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bamon4bamily · 4 years ago

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TVD 9x18 - My Winter Song (part 1) Enjoy! =)

Cut to - Munich, Germany. Sage is at the University lab, late at night. She seems to be transferring information from one of the main computers into a USB device. From the look on her face, she’s probably not supposed to be doing that.

A few minutes later, Pietro sneak vamps behind her and starts kissing her neck.

PIETRO: (Peeking at the computer screen) What is my head of project doing here at this time of night, instead of in my bed?

SAGE: (Trying to hide her true intentions the best that she can) Sorry, I couldn’t sleep… I think we missed something when we did the isolation process…

PIETRO: And what would that be?

SAGE: Look at the DNA structure (points to an image on the screen)…

PIETRO: Darling, you forget I’m a businessman. I have no idea what I’m looking at...

SAGE: There are some structural changes; barely visible… but it seems there were errors in the genetic coding.

PIETRO: Still not understanding a word you are saying. What does that mean?

SAGE: It means it mutated…

PIETRO: (Gets a call, looks at his cellphone screen) I have to take this. I’ll be back in a moment (leaves the room to take the call).

SAGE: (As soon as he walks out the door, she checks to see how the download process is going) Come on, come on… (on another window, which looks to be some kind of GPS tracking map, she anxiously waits for a result… seconds later, she seems to have found what she had been looking for) Got you! (Looking at the result) What the hell is that place? Well, at least we know where it is now… pinpoint location, copy, paste… (she transfers the information into the drive and manages to take out the device just in time. She quickly puts it in one of her lab robe pockets. Just as she is about to text someone, Pietro vamps back, starts kissing her neck again).

PIETRO: (As he kisses her, he whispers) You know that saying, “It's lonely at the top”… ( Violently snaps her neck). It is…

Cut to – Damon, Stefan, Bonnie, and Caroline, having a drink in the living room.

DAMON: So, ladies, what is this about? You are freaking me out.

STEFAN: That makes two of us…

CAROLINE: Well, we thought it would be best if we told you together.

DAMON: Not helping, Barbie. What’s going on?

BONNIE: It’s about your family…

CAROLINE: You know how your dad had another kid…

STEFAN: Only good thing to come out of that, were Sarah and Uncle Zach. (Sarcastic) But then, of course, Damon had to kill them.

DAMON: Oh, come on, bro! I said I was sorry!

STEFAN: I know. Just saying, you were a dick.

BONNIE: Guys, you are going off topic; that’s not the point.

DAMON: (Smirks) Thank you, Bon!

CAROLINE: We wanted to ease you into this, but I’m just going to say it. Your half-brother’s name is Pietro Salvatore, and he is very much alive. Well, sort of…

DAMON: (He and Stefan crack-up) Good one, Goldilocks, but that’s impossible.

STEFAN: Is this some kind of retaliation for Vegas? Did someone snitch? I bet it was Kai! (Turns to Damon) I told you!

DAMON: That little…

BONNIE: Guys, we are serious. Turns out he is the head of Elena’s medical program in Munich. And, it is possible in the same way it’s possible for you to be more than 200 years old…

DAMON: Even from his grave Giuseppe still finds a way to mess with us…

STEFAN: I can’t believe this… How are we finding out about him now? He seems to have been around for a long time… you’d figure we would have found out about him over the years.

DAMON: Well, it’s not like there’s a vampire club.

BONNIE: You should probably also know that the “mystery woman”, was a Petrova.

DAMON: You have got to be kidding me! Have we secretly fallen into an episode of the Twilight Zone?!

CAROLINE: Also, from what Elena told us, he’s up to no good.

DAMON: Given the Salvatore track record, wouldn’t expect him to be “vampire of the year”.

STEFAN: I think I need some time to process this…

BONNIE: Elena gave us some research on his background (hands them a folder). She got it from one of her university friends who got close to him. None of us have seen it; figured you should be the ones to look at it first. We’ll give you guys some space… (she and Care leave).

Cut to - Munich, Germany. Elena, Sam, and Alex, in one of their Cadaveric Anatomy practices.

ALEX: Where is Sage? She’s never late…

SAM: Didn’t she tell you? She went home for the holidays; sent me a text earlier. Spur of the moment type thing.

ALEX: That’s strange, she didn’t tell me anything… And, she hates her family. Why would she go see them?

SAM: I stopped trying to understand what goes through Sage’s head a long time ago.

ELENA: In her defense, no matter how crazy it may be, there is no place like home…

SAM: Feeling home sick?

ELENA: A little… (he kisses her). I know I was just there, but it’s always hard to spend the holidays away from home.

SAM: It sure is. Was the info Sage got on Pietro any useful to them?

ELENA: Not sure, I didn’t read it. Gave it to Bonnie and Caroline to do what they thought was best (someone walks in).

PROFESSOR: Students, may I have your attention. I have a couple of announcements. First, we have a new temporary program director, Mr. Salvatore had to go out of the country to attend other matters. Until further notice, Mr. Veritas Dracul will be taking his place. You will have a chance to meet him later on, once he is settled in. Second, and I ask you not to be alarmed, this is only a precaution. We have been informed that one of our main lab computers has been breached. Special Agents will be investigating, and they will need your full collaboration. Until they find everyone involved, the main lab will be inaccessible to students without Faculty supervision. Last, but not least, for all of those who will be staying here for the holidays, we have planned some wonderful festivities; we look forward to seeing you there! That’s all for now, have a productive day (walks out).

ELENA: It sounds serious… You don’t think Sage had anything to do with that, do you?

SAM: Not sure, but she probably knows more about it.

ALEX: And now I’m sure Sage didn’t just “go home for the holidays”. We need to find out what’s going on… (takes his phone out and calls Sage) Straight to voice mail…

SAM: Maybe we should check out her room, see if we find anything off.

ALEX: It feels all sorts of stalker wrong; but I agree.

ELENA: You guys really think she was the one that broke into the computer? The main computers are off limits to students. Even if she is on the inside, I highly doubt Pietro would give her access to classified information.

SAM: Ever heard of the term honey trap?

ALEX: I fucking hate that guy! And if he hurt Sage in any way, I’m going to kill him.

SAM: Let’s not jump to any conclusions. Sage is as tough as they come, if anyone knows how to defend themselves, it’s her. I’m sure she’s fine.

ALEX: Still, this is a vampire we are talking about, not your average Joe. If Sage got caught phishing around, I don’t think he would just let her off with a hand slap.

ELENA: I’ve seen the worst side of both his brothers; yet he scares me more than they ever did…

SAM: Okay, one step at a time. Alex, send her a text. Maybe she ran out of battery or she’s flying. If you don’t get a reply by the end of the day, we’ll check out her room and take it from there.

Cut to – Edward’s mansion. He’s sleeping in his room, wakes up suddenly, shaking and sweating.

He gets out of bed, and makes his way to the study. Finds the Madame having a glass of wine.

EDWARD: Figured you would still be here. Do you ever sleep?

THE MADAME: Do you?

EDWARD: I was, until another nightmare woke me up.

THE MADAME: How come you hadn’t told me you have been having nightmares?

EDWARD: I was hoping they would go away eventually, but they are not. I need your help.

THE MADAME: Of course, love, whatever you need.

EDWARD: I want you to read my mind.

THE MADAME: Edward… we agreed it was best I never do that.

EDWARD: I know. But these nightmares feel different. I really need to know what they are about.

THE MADAME: There are other ways to do that. We can find you one of those dream interpreters.

EDWARD: You know better than anyone those people are charlatans. This is the only way.

THE MADAME: A very dangerous one…

EDWARD: If it helps me get rid of the nightmares, I’m willing to take the risk.

THE MADAME: They are that bad?

EDWARD: They are.

THE MADAME: You know there are no guarantees.

EDWARD: Like I said, I’m willing to risk it.

THE MADAME: Are you positive, dear? Once it’s done, there is no going back…

EDWARD: I know…

THE MADAME: Fine… I will do it. But you must promise me you will not skip a single dose of your medication. Your mind is fragile, and this is not going to help with that.

EDWARD: I won’t. And my mind is not that fragile.

THE MADAME: You know what I am talking about. I’m only trying to protect you.

EDWARD: And I thank you. But I promise, I will be fine; I can handle it. Now, how does this work?

THE MADAME: I need you to sit down, relax, and close your eyes (he does). Now, take deep breaths, try to leave your mind at a blank. Just focus on your respiration…

(She places her hands on his head, and closes her eyes…).

Cut to – The Lockwood mansion. Matt is in his bathroom, staring at the mirror. He looks frustrated and scared. Khuyana walks in.

KHUYANA: Matt, what is going on? Are you okay?

MATT: I thought it would go away, but its been some time now, and still no change… I’m losing eyesight on my left eye. All I see are shadows and bright lights…

KHUYANA: What!? How come you didn’t tell me?! We need to have a Doctor check you out immediately.

MATT: They have… I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want you to get upset. When I was taken by those “sketchy” military guys, they messed me up so bad that I actually lost an eye. Sick bastards put this weird bionic eye in its place. I don’t remember anything, I found out when I went to get it checked. Sorry I didn’t tell you; I was scared and really hoping this thing would work. The Doctors told me that it is the highest tech they had ever seen, and that I could actually regain my full eyesight. But… I haven’t. There is no way I can remain a Sheriff like this…

KHUYANA: Oh my god, Matt… I…I… I don’t know what to say (hugs him)…

MATT: Guess I’ll have to find a job that doesn’t require 20/20 vision.

KHUYANA: But you love your job! I’m sure there is a way around this.

MATT: K, I shot Penny with perfect sight, imagine what I could do now… I can’t put anyone at risk.

KHUYANA: I’m going to stop you right there! You are the best Sheriff this town has ever had!

MATT: Second best…

KHUYANA: Regardless, you are not giving up your life’s dream because you feel you might not be fit for it! What happened to Penny was a tragedy, and it had nothing to do with your skills! I’ve seen you practice shooting blindfolded, so don’t you dare tell me you aren’t good for the job! Plus, have you ever heard of Daredevil? If he can, you sure as hell can!

MATT: (Smirks) I knew I should have told you before, you always find a way to make everything better.

KHUYANA: Yes, you should have told me! We are a team; we deal with things together (kisses him). Everything will be fine…

MATT: (Caresses her tummy) It sure will…

KHUYANA: I know you’ve been dying to tell your friends. Tell you what, we’ll do it after New Year’s.

MATT: I love you, K…

KHUYANA: I love you, M… (they kiss).

TVD 9x18 (part 2) coming next! Hope you stop by, read, and enjoy! =)

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twentiethcenturymoviesandtv · 4 years ago

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The Goonies: Facets of Film

A film isn’t ready for shooting the minute the script has been written and the parts have been cast.

This is pretty obvious: there’s a lot of steps to go through before a project can fully become a film: cameras, lighting, music, sets, special effects, costumes, and tons more that have to go into piecing together a coherent narrative in a way that makes sense using editing and other filmmaking tricks, turning filmed sequences into scenes that tell a story. This is a usage of the production design of the film: using the elements at the filmmaker’s disposal in order to build the ‘film world’ and make it realistic enough that the audience buys it for a while.

This is where the production team comes in.

The job of the behind-the-scenes crew, everyone from the director to the production assistants, is to create this ‘film world’, in any way they can, using cinematography, costuming, special effects, lighting, and everything else at their disposal to convince the audience for a brief period that what they’re seeing is real. These elements, when used well, can capture the attention of an audience and turn a ‘good’ film with a solid story and characters and turn it into a cinematic classic, all through the clever use of movie magic.

And, of course, aside from looking good and being believable, these ‘facets of film’ are also used to tell the story.

These elements, cinematography, sets, etc., are used to highlight the plot and characters to the audience in the most efficient way possible. Although it’s true that some films accomplish this better than others, the best films use these ‘facets of film’ wisely, conveying information to the viewers in ways that make sense, making a film more understandable and enjoyable.

In other words: today, we’re going to talk about what makes The Goonies a movie instead of just a story, and asking ourselves one simple question:

Does The Goonies use its ‘movie magic’ well, or not?

Let’s take a look, starting with something that can seem kind of simple: cinematography.

The Goonies isn’t exactly an ‘arthouse’ film. By that, I mean that to the average movie-goer, there’s not much in artistic shots: the movie is focused on getting to the point. But that doesn’t mean it can’t look good while doing it.

Cinematography is a hugely important feature of film, one that is often overlooked. Audiences tend to underestimate the value that a camera, the ‘eyes’ into the film world, actually has: how the camera ‘looks’, and therefore allows us to look at a scene can be hugely impactful. Such is the case for The Goonies.

There are a few shots within The Goonies that everyone just remembers. The first time the kids lay eyes on the pirate ship, their final goal, is a hugely memorable moment, when the camera switches from the open-mouthed, awed expressions of the Goonies to the hugely impressive pirate ship, entirely built as a set for the film. Other shots, like the reveal of the bone-organ, or the first shot of Sloth from behind, his chained hands held up against the light, stick in people’s minds: or the simple but effective shot moving to focus on Mikey leaning over his porch railing.

These shots are certainly strong and memorable, but they also convey a lot of interesting information to the audience all at once, which is very important. In one split second, the viewers understand the magnitude of the discovery of One-Eyed Willy’s pirate ship, the terror of the dead body in the freezer, the miraculous recovery of the jewels to save the Goondocks, the relief of Mr. Walsh tearing up the contract and throwing it into the air.

These shots are designed to evoke emotions in their audience, giving us a perfect viewing point into the film’s world, allowing us to ride alongside these characters and experience what they’re experiencing: the fear, the joy, the laughter and the excitement, and the camerawork more than achieves its goal. The cinematography is effective without being showy, showing off when it needs to, and being simple and small when it fits the tone better.

A big portion of the film’s appearance is for sure in the cinematography, but honestly, there’s not much point to good camerawork if there’s nothing to shoot. Thankfully, the production design of The Goonies doesn’t disappoint.

Every setting in this film feels solid and lived in, from Mikey’s house to the beat-up old restaurant, to the caves, and, of course, the pirate ship. Richard Donner and Steven Spielberg (Director and producer of The Goonies, respectively) had, at this point, a bit of experience with the special effects department, and it shows in the film’s final look. Spielberg’s iconic Indiana Jones style sets and effects are echoed here in the cave sequences, with booby traps, skeletons, and the claustrophobic, dirty caverns convincing the audience effortlessly of their authenticity.

The entire film is a visual delight, with the production design clearly putting forth a lot of effort into making the movie look good, from the pirate ship to the prosthetics on John Matuszak to bring Sloth to life.

Despite the magnificent sets, there isn’t actually much in ‘visual effects’ in the film itself (especially once the octopus scene was cut), besides the prosthetic effects used for Sloth (very impressive in their own right). There are a few notable scenes: the floor dropping out from underneath Mouth (achieved by attaching a cable to Corey Feldman’s belt and collapsing the set floor underneath) being one of the more impressive of the various Rube Goldberg booby-trap setups throughout the entire film, and the cave collapsing prove to be a few of the most visually impressive effects in the entire film, furthering the story along and making it look believable.

There are other important visual things too: the costumes on the characters (Brand’s exercise wear, Data’s big, baggy trench coat with his inventions underneath, Mikey’s jean-jacket, Mouth’s Purple Rain t-shirt and Chunk’s Hawaiian shirt) all serve as legitimately distinct clues to tell kids apart in clumped together shots, but also works well as character building, coding in different outfits that match personalities, and even the props that kids have with them are hugely telling. These include Mikey’s inhaler, Mouth’s comb, and, of course, Data’s inventions, all elements that immediately tell the audience something about their personality without having to come out and say it in words.

In short, the visual storytelling of The Goonies is pretty darn competent.

But the visuals can only do so much.

The score of The Goonies (by Dave Grusin) works perfectly to form the backbone of every scene, from the merry tune that plays over Data’s inventions to the thrilling soundtrack that plays over the Fratellis’ escape at the beginning of the film. Every scene hits its mark thanks in no small part to the music in the background: reflecting character emotions and putting the audience right in with them, emphasizing huge moments like One-Eyed Willy’s pirate ship and playing up to smaller scenes, like the wishing well.

It also serves perfectly to underline what’s really important: the performances.

There’s more to a great movie production than sets, special effects and music. In the end, no matter how impressive, the production of a film doesn’t really amount to anything if the characters aren’t believable. The movie really rests on the shoulders of the performers: it’s on the actors to try to sell not only their surroundings and story, but the characters themselves, making an audience buy into the fact that they are real, and going through these experiences.

In The Goonies?

The entire cast steps up to the plate.

Sean Astin’s performance as Mikey is 100% wholehearted and earnest, genuine and inspiring. He is believable as the leader, and as a child with big dreams and big ideas, without being so wide-eyed as to be unrealistic, with a realistic way of talking that siblings around the world recognize. Jeff Cohen as Chunk is larger than life, over-the-top for every moment of screen time, constantly energetic in both terror and excitement, convincingly portraying a kid who’s scared out of his mind, but sticks it through for the sake of his friends. Ke Huy Quan easily persuades an audience of Data’s intelligence and charm, quirky behavior lining up with a ‘boy genius gadgeteer’ personality that is tempered with moments of irritation and frustration, as well as a gutsy streak that gets a little overshadowed by the antics of the others around him. Corey Feldman as Mouth is similarly believable as a snarky kid with too much attitude. Despite every character’s flaws, each actor manages to make each performance overall likeable and charming. Thankfully, this doesn’t stop with the kids.

Josh Brolin is believably exhausted and somewhere between childish and grown-up as Mikey’s older brother, Brand, pulling off an even mix that makes him believably grounded, but still able to be swept up in the adventure. Kerri Green as Andy isn’t given a lot to do, but she’s still entertaining and charming with the material given to her, much like Martha Plimpton as Stef, who delivers her snarky, sarcastic dialogue extremely well.

