#is extremely inefficient because on top of doing my own work i have to look over the work of others and i know that's because i want

[stillfruit]

the most difficult part about group projects is not doing everything yourself

[1moremilgram-enjoyer]

I'm really glad to ask some (a lot, lol) question~ 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 12 for Es 2, 5, 11, 12, 14 for Amane and 3, 5, 6, 19, 20, 21 for Kazui ❤

Yay questions!

CW Cults and indoctrination, child abuse, internalized homophobia

Es

1- Favorite song lyrics?

They don't have a lot to pick from, huh? But from Undercover, it's probably:

The fine line between "Hate" and "OK" Shouldn't you look beyond your EGO, before it all ends?

The first line, to me, really encapsulates how black and white the judgement system in Milgram is, and thus how horrendously inefficient it is. There's very little we can actually do to convey nuance in our voting, it really is a choice of just "you're perfectly okay and have done nothing wrong" or "we hate you and think there is no way you could ever be Forgiven", with only the 50% voting line separating the extremes. Sure, we can try to communicate with the voices in their head, but that's highly unreliable and unpredictable, so in practice "hate or ok" are really our only options. And Es' by extension.

Then the other line, asking to look beyond our own experiences to understand people with lives extremely different from our own, and how we have to do it fast because we don't exactly get unlimited time to come to our conclusions.

Though of course, this isn't just about us. Es is the one singing to themself in a way, and seeing how these things are phrased, it really helps show that despite how Es always act in control and on top of things, they still have their doubts and worry about how their judgement can affect the prisoners.

There's also Hibana, and for Es (and in general) my favorite lyric there is:

I don’t want to love a weak-minded love Come on, make it hurt more properly Going so far it’s no longer funny, is surely much more enjoyable come on, melt me more properly

Going by my personal interpretation of what the hell is going on in this cover, this line really ties together the meaning of Es wanting to make decisions with confidence, when it actually gives them extreme anxiety. Which, I do realize makes no sense when you look at the line by itself but I swear it works in the context of the wider interpretation.

2- Favorite MV moment/frame?

They have like three scenes what am I even supposed to say. Anyways it's probably this one.

It's definitely the most intriguing thing related to Es themselves in my opinion, only really challenged by the time they show up after all the smiles. The reason I'm not using that one is that it's difficult to tell whether or not it actually is Es even though contextually it's the only thing that makes sense.

Anyways about this spotlight scene. I like that Es isn't wearing all their uniform; they're missing the cape, the hat, the 'reciffO nosirP' (Prison Officer) and 'tse mudnatibud subinmo eD' ("Everything must be doubted" in Latin) band things... The point is to show that there is a person under all that, Es is not just the Warden. It's still a heavy part of their person, as they're still wearing most of the outfit, the gloves, and the keychain thing, but it's not all they are. Plus the spotlight and their expression, because again, as much as Es tries to confidently judge others, they themselves can get nervous when confronted, when there's a 'spotlight' placed on them.

Anyways I like it :D

3- Favorite non-MV official illustration?

This question made me realize I really don't know how many non-MV illustrations there are lol. Anyways here's the Tumblr compressed version of the third anniversary artwork.

I just love how this looks, and there's two Es'! That's double the fun! Plus them literally trying to grab at the prisoners' minds like grabbing at sand; it always falls off, Es literally cannot grasp what's going on in all their lives. Love it.

5- Favorite voice drama line/moment?

You'd think it would be difficult to pick considering the guy shows up in literally all the VDs.

It isn't.

[Of Blessedness and Punishment] Amane: You're a child, too! Es: Wrong. I'm fifteen, so I'm an adult in Puerto Rico and Haiti. You're twelve, so you're a child no matter the country. Amane: ...!! Es: Hehe. You look angry. Amane: I don't. Es: You do. Amane: I don't!!

The siblings ever. The fact Es completely made up the fact is even funnier.

For something more serious:

[TASK] Es: What is this shit about being a companion? I exist to judge your sins - as a guard! I don't have the need to shake hands with you!  Kotoko: Es? You don't see yourself as the executioner, right? Es: ...!? Kotoko: I've said it before, there are a lot of sinners which the law cannot punish. On the reverse, it is the same, there are also innocent people who are wrongly accused due to unsound laws. You also have the duty to forgive these people, no? Es: Haaah… Kotoko: You are not the executioner who convicts people for their sin. The person who offers to save the murderers who deserve to be forgiven.. It's also you. Es: Aaah.. Mm.. *shallow gasping* Kotoko: Come, Es… then, listen to my sin… Es: *gasp* Prisoner number 10.. Kotoko.. Come..! Sing… your… sins… *sob*

Es angst inject that shit in my soul-

[Imposter Boulevard] Es: It’s a personal dislike of mine. People who act based on their sexual urges like that, that is. Kazui: It’s personal? Es: Yeah. That’s right. Kazui: That’s strange. I did think that, despite being neutral as a Warden, you had some things you dislike, but… Es: … Kazui: Isn’t it unusual to openly reveal a personal dislike as a personal dislike? Es: You’re splitting hairs.

In case it's not obvious, I love when the mask slips a bit and we can tell Es as a person is more than just an extension of the audience. Look! They have personal dislikes! And of course it's Kazui who gets to see a bit of the "real" Es surfacing, because who the hell else would it be?

There's way more of course, but I have to limit myself a bit.

6- Favorite relationships with another character in the prison?

Amane. Again, the siblings ever.

More seriously, it's not just that I love their interactions when they're fucking around, I also love all the parallels and the ideological clashes. The undying devotion to an extremely harmful system. The view of themselves as an extension of a group rather than as an individual ("we? what's we?"). The way they both hate being seen as children, forced to grow up too fast. The way they both try to convince themselves they're happy with their life and condition, to the point it's almost convincing, until you look closer and see the cracks. How Amane hates Es because of what they've done to her, because they're the same as her abusers in her eyes. How Es goes dead silent when Amane brings up their similarities, when usually they'd lash out at the mere idea of the Warden being like a prisoner, because they understand to an extent. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-

I also love Es' dynamics with most of the prisoners, but Amane is something else.

7- Favorite relationships with another character if they weren't in Milgram, the way you'd imagine or would like them to be?

Honestly, this one's kinda hard because so much of Es' character is directly linked to Milgram. Imagining them outside the Panopticon in general is sorta difficult.

I think they and Amane could still be besties, but other than that, maybe Yuno? I think she wouldn't feel the need to put up a front next to the "I hate everyone anyways" vibe Es gives off, so they'd be judgmental buddies! Just imagine them doing each other's makeup while shit-talking everyone they can think of. Maybe throw Muu in for extra shit and giggles.

12- What do you wish would be discussed more often about them in the fandom?

I mean, literally anything? Es isn't discussed very often, which I guess makes sense, but it's unfortunate. More specifically, I wish people discussed the more concrete things we know about their personality a bit more. There's plenty of posts speculating on what is going on with them; where they came from, whether or not they're related to the prisoners in some way, what is their connection with the eleventh cell, that kind of stuff. And that's all very fun, I love those posts! But I have never seen an Es character analysis the same way I've seen analyses for practically all other characters (<- also hasn't written a proper analysis of them beyond the Hibana cover post). Still, I do understand why people don't, there's a lot of interesting characters in Milgram!

Amane

2- Favorite MV moment/frame?

This is like asking me to pick a favorite child what do you mean. I love her MVs too much why would you do this to me.

Anyways here's my favorite child moment.

Look at her!!! She's going to fucking destroy her mother let's go girlie fucking kill!

I just love how happy she looks here. Plus the eyes, the eyes. This entire part of the MV is great, it just makes me happy to see Amane happy you know what I mean? Plus the whole rainbow and rain and umbrella symbolism, and the fiction bleeding into reality (the eyes!), it's all awesome. I love her so much, she should smile like this when she stabs Shidou in the stomach I think he'd understand.

5- Favorite voice drama line/moment?

I could be cheap and tell you it's the same as Es', but it's really not.

[Apostle and Death] Amane: Okay! I’m kind, so I shall forgive you. That’s nice, isn’t it? If my parents were in my place, you would have been lectured for another hour. [...] Amane: ...isn’t it condescending of you to assume that just because I happen to be a child, I am incapable of hating someone enough to kill them?

Amane Freudian slipping into admitting she fucking despised her mother will never not be extremely entertaining to me. Yes, talk about how much you fucking hate her, kill girl kill!

[Of Blessedness and Punishment] Amane: You fool. Isn't MILGRAM trying to enforce a new standard of judgment precisely because laws cannot guide this world onto the right path? Are you still being weighed down by the law? [...] Amane: "We"? What's "we"? Are you not just "I"? Es: ... I...? Amane: Aren't we the same? Me and Guard-san.

PARALLELS

Also when she attacked Es with scissors. I think Milgram should have allowed it, it would have been funny if the Warden just fucking died before Trial 2 ended.

11- What are your favorite points about their story and the narrative surrounding them?

What aren't my favorite points of her narrative? Again asking me to pick a favorite child here.

If I had to pick one, probably the way the line between her cult's beliefs, Amane's interpretation of her cult's beliefs, and Amane's own desires blurs to a point it's really hard to figure out what she's actually thinking at any given time. Especially because of how Amane views all these things. Her cult is unquestionable but also she subconciously hates a lot of its aspects and twists its beliefs to justify her actions to herself. Her desires are sinful and animalistic (Animal cover and cat parallels go brrrrrr), but she still wants to follow them so so badly. Ugh, internal conflict my beloved.

And also I love how desperate she is to endure everything that's happened to her. Her unrelenting will to survive and go against the people who hurt her, the way she's still glad to have been born, the way she still tries so hard to be happy and make others around her happy. Holy shit this kid is the strongest (in terms of willpower) character in Milgram and no one can tell me otherwise, it's so unfair she has to be that way it makes me immensely sad augh-

And also I love how angry she gets occasionally. How spiteful and rage filled she can be. I will never get tired of seeing Amane in pure, unfiltered fury. Yes, girl, stab Es with scissors, kill your mom, stab Shidou, do it!

And also (could keep going for several thousand words)

12- What do you wish would be discussed more often about them in the fandom?

I think Amane is discussed pretty well here on Tumblr, much as I've heard horror stories about what the Discourse looks like in other sites. But if there's one thing I wish more people brought up is how despite everything, Amane is motivated by the desire to make everyone happy. Positive Parade cover go brr.

Especially in things like the Fuuta situation. I feel like some people see it as just her trying to recruit for her cult or something, when really she's just trying to help him. Same with warning Mahiru against medicine to "save her soul" in a way. Healing the cat. Becoming the "perfect girl", the March Leader with the cloud ribbon, to make her abusers happy. Trying to make the best of the situation by attempting to turn Milgram into an ideal world. Trying to stay happy because that's the one thing she's worked towards her entire life.

In fact, I personally believe this is why Yuuri is depicted in Magic as maybe "kinder" than the others (might make a post about that at some point). Its ordainment is "Thou shall deliver unto those thou believest in", as in, "help those you believe deserve it." This is the one ordainment which is actually kinda in line with Amane's desires, so she imagines Yuuri as less angry at her and more compassionate than the others.

My point is that a lot of the time I feel her actions are talked about as either just motivated by her cult or just motivated by Amane's """sinful""" desires, be it her anger at her abusers or her cravings like wanting to eat cake, when really I think the happiness thing is the main motivator behind those things and it's not quite talked about as much. Does that make sense?

14- Any headcanons on their appearance?

Huh, I usually don't have many headcanons on appearance, but I can try.

I think my favorite is Amane having really sharp fangs. Like, talking anime style unrealistically sharp fangs that make her a terrifying hisser. Cat Amane my beloved.

...

Also she has small (say, 0,5 cm diameter), red circular scars all over her back. Stun gun injuries (no picture on the link) basically. Listen things with Amane can't stay very wholesome for very long-

Kazui

3- Favorite non-mv official illustration?

Uh... Maybe his door?

(That's kinda small lol)

It looks nice as it is, plus it has some nice symbolism as does every door image. I just think it's neat.

5- Favorite voice drama line/moment?

[Imposter Boulevard] Kazui: I despise myself for lying, too. Being a liar, you see – it’s painful. Es: Heh. Then just– Kazui: So I’ve tried to change! I’ve tried to change. I have tried to stop lying to myself and others! Es: … Kazui: I’ve confided in others. I’ve tried to be myself! I’ve tried to just be the way I was born! Es: …Hey, Kazui– Kazui: It’s not my lies that killed her. She’s dead because I stopped lying to her! If I had just kept lying- She wouldn’t have died…! Es: Kazui… Kazui: I can’t live unless I lie. That’s how I was born… I’m pathetic, aren’t I?

