#story: rbl

[blackfictional]

ch • luya

[badgerhuan]

Barry Berkman for the ask meme ✨️

ahhhh him 🥺 thank you for sending <3

Sexuality Headcanon: ace and some flavor of queer but he's never thought about it

Gender Headcanon: his gender is no.

A ship I have with said character: in canon, other than like, peace and therapy, i actually really dig Albert x Barry, i think they have such an interesting history and dynamic. crossover ships? les x barry and rbl (rob/barry/les) are big ones. also ship him with Mitch McDeere.

A BROTP I have with said character: in another life he and Noho Hank could've been friends (i still need to read your roadtrip fic hhhhh). also his relationship with Fuches is SO fucked up but so so compelling. i love them.

A NOTP I have with said character: Barry x Sally. man, they are so bad for each other.

A random headcanon: also one of the most autsitic-coded characters i've ever seen. he just needs to find better stims i promise.

General Opinion over said character: i know people have gripes with the show and how it ended but. this show is perfect to me. i would not change a single thing about it. Barry is such a trainwreck tragic character and in every instance in the show you mourn him bc you know things could've turned out different. but it didn't. he's awful but he's sweet but he's traumatized but he's violent but he's thoughtful but he's selfish. and i love him and i think in another life he could've healed and found peace. that is not his story, but it had to potential to be.

[go-scottishgal14]

Help for Heroes will no longer be involved with Prince Harry’s Invictus Games: MoD strips charity of contract to train and support Team UK and hands it to the RBL

Ministry of Defence said Royal British Legion will lead Team UK at future events

Help for Heroes has supported Team UK since Invictus Games began in 2014

Charity for wounded veterans stressed they had not made decision themselves

By KATIE FEEHAN FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 19:49, 17 May 2022 | UPDATED: 20:13, 17 May 2022

Injured veterans charity Help for Heroes will no longer lead Team UK at the Invictus Games after training and selecting the team since Prince Harry launched the event in 2014.

The Ministry of Defence has stripped the charity of its responsibilities and said, going forward, the Royal British Legion will take over leading Team UK at the injured veterans event.

The Government said the decision had been made because the Royal British Legion, of which the Queen is patron, could provide 'more personnel', 'secure funding' and 'a commitment to support the team in the future'.

Bank of England chief Andrew Bailey issues 'apocalyptic' warning about food prices and admits he is 'helpless' to do anything about inflation... while urging Britons NOT to ask for pay rises, and other top stories from May 17, 2022.PauseFull-screenREAD MORE

The event was launched by Prince Harry in 2014 after he was inspired by a similar sporting event in the US the year prior. He has not commented on the news publicly.

In a statement issued today, Help for Heroes said it wanted to emphasise that the decision was out of their hands.

Lis Skeet, Services Director at Help for Heroes added: 'Help for Heroes is incredibly proud to have trained, supported and delivered Team UK for the past five Invictus Games.

Help for Heroes will no longer lead Team UK at the Invictus Games, the event started by Prince Harry for wounded veterans. Pictured: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at this year's games

The MoD has said the Royal British Legion will lead Team UK at future Invictus Games events

'However, following extensive discussions, it has been decided by the MOD that the Royal British Legion will lead the end-to-end delivery of Team UK to the Invictus Games for the next five years and will also be the main funder of the programme.

'Unfortunately, therefore, we will no longer be directly involved in Invictus Team UK.

'We want to emphasise that this was not a decision we made ourselves. We know The Games continues to play a unique role in shining a light on the abilities of wounded veterans.

'The MOD considered proposals from the Invictus UK partnership and have chosen this route moving forwards.

'Our focus now is on helping more people across the UK, within their communities, as part of keeping our promise to be here for wounded veterans for as long as they need us.'

The charity said it would continue to carry out its work, supporting wounded veterans and personnel.

It added: 'Of course, we will continue to cheer on Team UK and look forward to seeing what the Invictus Games achieves in the future.'

Reports from the Express suggest the charity had wanted to reduce its potential liability if there was a funding shortfall but had insisted it wanted to continue to work with Team UK.

The Invictus Games is a multi-sport event, open to all wounded, injured and sick serving personnel and veterans which was launched by Prince Harry back in 2014.

The Duke of Sussex, who is patron of the Invictus Games Foundation, came up with the idea after witnessing the impact sport had on wounded soldiers at the Warrior Games in the US.