The heroes aren’t the only ones turning in great performances. Anne Ramsey is incredibly, and memorably, threatening as Mama Fratelli, and Robert Davi and Joe Pantoliano are entertainingly intimidating as Jake and Francis Fratelli, bickering amongst each other and getting smacked around with utmost believability, despite the ridiculousness of the situation. John Matuszak is wonderful underneath the prosthetics as Sloth, who, while never a villain, doesn’t officially become a hero until further into the film. Aside from these, the movie is full of little performances from other players, and everyone fills their part remarkably well.

Every character in The Goonies comes across exactly as they should: as characters in a kid’s adventure story. Each performance is perfectly suited to each character: not at all subtle, but energetic and entertaining. They are kids on a mission, with complete sincerity and consistency in their performances that help the audience to pretend that this is all real.

These performances are the cincher, the final step, the part that people remember and the element that solidifies this film as a family classic, continuing to entertain people over thirty years later.

In short? With people like Richard Donner and Steven Spieberg working behind the scenes, it’s not much of a surprise that The Goonies was an example of efficient filmmaking and visual storytelling. It’s a fast paced adventure story, a roller-coaster on film designed to take the audience along for the ride without asking any questions, and in that, it greatly succeeds.

The Goonies seemed destined for greatness from the moment it first released, with all of its ‘facets of filmmaking’ falling into place to create the perfect family adventure film, but, of course, that wasn’t an accident. Every movie is the result of a lot of hard work from a lot of different people, and The Goonies is no exception.

Thank you guys so much for reading! Join us next time where we’re going to be discussing the behind-the-scenes story of The Goonies in ‘Facets of Filmmaking’. I hope to see you there!

#The Goonies #The Goonies 1985 #1985 #80s #Film #Movies #PG #Adventure #Comedy #Family #Sean Astin #Josh Brolin #Jeff Cohen #Corey Feldman #Kerri Green #Martha Plimpton #Ke Huy Quan #Richard Donner

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ninjakitty15 · 4 years ago

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Cold As Death (Loki)

Chapter One: Looks That Could Kill

By all accounts, today should've been like the countless other days before it. Just another day stuck in a glass cell with the occasional "scientist" trying to figure out how to harness something no regular schmuck or mortal could hope to grasp by poking, prodding, and bleeding me. But this was Hydra for you, try to change one idiots mind, and several more idiots tell you you're wrong. German, American, or other, there are evil idiots in every corner of every world, that's for damn sure. At this point I couldn't figure out why they still kept me here, locked away from everything when they couldn't what they wanted from me. They already tried torturing it out of me like pain would make me crumble, I just ended up wincing or laughing depending on what they did as there were times I actually wasn't sure I felt anything, not because they did it often enough or it was that bad, I was just sorta dead inside so some nerve endings didn't always work.

The only thing remotely unusual about today though was it wasn't as busy where they stashed me, hands locked in power dampening shackles and a metal muzzle to boot. At some point earlier they attempted to keep me sedated and unconscious but I woke myself back up once they left me alone thinking I was no longer a problem. Amateurs. As I sat in the middle of the cell, eyes closed but fully alert and coherent, I felt before I ever heard a presence that felt otherworldly to me. They were silent, seeming to observe with caution as I felt it get closer and start to circle the container then pause right where I knew the controls of the cage to be. There was a fifty fifty chance this presence would let me out, the other half being they come in and another round of human pinata would start but instead of candy it would just be blood and a lot of bad puns and jokes falling out of me, maybe drop a few s/m mentions. Serious folks tend to get real uncomfortable when you get sexual on them. If you can't laugh about sex, you don't have a sense of humor. A button was pressed on the panel and a door formed in front of me where the glass was and I got a stronger feel of who or what was in front of me on the other side. They were definitely not your average Joe, probably not even human and flowing with a lifeforce not even mutants could possibly obtain. An immortal for sure. They took one step toward me and because this wasn't something I'd encountered since my containment, I instinctively tensed which made them pause again.

"You're awake?" A smooth almost british accented voice, noted softly yet curiously.

I opened my eyes then just to confirm that as the muzzle was holding back my usual smartass responses. They was actually one tall man clad in leather and gold metal, watching me carefully with piercing blue/green eyes. Maybe it was seeing the same ugly mugs every day for gods know how long I've been down here and finally seeing a new face, maybe it was the fact he was wearing my two favorite colors and pulled it off better than anyone else I've seen try that. But damn did he look good. It might also be the killer jawline and physique too. His eyes fixated on the muzzle for a moment and a hardened scowl formed for some reason, surprisingly not twisting the dashing look like it does most angry men. And then suddenly I could speak again but opted to gasp like a dying beached fish because damn did it feel good to not have airways being blocked anymore. Vaguely I wondered if my lips were chapped from the damned thing before smiling maniacally.

"Finally, oral freedom!" I cried overdramatically. "I don't usually offer though unless its returned, all's fair in love and fun stuff."

The man cracked a small smile and ventured a step closer to me. "What are you? And why are you in here?"

"Could ask you the same thing, hun," i quipped. "And seeing as I was here first, you should answer first."

He chuckled and took a more confident step toward me though his lifeforce strengthened like a guard around him. Before he could answer himself though, a booming and somehow familiar voice called out. "Loki, have you found anything down there?!" Which caused the dude now named Loki to cringe at the interruption and sigh.

"No one here but us ghouls," I told him in answer.

"They have a prisoner down here, brother!" replied Loki though his eyes never left me.

"Prisoner's such a harsh word, I prefer forced resident or illegal obtained house guest," I informed him. "You answer his questions, but not mine. It's because I'm black, isn't it?" I was actually what one would describe in terms of skin color as not recently dead pale white.

"I thought he was answer enough, I'm sure you know of Thor, he likes to play the hero of this realm," Loki replied to me, an eyebrow arched.

"The Norse God of shitty weather? Y'all aren't busy with cooler realms?" I asked.

"This wasn't my choice," was his dry response, making me smile more.

I snickered. "Spoken like a true sibling. So you came down here, an alien immortal, because your big brother told you so. My heart bleeds for you really."

He glared at my unabashed sarcasm and crossed his arms over his chest. "Now answer mine before he comes in and makes a great mess of this place."

"More than the people that came with this building already have? That's gotta take talent. But I'll bite. They hunted me down gods know how long ago and attempted to extract something from me that makes me awesome, didn't work obviously or they'd make a mess not even your brother could trump and we wouldn't be here talking. Too valuable to be killed, though they couldn't if they tried, too stubborn to be experimented on. Where'd they go anyway? Are you guys the reason I didn't get my daily prodding?"

"My brothers...friends dealt with the ones they could find, if they're anything like their namesake, I'm sure there's more in hiding waiting for reinforcements or something like that."

Another man leaped down out of nowhere that definitely wasn't Thor as he didn't have long golden locks or a beard, his head and half his face were actually covered by a mask and instead of a hammer was a shield in one arm.

"Thor failed to mention it was a woman," the new dude noted.

"And my gender matters because...?" I wasn't actually offended by this, just messing with him to get a reaction which worked as he genuinely looked bashful, making me cackle. "For all the armor you people wear, it's still surprisingly easy to get under your skin. Maybe I've just been here so long, they're just fashion statements now, if everyone's wearing leather armor count me in!"

"Sorry to disappoint, but it's just us," Loki told me.

"She tell you why they're holding her?" the new man asked him.

"They're trying to steal her powers though I'm not sure what they are yet."

"Only the best kind of course," I told them. "It's all the rage these days, all the Hydra agents gotta have it."

"Well they can find it somewhere else as you're free from them but you can tell us all about the what and why, if you don't mind," the new man said.

"You say that so politely but I'm getting the sense you weren't asking. I'll comply if you give me a hand here, mine are a bit tied up at the moment." I raised my shackled hands as high as able since they were chained to the metal floor beneath me.

The new man was quick to break the chains connecting me to the floor before Loki waved a hand like Jedi Knight and the shackled sprang open, dropping to the floor with a loud clang. I flexed my hands and shook them a bit to get feeling back with them being cramped and slowly got to my feet, staggering a bit as my leg bones cracked from the sudden use and weight. I sighed in sweet relief and relaxed with a slight grin. "Alrighty then!" With my hands free, so was my powers just a bit more and I could collect and stretch it out, testing the waters. That seemed to be enough for Loki to notice being a power person as well and both eyebrows shot up as he probably felt what I was doing. I winked at him before turning to the other guy. "Onward and upward!"

With the new guy leading me out of the building and Loki being my tail, I was on my way to freedom for good before being nearly blinded by that god awful ball of fire in the sky, everyone else calls the sun. I recoiled and refrained from hissing like an angry vampire, stumbling back into Loki in the process who steadied me and smirked at my reaction to daylight. The new guy looked back hearing me cursing at it and raised an eyebrow in question but didn't actually ask anything.

"What? I'm not a morning person," I responded before straightening up but subtly elbowing Loki in the stomach, causing a soft grunt from behind while accidentally hitting my funny bone which wasn't that funny at all as my entire arm went numb and tingly at the same time. "Stupid toned god with your stupid abs of granite."

The new guy stopped walking and pressed a hand against his ear. "We're out, all the agents we could flush out are dealt with. A ride would be nice." Ah he was talking on a com of some kind it seems. How high tech yet old school. Within a few moments, an even more hightech fighter plane of some kind hovered low enough for him to climb in first then offer his hand to pull me up as I was unfortunately not remotely as tall or long legged as either man near me. I looked around the plane curiously to see another man and a redhaired woman at the front as pilots, the woman looking back and landing her eyes on me as well.

"Are you the prisoner Thor spoke of?" she asked.

"I'm the illegally obtained house guest, yes." Loki snickered behind me and I reminded myself not to elbow him again as my arm still hadn't gotten proper feeling back.

The woman smiled as well and nodded. "Buckle up then, we're heading back to base, could get bumpy. All good back there, Steve?" she called after the first new guy who was now Steve.

"Ready when you are," he answered, sitting at the tail end of the machine.

The plane rose up and shot forward at an illegally unsafe speed above the city. Loki had settled across from me, eyes ever studying me but unlike the agents that actually did and more, they weren't malicious or power hungry, just cautious and curious. I decided to test his resolve then and locked my eyes on his in an unwavering staring contest. "First one to blink loses."

"Is that why they muzzled you? Because if you're not under their skin, you're cracking jokes?" he asked.

"If you don't have a sense of humor you don't have much to live for and that's how they win. Also no, it's not how I talked, but who I talked to or when it wasn't them."

"To contain your powers, like they did your hands then. And they didn't get anything from you?"

"What I have can't be drained or pulled out or copied, it's not specifically found in something like DNA or an organ or something physical even. Those guys claim to be scientists but real scientists accept facts as they are when proof is found and I'm living proof they're all frauds with no results. I bet they don't even have a Ph.D."

"They're Hydra, they're funded by power and money, not degrees and universities," Steve spoke up.

"So you're telling me they just pulled a few crazy people with crazyass theories on things from a hat and told them they're scientists now? I should've gone to college there, I wanna have money and be told I have a job with more money. All I got from mine a piece of paper saying I know some things and then years of disappointment from being unemployed. I probably look good in a lab coat too."

"A stark difference from your current attire of all black and hooded," Loki pointed out.

I snorted. "All they let me wear after ruining the one I was caught in from their experimentation, they thought the attire should fit the power, how unimaginative is that? Let's just advertise exactly what I can do to everyone around me, that'll throw them off for sure."

"And what can you do?" he challenged.

"Uh-uh, spoilers sweety. A preview of which will cost you extra."

"But we just gave you a free ride," chipped the male pilot.

"Hey, you're not part of this conversation, and I don't even know where we're going, this could be a free ride to something worse. Like Shield or the dentist."

"Bad experience? Ate too much candy as a kid, didn't you?" the pilot guessed.

"If you think there's such thing as too much candy, then your childhood sucked and I pity your past."

"Tony's gonna love this one," mused the female pilot. "What's your name?"

"I've been out of custody for like 15 minutes and finally someone asks! It's Noelle, Nell for short. And you pilots are...?"

"About to land for starters," the man said. "I'm Clint, she's Nat, and we're at base so everyone out of my plane."

"That's Tony's plane actually," quipped Loki as the plane landed and everyone unbuckled. "Come along, meet the rest of my brother's friends."

#cold as death #immortal peril #lokifanfiction #lokifanfic #loki x oc #loki x original female character #lokixNell #nellthenecromancer

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jeremys-blogs · 5 years ago

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Men Like You: One Marvellous Scene

Well, I said I was going to do this at some point, and I think it's high time I made good on that promise. For those who don't know, last year there was a collaboration between a number of Youtubers to discuss their various favourite scenes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and why they felt they should be held as the best scenes in the franchise. It was really great and you should totally check the videos out. But, this did leave me with a bit of a pickle when it came to doing my own thoughts on the matter. You see, I wanted to talk about a scene I loved, but I also didn't want it to be a scene that had already been covered by the others. This was tricky since they'd already talked about most of my personal choices. After a while though, I found it. One moment I utterly adored in the MCU that, to my knowledge, hasn't been mentioned by anyone else. And that's what we're going to talk about here. A moment brought to us courtesy of the original 2012 Avengers movie, my personal favourite of the big crossover films, that shows what is, quite possibly, the most under-appreciated moment of heroism in a franchise built on acts of heroism.

So, our scene takes place just prior to all our heroes meeting up for the first time. Loki, Thor's brother and the big bad of the movie, has just made a big show of himself in an art museum in Germany. And when his business there is finished, he waltzes out onto the street, causing havoc and terrifying all of the ordinary citizens around him. With his illusions he herds a whole crowd of them together and demand that they kneel, which they soon do out of fear. Loki, going full dictator mode, lords over them with this big speech about how he's above them and that they're all just natural servants to him, "meant to be ruled". Confidently, he declares how ordinary people will always kneel. In response, one old man among the crowd slowly gets up, looks Loki in the eye and states firmly that they will not kneel to men like him. When Loki counters by saying there aren't any men like him, the old man rebuffs him, "there are ALWAYS men like you", before Loki readies his scepter to kill the defiant human. And just when it looks like the old man is about to die at the hands of the film's villain, Steve Rogers, Captain America, jumps in to save him, ready to bring Loki down a peg.

Now, there's a lot going on here in this scene that I want to talk about, but to start off let's cover the basic surface-level stuff. Because this moment, which is only about a minute long, is pretty much a microcosm of the entirety of the superhero genre, and not just those of Marvel. We have a hammy villain coming along and declaring himself the best thing ever, towering over frightened people and threatening them, ready to even kill one who steps out of line. And then, at the last moment, a superhero comes in from out of nowhere to take the hit and save the day, bringing hope to a hopeless situation. This right here is superhero stories in a nutshell, so on that basic level, it works really well, even if Marvel does eventually develop a reputation for undermining or subverting a lot of classic superhero tropes further down the line. And of course, there's the acting needed to pull off a moment like this, Tom Hiddleston is clearly having a blast as this wonderfully evil baddie, Chris Evans fits the role of a classic hero like he just stepped out of the pages of a comic book, and as for the unnamed old man, for that we give thanks to veteran actor Kenneth Tigar.

And it's really the old man here that I wanted to talk about. What he did in this scene is very possibly the bravest and most noble act I've seen among any of the regular people in this franchise. Oh sure, we've got heroes aplenty putting their lives on the line to fight the good fight, but this guy isn't those guys. He hasn't got a fancy suit of armour, or an indestructible shield or the power of the gods on his side. He's just a man, and an elderly one at that. He knows full well that Loki could end his life in a heartbeat if he wanted, yet here he is, standing up among the crowd, staring down this invader, and telling him that he's not going to submit. Standing up to someone more powerful than you is an incredibly courageous thing to do, especially when it's someone you know has malicious intent. But that doesn't stop him. He still there, still standing, refusing to kneel to this self-styled king of the world. He's an ordinary person, but he nevertheless a hero in this scenario. A hero whose name we don't even know. We only ever see him this one time, and no other film even mentions him, yet what he does here has remained in my mind ever since I first saw this movie back in 2012.

Special mention also has to go to just how important a moment like this is in a superhero movie, as it helps to remind the audience of exactly what, or specifically for who, the superheroes in question are supposed to be doing, protecting ordinary people. It can be hard sometimes in films and comics and what have you, when heroes and villains are duking it out over the fate of the world, to remember that, at the end of the day, it's the everyday people in the street that are in danger and need help. When you have big and apocalyptic events, the average Jane and Joe can get lost in the mix, made to feel like they aren't as important in the grand scheme of things. So a scene like this is vital for keeping the audience rooted in what truly matters. The often-nameless (literally in this case) men and women who get caught in the big fights. They're the ones the heroes are supposedly there to champion, so a character like this old man is really needed to put a face to that overall concept. Right now, this man represents all those that Loki would seek to dominate, hurt and kill. The people that Steve and the other Avengers need to fight for.

But as much as I wish I could have nothing but praise for this scene, there is one sticking point that needs to be addressed, and that's the reasons for its inclusion in the film. You see, Joss Whedon, the director, added this scene apparently because there were fears and worries about how it might come across if they simply had a scene of German civilians kneeling down to a dictator without question. Now, on the one hand, I sort of agree with where they're coming from, since that would likely send the wrong message, even if it was unintentional. But on the other, it's not as if they're going along with Loki by choice here. He's shown his violent tendencies and has already killed a man in full view of everyone. This isn't people bowing down to him because of force of personality, it's a hostage situation. They kneel because their lives are in danger, not because they actually want to follow Loki's lead. So while I give a lot of credit to this scene, I'm afraid I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with the idea that not having it in would put the citizens in it in a bad light. Though it does at least make the nameless old man all the more courageous as a result.

