#shockingly little for the youths and young adults to do

[daybloomcrow]

anybody wanna go to a mall with me and hang out until we get kicked out because we're actually enjoying the experience and not spending all of our MoneyCoin on ServiceProducts?

[dsaf-confessions]

this was on the discord but I'm adding more stuff I brainstormed at work mwahahha

My current dsaf fic idea is a Henry miller character study completely based on the title 'All Your Ugly American Fear' where Henry's character is explored during world war two, his traumas and likes and complex feelings towards his fathers death, and the true kick-starting of his engineering passion and kind-of-career. In addition to that, the juxtaposition of his life as a child during The Great Depression having to work to support himself and his father, quite literally scraping by the skin of his teeth to just survive and the actual money he's making now. Wars are shockingly good for the economy, tons of new jobs, people getting paid to fight and such, I think something interesting would be him sustaining an injury, wether it be minor or major, and feeling ecstatic at the fact he can pay to receive medical care. He was only a boy when he joined the war, around fifteen years of age, so he's dealing with the insane mix of being a hormonal little asshole teenager, his father dying, the first time in his life he's ever had money, fighting in the war, and finally being able to incorporate his passion into his life in a way which counts. I think something which is often overlooked is the extent of the poverty which Henry would of grown up in, he was born in 1925 and the great depression began in 1929, and during those four years, as I believe his mother passed away during Henry's birth Charles would of had to raise Henry with both the financial struggle that would have been Henry's mother's death (I do believe she was working, since many women went into the workforce at home while men were sent off to fight, and some stayed in the workforce afterwards, I believe Henry's mother would of stayed. While being crazy insane is in the Miller bloodline, I believe having a type for badass mother fucking women is too), and the pure shock and devestation that would have been. Even if Charles and his wife weren't incredibly close, even if Charles held a certain amount of disdain for her, that still would of been an upset, you're finally doing this part of what it means to be a functioning adult in American society, and one of the key gears of that machine breaks. Anyhow, Henry then had to work to support both himself and his father during the thick of the great depression. Both himself, and his father. He would of most certainly have been grinded up in that capitalist machine, the wording of this piece of information about henry entails Charles didn't have a steady job or a job at all, and if so, Henry would of been paying for his fathers medicine and his fathers beer. I believe the beer would of been unknowingly, if that was the case. When Charles died, Henry was still just a young boy, he quite literally had no family to go to. The army was really his only viable option in his eyes, and everyone lied about their age to get in anyhow. So, with a recently deceased father after working years off end to support the both of them in the midst of a long lasting economical dip, Henry joined the American war machine, and I think that was an incredibly interesting experience. Complete with things so good they sparked rapturous joy, and devestations so horrid they're missing from his memory as an adult. Henry finally had money, and wasn't in the midst of The Depression, and didn't have anyone he had to support, so he was finally able to afford himself all the human rights he wished. This included food, I believe even during his youth he wasn't considered thin as his weight would be partly genetic, but now being able to eat consistently he would of gained a fair amount of weight and his metabolism would still be adapted to a very slow pace. Also due to the fact his metabolism wouldn't burn fat for energy, he would of constantly been very tired and training and fieldwork would of been a nightmare.

I don't think Henry took any issue with his weight, only physical ability. The fact he had gained weight was, subconsciously, a reminder that he was in a more stable position now. Even if Henry lost weight, I think he would subconsciously feel weaker, less safe, in a more prone position in life. Anyhow, world war 2 ended in 1945, Henry would of been only 19 or so, and he still in that time was high enough of a rank that he was able to provide engineering schematics. This means that he was a bloody prodigy. There was no way people genuinely couldn't tell he was that young, I think he still had childish mannerisms even if he had to grow up too fast, even if he looked old enough. He would of been heavily trusted and admired by coworkers I think, yet it's clearly shown his later designs and most likely mannerisms were inhuman, later designs of his being turned away for humanitarian reasons and his job happy to turn him away for new hires. The reason for this decline was most certainly war trauma, as many positives as being a soldier gave Henry, war is obviously not a cure all. He has nightmares from serving, clearly some form of a trauma disorder. Add that to the fact that for his entire life, he had been surviving, scraping by, with an abusive father, and having to overwork himself. It's a shock his mental state was atleast vaguely intact for so long. These are even more factors which contribute to his eventual insanity, he's been forcefully dragged deeper and deeper into this depressing rabbit hole since he was born by the capitalist grinding machine and militaristic America, he's been a failed case from society since his day of birth.

-the pink anon

.

[roguesandsaviors]

Shane Walsh Imprint Soulmate AU request

Author's note: Over a month ago, @slavic-empress was kind enough to make two requests! This is the first. It was for Shane Walsh from the Soulmate AU prompt list. Imprint was chosen. The prompt meaning the soulmates touch will leave an imprint on their skin. The term touch was taken a little liberally. I based it upon touch being a conscious decision, the giver giving the receiver the touch and therefore the imprint so that one soulmate could imprint the other without their knowledge. This is also the first submission to the @bernthirst-events Bernthal Birthday Big Bang in honor of the man himself and celebrating Jon's birthday.

You have been friends with Rick Grimes for a long time. Which meant that for an equally long time, you had to put up with Shane Walsh. The two of you got along like cats and dogs; not at all. With the two men friends and coworkers, it was often that any get together put the two of you in close proximity. Being the polite one, not wanting to ruin anything for your friends or cause a scene, you often did the tried and true method of grinning and bearing it. The snide comments, the cocky attitude, the general asshole nature of the man just grated on every one of your nerves. The exact opposite of everything you have wanted to deal with in a human, all the traits that just drove you crazy. But you had to suck it up and deal with it. He was close friends with Rick and it wasn't like that was going to change. Neither was your friendship with the man. So, you were the adult in the situation.

Shane had been particularly unbearable the last few weeks. Apparently some relationship that he had been in, one that shockingly and for the first time in years had been going well, ended when the woman met her soulmate. Admittedly, you couldn't blame him for being miserable and grumpy about that. Then again, you had decided a few years ago that it wasn't worth waiting or banking on ever finding your soulmate.

Gathering at your godson's birthday party, you knew that today might be a challenge. Even if everyone was here for Carl. That was the mindset that you did your best to hold onto, the young boy excited about his day, greeting you at the door with a large grin and a hug.

"Hey bud." You returned the hug. "Happy birthday. You ready for all the party fun we are going to have?"

"Yeah! All my friends should be here soon. Are you going to get in the pool with us?"

"Of course. What kind of silly question is that?" He giggled and stepped back. "You wanna help me bring the food in birthday boy? Then maybe I'll just sneak you the first of your two presents. But we can't tell anyone." You winked playfully and he nodded, eagerness overriding everything. Quickly, he was out to your car to help you. There were only a few things that you brought, some homemade salads and the like to be able to help Lori so she didn't have to do everything on her own.

Once everything was carried in and settled, you could hear Carl hopping around, excitement over the prospect of a present making you laugh. That youthful sort of enthusiasm was always refreshing.

"All right, I think you definitely earned your first present." You shifted through your bag for a moment. You had gotten him the latest model of remote control car that you knew he had been wanting for months. That would be opened later. The other had been the next in his favorite book series and that's what you had. "Here it is."

"Thank you." He tore it open just as the door opened, Shane walking in. You shifted your focus back to car, smiling as he realized what he had.

"Woah, what's going on? I thought presents were supposed to happen later." Carl looked up, clearly nervous about it as Shane spoke and you could have smacked the man. Normally, he didn't give a shit about the rules so you didn't know where that came from.

"Y/N said I could. It's only one. And there's another to open later." You reached out and ruffled his hair.

"I did. And it's perfectly fine. Go ahead Carl, go and get ready. I'm sure your friends are going to be here soon." You sent him off and glanced back towards Shane. "Really?"

"What?"

"Did you need to get on his case like that? It's not like he snuck the present off the table. I was here with him, gave it to him, and gave him the okay."

"It's not like that's your choice. Maybe Rick and Lori didn't want that happening."

"And that it makes it yours to ruin the moment for him? It was a book. That's not your choice, by your logic Walsh. So just back off and bring your surly ass somewhere else. If you're going to be an asshole, just make your appearance and leave." You weren't going to put up with his shit today. Not after that little stunt.

"Oh for fuck sakes. Stop being so damn stuck up. You were wrong and caught about it. So stop whining." You couldn't help but roll your eyes, knowing that he was just going to be more uptight and snarky with you because he was in a bad space.

"Stuck up? You're the one being stuck up. The kid opened one present, a book, and you were ready to throw him under the bus. Just because whatever her name left you, doesn't mean you can take it out on everyone around you. Guess what, it happens. People find their soulmates. Some people actually want to. Move on and don't be a dick to everyone around you." That struck a deeper nerve than you had managed before, apparently, as you watched his jaw tense. He was in front of you before you could blink. Trying to stand your ground, there was a moment you were actually worried about your well being.

"You have no idea what you're talking about so why don't you stop sticking your nose where it don't belong. And I wouldn't be talking about soulmate shit. You clearly ain't got one and if you do, I feel sorry for the poor fuck. Being stuck with you would be a living hell. No one should have to put up with you. If I was him, I would ignore it and go on being with whoever I was with." The words stung. While you had given up on finding your soulmate, it didn't mean that things like that didn't sting. Your anger got the better of you in that moment, your frustrations with him boiling over. Before you could think, you were reacting, hand cocked back and flying towards his face.

He caught it before you could slap his cheek, hand tight around your wrist. The two of you stared at one another before the sound of Lori calling out ended up pulling you from the moment. You yanked your hand back, turning on your heel. Your wrist stung where he had squeezed. Looking down as you made it to the bathroom, your heart stopped.

There it was, the thing you had given up on. Of all the people in the world. Shane Walsh's touch had caused an imprint. Your stomach churned. In the years that you had known each other, apparently you had never touched but you didn't have any sort of imprint. Eyes couldn't move off the mark as you braced against the sink. With the panic welling, you needed to leave.