The 37-year-old has not spoken publicly about the termination of Help for Heroes' involvement.

Prior to the announcement, Help for Heroes had been responsible for training 59 competitors who had been selected to represent Team UK since the games' inception.

This involved hosting training camps and supporting the athletes in the lead up to and at the events.

The MoD insisted that the Royal British Legion provided a more secure future for Team UK's participation at the games.

The Invictus Games is a cause close to Prince Harry's heart. Pictured: The Duke of Sussex hugs Team United Kingdom competitor Lisa Johnston during the swimming at this year's Games

A spokesperson said: 'The Royal British Legion was able to offer secure funding, more personnel to support the team and a commitment to supporting Team UK into the future.

'We therefore felt this would be the best choice for Team UK. Our priority is always to ensure Team UK and our wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans get the best experience.

'We remain enormously grateful for all the work Help For Heroes has done to take Team UK to the Invictus Games and continue to work with them to support the Armed Forces community.'

It is unknown if the contract with Help for Heroes was terminated or came up for renewal.

Meanwhile, the Invictus Foundation has said it was not part of the decision and will continue to work with the charity.

A spokesman told MailOnline: 'This was a decision taken by the UK Ministry of Defence following proposals for the team structure moving forward, and not a matter for the Invictus Games Foundation.

'Across our participating nations, we work alongside many military organisations and charities to support international wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans, including our programmes beyond the Games, and will continue to do so with Help for Heroes.'

The RBL confirmed it would lead Team UK at next year's games in a statement on its website.

The statement read: 'Working in partnership with the Ministry of Defence, RBL will deliver Team UK to The Invictus Games in 2023 in Dusseldorf and 2025 in Whistler and Vancouver.

'We will use our facilities at the Battle Back Centre to support Team UK applicants and participants, and their friends and family, through the Games process.'

[internationalrealestatenews]

[ad_1] A two-building complicated on San Antonio’s Far West Facet is ready to check traders’ urge for food for workplace property within the Alamo Metropolis. Native agency SageView Companions has put the 198,000-square-foot property at 10000 Rogers Run up on the market, the San Antonio Enterprise Journal reported. JLL’s Lisa Mittel and Meredith Howard are advertising and marketing the complicated. Though an asking worth has not been disclosed, the property is valued at $15.5 million by the Bexar Appraisal District.  Division retailer chain Kohl’s has an 83,000-square-foot operations and customer support heart within the constructing. Kohl’s beforehand owned the buildings earlier than promoting them to SageView in 2022.  On-line listings present instant vacancies and house coming out there in June, the outlet stated.  JLL is taking part in up the providing as a “plug-and-play” alternative that would function an organization’s headquarters or regional workplace, the outlet reported. There are additionally a rising variety of information facilities within the neighborhood, probably upping the property’s future worth.  SageView, in the meantime, acquired the 12-story McAllister Plaza, close to the San Antonio airport, in December, in line with the agency’s web site. That 192,000-square-foot workplace constructing was on the point of foreclosures in August, when the earlier proprietor, San Francisco-based RBL Actual Property, revealed that it had no plans to repay its $15.3 million debt stability on the property. It’s unclear if SageView purchased the constructing from the lender out of foreclosures or instantly from RBL. Learn extra SageView’s San Antonio portfolio additionally consists of the 140,000-square-foot Colonnade Centre, at 9830 Colonnade Boulevard, and the 114,000-square-foot lowrise workplace constructing at 654 Richland Hills Drive. —Quinn Donoghue  [ad_2] Supply hyperlink

[luckyclover]

An interpretation of the existential meaning behind RBL Posse's "Bluebird on My Shoulder" rap lyric

The phrase "bluebird on my shoulder" has been used as a symbol of happiness and hope, but in the context of the RBL Posse's song, it takes on a darker meaning. The song tells the story of someone who is struggling with the consequences of their actions and the weight of their own guilt. The "bluebird on my shoulder" is a metaphor for the nagging voice in their head that reminds them of their mistakes and the things they have done wrong.

The lyrics speak to the idea of existential angst, which is the feeling of anxiety and despair that arises from the realization that life has no inherent meaning or purpose. The narrator of the song is grappling with the idea that their life may not matter in the grand scheme of things, and that their actions may ultimately be meaningless. This leads them to question their own identity and purpose, and to confront their own mortality.

At its core, the song is about the struggle to find meaning and purpose in life, and the difficulty of reconciling one's own mistakes and regrets. The lyrics are filled with raw emotion and introspection, as the narrator confronts their own flaws and limitations.

