dragon's strength, becoming monstrously tank-y and powerful for 30 seconds. Requires a 1 hour cool down. This item is extremely cursed, as there is a random chance it could give the user a random bout of hysteria, while this ability makes you near impervious and OP, once ended, health and stamina will be nearly drained. Use recovery items immediately should this random affect take hold!

Tagged by - @vixlenxe Thank you! ⭐

Tagging - @redstainedglasses @mothwings-rosethorns @muppeteyes1001 @nottadog @shiningsilverarmor @hxnger-unbcund @grandvizier @hannah-the-small @livelynumbskull @corruptedsilence @deviousmxnds @eathandhax @xaallo @opportunistic-chicanery If ya'll want and anyone else who feels like it 💖

[stoner-magicalgirl]

a big long post about conspiracy shit and (you guessed it) capitalism

i hate conspiracy theory culture specifically because of how it downplays actual conspiracies, as if things like MKULTRA and the CIA's involvement in south american coups, all admitted and declassified conspiracies, done in secret and hidden on purpose, are on level with crackpot ideas like the flat earth or chemtrails

sorta like, y'know, how "bush did 9/11" is better clickbait, but the truth being "bush and the CIA knew about an impending Big Fucking Terrorist Attack (down to the guy who was gonna do it since we basically made him) and said and did literally nothing which then manufactured consent for an imperialist invasion of the middle east" is basically the same fucking thing, but it actually means something

and like, you think this is something? you think this is bad? this? this chicanery? we've done worse!

the spanish-american war was literally fought over nothing! we admitted this afterwards!! one of our things exploded, and instead of actually analyzing the problem, we blamed outside forces which just so happen to occupy shit we want, justifying imperialist war under the guise of retaliation and defense, which might sound just a tiny bit familiar if you grew up during the 2000s.

frustration at "downplaying conspiracies" sounds kind of stupid when i just think about that phrase in a vacuum, but capitalism(and capitalist powers) *are* conspiratorial by necessity. capitalist nations and fascist nations share the need for conquest of resources, capitalists seizing markets and fascists seizing the land itself. capitalist nations, however, run into the difficulty of having to at least *pretend* this isn't true, leading to inevitable conspiracy in order to justify wars which cannot(at least not overtly) be declared simply by the government's say-so.

in the 1800s we blamed spain for an accident to do imperialism

in the 2000s we blamed the entire middle east for a terrorist attack to do imperialism

and during both the US jerked itself off about national unity, at least until the former was all but proven to be an accident which had nothing to do with spain, and until the latter became such a fucking embarrassing shitshow warcrime nightmare that everyone who once supported the war had to just start acting like someone they're trying to impress just called their favorite band dogshit. loudly proclaiming "i never liked them much anyway" and "i've moved on, we all have"

but you'll never guess what they put on as soon as no-one's looking.

[sergeant-spoons]

In Defense of Chicanery Update

Hello my lovely mutuals and readers!

I know this is on short notice, but I feel it is necessary for me to do so without warning (for legal reasons that may become relevant somewhere down the road). I will be removing my fic IDOC from all published locations (here on tumblr and AO3). I’ll only be privating the locations, so they will still exist but won’t be able to be seen by the public. I’m doing this because I’ve been toying with the idea of rewriting IDOC as an original novel for many months now, and I’ve decided that I’m going to do it. This fic has been my life and soul for several years, and I always come back to it when I think about what I want my first published book to be.

All additional works related to the fic will remain up, such as any writing challenges I’ve done and the alternate POV I wrote from Perry’s point of view, EXCEPT for the 1 epilogue I have published with Meredith Chatham and Nicholas Rich (that particular piece is too canon-relevant for me to leave up). The rest of these works may have to come down at some point, but until I am advised otherwise, those will remain as they are.

Thank you so so SO much for all the love and support shown to this fic over the last few years. It is thanks to all of you that have read Verity’s story that I have the confidence to try this.

I love you all so much and I can’t wait to see Verity’s story on a library bookshelf someday. 💕