Once the panic settled, you would feel bad that you had left Carl's party, that he had wanted to have you there. No, all that was in your mind was putting distance between you and the man that you couldn't even look at in the moment.

[rivertalesien]

I know there's laughs out there that the CW's "true" audience age "range" is 58 year olds, but this story is a little darker.

The CW has been bought up by monster media company Nexstar, who will be turning the CW into just one more of its "unscripted" program holders. This usually skews for conservative, older audiences and definitely puts the pin on why so many of their (queer) superhero shows were pulled without fanfare.

This company is buying up anything and everything media and making over markets for that older, more conservative crowd. Programming for youth, teens and young adults (in the US) is limited almost exclusively to Disney/Nickelodeon, heavy on the Marvel corporate comic culture takeover. Streamers like Netflix offer only slightly more variation, but are also the reason so many series have such short or very limited runs.

We're losing or have lost independent media and even independent journalism and criticism. Nexstar has also purchased The Hill and BestReviews among its many acquisitions that will allow it to continue to maintain a conservative-leaning status quo on many fronts.

Nexstar operates and provides services to 197 TV stations reaching about 39% of U.S. households.

This is not good new for creatives, it is not good news for the queer community.

The CW sucked but it was the only network that offered pretty much anything queer least of all multiple shows featuring queer characters. That's over now.

The right-wing take over and homogenization of media began a long time ago and while we had a brief window of queer content over the past twenty years, broadcast media looks like its pushing it aside (and streamers, owned by the same companies, aren't doing much better).

In the global climate of fear and terrorism against LGBTQs, this is the worst sort of news.

[nerdierholler]

Ok, ok, ok since I've i've been going through some of the different Wayhaven Chronicles routes, I guess I should write out some stuff about my detectives. Not sure if I'll do anything with any of them but they're holding my attention more than anything else has in months soooo....

First up, Detective Young!

Name: Briana (Bree) Young

Age: 32

Description: Red hair past her shoulders, green eyes, 5'6", lightly tanned skin with freckles.

Personality: Friendly and Charming

Professional Strengths: Deduction and Combat, also very By the Book

Joined the Force: To avoid jail time

Romance: Mason (Intimate, Bold)

Relationship with Rebecca: Bad growing up, a little better as an adult, significant improvements since learning about and working for The Agency.

Tina and Verda: Gets on well with both but not at a BFF level. Neither knows about supernaturals.

Bobby: Ex from college, feelings border on a lasting grudge.

More details about her under the cut

Growing Up: Between a string of nannies, school and Rebecca being a workaholic, Bree eventually came to the conclusion that any kind of attention was better than none and started acting out as a teenager. She had a lot of resentment towards her mom for, what Bree saw, as abandoning her and pawning her off on others.

She did a couple of years of college in the city with a liberal arts focus. It was during this time that she started dating Bobby. She stayed with him for far longer than she should have because, once again, any attention is better than none, right? Eventually they split up and she dropped out. There were a couple of years of jobs she never held for very long and weekends filled with parties in increasing run down locations. Finally she ended up with the choice of jail or joining the police.

Since Joining the Police: The job suited her shockingly well. It gave her the structure and goals her life had been lacking. After a couple of years she decided to take online classes to finish her degree, this time with a criminal justice focus. It was around this time that her relationship with her mom improved from practically hostile, to polite but brief and awkward interactions.

Feelings on Unit Bravo and the Supernatural: Was surprisingly ok with finding out. It made a lot of things in her past click and make sense. There's still some trust issues with Rebecca because of it but it's getting easier to overcome now that she knows the truth. She mostly trusts The Agency although she never trusts any large organization 100%.

Nate is her BFF. He seems to be the most aware of Mason's feelings and she knows he's someone she can talk to about that if she needs to.

Felix: She likes his sense of fun but his blunt observations can rub her the wrong way. His lack of focus can also leave her frustrated during mission prep. They have a good time hanging out though.

Adam: They butt heads but in the end they have pretty similar, outlooks, goals and methods when it comes to missions. They just haven't quite figured out how to work in sync on that. They're getting there though!

Mason: He scratches that bad boy itch from her youth. She recognizes the innuendo game he plays right off the bat and decides to play along with the full intention of getting as close as possible to the finish line before dropping him to teach him a lesson. Somewhere along the way she realizes that a fling could be pretty fun, and eventually that she has some feelings for him. She'd like to see it develop into something more and thinks there might be hints of that happening but also realizes that, for a lot reasons, Mason might not ever get there emotionally. Right now she's going with the flow but it's probably not too much longer before she realizes she's in deeper water than she thought.

Mason's Pet Name: I'm toying with the idea that Mason calls her Red instead of Sweetheart. Sweetheart and Angel give off the same vibe so the first time he calls her Sweetheart, he picks up on some tension and emotional stress. He's trying to get her into bed, annoying her is one thing but picking at bad memories is probably not going to lead to sexy times. She's been called Red on and off her whole life but especially during her partying days. It's not a nickname she's fond of because of that but it doesn't hit her the same way Sweetheart does, it's mostly just annoying. Eventually she comes to like it when he calls her that though. Mason is the only one of UB who call's her Red though, everyone else calls her Briana or Bree.

[mannatea]

comme les étoiles dans le ciel, a Rose of Versailles ‘Ficlet Collection

005: Floue Words: 1,292 words Summary: Oscar reflects. Pairing/Character: Oscar/André Extra Info: First person ‘fic? In my repertoire? It’s more likely than you think! Rating: PG for this chapter! Genre: Angst, Romance, Character Study

More notes:

The original sat at a whopping 605 words, so this was obviously a fairly large rewrite.

I’m not saying that short and concise isn’t good, because it can be, but what I’m noticing as I work on rewriting this “drabble” collection is that most of the stories I wrote didn’t actually lend themselves to being short. At least...not naturally? 

With the exception of La Promesse, the others just feel like messy simplifications of storylines or emotion. I dunno. I have this irrational fear when I add to ‘fics that I’m reverting back to my “over-abundance of detail” stage (from like, 2010 to 2012). At the same time, I feel pretty confident that doubling the word count for this story made it feel...much more cohesive.

Things I changed:

The ending! The original ending was sloppy and I wasn’t even happy with it when I posted it back in 2009. It ended with Oscar asking André if she was getting old and all he said in return was, “Only if you want to be.”

WHAT KIND OF ENDING WAS THAT? I mean it literally ended with that line.

I wrote this in 2009, before I was dealing with the worst of my chronic illnesses.  I’m not sure if I subscribed to the “you’re only as old as you let yourself be!” mentality or not, because 2009 was the beginning of the end for my mental and physical health. Maybe it was a last-ditch attempt on my part to cope with what was happening to me?

So much of the original writing was Bad. I scrapped a lot of lines and rewrote nearly everything. I made a conscious effort to adjust the tone to sound more like Oscar as the narrator, and to make the words flow more naturally, as if it was all internal dialogue.

The original barely touched on Oscar’s childhood beyond the fact that she felt like it was all “a blur” to her. I added a lot more in about that and tried to weave in a pinch of the Lady Oscar live-action, because one of many things I felt it got right was the way it handled “everything is so complicated now, but it used to be simple and I miss when things were simple.” 

I don’t know how 2009 me had even the remotest grasp of what it was like to be turning 33. Maybe it was all those chronic issues descending on me a full decade before I turned that old?

Either way, I’ll be turning 34 this year, and I think I captured the crux of the issue decently in the original.

Now more than ever I think I understand this aspect of Oscar’s character. If you’re young, it might be a little harder to grasp (ten years ago I was not emotionally capable of that), but growing up can be difficult for reasons that go well beyond Basic Adult Responsibilities. Paying bills and taking out the trash sucks, but I’m not talking about that.

As you mature you gain a new understanding of the world around you. You become aware of new things, many of which are terrible. Maybe it was easy to shrug off the realities around you due to your privilege (I’m looking at all the white people who might be reading this in particular), but at a certain point you become shockingly Aware of your privilege and the evils of others. Ignorance isn’t an excuse, and you can’t undo what you already know (nor do you want to), but there is a special kind of stress that comes with it. And a responsibility, too, to use your privilege to help others.

Boo hoo, poor privileged Oscar! This isn’t what I’m saying. Oscar’s entire character arc is about her learning about her privilege and using it to help others. She uses it early on to save André’s life when he would have died for letting injury come to the crown princess. This is why André swears his life to her. This is why André loves her. Because this is the kind of person Oscar is.

Even if you are not privileged, it’s difficult to avoid becoming aware of how other people (people who are not you) are oppressed. You come face to face with racism, misogyny, economic inequality, and how wealthy the rich actually are (versus how rich you thought they were).

If you are a woman, think about your understanding of sexism and misogyny as it is now, and compare it to your understanding of it 10 years ago, 15 years ago, 20 years ago. See how it has shifted? See how much more you know now? How much more Aware you’ve become?

The point of all of this isn’t to say, “Hey, feel sorry for Oscar because she’s having a rough time wrestling with her privilege!” Rather, “sometimes being bombarded with terrifying and sad realities, being forced to challenge your worldview to the point of exhaustion, is frightening and difficult, and if Oscar feels like it’s overwhelming, that’s very understandable.” 

Who isn’t tired of the news right now? Who isn’t sick to their stomach when they refresh and see another person has died, another terrible thing has happened, the US leader has said another insensitive, hurtful, awful, disgusting thing?

Again, Oscar’s character arc is about her processing her privilege and actively using it to try and do The Right Thing. 

The journey to this point is difficult, but the truly awful aspect of it, and what I was trying to highlight in this ‘fic, is the sheer volume of Bad Things That Keep Happening That She Can’t Directly Do Anything About. 

Notice that she doesn’t get angry at the peasants for attacking her and André. She spends the whole scene begging them to listen to her and stop beating André because he isn’t a noble, she’s the noble, if you have to hurt someone hurt her instead.