I mean, come on. It's the basis of his character and crime, and the voice acting is fucking insane in this section. Apart from how emotional it is, I also like that it still ends in the same somewhat performative self-loathing Es calls him out for in the first VD.

[Gouging in the Night] Es: Showing a hint of weakness and trying to get on my good side like that… Is that another one of your "adult techniques"? [...] Is there anyone who lets themselves get fooled by a specifically prepared "weak" side of yourself? I see, I see… So these are the kinds of skills that you gain when you've lived for a long time.

Gotta love it when a character regrets something bad enough not to be able to forgive himself for it, but he's so afraid of facing consequences and social reprimand because he's built his entire worth around others' opinions that he still heavily plays up the self-loathing to be pitied.

Timelines [23/9/2] Yuno: Haha, we both lie, don't we? The difference is the reason for lying. Kazui-san, you lie to protect yourself, because you're important to yourself. For me, no one is particularly important. That includes myself as well.

Unlike Yuno, who explicitly doesn't want to be pitied. Love these two.

I don't know if I'm explaining it right, but that's what I get from the whole mess.

6- Favorite relationships with another character in the prison?

I love his interactions with Yuno, of course, the Liar Duo. Yuno is such a little bitch to him all the time, I adore it. However, I also love his dynamic with Es, if they count for this question. Kazui's VDs are great.

But honestly Kazui has a lot of good options here. The smoking group with Shidou and Mikoto is fun, his interactions with Mahiru and Amane are also always nice, etc.

19- What do you think their childhood/teenage years were like?

Extremely closeted homosexual, of course. Probably tried to """compensate""" in some way by acting as traditionally masculine as possible, I imagine he was quite the dudebro. With how much emphasis his parents seem to have put on his strength and tradition, I get the feeling he may have been a somewhat stereotypical jock.

That's why I think he may have done a lot of really stupid shit as a teenager and tries to distance himself from them now, which is why he puts so much emphasis on his age despite being less than forty years old. He feels like a completely different person than who he was as a teen, and while he was always self-concious about a lot of shit, he's maybe especially self-concious of the shit he did when he was younger.

Don't take any of that very seriously, though. All of that is practically headcanon vaguely guided by the text!

20- What do you think their social life was like before milgram?

Going off the previous idea, I imagine he only kept a few connections from his teenage years, which is why the one childhood friend he brings up is so notable to him. It's the only one who Kazui really wanted to stick around.

There's obviously Hinako and Kazui's other coworkers, fellow policepeople. The way I interpret the bar scenes in half is Kazui meeting with friends, the bartender being the childhood friend and the woman being someone he met as an adult.

Other than that, I imagine he was pretty closed off and didn't talk to many other people. He seems like the type to enjoy a mostly closed off friend group, but I don't really have anything to support that claim other than vibes alone so.

21- Do you have any similarities with them/relate to something in them?

Uh... I guess personality-wise we're not too different. In real life, I'm quiet and reserved, don't express much emotion, mostly have a "well this is happening now I guess. We vibe though" attitude to most of what goes down in my life, and don't like talking about myself much which yes is making this question sorta difficult.

Thanks for all the questions! This took a while lol.

[nickgerlich]

The Eyes Have It

It’s always fun for me to ponder the future, especially now that, at an age well beyond the halfway point, these musings are all about what my kids and future grandkids will encounter. When I was a kid, I think my contemporaries and I all secretly hoped the Jetsons would come fully true in our lifespan.

I’m not so sure that will come completely true, but we are inching forward. As for my kids and grandkids, I think the odds are pretty good they will see it all play out.



Until then, we have progress in fits and starts. Even though we see technological change all around us every day, there are still missteps being made, and for every two steps forward, often there’s an inch moving back. Or more.

The changes to come will be focused in large part on retail and food service, the brick and mortar structures we still use in large degree. Automation is the future, starting with ordering kiosks, food prep, and table-top payment stations in restaurants, to in-store robots that conduct menial tasks otherwise reserved for unskilled labor.

A recent report says that use of in-store robots will double between now and 2025, which by then will find 70% of stores utilizing robots for cleaning and inventory purposes. This will allow retailers to redirect employees into more customer-centric positions, or, simply eliminate them entirely.

But as I said, there  have been some missteps, most notably at Walmart. The retail behemoth had been testing large beeping robots that cleaned the floor, as well as did modest inventory duties. Unfortunately for Walmart, the test did not meet their expectations, and the program was eliminated in November 2020. The company decided to deploy those robots to its Sam’s Club stores instead, where perhaps its ability to track inventory—in a store with far fewer items and much larger forward-facing displays—would be more effective.

I have encountered those robots in both Walmart and Sam’s, and they do get your attention with their incessant beeping. For a moment, you may actually feel like the Jetsons have indeed come true. They won’t mow you over, but you do need to pay attention lest you turn quickly and walk into one.

Critics will of course be concerned about potential job losses. This happens every time there is a tech advance, but it also brings with it new jobs to manage and maintain the technology. I cannot speak to whether it is a 1-for-1 trade, but there will definitely be some displacement from jobs once staffed by humans.

And it is a trade we should be in favor of regardless. I have seen the extreme opposite in mainland China, with citizens out sweeping streets with handmade brooms before dawn. Yes, it is make-work, but it is a task that could be done by machinery. Mr brother reported seeing similar activity in Bangkok Thailand a couple of weeks ago. Everyone has a job, I suppose, but it seems to be a rather inefficient way of doing so.

By now you might be wondering why inventories are not tracked seamlessly because of bar code scanning at the checkout stand. Walmart has used this for decades, and it allowed them to develop and launch their own Just In Time system of reordering and deliveries. Aside from COVID and other related supply chain issues, rare is the day when you see a stock-out at Walmart.



But shrinkage—that is, shoplifting by customers or pilferage by employees—is not accounted for at the checkout. This number is the gap between sales and how many items actually left the shelf or, in the case of employees stealing from the stock room, never even made it to the shelf.

While Walmart had some misgivings about their fleet of robots, I suspect the recent study will play out. We will see ever more robots in retail settings, especially larger stores. I wouldn’t doubt for a minute the possibility of surveillance as well, especially since these devices already have multiple cameras onboard.

The bottom line is this: retailers are always looking for ways to run their operations more efficiently, which is code for minimizing labor expense. As I have said many times, unless there is equipment failure, robots don’t call in sick, complain about working conditions, or go on strike for higher wages. They just do as they are told.

I’m pretty sure the writers of the Jetsons never quite envisioned a future society in which we have concerns about labor costs or surveillance. They no doubt saw their animated robots as making everyone’s lives more convenient. It’s not that simple these days. I am glad to have a ringside seat to all the progress. I am not in any hurry for the future to get here. I just wish it would more closely mirror what I saw on television when I was growing up


Dr “Dream A Little Dream“ Gerlich

Audio Blog

[i-am-dulaman]

[long post]

So the other night I was talking to the most insufferable first year business student who insisted trickle down economics was great. He for some reason was, in the middle of a night club, trying to convince me we need more tax cuts for the rich.

Anyway, ignoring that, he has annoyed me into finally doing the research into something called a worker cooperative which has been in the back of my mind for a while now.

So a worker cooperative is essentially a company which is owned by the people who work there. They either elect their own management or, for smaller firms, make management decisions democratically, and they all share in the profits. This is opposed to consumer cooperatives where the business is owned by its customers.

So with that in mind there are two things you need to know:

New Zealand is the only post-industrialized country whose agricultural sector has grown, and its the fastest growing sector of the NZ economy. 

5 of the largest agriculture businesses in NZ are cooperatives, including Fonterra, NZ’s largest company which accounts for ONE THIRD of the ENTIRE WORLDS dairy trade.

Now none of those agriculture companies are actually true worker cooperatives, they’re usually only owned partly by their workers and not all workers have a stake in the company either. For example Fonterra is owned by 11000 of its dairy farmers but has over 10000 other employees who are not owners. But it’s close enough.

So is it a coincidence the best performing sector of the NZ economy is dominated by cooperatives? I have no idea. im just looking at the numbers. But its an interesting correlation.

Worker cooperatives are actually very rare in the world, but there has been some research done on them, particularly in Italy and France and here are some highlights:

They are much more resilient, with the chance of shutting down in its first 3 years of operation between 30% and 50% lower than normal companies when fully controlled for industry/size/etc. 

During the 2008 recession, worker cooperatives in france saw a 4% increase in employment while the unemployment rate in france rose by 0.7%

Salaries were slightly lower on average in France however other studies also showed salaries being slightly higher. This is likely due to the pay distribution, where the CEOs salary will be much lower in a cooperative compared to a CEO in a normal company, thus bringing down the average.

Cooperatives are 6-14% more productive

Employees are much more committed to their work

So in other words, they work.

What’s more is it keeps the profits of the company in the local economy, with all the money going to the workers, instead of shareholders who could be anywhere in the world and would likely just put the money into savings.

However the main draw back is it is hard to get the startup funds to start new companies. Most companies of course start off small with only a handful of workers which means each would need to invest a significant amount of their own money. But I’ll address this problem further below.

Anyway so what’s my point here?

Make every company a worker cooperative by law. That’s my point. Not a 100% worker cooperative, but a law that makes every single company in NZ pay its employees 50% of its profits, on top of their regular salaries.

Now im not an economist so idk anything about this subject. I’m just a socialist who has worked for the government before so i know how inefficient true communism can be when the government owns every business, but i have also worked in a private business that could afford to pay everyone an extra $250,000 but instead gives 1 billion dollars to our australian owners and kept us short staffed and underequiped.

so i wanted an alternative, and this is what i’ve come up with just fooling around with numbers and hypotheticals.

So I would love to see an actual economists take on this, not that i expect to find one on tumblr lol i’m just writing this here cause idk where else to write my thoughts.

So why only 50% of profits instead of 100%?

I think compromise is important. Every revolution failed because of a lack of compromise. revolutionaries pushed the revolution further and further to the extreme which pushed away moderates and sparked counter-revolutionaries. Keeping it to 50% means maybe more moderates will be on board. Keeping it to 50% also means investors are still motivated to invest and receive returns, which solves the biggest problem with worker cooperatives.

I’ve gone and looked at 40 of the largest companies (by revenue, number of employees, or net profit) in NZ, and calculated what it would look like if they paid their employees 50% of their profits evenly. These companies represent about 10% of the NZ workforce.

Note that some companies can literally afford to pay ALL of their employees HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of dollars and still keep 50% of their profits. One can even afford to make every single one of its employees a millionaire. (also note that some of this data is even from 2020/2021 with covid severely damaging the economy)

This averages out to $28000 per person. The median income of NZ is $53,000, so that would mean a sudden 52% increase in salary on average.

Not for nothing, it would also lead to an enormous amount of money in circulation, as people with more money will buy more things, and give the economy a massive boost. (The opposite of trickle down economic. Suck it first year business dude.)

I think a law like this would provide a sudden and drastic redistribution of wealth.

And i think it’s worth the time/brainpower of someone who knows more about economics than me.

[regina-del-cielo]

I was thinking about Copley’s Murder Conspirancy Board (mostly to deal with the absolute rage that the scene with Andy Copley and Booker gives me because ‘UGH THESE MEN ARE SO S T U P I D’), and... I may have a Theory about it - which mostly delves into how much Booker and Copley were in actual contact with each other before the events of the movie.

TL;DR: the Murder Conspirancy Board was built with a contribution of Booker’s information, and Copley was Very Confused on the workings of the Guard’s immortality

(the Essay(TM) is under the cut)

This excellent post expounds on how these two Grieving Dumbasses Definitely Did Not Think Their Plan Through, but still what little they did plan was not done in two days. And I would like to think that Booker would have required more than One (1) Persuasive Speech to get him to potentially get his family outed and put in danger for the (tiny) chance of getting a cure for their immortality.

So they’d been in contact for a while, possibly for almost the whole ‘break year’. Copley has lost his wife two years before the movie, so when he and Booker met again he’s one year into mourning. If Andy needed a break from their jobs, I can’t imagine in what mental state Booker must have been.

Copley probably started looking into the Guard because man, that Surabaya mission was a masterpiece, and how come these guys aren’t mercenary superstars? But they’re like ghosts, and the IDs don’t really match their supposed ages... and dealing with his wife’s death made him go into a Nerd Spiral. And then he finds Booker.

So this is how I think it went: they meet again. They talk. Copley is a grieving widower, Booker goes ‘man don’t I relate’. Booker is probably drunk a lot of the time (maybe so is Copley, misery loves company and all that). They enter a positive feedback loop of sharing grief over lost loved ones. Copley probably spills that he knows something, that they’ve done great things and they have a gift obviously. Booker probably answers along the lines of ‘fuck the gift, it sucks. Didn’t save my children when they needed it’. Copley goes ‘well, medicine is much better today. What if you could do it now?’ And the rest is history.