Despite that small bump in the road, this scene still has a lot going for it. In a franchise where it's easy to think you need to go bigger, more epic, more extravagant, you can forget that it's sometimes the smaller moments that truly stick with you. This scene, with two characters whom everyone in the audience will know and remember, shines all the brighter because of the inclusion of the one character whom they wouldn't. A single act of bravery in the face of certain death that makes this tired-looking old man look like a giant, even among the other heroes. Ordinary people standing up for what's right is always a powerful symbol, no matter what context it's happening in, and while shots like Steve marching to his doom against the full might of Thanos' army will always be heroic and epic, there's something to be said for bringing the scale down a bit. To show that heroes can emerge when you least expect it, among those not typically thought of as heroes in a genre like this. This is a scene that's likely to get lost among all those other moments that have been discussed by the aforementioned Youtubers, but for me, this will well and truly be the true Marvelous Scene in this astonishing franchise

#essay #writing #my stuff #marvel #marvel cinematic universe #mcu #avengers #loki

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newstfionline · 4 years ago

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Friday, January 8, 2021

Spending the pandemic talking to yourself? If you live alone, you’re not alone (Washington Post) One bleak pandemic day in November, Aisha Tyler caught herself vacuuming the inside of her freezer. Then she scolded herself. Yes, out loud. Sometimes the Los Angeles-based actress will tell herself to “snap out of it.” On brighter days, she’ll congratulate herself on what a good job she’s doing and call for a celebration. Humans leave little unspoken, and this past year, as many of us have avoided social events and worked from home alone, we’ve been forced to talk out loud to the only person still around to listen: ourselves. Sure, it may take the form of bantering with our pets, scolding the politicians on TV or cajoling our malfunctioning printers, but that’s really just another way of hearing our own voice, helping us discern what exactly is going on inside that head of ours. What’s going on here? Charles Fernyhough, a psychology professor at Durham University and author of “The Voices Within: The History and Science of How We Talk to Ourselves,” says research shows people talk out loud more when under stress or facing cognitive challenges. It was praying aloud that kept 44-year-old April Harris going during her 32 days in quarantine with a deep cough at the California Institution for Women in Chino, Calif.—not just self-encouragements like “I can do this” and “You got this, April,” but repeated declarations like “by His stripes, I am healed.” “I would pray for our country and for a cure to this virus,” she says in an email from the prison, where she has spent 24 years but had never previously talked out loud to herself. “Now I pray that I am covered by His blood, not wanting to endure that again. I pray for the women who are in isolation now.”

Here’s Why Car Thefts Are Soaring (Hint: Check Your Cup Holder) (NYT) After years of declines, car thefts appear to be surging in cities and suburbs all over the country. The spree, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic, does not appear to be the work of sophisticated crime rings, the police say. Instead, this new wave of car thefts seems to stem from a combination of simple carelessness and the same technological advancement that once made stealing cars nearly impossible: the key fob. The broad adoption of keyless ignitions that began in the late 1990s ushered in a dark era for car thieves. New cars had engine immobilizers that only a microchip in the key fob could unlock, and vehicle thefts quickly plummeted. Technology, it seemed, had largely solved the problem of stolen vehicles. Until people started leaving their fobs sitting in their cup holders. Now, the police say forgotten fobs and keyless technology have contributed to soaring stolen car cases. In Hartford, the police have traced the surge to teenagers joyriding in from the suburbs. In Los Angeles, stolen cars reappear so frequently that the police believe thieves are using them like Ubers. And in New York City, a related but different problem has emerged as more drivers leave their cars running to make pit stops and deliveries during the pandemic, making their cars easy targets for thieves who can simply drive away, even without a fob.

Canadian compensation (CBC) Based on companies that trade on the TSX, in 2019 the average total compensation for the 100 best-paid CEOs of Canadian corporations was $10.8 million, while the average annual salary for a worker in Canada was $53,482 the same year. That means top CEO pay is about 202 times that of the average Canadian worker, which is actually down from the 227 observed the previous year. It also means that at 11:17 a.m. on Monday, the average CEO had already made the annual salary of a typical worker.

An unimaginable moment in America (AP) To see it unspool—to watch the jumbled images ricochet, live, across the world’s endless screens—was, as an American, a struggle to believe your eyes. But there it was, in the capital city of the United States in early January 2021: a real-time breaking and entering the likes of which the republic has never seen. The U.S. Capitol was overrun by violent supporters of Donald Trump, who exhorted them to march on the domed building as lawmakers inside carried out their constitutional duty by certifying his electoral defeat. The proceedings were quickly abandoned as the selfie-snapping mob smashed windows, marched through hallways and rummaged through lawmakers’ desks. Fourteen days before Joe Biden is set to be inaugurated on the very same site, elected officials sheltered in place in their own building. Agents barricaded themselves inside congressional chambers, guns drawn. The stars and stripes—soaring over public property—was lowered, then replaced as a blue Trump flag ascended. In one of the day’s most indelible images, a hoodie-clad trespasser sat in a chair overlooking the Senate floor—minutes after it had been vacated by Trump’s own vice president, Mike Pence—waving his fist in front of a thick, ornate curtain designed to summon the trappings of democracy. The United States on Wednesday seemed at risk of becoming the very kind of country it has so often insisted it was helping: a fragile democracy.

World reacts to US mob (AP) Amid the global outrage at the storming of the U.S. Capitol building by angry supporters of President Donald Trump was a persistent strain of glee from those who have long resented the perceived American tendency to chastise other countries for less-than-perfect adherence to democratic ideals. In China, which has had constant friction with the Trump administration over trade, military and political issues, people were scathing in their criticism of Trump and his supporters, citing both his failure to control the coronavirus pandemic and the mob action in Washington. The Communist Youth League ran a photo montage of the violence at the Capitol on its Twitter-like Weibo microblog with the caption: “On the sixth, the U.S. Congress, a most beautiful site to behold.” That appeared to mock House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her June 2019 comments in praise of sometimes violent antigovernment protests in Hong Kong. Iran, another country that faces routine U.S. criticism over violations of human rights and democratic values, jumped on the insurrection as proof of American hypocrisy. The semiofficial Fars news agency called the United States a “fragmented democracy,” while Iran’s pro-government Twitter accounts gloated, circulating photos of the mobs with hashtags that included #DownfalloftheUS. “The beauty of democracy?” with a shrug emoji was the reaction tweeted by Bashir Ahmad, a personal assistant to the president of Nigeria, which has seen several coups since independence—including one led decades ago by President Muhammadu Buhari, who most recently entered the office via a vote. Venezuela, which is under U.S. sanctions, said the events in Washington show that the U.S. “is suffering what it has generated in other countries with its politics of aggression.” Several countries, both allies and antagonists of America, issued travel warnings to their citizens.

America the exceptional? (Foreign Policy) It’s not easy to say how much the storming of the Capitol will contribute to the decline in the reputation of the United States abroad. That’s because that decline has already been so steep: A Gallup poll of 29 countries in 2020 found that 20 already had approval ratings of U.S. leadership that are at new lows or that tie the previous record lows.

‘The power of life and death is in the tongue,’ Senate chaplain says (NYT) “We deplore the desecration of the United States Capitol building, the shedding of innocent blood, the loss of life, and the quagmire of dysfunction that threaten our democracy.” Those words, spoken by Barry C. Black, the Senate chaplain, resounded through the government chamber in the early hours of Thursday, as he declaratively closed a joint session of Congress marred by violence with a prayer. A Seventh-day Adventist minister and former Navy rear admiral known for his penchant for brightly colored bow ties, Mr. Black has been the Senate’s official clergyman for nearly two decades. His prayers in the chambers have long been laced with rebukes for the infighting of the lawmakers surrounding him, and his words have often served as a conscience check for those on both sides of the aisle. That was never more true than on Thursday morning, as he warned lawmakers that their words could have great consequences. “These tragedies have reminded us that words matter, and that the power of life and death is in the tongue,” he said. “We have been warned that eternal vigilance continues to be freedom’s price.” His prayer also urged new unity in the face of the deep divisions among lawmakers and within the country, driving home a need to “see in each other a common humanity.”

Twitter, Facebook muzzle Trump amid Capitol violence (AP) In an unprecedented step, Facebook and Twitter suspended President Donald Trump from posting to their platforms Wednesday following the storming of the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. Twitter locked Trump out of his account for 12 hours and said that future violations by Trump could result in a permanent suspension. The company required the removal of three of Trump’s tweets. Facebook and Instagram, which Facebook owns, followed up in the evening, announcing that Trump wouldn’t be able to post for 24 hours following two violations of its policies. Facebook later said that Trump would be banned indefinitely.

Indian farmers take to their tractors (Quartz) On the other side of the world, a protest of a different kind is taking place in Delhi, as farmers who oppose India’s newly passed agricultural laws plan to march into the city with 2,500 tractor trolleys today. It’s the latest action in nearly two months of demonstrations that have grabbed headlines globally for their scale, but also for their inventiveness—some of the tractors have previously doubled as screens for movie viewing as protesters dug in for the long haul. The latest round of talks between the government and farmers is scheduled for tomorrow. If the two sides can’t agree on a path forward, farmers’ union leaders say a tractor rally and nationwide protests will start on Jan. 26, when the country celebrates Republic Day.

With Mass Arrests, Beijing Exerts an Increasingly Heavy Hand in Hong Kong (NYT) They descended before dawn, 1,000 police officers fanning out across Hong Kong to the homes and offices of opposition lawmakers, activists and lawyers. They whisked many off in police cars, often without telling relatives or friends where they were being taken. Within a few hours on Wednesday, the Hong Kong police had arrested 53 people, searched 76 places and frozen $200,000 of assets in connection with an informal primary for the pro-democracy camp—all under the auspices of Beijing’s new national security law. In one swoop, the authorities rounded up not only some of the most aggressive critics of the Hong Kong government but also little-known figures who had campaigned on far less political issues, in one of the most forceful shows of power in the Chinese Communist Party’s continuing crackdown on the city. The message was clear: Beijing is in charge. The mass arrests signaled that the central Chinese government, which once wielded its power over Hong Kong with a degree of discretion, is increasingly determined to openly impose its will on the city. In the months since the law took effect, Beijing and the Beijing-backed Hong Kong leadership have moved quickly to stamp out even the smallest hint of opposition in the Chinese territory, where the streets once surged with huge anti-government protests. And they have shattered any pretense of democracy in Hong Kong’s political system.

Japan declares emergency for Tokyo area as cases spike (AP) Japan declared a state of emergency in Tokyo and three nearby areas on Thursday as coronavirus cases continue to surge, hitting a daily record of 2,447 in the capital. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga issued the declaration at the government task force for the coronavirus. It lasts from Friday until Feb. 7, and centers around asking restaurants and bars to close at 8 p.m. and people to stay home and not mingle in crowds.

The next catastrophe has already been predicted (Les Echos via Worldcrunch) The epidemic surprised us, but it was predictable. In the risk report regularly published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) for its annual Davos summit, infectious diseases were listed every year as one of the 10 biggest threats. The report’s description of a virus spreading uncontrolled around the world was exactly what played out in 2020. There were frequent discussions at Davos about this type of danger. For example, in 2016, after the damage caused by Ebola, the general director of the World Health Organization, Margaret Chan, sounded the alarm about the next pandemic. Jim Yong Kim, president of the World Bank, drew a parallel with the Spanish Flu, evoking the risk of an illness that killed 30 million people. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft-cum-health philanthropist, insisted on the necessity of training teams in public health management and logistics. If this health crisis is causing so much suffering, it’s because we refused to seriously prepare for it. We didn’t follow the advice of the philosopher and engineer Jean-Pierre Dupuy, who pushes us to think about catastrophe to prevent it from happening. The time has therefore come to think about the next global catastrophes—the less predictable ones.

#headlines #news

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willel · 6 years ago

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So, the official writing team is going to post movies they’ve discussed for season 4 once a week. For the funsies, I guess I’ll look at each movie and see what it’s about.

So let’s get started. I’m sorry if this looks bad on tumblr mobile, but it;s their fault for messing up the indented paragraphs

The Peanut Butter Solution

Ghosts restore a boy's (Mathew Mackay) hair when it falls out from fright, but then it won't stop growing.

Michael Baskin is an average 11-year-old boy. His father, Billy Baskin, is a struggling artist and temporary sole caregiver of the children while his wife attends to the needs of her recently deceased father in Australia. Upon hearing the news that an abandoned mansion has recently burned down, Michael and his friend Connie decide to explore the remains. Outside the mansion, Connie dares Michael to take a look inside, leading to a frightening encounter with the ghosts of its homeless inhabitants who had died in the fire. Michael does not know this yet, but his fearsome run in with the ghosts has given him a mysterious illness simply known as "The Fright". Michael wakes up the next morning to find out that "The Fright" has made him lose all of his hair. After a failed attempt with a wig (his wig was pulled off by an older boy during a fight in a soccer game), the ghosts visit Michael in his sleep and give him the recipe of a magical formula for hair growth, the main ingredient of which is peanut butter. Michael's first attempt to make the formula is thwarted when his father and sister think he is making something to ingest (rather than use topically) and dispose of it.

A short summary of this movie. It goes on to explain that Michael successfully makes the formula and grows his hair back, but an evil teacher fired from his school discovers his hair growing ability, kidnaps him, uses his hair to make magical paint brushes before he’s finally caught and everyone gets a happy ending.

.... Gonna be honest. NO idea how this is gonna work in. lol. Will’s bowl cut??? The beginning part there had me thinking about Joyce. The exploring the hunted house with a friend had me thinking of Will and El. But everything else? Pfff.

The Fisher King

After shock jock Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges) inadvertently provokes a caller into murdering a group of innocent people in a Manhattan bar, he grows depressed and turns to booze. As he's about to hit rock bottom, Lucas meets a homeless man named Parry (Robin Williams), whose wife was killed by the caller Lucas pushed to the brink. Mentally scarred by his loss, Parry spends his days searching for the Holy Grail. Lucas, feeling culpable for the poor man's plight, pledges to help him in his quest.

Nope, no idea. I really got nothing except.... maybe Kali?????? Ok wait, I read a bit more, mostly the ending bits. The homeless man, Parry, is beat senseless and is in a coma/catatonic state. The hero of the movie must steal a Holy Grail to wake him up, which he does.

Another part, the hero had previously broken up with his lover (out of guilt I guess???) reunites with her. She slaps him and then they kiss and make up. Or something.

Kinda... Hopper and Joyce like I guess.

Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey

Amiable slackers Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) are once again roped into a fantastical adventure when De Nomolos (Joss Ackland), a villain from the future, sends evil robot duplicates of the two lads to terminate and replace them. The robot doubles actually succeed in killing Bill and Ted, but the two are determined to escape the afterlife, challenging the Grim Reaper (William Sadler) to a series of games in order to return to the land of the living.

As much as I love Keanu, this does not make me happy. The only beneficial thing I can think of is two best friends doing stuff together to solve a mystery (Will and El). Maybe Will will get Keanu’s hair

You’ve Got Mail

Struggling boutique bookseller Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) hates Joe Fox (Tom Hanks), the owner of a corporate Foxbooks chain store that just moved in across the street. When they meet online, however, they begin an intense and anonymous Internet romance, oblivious of each other's true identity. Eventually Joe learns that the enchanting woman he's involved with is actually his business rival. He must now struggle to reconcile his real-life dislike for her with the cyber love he's come to feel.

.... What? No idea how this is going to happen.... maybe Joyce gets a mysterious pen pal and it’s secretly Hopper. Or, maybe Joyce will become a librarian/book seller

Ordinary People

Tormented by guilt following the death of his older brother, Buck, in a sailing accident, alienated teenager Conrad Jarrett (Timothy Hutton) attempts suicide. Returning home following an extended stay in a psychiatric hospital, Conrad tries to deal with his mental anguish and also reconnect with his mother, Beth (Mary Tyler Moore), who has grown cold and angry, and his emotionally wounded father, Calvin (Donald Sutherland), with the help of his psychiatrist, Dr. Berger (Judd Hirsch).

Ok THIS IS MORE LIKE IT. YES. I probably haven’t seen the movie, but this summary gets me hyped. Let me check out the plot....

“The Jarretts are an upper-middle-class family in suburban Chicago trying to return to normal life after the accidental death of their older teenage son, Buck, and the attempted suicide of their younger and surviving son, Conrad. “

Chicago huh? Hmmmmmm

“ Conrad, who has recently returned home from a four-month stay in a psychiatric hospital, feels alienated from his friends and family and begins seeing a psychiatrist, Dr. Berger. Berger learns that Conrad was involved in the sailing accident that took the life of Buck, whom everyone idolized. Conrad now deals with post-traumatic stress disorder and survivor's guilt. “

This screams Will to me because of the whole alienation of friends and family (plus Will was going to doctors and psychiatrists for a while). BUT, the survivor's guilt thing could be El too. She told him she could fight (she didn’t know she couldn’t at the time she said that) and let him and Joyce go into the danger all alone. But Joyce would never send off her kids to a psychiatrist or ward. And she might not take them to counselors either, she’s been there done that.

“Mother and son often argue while Calvin tries to referee, generally taking Conrad's side for fear of pushing him over the edge again. Things come to a climax near Christmas, when Conrad becomes furious at Beth for not wanting to take a photo with him, swearing at her in front of his grandparents. “

Ooof, well. This movie does not have a particularly happy ending. Basically, Conrad is struggling with guilt and alienation most of the time. He even starts dating someone but it only helps a little. His mother is basically steely faced and refuses to express emotion. She totally blames her younger child for her older child’s death. She’s confronted by her husband who asks her “If she’s capable of loving anyone” and she leaves the family, only leaving father and son to heal together.

The Byers don’t have that kind of stuff going on, not exactly. But.... yes. I can see some good material in here. Let’s hope there’s more of this and less of Bill and Ted’s adventures yeah?

#stranger things

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cthibault21hasgov · 5 years ago

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Media Assessment of Issue

https://abcnews.go.com/US/fact-check-trump-incomplete-border-wall-update-misstates/story?id=72673037

Subject The source is fact checking Trumps statements on boarder wall progress and on Biden's immigration policies that he made at the Republican National Convention.