She understands their way of thinking and their hurt, and what makes this difficult isn’t that they hurt her and André! It’s the crushing knowledge that all of Paris is suffering, and she’s only one person who feels she can’t even protect the one person she should be able to protect on her own. How can she help? Nothing ever feels like it’s enough!!!

Oscar’s understanding that the things she enjoyed as a child would not be things she would enjoy now were both added in and didn’t really exist in the original. I hope this is relatable. I do feel that as we age we realize that some of the behaviors we engaged in in our youth were mean or unfair.

I also really played up Oscar’s love in the rewrite. I feel like in first person, and especially sloshed, Oscar would understand her own feelings a little bit better.

Sorry for this jumbled mess of notes. Hopefully they make sense, though! :)

[davidgenislawfirm]

Underage Drinking Penalties

Gathering! Gathering! Gathering! The widely adored activity. All the boisterous music, extravagant lights, scrumptious food, companions, it's simply extraordinary. Goodness, and who would actually disregard the liquor, one of the main fixings with regards to extraordinary gatherings. You see it all the time on TV and at clubs, everyone drinking and making some incredible memories! 

Or then again perhaps you see your folks drinking every so often; it just seems like quite a scrumptious beverage. Be that as it may, as a young adult would you be able to do likewise? Is it true that you are permitted to drink too? Shockingly 99.9% of times you are not permitted. Underage drinking is illegal and shouldn't be trifled with or as a joke.

Laws about Alcohol Usage

In Ontario, the LLA (Liquor License Act) makes all the standards with respect to liquor use. Various nations and regions will change, yet in Ontario, the legal drinking age is 19. It is expressed that minors (younger than 19) are not permitted to buy, sell, or have any liquor related beverages. 

Minors are additionally not permitted to enter any sort of bar or bar without being joined by a parent or gatekeeper. They are additionally not permitted to work at any bar or bar except for long term olds who have a Smart Serve declaration. Everybody (counting the two minors and grown-ups) can't have an open packaged of liquor, inebriated, or affected by liquor in any open region. 

You will be fined at least $500 whenever discovered offering liquor to a minor. In the event that a minor requests that you help them purchase something outside of LCBO, don't do it, in spite of the fact that you may think you are helping them out, it's illegal. You could likewise be charged and considered answerable for any wounds or harms. So fundamentally, remain as distant as conceivable from anything identified with liquor until you are 19. After 19, appreciate!

There is a little distinction in the law for minors beyond 16 years old. They are permitted to be served liquor at eateries, however they may not open containers, pour or blend any mixed beverages. 

It additionally doesn't express that guardians or watchmen should be available with the minor. Once more, every one of these laws are for Ontario, it very well may be distinctive relying upon the nation or territory you are in.

Exemption

Like referenced previously, 99.9% of times it's illegal, yet there is as yet that 0.01% special case. Also, that is the point at which you are home with your parent or gatekeeper. By law, guardians or watchmen are permitted to serve their children liquor in the security of their homes.

 This implies, on the off chance that you are having a party family supper a home, you are permitted to attempt some liquor (you'll likely detest the taste the first run through). It's important that if there are different minors at the scene, liquor can't be served without their parent or gatekeeper's assent too.

Punishments

On the off chance that a minor is gotten with ownership of liquor, attempting to buy or sell, utilizing a phony ID, or being in a bar or bar, they can be fined up to $230 contingent upon the seriousness of the offense. Police can give these tickets at any area or time. 

It is typically likewise a smart thought to carry your ID when going to purchase liquor. On the off chance that you are more than 19 yet look very youthful, police could presume you are a minor. On the off chance that you can't show any proof of your age, a ticket could likewise be given.

It's very not justified, despite any potential benefits as it could influence a ton of things later on in your life, for example, employment forms, as in spite of the fact that it's a common offense, it very well may be an issue for certain businesses, or possibly a humiliation to you. If you have any query then see lawyer's website.

[abitoflit]

Riot Baby

“Ella has a Thing. She sees a classmate grow up to become a caring nurse. A neighbor's son murdered in a drive-by shooting. Things that haven't happened yet. Kev, born while Los Angeles burned around them, wants to protect his sister from a power that could destroy her. But when Kev is incarcerated, Ella must decide what it means to watch her brother suffer while holding the ability to wreck cities in her hands. Rooted in the hope that can live in anger, Riot Baby is as much an intimate family story as a global dystopian narrative. It burns fearlessly toward revolution and has quietly devastating things to say about love, fury, and the black American experience. Ella and Kev are both shockingly human and immeasurably powerful. Their childhoods are defined and destroyed by racism. Their futures might alter the world,” (Tochi Onyebuchi).

I appreciated the fact that Onyebuchi’s novel was fast-paced and that he was able to express himself without causing his story to drag on and on and on as some other novelists do. However, the time jumps were a bit disorienting at times—I wasn’t always sure how much time had passed or what was going on and felt as though I had to play catch-up at times.

I also felt as though the novel’s grammar and sentence structure left something to be desired. I am certain, however, that this was the novelist’s stylistic choice—he wanted to adopt speech patterns and use terms and phrases that both youth and adults coming from environments overwhelmed by slang and devoid of strong educational systems would use in their daily lives. In other words, a language often adopted by those with a poor educational background because of their limited or lack of access to “better” schools, tutors, and knowledgeable teachers. I believe this was done to immerse the reader in the world Onyebuchi was describing, but I found that it occasionally had the opposite effect—it was too “heavy,” for a lack of a better word, and disoriented me at times, keeping me from fully immersing myself in his story.

Sometimes, the story also felt more like a collection of nightmares and memories than a fluid story. I don’t believe this is necessarily a bad thing, but I do wonder how the story would have been altered had the narrations been more “fluid.” If the connective tissue between each section and break within the chapter had been both strong and clear throughout. Perhaps this too, was reflective of the narrators’ experiences, meant to help immerse you in the text since their lives were often disjointed and fraught with anger and violence, the text itself should be disjointed and jumpy in some ways.

I also felt like there were some minor continuity errors in Riot Baby. On the tenth page of the novella, Jamila is introduced as a young boy, but on page 25, she’s introduced as a girl working in a shop. I’m assuming they’re the same person and wonder what happened. This is also one of the earliest scenes from the novel where I began to wonder how much time passed between sections/scenes because if Jamila was old enough to work in a store than she must be at least a teenager. Kevin, now capable of speech, must be getting up there as well.

I also found the narrational shifts between first and third person to be a bit jarring. Especially when they happened within the same section of a particular chapter. I think it may have been best if Onyebuchi picked one perspective and stuck to it.

With that being said, I felt like the novel was well-done overall. I think it honestly and genuinely portrayed the hardships that cultural minorities, (such as Blacks), from less-affluent communities endure on a day-to-day basis. I think that it fully encompassed their thoughts and fears, the ideas that regularly run through their minds. I wish the character’s motivations had been a little clearer, but overall, I don’t have many complaints with the author’s ability to express what he wanted to express. I think he shed some light on what it’s like living with institutionalized racism, in areas dominated by gangs and poverty, about the hardships of everyday life when you’re “dealt a bad hand.” And although the novel was often violent and angry and unsettling, it was a novel that needed to be written and a story that needed to be told because the things that Onyebuchi described happen.

Every day.

To lots of different people. And it is only through story, through word of mouth and paper, that we can both begin to understand and overcome.

And finally grow beyond.

Books like this which legitimize people’s experiences are one of the ways that we can all grow as a society and I am happy to have taken the time to read it.

Rating: 3.2/5 stars

[ren-c-leyn]

Happy Storyteller Saturday! What was your wip's cast like when they were younger? Are they embarrassed about who they used to be? How have they grown?

Happy storyteller saturday to you as well =)

Okay, so I can’t go into great depth, and some of this may be subject to change as I continue writing out the series.

Raina: I imagine her childhood was very structured, planned out for her. She was likely just as quiet and, shockingly, even less expressive and emotional than she is now. She probably did a lot of studying and apprenticed under the best, but rarely uses any of the skills from back then in her life now. She might have been a bit on the snobby side, but not because she thought she was better than anyone but more because ‘this is how things are.’ Definitely sought out the approval of others, and went to great lengths to prove herself.

 I don’t think she’s so much embarrassed as she is angry and disappointed in her younger self, and thus she has dedicated her adult life to undoing as much of her youth as she can. Starting with her skillset and clothing, and then deeper, more important things, like the kind of company she keeps now and the things she now sees as truly important and worth fighting for.

Sparrow: She was probably bubblier when she was a very little kid, likely laughed a lot and liked to play-pretend to be something magical, but when her parent’s marriage started falling to pieces, she started stepping further and further into the background and turned to fantasy worlds such as games, manga, novels, ect. She was teased a lot over her first life’s name, and grew to hate it enough that she started going by the nickname of Cinder instead. She still had friends, though, and spent as much time with them as she could, but even then she knew she was just trying to run from something that couldn’t be outrun.

 I don’t know if Sparrow thinks about her own past actions to be embarrassed by them, but she has already a lot grown since her death.

 Instead of running from the danger, she’s started standing her ground, and while she still has plenty of moments of insecurity, she usually snaps out of them and keeps pushing forward. She doesn’t give up as easily as she did in her past life, on herself or the people around her. And yeah, she’s realizing that being a hero isn’t as easy as games and movies make it look, but she’s still trying her best to become one, even if this new world will never see her as one.

Hunter: I think the hunter’s childhood is why he is the loner he is these days. Too much angst, too much betrayal, too much darkness to ever be fully confident in the light again. But at the same time, I think it’s what cultivated his loyalties and honed him into the master tracker/hunter that he is when the books begin. Like Raina, he too carries great shame from his past, but unlike her, he is looking to the future. If not for his own, for someone else’s.

Claude: Claude spent a lot of his childhood dealing with the dangers of enchanting magic. Like a lot of kids born with strong magic, it kind of robbed him of a true childhood. Still, he made the best of it, and I think up until the loss of his mentor, he saw great wonder in it. He was a very stubborn child as well as a very curious one. I think he might have even has a mischievous streak in him.