A) Booker ‘helped’ with the Murder Conspirancy Board

We know for a fact that the Conspirancy Board contains information about the Guard ‘from the last 150 years’ which is, approximately, the time photography’s been around. And it makes sense - photos are pretty easily accessible, and Copley knows their faces. He probably scanned them from one of those fake IDs and then used a facial recognition software to find them in historical photographic archives. But we know (and by the end of the movie so does he) that the last 150 years is a nothing in their lifespan. And while going backwards Copley may have found Booker’s original birth and/or marriage records, nothing of the sort would exist for Joe, Nicky and Andy.

Despite how much we joke about the Guard’s faces being Everywhere in museums and art galleries around the world, we can assume that they wouldn’t leave so many traces of them behind. The two known art pieces representing Andy in an obviously recognizable manner, her portrait with Achilles and the Rodin, are in the cave in Val d’Argent. I don’t believe Nicky and Joe wouldn’t have similar storage places, especially for Joe’s own art. Without photographic evidence and before newspapers, trying to pinpoint the three of them across history would be harder than finding a specific needle in a haystack of needles... unless someone tells you where to look. 

When Andy enters Copley’s living room, he calls her ‘Andromache the Scythian, the eternal warrior’. But how could Copley have known that Andy’s “real” name was Andromache? It’s not on her IDs, and it’s not the top choice for a full name that has Andy as a nickname. It’s a literary name, of course it would appear through history in poems or plays or novels. And how could he have associated Nicky and Joe precisely to the Crusades with what he knows of them from the last 150 years alone? For all he knew, they could have been as old as the Punic Wars, or as young as the Battle of Lepanto. Assuming he’d actually caught on on them being together together.

Well, I think Booker told him. Maybe just a thing here or there, while Commiserating on How It Sucks being an Immortal, like ‘Andy’s been around for so long she doesn’t even remember her true age, that’s exhausting’ or ‘Joe and Nicky are ridiculous for two people whose first meeting consisted of killing each other during the fucking Crusades’. And Copley fell into another Nerd Spiral that brought him to understand that holy shit these people are much older than I thought what the fuck.

B) Copley is Very Confused on How Immortality Actually Works

Copley talks to Andy by calling her ‘eternal warrior’ and talking of her immortality as if it was some kind of gift that can somehow be transferred from one body to another (debatable, but... ok). But he’s also flabbergasted by her not healing from Booker’s shot, and later with Nile he says ‘but then why would the immortality leave?’, which is... well, it makes it sound like he thinks the immortals are some sort of Chosen Ones.

Which means that Copley knows nothing about Lykon. He had no idea that at some point the Guard will stop healing.

But why would he not know, since I just conjectured that Booker told him enough about immortality for him to pinpoint the origins of the eldest members of the Guard? Why would Booker not have told him such a central detail of their “power”? (Booker obviously knows about Lykon. We see Andy telling Nile, and you can bet that ‘is this thing permanent?’ is probably the third question Booker ever asked when he met the others. He can’t not know)

I think it’s because despite having bonded over their grief, they are approaching this ‘discovering what the fuck is up with immortality’ from two extremely different sides. 

Copley wants to know if there is some biological aspect to their immortality that may be ‘transferred’ or ‘activated’ in any random human being. He’s gotten into his head that their regenerative powers can end all diseases. Which. I could probably write another entire separate post on how this is far-fetched at best. Point being, Copley never thought his endeavour as taking the immortality from the Guard to give it to someone else. He thinks Andy and the others are going to live forever and ever.

Booker knows their immortality is not forever and ever, theoretically. He knows that at some point, in the future, he’s going to stop healing and die. But he Wants to Talk to the Manager about it, damn it. He wants his death to be a certainty he can quantify, not something that may happen in another five thousand years based on the data he’s got at his disposal. He wants to have the choice to end it tomorrow or in fifty years - if discovering what causes his immortality saves other people, well that’s an undeniable bonus, but it’s not the focus of his motivation.

Just like Booker and Copley didn’t cover all the potential ways in which Their Plan Could Go Wrong (and honestly, has Booker not learned yet just how fast they revive on average? He tells Nile that ‘big wounds take longer’, and still he revived from the grenade in three/four minutes!), I think they also didn’t Delve into their motivations for seeking that knowledge. Booker probably thought that Copley knowing of their immortality being relative was irrelevant, because of course the doctors will find something (the thing that makes them stop healing), and then he’ll die anyway, so who cares? 

And Copley... Copley was probably Convinced that the Guard was a group of superheroes that just needed to be suggested a new investment plan for using their powers, because saving individuals during wars and natural disasters is very noble and good, but come on, it’s inefficient as hell, they can do much better!

(It absolutely sends me that Copley saw the kind of accomplishments reached by the people that the Guard saved, or by their direct descendants, and STILL it didn’t occur to him that there was a pretty decent chance that sometime in the future they would save someone that would find the cure for ALS and/or other shitty diseases! HE’S LITERALLY HINDERING THEM!!!) 

[radramblog]

Every Mono-Black Commander, Part 4: Designed for the Format

In what will be the penultimate edition of this weekly word stream, the cards steadily on average get better, as WoTC realises commander is the most popular format and starts designing specifically for the format. On the other hand, people don’t play lots of these cool and interesting cards because everyone’s obsessed with “multicolour”, the cowards.

Moving on.

Sidis, Undead Vizier (245 decks, 25th most played)

Sidisi is one of those cards I’m surprised sees as much play as it does. Not because it’s bad, but because it seems to belong a lot better in the 99 than in the zone- they’re pretty much just a tutor with a body attached, after all. For a while, though, it was the only commander you could run that was a pure tutor, so if you were into just comboing people out it’s probably not a bad idea.

I think part of the reason I underrate this card is that I always assume it’s 6 mana. And it’s a lot better at 5 than it is at 6. And you can always just sacrifice itself if you really want your commander to just be an overpriced Diabolic Tutor.

 Kothophed, Soul Hoarder (29 decks, 73rd most played)

I actually rate Kothophed a bit higher than I think most do. While as the 2nd of Lilliana’s demons he was obviously a fair bit weaker than the extremely banned Griselbrand, and the only one of the 4 not to be mythic, he does do a couple things really well.

For one, he draws a lot of cards. Things are going to the graveyard all the time, especially in multiplayer, and he makes the artifact/aristocrat decks think twice about popping off. The other is that he’s super cheap, at like 40 cents a pop. And I appreciate that, especially considering some of the cards surrounding him.

 Liliana, Heretical Healer//Liliana, Defiant Necromancer (645 decks, 9th most played)

Baby Lilli herself looks a lot better than Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath as far as Planeswalker commanders goes, and it’s therefore unsurprising that she breaks the top 10. Everybody loves Planeswalkers, lots of people like Lilliana both as a card and a character, and the card that puts her in the zone is quite solid.

What does she do, though? Well, of the 6 Creature->Planeswalker transform cards, she’s one of the three that can theoretically flip the turn you play her without a haste effect (and Nicol Bolas is only on that list by technicality, because that’s a loooot of mana), and it’s not particularly hard to do so considering the colour she’s in. She then protects herself a little with a Zombie token and acts as basically a multiplayer-tuned Lilliana of the Veil, with a bigger number on her plus and minuses that better suit commander. This lets her work quite well for discard decks, reanimator decks, aristocrats decks, zombie decks, and of course, Lilliana decks. She’s just really solid overall, making up somewhat for the fragility of walkers in the format by being cheap and making herself a blocker.

 Drana, Liberator of Malakir (82 decks, 49th most played)

Drana I guess could be used as a tribal or Voltron commander of some description, but to be frank, she’s here for one thing- aggro. Anthem effects are uncommon in black, and Drana just piles on so many counters in such an efficient manner that she kinda makes up for that on her own. I’ve actually never seen anyone piloting a Drana deck (of any of the three Dranas, actually), so I don’t know exactly how effective it is, but putting her at the helm of a stack of tokens or efficient threats just sounds scary. I’m pretty sure she’s only liberating Malakir from its remaining life points.

 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet (124 decks, 38th most played)

Kalitas seeing this much play…actually frustrates me, seeing as he’s basically just a hate piece. Like yeah, he has another ability, and he makes tokens, but come on. You’re just playing this for the exile clause, and it’s never going to make you any friends. Headcrab Vampire over here doesn’t do anything much if your opponents just wait til he’s off the field to do anything spicy, and in that case, what are you doing with him? Very inefficiently voltronning up? Gaining 3 life? It’s a bit sad. I don’t really like him.

 Gonti, Lord of Luxury (550 decks, 11th most played)

Aww man, they’re not in the top 10 anymore? Fucking Tergrid.

Gonti is another card advantage commander, but everything on them lines up to make both a fun and a powerful effect. They’re not too expensive, and in addition to effectively drawing a card, deathtouch makes them a great way to dissuade attacks from other players. Their ETB not only acts as card selection, but it also gives you access to effects mono-black lacks, silver bullets you don’t play, or just surprise threats that vastly open up your options. They can whiff, sure, but that doesn’t happen especially often.

I’m biased, because my Gonti deck is among my favourite of my 100-card children, but Gonti is just such a fun commander that I don’t even mind the lack of direction they hand you. I run them as grindy valuey control, but they work great as the helm of flicker, theft, and even Aetherborn tribal decks as well. Just a stellar little commander.

 Yahenni, Undying Partisan (306 decks, 21st most played)

Speaking of Aetherborn, Yahenni is also here, and I really appreciate that the two Aetherborn commanders we got are both really cool both in game and in the lore. Shame about most of the rest of the tribe being draft trash. Also, WoTC brought all sorts of old tribes back into the limelight for Commander Legends and the Modern Horizons sets, so where are the new Aetherborn at? Wizards pls.

Yahenni themselves is a pretty interesting commander. Their effects combine into a powerful package more subtle than their flavour text suggests- they not only are a threatening body, as a hasty commander that grows significantly as the game progresses, but they’re also incredibly sticky- a free sacrifice outlet that protects itself from most removal. They’re just a card where all the pieces come together just right, and I appreciate that a lot. One job and that’s aristocrats, but they’re good at it!

 Bontu, the Glorified (59 decks, 57th most played)

When we finally got eyes on the Amonkhet gods, I think Bontu was my least favourite. Like, she’s hard to turn on, and has to be done repeatedly? A 3 mana 4/6 menace is a lot, but not enough to justify that in my opinion. And that activated ability is painfully mediocre.

At this point I like Kefnet less, but that’s just because I’ve cast him a bunch of times and I’m pretty sure he’s done nothing most of those times. Both of them are just kind of shithouse though. I expected more from the Magic equivalent of Set.

 Razaketh, the Foulblooded (74 decks, 54th most played)

The only thing foul about Razaketh is that mana cost. 8 mana, holy shit. But you get paid off for it, don’t ya? A free-ish sac outlet that, oh, also just demonic tutors. If you have an infinite combo in your deck, this’ll get it.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Razaketh decks therefore get focussed pretty hard once people recognize the power in the zone. Like, running him as a commander is basically saying “sup once I get to 8 mana y’all are fucked”, and in that case people are going to do all they can to stop you getting to 8 mana, whether by blowing up your rocks or just killing your face and dudes. Perhaps consider an alternate route if you don’t like getting beaten up.

 Spike, Tournament Grinder (N/A)

Aight, this is kinda cheating, but shshshsh it’s fine. Now, I’m not sure exactly how this works in the zone, but I’m just assuming it can get any “spikey” card that fits within your colour identity? Or maybe it’s just anything. Either way, this gets some bonkers shit.

Even if we assume it’s only legal commander cards in identity, Spike can still draw you some funny things. Dark Ritual, Crucible of Worlds, Bitterblossom, Demonic Tutor, Ancient Tomb, and that’s just the first page. If we do include commander-banned cards, then you can also use them as a spicy secret commander for such hits as Griselbrand, Emrakul, or Braids. Overall, they’re definitely fair and balanced. Un-Commanders when.

 Tetzimoc, Primal Death (15 decks, 86th most played)

Oh, Tetzy. I love this stupid stupid card, one that seems to get worse the bigger the decks get. And by that I mean, it’s completely stupid broken in its original draft format, fringe playable in Standard at the time (and by that I mean… I mean I played it), and thoroughly mediocre in Commander. And that’s in the 99, because much like Haakon and Phage he doesn’t work in the zone. He’s a fair bit easier to enable than they are, but it’s for much, much less payoff. Alas poor Tetzimoc.