Author Quinn Owen is a reporter and producer for ABC who writes on politics and policy. Owen lives and reports from Washington D.C. and tends to be neutral but leans a little left.

Context Published August 28th 2020 in D.C. during the Republican National Convention. This means the criticism and fact checks were done immediately after Trump said these things and a week after Biden spoke at the DNC.

Audience The source was published by ABC a neutral news source. The intended audience however, is most likely those who oppose Trump because the article is fact checking him and correcting his lies. The article also correctly outlines policies on Biden campaign to show Trumps false statements.

Perspective The article is pretty objective. While it does correct Trump and fix his errors it does not bash on him or praise Biden. The article writes on the truthful sides of Trumps statements and corrects him when needed. It also makes sure to fully explain Biden’s side of the subjects to ensure there is no confusion.

Significance The article quotes homeland security, the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Customs and Boarder Protection. there is also quoted material from Jim Crumpacker, a DHS official. This quoted information and perspectives shows the reliability of this article.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jul/8/joe-biden-immigration-plan-grants-citizenship-11-m/

Subject The source explains and analyzes Joe Biden's promise to grant citizenship to the 11 million immigrants working and living in the U.S. already. It also critiques Biden’s plan to make it easier for immigrants to become citizens. Joe plans to undo all of Trumps ‘get tough’ boarder policies.

Author The author Stephan Dinan, CEO of The Shift Network; a website focusing on transnational education, media and current events. Dinan is also the author of Sacred America, Sacred World a manifesto of our countries spiritual and political evolution.

Context This article was produced Wednesday July 8th. Being a current article it is influenced by the pandemic and the soon to come election. Being written during the pandemic the article makes immigrants seam like a threat by saying they may take what few jobs are available during this time.

Audience The source was published by The Washington Times, a fairly right leaning news source. This means the intended audience is most likely republican or those who oppose immigration. This has lead the source to mud sling towards Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, who are both quoted throughout the article.

Perspective The article is from a republican perspective. This leads it to see illegal immigrants as criminal and as a threat. The article also makes Joe Biden sound threatening because he is supposedly letting all these so called criminals into our country. I would say I disagree with the authors message. I don’t see immigrants or Joe Biden as a threat because I agree with Biden’s polices more than I agree with Trumps. I also see immigrants as a necessary part of our economy during these times because they are out risking their lives to feed and protect America.

Significance The source does not have much explicit evidence however, it quotes Bernie Sanders on his opinions on Biden and his policies. The source also outlines Joe Biden’s “road map to citizenship” and his other ideas and how the contrast with Trumps.

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-claims-he-can-suspend-immigration-through-executive-order-n1188561

Subject Benen writes about Trumps most recent tweet regarding banning immigration to protect american jobs and stop the spread of the corona virus. Benen analyzes this tweet and answers some questions over whether or not Trump can and will follow through with this spontaneous claim.

Author The Author is Steve Benen a political writer, blogger and Emmy award winning producer. He also very recently published a book called The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics. Benen is a Democrat and even was the communications director of an unsuccessful democratic congressional campaign in 1996.

Context Published April 21st 2020, not only is this article recent it was also published in the heart of quarantine when supplies were scarce and people weren't leaving their houses. The article analyzes a tweet Trump posted at 10 pm the previous night.

Audience The source was created for those who do not support Trump and favor critiques of him. The article is written in an almost sarcastic satirical manor making the republican party sound ill prepared. Its also written with the intent of making Trump sound like he does what he wants when he wants and everyone else has to scramble to keep up with him.

Perspective The article is subjective claiming that immigrants are vital part of our healthcare system and stating that since cases have passed 700,000 stopping immigration would not do anything. The article also claims this tweet contradicts Trumps previous statement that the U.S. had passed a corner and was improving. If that was true than why the sudden need to ban immigration Benen asks. I agree with Benen, that not only are immigrants an integral part of our healthcare system but also cases in the U.S. are so high banning immigrants would not stop anything.

Significance The article directly quotes Trumps tweet, additionally NBC interviews a white house official about the tweet and how they plan to execute it. The article also quotes a New York Times article that discusses the possibility of such an executive order. Additionally taking quotes from the Washington Post who interviewed Alex Nowrasteh, director of immigration studies at the libertarian Cato Institute. Lastly the article has a link to another article mapping out the number of cases compared to fatalities.

The ABC and the MSNBC article are similar in the way they both fact check and correct Trumps false accusations and errors. However the MSNBC article is much more critical of him and writes in a more satirical way by mudslinging at the republican party. The Washington Times post does the same thing at Biden making him out to be a threat to America. Both biased articles make the other parties candidate out to be something their not. The MSNBC article makes Trump sound uncontrollable and idiotic. The Washington Times article makes Biden sound like a radical socialist who wants immigrants to have more rights than average Americans. Neither of these statements are true, they are just a political tool. I would say I identify with the MSNBC article the most because I do support immigration. I believe immigrants are a vital part of our healthcare system and our economy. If we were to ban immigration and deport all the illegal immigrants we wouldn't have food on our tables. I agree immigrants that threat American security should be controlled but those just trying to get a job and provide for their family should be able to easily become citizens.

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relationshipsandpolitics · 6 years ago

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Part 3

Since I last posted, we’ve gotten word that a certain rich asshole is going to enter the race. Now, I could do 500 words on why this guy is awful, but it would sort of go against my belief that just because someone is really rich does not mean we need to pay extra attention to them and their thoughts. This guy is not winning the nomination, won’t even poll about 3% in most states, and overall is not worth the amount ink that will surely be spilled on his campaign. Next.

Joe Biden. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders

So we are down to the final 3. One of those 3 objectively should have been culled much earlier. If I was doing this purely based on the level of support for each candidate, this guy would have been cut about 8 candidates ago. But Joe Biden is still the front runner, consistently leading national polls and absolutely killing it in several early primary states like South Carolina. Biden remains popular among black voters, who serve as the lifeblood of the Democratic party. Even though his policies and personality suck, he is unique from all the other shitty centrist candidates. So he gets his own takedown.

Joe Biden is a very old man hoping to blind the voters with his connection to President Obama. And for the most part, it’s working like a charm. Forget the fact that he is a rambling, incoherent mess during campaign stops. Forget his abysmal views on race, including his support for segregated busing and racist colleagues. Forget the fact this guy railroaded Anita Hill and still can’t sufficiently apologize to her. Forget all the bad parts of Joe Biden. That’s what he is banking on. Biden is trying to win not based on policy or his strategy for improving the lives of everyday Americans. No, he is trying to win by painting a false image of who he is and how electable he would be. Biden is basing his entire campaign on appealing to low-key racist white suburbanites who don’t want to pay more taxes. That’s his base. And it’s not an awful strategy. But it highlights something terrible about the Democratic voter.

The average Democratic primary voter appears to support progressive causes. They want to see Social Security expanded. They support a $15 minimum wage and gun control. They support paid family leave and some form of universal health care. But the average Democratic voter of a certain age, race and class level doesn’t want to fight for those things. Because while they agree with those policies in principle, they won’t be that affected by them, and more importantly, would have to pay more in taxes. So they say they support these goals yet refuse to put any skin into the game to achieve them. The other possibility is that they would support enacting these policies and paying a bit more, but they don’t think anyone else would and thus think we need to support the least-controversial candidate. No one really likes Joe Biden, or if they do, no one can really identify what exactly he is running for. Even though health care remains a joke in this country, Biden isn’t arguing to make it better. He isn’t supporting a wealth tax. What is this man running on except a vague idea about returning dignity to the American worker. Yet voters still support him, either because they know he actually won’t change anything (except make it ok to be gay again) or because they think not changing anything is the only way for a Democrat to win.

The American voter (not just Democratic voters) collectively is a stupid person. They personally want a politician to enact massive change to better their lives, yet believe the ideal candidate is a moderate who won’t do anything major, and still someone in doing nothing substantial, will improve their lives. Then, just to double down on that stupidity, they will vote the opposition party into power in Congress to ensure nothing happens, all because they love compromise. Of course, the last thirty years of politics have shown that bipartisanship is a myth.

The American voter is both very ignorant and very naïve. We accept that. But it’s tougher to accept that from our politicians. At a recent fundraiser for millionaires, Biden touted his sincere belief that when Trump goes, Republicans will have an epiphany and start working with him to make our country better. Folks, this is disqualifying. The sheer insanity of that belief needs to be a deal breaker. Biden, in the very same speech to the very same contingent of rich assholes, said that he personally called dozens of Republicans to get Merrick Garland on the Supreme Court. The Republicans said no and pulled a move so disgusting and unprecedented that we will never see something worse in our lifetimes. And this was all before Trump was even nominated.

Joe Biden is an idiot. He also is in the bag of the rich. He regularly attends fundraisers hosted by lobbyists for some of the most nefarious industries. His campaign is mostly funded by Wall Street and Health Insurance. And how do you think he’ll govern once in office? Will he go after these bad actors? Or will he appoint them to his Cabinet? Remember, this is the guy who worked in an administration that wanted Larry Summers as Fed Chief. He appointed Timothy Geithner as Secretary of the Treasury.

Joe Biden would continue the worst aspects of Obama’s administration without all the good stuff. He’d be in his late 80’s by the time his second term ended, too. For the love of all that we hold holy, we cannot nominate Biden.

It is now time for the top two candidates. I would happily vote for either of these candidates, so my choice for one is not a slight on the other. Each candidate has issues, but they are minor compared to what they bring to the table. So I urge you to vote early and often for either of them.

Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders

A presidential candidate should make you excited to vote for them. It can’t just be “I can’t vote for the other guy so I guess you’ll do.” It’s a recipe for disaster. People need a reason to take a couple hours of their day, find parking, wait in a long line, deal with eighty-year old volunteers who yell at you to close the curtain more, and then go into work and deal with their daily amount of shit. People need a reason to see the process of voting as exciting.

I think Bernie and Elizabeth are the only two candidates one can reasonably get excited about. I’m not saying everyone will be excited by them because a lot of people don’t support their policies. I call these people assholes. But can anyone honestly say they are excited to vote for Amy Klobuchar or Joe Biden? Even if you support their bland policy proposals which consist of “we need better jobs but fuck if I know how to do that.”

But which one to choose?

I’m going to start with Bernie. The negatives against him are one of perception rather than reality, but in politics its not the truth that wins out but what you can convince people the truth is. And Bernie will definitely be portrayed as an out-of-touch Socialist. While the youngins like the word “socialism” the majority of the electorate is still scared to death of the term because they equate social democratic government as the Soviet Union and bread lines. In other words, most people are stupid. Sanders best hope would be to hammer home how amazing European countries are, the benefits they enjoy without all the negatives that Republicans conjure up in places like Venezuela. Unfortunately, Republican messaging still rules the day. Even if you could strap a person in a chair and explain point by point why Sweden and Denmark work as social democracies, they still wouldn’t get it.

Trump will absolutely attack Bernie for being a socialist, and the problem compared to the other candidates he would attack for being a socialist is that the suburban Democratic voters would actually believe him. Bernie absolutely will upend the system, and a lot of people are still benefiting from that system. People like my parents. They have a good amount of money but are not rich. Taxes going up on them will impact their daily lives, and most of the benefits Bernie is advocating for would not benefit them. There is a lot of good research out there that suggests the key for Democrats to win across the board is to get the suburban moderate vote. And there is a legitimate argument that Bernie will not get that vote. Now, one can say that those voters would never vote for Trump. But you must remember a very important thing about politics: white people can get pretty racist when they think you’ll take money away from them.

But here’s what I love about Bernie. He is entirely genuine in his advocacy for the poor and working class. Most politicians say they care, of course. They give a speech supporting raising the minimum wage or not cutting Medicaid. But they also tie themselves with rich donors and businesses whenever they can. They support the poor until there is a good reason not to. Not Bernie. He’s been singing the same tune since the sixties. He doesn’t care if it isn’t popular. He’ll make it become popular. Bernie almost single handedly shifted the conversation on universal health care. We are talking about paid family leave and free college because of him. And the man deserves credit for that.

Bernie has been hit a lot from the Democratic establishment. People are still sore that he had the audacity to challenge Hillary Clinton. Even though he endorsed and campaigned heavily for her after dropping out in 2016, there is still a narrative that he sabotaged her campaign. Let’s be clear, though. The reason why the establishment Democratic contingency dislikes Bernie is because he thinks they are just as corrupt as the Republicans. Which is true. Democrats work out of the same bubble as Republicans. They rub shoulders with the same Wall Street donors. Try calling up your Democratic Senator to get an in-person meeting. Now look at who does get those meetings. I support Bernie because he actually is trying to change our corrupt political system. A politician can’t work within the given system without being corrupted by it. The system is a cancer that needs to be destroyed.

Bernie has said some dumb things and has held some dumb positions. This can’t be denied. He’s been accused of being a racist, sexist and homophobe. Some of this is absolute bullshit and some of it is based on dumb things he’s said. But judging by the policies the man has supported, the votes he has taken, and what he has said during the 2016 and 2020 campaigns, does anyone honestly believe him to be a racist, sexist or homophobe?

If you are having a tough time getting behind Bernie, I’d ask yourself the following questions:

Do you honestly believe he would pursue anti-women and anti-reproductive rights policies?

Do you think a more robust paid family leave policy, along with a policy promoting affordable childcare, would significantly benefit women?

Do you think Bernie would restrict LGBTQ rights or would he expand protections for this group?

Do you genuinely believe Bernie would support or champion policies that would discriminate against black people?

Do you think health care is a crisis in this country and everyone should have access to it? If so, do you think Bernie makes the situation better or worse?

Do you think a president should fill his administration with people from the financial and insurance industries? Do you think Bernie would do this?

Do you think millionaires and billionaires should be taxed more and more money should go into programs that help the poor and middle class?

Should college be free or at least much more affordable?

Ask yourself these questions. Don’t worry about whether he can get them passed. Truth is it will be tough for any Democrat to get anything passed. I’d be looking at which candidates are most willing to use executive orders (hint: it’s Bernie).

We can’t keep hedging our votes on what’s practical because the truth is everything is doable with enough willpower. Think about how insane Social Security is as a legislative success. We taxed everyone, rich and poor, to provide money to senior citizens for the rest of their lives. That’s insane, and we did it. Same with Medicare. If you think are country needs massive changes to secure our future, vote for the candidate who is advocating for massive changes. That candidate is Bernie Sanders and…..

Elizabeth Warren. Everything good about Bernie can also be said about Elizabeth Warren. This is a person who literally created an agency designed to help consumers go against corporations. Warren has correctly diagnosed the problem for wealth and income inequality and a lot of the bad shit that’s been happening to the American worker. Corporations suck. Rich people suck. They both need to be taxed way more and we need to use those funds to give benefits to the poor and working class. Warren has a plan for pretty much everything, and that is a great thing. She doesn’t talk in platitudes about restoring dignity to the working class. She identifies the problem and comes up with an actual solution.

And for her efforts she gets skewered by her opponents and the media. When Pete Buttigieg says we should invest more in affordable housing, no one pushes back on exactly what that means. But when Warren releases a comprehensive plan to pay for Medicare for All, she is eviscerated. Her plans should be critiqued, but they should also come with the acknowledgement that she has put in the work and is way more open with the American people than the other candidates. The media and voters need to start making candidates pay a price for not articulating actual plans for their policy goals.

Warren is fucking smart and driven. She has the brain and energy to do the job. She’s not a crackpot; she’s an advocate for the little guy. Honestly, there isn’t much to criticize Warren on outside of how she will pay for her policy proposals. But the media will attack what little they have while giving Trump and the more moderate Democrats a pass. When Trump or Biden talk about strengthening the military, no one will ask what that means and how much it will cost. But when Warren comes up with a tax plan to pay for free childcare, every single pundit will pounce the second some study comes out that her funding is off by a few million.

Of course, the dumbest part is the idea Warren needs to fully fund any proposal. Right now, the economy has been doing great for about five years. And in that whole time, we’ve been running huge deficits. Maybe government spending without offsets isn’t such a big deal. Warren can’t say that because the media won’t allow her to. It would be great if Warren could just say “things are going great now despite a trillion-dollar deficit, so why not get free healthcare for a $2 trillion-dollar deficit?”

That’s what I love most about Warren. The lines of attack against her are so shitty. Bernie has legitimate concerns that the Republicans will easily exploit. The best they can do with Warren is attack her policies, which are broadly popular. And with Warren, you get a bunch of different contingencies that will come out for her. You have women and those who want to see our first female president. You get progressives excited about finally having a candidate who advocates for them with a fighting chance. And because she is being so careful not to raise middle class taxes, I think you get a lot of the suburban vote.

I think Warren can win this thing. She articulates the message well, she lacks genuine baggage and when compared to Trump, she comes off even better.

So who is my final pick? I’m going with Elizabeth Warren. Not only does she hold most of the same policy positions as Sanders, but she also is fundamentally opposed to the corporate interests that got us to this point. And I think she can better cajole moderate Democrats to support her agenda. Finally, I think she comes with less baggage.

What I would love to see, based on the polling, is for Warren to either win or come in second by a close margin to Biden or Buttigieg. Sanders would drastically underperform, at which point if New Hampshire was also going poorly, he could drop out and swing all his support to Warren. That would make her the clear front runner. Let’s see what happens.

Elizabeth Warren

#elizabeth warren #bernie sanders #joe biden

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projectfaust · 5 years ago

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Satanic Lockpicking

Locks are fascinating contraptions. They date back further than ancient Assyria and have provided the means to keep untold amounts of secrets, delights, and horrors hidden throughout history. Despite how far our technology has evolved, by and large we still employ the same basic principles from thousands of years ago to protect some of our most valuable and guarded assets. For those who know the mechanics, the exploits of these systems are glaring and are the perfect illustration of the illusion of security. They provide a sense of protection when, in reality, they are so easily manipulated against the owner’s intent that their benefit is largely psychological. This benefit is protected by the ignorance of most who have never stopped to take an even rudimentary look at how a lock functions – if they did, their shortcomings would be too obvious for even Joe Average to miss. Locks also take a prominent position in one of Anton LaVey’s most insightful treatises on magic, which happens to be one of his most overlooked.