 In his young adult life, I think he found the joys of a simple life to be even more magical.

 I’m sure he had embarrassing moments, and parts of his life he regrets or wishes he had done something differently, like all people, but I think he wishes he had it all back more than he wishes he had been different. The way he changed was from the lose of those happy things he treasured so much, and it wasn’t a positive change. While he still remained a supportive, responsible person, he became obsessed with enchanting and using it for vengeance, no matter what the cost to himself was.

Jalen: Jalen’s childhood wasn’t very good, to put it mildly. He was probably a very kind, earnest kid who wanted to help everyone, even though he couldn’t even help himself. He probably hated having anything done for him, and felt awful when he couldn’t do something, even when he tried his best. I also imagine he was the kind of kid that would hide his pain behind the biggest, brightest smile to try and keep people from worrying about him.

  And I think his greatest embarrassment was he couldn’t do anything about it. Too clumsy to do much of use, too weak to defend himself, even when many children his age were training for war already.

 Jalen’s more timid and more guarded than he was as a child, and now that he’s found things he can kind of do, he uses them to try and take care of others to the best of his ability. Also, he no longer gains attachments to places. He can pack everything up and leave at the drop of a hat, if needed.

Hugh: He was probably actually a fairly serious kid, being the eldest and needing to help his single mother and all. Probably annoyed the pudding out of his younger sisters with his pseudo parenting, likely tried learning a bunch of stuff to keep the household running smoothly, and probably immediately taught his sisters anything he figured out so they would have lots of useful skills to make people like them more when they grew up, to various degrees.

 And I don’t think he’s embarrassed about any of it. If asked, he’d probably laugh and say something along the lines of ‘yeah, I was a good kid, up until the world ruined me.’

 He’s now the troublemaker his sisters were from the start with rebellion about the only constant about him. Probably tossed aside a great number of his morals for the sake of adapting and evolving to the world around him, as there are few places for half-elves in society. Has decided to let his sisters roam and do as they please, though he does still keep an ear out for their exploits to make sure they haven’t died or anything.

And as those are the main cast members I have written, and this has already turned out to be fairly lengthy, I think I’ll leave my answer at that for now =)

[theoddcatlady]

The Secret of Being Beautiful

You know, there was a time I thought I could keep doing porn forever.

Hi, I’m Beth. That’s not the name I use in the industry, but I think this is the closest I’ll get to being anonymous. I started doing adult videos when I was twenty, I wanted to be an actress but I wasn’t getting noticed and I’d just lost my job as a waitress. I had bills to pay. I figured I’d do it just once, something soft core, something to make sure I didn’t get kicked onto the streets.

I didn’t expect to enjoy it so much.

It’s not as sexy as you think, making porn. There’s a lot of hard work that goes into it, holding certain positions, staying aroused even when your partner’s dick kinda smells like old cheese, the various grossness that can come with anal scenes, but I truly enjoy it despite all that. I was free to explore things that I’d only fantasized about. Threesomes. Bondage. S&M. Lesbian. Bisexual. I grew up incredibly sheltered, I was taught sex was for making children and for after marriage, and pleasure wasn’t the goal, only a side effect. So getting into this line of work was freeing. And people loved me.

I’m quite a natural beauty, if I do say so myself. Large tits, small waist, big butt. Shockingly no surgery involved. I had a girlfriend who also did porn tell me how jealous she was of the fact I didn’t have to go under the knife for any of that. I’m a rare occurrence, believe me I know, but I never paid out for my good looks.

Life was great. I was constantly getting jobs. I had boyfriends, girlfriends, some relationships that ended poorly, more often then ended on great terms. I had so many friends. I lived a good life. I never got married, but that was always fine by me. If I needed a piece of paper to prove to someone I loved them, they weren’t worth it in my book.

I was thirty one when I got booked for my first MILF role.

Yeah, those ‘MILFs’ you drool are usually around that age. I was working with a girl that just turned eighteen, it was a stepmother/daughter scene. Now her boobs were definitely fake. But I saw the writing on the wall then.

I wasn’t getting booked for those young, innocent roles anymore. The next generation was coming in, and they were even more beautiful than I was.

MILF roles came in more often than not. I was great at the role, not gonna lie, but I was good at the other ones too. But people didn’t want me for that anymore.

Two years ago I realized my reign as a goddess of sex was coming to end.

It’s not just your appearance aging that kills your career in the end. It’s your body. Years of fucking every Dan and Duke can take its toll. No, it’s not because my vag got stretched out, that’s ridiculous. Thank god I never got an STD, but I found it more and more difficult to get wet enough, to get into those same kinky positions. And behind the scenes some of those Dans and Dukes could be real bitches about fucking ‘a grandma’. I was forty two. Sure as hell not a grandma. I punched out one guy when he called me an old bitch.

Yeah, that probably didn’t help my career much. Thank god he didn’t press charges. But guys find it a little intimidating to work with someone who gave a friend a black eye. And the guy I punched was a popular dude.

I didn’t want to give up my life. I loved, no, I love doing porn. It’s all I’ve ever done. I can’t imagine not doing it in front of a camera.

There was a moment I almost caved. There was a guy an ex knew who could give me the surgeries I needed for half the price as the legit docs. Smooth out the wrinkles, perk up the tits and the ass. I almost did it.

But my mom came to visit.

I always thought of her as a prude, my dad always called the shots and he blew his lid when one of his coworkers told him he saw one of my movies. Mom never spoke up. And I hadn’t talked to them until the day I walked into my kitchen and saw her playing with my cat Sneezy.

She’s always looked young, my mom. Hell, if a stranger on the street had to guess who was the mom and who was the daughter, they’d be picking me out as mom.

I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t seen her in so long. But she looked up, smiled.

“Bethany. Do you still like chicken pot pie? I can have one cooking in a jiffy while we catch up.”

God, it was so good to talk to her. She told me she never thought harshly of my career choice, she was even proud, but you know. Dad was a major conservative prick. He’d apparently kicked it last month from a heart attack and she’d come to deliver me what was left of his funds. I can’t prove that she might’ve edited his will to make sure I was provided for, but I wouldn’t be shocked if she did. My mom’s full of surprises.

I told her everything that I told you above, how I was getting less and less jobs, how I punched a guy for calling me a bitch, how I was considering plastic surgery just to make it a little while longer in this industry.

Mom nodded, continued to pet Sneezy. We enjoyed some killer pot pie.

And then she revealed to me the secret of her youthful looks.

“It’s all natural, sweetie,” She gestured to her face, “Passed down from mother to daughter when it’s time. If you go to that surgeon, I’ll give it a fifty fifty chance you’ll walk out looking like you’re thirty-five again or you’ll look like an expressionless leather wallet with boobs that’ll pop the moment you go up in an airplane. My way, our family’s way? One hundred percent chance you’ll look and feel twenty five again when it’s done with.”

I’m not an idiot. I knew the better way was Mom’s way. It was gonna hurt a bit, but I wasn’t going to bite the hand that fed me. And she’s told me she’ll help me this time. Next time, I’ll have to do it on my own.

I’m not putting the whole recipe on the internet, it’s a secret for a reason after all. If anyone else knew how easy it was to look young forever, everyone would do it. Several herbs and plants have to be thrown into a hot bath. It smelled like a garden in my bathroom.

I had to get the final ingredient though.

There was a woman once upon a time that believed if you bathed in the blood of virgins, you’d look young. And that… kinda works. Not long term though. And it’s only in appearance.

The girl in question doesn’t even have to be a virgin. Last month I’d met a new star, one that was like me once upon a time. Young. Naturally beautiful. No scalpels had ever penetrated her skin. If given the chance, she could’ve really made a splash.

But sex work of any kind can be a dangerous business.

Mom helped hold her down as I slit her throat over the bath. Blood poured into the water, turning the pale brown and green water a deep crimson. She didn’t even put up much of a fight, her eyes going blank after a few minutes.

Then I removed my robe and stepped into the bath. I’d have to be in here all night for it to work.

And I’m not kidding. It did. I look half my age. I feel it too. Since no one will believe I’m Beth, I’m now Beth’s little sister- Sandra. I look just like her too. People loved young Beth, they’re going to eat up Sandra.

The best part about working this industry is that I’ll never run out of young beautiful ladies to keep me beautiful.

[tzigone]

Favorite characterization of Dick Grayson

What's your favorite era or writer for Dick Grayson?  What characterizations do you like or dislike?

Here are my opinions.  I may ramble a bit. Sorry about that. 

You can skip this paragraph if you don't care how I ended up here and which comics I’ve read  - it's not particularly important, I just wanted to share.  First, while previously having seen on-screen versions of Dick Grayson, and read a bit of DickBabs fanfic (Batman: TAS sold me on them before the show went directions I loathe), I never actually read any issues of DC until 2015ish.  Had been a Marvel girl because they didn't do reboots, but then they destroyed Peter Parker's marriage and rebooted the universe, so I abandoned comics for a while.  But then I saw some reruns of Young Justice cartoon.  So I read some fic.  Many fics incorporated comic characters.  There I discovered Spoiler, who I really liked the idea of as Spoiler (someone who works against Batman's wishes and doesn't obey his orders and refused to back down, but isn’t a killer).  So I read the Robin series for the first 100+ issues (quitting when I knew War Games was near because the storyline sounded bad).  But that made me decide to read the Nightwing comic that stared in that era.  Really liked that, and really liked Dick Grayson (on-screen portrayals had already lead me to favor him).  Then Birds of Prey, Dixon-era, too.  Then, because I liked Dick, the Original and New Teen Titans. Original was too Silver Age for me, but really enjoyed 1980-1986ish New Teen Titans (thought it went downhill after that, and abandoned when I reached 1990 issues).  Also read assorted Golden, Silver, and Bronze Age comics.  So I have relatively broad, but very shallow knowledge of most Bat-eras, with more in-depth knowledge of the '90s and much less of post-2000 (mostly fic, which isn't always representative of the comic).