 Demonlord Belzenlok (110 decks, 41st most played)

The last Lilliana contract demon, and the first Dominaria card of the 6 we got to talk about. Belzenlok’s ability is frustratingly awkward, however- while it will never draw you land, in my experience you’re rarely drawing more than two cards off it, and one is very common. Because the thing is, in order to support the dummy thick cards Belzenlok likes to see, you need a lot of cheap ramp and draw, which he does not like to see. And said ability takes up all the space on his textbox that could be used on other things. He’s basically okay, but I don’t see running this over basically any other demon.

I mean, he’s in my Gonti deck, but that’s besides the point, making a fatty and drawing cards is what that deck’s about.

 Josu Vess, Lich Knight (69 decks, 55th most played)

Lilliana’s dead brother is an army in a can that packs a mean punch- 20 menace power is absolutely nothing to sneeze at- but 10 mana is monstrous. And casting him for 4 is just not worth it, especially since it makes that 10 into 12 next time. With that said, I recall once a Dominaria draft on arena where I used Muldrotha to cast this guy kicked twice in a row, and while this might just be magical Christmas land, getting to reroll this guy repeatedly with Disentomb effects might be spicy. You can just bury people in Zombies, ain’t that fun? I mean, it’s still 10 mana, so that’s a lot, but yknow

I guess you can also sac the tokens to some variety of altar, but that’s boooooring.

 Torgaar, Famine Incarnate (99 decks, 44th most played)

Wait, if it’s Famine Incarnate, why is it an Avatar instead of an Incarnation?

I’m woefully unfamiliar with Torgaar, but it seems like a relatively effective general. It hits that 7 mark for a three-hit commander damage kill, while being able to cost as little as two mana, which is enough on its own- but  that chunky power also helps with that second ability, setting someone to 20, assuming other people are willing to help pick up the slack. Fuck your infinite life combo, back down to the ground with the rest of us.

Honestly, this guy just looks really fun. It’s nice that in a pinch you can just have them gain you up to 19 life (or more I guess if you’re Platinum Angel-ing), and they don’t seem broken enough to garner hate. Not bad, potentially underrated.

 Urguros, the Empty One (29 decks, 73rd most played)

On the other hand, I’m not sure why you’d pick this of all cards to head your deck. Looking at it, though, it’s mostly just Spectre tribal, which makes sense to me. Don’t think there’s another Legendary Spectre outside of changelings, though that would at least get you Blazing Spectre.

Shoutouts for Spectre being one of the words with different spelling in America that people don’t know about as well.

Urguros is not a powerful commander. They’re slow and their effect is weak. But if you’re running them, you don’t care about power, you care about creature type, and that’s fine too.

 Whisper, Blood Liturgist (150 decks, 33rd most played)

Oh, ok. blood liturgist.

Jokes aside, Whisper is more popular than I would have expected. Considering they’re basically reverse Victimize, I’m surprised that people are so into them when that card exists.

Ohh, wait, there’s probably a bunch of infinites with this and Thornbite Staff, huh. Yeahhh, that scans. Though even outside of combo bullshit, I bet they get a bunch of fun value stuff with army-in-a-can-type creatures like Abhorrent Overlord and Sengir Autocrat. Shame about the stats.

 Yargle, Glutton of Urborg (208 decks, 27th most played)

A literal vanilla creature, Yargle has overcome the odds to bargle into the hearts of many. The undeniable Best Frog Commander (Gitrog players do not interact), Yargle has clearly captured as many hearts as he’s eaten, considering he got his own Secret Lair filled with cards he can’t really play. His bit in the lore was also kind of hilarious, nearly killing all the protagonists until Muldrotha deus-ex-mythic rare-d him out of there.

The thing is, Yargle is not even that bad aside from the meme. He might be literally vanilla, butt he has 9 fucking power for 5 mana. He’s probably one of the cheapest creatures that breaches the 3-hit rule, and only needs 2 more to get down to 2. And 2 power isn’t super hard. Strap this bad boy with a sword or two and you can just gettem. Let alone the fact that he one-shots things with Tainted Strike. Or Grafted Exoskeleton. Or just about anything plus Fireshrieker. Unironically one of Mono-Black’s best Voltron options.

 Isareth the Awakener (30 decks, 70th most played)

Skipping the Battlebond cards because…who plays Virtus or Regna solo… brings us to the painfully mediocre Isareth. A 3 mana 3/3 that lets you cast one thing from your yard, and only if she risks her own life. And you still have to pay for the reanimate. And it gets the exile clause as well. Man, this was the same cycle as Goreclaw and Sai, too. Hell, I even like Lena more after I designed a deck around her. This just sucks. Like, I cannot imagine playing this over Chainer or something.

 The Haunt of Hightower (168 decks, 31st most played)

Speaking of Voltron, this Buy-a-Box exclusive is basically a self-sufficient beast of a flyer. Cards go into opponent’s graveyards all the time, and one mass mill effect makes this thing get huge fast as fuck. Add in lifelink so it keeps you going and all it’s really missing is the ability to protect itself, and there’re equipment for that.

On the other hand, it’s 6 mana and a 3/3 base, so if you aren’t able to get things in bins (or if a Rest in Peace/Leyline of the Void is out) it basically isn’t doing anything. And Flying is a much worse keyword in commander than one would think, being probably the most common Evasion mechanic. But I think this haunty boy is still solid.

 God-Eternal Bontu (81 decks, 48th most played)

If only the rest of us could age so gracefully. Er, die so gracefully, I guess. Zombie Set is kind of a beating, turning all sorts of useless shash into pure cash. And she can go to your deck if the zone is getting too costly, and she’s a cool crocodile zombie god.

Unfortunately, she does suffer from being an ETB-effect commander, which always feels a bit more mid than I’d like- they do their thing and then just…sit there… and unlike Gonti she doesn’t deter attacks that well. She does attack pretty alright herself, but it’s only 5 power and can’t even trade with two 3/3s. And it’s harder to fuel this all-or-nothing kind of ability repeatedly. There are a few (crocodile?) rocks to use, as well as chump creatures that crave death, but fill your deck with those and that’s all you’ll draw. It’s…fine. She’s fine.

 Massacre Girl (285 decks, 22nd most played)

The final card under the magnifying glass today, and probably still the best boardwipe/commander combo. Massacre Girl basically just kills everything, provided things aren’t too massive and there’s fodder around to bite the dust first. If anyone played Hearthstone back when I did, she’s basically a way, way better Defile.

Wait, that’s also a Magic name now isn’t it, shit.

I still think the notorious M.G. goes better in the deck than the zone, but I suppose control decks would appreciate having one of the things they crave most- board clears- available at a moment’s notice. And if you’re building around her, then you can fill your deck with the fodder that fuels her best. But I’m not sure where you win from there.

Ehhh, probably just Revel in Riches.

This brings us to the end of this edition of Black Commanders, and to the start of 2019. Which means the remaining 21 cards all came out in the last 2.5 years, which speaks a lot to how much they were designing cards for commander, and how many sets they’ve been coming out with. Until then.

[knowledgyy]

difference between #socialism and #communism. #Marxism is a little funky, but we’ll get there.

Socialism, in modern terms, is the sharing of wealth in society. You may here something like “western European countries are becoming increasingly socialist.” If you do, it usually means there's an increase in the exchange between a government and it's people. In Western democracies, this could indicate a socialist policy like universal healthcare (in which all individuals pay larger taxes for the greater benefit of a single health issue someone may have) or social welfare (in which each individual pays a certain extra amount, usually taken from their paycheck, to support the retired or unemployed). These are what constitutes the backbone of modern socialism, communal changes in income for the greater good. Basically, more sharing of wealth in society. Capitalism, on the other hand, is the opposite. Everybody is his own economy. Everyone operates individually. So what is socialism? What’s the takeaway? Think of socialism as sharing within a community. That’s all it is. Very simple. Communism is loosely based on socialism, and follows the same basic concepts of equality and sharing, but there’s one key difference. We’ll get there, but once you’ve finished reading this, you will understand.

Communism… is very different. Whilst anarchy is the extremist version of capitalism (every man for himself), communism is the extremist version of socialism (everybody has equal income). The big problem with communism is that it isn't feasible to have everybody on the honors-system and work for the common good. What do I mean by that?

The theory behind communism is that everybody takes what they produce and puts in a massive communal basket, then you take what you NEED back out of the basket. If everybody does this, we’ll have a nice little society in which we produce what we all need to live, and that’s it. It does not account for luxury items or anything more that somebody might desire, which creates a “good-enough” atmosphere lacking in personal ambition and quality of life. So what happens when somebody gets cheeky and takes a little bit more than he needs out of the basket? Or when somebody thinks its unfair that he gets so little in return from his toiling in the fields? This is the big krux with communism; somebody might always be benefiting unfairly from the hard work of an entire community, we have to make sure that doesn't happen! What's the solution to preventing such inequality? By having a massive government which oversees the whole country's processes! This is why you might hear many people say things like “communism doesn't work” or “Marx was an idiot!” Because having that powerful government which restricts it's people is by nature, not communist. The USSR saw a massive wealth gap, where 95% of the people were all relatively equal, working hard for a very poor quality of life in return; meanwhile, a top 5% Russian oligarchy took charge and controlled everything. And if the people lack ambition and creative drive (no extra production of technological development is happening), how can we compete with western nations? Enter Stalinism and Stalin's infamous 5-year-plans, the reality of communism. If you have a stagnant community in which everyone is equal, and people simply exist, then how does progression happen? The government employs forced progress. The Soviet Government set extremely high milestones for it's people, forcing them to reach quotas in food production, car production, weapons production, everything. In theory, this is also good, right? What's wrong with state-controlled progress milestones? It'll keep raising the quality of life, right? Well, millions died of starvation and fighting back against this system. Communism just… does not work out very well in reality. It is something which sounds great on paper, but simply does not carry-through into the real world.

So what's the big conclusion?

Well… if you want to stop reading here, my answer would be this: every country in the world is a mix of Capitalism and Socialism. Some sway more to one end than others, but every country is a mix. The two ABSOLUTE ends of the spectrum would be Anarchy (on the Capitalist side, every man for himself), and Communism (every man for one). Nations exist on all ends. Some nations, like Somalia, don’t even have a government to fend for itself, and therefore occupies one absolute end of the spectrum. Some nations exist on the other end too, the USSR was the closest example to absolute socialism, or communism. The ends of this spectrum are like an enigma, like the edge of the world, they are inefficient and simply don’t make any sense in practice. A balance must be struck between the two ends. So when you think of Socialism and Communism, just remember that Communism is a radical form of socialism. Just like monster trucks are a radical form of regular trucks. They’re based on the same principles and ideas, but they are not the same at all in actuality.

If you would like to read more about Communism, I’ve written some extra material about the 3 varieties of Communism. If you’ve ever heard of Marxism, Leninism, or Stalinism, and wonder what those are as well, then read below.

Now, I’ve read and annotated the Communist Manifesto on my own and with my own time, and I do not think Marx was an idiot by any means (a lot of people like to say he was). There's a few stages of communism you may hear about, and they're very important to understanding the topic: Marxism, Leninism, and Stalinism. What do they each mean? I'm going to keep it simple because this is a topic which sparks a lot of debate.

Marxism is effectively the idea and the dream of communism. Wouldn't it be paradise if we were all just equal? And the inherent inequality and suffering in capitalism was no more? That's what Marxism is, it's the predictions he makes about what a Utopia looks like, it’s a dream. If you haven't actually read the Communist Manifesto, it's very short, and many people would be surprised to see that Marx really is not that insane, I found it a good read. I would say that 90% of the Communist Manifesto is Marx repeating the same concepts over and over… “capitalism will drive a wedge between people so deep that the proletariat will revolt against the wealth gap and establish a Utopian society based on the needs of the worker!” (paraphrased, of course). It sounds great. And he isn't wrong, either. Effectively, that's what happened in Russia (in concept) when the Bolsheviks revolted against the Tsar. In 1789, the French did the same thing. All the major revolutions in history canned be summed up with Marxism, they begin as a result of severe inequality between two peoples/classes, and are started and finished on the hope to develop something better. However, Marxism ends there. That's it. The buildup to what might become commusim, is Marxism. A lot of people don't know where Marxism starts and where it ends, so here it is. Marxism begins with the dream of creating a totally socialist Utopia, and ends right before the actual fighting breaks out. Another key feature of Marxism, which I don't think is very important but I should mention, is it's universality. As an added bonus to Marx's dreams, these revolutions will occur across the globe, until the entire working-human race is United under one flag of the proletariat. Anyway, to summarize, Marxism is a belief. It is the belief that a revolution by the working class will eventually result in a better life for all. It’s simple. Many people are confused by the term “Marxism” because they think its a form a government or something… but it’s just an idea, a philosophy, like Stoicism or Freudian-ism. That’s all it is.