The Combination Lock Principle appears on page 35 of The Devil’s Notebook and explores a comparison of the mechanics of magical process with the functions of a lock. Despite its humble length of 2 pages, LaVey does this in a way that provides us insight into a novel model of magical operation. He paints the magical process as being similar to the processes that cause a lock to open, namely the falling into place of pins that allows a lock to turn. The combination, he insists, changes depending on the magician and their intent. As LaVey points out, it is not possible to know precisely what the combination is – but the falling of each pin does reside within 3D space. Examples of pins falling into place are reading the right book at the right time, happening upon an old friend and remembering something you need, finding that particularly elusive trinket at an antiques shop, and the list could go on. These phenomena seem to be rooted magically in time and, as LaVey theorizes, this fourth dimension is the locale of all magical phenomena. If you have the three-dimensional actions performed correctly, this fourth pin falls into place. If you are an even somewhat competent magician, you will be familiar with the peculiar coincidences that fall into place to provide you with the opportunity for your working to succeed. They are opportunities because, as LaVey continues, one must be open to recognize these pins as they are made available to us – something far easier said than done. Why? When one looks for the combination they need, it is impossible to see in the midst of it. As is true with the rainbow, there can be no sight of it while standing inside of it. Beyond the rainbow is where we need to cast our eyes.

I have always been drawn to information that one is not supposed the have, information that has the potential to turn upstanding corporate citizens into pesky, independent ones. Lockpicking is one of the troves of PG-rated forbidden material available and it doesn’t take much time to learn to pick some of the most widely used locks on the market today. The ability to see past the surface of things and learn how to make them work to your advantage is an inherently Satanic concept and, similar to how we act as magicians, we are trying to open locks without knowing the combination and without having a key. It’s more apt to look at the magical process through the lens of picking a lock as opposed to merely opening it, and more accurate to consider the function of a pin tumbler lock than a combination lock. Before we can do this, it will help to briefly explore how locks function in a bit more detail.

While locks vary in their size and less so in their base mechanism, when we conjure an image of a lock in our minds what we are likely thinking of is the cylinder. This is the outer casing that houses the plug, the part of the lock that turns with the correct key when inserted into the keyway. Inside the plug there are 2 sets of pins – driver pins and lower pins. Driver pins have springs above them that push them down onto the set of bottom pins. When the correct key is inserted, the combination of grooves on the key raise each lower pin to the correct height that aligns the driver pins above them. When aligned, the driver pins are just above the plug and no longer prevent the plug from turning. This line formed just above the plug by the driver pins is called the sheer line. When picking a lock, you use tools to move the lower pins into place so is that the driver pins rest on the sheer line. Raise the lower pins any further however and they themselves prevent the plug from turning. While I’m sure you’re grateful for this short tutorial, you must be wondering how this can help us expand on LaVey’s theory.

Unlike with a key, the lockpicker cannot simultaneously raise each lower pin to the correct height. The first tool inserted to pick a lock is a tension wrench, this usually ‘L’ shaped tool applies torque to the plug to keep pins from being pushed back down after they are correctly set at the sheer line. Most magic materializes outside of the ritual chamber, at least most magic worth doing anyway. As the magician enters her ritual chamber to perform her work, if the appropriate ingredients for magic are present (see The Book of Belial), the working acts as a tension wrench of sorts. The working provides magical torque that allows the pins to be manipulated and is the first step towards having the world change in accordance with your will. This torque resonates with and allows the entry of fourth-dimensional elements, setting the stage for pins to begin to be picked. The importance of ensuring the magical ingredients are in place with the correct measurements cannot be understated, as without torque applied no pins will move and no lock will turn.

A combination lock metaphor suggests that the spinning of numbers into place by chance or process of elimination is equatable to magic. I disagree. Here again the pin-tumbler lock gives us better insight. With torque applied, our would-be lockpicker uses a myriad of tools at their disposal to push up on the lower pins. Consider these tools similar to the opportunities LaVey talks about, they come in different forms and you have to be able to recognize them when they appear to make the most use out of them – but not all lead to the pin being picked into place. We’ve already established the correct combinations cannot be seen when looking for them, so what do we do? Well, we don’t look for them – we look at them in retrospect after they’ve come into being. They say hindsight is 20/20 and as magicians this is one of our most useful tools. An important component of lockpicking is understanding The Binding Principle. In short, the binding principle states that one must manipulate the pins in a particular order. That order is specific to the combination of pins for that specific lock. As magicians, we are effectively trying to pick our own locks. The combination of pins is unique to each witch or warlock and is unique to the goal they are trying to accomplish. Part of being a successful magician is understanding your lock’s special nuances, the patterns in combinations you find as you go about your magical work. Depending on what you are trying to accomplish, be it destruction, compassion, or lust, patterns will emerge that will be visible after the fact. Examine the order of magical coincidences that set into place and what factors they involve after your chamber work is complete. Is the first pin usually an encounter with a person when desiring compassion, or is it a piece of literature? Do unexpected travel opportunities appear when seeking lust, and what appears before and after? Once established, look into the deeper significance of each correct tool and investigate the undercurrent running through it. Deciphering the recurring order of magical phenomena after successfully accomplishing your goal will open your eyes for future magic, allowing you to see the rainbow from memory while inside of it. There will of course always be differences as no magical attempt is the same as the last, but there will be similarities. This will help you to notice the tools and discern which ones are needed depending on your goal.

It is not necessarily the events or phenomena themselves that make the magic, but when they occur that does. LaVey got it right when he said timing is everything. Understanding your own binding order will help you direct your attention to the right opportunities at the right time, leaving you to use them and push the pins as appropriate and find your combination with greater ease than groping around aimlessly. This is not an excuse to shut yourself off from opportunities that fall outside of your newly formed paradigm, instead it provides you with a workable rubric to guide your attention and efforts. Always remember that patience, a gentle touch, and a sensitive ear will help you crack even the most daunting of safes.

- Hook

#satanism #antonlavey #churchofsatan #templeofset #magic #blackmagic #witchcraft #devil #magick #lavey #666 #satan

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allisondraste · 6 years ago

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Let’s Talk About Cole

Hi! It’s me again with another segment of “Allison Can’t Stop Analyzing Dragon Age Characters.” This time, I am going to be talking about fan favorite Cole. I think it’s relatively universal for people to like Cole and to enjoy his character. People like to draw him, write about him, and just talk about our Fade Friend all the time. It’s great!

However, the nuance of Cole is a little harder to understand, and as with most characters, he often gets reduced down to basic qualities and then those basic qualities are changed ever so slightly that the character starts to not even feel the same anymore. I love Cole, and I have done some research about him in order to write a handful of scenes involving him, so I am just here to share some of the things that helped me out while I was learning about what makes him tick!

Step 1. If you have not read Asunder, I cannot more highly recommend it. It has so much information about Cole’s back story. Also, if you haven’t read Asunder and you don’t want spoilers for Asunder, you should probably go read it and then come back to my post later.

Step 2. The Cole section of this post right here is literally magic. The whole post is magic, but since this is a Cole meta, I’m specifically referring to the Cole piece.

Step 3. Things about Cole that are essential to understanding him:

Cole is Neurodivergent ( and no, it’s not up for debate)

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, “Neurodivergent” is simply a word that describes a person whose mind works and processes information in a way that is considered different from an average joe neurotypical person. Often times neurodivergent is used to describe autism, ADHD, and other conditions that affect neurological development.

Because Cole is a spirit, he processes the world around him differently from non-spirit characters in the Dragon Age Universe. He perceives different things and understands things differently from how other characters might. Cole also has some misunderstandings and misperceptions about human social norms and boundaries, that he becomes more acquainted with over time. It is important to note that this development happens *regardless* of the path chosen for him with regard to Varric V. Solas (I am not a fan of this particular part of his character arc, but I am going to go into that later). The fact that Cole is neurodivergent means that someone who is neurotypical is likely going to have a hard time understanding him and may perceive him as “childish,” “naive,” or “helpless.” They might also have difficulty understanding his speech patterns and especially recreating them if they seek to write him!

Neurodiversity is so important, and Cole is excellent representation, so it’s equally important that we strive to do our research and make sure that we are not removing that representation or presenting neurodiversity in a way that its harmful to others. Different is different, not bad, and certainly not less.

Cole is Not a Child

I mentioned above that there is a tendency to interpret Cole’s neurodiversity as childishness or naivete, and even when it is unintentional, it is an ableistic view point that can be harmful to entire communities of people. There is a pattern (not just in DA fandom, but also in DA fandom) whereby neurodiverse folks are often viewed as children. They’re infantilized and treated as if they are helpless and/or cannot make good decisions on their own. Cole suffers from this as does Merrill (sometimes Sera, too).

For Cole, this situation is not helped by the fact that the game portrays him as helpless and in need of a “father” figure to help him choose his path. Hence we see Solas and Varric arguing on whether Cole should increase is affinity for spirtdom or for humanity. I understand that everyone has their own opinion for what the “better” path for Cole is, and I’m not here to argue that; however, I do think that his arc would have had so much more meaning and been so much less invalidating for neurodivergent people if Cole had the autonomy to make his own decisions. In Asunder, we see Cole being very independent and making his own choices, figuring out who and what he is. At the very end, his very last line in the entire book is, “I’m not helpless anymore.” I don’t think that sounds like a character who cannot make his own decisions.

Fun fact: Cole is designed to be approximately 20 years old, which is the exact same age that Alistair was in Dragon Age: Origins. (While Alistair is also the victim of infantilization… it still puts things into perspective a little bit). In order to avoid the “kid”/child dilemma, it is best to conceptualize some of the things in Cole commonly interpreted as childlike or immature as “newness.” In Inquisition, Cole has only been in the mortal realm for a few years, and he has only been cognizant of the fact that he is not a human, but a spirit of Compassion for even less time. Rather than treating him as a “baby” it is best to treat him as someone who is just learning a new culture, a new world.

Cole is a Spirit of Compassion, Not a Spirit of Matchmaking and/or Meddling in your Personal Affairs.

A trend I see often is Cole as matchmaker, or Cole as interested in every detail of everyone’s sex life or Cole being a filterless vent for whatever the people near him are thinking. It’s easy to assume that about him, as he does comment on a few relationships (Cullenmance, Solavellan, and Bullmance) in particular; however, there is an interesting tidbit of how Cole’s thought reading works located in his banter with Dorian.

Dorian: That little trick, Cole, when you dip into someone's mind and take a drink?

Dorian: Do you choose what you're looking for, or is it random?

Cole: It has to be hurt, or a way to help the hurt. That's what calls me.

Cole: Rilienus, skin tan like fine whiskey, cheekbones shaded, lips curl when he smiles.

Cole: He would have said yes.

Dorian: I'll... thank you not to do that again, please.

Essentially, Cole can only tap into thoughts that are 1.) Painful or 2.) Can help lessen the pain in some way, shape, or form. So, when he accesses thoughts about an LI or something else very personal, he does so to HELP. It is not random. It is not filterless. It is a very pragmatic way to be compassionate. When I was thinking of ways to explain this, the first thing that came to mind was the work that I do as a mental health professional. We are actual practitioners of compassion. It is our job to listen to our clients and help them to solve the problems that are causing them to suffer. We ask a lot of deep questions and probe about a lot of personal things, but it is very targeted. We do not ask intimate questions just out of curiosity or just for the heck of it. It is geared toward the issue at hand. That is exactly what Cole does.

Unless prodding your OC about the details of their sex life is going to make them feel better, he will not bother.

Cole is Not an Innocent, Precious, Little Cinnamon Roll

First of all, that goes along with the infantilization of his character, so it’s just a really ill-considered choice of language to describe him. Second of all, it is simply not true.

I understand that for people who have not read Asunder or played the Champions of the Just questline (and especially people who have done neither) there is very little information about him to judge his character on, and what we do see is a person whose only mission, his sole purpose, is to help the hurt. That does seem very wholesome.

In Asunder, we see a much different side of him. Believing himself to be Cole, a young mage who died of starvation after being forgotten by Templars, Compassion roams about the White Spire in a confused and lonely daze, unaware that he is actually a very powerful spirit. He is called the Ghost of the White Spire, a legend that is terrifying to those that inhabit the tower. Why? Because he murders mages.

If you are thinking “oh, he probably killed them because he felt them suffering and he thought it was the only way to end their misery,” you are thinking exactly as I did, and you would be wrong. While he did target individuals who were despairing, it was not altruistic. He killed them because it felt good when they died, because that was the only time anyone could see him. The way the book describes it, it was almost an “addiction” or a physiological need for him to kill. He was distressed by his actions, but was not able to stop without Rhys’ help.

Over the course of the book, Cole learns more about his past and figures out what he is. He also, through the help of his relationship with Rhys and Evangeline, comes to understand that he does not have to murder people to be seen and remembered. When he is sent to the Fade using the Litany of Adralla, it all finally clicks and he returns to haunt Lord Seeker Lucius, for all the pain and suffering he caused his friends and loved ones. It is such a brilliant character arc and I so wish that we got to see more of it in the game.

Cole is a Person the Entire Time (Human vs. Spirit/Varric vs. Solas be damned)

Regardless of your opinion of Solas, one thing he gets right is in arguing that Cole is already a whole and complete person when he joins the Inquisition. He actually argues for the personhood of all spirits in general, and I think that any reasonable person can look at the spirits (and demons) with whom we have interacted so far and, putting aside feelings about Solas, draw the same conclusions.

Let’s take a look at all of the Spirits/Demons we have had actual interactions with thus far:

Valor

Justice

Compassion

Command

Wisdom

Choice

Desire

Pride

Sloth

Rage

Fear

Envy

While some of these interactions were minimal, each of these entities show qualities that one would associate with personhood. Qualities such as motivation, goals, higher order thought processes, emotions, etc. When we meet Justice in DA:A, he is a thinking, feeling being who longs to right wrongs and comes to care for mortals a great deal. He comes to this conclusion on his own after interacting with his companions in the events of the game. Choice, or Imshael, who we see in The Masked Empire, and in DAI, has such an identity of his own that he does not like to be referred to as a demon. I could go on. These are not mindless, thoughtless creatures, and so viewing them as people just makes sense. This is part of the reason I do not like the Solas vs. Varric questline (aside from the fact that Cole should be able to choose or not choose as he wishes). Cole is already a person, and Varric’s line of thought is not “making him more human,” it is only serving to make him “less compassionate,” and that’s all. He becomes more selfish which is why he is able to have more of his own personal goals (it’s not because he did not have them before; rather, it is because they were drowned out by everyone else’s).

This is not to say that I think Cole should have to forgive his abuser. He shouldn’t. Not unless he wants to, and that choice should be his to make, not Varric’s, not Solas’, and not the Inquisitor’s. I have an opinion as to which path is better, but I’m not going to discuss that here because it will detract from the actual point which is that the language of “human” versus “not human” is just bad and here’s why.

It implies that forgiveness is not a human quality.

It implies that in order to be considered a person, one has to “think” and “do” as everyone else does.

Because of Cole’s romantic/sexual interest in Maryden when Varric’s path is chosen, it implies that lack of romantic/sexual attraction is not “human,” which is aphobic.

Because of his Maryden interest in the “human” path, and because he has “become more human” in his thought processes, it implies that neurodivergent people cannot or are not interested in relationships, which is ableist.

TL;DR: I’m not a fan of that questline. Your mileage may vary.

Finally, and Probably the Reason You Sat Through the Rest of It: Cole’s Speech Pattern!

Cole’s speech is really difficult to capture in a way that is both enough and not too much. It is not as simple as just seeing how much alliteration can fit into a chapter. Sure, Cole uses a lot of alliteration, and it is incredibly fun to play with while writing him; however, his communication is not as simple as that. If you check out the link I shared in Step 2, it will take you to a Character Files reference where there is some information about Cole’s speech pattern that is much more in depth than I am going to go so definitely check it out. When I am writing Cole, I categorize his speech into three different types:

Synesthesia

- the alliteration, the purpley flowery descriptions, the metaphors, the in the moment, no regard for grammar, run on sentence speech he is known for. This comprises most of his dialogue.

Direct thought reading

- when he is actually quoting characters’ thoughts or stating their feelings out right. He might speak as them or he might speak as himself observing them.

Cole’s own thoughts

- Yes, he has them, and he has a lot of them. Many of these show up as his interpretations of and suggestions for others regarding their hurt. However, he also shows a lot of agency of thought. He wants to know if Dorian thinks he’s handsome, he talks about wanting there to be more rabbits in stories because Bunny was Cole’s sister’s name and it reminds him of her. Cole expresses a lot of his own thoughts and feelings if you just take time to listen.

Writing Cole effectively involves a good balance of all three types and I recommend just playing around with it!

To Sum It All Up

Cole is amazing, but he’s also often misunderstood and mischaracterized, and Allison has a lot of feelings about it that you could spare yourself from reading if you do Steps 1 and 2 and skip the middleman. The end!

#dragon age #dragon age inquisition #cole meta #understanding cole #writing reference #my ramblings

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ceciliadickson · 5 years ago

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P2D2

Cecilia Dickson

Halbert Barton

SOC 3-001

27 February 2020

How One Musical is Changing the Future

“For one thing, it is—by cold critical standards—the worst of the lot, with a repetitive score, painfully forced rhymes, cartoonish acting and a general approach that mistakes decibel level (literally and metaphorically) for emotional intensity” is what New York Times critic Ben Brantley wrote about the cult musical Be More Chill after it’s opening on Broadway on March 10th, 2019. Be More Chill is a musical by Joe Iconis with a book by Joe Tracz, based on the young adult sci-fi novel of the same name by Ned Vizzini. It follows high school loser Jeremy Heere on his quest to become popular by taking a pill called a with a microcomputer inside of it called a SQUIP, which implants itself into Jeremy’s brain and helps him to be more chill. Many shenanigans follow. Sound weird? It is, but that is the point.