While I have opinions on various Bat and non-Bat characters and storylines, I'm starting with Dick here. He was my favorite. It's so dependent on writing (as is ever character), and right now he’s Ric, and that is something I’m not interested in. 

While I absolutely like aspects from other eras, and I dislike some aspects from these eras, my favorite time periods for Dick are probably 1980-1986ish and 1996-2000.  There’s some good 70s stuff and I like certain dynamics of him as guardian/mentor to Damian (and some stuff with other family), but as whole, these two eras in his titles (Teen Titans and Nightwing) are my favorites.  For his characterization as stand-alone (rather than his relationships with other characters).

Golden and silver age Dick merit a bit less discussion. Characters weren’t as distinct from each other back then.  Nor, really, as consistent.  But Dick was sometimes regarded as quite a mature young man in the golden age.  Responsible, good grades, intelligent, etc.  But so was Speedy - like I said, not much distinction.  Despite some impressions, in the stories I read I did not notice Robin to make lots of puns or be unusually cheery and smiley.

Come to the mid-60s and Dick was so much a teenager. I mean the original Teen Titans fairly scream with it early on (so much slang, really folks). One writer I didn’t like had him behave like an idiot (I’m not the only one who thought so, judging by the letters pages, though opinions were split).  Really, though, in the early original Teen Titans it felt like writer(s) were trying to push the “teen” thing too much, and they sometimes came off like caricatures.  But it was a time in comics when stories and characterizations were shifting and there were, IMO, both failures and successes in trying to embrace new and different.

The ‘70s were okay. Some bits I liked, and some I didn‘t. Dick is usually responsible in Detective Comics stories. He did a little bit of playing the play-boy (with Silver), which isn’t my speed, since I like the idea that Dick, unlike Bruce, doesn’t put on a facade in day-to-day life.  Had a few girlfriends - very normal and not either stunningly celibate or shockingly promiscuous. Though the entire 70s was one year of college for Dick.

I am not at all fond of the "goofy" Dick that seems to have popped up fairly often in the past 20 years.  They often seemed to have seriously dampened his brainpower and detective skills (because Tim is the smart one and the detective and for some reason they can’t both be that).  I’m not a fan of separate out all Batman’s skills and assigning one to each Robin. It makes the Robins all less than Batman and inferior to him and sets that they will never be his equals and that I do not agree with. Now this is by no means a *consistent* thing, but it does happen, and it does irritate me.  I don’t like seeing characters diminished.

I really love old-school Dick.  Back when he was young (late '70s to mid '80s), they showed us how mature he was (probably to contrast his youth and make him a viable peer to older heroes).  Both Wally and Roy commented on it. Roy said how he always felt so much younger (issue where he got custody of Lian).  Wally though Dick was always on top of things (Kory and Donna knew better).  Heck, Terry's (Donna's ex) bachelor party was another fine example how much more of an adult he was than some men twice his age.  He was pretty cerebral, a fantastic detective, a good fighter, etc.  He could hang out and have fun, too, of course. He wasn't a stick-in-the-mud.  He was too closed off and unwilling to talk sometimes (moreso with his team, and perhaps because he thought he needed to project confidence as a leader?).  He was, in a reverse, quite willing to talk about other people's emotional issues.   Sometimes as a friend, and sometimes as a leader.  He behaved most immaturely when dealing with Batman, particularly as their relationship became more difficult - there were times when they brought out the worst in each other. Though it wasn't steady, of course.

We really got to see Dick as a leader in this era. Someone people respected and looked up to.  Not that his team always agreed with him or that he was always right, but that but that he was a person that people did have trust in. And that he usually did a good job of deserving it.  It’s not just other teenagers, though, but the older heroes respect him as well.  It’s also the first time we a real, substantive romance - with Kory.  Saw where he floundered and how he loved, and such.  Which I thought worked well until it reached a point where I thought it needed to end, and it didn’t (or rather it did end, but didn’t stay ended).  Readers who like the ship, though, will likely have a different perspective, if they are like me (I just blame the writing when this sort of thing happens with ships I prefer).

Batman: Year Three - not the best story.  I don't remember most of it, to be honest.  But one thing I really liked was the highlighted difference between Bruce and Dick.  It hits that Dick is more emotionally healthy than Bruce. That Dick had the emotional support Bruce lacked as a child (I don't think continuity had yet settled on the idea of Alfred as a father-figure to Bruce).  That could segue me into changes in Bruce's backstory and characterization, but I'll refrain.  I will say that I preferred Dick with the nice-nuns orphanage to Dick-in-juvenile-facility (though I really, really like Dixon's run on Nightwing).  It makes Bruce less of a "rescuer" of Dick, which I prefer. I do not like the idea that Dick was doomed to end up dead on street (or a criminal) if not for Bruce.  Though I admit to preferring old-school Dick-goes-directly-to-Bruce's-home, no matter how unrealistic.  I dislike the entire Talon thing even more. I hate the back-projecting of more angst and more terrible things, like his parents being murdered wasn't bad enough.

Now we come to Nightwing series. I  really liked Dixon's run.  I'm a DickBabs fan, so seeing them get together was great.  I did read he wanted Dick/Donna, and I'm glad that didn't happen.  Partially because I'm a DickBabs fan, but also because I really, really liked the platonic friendship between Dick and Donna during the New Titans.  And I liked that it was platonic and that a friendship - rather than romance - could be so very important.  I don't think friendships get near the credit they should as important relationships in fiction, and so often fans want them to be romantic.  And the older I get, the more I value good fictional friendships and sibling relationships and so on.  For the record, I also really liked the Vic/Gar friendship. And I still tend to think of Donna, rather than Wally as Dick's BFF. Though he has many friends.

Anyway, I really liked seeing Dick working on his own and having his own city.   He was finding his own path and his rogues were being developed. I liked the idea of him as a cop, and I enjoyed Amy. I liked a lot of his banter with Barbara. But not just the banter, the serious stuff. Dick was looking for a real, long-term, serious relationship.  And Barbara was the hesitant one - for understandable reasons.   It's an everyday reminder of the things they used to do together.  Things he can do that she no longer can.  And she really wants to.

Of course, in this era, he was totally a big brother to Tim, a relationship he never really had with Jason (post-crisis).  Now, Bruce's character was becoming worse and worse in this era, so that provided some conflict for Dick.  Early in the series, Bruce wasn't that bad yet, and he and Dick had some nice bonding/reconciling moments.  And so some of the issues were just on Dick's side.  He has, since at least the Titans days, had a persistent need to prove himself Batman's equal.  To others and to Batman. I was kinda peeved with Donna when she said he'd never be as good. He thinks Bruce thinks less of him on occasions when Bruce doesn't. But Bruce still treats him like an underling a good portion of the time.  He expects Dick to take orders with no questions and doesn't give him full details of plans and doesn't listen to his opinions or consider Dick's needs.  Way too often, Bruce just puts his goal ahead of everyone else.  That's an issue with Bruce.  But Dick feels like it's Bruce not seeing him as equal.  Which it is, IMO, but mostly in the sense that Bruce tends to put himself/his goal above all others in terms of importance (a problem that has only gotten worse with time).

I wasn't real fond back-projection/retconning of the Dick/Babs relationship over the years. Or her de-aging.  I like her at least 4 years older than Dick.  With no involvement when he was in highschool.  Flirtation when he was in college (1970s Batman family issues), sure, but nothing really happening until he's in Bludhaven and in his mid 20s and the 5-7 year age gap doesn't matter because they're both adults.  I much prefer her pre-crisis background with Batman to the post-crisis one, but that's a topic for my post on her.

Then the Devin Grayson era - I don't agree with all the positions of the author, but I do agree about Devin Grayson: http://theflyingwonder.tumblr.com/post/107703923021/you-made-me-curious-and-i-couldnt-resist-it-tell and I think way too many of her aspects stuck with the character.  Which I guess makes her a success, but doesn't work for me at all, because I don't like the character she describes at all and he is not Dick to me. I've read her interview on Dick Grayson and her perception of the character was just nothing like mine. She acts like he's not a thinker (even though got called too cerebral in the old days).  She acts like Dick either "fights or fucks" everyone he meets, and totally disregards so many other types of relationships. Now, the Mirage-rape had already happened (and was horribly handled), plus the Raven-mind-controllish thing (also didn't work for me), but Grayson made Dick the sleeps-around type.  That was specifically contradictory to earlier characterizations where Dick was the committed-relationship type - something he actually discussed with Roy at one point.  I liked Dick being a relationship-only guy, it was a big contrast with Bruce (particularly post-Crisis Bruce).  I don't like Dick being Batman-lite at all.  

Not Devin Grayson, but Nightwing Annual #2 - ghastly. So incredibly out of character for who Dick was back then.   Another not-my-review at http://theflyingwonder.tumblr.com/post/93534635531/can-you-explain-the-nightwing-annual-2-thing. Though I would go further in that it's  reason I don't like post-Kory’s-political-wedding Dick/Kory.  It felt like a lot of build up to "love isn't enough" and then he basically chunked his beliefs to stay with her, which makes the relationship a bad thing to me. Here's my less-well-worded thoughts when I read the wedding. http://tzigone.tumblr.com/post/170389768364/nightwing-and-starfire

So, Dick's life in Bludhaven was destroyed.  His life as independent hero was destroyed.  I enjoyed Dick with the Titans, but him in Gotham is a no-go to me.  Because he goes back to being an appendage of Bruce.  He's working in someone else's city, he's a subordinate (at least with Bruce is actually there).

I haven't read as much of the Dick/Damian relationship as I maybe should have.  While interested in their dynamic, I'm not keen on Dick's wider characterization.  I do not like lothario-Dick.  And I do not like Batman-lite Dick.  So I deeply disliked him taking Robin from Tim and giving it away without discussing it, just like Bruce did to him.   Yeah.  To top that off, I unlike many, did not like the first 12 issues of Red Robin, so there wasn't even pay-off.  And then later we'd get Dick faking his death and hurting his family for the sake of the mission (Batman's mission).  Too Batman-like. I do get incredibly frustrated with that no matter how badly he treats them, Bruce's "kids" keep coming back and following his orders.  I didn't like his non-masked storyline, in N52, either. Sadly, at least Barbara (who I don’t like being a student of Bruce’s), Dick, and Tim have all adopted some of Bruce’s worse traits in regards to secrets and manipulation at one point or another.