So what's the next stage? Well, Marx planted the dream of communism, what happens when the dream is actualized? In steps Leninism. In 1917, the German Empire sneaks Vladimir Lenin (who was in exile in Switzerland) back into Russia to start a revolution which will hurt Russia so bad it'll knock them out of World War 1! A great idea by the Germans! Their plan worked, too! Leninism is the materialization of Marxist dreams. That’s what it is. Leninism is the revolution itself, where hundreds of thousands of Russian peasants rise against their wealthy minority counterparts, and retrieve the power they’ve always deserved. That's what Leninism is. It's a short event, but major. It isn’t a form of government or anything, but it is the explosive leap which propels communism into the seat of power. Once again, some people get confused because they think it’s a form of government, but once again… it’s more like an action. It represents the next step into forming the Marxist dream! We're so close! I can see the shining Utopia ahead, through the fog, it's just there!!

The next stage? Well, once the idea is accepted and the great revolution succeeds, we have to make this Utopia a reality!

Uh oh… here comes Stalinism. You can think of Stalinism as communism in motion, it is the reality of Marxism. While Marxism was just an idea, and Leninism was fighting for that idea, Stalinism is what happens when the dreamers try to make something effective out of that idea. Stalinism is what happens once all the sweet-sounding promises of Leninism and Marxism have paved their road into this empty slate, what do we do with it? I won't talk much about Stalinism. If you want to know more about why its such a devastating disappointment, go back and read the 4th paragraph, and you'll know what Stalinism is.

These 3 branches all fall under the encompassing title of communism. So now, we know what Marxism is, Leninsim is, and Stalinism. All three of these concepts fall under the branch of COMMUNISM. Marxism and Leninism are not forms of government, or political parties… they are the precursors to Stalinism. And all three of these ideas combined form what is communism.

Once again, tl;dr: Marxism is a simple dream, a concept. Leninism is making that dream possible, and fighting to make that dream come true. Finally, Stalinism is the evidence and proof of why, altogether, it all amounts to nothing more than just… well… a dream. An unobtainable Utopia. Why is it unobtainable, once again? Because it simply does not account for human nature. Greed, luxury, surplus, inequality, scarcity, bias… a lot of factors which slow down all the cogs in the machine, and make it a brutally inefficient system. Can communism exist? Yes, it sure can, just like Anarchy can. Is it efficient? No, unfortunately not.

Crd :

[forestfairyunicorn]

@niuniente Entrapdak Secret Santa 2019 gift fic to @mysticqueen-bee! Hope you enjoy; one prompt was the best fic idea and ran away with me~  Happy Holidays!

Contrary to popular belief, Hordak is aware of most Etherian holidays.

He was aware of some during his time with Horde Prime. A passing fancy, as some cultures are determined to have their holiday as it was literally their livelihood. At the time, he did research into the subject, and sometimes there’s a pattern of togetherness and occasional superstition.

While as the ones on Etheria are not as extreme, he did have one or two determined soldiers request time off. A quiet request here, a spying there, and Hordak once discovered through Imp a closed off holiday party celebrating Snowrest.

From that, Hordak surmised what Snowrest is: loud, boisterous, well-wishing for the new year and a tradition of ‘driving off the Bonechill Specters.’ In other words, just like all the other holidays he was aware of and doesn’t care. He allowed some holidays as requested, but only within good reason. The last thing he wanted was some inefficient soldiers messing up a plan.

So when Entrapta mentioned Snowrest, Hordak pricked his ears at that.

They were in his Sanctum, Hordak tinkering at a small plan while Entrapta was off to the side, working on her own project while humming a familiar tune. The robot Emily chirped along, which was, Hordak admit to no one, endearing.

Entrapta finished the song with a final note, and a laugh. “My favourite Snowrest song! Always a good one.”

“Snowrest?” Hordak inquired, looking up at her.

“An annual holiday about celebrating the biggest snowfall of the year, so that winter will end and the new year will bring a better harvest, a better time, a fruitful year. Sometimes there’s decorations, singing, lots of lights, snowfalls, ice sculptures, festivals, plays, gift exchanging, and so much sweets!” Entrapta ended the last word with laughter as she was caught up in the excitement. Her hair propelled her around, her joy apparent.

And then she stopped. “Well, at least that’s how I remembered it.”

Hordak frowned. From her description, Snowrest seemed more than the party he recalled. “Do you still celebrate it?”

Entrapta shrugged, getting back to her task. “Sorta. I liked the sweets, some of the plays, decorating the tree, giving gifts, but it’s the parties I have a tough time with.” Her mask flipped down, her voice continuing. “Especially going to different places and dressing up. And crowds. Definitely crowds. Being forced to go to back to back parties with no rest, too much music, just…too much.”

Emily whirred, mimicking the solemn mood. Entrapta immediately perked up, mask up. “Best part of the holiday is the sweets! And a smorgasbord of it! Hot chocolates, candy canes, cookies, so much! Smaller, the better and the sweeter!”

“Hm,” Hordak mused, “Do you plan to celebrate it soon?” He’ll have to create a request form for her, and guide her through the process.

“Maybe not.”

That stopped him in his work. Blinking, he stared at her, confusion apparent. “I thought you enjoyed the holiday?”

“Oh I do! It’s just that after the last party I went to, my robot had malfunctioned and caused a bit of a scandal, which was expected because someone dumped juice on it and they blamed me for the trouble. Which was completely unfair because the kid was a brat and he did it on purpose. And since then I focused on my work, celebrating by myself. Which isn’t bad: no parties, no loud noises, no social rules. Just me, my work, my staff, my robots.”

And with that she focused on her task.

But Hordak heard the wistful tone in her voice. Allowing a moment to pass, he collected his thoughts. “You can celebrate it here.”

Emily squeaked a quizzical sound as Entrapta turned around, mimicking the noise. Hordak continued, “I would not oppose to having a small festivity here. Two of us—“ Emily and Imp, who appeared on the robot at some point earlier, chirred and squeaked. “With Emily and Imp. In a small place in my Sanctum. No loud noises, no crowds, no parties. Only our work and however you wish to celebrate Snowrest. Quietly,” he added the final word as a confirmation. No one else is allowed in the Sanctum unless he wished it. Entrapta is the exception as she preferred using the vents to travel.

The woman in question gasped, eyes sparkling as excitement took over her body. She vaulted over to Hordak, her hair giving her height as she hugged the surprised warlord. “Oooooohhh! A Secret Snowrest! I’ve heard of those before, but I never participated in one! Hordak, this is fascinating! Thank you,” and she gave him a quick peck on the cheek before she squeaked. “I gotta get ready! There’s sweets to get, a tree to decorate, so much! Be back soon!” And with that she lifted herself off of him and into an overhead vent, the sound of thumping and thudding receding, and then stopped, and then returning. Her head popped out, a comical sight. “Oh! Hordak, you don’t have to give me anything for the gift exchange. Just a heads up. Be right back!” And then she is gone, taking away Hordak’s unspoken question.

He sighed, both amused and slightly bothered by Entrapta’s enthusiasm. It was endearing, yes, but the spontaneity and the mystery of it can be baffling to decipher. But it was part of her, and she was honest.

“What did she mean by—Oh.” He recalled that gift exchanging, an act of trading of tokens, however meaningful or whimsical, was one aspect of the holiday. For some, it’s departing of the old materials to those who are less fortunate to have such materials. A gesture of goodwill.

Glancing at Emily, Hordak mulled over Entrapta’s last words. “I think she would like a gift. I would not know what she needs.”

The robot twittered. He continued, “I do not require anything that she can offer in a small material form. This,” he placed a claw on his improved armour, that she made for him, unprompted. “Is more than enough, I think.”

Both Emily and Imp voiced their agreement.

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

Over the course of a few days, Entrapta and Hordak worked. Entrapta, her projects with First Ones, weapons and machines for the Horde, and assembling for Snowrest. Hordak, his occupation as Lord Hordak, warlord of the Horde, his projects, and keeping an eye on Entrapta’s work with amusement.

Finally, Snowrest was here.

And it was just the two of them with Emily and Imp. Hordak took in the small corner that designated as Snowrest festivity. A small crooked sculpture, assembled by scrap pieces of metals, adored with a few lights and minor decorations. A plate of small sweets, smuggled into here with some bribes to the cooks and the transports, side by side with two small mugs of steaming hot chocolate topped with tiny marshmellows. Against the wall was a sofa, covered with blankets.

“Oohhhhh, it’s perfect!” Entrapta stood beside him, alit with joy. Emily beeped beside her, happily jiggling a collar of bells on her leg. She moved to sit beside the sculpture, Imp scrambling on her. He himself was wearing an oversized sweater, from Entrapta’s youth. Garnished in odd colours, movement almost restricted, Imp adored the warm sweater. He curled up on Emily, taking position to gaze at the whimsical sculpture with glittering objects and beautiful colours.

“It is rather enchanting,” Hordak agreed, watching Entrapta. Her delight was worth the odd scuffle and near hassles. It felt, nice.

“One last thing!” Entrapta went to the sofa, sitting down as she gestured Hordak to come. He obeyed, settling himself. Once he was comfortable, Entrapta placed a single bow on his chest, right below the diamond-shaped crystal.

“What is this?” Hordak murmured, glancing from the tiny bow to Entrapta. Her soft gaze almost undid him.

“You know how I said you didn’t have to give me anything?” At his nod, she continued, “I do mean it, in that you are the best thing I’ve ever gotten. You listened to my theories, to my rambling, and you don’t belittle me. I don’t need anything, because you’re the best gift I’ve ever been blessed to receive. You’re my lab partner, my friend, and the best thing in my life.”

Face warm and ears parallel to the floor, Hordak barely comprehended what she said. He blinked, and cleared his throat. “I…I am honoured to be your gift on this Snowrest. You are, also a gift to me as well.”

Entrapta smiled, giving him a mug while holding hers. “I did have a hard time finding a gift for you, but Imp and Emily kinda helped.”

“Oh?” Hordak sniffed the drink, the aroma of earthy and spicy herbs a pleasant one.

Her hair brought over a small ornament of sorts, rather misshapen with various sticks and glitter and nuts and bolts.

“Yeah, Imp and Emily recorded that day that the armour I made was more than enough for you, but I also wanted to make you a small one. Your first Snowrest decoration!”

Hordak had to chuckle at that. Small and imperfect, the ornament is a clumsy attempt, but there is endearment in its form, and crafted with some care.

“Thank you,” he gingerly accepted the gift, “to all of you,” he directed to the snoozing duo. Emily let out a quiet chirr to respond.

Entrapta snuggled closer to Hordak as her hair wrapped the blankets over them and he moved into a comfortable position.

“Happy Snowrest, Hordak,” Entrapta whispered as she nuzzled his cheek.

Tenderly, Hordak kissed her. “And to you, Entrapta. Happy Snowrest, lab partner.”

[todorokiaimee]

Blues In The Night

This is the first chapter of my Todoroki x OC book. All characters are aged up. (This will be a mature story down the line.) This is my first attempt at really writing so I really hope you guys like it! 

SUMMARY: Adult pro hero Todoroki falls in love with an African-American plus size woman he’s met in his favorite coffee shop. However, this Cajun Army-brat is difficult to win over but he refuses to give up on her as he helps to break down her walls. Little does he know, she’s put these walls up for a reason.

CHAPTER 1. Everything Happens to Me | Chapter Song

“Yes Father, the threat has been dealt with,” the red and white-haired man said into his cell phone as he sauntered down the busy streets of Tokyo. He had just taken out a troublesome gang with the intent to sell stolen goods. Subduing them was easy enough, but he was annoyed he had to do it in the first place. During the fall months, crime usually slows down. Unfortunately, these villains did not have the same sentiment. “You really should learn how to delegate. There are plenty of capable sidekicks at our agency. There really was no need to call me in on my day off,” he huffed. 

“I am delegating. I delegated this job to you didn’t I?” Endeavor barked through the phone. 

Shoto rolled his eyes and proceeded to enter his favorite coffee shop, giving a polite nod to the cashier as she looked him up and down in his hero costume.  He didn’t normally like to be seen in it outside of patrols but a trip home just to change seemed inefficient. He’d just have to endure the extra stares. “I suppose. I’ll email you the full incident report tonight. Goodbye.” 

“Shoto wait-.” 

He hung up before his father could have a chance to finish, not wanting to spoil what he had left of his day off. A small smile graced his lips as he addressed the cashier. “My apologies. May I please have a small black coffee.” 