The bad reviews did not stop at the Times. Mashable called it “a disappointment” and The Hollywood Reporter stated it “contains serious problems.” So, does it come as any surprise that the show closed five months after opening?

From the outside looking in, no. A bad Times review is a bad Times review, and a bad Times review will close a production. But a step into the Lyceum Theatre’s doors while Be More Chill played on it’s stage would suggest an entirely different story.

Excited teenagers dressed in full cosplay, standing ovations after the show’s hit “Michael in the Bathroom” belted out by George Salazar (who plays Jeremy’s best friend, Michael), a screaming stagedoor crowd that caused passersby to stop and see what celebrities where coming out (they often left disappointed), fans crying as they got to meet their favorite actors—The two pictures put together do not make much sense. What made this musical connect with this young crowd in ways that theatre critics missed, causing the show to close despite its enthusiastic audience?

Fourteen-year-old Luna discusses the wide expanse of diversity the show contains. “I especially saw this in George Salazar's performance,” she says, “with someone who's half Filipino, like me, playing such a major role in the show!” Similarly, another fan, Jenn, describes how “as a fellow Filipino who is also part of the LGBTQIA+ community, it honestly made me feel so seen for the first time” to see Salazar, a gay half-Filipino, half-Ecuadorian man, perform on a Broadway stage in a lead role. “It made me tear-up.”

The representation does not stop at race. Another fan, Skylar, says that “the fact that a character actually says ‘Oh my God, I am totally bi’ literally makes me want to sob” in reference to a bisexual character, Rich Goranski. Salazar’s character wears a rainbow pride patch on his hoodie and has the famous line, “My mothers would be thrilled!” that caused fans in the audience to scream and cheer nightly.

Beyond representation, many people love the show because of it’s message. Twenty-five year old Erika states “It gives a voice to all the weirdos and people with anxiety/depression but in a way that's also comedic and colorful and fun and people really need that!” Similarly, twenty-eight year old Kayleigh describes her experience connecting to the show. “Then, when we got to [the song] “Upgrade” and [the lyric] ‘I'm tired of being the person that everyone thinks that I am’ was sung, and I immediately began to cry in my seat because, for the entirety of my life, I've worn a facade, quieting my interests and my desires in order to make other people happy . . . I felt seen as a person.”

If representation, from race to sexuality to mental illness, is what drew people to Be More Chill, the community is where people stayed, finding their home in it’s fandom. Through being mutual fans of the show, Luna met her girlfriend, Taylor, who happily explains “also because of [Be More Chill] I have a girlfriend! She is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.” Kayleigh and Erika have found friendship in a Twitter group chat called the “Vintage Cassettes,” a play on a lyric in the show, while Luna and Taylor have true, close friends in their Twitter group chats, all formed because of their members’ mutual love for Be More Chill.

The community of Be More Chill fans—often called ‘stans’—is unlike your average fandom scene. Kayleigh describes how “being a stan of Be More Chill means being accepting of people's identities and being there for each other,” and Luna says, “in my experience, Be More Chill stans have been a lot more welcoming than stans I've interacted with in other fandoms.” Be More Chill stans are “loud and passionate” and unashamedly so.

Returning to the question at hand of what made this show connect to its audience, it was how the show was so open and welcoming, with it’s diverse cast of whacky, fun, weird characters, it allowed people to see themselves onstage. It shows people that there is a place where they belong. Luna remarks: “As someone who has stanned theatre for more than three years, it took my discovery of George and Be More Chill just over a year ago to get me to understand that I, a mixed race LGBT+ person, do have a place in this world and in this community.” Be More Chill gave so many people one thing that every person needs, a place to belong, and people to share that place with.

And while the show is not every person’s cup of tea, especially theatre critics, the stans know that. “The show isn't perfect and doesn't try to be,” Taylor says. “Be More Chill is one of the most loved and hated Broadway musicals, which makes the fandom very different. We are all very close and very protective of the show as a whole.” But, speaking on the show’s importance, Taylor states that “Be More Chill gives people a voice that they didn't know they had.” Jenn describes how “that kind of impact is something not to be undermined.”

And it is true. Influences such as Be More Chill are important in society. The fandom behind Be More Chill has given people a family, a found family. It has inspired young people of color, young LGBT+ people, like Luna and Jenn, showing them that they have a place in this world. The show’s message and how it handles topics such as mental illness has connected to millions across the globe. The societal influence of Be More Chill is far greater than any Times review or single opinion. It’s influence has inspired young people, connecting them to friends on the other side of the world, providing them with support they often do not find at home. It is showing young people that they do belong in this world, and in doing so, it is shaping the young people— the future—of this world.

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Glossary Terms:

Cosplay: The practice/art of dressing up as a fictional character

Stagedoor: Where actors enter and exit the theatre - often, this is where fans traditionally meet the actors. Stagedooring is the act of waiting at the stagedoor after a show to meet the actors and have their programs sign, a loved tradition by many theatregoers

LGBTQIA+: An acronym referring to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, etc., community

Stan: A shortened version of the term stalker-fan, which started out with negative connotations, but in recent years has come to be a positive term meaning super-fan. It can also be used as a verb to describe the act of becoming a stan. For example: “After hearing her new album, I totally stan Taylor Swift.”

Fandom: an umbrella/unifying group term for people who are avid fans of a piece of work

Found family: A group of people not related by blood who consider themselves to be a family in every other sense of the word

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Works Cited

Brantley, Ben. “Review: Anxious Teenagers Learn to 'Be More Chill' on a Big Stage.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 Mar. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/03/10/theater/review-be-more-chill-joe-iconis.html.

Scheck, Frank. “'Be More Chill': Theater Review.” The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2019, www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/be-more-chill-theater-review-1193609.

Strecker, Erin. “'Be More Chill' Will Probably Be a Broadway Hit. Too Bad It's Also a Disappointment.” Mashable, Mashable, 10 Mar. 2019, mashable.com/article/be-more-chill-review-broadway/.

#P2D2 #SOC3

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the-desolated-quill · 6 years ago

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Fearful Symmetry - Watchmen blog

(SPOILER WARNING: The following is an in-depth critical analysis. if you haven’t read this comic yet, you may want to before reading this review)

Do you know what’s my favourite thing about Watchmen? Even when offering damning criticism about superhero archetypes and America’s corruption, it never loses sight of the average joe. And that’s what Fearful Symmetry is all about.

Fearful Symmetry explores the fallout (get it?) after Doctor Manhattan has left Earth, exploring how regular American citizens react to the news that Russia has invaded Afghanistan and that the chances of total nuclear annihilation has increased exponentially. We see the news vendor and the comic reading kid again, which means we get more snippets from Tales Of The Black Freighter. I would love to know how Moore came up with the idea of having Black Freighter interspersed throughout the novel to provide poetic irony. I know some readers don’t really care for it, but I personally really like it. Not only does it give us some nice bit of info about this alternative America, it also highlights specific themes at play within a particular issue’s narrative (as well as foreshadowing what will happen in issues to come. Wink, wink).

In the Black Freighter storyline, the unnamed pirate captain has used the corpses of his crew to make a raft in the hopes of getting back home. We also see him eat some seagulls and kill a shark. Lovely. Now for those who have read the graphic novel and know what happens at the end, this serves as a really sneaky reference to what happens in the final issue, but we’ll talk about that when we come to it. For now lets concentrate on how it relates to this issue. America is in a state of paranoia and turmoil. Their superhuman nuclear deterrent is gone and Cold War tensions are increasing exponentially. It’s getting more and more likely that World War Three is going to happen. So what do people do? Some resort to their baser instincts, such as the man who kills his daughters because the youngest said “Wah,” which he mistook for ‘war’ during a moment of intense hysteria. Others, like Joey, are trying to make the best of it. Joey asks the news vendor to hang her poster promoting a benefit gig for ‘Gay Women Against Rape.’ The news vendor was first introduced to us as a brash and somewhat bigoted old fart, and though he does make a snide remark about Joey, he still hangs the poster up for her, presumably for the same reason he let the kid have the comic for free. Life’s too short. We also see the otherwise timid Dan make a move on Laurie, inviting her to stay at his house now that Manhattan is out of the picture. The point is, like the pirate captain, people’s morals and priorities are changing in response to a sense of impending doom. The pirate captain, a once respectable gentleman, has been reduced to using his dead crew as floats for his raft and snatching seagulls out of the air for food. In the interests of survival he’s changed to the point where he no longer recognises himself.

The attack of the sharks could also be symbolic of what happens with Adrian Veidt. An assassin tries to kill him, but is violently stopped before taking a cyanide capsule to avoid talking. There’s the obvious parallel you can make about how the assassin is the shark and Adrian is the prey, but considering what happens in the issues to come, it could also be seen as a subtle hint that this assassination isn’t quite how it first appears. The sharks were drawn to the captain’s raft because of the corpses. Is Adrian really just an innocent victim here? Could he have somehow done something to bring the assassin to him? Hmmmm....

Very quickly I just want to say that I love how the assassination is played out. Obviously there’s the composition where the beginning and the end of the issue match each other symmetrically throughout, culminating in this beautiful two page spread:

But also I’m impressed with how Alan Moore is able to keep his cards close to his chest and not give the game away too soon. Yes this is a dramatic moment, but it doesn’t appear to be that significant on a first reading. When I first read it, I just assumed this assassination was a response to the growing hysteria surrounding the Cold War. I never thought it would come back to bite us on the arse in the last issue, but now I’m getting ahead of myself.

Another possible parallel could be with what happens to Rorschach. The two detectives from the first issue are given a tip regarding his location with the use of the code phrase ‘raw shark.’ Admittedly not very subtle, but the symbolism works regardless. Rorschach is the only one investigating this hypothetical ‘mask killer’ just as the pirate captain is the only one who can warn his family of the impending arrival of the Black Freighter, but their plans are scuppered thanks to the sharks.

Ah yes, now lets talk about Rorschach because we get a lot of new information about him in this issue. A significant portion of Fearful Symmetry is told from his first person perspective, accompanied by another excerpt from his journal. What I find particularly interesting is how Rorschach views himself. Secret identities are a very common superhero trope, but Rorschach takes it a step further, claiming that his vigilante persona is his true self while his civilian getup is his ‘disguise.’ He even goes as far as to refer to the Rorschach mask as ‘his face.’ This links back to what I was saying about the first issue where I compared Rorschach to Moon Knight. He’s so psychotically obsessed with vengeance and his absolute morality that he has no other life outside of Rorschach. Everything he does feeds back into his primary mission. Punishing criminals in increasingly violent ways. It’s pretty disturbing and not something superhero stories tend to explore. Daredevil and Batman might come close, but they’re always viewed as being noble men doing what’s necessary to save their city. Rorschach, however, is far from noble. Remember, he flat out admitted in At Midnight, All The Agents that he has no interest in saving people. He just wants to hurt those he believes deserves to be hurt, often for relatively minor crimes. The ex-supervillain Moloch has his fingers broken and then gets shoved into the fridge just because he possesses illegal prescription drugs and an unlicensed firearm, which, yeah, is very naughty of him, but he’s not actually hurting anyone. Does he really deserve the same harsh punishment as an attempted rapist or a murderer? Does the attempted rapist or the murderer deserve such a harsh punishment, come to that?

As I said before, this is a sick power fantasy for him, which the end of Fearful Symmetry confirms conclusively when Rorschach is arrested. He wears elevated shoes to appear taller and puts on a rough voice to sound more intimidating than he actually does. It’s revealed that Rorschach is in fact the homeless man carrying the ‘The End Is Nigh’ sign we’ve seen throughout the novel.

This was such a good twist. I honestly didn’t see it coming the first time I read it, and I love how Alan Moore throws you off the scent. Rorschach’s speech bubbles are wavy and he speaks in broken sentences without pronouns, whereas the homeless man has normal speech bubbles and speaks in fuller, more complete sentences. It’s great misdirection and the reveal is wonderfully executed. Plus it makes total sense. He’s the only background character to appear in major plot relevant scenes, which explains where Rorschach gets his information, and who’s going to suspect a homeless man of being a superhero?

There’s a lot more to discuss about Rorschach, but I’ll save that for the next issue, which explores his origins in great detail. For now, lets end by saying Fearful Symmetry is a gripping read that utilises its structure and narrative to great effect.

#fearful symmetry #watchmen #alan moore #dave gibbons #dc comics #review #spoilers

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majingojira · 6 years ago

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Superman Real-Time Aging Timeline

As a followup to my Batman Timeline, here’s Superman!

After this, it’s either Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, or The Flash, but I don’t think any of them will be this complex. After all, it’s Superman!

A thing to understand, just as a general rule, there are other Kryptonian and Kryptonian like species running around. Sort of. There are basic species and then several derivatives, which have since become their own cultures, but all hold to the same general roots of which Kryptonians are a part of. These include, but are not limited to: The Kree, The Kherubim, The Viltrumites, and The Daxamites. There are others, of course, but that should give you an idea of what’s out there in the vast reaches of the universe.

As before, I won’t really go into villains that much (unless people ask me to do a quick rundown, at which point I’ll do my best).

Another thing to note is that, for the purposes of the crossover timeline, things are a lot less powerful than the comics would have you believe. A lot of people who engage in crossover timeline work tend to work from a “World Outside Your Window” approach. So, while weird things happen, they aren’t well known or accepted.

But we live at a time when flat-earthers and all sorts of reality denial run rampant.

But the short of it is, ya know how the Golden Age Superman couldn’t fly and could only jump 1/8th of a mile? That’s basically where we are at. Artillery shells can harm him, but bullets can’t. He has amazing senses and laser-eyes, but only his descendants who study advanced Chi-altering martial arts can exceed the limits of flesh and they are the ones who truly fly.

This is also why things that would normally be a joke for Superman to face in a crossover turn out to be actual threats.

But the comics do exaggerate in part to inflate Superman’s abilities to avoid conflicts if at all possible. Yes, as Watson to Holmes, DC is to Superman as far as this timeline is concerned. So, we get to take everything with a grain of salt.

I mean, remember last time when Cass pissed of the editors? Same deal.

Okay? Here we go!

The Crisis: The Crisis is an Even that is, was, and will occur across the multiverse (or segments of it). It occasionally seeps into time and space at different points. Since we are here, it can be assumed that the villain was defeated. It’s a weird time-space thing.

Pre-history: A humanoid space-faring race suffers through many rises and falls over several thousands of years of development. This leaves strange pockets where their descendants become their own race on different planets. Krypton was one such planet. A heavy gravity mining colony orbiting a red sun. The species race, now called Kryptonians, managed to maintain some technology of their glory days but did not explore much outside their homeworld. They augmented themselves into a race of “Supermen” to survive the harsh environment of the planet and the dangers of mining. This included nanites which acted as solar energy storage for emergency lighting and welding. However, the mining had begun destabilizing the planet...

1894 - Hugo Danner born.

Lex Luthor born.

1900 - The overlord Shao Khan (a.k.a. Mongul) of another realm known as “Outworld” challengers Earth to Mortal Kombat for control over its lands. He is tricked into doing this, as Earth isn’t another realm, but a whole planet that he could not absorb into his own even if he tried. For the next 10 years, champions are selected to battle his champions. 10 victories on one side will ‘seed’ territory to the other. Or, so Shao Khan thinks.

1910 - Hugo Danner fathers Arnold “Iron” Munroe.

1916 - Kal-El is born.

1917 - The destruction of Krypton, leaving only a handful of survivors. Among them are Kal-EL and the city-ship Argo. Kal-El is found on earth by the Kent family who adopts him and names him Clark.

The Argo City ship is affected by space-time and moves slower than Kal-El’s warp rocket. As it travels to “Pick Up” the stray (Kal’s rocket), they encounter a parasitoid alien life form (”Xenomorph”)that manages to slaughter many of the Kryptonians after assimilating their genetics. Kara Zor-El is the only survivor and manages to destroy Argo before heading to the only family she has left. The time-dilation effects mean she still thinks of Kal would be a defenseless baby. (modified Superman vs Aliens)

1930 - Clark Kent’s growing powers truly start to develop. He helps out in secret most of the time with the odd ‘disaster’ or two.

Hugo Danner fakes his death.

1932 - On a visit to New York for the first time, Clark runs into an early instance of true “Supercrime.” A group of criminals uses terrifying prototype mecha to cause all kinds of hell for law enforcement and people alike. The young Clark does his best to put a stop to them, but the true end for the gang comes from in a hail of bullets from the vigilante known as The Spider. (Satan’s Murder Machines/Superman (Comic Strip) “The Bandit Raiders of Metropolis”)

1937 - Clark Kent moves to New York City, THE Metropolis, to work at the Daily Star paper (later renamed the Daily Planet). He also debuts as Superman later in the year.

1938 - The Sarmaks of Mars, responsible for the 1898 invasion of earth, land a small invasion force in New Jersey. The Military is brought in to put it down, but are unable to accomplish much until a “Man of Action” (Superman) appears and routs the Invaders as they reach the edge of the Hudson River. (The War of the Worlds/It’s That Time Again 3: Even More New Stories of Old-Time Radio “War Between Two Worlds”/Superman: War of the Worlds). The event is broadcast partly by Orson Wells but is forced to say that it was all a Halloween radio play by a group of “government agents.” (Funny story, James Moriarity formed a group to aid the Martian Invasion and the thing went so badly for him that he created an organization specifically to make sure no one ever found out how big a mistake he made which eventually evolved into a general ‘coverup’ NGO. Nothing is more fragile than the ego).