But my biggest thing is that Dick all to often (not always, but even once is too often) gets treated like a joke. He's the lovable brother, and that part is okay. But he's all cuddles and cartoons and Disney and most of his maturity is just gone.  This is heavy in fic, but it's present in the comics, too.  At 19 he was man, and now he's a man-child. Not when he's working, I mean, but in personal life.  Lex Luthor says he's not a big thinker and some people agree. And that is just totally wrong to me.  For me Dick, while far from perfect, is a person that has earned and has respect not only from his peers, but from the first-generation heroes.  And it just gets worse later.  Late Pre-Crisis they de-age him and he's 21 in N52 (when it starts anyway). And I hated his de-aging, and Barbara's.  It feels like they're being drug backwards and not allowed to grow up. Even though Barbara *started* grown up and Dick had pretty much been a man even during his endless year at Hudson.  I don't like the idea of Dick as someone people don't take seriously. Bart or Booster, maybe is someone villains don't take seriously, but should. But Dick, at least as he reaches his adult years, should be someone that people (villains and colleagues) do take seriously and respect.  Thought without the intimidation Batman has, at least with criminals.  I will say I do think it was done partially to keep Batman from getting too old to do the job, but I still don’t care for it.

Don’t get me started on Dick and what he thought was Bruce’s body and the Lazarus pit.

I thought the entire issue with Dick and Bruce after Bruce’s failed wedding was bad.  Dick tries to be the goofball. They try to redeem it at the end, but it falls flat because he was stupid enough to think it would help in the first place.

Some people seem to think it's the sweetest thing ever if Dick moves back to Gotham and lives in the manor and Bruce takes care of him, and that's just a no-go to me.  It's infantilizing. He's grown up and should be allowed to grow up.  I see a lot of infantilizing of Dick, Jason, Tim and Damian.  I get why it's done (to see Bruce the dad), but dislike it intensely.  It's demeaning to me. I like Bruce the dad, too. But he can be a dad to adult children and treat them like adults (well, the grown ones). And yes, like equals, but that it what I think the relationship between adult parents and children should be.  Though it’ll be a long time before Bruce gets to a point where he’ll consistently do that.

Side note: the comments on Dick's body get a little old.  I totally get that he's stunning.  I'm cool with Kory or Barbara or his current girlfriend enjoying his body or complimenting him on it.  But sometimes it seems like various characters (usually female) are discussing him like a piece of meat. Particularly frustrating when his hero colleagues do so.  I know a good bit of this comes with me binge-reading, making it seem more often than when issues are read a month apart.

[kagiso12]

Early Childhood Education Is Essential and Finally Affordable

Youth training commonly relates to the instruction of kids who range in age from infants to kindergarten age. This doesn't begin and end inside the study hall. Youth preparing is disputably the most essential period of instructive Education Development for what it's worth from this foundation that future turn of events and learning occur. Top notch programs need to consolidate educating in understanding capacities, coordinated movements, jargon and correspondence capacities. This will make significant advantages in youngsters' comprehension and advancement. Early youth preparing has stood out enough to be noticed every year because of the results of examination which constantly report that a kid will turn into a more fruitful understudy throughout his school years and in advanced education assuming they have been decidedly affected in the essential grades.

Preschool kids should be given early perusing and composing, acknowledgment and inclusion to have the option to perform better through the later years. Preschool Teachers play out a fundamental part during the youth advancement, since they're a piece of the kid's underlying experience of learning inside a homeroom climate. Preschool preparing likewise was essentially found as a variable helping families balance youngster raising and work obligations. Preschool enlistment has quickly raised all through the country inside the last numerous many years. Overseers of preschool's state they are unsure how to supply nurturing subtleties thinking about that participation is regularly shockingly low at arranged programs on kid improvement and nurturing. A preschool schooling that has an appropriately safeguarded air and appropriately instructed instructors that have thoughts information and originations to do gainful preparation to make kids a decent individual is the ideal spot for all guardians.

The improvement of conduct, values, and long haul propensities requires a relationship including you, the youth teacher, as well as the groups of your young ones. Kid Development levels are encased in a large number of spots. Engine advancement implies changes in a kid's development capacities; engine gaining will be the capacities gotten from training and experience. Kid advancement and involved endeavors to work on the quality and speed of the youngster's capacity securing by means of youth tutoring includes the truth that understanding fundamental capacities from the get-go in life results in obviously better comprehension of confounded abilities later on. Concentrated development and improvement of prior youth preparing programs is currently sought after. The general attitude would be that the age-extent of starting youth training and advancing should be extended from preschool and pre-essential age gatherings to all small kids from birth.

The time preceding a small kid gets to kindergarten are the most pivotal in their life to affect learning. From various long periods of examination and practice, we comprehend that extremely little youngsters through infants, babies and preschooler's are basically unique in relation to more established kids and must be instructed in a general sense various strategies. Over twenty years of various examinations have recognized that top notch from the beginning youth schooling is: Holistic; Nurturing; Constant; Hands-On; Stimulative; Exploratory; and Combines included advancing all through the educational plan. For a long while, data keeps on being storing up about the requirement for focusing on youthful - - exceptionally youthful - - minds and the expected gamble of relying upon normal K-12 instruction models to change kids into healthy, effective adults. The main long stretches of a kid's presence will be the most huge inside their turn of events. The early long periods of a kid's life meaningfully affect human mental health, social-capacity to understand people on a deeper level and individual ID.

 Guardians, overseers, neighbors and preschool teachers play out an essential job during the early long stretches of a kid's schooling. Most moms and fathers will generally be normally worried about the type of the youth training programs open for them. Moms and fathers, most of whom are utilized, need to know that their little youngsters not only are advancing however also are overall appropriately focused on all through the functioning day. Guardians will assist with making their youngster's underlying experience effective by analyzing their own contemplations and assumptions, and by thinking about how they might reinforce abilities that the kid is expected to have at school. Guardians are their children absolute first educators and most certainly will continue all through life to be teachers for their children.

For More Details, Visit Us:

Development Agencies in South Africa

Early Childhood Development Centre

Socio Economic Development Programme

[artfulharvest]

A Bedroom Your Child Won't Outgrow ,coco village reviews and comments

Why your youngsters outgrow ,coco village reviews?

If it seemed, by all accounts, to be actually soon that your youngster outgrew the agreeable little nursery you contributed such a great deal of energy invigorating before she was imagined, essentially hold on — next, she'll continue on from child bed to twin, teddy bears to Taylor Swift, and updating the room herself coco village reviews. 

To make an effort not to spend an abundance of money on merchandise your adolescent will unavoidably outgrow, consider this direction from inside originators with posterity of their own. 

Put assets into furniture and show-stopper that can be used past youth. A six-pull-out Fiona dresser from Redford House fills in as a changing table in this nursery arranged by Abney & Morton Interiors. 

Put assets into furniture and compelling artwork that can be used past puberty. A six-pull-out Fiona dresser from Redford House fills in as a changing table in this nursery arranged by Abney and Morton Interiors coco village comments.

START WITH A SIMPLE SHELL 

"A fair paint tone or setting configuration in made light of tones that they can grow up with is critical," said Kerri Rosenthal, originator of KR Interiors, in Westport, Conn. She painted her young adult young lady's room brilliant white to go comparably a "new beginning" for her propelling inclinations. 

Exactly when she uses scenery in a young person's room, Ms. Rosenthal said, she applies it sparingly and picks unassuming models. Last year, for example, she picked a silver raindrop plan by Sissy and Marley to make a supplement divider that was "fun without being ludicrous," for a youngster's room in Westport. Putting the background on just a single divider, she said, "is a good hack for young people's rooms, since, in such a case that they anytime close they could do without it, you don't have to destroy the entire room." coco village reviews.

Maybe than background, Liz Lipkin, a designer with Homepolish, a portion of the time chooses removable decals, like the Love Mae bolts she actually used in a Brooklyn nursery. "They're a modest and low-obligation elective that can without a very remarkable stretch change a space," she said. "Exactly when the room and its occupant are ready for a restore, decals strip straightforwardly off, making a way for new complex subject." coco village comments.

Try too hard ON FOUNDATION PIECES 

Avoid themed merchandise like treehouse-shaped space beds and child assessed furniture like more modest than common workspaces that young kids will quickly outgrow. "We take the necessary steps not to buy furniture and workmanship that has a pass date," said Allison Abney, who set up Abney and Morton Interiors, in Charleston, S.C., with Boo Morton. "We trust it's more sharp to place assets into furniture and masterpiece the kids can utilize all through youth, and shockingly in their first space." 

Maybe than spending on a developing table, for example, Ms. Abney and Ms. Morton propose buying an excellent dresser that can be used in any room, and setting a changing pad on top. For a 165-square-foot nursery for twins, for example, they selected the six-pull Fiona dresser from Redford House ($2,234). "The diapers and wipes will fit immaculately in the drawers underneath," Ms. Morton said. 

Concerning workmanship, she continued, "Novel pieces, laid out botanicals and gigantic degree nature photography all capacity commendably for a young person's room. It shouldn't be all ABCs and zoo animals." 

In the twins' nursery, she and Ms. Abney hung close to one another pieces made by Alex Mason. "The 'Strip and Eucalyptus' diptychs are adequately impulsive to be remembered for a children's room," she said, "yet furthermore have an imperishable quality that will allow the youths to use the masterpieces in any room as they age." 

Get a good deal on ACCESSORIES , coco village comments

Exactly when you're completing for youngsters, recall how tumultuous they are, urged Donna Mondi, an inside fashioner in Chicago: "Keep the mat, sheet material, lights and decoration sensible, so you won't flip out with the fundamental nail clean spill." 