She nodded and got to work on his coffee while he scanned the cafe. He enjoyed this particular cafe because of their open mic nights. He liked the relaxed atmosphere and also not being the center of attention for a while. Hero work had its perks, but the pitfall was always feeling like he had to maintain his hero image. Shoto was a civil servant after all. He was not only representing himself but his father by extension. Even though he and Endeavor had their issues, he was still going to be respectful if even just for the agency’s sake. 

After receiving and paying for his coffee, he eyed a free booth with a good view of the stage. In the booth in front sat another cafe regular that he had seen many times before, her long black curls and rich chocolate skin catching his eye more than once. She often sat alone with a book in hand and he wondered why a woman so beautifully unique as her would be unaccompanied. Even as he wondered and walked over to his empty booth behind her, he decided not to bother her. Perhaps like him, she enjoyed the peace and quiet atmosphere alone.

As Shoto took his seat, two women unceremoniously walked into the shop, ruining any semblance of the tranquility he so craved. “Omg, you will not believe the night I had last night. Kaneki took me dancing and we like, danced and stuff. But I got soooo drunk that I kept like singing all the music at the top of my lungs! It was so hilarious!” Her nasally voice boomed through the once quiet cafe. Shoto sighed and sipped his coffee, hoping she would just settle down and find a seat, his ears perking up as he heard a soft sigh from the booth behind him. 

“I love hearing you sing, girl! What are you going to sing for the open mic tonight?” The annoying mystery woman's friend inquired. 

“Oh, nothing today. My vocal coach said I need to be on vocal rest since I overdid it last night. Such a shame too. I would have totally dominated,” She cackled like a witch as they both took a seat and continued their conversation.  

“You’re doing it wrong,” a small voice came from behind him. In surprise, he let out a rare but small chuckle.

Aimee blushed, not realizing she said her snide comment loud enough that the man behind her could hear. She bit her plump bottom lip gently, as she tried not to break into giggles. She didn’t intend to be rude, but she just couldn’t help herself. Those two probable trust fund bimbos were talking loud enough for the whole cafe to hear their conversation. If that woman was really supposed to be on “vocal rest”, she is not going to see good results and honestly, she found that hilarious. Internally, however, she knew it was bad gris-gris to tease people, no matter how justified. She resigned to quietly sip her iced coffee in peace (or what’s left of it) because as the kids would say, “that’s none of my business.” 

Just as she was about to finish her drink, she heard a low voice from behind her, “If her singing voice is anything like her speaking voice, she is perhaps doing us a kindness.” Startled and pleasantly surprised, Aimee choked on her last bit of coffee. The two loud women suddenly looking back at her “causing a scene” only made her cough and laugh more. Todoroki immediately stood from his seat and went to the ravenette’s aid, apologizing profusely. “My apologies, that was terribly rude of me. Are you alright? May I get you some water?” 

Aimee shook her head, giggling through her tears as her eyes watered from the short lack of oxygen. “No, no! I’m fine. It was actually pretty funny. You just caught me off guard is all.” 

Todoroki paused and took in her face as she wiped her eyes. To put it simply, she was exquisite.  Her large brown almond eyes looked into his as a playful smile tugged at the corners of her full lips. Her womanly body jiggled and bounced as she laughed, a sound he wanted to never end. Looking down at her from where he stood, he noticed how her bright yellow shirt complimented her smooth dark skin and how the modest V neckline revealed her abundance of cleavage. He couldn’t help but feel a slight warmth fill his cheeks as he stared down at her. “You must have either a really good, or a really poor sense of humor to find me funny.”

As Aimee caught her breath she took a moment to really look at the duel-quirk hero. She had seen him several times before in the cafe, but never up close. He was quite tall, with lean muscle pulling against the blue fabric of his hero costume. His peppermint hair dangled in front of his eyes until he nervously brushed them aside, revealing her favorite trait. His eyes. One cool grey, one turquoise blue. The rumors were true. You could get lost in those heterochromatic orbs. He definitely lived up to the hype. Aimee was pulled out of her thoughts as Todoroki cleared his throat, awkwardly shifting his weight. “May I… join you?”

Aimee unconsciously quirked an eyebrow at him. Join me? What would a super hot (and cool) pro hero want with me? Not to be rude, she of course nodded and he slipped into the booth opposite of her after retrieving his coffee. He’s just trying to get to know his constituents, she thought. No big deal.

“I’ve seen you here a lot,” Todoroki said softly as he sipped his coffee. Aimee paused for a moment, thinking he had something to add to it. Apparently, the rumors that he was a man of few words was true as well. 

“Yes…” she nodded slowly.  “I have seen you as well,” she said slightly sarcastically with a small smirk tugging at her lips. “This place reminds me of back home. The live music, coffee, and sweet treats. They also have the best apple pie around, so there’s that.” 

She giggled and Shoto thought it was the sweetest sound in the world. He nodded as his cool eyes locked onto hers, suddenly feeling bold. “I assumed you weren’t from here. There are not many women in Japan like you.” 

“What, you mean Black?” She quirked her head to the side with wide eyes.

Shit! Todoroki’s left side abruptly erupted into flames. FUCK! Although it only lasted for a second, Shoto was so embarrassed. First, he made this gorgeous woman choke on her coffee, then he insults her, and to top it off he almost burns the poor woman! All in his sad attempt to flirt. 

“Whoa! Oh my God!” Aimee shouted in shock as she instinctively pulled away. 

His normally pale face flushed a deep red all the way to the tips of his ears. He hadn’t lost control of his quirk since he was a teenager. He was a goddamn adult! Scrambling to his feet he bowed deeply, spewing a plethora of hushed apologies.

Aimee blinked in surprise at the sight before her, instantly regretting her decision to tease the poor man. She never dreamed she could pull such an extreme reaction out of the usually stoic hero. Being snarky was just one of her many defense mechanisms when she felt exposed and vulnerable. And boy did the way Todoroki looked her make her feel exposed and vulnerable. In fact, she was still surprised one of the best (and hottest) pro heroes was even talking to her. 

“Hey…” she reached out for his (hopefully safe) right hand. She noted it was significantly cool to the touch. “At ease soldier. I’m the one who should apologize. I was just messing with you.” 

Todoroki looked down at her small soft hand, observing the contrast to his large and calloused own. He pensively looked up at her from under his bangs, only to catch her large brown orbs staring into his with an apologetic smile. 

“That was a pretty impressive display of power though.” She giggled and squeezed his hand gently, encouraging him to sit back down. Todoroki nodded and took his seat sat back across from her as Aimee cleared her throat, giving everyone else in the cafe the evil eye for staring. Somehow, although she barely knows this man, she already felt the need to protect the sweet lamb from unwanted attention.  

“Anyway, your assumption is right. I’m American, from New Orleans, LA specifically. I moved here when I was 13 with my Dad. He’s a Colonel in the Marines and was stationed at Camp Kinser.” 

Todoroki nodded and took another sip of his coffee. “That’s a noble profession.” Aimee sighed and played with a few of her dark curls. 

“It is. But as a child, I used to hate it. Having to pick up and leave everything I ever knew behind. Being thrust into a new culture. It was hard at first and I felt like my Dad didn’t understand it, or just didn’t care.” 

The hero hummed in response. “I do have experience with difficult fathers.” 

The look on Todoroki’s face gave her the feeling that there was a lot to unpack there but she decided not to ask. He’s been through enough for one talk anyway. “Welp, it’s pretty much all good now. We’re still not super close but I don’t get to see him often. He’s a very busy man, keeping the world safe in his own way. But you, you’re right on the front lines. What’s that like?” 

Todoroki blinked rapidly, surprised to have the topic of conversation turned to him. He was hoping he could learn more about the captivating woman in front of him. “I… just do my best to help those in need.” 

“You know, this is a little embarrassing, but you’re my favorite hero to watch in a fight.” Todoroki slowly set down his coffee with a confused look, sure he misheard her. “The way you move and use your quirk in a fight… even though you obviously have great power, your moments are so fluid and somehow even gentle. I mean, you rarely fight with a closed fist. You make battle look so effortless and easy. Like a dance almost.” 

She likes my fighting? Who is this angel? Todoroki stared her in disbelief. He had never heard his fighting described in such a way. After years of struggling with accepting his quirk, and being called cold and distant in the tabloids, this woman called him gentle of all things. A familiar heat rose to his cheeks for the third time today and this time he didn’t really care. He looked up at her to find a similar but faint rosy color upon her cheeks. “Thank you.”

Aimee looked at her watch hummed. “Oh 20:00 already. I really should get going, my cat gets cranky when he’s hungry. As do I.” She laughed lightly and she stood up from the booth, putting on her coat. Shoto watched helplessly as she gathered her things. He didn’t want the conversation to end, but he also couldn’t be selfish and keep her there. “Well. Thank you for your service, Mr. Todoroki. And thanks for the… colorful conversation,” she said with a small smirk, turning on her heel to leave. 

“Wait.” He cautiously took her hand. “You know my name, but I don’t know yours.” 

The smallest of twinkles flashed across her eyes, and it certainly didn’t go unnoticed by Shoto. “Aimee. Aimee Faurie.” 

“That’s a beautiful name.” 

She cheekily bit her bottom lip trying to suppress a wide smile. Aimee had already promised not to tease the man anymore, but she just couldn’t help herself. “Thank you. I got it for my birthday.” 

And with that, she turned and walked away towards the cafe exit. Todoroki sat stunned for a moment, mulling over her last statement before finally letting out another rare chuckle. Although the moment his eyes locked onto her hips as she glided out the door (and shamelessly all the way down the street) he found himself stunned for an entirely different reason. “Aimee. Until we meet again.”

Chapter 2

[inyournightmares97]

If You’re Handsome...

In which you learn that maybe there’s more to Bambam than just expensive suits and a life of luxury.  

Word Count: 3.5k+

Warnings: None. Just a really rich, designer label-owning Bambam. AU!

(Read the Jinyoung version of this here)

Every once in a blue moon, a woman comes across a Bambam in her life.

Bambams are most commonly found in kdramas in the form of rich and spoiled chaebol heirs, with inflated egos and a tendency to squander their inheritance away, but they do exist in real life. You will rarely come into contact with a Bambam in the course of your daily life unless you see his face on a magazine or on the gossip column of the newspaper. Bambams live in a different world from ordinary mortal folk like us. That’s what makes it so rare to come across them.

A Bambam lives for luxury. He has money and he’s not afraid to spend it on the finer things in life; designer clothing, gorgeous real estate, overpriced wine and extravagant jewelry. Bambams never settle for anything less than the best. It’s not unusual to see a Bambam throwing a fit at a restaurant because the service wasn’t up to their expectations or storming out of a clothing store because they don’t have the latest designs stocked.

Bambams are childish, petty and spoiled. They like to think that they can buy anything with money.

But you’re not an object. You don’t have a price tag.

You can’t be bought.

Perhaps that’s why a Bambam will never be able to win with a woman like you.

--

You met the Bambam of Bambams on a warm summer morning. Your company specialized in marketing and business consultancy so you were invited to make a presentation on a marketing strategy for a new clothing line under Bambam’s design label. It had taken you days to devise a complicate but fool-proof marketing strategy with your team. You went to their office early in order to make your presentation in the hope of clinching a deal. You had been informed that some of the higher-ups at the design label would be attending your presentation but you hadn’t expected Bambam, the founder of the label himself to turn up.

Bambam entered the conference room thirty minutes into your presentation. A Bambam is never on time, because his time is worth more than yours is. They always make that very clear to you in the beginning.

“Sorry, I had some other appointments to deal with,” Bambam drawled lazily as he barged in on your presentation. You weren’t sure why you were startled by his sudden appearance but he was really tall and handsome. Part of you had believed that most Bambams’ good looks were the result of skilled photoshop and professional makeup but you were wrong. This Bambam’s pouty lips and dark, seductive gaze were all his own. 

“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Bambam.”

He held out his hand for you to shake and you had to stop the presentation in order to introduce yourself to him in return. Bambam’s grasp was firm and a small smirk appeared on his face as he looked you up and down. You tried to stay calm. 

Showing weakness in front of a Bambam is the biggest mistake you can make. They can smell fear like a hound.

“I was just making a presentation on a new marketing strategy for your upcoming clothing line,” you explained to him. “Right now, I’m talk about the optimal distribution lines we devised which could cut your overall distribution costs in almost half-“

Bambam took a seat beside one of the other officials of his company and coolly placed one leg over the other. He was wearing an expensive suit, possibly one of his own design. You were startled by how well his dark suit complimented his silver hair.

“Interesting,” Bambam commented. “Would you mind summarizing everything you’ve presented until now in one or two lines so that I’m not lost?”