[tonkitaxi]

Remembrance day

Remembrance Day is a unique holiday in Nova Scotia. If your business or employer doesn't fall under an exception provided in the act, your business or employer needs to close on Remembrance Day. Under the act, some businesses are not allowed to open on 11 November. The Labour Standards Division with the Department of Labour and Advanced Education administers the holiday with pay provisions of the Act.įor questions about holiday pay provisions, contact the Labour Standards Division.Ĭheck to see how the Remembrance Day Act applies to your business, your employer and holiday pay. Holiday with Pay Provisions: Labour Standards Division, Labour and Advanced Education If you have questions or are seeking guidance on the application of this Act (except the holiday with pay provisions), you may consult a navigator at the Office of Regulatory Affairs and Service Effectiveness for assistance. The Department of Justice is responsible for administering the business closing provisions of the Act. Provisions Governing which Businesses must Close: Department of Justice Two government departments play a role in the administration of the Act: In such instances, we recommend seeking legal advice. While this should help with most situations, there may be some instances where a more detailed or specific interpretation is required. Poppy Appeal sellers can also be found in most places closer to Remembrance Day.Īll money spent on poppies goes to The Royal British Legion.The following is intended to assist with a general understanding of the Remembrance Day Act. Other poppy-themed items are also available, including a wreath at £17.99 and a fabric face mask decorated with poppies, which is now on sale for £4.99.Īll items can be purchased online at the RBL’s Poppy Shop, or you can visit your closest RBL shop to buy them in person. The RBL is the official seller of poppies for Remembrance Day and you can buy a paper poppy for £2, an enamel poppy for £3, or a clip-on poppy for £3.99. Around 40,000 volunteers now distribute 40 million poppies each year. Today, the red poppies are worn across the country in tribute to the Armed Forces and the RBL’s Poppy Appeal raises funds to help veterans with housing and jobs. McCrae’s now-famous poem, “In Flanders Fields”, then inspired American academic Moina Michael to adopt the flower in memory of those who were lost in the war.įollowing a campaign to have the flower adopted as an official symbol of Remembrance across the US, Michael worked with others who wanted to do the same in Canada, Australia and the UK. But bright red poppies flourished in the muddy fields and inspired a poem by Canadian doctor, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae. The red poppies are worn as a show of support for the Armed Forces community and is a symbol of “both Remembrance and hope for a peaceful future”, says the RBL.ĭuring World War 1, parts of the UK’s countryside were destroyed amid bombing and fighting. Story continues What does the red poppy symbolise? Any changes to this event will be communicated via our website.” The RBL says on its website: “Should government guidelines necessitate, RBL may need to reduce the number of spaces in the Parade at late notice. Typically, around 10,000 people gather at the Cenotaph. The Royal British Legion (RBL) is “working towards business as usual” this year, it has said. The National Service of Remembrance, which sees a parade of veterans march through London and the Queen paying tribute alongside members of the Cabinet, opposition party leaders, former prime ministers, the Mayor of London and other ministers, is usually open to the public and televised.īut last year, the service was closed to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic, and people were asked to mark the day at home instead of gathering at the Cenotaph. How can I watch The National Service of Remembrance? The National Service of Remembrance is held each year on this day at the Cenotaph on Whitehall, London, commemorating “the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts”. This year, Remembrance Sunday falls on 14 November. The occasion is also marked on the second Sunday of November, known as Remembrance Sunday, with a minute’s silence at 11am.

[sapphowildedefunct]

Kinda wanna fuck around and be living in a post-apocalyptic overgrown earth with only a raccoon I tamed and old books I find to keep me company until one day I radio in just like I do every day and another woman picks up the signal and we meet up and she’s a straight mother of two and I’m a grizzled jacked experienced lesbian so I help her survive and my raccoon likes the kids and we make our own life in the wastes until we come upon a small society and we’re exited as we see them in the distance but they kidnap the kids and attack us and we escape without them, and she’s distraught and we spend days trying to figure out how to save the kids and she tells me she loves me romantically but I tell her she’s not in her right mind and I won’t take advantage of her in this vulnerable state but there’s still something there so we have a night of intense passionate intimacy without any sexiness just 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 and being 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 and we finally get things set to save the kids the next morning and there are more touches and meaningful glances between us as we go and then we find the kids who managed to escape of their own volition practically unharmed using what they learned from both of us and we’re 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 and that’s all that matters in that moment, that we’re 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺 and then we spend months with high emotional tension between her and I and she keeps stealing glances at my strong arms and everyone’s on edge for “no reason” until we find a new community and we are accepted into it as a family unit and we set up our little canvas home with a makeshift heater in the middle and it’s 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 which is our favorite season and the kids go out to play and as I’m putting my beat up books away she touches my hand lightly and we share a look and then we kiss and we love each other and everything is okay and the kids are okay and we’re okay and the raccoon has made friends with a cat and so they’re okay and the new community is valid and loving and the world is gonna be okay