As time goes on, and young people's tendencies change, they should redo their rooms to merge their #1 things. "My norm," Ms. Mondi said, "is to do it to such an extent that isn't so enduring or exorbitant." 

SHOP SECONDHAND 

You can find deals on vintage and commendable decorations, similarly as recently possessed nursery gear, on areas like Chairish, Craigslist and eBay. Notwithstanding, make sure to do your investigation before searching for utilized kid things, and check the Consumer Product Safety Commission site for surveys and other security invigorates. Most bunks delivered before June 2011 may not be traded coco village comments. 

REUSE AND REPURPOSE 

To add tone and surface to her kid's room, Tali Roth, a planner with Homepolish, reused a $600 pink Persian rug she bought on eBay three years sooner for her parlor. "You don't see stains and checks, and it's great for the present," she said. "I chose to apportion cash elsewhere." 

Maybe than a traditional lightweight flyer for nursing, she bought two vintage seats on the web ($350 each) and reupholstered them in light-blue velvet (about $2,500) for her child youngster's room. "These seats are consistently situates in my mind," she said. "Whether or not my kid wore out on them, I understand they are pleasant and phenomenal and can be used in any space in any future home." coco village reviews.

[suddgeneral]

BEAUTY AND WEIGHT LOSS TIPS

Society has caused a nation of people who to deny weight lessening and importance. The media is endeavoring to convince watchers that it's OK in the event that you're to some degree stunning. Regardless, truly, guaranteed doesn't play the degree that anybody knows on TV.

  If all else fails inconsistent people will not actually be seen as would be standard. People will scarcely ever go facing her unquestionably, yet they'll show her with their exercises. In various secret tricks where a feeble colossal name experiences a change to control the overweight, they get an uncommon straightforwardness! They appreciate the division suffered by convincing people on a normal step by step presence.

  In actuality when you walk around a room, no one will say "Surprising, what an amazing cerebrum she has" or "She has a wonderful character." If they say coming up next is "yet she's unfathomably overweight." That's since society in America is outlined on stowing endlessly or exculpating reality.

  My mother learned at the school for quite a while and got a general arranging. Indisputably when he was doing his transient occupation at an adolescents' center, the individual subject for the program had promised him an assignment. Around by at that point, the person in control left, and a reestablished individual came to charge. Notwithstanding the way that my mother had the appraisals and experience, they didn't give her the work. She makes me review this story unflinchingly and ceaselessly says it happened considering need, despite I handle it was examining how she was stupidly overweight. I on a significant level say this since she had followed various positions and when she showed up she would be exonerated, paying little cerebrum to the way that she had all the experience and cutoff focuses they required.

  At my heaviest weight I was around 256 pounds. I was totally reckless of the way people obliterated me, examining the way that my family shockingly taught me to acquit comments and plans. You can see that when an individual is overweight, they make dividers. This shield permits the person to eat respectably more until they become astoundingly strong and wavering. My family used pride as a security from against appearance and bundle. At the time I didn't see what was occurring, regardless when I finally lost some weight I could esteem that I was using fortified dividers to ward people off, taking into account how it was so central. I used my own made inspirations to legitimize concerning why I was so overweight. Check whether any of these reasons look standard.

  Whatever your excuse, it will not actually pick the way that society will treat you considering a particular objective if it is monstrous or insecure. I've been on the different sides of the scale, and I should say I like to be better on the more veritable side. I'm not in the littlest degree close being at my best yet, yet since I've lost some weight, I've seen a tremendous change in the way people treat me. Sporadically it's unimaginable and generally it's genuinely by a long shot horrendous. For example, there are times when I can be on the New York City streetcar with my juvenile and insignificant youngsters pivot a gander at me, considering the way that they see that I'm his darling! In the wake of losing some weight, I look genuinely overwhelming all things considered or another or another, and that makes women and youths insatiable of me. I know, contemplating the way that actually an energetic once reproached me. We were in the Department of Motor Vehicles, considering the way that my youngster expected to get his driver's grant. I was as of now underage, so I expected to go with him. right when the ball was in his court, we both pushed toward the line, since he grasped he expected to sign something. The young adult behind the counter watched out for her immediately when she asked, "Where's your father? You can't be here without your father!"

  Notwithstanding how I was there the whole time, she didn't value I was her mother. After he understood, he said, "Liberal, I'm hated, I thought I was your adored one." On the contrary side there have been times when it is ideal, since I mix well when I'm with a really overwhelming gathering.

  I take extraordinary thought about my skin, exercise and drink a colossal load of water, since it legitimizes looking unfathomable. They say quality is in the watcher's EYES, and that is the explanation I guarantee people's eyes are seeing something vacillating. Your appearance is the basic concern people will see when they meet you. Confirmation they give you the respect you appreciate you merit.

[hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger]

You know what the stupidest thing about the whole ‘Spider-Man is about youth’ thing is?

Most people who have gotten into Spider-Man first discovered him through some form of media or merchandise outside of the comic books.

Toys, a t-shirt, TV shows and the movies of course.

And therein lies the utter nonsense of Spider-Man needing to be a high schooler in order to be relatable and appealing to mass audiences.

If your first exposure to Spidey is seeing him on a t-shirt, or on a lunchbox, or as an action figure line chances are you haven’t the first inkling as to his age.

In fact between the 1960s and the 1990s (maybe early 1980s) the dominant rendition of Spider-Man used in all merchandise was Romita Senior’s rendition which was based upon a college aged (we’re talking 19-20, 21 at a push) Spider-Man.

And that was used to sell Spider-Man in merchandise regardless of the fact that the character from the mid 1970s-the late 1980s was no longer in that age range. in fact come the mid-late 1980s Peter Parker wasn’t even in full time education anymore so using a college aged Spider-Man in merchandise didn’t make sense. Or I guess having him NOT be college aged like the merchandise really didn’t make sense.

Except it did because shockingly seeing this image on a t-shirt...

Doesn’t pin the character down as either 19-21 nor 22-25 nor 35+ because the costume if effing ageless.

AH but when they get to consuming actual STORIES about Spider-Man then his age WILL become a factor because they WILL be able to clearly tell if he is a teen, a college student or a fully grown married adult right?

Yes, but putting aside how by that point they’ve already tuned into or purchased a Spider-Man story anyway it still puts to bed the lie that he NEEDS to be a kid to attract an audience.

But lets run with the idea of consuming actual stories.

Lets consider how most people alive today who LIKE Spider-Man (regardless of whether they follow the comics or not) got into the character.

The answer is through the movies or the TV shows.

In fact whatever you might say about it’s quality overall, the 1960s Spider-Man cartoon was influential enough that it’s still seen as the defining piece of music related to Spider-Man. 

For children (and maybe some teens) of the 1980s Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends WAS Spider-Man.

For folks of my generation there can simply never be a truer rendition of Spider-Man than Chris Barnes in the 1990s television series.

And I’m sure for better or worse at least some people got greater expisure and maybe interest in Spider-Man due to the Shoddy as fuck Spider-Man Unlimited cartoon and the CGI MTV series.

But by leaps and bounds the original Sam Raimi trilogy takes the cake. Those movies, especially the first one, shot Spider-Man up to new heightes of pop cultural awareness.

Before the 2002 film people who’d never seen or read any Spidey stories (we’re not counting the poor parents of kids who watched the cartoons) could clearly identify him if they saw his costume and knew he could stick to walls and swing from webs and hey maybe they knew he was Peter Parker and (at a big push) could MAYBE identity Doc Ock and Venom. After the 2002 film EVERYONE knew Spider-Man was Peter Parker, that his Dad was Uncle Ben, that his mother was Aunt May, that he loved Mary jane, that his best friend was Harry, that Harry’s Dad was his enemy, that he worked for the J. Jonah Jameson of the Daily Bugle taking selfies and that he got his powers from a spider bite, those powers including super strength and agility.

Come the sequels everyone now knew who Doc Ock and Venom were too and that Harry followed in his Daddy’s footsteps.

And what might we ask do all those adaptations barring the 1960s show (but including the forgotten 1970s Nick Hammond experiment) have in common?

None of them are about a high school aged Spider-Man.

Oh, the 2002 film starts with a high school Spider-Man. But when we say he was in high school we mean for like the first half of the first movie where he was months away from graduating.

In fact even in the 1960s show Peter might have been in high school but it boiled down to more of a point of background trivia than anything. Peter sounded like a grown man in the show and precious little time was shown depicting him in school or going through typically teenage experiences. Mostly the show relied upon the Bugle as the main place for Peter to hang out wen not in costume and relied upon him getting into costume ASAP so the action (such as it was) could start.

So yes that did present a teenaged high school version of Spider-Man but not one for whom that was particularly emphasized. he was more or less a generic superhero except he lacked a batcave but did instead have an elderly aunt.

Hardly a life situation that a teenager, or a 8-12 year old (who allegedly Marvel actually want a their core readership) would relate to beyond perhaps the parent/child relationship with Aunt May but even that’s tenuous, a 12 year old wouldn’t have the same relationship with their mother as Peter had with May in the show).

The idea of an 8-12 year old relating to all those other Spider-Man adaptations becomes even more ridiculous once you realize that in half of them Peter is living away from home (either on his own or with roommates) and is clearly over 18, i.e. an adult. And he does adult things like go out on dates (or tries to), tries to earn money, worries about his sick mother, and goes to college which just in the way it’s talked about and looks on screen and how the classes play out is clearly giving off a different vibe to a high school setting.

Yes some adaptations still had him living at home but again, his relationship and dynamic with Aunt May was simply not the same as what the dynamic between an 8-12 year old kid’s would be with their parents. When you are that age your parents are the dominate authority figures in your life (whether you kick back against it or not). For a college aged man, even a young one of 18-19, Aunt May isn’t an authority figure and the shows clearly conveyed that.