In one or two lines? You balked for a moment. You had just gone through almost twenty slides about expanding customer base and increasing revenues and he wanted you to summarize all of that in a few lines? Bambam wore a pleased smirk on his face and you felt a burst of irritation. Folding your arms across your chest, you stared back at his smug face with a calm smile of your own.

“Here’s all you need to know,” you replied simply. “You current marketing strategy is inefficient and uselessly expensive. My team and I can save you money while also increasing your brand value and market reputation. Does it matter how we go about it as long as we bring you the necessary results?”

You saw the twinkle in his eyes and realized that you had won.

Bambams are extremely attracted to confidence.

“You have the deal,” Bambam informed you. His tongue darted out to lick his lips briefly as his eyes flickered up and down your body. “I hope to see a lot of you over the next few months.”

--

When a Bambam is interested in someone, everyone knows.

His affections towards you over the next few months were so obvious that every single employee of both of your companies knew that Bambam was pursuing you. It’s extremely difficult to resist a Bambam’s shameless and blunt attempts at wooing a woman. Bambams are persistent and consistent with their affections. 

Bambam makes sure you and your team get the best office in the building for whenever you have to work on site. A Bambam will ensure flowers are delivered to your desk every morning, he will ask you to have lunch with him in the most expensive restaurants. A Bambam will even find out what your favorite band is and leave concert tickets on your desk with a little heart and his personal phone number written on the envelope.

As difficult as it is, you can’t give in.  

Some of the gifts might seem thoughtful (like the concert tickets or the time he had your favorite food delivered to the entire office for lunch or the time he bought an enormous ice cream cake and had the entire team surprise you for your birthday) but a Bambam’s presents are always expensive and always materialistic.

Do you want to become a gold-digger?

I didn’t think so.

As difficult as it may be to send the gifts back and buy your own lunch even though your favorite dish has already been delivered to the office courtesy of Bambam, you absolutely have to resist.  Resist, no matter how difficult it is. Do not give in to those beautiful eyes and those smooth words. Do not let yourself become weak whenever Bambam looks disappointed at your repeated rejections. Do not listen to the other employees who try to convince you that they’re never seen a Bambam try so hard for a woman before. Do not believe the stories that you are the first person to have him wrapped around your finger.

These are all tricks. A Bambam knows the game better than you, he knows how to make a woman weak.

Guard your heart with walls of stone, or a Bambam will blow it down in seconds.

--

However, your problems do not end here.

Unfortunately, Bambams of the world love a good challenge. Even though a Bambam may be briefly deterred and thrown off by an unexpected rejection, they always bounce back stronger than before. A Bambam will be even more intrigued by your constant refusal to accept his gifts and ability to cut off all his flirtations. It will usually only lead to him being even more interested in you because Bambams believe that the world revolves around them. They are incapable of coming to terms with the fact that somebody simple might not care.

As your project neared a close, Bambam only grew more desperate and open about his feelings for you.

“Why won’t you let me take you out on a date?” he insisted. He had found you alone at an office party that had been thrown to celebrate the successful clothing line launch. Your entire marketing team had been invited and no expense was spared on the part of Bambam’s company. You had made them a lot of money this year. Bambam was looking as dashing as ever and you had to be careful not to look into his soft eyes, or it would make you weak.

“I told you, I’m not interested in dating you. Do I need to give you an explanation?”

Bambam pouted, his lips distracting you. You had to take a large gulp of your wine and hold your breath to avoid inhaling the tantalizing scent of his cologne. A Bambam always wears the best fragrances. But you weren’t about to give in and become the latest candy on his arm only to be thrown away once he was bored with you.

A Bambam would dispose of you the way he disposed of clothes that were out of season. Cruelly and without a second thought.

“But why? You’ve never even given me a chance. I’d understand if you got to know me and then decided that you don’t like me but you’ve been closed off since the beginning,” Bambam insisted. You had to hold your breath as he gently lifted a hand to your face and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. Bambam’s soft brown eyes were gazing deep into yours while his thumb brushed your cheek. “Please give me a chance. One date. I don’t know what I did wrong but I can change your mind about me, I swear.”

“If this date doesn’t work out then will you stop trying so hard?” you demanded.

A sudden, childish grin spread across Bambam’s face.

“I will, I promise. So you’ll go on the date with me?”

You sighed. “Yes, all right.”

--

A Bambam always arrives in style.

He pulled up outside your apartment in one of his expensive sports cars and lowered the window to reveal himself decked up in a casual suit and designer sunglasses. You tried not to sigh when Bambam hurried to open the passenger side door for you. He informed you that he had the entire day planned out; he would take you shopping, followed by dinner reservations and then a drink at a club he owned. It sounded like a little too much for a single date but Bambams like to go over-the-top with things. Perhaps you should be more understanding.

You were pleasantly surprised at how fun it was to shop with Bambam.

He had an excellent taste in fashion which wasn’t surprising considering that he owned a designer label. Even though you were reluctant to roam around overpriced designer stores with him at first, Bambam didn’t push you to buy anything. 

Instead, he tried on goofy-looking sunglasses and made faces at you in the mirror. He even picked up random suit jackets and began striking sexy model poses while trying them on. You found yourself laughing from a mixture of embarrassment and bewilderment. How could a Bambam behave in such a foolish manner? But he had a pleasant laugh and you found yourself laughing along with him. The store employees stared at you both oddly but Bambam didn’t mind.

There was something refreshing about Bambam’s ability to behave like an idiot and not look even slightly embarrassed.

He did insist on buying you one particular black dress that you tried on, though. Bambam’s jaw had gone slack the moment you stepped out of the dressing room wearing it and you blushed under his intense gaze. He only looked at you for a few seconds before his own face turned pink and he averted his eyes and mumbled that you looked pretty. The smiles and laughs suddenly stopped there. Bambam had finished paying for it before you had even changed back into your ordinary clothes.

“Who said it’s for you?” Bambam asked coolly when you confronted him about buying the dress. He held the bag out of your reach. “I just wanted to buy it because it’s pretty. Don’t flatter yourself.”

You couldn’t really argue with that. Bambams sometimes had an unbeatable logic. He hadn’t said the dress was meant for you so you kept silent.

At dinner, Bambam had booked out the entire restaurant.

Even though the entire event was over-the-top and unnecessary, you couldn’t help but enjoy yourself. The dim candlelight and the expensive wine made for a very romantic mood. Bambam sat next to you in the booth and put his arm around your shoulder as you both sipped on the wine. His hands never roamed anywhere inappropriate but his voice was low and sultry when he whispered into your ear. Bambam told you how much he liked you, how stunned he had been the first time you both met and how he was falling harder for you every day.

“I don’t know why I’m so crazy about you,” Bambam whispered, making your entire body shiver. His warm breath was on your neck and you had to admit that you had butterflies in your stomach. “Your lips say one thing but your eyes say another. I’ve never been so attracted to anyone before. Am I really the only one who feels this way?”

You held your breath. Admitting to a Bambam that you had feelings for him was fatal.

You simply don’t do it.

“Probably,” you replied. “I’m not really feeling it. Don’t you think you’re trying too hard?”

There was a brief silence and Bambam pulled away from you slowly. You could see the disappointment in his face and the hurt in his eyes but you ignored them. 

A Bambam doesn’t care for you as much as he pretends to. Nothing will come first in his life besides his own money so there’s no use in feeling guilty. Bambams will cast you aside and get bored of you eventually anyway, so it’s better to break their hearts than your own.

Stay strong. You can’t seriously be falling in love with a Bambam!

The rest of the date was awkward and Bambam decided to drive you home soon afterwards. He had just started up the car when he got a phone call. Apologizing to you quickly, he answered the phone. Whatever information was conveyed to him seemed to upset him because he promptly made a call to a doctor and ordered them to go to a particular address urgently. You felt a little awkward as you listened to the conversation. When Bambam finally hung up you cleared your throat.

“Is everything okay?” you asked doubtfully.

Bambam blinked at you and then ran a hand over his face. “Uh… I’m not sure, actually. I’m sorry about this. I’ll just drop you off first because I kind of need to go somewhere urgently.”

You bit your lip. “If you need to leave, I can take a cab home…”

“No, no. I can’t make you go home alone when this is a date. I’ll drive you home myself. Do you mind if I just make a quick stop in between? It won’t take more than ten minutes, I promise. I’ll be really quick about it,” Bambam promised you. 

You nodded your agreement as he quickly took a U-turn and began driving in the opposite direction. He drove for about a mile before he suddenly parked the car in a side-street. “I’ll be back really quickly, I promise. Stay in the car, this isn’t a really safe neighborhood.”

Where the hell was he going? You sat silently in the passenger’s seat as you watched Bambam dart into a convenience store across the road. He came out with two huge bags of what seemed like food and then hurried down the street and disappeared at the turning. You bit your lip and waited silently. This little detour had thrown you off a little. Why were you at this random place, why had he called up a doctor? Was somebody he knew sick? Then why not take them to a hospital?

A Bambam shouldn’t ordinarily be behaving in such a mysterious way.

You waited for a full ten minutes before you let curiosity get the better of you. You got out of the car (taking the keys and locking the vehicle first, because you weren’t going to be responsible for Bambam’s convertible getting stolen) and walked in the direction that you’d seen him going. There was nothing here except random buildings. The only place where the lights were still on was a large building that had the gate open. As you stepped closer and squinted at the signboard, you realized that it was an orphanage.

Was this where Bambam had gone? Everywhere else was silent and empty at this time of night.

You approached the orphanage. There was a smiling woman sitting in the front reception area and she greeted you politely. You felt a little embarrassed and bowed to her. “Hi, I’m sorry. I just thought Bambam came down this way…”

Her eyes brightened. “Oh! You must be the girl Bambam was on a date with tonight!”

You nodded hesitantly. “So he is here?”

“Yes, he did. We’re so sorry for ruining your evening. Bambam told us that he was going on a date with a girl he’d liked for a long time but one of our boys has been extremely ill and his condition was getting worse. I’m terribly sorry for ruining your evening,” she apologized to you politely. You bit your lip and forced a smile at her. 

What was this place? Was it an orphanage that Bambam was sponsoring? Had he perhaps set it up? It wasn’t completely unusual for a Bambam to be involved in charity work although you had to admit it was a little surprising. Most Bambam’s only did charity if it helped with their publicity. 

“Oh, no, that’s okay!” you insisted, waving her apologies off quickly. “Is, uh, is the boy who was ill doing all right?”

“Yes, the doctor’s seeing to him now. Why don’t you come inside? I’m sure Bambam wouldn’t mind me giving you a tour of his childhood home. He does talk about you a lot.”

You stared at her. “His childhood home?”

The woman looked surprised. “Oh, you didn’t… you didn’t know? Bambam was here until his early teens, which was when he was adopted by an extremely rich couple. His adoptive parents allowed him to live an extremely lavish lifestyle but he always comes back to take care of the children who are still here. He says that he’s lucky to have been adopted into a rich family but the other kids who weren’t lucky enough should still have a chance at a nice life.”

You gulped.

A Bambam wasn’t supposed to have such humble beginnings. What was happening? Your calculations had been all wrong. Your heartbeat thudded as you followed the woman into a large room where a bunch of children were playing. Bambam was sitting in the corner and listening to a little girl talk about her dolls excitedly. He looked up at the sight of you and his eyes widened. he stood up and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. 

“I thought you were going to wait in the car?” Bambam asked, his voice faltering slightly.

You raised an eyebrow at the man in front of you. Even though he was still wearing his designer suit and looked like a modern prince, you could see something different in his eyes. The little girl was upset that his attention had turned to you and began pulling at his pant legs. But Bambam was staring at you with wide eyes.

“You can’t come to a place with so many cute kids and expect me to wait in the car,” you replied with a pout. “Why didn’t you say something?”

Bambam looked down at the floor. “I thought it was too heavy a conversation for a first date.”

You smiled as you walked over to him and slipped your hand into his with a small smile. Bambam looked down at you with warm brown eyes and you bit your lip. 

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to let a Bambam have your heart. Maybe, even though he liked luxury and money and expensive things, he knew the price that things like this came at. You opened your mouth to speak but you were interrupted by the little girl who was still tugging at Bambam’s pants.

“Oppa! You’re not listening to me!” she whined. “I still haven’t told you about Dolly!”

Bambam’s cheeks flushed when she fisted the cloth of his expensive designer pants in her little hands and you giggled at the sight. “Oppa?” you teased him with a raised eyebrow. “Aren’t you a little too old to be having four-year olds call you oppa? You’re old enough to be her father by now.”

Bambam lifted the little girl into his arms to quieten her whining and then gave you a sneaky side-glance.

“Didn’t you hear? If you’re handsome, then you’re an oppa,” he told you matter-of-factly.

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, that’s the rule these days.”