[rbelaw]

Concertina Harmony by R. Be. Lawrence

Check out my latest short story here

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/941596

[florrickandassociates]

TGF Thoughts: 5x03-- And the court had a clerk...

Hello again! It’s nice to have this show back. This episode was a bit less of a standout than the previous two, but I’m still happy with the overall direction for this season. More under the cut (or here, because tumblr sucks). 

When Robert King tweeted the episode title, I asked him if all the titles this season were adding up to one long sentence/story, hoping he’d confirm it and give a little more information. He did! He said it’s “in the Farmer in the Dell mode” and while I think I get what he’s saying, I’m very curious to see how it plays out. Haven’t been able to track down 5x04′s title yet, but the promo is out. (As of this morning! It’s interesting they’re not putting them after the episode this year; I kind of like it.) 

Kurt’s job is up in the air given the new administration. I think this scene exists mostly just to remind us where Kurt works and the stakes.

What month is this supposed to be in? The transition seems recent but no one is wearing masks.  

Kurt spots a poster asking for help ID’ing people at the Capitol on January 6th. He thinks he recognizes someone...

And now we’re in case of the week land. This case is about a small business owner whose business went under after someone created fake news articles accusing him of pedophilia.  

I think the whole point of this (kind of long) scene is to show that this case is a pretty small deal. Low stakes, inexperienced opposing lawyer. (Not even sure why Liz would be arguing this in court, but whatever.)

Tbh I thought this was going to wind up in 9 ¾ court.

Now that we have junior level characters, we get scenes showing that there are, in fact, people at RBL who are mid-level. Liz asks an associate to work on something, he asks another associate to work on it, she delegates to other associates, and they delegate to Marissa and Carmen. This work seems terrible.  

It’s so funny to me how this is probably more realistic than most of the lawyering on the show and yet it only shows up selectively. We only see the hierarchy here to make it clear that Marissa and Carmen are at the bottom.  

David Lee interrupts and asks for Carmen. He’s very rude to her. Interestingly, she’s hesitant to leave her grunt work and follow David, even though she must know he outranks the associate who gave her the grunt work.

“Why am I supposed to know you?” David asks her as they walk through the halls. “I don’t know if you are,” Carmen responds. “Why does Benjamin Dafoe know you?” he asks. She doesn’t know who he is.  

“Who are you?” Dafoe asks when Carmen enters. She states her name, again. “Why are you important?” he asks. “I don’t think that I am,” Carmen responds.  

Then Dafoe says his top client, and it’s a name that the characters all know. I’m glad this scene is free of any “he’s the white OJ” expository lines (that’s from Sweeney’s introduction) -- it’s clear from the reactions and the discussion of police and rape that the top client is a bad guy, probably a rapist. The rapist wants Carmen to represent him.

Putting 2 and 2 together, Carmen asks if the rapist knows Rivi. He’s not, but he’s at the same prison. As soon as Carmen says she’s representing Rivi, David Lee switches gears, understanding the situation and trying to sign the new business. He’s so shameless!  

Marissa sorts ALL the papers. There are a LOT of papers. I’m swamped. Look at all this paper.

She catches the associate who assigned her the task leaving for the night just as she finishes up, and cheerfully notes she’s finished the task. Then the associate mentions this was only half of the bills. Marissa does not like that. Since her goal in wanting to be a lawyer is mostly just to give her something exciting to do and earn respect... this hierarchy thing is not going so well.

Marissa decides that after her rough day, she’s going to stop by Wackner’s court. He’s in the middle of a case about Emily in Paris fanfiction and he’s very happy to see Marissa.  

Wackner’s night court has a program—it notes the sponsor is Copy Co-op (I thought it was Copy Coop?) and the paper products were also provided by them. And “there will be regular intermissions at the discretion of Judge Wackner.” It’s very theatrical.  