In the 1994 cartoon Peter briefly moved out in the first season and was shown to look after Aunt May more than once (including in the first episode). in the iconic Alien Costume three parter he even shoots down May’s suggestion to stop taking Spidey pix.

No little kid seeing that saw themselves in Peter and their relationship with their parents in Peter’s relationship with Aunt May.

Perhaps the most adaptation where Peter’s life as an independent adult was clearly conveyed was Spider-Man 2. The whole movie is the aggressively NOT a coming of age story. That was the first movie.

Spider-Man 2 isn’t a coming of age story it’s about learning how to manage and come to terms with the push and pull of adult life and who you are within that.

Honestly the only thing that a kid could even possibly relate to in that movie is when Curt Connors gives Peter a dressing down and when Harry is upset with him. Kids have teachers and authority figures who take them to task and they fall out with their friends too. MAYBE they could relate to his falling out with MJ for the same reasons but it’s devoid of the actual point of those scenes, the romantic emotions that underpin them.

Beyond that Spider-Man the superhero that Marvel desperately want 8-12 year olds to love and follow deals with rent, romance, crappy accommodations, and rather complex emotions related to his dead Dad and his grieving mother. All whilst he battles a guy who he used to look up to but ho’s wife just died.

You know, all the stuff kids and teens could obviously relate to.

Except they couldn’t because no kid or teen deals with that kind of stuff.

And yet...kids and teens fucking LOVED Spider-Man 2. 

Much the same way kids and teens in 1980 fucking loved SUPERMAN II which was another super hero movie about another character dealing with another set of adult romantic issues that involved him also forsaking his role as a hero only to readopt it later...And he was clearly even older than Spider-Man. Shit, you straight up see Superman and Lois Lane in bed together in that movie, which (hopefully...dear God hopefully) no kid would relate to. An adult man and an adult woman sleeping together in the same bed? That’s not them being represented on screen, that’s their parents.

But they still loved it. Much as they still loved MOST Spider-Man adaptations that didn’t portray him in a lifestyle that close to their much at all.

In fact if we really, really ,really cut the shit to an 8-12 year old kid watching 18+ year old college student Peter Parker (who usually lives away from his mother figure), who is clearly interested in romance and also has to earn money...Spider-Man is an adult.

MAYBE they recognize he’s not AS much of an adult as Superman or Batman.

But he’s an adult all the same.

Because to an 8-12 year old once you are tall enough and are interested in romance and a job and going to college and not living with your parents anymore your an adult.

Hell when I was like 3-8 years old I could tell the Power Rangers were going to school but I didn’t relate to them because of that. Because just from how they looked and what they did besides going to school they were adults to me, like older brothers and sisters or something.

The same was true of Spider-Man.

He might literally have been a YOUNG adult but to a child there is precious little difference between him going to college, the Power Rangers going to high school, Superman going to work at the Planet and Batman having Robin as his ward.

They are all essentially characters who fall under the banner of ‘adult’ in the mind of a child.

And yet despite essentially seeing Spider-Man as an adult they couldn’t relate to children of multiple generations have continued to love Spider-Man and become interested enough to sometimes follow him into the comic book pages.

Because Spider-Man’s appeal is partially a thing of magic maybe nobody can fully understand and partially because yes he is relatable but because of his PERSONALITY not because of the specifics of his life situation.

Hell, the success of characters like James Bond, Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Wolverine and Daredevil rather eviscerates the notion of characters needing to even BE relatable to most people to be popular and successful. 

I personally relate to Superman more than Spider-Man in many ways but as a character Superman is...well it’s in his name. The central idea and appeal is for him to be a powerful human who is stronger and faster than anybody else, impervious to pain and can even defy gravity.

James Bond/Wolverine and Wonder Woman are quintessential male and female power fantasy figures, the latter two (especially Bond) being indulgent about that.

Daredevil is blind and that fact is integral to his whole set up despite most audience members reading or watching his stories obviously NOT being blind people.

By and large Batman is a wish fulfilment fantasy character who is at least AS popular as the more relatable Spider-Man and WAY more popular than Robin who was literally created to be the audience surrogate figure.

Long story short:

Spider-Man can and has repeatedly been able to appeal to mass audiences to immense critical and financial success regardless of what age he happens to be and what his life status quo in regards to his age might be.

So insisting his gimmick and purpose is to be young and a high schooler and that is the best way to optimize his success is profoundly idiotic.

[ramesees]

Some Thoughts on Kylo Ren (and Anakin)

Hey my dudes!  I love Kylo Ren!  Hes a really interesting character and villain!  But like, here’s the thing?  Please stop using mental illness and trauma to excuse his actions!   I get it, he was brainwashed and shit.  That sucks!  But you know?  He’s still done some awful stuff.  You know who else was brainwashed and did awful stuff?  Finn.  He’s working towards being a better person now!  It doesn’t excuse the shit he may have done when he was a storm trooper, but it sets him on a path for actual redemption which he is actively moving towards!  You know who else was brainwashed and did awful shit?  Bucky Barnes.  He also is working towards being a better person and openly acknowledges that the things he did while brainwashed are not excusable just because he was brainwashed!

While we’re on the subject, lets talk about the difference between brainwashing and manipulation!  Now, I haven’t actually read the extended universe novels that talk about Kylo Ren’s brainwashing, so I’m going to take the word of people I’ve heard talking about them that what Snoke does to Kylo is, in fact, brainwashing.

I’ve seen some people try to say that Anakin was also brainwashed by Palpatine and that this makes him a comparable villain.  I completely disagree with this.  Anakin was manipulated by Palpatine, and not even really in earnest until he was an adult.  Before that, every interaction Anakin had with Palpatine was designed by Palpatine to gain Anakin’s favor and trust, not necessarily to change his world view.  It was only when Anakin began to show signs of serious disillusionment with the Jedi that Palpatine used his doubts about the Jedi to manipulate him in earnest, and masterfully so at that.

There is a key difference between this, and what Snoke did with Kylo.  Most notably that Kylo was never given the chance to form his own opinions or world view prior to being brainwashed by Snoke.  (Admittedly, neither did Anakin considering he went straight from being a slave to being a padawan, but as corrupt as the Jedi were, I think they did at least offer Anakin more of a chance to form his own sense of self than Snoke did to Kylo.) 

Kylo Ren was still a child when his brainwashing began.  He had no chance to discover himself, his own sense of morals, or any sort of grounding world view before Snoke began to shape him. What Kylo went through is shockingly reflective of Nazi Youth camps:

“These boys and girls enter our organizations [at] ten years of age, and often for the first time get a little fresh air; after four years of the Young Folk they go on to the Hitler Youth, where we have them for another four years . . . And even if they are still not complete National Socialists, they go to Labor Service and are smoothed out there for another six, seven months . . . And whatever class consciousness or social status might still be left . . . the Wehrmacht [German armed forces] will take care of that.” —Adolf Hitler (1938)

Nazi youth had no chance to form their own world view before being indoctrinated, much like Kylo Ren.  And much like Kylo Ren, even after the destruction of their establishment, Nazi’s who had been indoctrinated in this manner continued to fight against the Allies in geurilla groups called “werewolves.”  They literally had to be re-conditioned before they could shake their brainwashing: 

“During the following year, Allied occupation authorities required young Germans to undergo a “de-Nazification” process and training in democracy designed to counter the effects of twelve years of Nazi propaganda.“

The key difference between Kylo Ren and brainwashed Nazi youth is that Kylo Ren is the one who dismantled the leadership that controlled him, and then, having no other example to follow in the only world view he was ever allowed to know, he took over the establishment that brainwashed him.  This is exactly what brainwashing is designed to do.  Kylo Ren is completely within the throes of it.  There is no part of him that has broken free, even a little bit.  His interest in Rey as an ally is exclusively the result of a vision he’d had that he would be able to turn her to his side.  Never that he would join hers.

For Kylo Ren to actually be redeemed in a meaningful, realistic, and non-romanticized way, we’d need at least another two films, one which would have to deal primarily with his re-conditioning.  Because at this point, that’s what it would take for him to change.  He’s singularly focused on destroying his past and those who he perceives as having wronged him.  These are his only motivations, as far as we know from the text

Is it possible for Kylo Ren to be redeemed?  Absolutely.  Would it be an interesting, thought provoking story line that I would love to see?  ABSOLUTELY.  Is it possible to accomplish such a story line in the single remaining film of the trilogy?  Almost certainly not.  At the end of the day, even if Kylo Ren were to be redeemed, would he still be responsible for the crimes he committed under the influence of his brainwashing?  YES.  HE ABSOLUTELY WOULD.  A key aspect of his re-conditioning would have to be dealing with trauma caused by the guilt and shame of his actions - not only killing his father, but killing millions of others, and actively participating in and upholding the institution that facilitated it.

At the end of his life, when Anakin redeemed himself, he did so by overthrowing his master, the ultimate evil of the empire, and his perpetual tormentor.  He did not attempt to take over the empire afterwards as Kylo did.  He ordered his son to leave him so that he could die on the Death Star and atone for his crimes in the only way he could at that point.

Kylo Ren has already overthrown his master, and then, he took his masters place.  There is no larger evil left for Kylo Ren to destroy and in so doing redeem himself.  Kylo Ren is the only larger evil left, making the process of a potential redemption for him much, much more complicated than it was for Anakin who remained virtually a slave for his entirely life up until the moment he died.

Kylo Ren, for the first time, is now fully in control of his own actions.  He has been brainwashed and conditioned, yes, but he is still at the top of his own food chain.  There is no easy scapegoat for him to rebel against in the name of redemption, and there is no excuse for what he has done.

He has had a horrible life.  He’s been been abused and abandoned by everyone he’s ever cared about.  That’s exactly why he is the villain he is.  His life experiences have shaped him into a horrible person.  He is conniving and manipulative and evil.  Can he change?  Of course.  Anyone can.  Will he?  Maybe.  Hopefully not in the span of a single movie, but I guess we’ll find out.  For now, is he still a villain?  Yes, he sure as hell is and he’s goddamn great at.