(If you have any questions - or anything else to say - please shoot me an ask or a DM, I’d be happy to answer.)

~~~~~

(Note: If I eventually end up abandoning the idea, IDOC will go back up exactly as it is in its current state, both on tumblr and AO3. This is kind of the last possible outcome for me, but if it comes to pass, IDOC will not disappear from the web forever.)

[middleageamerican]

Trump transcript defense opening

Trump transcript defense opening . . . the following is part of a Fox editorial: Fox Hocus-pocus is a meaningless distraction or illusion that is intended to fool. That neatly summarizes District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against Donald Trump. The DA hopes to snooker a Manhattan jury into convicting the former president with a bag of legal tricks. In most courtrooms, the chicanery would never…

[pesterloglog]

fedorafreak, Nannasprite

Act 5, page 3954-3956

fedorafreak: eureka.

fedorafreak: stand by for clarification re: enthusiastic outburst.

fedorafreak: yes. it is as hoped for beyond hope.

fedorafreak: unusual devices may be used to duplicate fresh, perfectly pressed garments. inexhaustibly, afaik.

fedorafreak: reconstructing complete professional ensemble now - hold.

fedorafreak: pleased to report restoration of dapper visage an overwhelming success.

fedorafreak: alas, devices appear to hold no such promise for departed family members, misplaced hand-held steam press.

fedorafreak: update on device utility - combinative apparel synthesis presents intriguing possibilities.

fedorafreak: now combining expensive leather pipe tobacco sleeve with handsome, gray fedora.

fedorafreak: to document result shortly.

fedorafreak: resulted in hat w/ outlandish and frivolous appearance.

fedorafreak: do not care for; shall discard immediately.

fedorafreak: combination of pant, fine cotton shirt even more disappointing.

fedorafreak: yielded useless, excessively tall pant; relieveing from wardrobe at once.

fedorafreak: made unwelcome determination. production requires expense of glittering abstractions called grist.

fedorafreak: such jewels remaining in cache, libation in reserve, at premium.

fedorafreak: consumed final swallow of carefully rationed urine. soon to seek water elsewhere in exotic new surroundings.

fedorafreak: more importantly, to seek grist facilitating continued accessorizing.

fedorafreak: note to self: use spoils to make more hats.

fedorafreak: preparing for expedition to reap gems from mischievous local fauna.

fedorafreak: crafted sturdy bludgeoning instrument out of uprooted mailbox.

fedorafreak: tall pant perhaps adaptable as defensive garment.

fedorafreak: pardon while donning tall pant.

fedorafreak: donned tall pant.

fedorafreak: confidence in martial prowess perplexingly swells.

fedorafreak: venturing out; powering down gray, serviceable hand-held computing device to preserve battery.

fedorafreak: additional updates to be submitted in a frank and forthright manner for judicious appraisal within a reasonable timeframe.

fedorafreak: tia for patience.

fedorafreak: turning on hand-held device for brief report.

fedorafreak: severe injury sustained in skirmish with undersized, sportive rascal.

fedorafreak: tall pant unremarkable in protective utility. damaged; badly bloodied.

fedorafreak: no indication of laundering facilities throughout enchanted land whatsoever.

fedorafreak: losing fluid rapidly. maintaining adequate hydration levels more important than ever.

fedorafreak: libations unfortunately not forthcoming.

fedorafreak: rest needed.

fedorafreak: seeking surface suitable for assuming reclined posture.

fedorafreak: strength depleting. tie loosened, removed, rolled up neatly and tucked beneath hat.

fedorafreak: minimal stamina left for disrobing sodden tall pant. leaving on.

fedorafreak: encountered rest surface.

fedorafreak: horizontal stone slab exhibiting unidentified iconography.

fedorafreak: a tall post at each corner.

fedorafreak: mysteriously inviting.

fedorafreak: mounting slab. exhaustion taking hold.

pipefan413: Excuse me, sir!

fedorafreak: @pipefan413, friend.

fedorafreak: @pipefan413, sound of voice nearly refreshing enough to distract from perpetual taste of warm, poorly filtered urine.

pipefan413: Oh my, no. I am not actually your friend, dear.

pipefan413: I am his mother! Hoo hoo hoo.

fedorafreak: another of @pipefan413's legendary pranks? pl clarify.

fedorafreak: if y; prepared to regard as hilarious.

pipefan413: Were that it was. I'm sorry to say there is no chicanery in play at all today.

pipefan413: Though yes, that WOULD be quite the doozy. I believe the late, great Colonel would surely say we were cooking with petrol upon hearing such a whopper.

pipefan413: No, I am just an old woman looking for her son.

fedorafreak: understood, madame.

pipefan413: You remind me of him so. Would you mind terribly if I talked to you for a little while?

pipefan413: I am fearing the worst for my son, while my grandson has gone off to do great things. I've caught myself feeling a bit lonely, hoo.

fedorafreak: can imagine no greater pleasure.

fedorafreak: though, eyelids heavy.

fedorafreak: getting dark; feeling in extremities, fading.

pipefan413: Oh, but you must be exhausted from your travels! You poor thing.

pipefan413: Why don't you just lie there and rest? I will tell you a story.

fedorafreak: @pipefan413's kindly mother: ty

pipefan413: It is a fairy tale about a young sister and brother who were raised by a wicked witch!

pipefan413: The witch in truth was a world famous baking baroness. Her cruelty made life miserable for the two children, who did not have their father anymore to protect them.