Wackner takes a recess and calls Marissa to his “chambers.” He asks for her thoughts on the case. “All they want is attention and to feel like they’ve won,” Marissa notes. Wackner’s on the same wave length and compares it to the Scarecrow’s diploma at the end of The Wizard of Oz. So, he makes copyright certificates and some minor modifications to each of the fanfic books. They say “I respect you and I love you” and that’s that.

Wackner catches Marissa before she leaves and asks her to be his law clerk—part time or full time, 10% of all the legal filings and unlimited use of copy machines. She is hesitant because she “doesn’t even know what this is.”

Wackner says his court is “the future.” Marissa turns him down; notes she wants to pass the bar. “You know why all these people are here? ‘Cause the courts and the lawyers and the appeals have made justice... unattainable. Out of reach. To anyone who doesn’t have a shitload of money to wait it out. That’s why Exxon beats out Mr. Nobody. Read Kafka’s Before the Law.”  

I just read it, and you should too! It literally is a page, but tl;dr, there’s a man who wants to get to the law and instead he spends his whole life trying to win over the first of many gatekeepers on the path to the law. He never gets through the gate.  

“Justice is only just if it’s available to everyone,” Wackner says. Marissa thinks about that.

As I said last week, it’s smart that Wackner makes so much sense. Hearing him say all this, knowing that it’s true... it makes it very easy to get on board with the thought experiment. Of course there would be huge repercussions to this kind of system, but it makes so much sense it’s compelling TV!

Kurt’s showering when Diane gets home, which gives her time to stumble across the WANTED poster and notice that Kurt has drawn facial hair onto one of the pictures. “Who is this?” she asks him. “No one,” he says. “Well, you drew in a beard and a moustache on him,” Diane notes. Kurt says he was doodling, but Diane calls him out as he is the “exact opposite of a doodler.” Kurt says he thought it was someone he knew, but he’s not sure. Diane pushes him to tell the feds. Kurt reiterates he’s not sure, but it’s someone he went shooting with. “Oh my God, then it’s him,” Diane jumps to (not incorrect) conclusions. Kurt says he didn’t talk that way; he’s a veteran. “Kurt! That’s the profile!” Diane argues. Kurt isn’t convinced and he doesn’t want to be responsible for naming names. He notes he’ll be threatened with indictment for not naming names and then only lawyers will end up benefitting. Diane is not convinced.

I think this is an interesting conflict for Kurt and Diane. I understand why Kurt is hesitant to speak out before he’s sure. And I understand and agree with Diane that it’s important to identify the attackers and prevent anything like that from happening again.

I don’t mean to blame Kurt, exactly, but I feel like all of what happens next could’ve played out differently if Kurt had been just a little clearer with Diane about why he was hesitant to ID the man. Like, the threat of indictment for not naming names sounds like some typical anti-government rambling. Saying you specifically are afraid that this will turn back on you and you need to weigh your options and come up with a plan first would put Diane in a very different mode, in which they’d work together to craft the best strategy. Because this man would’ve been ID’d by someone, sooner or later, and Kurt would’ve needed to be prepared.  

Diane stares at the wanted poster at work and asks Jay to find his identity. He’s on the FBI TEN MOST WANTED? Ten!? Ok!  

Diane shares the extra information she has—the gun range and that he’s a veteran—and Jay gets to work.  

Turns out there’s no money in the case that Liz, a name partner, is working on and Marissa just spent all those hours sorting bills for. I could’ve told you there was no money in that case lol.  

Jay IDs the guy very fast. He’s faster than the feds because they didn’t know where he shot. The range had his license on file, and Jay got ahold of it.

“Well, we don’t pay you enough,” Diane says. “Oh, I know that,” Jay laughs.  

Diane says she’s going to think about calling the feds—it's definitely the same guy.

Marissa notes someone high profile (David Cord, who I presume is a thinly veiled stand-in for David Koch given the name, his role in the plot, and the fact that he is “David Cord of the Cord Brothers”) in the lobby giving a fake name and goes to tell Liz.  

David Cord is performing magic tricks for the receptionists (they don’t recognize him) when Liz and Marissa show up. “I knew your father. I hated your father,” Cord says. “Yes, well, he hated you too,” Liz says. He says he gave a fake name to see what the reception would be like since he’s kinda infamous.  