1939 - Lex Luthor and Superman begin their rivalry. But at the time it is overshadowed by the so-called “Ultra-Humanite” who desired a new body to host his amazing mind. Superman and Batman meet for the first time stopping one of the Ultra-Humanite’s plans.

1940 - The Masked Vigilante Boom of the 1940s begins in earnest, with many people taking to vigilantism to battle crime. Black Canary and Green Arrow get their start among many others.

The Rocketeer: The Cargo of Doom - The Rocketeer deals with people smuggling animals from Skull Island, Superman lends a hand with the Megaprimatus kong brought with them that the comics later dub “Titano.”

The first Toyman, Winslow Schott, starts bothering people.

1941 - Formation of the Justice Society. As a social club for vigilantes and superhumans to unwind in. They mostly share stories and shoot the breeze, but occasionally teamed up for larger missions, especially when America entered WWII. But it’s primary purpose is networking and recovery.

Many of the Fleischer Superman cartoons occur around this time, except when noted.

1942 - All-New Collectors’ Edition #c-54 “Superman vs Wonder Woman” - Diana of Themyscira learns about the Manhattan Project and is utterly horrified. Clark and Diana have a confrontation about it, that does get briefly physical. They put their differences aside afterward (the threat of a Nazi bomb is a good reason to do so), but Diana starts to grow warry of the American Government.

1943 - Puck first bothers Superman as Mister Mxyzptlk.

Clark learns the full story of Krypton and first encounters Kryptonite (World’s Finest #271)

1944 - Superman creates his own “Fortress of Solitude” to hold dangerous things he encountered before it evolved into a general “Home Away from Home” he could visit.

1945 - The Last Days of the JSA

1946 - Alexis Luthor, son of Lex Luthor, is born.

1948 - Superman: Terror on the Midway/Mighty Joe Young - A large gorilla is brought from Africa to perform at a nightclub in Los Angeles. Lois is doing a report on it for the Planet when three drunks manage to get backstage and manage to both get the gorilla, Joe, drunk, but harass him to the point he breaks out of his cage. The gorilla goes on the rampage, breaking lions out of their cages as he does so. Lois helps people escape as Clark changes into Superman to subdue the Lions. He also assists in getting Joe back into his cage as the police arrive to shoot what lions Clark had not yet rounded up. When the incident goes to court, Clark covers the case. The court, however, rules to have Joe destroyed. His owner, the nightclub owner, and several others sympathetic to joe engineer his escape -- only to be stymied by a burning orphanage. Joe’s rescue of the orphans, Superman rounding up the drunks who sparked the conflagration, and Clark’s editorials sway public opinion and Joe is brought back to Africa.

Clark Kent and Lois Lane wed.

The House of Un-American Activities starts to target Costumed Vigilantes. The Justice Society disbanded in response. Diana Trevor, Wonder Woman, starts working from inside the system to counter McArthy and J. Edgar Hoover. Subtly and openly, be it the Holiday Girls (secretaries make excellent spies) or secretly abetting other superhumans. Still, most costumed vigilantes retire at this point. As for the rest… Some are apprehended, others sign up with the government, and others still are killed in FBI Raids.

As Superheroes are under fire from the government, several class-action lawsuits also hound more public figures of superheroes, and only a few survive with their reputations and resources intact.

1949 - Joel Kent is born to Clark and Lois Lane-Kent. Clark scales back his Superman work to take spend more time with his family. Joel is born without Superman’s fantastic abilities, but he is better than average almost everywhere else.

1950 - Jonathan Kent jr. was born to Clark and Lois Lane-Kent. Jonathan, however, is closer to his father than his brother. This causes some animosity between the boys as they grow older.

1952 - Richard Tyler, Hourman, is arrested as part of the FBI crackdown on costumed vigilantes. Very few remain active. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Shadow, and The Avenger are the most prominent. Superman and Wonder Woman working with the Government, The Shadow, the Avenger, and Batman operating outside the law.

1953 - The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms/Superman “The Arctic Giant”/Batman #104 “The Creature from 20,000 Fathoms” – A prehistoric monster is awakened by nuclear testing in the arctic and proceeds to swim down to New York, sinking ships along the way. Superman confronts the beast as it lands in New York, driving it off for a moment before the military arrives to deal with the creature. When they manage to injure the creature with an anti-tank weapon, they release a deadly bacterial agent among the populous. Batman (Bruce Wayne) is able to deduce a method for dealing with the agent and the creature hosting it: radiation treatments. The man who first saw the creature manages to introduce a radioactive isotope to the monster’s system. The creature dies from its wounds in the midst of a roller coaster fire at Coney Island. The film omits the interference of costumed vigilantes, the Batman story, in particular, doing its best to be as far off as possible to the point where it doesn’t even make sense as a Batman story.

Clark Kent becomes the editor of the Daily Planet after Perry White retires.

1955-1975 - The Vietnam War.

1955 - John Henry Irons is born.

John Wilson and his family are lynched. He survives, dons a mask and grabbing a hammer, he hunts the Klan as the vigilante John Henry.

David Xanatos born.

1956 - Clark Kent first discovers the Phantom Zone Projector, a device from his homeworld, and learns of the various criminals held in there, such as Faora and General Zod. Some of which escape from time to time.

1958 - John Wilson is killed, but his legend as the civil rights defending, Klan smashing vigilante John Henry endures.

The malicious data life form known as Brainiac firsts demonstrates an interest in Earth.

1959 - The Centre incident occurs. (DC: The New Frontier)

Diana Trevor works out a government organization to better employ multi-mystery-man operations in the future with her at the head and thus limiting access to their identities or technologies by the other branches. This is often called “The Justice League” or “The Avengers” among other things. The laws about costumed vigilantism are changed somewhat.

Kara Zor-El’s rocket finally lands on earth. The press dubs her “Supergirl” when she joins in the “Family Business” and, being from a highly enlightened society that’s generally moved beyond barriers of gender or race, is extremely frustrated by the primitive mudball that is 1960s earth.

1960 - Wilson Fisk, who often claims to be a son of Lex Luthor, becomes the “Kingpin of Crime.”

1961 - The first appearance of the Parasite.

1963 - Incredible Hulk vs Superman - Superman attempts to apprehend the Incredible Hulk, but finds more dangerous foes about.

1964 - The children and relatives of many World War II heroes; including Jennifer-Lynn Scott (Jade), Iron Munro, Dee Tyler (Phantom Lady II), Tsunami (Miya Shimada, a Deep One), and Artemis Crock (Tigress II, daughter of Paula Brooks, Tigress I) among others; form a short-lived adventuring group called the Young All-Stars or All-Star Squadron. An adventure to the Maple White’s Lost World and meeting Hugo Danner (and his superhuman progeny) ends the team. Hugo Danner survives the encounter but is left brain-damaged. His later rampages are given the moniker of “Bizarro.”

Alex Luthor ‘takes over’ as the primary Luthor giving Clark and his family hell.

1965 - To battle monstrous threats, robotic sentries dubbed “Sentinels” or, more aggressively, “Terminators” are created. Though defeated early in their lifespan, they are often re-created in various models. The Data Life Forms these shells attract are often genocidal and highly dangerous. This is the start of the aggressive timeline of the rogue A.I. known as “Skynet” that continually attempts to ensure its creation and the destruction of humanity.

1966 - Kara Zor-El changes her moniker to “Power Femme” to coincide with the feminist movement she supports. The press still calls her “Power Girl.” She sometimes shows up to aid protests and has several clashes with the police. And by clashes, I mean “People hurt themselves trying to hurt her while she protects as many as she can.” It doesn’t help as much as she’d like.

Darkseid first shows an interest in earth.

Natalia Luthor, a niece of Alex Luthor, finds herself involved in her uncle’s business when she clashes with Supergirl.

1969 - Lois Lane passes away.

1970-1971 - Joel serves in Vietnam, and is generally horrified at what happens. he does his best to help where he can, but the system works against him. He rescues many people, one of them, Mei-Li, eventually becomes his wife. Together, they have a son. They name him Conner Kent. The experience mellows him significantly. He reconciles with his brother.

1970 - The Kent State Massacre occurs. Kara takes it very hard, having missed the protest to deal with other disasters.

Jack Nimball takes over as the second Toyman.

1972-1977 - A covert war against various demonic and subterranean attackers is waged primarily across east Asia, the front line of defense being various ‘Super-Robots’ such as Mazinger Z and Getter Robo. These use a modified ‘spirit engine’ to essentially use raw willpower to make up for what the technology lacked, but it had terrible side effects and the technology was eventually abandoned, if not outright banned. It is likely these helped in the creation of the Biomegas.

1972 - Lex Luthor passes away.

1973 - Diana Prince/Wonder Woman and Clark Kent take the time to comfort each other after the deaths of their spouses. This results in the birth of Athena Prince/Eiko Megami. She is raised primarily in Japan for the education system. Her power is best described as “Ungodly.”

Birth of Biko Daitokuji/Kiri Fujikawa, daughter of Tony Stark and Rumiko Daitokuji/Fujikawa (last name dependent on adaptation). They do not marry but keep open ties to each other.

1974 - Jonathan Kent takes over primarily as “Superman II” Though Clark still helps out where he can.

1975-1984 - The Biomega War is waged in Japan and in its coastal waters. It appears to end with the death of Doctor Shinka in 1984. Parts of him, however, survive, and biomega drones, beasts, and kaiju occasionally rise up from the depths after his defeat. They appear to be derived from the Centre.

1975 - Karen Kent Jr, named for her aunt, is born to Joel Kent and Carol Star-Kent.

David Xanatos receives instructions on how to become rich from his future self, as well as the coins to do it.

Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man: A Duel of Titans - Superman (Clark Kent) and Spider-Man (Peter Parker) are tricked into fighting each other by their foes, Doctor Octopus and Lex Luthor. The two heroes quickly team up and defeat the evildoers.

Scooby-Doo Team-Up #9 “Truth, Justice, and Scooby Snacks” - Clark Kent brings in Mysteries Inc. to help solve a haunting at the Daily Planet.

1977 - Jonathan Kent trains with Muhammad Ali to better handle opponents who are as strong or stronger than himself.

1980 - The being known as Lobo first appears on earth.

Shao Khan challenges earth to Mortal Kombat and picks up an unexpected “Kombatant” - Jonathan Kent. Appalled by the entire thing, he, as Superman, smashes not just the competition, but the entire contest of Mortal Kombat that cycle. The whole thing is thrown out, but Shao Khan is infuriated by this insult. Since the contest is considered a wash, his win streak remains unbroken...

Spider-Man and Superman: The Heroes and the Holocaust - Doctor Doom has a plan, involving the Parasite, Wonder Woman (Diana), The Hulk, and Superman (Clark). The timely interference of Spider-Man, however, disrupts his plans for world conquest.

1982 - Natasha Irons, daughter of John Henry Irons, is born.

The first true Arm Slave, the M4, is developed. Military use of giant robots (they tend to max out at 8 to 10m tall without exotic materials).

David Xanatos has his first clash with Superman in one of his dealings. The comics dub him “Lex Luthor” in many of his appearances.

Superman has his first encounter with a Banshee.

1983 - The “Doomsday Plan” to destroy several different superheroes begins forming. It culminates in elements from Project Metalbeast/Weapon X and Project Cyborg being applied to the original Mr. Hyde and lacing his body with radioactive substances such as Kryptonite. They dub this creature “Doomsday.”

The Terminator - The Skynet timeline sends two robotic assassins after its greatest foes. Against John Connor, it sends a T-800 Terminator. Against the Academy of the Strange/The X-Men/The Doom Patrol, it sends TN-001 Nimrod.

1984 - Superman Annual #11 “For the Man Who Has Everything” - Shao Khan/Mongul attempts to get revenge on Superman, but is stopped by the combined efforts of Wonder Woman, Batman, and Robin.

1986 - Doomsday is unleashed. Superman I and Power Girl I are crippled. Superman II is killed. The monster is killed and, in the light of the full moon, Hyde rejects the implants and continues on his horrible path restored to his former pre Doomsday glory. In the wake of the tragedy, Conner Kent tries to fill in for his Uncle and Grandfather and is dubbed “Superboy.” John Henry Irons creates a powered armor for himself and helps out as “The Man of Steel” or just “Steel.” The Skynet timeline also sends an agent, a “Cyborg Superman” to try and defeat its future foe.

1987 - Biko Daitkouji gains a controlling interest in her father’s company.

Project A-Ko - The daughter of Superman and Wonder Woman, under the pseudonym “Eiko Megami”, or just A-Ko, enrolls herself in a Japanese school, where she meets up with (and gets into a rivalry with) “Biko Daitokuji”, the daughter of Tony Stark. An intense rivalry develops over a ‘friendship’ one has and the other desires. It eventually devolves into a routine of Biko building a large machine or powered armor and getting into a fight with Eiko before school on a regular basis. Even an alien invasion (a single rescue ship causing havoc over one city) goes unnoticed until the target of their friendship is revealed to be their target. They put aside their differences briefly to get her back. The alien ship is crippled and can’t leave without heavy repairs. The aliens may be the Zentradi from the Macross series – the all-female Meltrandi side of their species at least. Its timeline placement is only here due to another crossover cameo and it may be set in the year 2009, but the only real available/likely time for both the character parentage to occur places it here. The newspaper her father is seen reading contains a reference to the Fleischer Superman short “The Bulleteers”.

Project A-Ko: The Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group – 3 weeks after the events of Project A-Ko, during summer break, Biko and Eiko continue their rivalry as Biko’s father’s company tries to find the alien ship and raid it for technology. Unfortunately, every agency imaginable interested in alien technology trips over themselves trying to get the technology, and they end up with nothing once they anger Biko. The aliens once again manage to escape and hide amongst the populace, resigning their fate to earth until rescue can come. Eiko’s father is once again seen reading a “Daily Plenet” newspaper with a story discussing another Fleischer Superman short (the very first one, in fact).

Predator

Superman vs Predator - When the “Predator” self-destructs, his ship does not. when an alert signal is sent, another Predator comes to earth to clean up the mess but finds humans using the technology to insidious ends, as well as a worthy opponent: Superman (Conner Kent). In his first real big case, Conner is kept off-balance by the experienced hunter, but the plot is foiled and Conner manages to defeat the predator.

1988 - Karen Kent Jr. starts acting as Supergirl II. “Cir-El” is created by a cloning project.

Biko Daitokuji, in an effort to impress someone, starts acting more heroically and takes the moniker “Iron Woman” (as the band Iron Maiden didn’t want the name on a superhero). She also sometimes refers to herself as “Rescue.”

Project A-Ko: Cinderella Rhapsody – Biko and Eiko clash again over summer break, but this time over a guy. Ciko, the girl who had their ‘friendship’ earlier, feels left out until it turns out the guy Eiko and Biko are chasing likes Ciko instead of them. The JSDF is called out over the two girl’s squabbling, including weapons employed against the Frankenstein Brothers Sanda and Gaira (War of the Gargantuas). A brief appearance from the leads of the anime/manga Yawara! The Fashionable Judo Girl occurs in one scene where Eiko is working at a fast-food restaurant. They were customers.

1990 - Project A-Ko: Final – Kei’s arranged marriage drives Eiko and Biko into more of a tiff than usual, but they are left to themselves when a battle group of ships finally come to rescue the trapped aliens and their princess Ciko. She is taken back home and the fleet leaves.

Mortal Kombat - Shao Khan is defeated in Mortal Kombat.

Superman and Batman vs Aliens and Predator - This story is a mess, but here’s what is known from it: Batman (Bruce Wayne Jr.) and Superman (Connor Kent) are drawn into the ritual hunting of some Xenomorphs by Predators on earth. It goes sideways, Batman and Superman intervene and help the predators get back home with a “And Don’t come back!” message. The Predators take it as a challenge.

1991 - Mortal Kombat II - Shao Khan decides to just invade the earth anyway. He does so while EIko Megami is on vacation. The Invasion ends swiftly and Shao Khan slain. This forces a change in how the magical realms handle their conflicts. A year later, the Unseelie Accords are adopted by most major supernatural ‘nations’.

1994 - Karen Kent Jr. becomes Power Woman/Power Girl II. Conner Kent becomes “Superman” in the public eye at long last.

Arm Slave technology filters down to the public sector. Heavy construction mecha, known as Labors begin to see use in Japan and later the United States. These machines are 6 to 10 meters in height.

1995 - The first known instance of Labor-based crime occurs. After this, police forces with heavy labor use in their districts adopt Special Vehicles Units, police squads that pilot labors, to counter labor crime. These “Patrol Labors” eventually get nicknamed “Patlabor” Military contractors see this as an excellent testing bed for many technologies that would later be employed on military labors and arm slaves.

Conner Kent and Cassandra Sandsmark wed, but she keeps her name as is.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day

Superman vs Terminator - Parallel to the events of T2, Terminators are sent after another foe Skynet foresees--Superman (Conner Kent). Working together with Sarah and John Connor, Superman is able to put down the threat from the Skynet timeline, as well as finish it off in the future. At least, one future...

Shock-Jock Leslie Willis becomes Livewire.

1996 - An angel with the ‘human’ identity of Linda Danvers aids the Super-family and becomes known as Supergirl III.

Buffy Anne Summers is called as the next Vampire Slayer.

Wilson Fisk passes away, and his mantle as Kingpin of Crime is taken up by “Gentleman” Johnny Marcone.

The formation of “Young Justice” - a friendly hangout of many second and third-generation superhumans. Members include Conner Kent, Cassandra Sandsmark, Tim Drake, Carrie Kelly, Helena Bertinelli Jr, and Bart Allen. With many others joining the group as time goes on. Their exploits are occasionally disseminated as either the “JLA” or “Young Justice” depending on the tone of the adventure.

1997 - David Xanatos, after marrying and having a son, reforms.

1998 - Superman/Gen13

Savage Dragon/Superman - Superman III (Conner Kent) and Savage Dragon work together on a case in Chicago involving criminals being mind-controlled by parasitic worms.