You folded your arms across your chest and smiled. “Well, thanks for telling me… oppa.”

Bambam beamed at you, a childish grin spreading across his pouty lips as you giggled along with him. He swooped down and pressed a sweet kiss to your cheek. Your own face flushed and the little girl in his arms began to whine, crying that she wanted a kiss from oppa too. You watched Bambam pinch her cheeks and tell her that she find get her own oppa to kiss her someday as a warmth exploded in your chest.

Maybe it’s okay that Bambams like their money. Maybe it doesn’t matter that they enjoy diamonds and fancy cars and expensive gifts from time to time.

Because deep down, a Bambam’s heart is made of gold.

[michaelandy101-blog]

The way to Improve Organizational Skills at the job

New Post has been published on https://tiptopreview.com/how-to-improve-organizational-skills-at-work/

The way to Improve Organizational Skills at the job

When you’re functioning at a new job or even trying to get a promotion, you need to be arranged. While you might list organizational abilities on your resume, putting that will skill into action is harder.

Having company skills means that you can fulfill deadlines and be efficient within your workflow management. In fact , company skills can be synonymous along with energy and time management in most cases.

All of these skills are extremely important in the workplace and possible employers want to make sure you may stay on top of issues.

In this post, we will dive deep into exactly what organizational skills are, particular examples of what they look like for, and how to develop organizational abilities in the workplace.

What are organizational skills?

Organizational skills mean you might have the ability to use your time plus resources efficiently and efficiently. You’re able to manage your time, power, and physical workspace so that you can accomplish tasks successfully.

Organizational skills are about building structure, boosting productivity, and prioritizing the right tasks at the right time.

The antithesis of organizational skills is procrastination, clutter, inefficiency, and miscommunication.

Organizational skills mean you’re able to remain calm while coming up with a scheduled plan. Many people with good organizational skills break up projects into smaller goals so that they are easier to accomplish.

Importance of Organizational Skills

Organizational skills are important because they’ll help you get tasks done on time. These types of skills are essential in the workplace because managers notice you can handle your tasks, and have autonomy over your own personal projects. This will help you get promotions and references if you connect with new jobs in the future.

If you don’t have a plan in position for how you’re going to accomplish something, it will be much harder for you to finish. You’ll need to be in a position to anticipate how long a task will need, what resources you’ll need to complete that task, and have the discipline to block out the required time to finish it.

Organizational Skills on a Resume

When you’re listing organizational skills on your resume, you might consider breaking it down into more specific sets of skills. Let’s dive into the examples below.

Organizational Skills Example

The best organizational skills to list on your resume include:

Communication

Time management

Delegation

Attention to detail

Decision making

Strategic planning

Goal setting

Creative thinking

Problem-solving

Productivity

Managing priorities

Teamwork/collaboration

Deadlines

Scheduling

Conflict management

Office management

How to produce Organizational Skills

Own your calendar.

Make lists.

Figure out what tools will help you.

Communicate with your team.

Declutter your workspace.

1. Own your calendar.

The best way to produce organizational skills is to undoubtedly own your calendar. Block off time where you’ll need to get work done. Then, create a schedule for yourself that’s realistic to stick to. It’s hard to stay organized if you have random meetings popping up in your calendar.

Additionally, it is vital to know how you work most useful. For example , I like to have meetings back-to-back because it’s hard for me to get work done in 30-minute increments between meetings. I want all my meetings at the same time, so I can block working time and meeting time.

2. Make lists.

When you have a lot on your to-do list, you can make separate lists for what needs to have finished and when. I usually have a running to-do list where I’ll add everything I must do for the week. Then, I’ll break that down into daily to-do lists. You can organize your lists by tasks, meetings, reminders, etc .

3. Determine what tools will help you.

Obviously, everyone works differently. That’s why it’s important to figure out how you work best. Do you like using a physical calendar or even a digital calendar? Regardless, you will need tools to help you stay organized. Below is a quick set of physical and digital tools to help you get started.

Physical Tools

Planner

Calendar

Notepad

Folders

Journals

Digital Tools

Google Calendar

Trello

Asana

Evernote

Teuxdeux

4. Talk to your team.

Another way to develop organizational skills is to communicate with your team. It’s important to communicate your course of action to any necessary stakeholders. Additionally , communication will help keep you accountable.

If you’re working on a project with several people, it is possible to communicate updates on your the main project as they occur or at the end of the day. This can be a great way to keep the team organized and on task.

5. Declutter your workspace.

Lastly, to genuinely be organized, your workspace should be free from clutter. Whilst not everyone likes to keep everything newly made all the time, you should still only have necessary items in your desk so you don’t get distracted. This will help productivity and organization overall. When you need to locate a list or an item, it is important that you know where it is also it doesn’t get lost.

Organizational Skills in the Workplace

Now you might be wondering, “How can I use these organizational skills in the workplace?” and “How can I highlight these skills?”

The first step is to list these skills on your resume when you are applying for jobs. You can say “organizational skills” or you can list other skills, like the ones above, to be a lot more specific.

If you’re in a job interview, consider stories and examples of the way you remained organized and how it helped you solve a problem or complete a project successfully. It’s important to discuss how you scheduled your time, the way you handle multiple assignments, and how you delegate tasks.

While a potential employer might not ask specific questions about organizational skills, it is possible to highlight these stories in questions like “What are your strengths?” and “Why are you a good fit for this role?”

Once you’re employed by a company, you can highlight your organizational skills during projects or meetings. It’s a good idea to make use of these skills whenever you can because it’s sure to impress your boss and help you move forward in your job.

Organizational skills do not just mean that you keep to-do lists. It means you manage your time efficiently, you’re productive, can solve problems, and think critically. That’s why it is vital to develop your organizational skills whenever you can.

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[davidjjohnston3]

Wish I could deliver top-shelf right now... I feel almost as if I will be left with naught but the notebooks, like Flaubert's "Sentimental Education" working notes.

1."You're too philosophical" - it turned/s out he is trying to become conscious of something. 

2.The damn thing is, 2010 Korea is not a warped society.  People are ignorant or naive about some things; and they have a w/Way that worked/s for them.They are trying to help; they want to be mothers and fathers and daughters and students and sons faithful.Great nation.

3.He is unaware of women.  The beauty of the office-buildings at night, when everyone is still at work, captivates his doesn't educate entirely as he's unaware of women and girls and boys at home; he thinks, "family unit."  It's Americanism / mental Americanness.  He has no sense / conception of man, woman, child, m/Mom, p/pop.

4.Abortion-culture, abortion, abortion, abortion."Our point is that we have no point; post hoc ergo propter hoc, you have no point because God isn't real and we are God.

"5."In the Valley of the Butterflies" - a meditation or reflection on how to some people fantasy and unreality are closer to [Adonai] than are their own parents, "parents," friends, "friends," teachers, "teachers.

"6."Minima Moralia Covidiana: Reflections on a Mentally Ill Era from North Korea Policy and NK Studies to Obama to Metascience, Metatheology."

"It's not Houellebecq that's depressed; it's the world that's depressing." - Marie-Pierre Houellebecqa) 

Everyone suddenly became their "brother's keeper, neighbor-lover" but it's more like judge thy neighbor and teach thy neighbor according to crypto-communist evaluations of wokeness.  Also, no qualifications to teach + primitive tools + no mechanism for assessing performance or firing incompetents or the morally depraved.

b) Biden obviously, POTUS, one of the most powerful men in history, says so many right things or right-sounding but at bottom I feel he neck-kneels me in the name of his political macro-economy and is more than willing not just to despise Afghans and throw them away but to silence anyone who registers an eloquent-enough complaint about American throwaway culture, anti-religion, anti-belief, anti-truth, anti-child-ism, anti-Otherism.God love him and give rest to his soul!

c) I am in trouble for being Christian and Christianist but not Frank McCourt or the guy from "Calvary" who gets kilt on the beach.  Jesus / Yesunim was not thrown out or casually murdered by disturbed victim of someone else's crime.  He was arrested by the greatest empire in human history - the last empire - interrogated by a magistrate, sentenced by the religious right and institutional ecclesial / synagogic supreme prestige of his time, and subject to formal capital punishment with full ceremony.  He was also buried with honor and gifts by women and men who loved Him.  He was and is King with all authority on Heaven and Earth and many grown men - in some places - have authority.These people saw too many movies.  

d) Taeyeon Kim's "Circus."We are supposed to take up our Crosses and follow Jesu but Milwaukee's a waterpark / flush-toilet .  "Circulation."

e) David J. Johnston's recurrent wish to write that get-out-of-Babylon bestseller but it'd take 2 years to process through the publishing industry "irregardless."

f) David Cameron's "Life Chances" speech influenced by "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother," a book which kept me awake for some 36 hours the first time I read it despite already knowing what Chinese mu'ai (mom-love) was like in its outlines.

"I'm not against the welfare-state."  - Si.  It's far different to show material as well as spiritual charity to the poor than to to tell them they're all victims who deserve Santa Mao's grab-bag and a guillotine or torture or Xinjiang vivisection and serial gang-rape forced abortion bonanza to boot.

"Family is the basic welfare-state."  - Sadly assuming sincerity, faith, veracity on the part of Anglo-American relationality and family-roles.

g) Saint John Paul II, "Papa Karol."  Humana Vitae / Human Life.  Again and again again and again and again, from the city to the world, generation after generation.  Abortion, euthanasia, rampant Medicalism and Scientism.  If I were to extend JP2's observations through "Theology of the Body" as well I would say that Man's contemporary despising of the soul and Spirit have also infected American literature with the twin outcomes of a) censoring the Spirit and b) despiritualizing and ultimately robbing of all sacredness the material and physical.  In my view this might lead to what I called "liquefaction" or "deliquescence.'  I feel as if communitarian Catholic theologian Charles Taylor might find this idea relatable to "ontology of flesh not bodies" from "A Secular Age," suggesting that Covid-19 and the policies and souls and wills responding thereto led out to a "state of things" (R. Dienst Rutgers) at which people began to actualize a madcap hostility to the physical integrity or integrality or wholeness of the Other.  Part and parcel of this disintegrationism or disintegrationisticity (sorry) other than structural inefficiencies and wasted lives characteristic of socialism / communism, moral confusion, is the outsourcing and supply-chain-disruption and -invasion (is that a Huawei chip in your X-1 or are you just cannibalistic to see me?) or distally "sparagmos" (Gr. "tearing apart; rending limb from limb") of human bodies, but particularly culturally Other men, women, and girls.  Americans not even aware of their own psychopathically malevolent spirits.

g-i) Korean American Literature, though / / Yoon Choi.I don't know if I should be this "medical" but I rem. something about those "This is what a feminist looks like" shirts which were sort of like rainbow-colored Soviet cluster-bombs in the Soviet-Afghan War that attracted women near to toxic (and/or unprepared) men then harmed them... I kept thinking, "Yeah well this is what a semenist looks like" just b/c I was in a bad mood dealing with ideology while trying to "become the man" but it turns out Man would have been better-served to reflect on the characteristics of seed than to devise mechanistic and deterministic monster-murder-Moloch-machines and that's not even "Dreiserian or neo-Dreiserian Naturalism," it's literally part of the intelligence design of the body.  g-ii) If anyone knows of a hole in the ground in Los Angeles preferably with a mirror so I can shave...

7.I keep remembering the lines from "Lincoln" - the only good lines that that bourgeois bench-warmer Kushner perhaps wrote - "millions now unborn... now, now, now."  Human trafficking, abortion, beyond-awful schools and teachers...

8. DJ is always trying to improve his platform without realizing that he has a voice.  He takes the bait again and again and again, both in terms of finding a wife / girlfriend / "coming to an arrangement with _" in the Victorian sense and being baited into a defensive crouch for what he stands to lose.

9. Ownership, "so yu kweon."

10. Everyone taking advice from SF / special forces soldiers on YouTube and a psychologist who deliberately dealt with extremes, Jordan B. Peterson, such as Marxism, Nietzsche, &c.

11.

"Everlasting Consolation."  

"Stepfather."

They are watching TV, reading memoirs, being "Episcopalian" in the old-fashioned regard of having the Bible and the newspaper both, the "Cross of Lorraine" maybe kind of.  But his parents are Democrats and democrats to the core and want to character-assassinate any leader they don't like; they will do anything to reduce a king to a doctor even if this ruler wanted to serve God.  They love nothing more than to find out the ways in which someone is hypocritical or labors under astheneia (weakness), whether monetary of social (no friends, antagonistic sideways deflectionistic teach-you-everything-(to-become-me) / push-me-pull-you neighbors)

12.

I want to exchange poems on Twitter with Pastors Timothy Keller NYC and John Piper BCSMN Bethlehem Baptist Church Twin Cities.