pipefan413: He was the greatest prankster who ever lived, and a true southern gentleman. He was killed by a comet on the day the boy was born, and the wicked baroness raised them alone, with a hand as firm as that which she ran her brutal baking empire.

pipefan413: The children pledged to each other that one day they would run away together.

pipefan413: They followed in the footsteps of the dear colonel, in defiance of the old batterwitch. They studied his every jape, and practiced them in secret!

pipefan413: But as they grew older, their interests drifted apart. The boy developed a passion for adventure and put aside his study of practical jokes. He dreamed of wealth and fame and discovery and swore he would wander the world.

pipefan413: One day he decided to run away with the loyal dog he inherited from their father. He asked the girl if she would come along, but she was too scared of the retribution that might follow.

pipefan413: The boy scoffed at the danger, and assured his sister there was nothing to worry about. But he had not seen first hand what the baroness was capable of!

pipefan413: He told his sister that he believed in her, and that she could handle whatever the witch could throw at her. And with that, he was off, and she would never see him again.

pipefan413: The baroness would raise her very strictly, mentoring her in the art of baking. The girl took to the lessons with fierce determination. Her only act of defiance left was to one day surpass the baroness in skill, and beat her at her own game. It was all she could do, for the baroness made sure she knew there could be no escape.

pipefan413: The girl surely missed her brother, and soon enough he achieved fame for his exploits. She followed him in the newspapers, the tales of his remarkable discoveries, inventions, and riches. How she wished she could rejoin him, and be free from toiling for the pastry hag!

pipefan413: One day, the girl was able to gather enough bravery to mention her brother to the baroness, and her desire to see him again. With contempt, she guaranteed that this could never happen. When the girl asked why, that is when the baroness began to reveal to her more than just her baking secrets.

pipefan413: She mentioned that like in many fairy tales, there was more to the children's past than they knew. The colonel was not their father, nor was the baroness their mother. They in fact had no father or mother at all, nor were they ever actually born. They had both fallen from the sky! They were not actually brother and sister as they had been told either. Again like in many fairy tales, the truth was that they were always destined to become married one day. They were to have two children, a son and a daughter, and these children were meant to save the world! But the batterwitch was determined to make sure this destiny would never be realized. In her limitless cruelty she would do all in her power to keep them apart for the rest of their lives.

pipefan413: The girl that day swore she would bring down the baroness and her evil empire. She would use the many secrets she'd learned over the years against her, and began carefully plotting her downfall.

pipefan413: Years went by. The girl was nearly ready to put her plan into action. But then, just like that, the baroness disappeared. She was never seen or heard from again.

pipefan413: The girl was finally free, by a strange turn of events. But not without a final jab from the witch. It turned out that in her will she had left the entire company to the boy!

pipefan413: The boy, now a grown man, was already very wealthy in his own right. He had no particular need for the baking empire, but assumed control nonetheless, and integrated the company into his extensive collection of enterprises.

pipefan413: The girl, instead of seeing this as more misfortune, took the news as a relief. She'd just as soon have nothing to do with the witch's empire, and far preferred to pursue her original passion for practical japery. Hoo hoo hoo!

pipefan413: She considered a reunion with her estranged brother, and once destined husband to be. But the days of longing for a future with him seemed to be from another lifetime. The chance had come and gone. She was content to let him live his increasingly elaborate life, while she sought a simpler one.

pipefan413: Besides, now was not the time to revisit a destiny with an old star-crossed lover. She had recently become betrothed to a fine, upstanding gentleman. Soon, she would start a family. No, not one meant for heroism as foretold, but one that would make her happy nonetheless.

pipefan413: In following years, she was left to ponder all that might have been.

pipefan413: What might have been if there had been no baroness to keep the girl and boy apart?

pipefan413: What might have been if the baroness had not disappeared, and she had the opportunity to use her secrets against her!

pipefan413: For you see, the girl had uncovered so many dirty secrets about the terrible batterwitch, including the most troubling one of all.

pipefan413: Of course no one would have believed her, but she knew.

pipefan413: She knew the baroness was not human! :B

-- fedorafreak's gray, serviceable hand-held computing device's battery has died. --

[top-lil]

I also have to applaud the government of Ukraine for managing to erode much of the moral high ground achieved by being in a defensive war through various sorts of chicanery, such as demanding foreign countries censor the critics of their president

not all of the moral high ground, but a lot of it