Superman/Savage Dragon - Superman and Savage Dragon battle a New God known as Killroy.

1999 - The third generation of Arm Slaves begins the prototyping phase. The development of the Lambda Driver alters the development of this mech. Many of the early bits of technology are taken from prototyping the technologies in police Labor units.

The vampire known as Angel sets up “Angel Investigations” to help the helpless.

Hiro Okuamura attempts to be a “Heroic” Toyman.

JLA/Witchblade - Sarah Pezzini, wielder of the Witchblade, goes to the “Justice League” for help understanding her artifact (primarily Cassie Sandsmark). The Witchblade then jumps around the group’s female members to find ‘better’ hosts before Sarah shames it into coming back to her.

2000 - Linda, has taken to calling herself “Lee” leaves the material world behind and moves to the mystical between-worlds city of Bette Noir and eventually becomes its ‘mayor’.

Conner Kent and Cassandra Sandsmark/Wonder Woman III have a son together, Jon Kent III.

Natasha Irons takes over her father’s mantle as Steel II.

Superman III (Conner Kent) confronts the darker actions of his contemporaries who call themselves “The Authority” ... and schools them. (“What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice and The American Way?”)

2003 - Cir-El/Mia Kent is adopted by Conner Kent and Cassandra Sandsmark, starts operating as Supergirl IV.

Sunnydale is destroyed and the number of Vampire Slayers goes from a single lineage to over 2000 at any one time.

The Darkness/Superman - Superman confronts the current wielder of the Darkness, Jackie Escatato.

JLA/Cyberfoce - An informal group of heroes aid a covert cyborg team with some cyborg-zombies.

2004 - Fallen Angel Reborn- In order to regain her lost powers, the Old One in a Human Shell, Illyria, travels to Bette Noir to reclaim her icons, and battles Lee the Fallen Angel for them. Illyria learns something about her new state and accepts that she, herself, has changed.

The Circle of Black Thorn (also known as The Pride) and Wolfram & Hart are defeated by a group of Runaways, the vampire Angel and his allies. Angel and his cohorts are caught in a temporal loop as punishment while the children escape. Massive destruction is initially wrought, but undone via time loop. Many people in LA have vague memories of what happened, eventually leading to the production of the film “Last Angel in Hell” starring Nicholas Cage.

DC Comics insists Mia wear a blond wig to better display the “Iconic” supergirl. She really doesn’t like the new look.

2005-2015 - The Biomega Kaiju menace trickles through with various attacks until it comes to a head in 2015 when it revives the Centre. The beast is destroyed, ending the Biomega threat...for now. (Atomic Robo and the Ring of Fire, Pacific Rim)

2008 - The Cellphone camera becomes common. This means that supernatural events are part of common knowledge, but a combination of factors (not lining up with common religious beliefs, the “Somebody Else’s Problem Field”, charlatans continuing to operate regardless, etc) mean that while people ‘know’ they don’t really do much about it, deny its existence, or think of them in completely wrongheaded ways.

Livewire’s powers are finally put under control and she is allowed to perform “Community Service” with her abilities as a hero.

2010 - Jon Kent starts adventuring as Superboy III.

And that’s where things have left off.

#DC #superhero #Crossovers #Superman #Clark Kent #Timeline #Crossover Timeline #Connor Kent #Superboy #Kon-El #Supergirl #Power Girl #Kara Zor-el #Mia Kent #Cir-El #Lex Luthor

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thefamilyautogroup · 5 years ago

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Common Myths Regarding BUY HERE PAY HERE Dealerships

In this day and age of “alternative facts” we must wade through the muck and get to the heart of things. During tax season people tend to be a little apprehensive when going to a BUY HERE PAY HERE dealership. Will the investment of their tax dollars go as far as they need it to go? Will the vehicle be a good quality used car? And what about those interests rates? Here are some commons myths regarding BHPH dealerships and how you can get to the heart of these “alternative facts.”

[Original content cited from constellationauto.com]

1. The buyer/borrower can expect to pay in excess of 30% interest at a BHPH lot.

There are, of course, still dealers out there who charge the maximum rate allowable in their state but they are a minority. Various sources list the average interest rate at BHPH dealers slightly above or below 20% APR. Compare this with the average interest rate for all Deep Subprime (FICA score below 549) loans of 17.9% and Subprime (FICO scores of 550 – 619) at 14.4%. Because BHPH dealers lend their own money to people who generally can obtain any other financing, 20% seems fairly reasonable. Many dealers charge far less than 20%. The average at industry giant America’s Car Mart through April of last year was 14.4%. Many dealers charge rates from 12.9% to 17.9%.

2. Further, the dealer will try to get a down payment that is close to what he paid for the car. In other words, the down payment will cover the majority of the cost of the car. The payments and interest paid by the borrower are primarily profits to the BHPH dealer.

This is just old information. When Buy Here – Pay Here was first established in the 1950s, the typical business model was to require a down payment equal or close to the total inventory cost of the vehicles. However, the dramatic rise in wholesale vehicle prices coupled with the limited budgets of the average BHPH customer rendered this nearly impossible decades ago. The interest collected rarely represents any substantial profit to the dealer. Interest collected is used to offset bad debt charge-offs. The risk assumed by the BHPH dealer is high and repossessions and charge-offs are a part of this business.

3. There may not be any warranty for breakdowns or expensive repairs. If the dealer includes a warranty, it may come with conditions such as a high deductible. If money is tight for the borrower, paying for repairs and continuing to make payments becomes very difficult.

OK, these statements are literally true. However, the writers imply that warranties are rare and, when problems arise, the customer is left on their own to figure it out. This just isn’t true at most BHPH dealerships today, especially with the Family Auto Group and Uncle Joe’s. ALL of our vehicles come with 2 years/36,000 miles limited warranty. One of the single, most universal truths of the BHPH business is that, “When the car stops running, the customer stops paying”. BHPH dealers have been aware of this since the dawn of the industry. Most dealers will work with customers in the event of a breakdown to get the vehicle repaired and keep a good customer in the car and paying. At the Family Auto Group and Uncle Joe’s we are with you every step of the way–from before the sale, during the sale, and after the sale.

4. A late payment can result in extra charges or repossession. There can be late charges, immediate repossession or termination of the contract.

This one is also true but the implication is that BHPH dealers do this while banks and finance companies don’t and that is just not true. Any financial institution can, and does, add late fees, accelerate contracts and repossess collateral for delinquency and default on the contract. Most of the articles I looked at also implied that BHPH dealers did these things as part of their business plan and at a far higher rate than other lenders. That is not accurate, either. There are many BHPH dealers who do not charge additional fees for late payments. They believe that having a late fee that applies after a certain period establishes a grace period in the customer’s mind and don’t want to create that impression. Most dealers who do not charge late fees also understand that it is difficult enough to get their principal and interest payments from customers with limited economic means, much less trying to get addition fees from those limited budgets.

5. BHPH dealers use a standard operating model to turn a car over five times a year. That’s why it’s hard to determine the size of this market, except that it is growing.

There are still a limited number of dealers who practice “churning”, that is, repossessing cars quickly and reselling them numerous times. This is one of the practices cited most often as one of the reasons the BHPH needed regulation during the debate over the 3 bills introduced in California. The issue is that the articles I read and the arguments in California declared that this practice was common, even a standard practice in the industry. This just isn’t true and even the worst offenders would have a hard time reselling the same vehicle 5 times in 12 months. Most reputable BHPH dealers understand that their goal is to help each customer get to the end of their loan and pay it off. Most dealers understand that it is better to work with a customer who is trying and willing to work with the dealership than to repossess vehicles too quickly. It doesn’t happen with every deal but repossession should be a last option, not the first move a dealer makes with a delinquent customer.

6. The BHPH auto industry is not regulated and doesn’t commonly report its sales or payment history to outside sources

Unregulated ??? This one almost made me laugh. Here is a short list of some of the laws and regulations BHPH dealers must comply with:

State & Federal Unfair & Deceptive Practices laws

State Usury laws

The Truth in Lending Act

The Fair & Accurate Credit Transaction Act

The Used Car Rule

The Privacy Rule

The Safeguards Rule

The Disposal Rule

The Red Flags Rule

The Risk Based Pricing Rule

The Fair Debt Collections Practices Act

and many more

As far as reporting payment history to outside sources, more BHPH dealers now report to the credit bureaus than ever before in the history of the business. Reporting to the bureaus is quickly becoming a standard for the industry, not an exception.

In Summary:

The Buy Here – Pay Here industry has long lived under a black cloud. These misconceptions represent just a few of the ones that have damaged the reputation of an industry that provides a valuable service to our communities and the segment of the population that we serve. Industry organizations such as the National Alliance of Buy Here Pay Here Dealers and the National Independent Automobile Dealer Association have and continue to work hard to overcome this stigma. It is important we all do whatever we can to shine the spotlight on the best and brightest in our industry and highlight the positives.

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kenyel-kenyel · 5 years ago

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Would You Like to Know Exactly What to Eat to Lose Fat and Get Healthy Without Giving Up Your Favorite Foods or Starving Yourself?

DOWNLOAD HERE FOR DIET PROGRAM

If you're serious about achieving permanent fat loss and a complete health transformation while eating your favorite foods every meal…

I invite you to read this page.

Dear friend,

Is it true? Has modern science finally discovered a diet that can strip off body fat like clockwork, while still allowing you to eat tasty meals like ribeye steak with roasted garlic and butter?

Hi, my name is Rachel Roberts. I'm not a professional ad writer, but what I have to share with you is so extraordinary and powerful that I decided to write this myself. So bear with me a little.

Here’s The Deal:

In my opinion, the nutrition industry is hopelessly broken. Instead of helping people improve their health and overall physical appearance, the world is filled with myths, scams, and flat-out lies.

I mean, it’s obvious the current dietary guidelines don’t work. Just look at the stats. 71.6% of American adults aged 20 and above are overweight, of which more than half are obese!

Now, if you’re one of the millions of people who follow all the nutrition rules outlined by health and fitness “gurus” but still carry excess fat, it is not your fault!

The Truth Is:

No matter how genetically “doomed” you may think you are, and no matter how frustrated you may feel after trying and discarding many diets, you absolutely can have the lean and alluring body of your dreams. You see, getting into fantastic shape isn't nearly as cruel as nutrition and fitness “gurus” want you to believe. In fact, if you avoid the four most common and catastrophic diet mistakes, shaping your dream figure is actually a simple process.

Do You Make These Four Common Diet Mistakes That Sabotage Your Health and Stall Fat

Mistake #1

Not being in a calorie deficit

According to some “experts,” losing weight and keeping it off is all about controlling the types of food you eat.

They say particular foods are "fattening" because they pause fat burning and cause a hormonal environment that leads to weight gain... while other foods "balance" the system and stimulate fat loss.

While that’s partially true, it doesn't give you the full picture. The reason is that if you want to lower the number on your scale, the most important thing you must do is enter a caloric deficit.

It’s simple. If you consume more calories than you burn, you’ll gain weight. And if you consume fewer calories than you burn, you’ll lose weight. That’s a scientific fact.

Looking for proof? Well, dozens of studies show the vitality of calorie balance. One of these is a case study by Mark Haub, a professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University.

He carried excess pounds and, knowing the importance of calorie balance, decided to do an experiment. For two months, he only ate foods like Twinkies, Oreos, Dorito, and protein shakes while maintaining a daily energy deficit of 800 calories.

The result? In just two months, he lost 27 pounds and reduced his body fat from 33.4% to 24.9%.

Now, I don't recommend you follow such a diet, but it illustrates my point. If you want to lose fat, you must be in a calorie deficit.

Mistake #2

Severe calorie restriction that gives you the metabolism of a 90-year-old lady

If an energy deficit of 250 calories a day will get you lean, a 1,000-calorie deficit will give you the results four times as fast, right?

Wrong! Many people make this mistake, and I used to do it too before I knew any better.

The truth is, severe calorie deficits screw up your physiology. That's why almost all low-calorie dieters regain the lost pounds when they stop the program... plus, most often gain some more on top of that.

You see, your body doesn't know you're trying to get ripped for the beach. Instead, because you're starving yourself, it thinks you're stranded with no food.

As a result, your body’s metabolism will plummet to prevent you from losing weight. This means that as soon as you come off your diet, your body will store as much food as possible as fat to prepare itself for the next starvation.

That’s why it’s essential to eat according to a calorie target fine-tuned for your body, your situation, and your goals.

Mistake #3

Thinking all calories are created equal

Thus far, we've looked at calories. And while calories are a crucial piece of the fat loss puzzle, they're in no way the only thing that matters. You see, when most people say they want to lose weight, they actually strive to improve their health and look better.

The thing is, if you want to accomplish such feats, you shouldn’t strive for weight loss. Instead, set your sights on fat loss. That's because losing weight doesn't necessarily improve health and appearance, but losing fat does.

Now, when it comes to fat loss, calories remain a crucial element. But what is just as crucial is your macro intake. In other words, your consumption of protein, carbs, and fat is vital. How you set up your macros has a profound effect on how your body will respond to the meals you eat.

For example, if you consume too many carbs, it’ll be near impossible to lose fat even if you maintain a calorie deficit. That’s because carbs spike insulin, a hormone that blunts fat loss in two main ways.

One of these is that elevated insulin levels block the release of fat from your fat cells. And if your cells can't release fat, your body can never burn off the excess.

Second, elevated insulin levels cause the storage of energy found in your bloodstream to morph into body fat cells.[23-25] This means the energy won’t get burned off by tissues like muscle but instead snakes its way around to places like your hips and abs.

That’s why researchers call insulin the "fat storage hormone," and that’s why carb-rich diets make it nearly impossible to lose fat.

Insulin is but one example. Optimizing your macros is crucial for many more reasons, so in a minute I’ll show you how to set up your macros to triple fat loss.

The best part? The method I’ll show you in a minute from now is effortless to follow and never leaves you hungry. In fact, this eating style is so satiating and easy to follow that you would probably forget you were on a diet if you weren’t losing fat so fast.

Mistake #4

Following an unrealistic, overly restrictive diet

Willpower works like a battery – you only have so much of it until it runs out. That’s why very restrictive diets deplete your willpower, increase your cravings, and lead to binging – the exact opposite of what you want when trying to build your dream body.

I've seen it countless times before... a guy or gal who is dedicated to losing weight and getting healthy. To kick things off, they start a diet that only allows food like tilapia, asparagus, and chicken. After all, that’s what the fitness magazines recommend.

While the results are great in the beginning and the dieter loyally brings Tupperware boxes packed with "healthy" meals wherever they go, their willpower eventually runs out and that diet gets tossed out the window.

Just keep in mind that dieting itself is already hard. Don't make it even harder for yourself by enforcing all kinds of unnecessary restrictions. Otherwise, you’ll likely take on a “screw it” mentally after a few weeks or even days, wake up in a sea of Twinkie wrappers and be back to square one.

Try Your Custom Meal Plan Risk-Free and Judge for Yourself. If You’re Not Satisfied, You’ll Get All Your Money Back

It’s simple: if, for any reason you're not satisfied, shoot me a message and ask for a refund. Just tell me you're not happy and you'll get your money back.

And by satisfied, I mean you're 100% happy with your custom meal plan. You have no regrets, and you're certain, without a shadow of a doubt, that you've made the right decision.

So go ahead and "test drive" your custom meal plan without any financial risk. Order your custom meal plan, try it for 60 days, and see the results. In the unlikely scenario you're unhappy with the service, email us your receipt and we'll return your payment without question.

This Service Is NOT for You if:

We’ve been around long enough that we’ve noticed there are three types of people we can't help:

1. You don’t take action, but instead want to spend all your spare time trying to figure out the optimal diet.

2. You think you already know what you need to do to build your dream body and you’re unwilling to follow an expert’s instructions.

3. You're not interested in using science-based dieting strategies but would rather mimic what the average Joe is doing.

That being said, if you're looking for a science-based, "Done For You" plan where you’ll lose fat and improve your health while eating delicious foods every meal...

Here’s What I Want You to Do Next

Are you serious about achieving permanent fat loss and sparking a health transformation? Great! Then here’s how the process works:

Step #1 Do This Now

Start by clicking here! You’ll see a few questions to answer about your current situation, food preferences, and goals. Nothing crazy. We just need some basic info to understand your circumstances better. Answer these questions as accurately (and honestly) as possible, and make sure your email address is correct so you can receive your meal plan.

Step #2 Here’s What Will Happen Next

Once you’ve completed the survey, we’ll create your custom meal plan for you. Just enter your payment details to get instant access to your custom-made keto meal plan.

Step #3 Are You Ready?

If so, today is the day you rise to the challenge and transform your body and health because ultimately, this service is for people who recognize a great opportunity when they see one and act fast.

The Way I See It, You have Three Options From Here

Option #1

Ignore everything you've just read and change nothing. If you decide to take this path, remember the old saying, "if you do what you always did, you'll get what you always got."

Option #2

Try to lose fat and improve your health through "trial and error." Fly solo with the attitude "throw it on the wall and see what sticks." You may reach your goal at some point with this approach, but not without countless frustrations and setbacks that leave you on the verge of giving up.

Or, the smartest option…

Option #3

Skip all the frustration and take charge of your figure by investing in your custom meal plan. Eat based on a scientifically-proven method that's crafted to help any person, at any age, and in any situation enjoy long- lasting fat loss results.

To get your custom keto meal plan, click the button below. Go through the questionnaire. Enter your payment details. Just like that. You'll get instant access to your custom meal plan. You’ll be able to start your new diet within minutes of ordering!

I've never been more excited and proud about one of my programs than as I am now. And I can't wait for you to enjoy the life-changing results you'll get by investing in yourself today.

DOWNLOAD HERE FOR DIET PROGRAM

#diet #health #health & fitness #foodhealthy

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