Liz introduces Marissa as one of the law clinic lawyers. Marissa knows what to say in this situation. Specifically, she knows that it is the exact right moment to name drop her father.  

“Democrats as far as the eye can see,” Cord notes. At that, Liz asks Marissa to get Julius involved.

More good expository work! (No, editor feature of Word, I do NOT want that to say “Better expository work,” that would change my meaning, go away and please stop grading my recap??? I don’t know how I brought this up but it’s telling me my score is 72%, so a C, and it’s driving me crazy. Oh, now I’m a 71%. It had me at like, 50%, because I had written “Wackner” and “Wackner” is not a word. No shit.)  

Anyway, back to the exposition. I like that we don’t get a line like, “Liz! David Cord, the Republican super donor, is here!” We just get to see Liz’s reaction, Cord’s hate of Liz’s father, and the line about democrats. Then it becomes clearer who Cord is.

Just noticed Liz is wearing an Apple Watch.

Liz stands for her meeting with Cord, likely to maintain power. Cord says January 6th changed everything to him and now he’s all about unity and loving America.  

Cord has something to say about Liz’s case, the one that’s not making any money, and he seems to know quite a lot about it. That spooks Liz.  

Then Cord offers her $12 million to continue the case for another six months (all of these months, seemingly, will play out in the couple of days the rest of this episode takes, but, whatever). He just wants them to go after the social media company that distributed the fake news... and Section 230.

Don’t know what that is? Now you do, because there is a Good Fight short! These work so much better when they’re actually needed (explaining concepts, etc.) than when they’re trying to force one into every episode (remember that Downton Abbey one? What... was that?)  

I was talking to @mimeparadox about this short and he pointed out that this short has a VERY clear POV on an issue that actually doesn’t seem to be all that straightforward. If you’re like me and only had a vague sense of what Section 230 was prior to this episode, this short is telling you what to think of it—it isn’t just explaining what it is.

I do tend to agree with the show’s POV on most things, but this is an issue I’d like to read more on. I love how Section 230 was something I hadn’t really read up on prior to this episode and now that it’s been on TGF I realize it’s something that actually, yes, I would’ve been interested in knowing about earlier. Is this because things that are on TGF are interesting to me because they’re on TGF or is it because TGF generally only discusses things that would be interesting to me? Probs a little bit of both.  

Diane asks Jay how to make an anonymous phone call and he hands her a burner phone. She calls the FBI with the rioter’s name. She doesn’t leave her name and then she dumps the phone.  

Credits! Did you catch there’s a Jordan Boatman in the credits? She plays one of the associates who passes down the grunt work to Marissa, and she’s Michael Boatman’s daughter in real life! She’s also been in one other episode, in season 3.  

I never get tired of these credits!  

The RL partners (and some associates who are on the case? I think these are the same ones who delegated the work to Marissa?) debate whether or not they should take Cord’s money. Madeline notes that he’s funded a lot of Republican campaigns; Julius notes that both Republicans and Democrats agree that Section 230 is flawed and this is an opportunity for unity.

Diane notes that the right doesn’t want to stop conspiracy theories from spreading, so is this really that bipartisan? “It would help if the boomers would stop falling for those conspiracy theories and sharing it with their friends,” an associate (I believe this is Michael Boatman’s daughter again) notes. That quiets the room and the partners all glare at her. Yeah, that was a kind of stupid thing to say. First of all, it’s just not appropriate to say to the partners, and it’s also, like, missing the point? If it’s easy for conspiracy theories to spread among boomers, maybe just expecting each member of that generation to suddenly have a millennial’s understanding of the internet is the wrong strategy? Maybe there’s some structural issue here? That maybe, just maybe, this case is actually about?  

The associate also points out that the internet is currently a place where people can speak out about sexual harassment-- “they repeal section 230, and there would be no #MeToo.”

One of the partners says he doesn’t believe that—if they regulate section 230, then newspapers can actually be competitive and there’s still free speech online.  

“We’re not going back to reading newspapers, grandpa,” some associate says. What the actual fuck, dude? Who talks like that to their boss?! It’s so condescending. He’s also wrong! “Newspapers” are not just physical things... reporting by major publications still matters and will continue to matter. Like, is he suggesting that in the future all news will just be random people tweeting things they think are true with no fact checking or curation? Sure, journalism is struggling right now—but I don’t think that’s because there’s a lack of desire for well-reported news.  

I am glad the partners call him out on saying “grandpa” and honestly I’m shocked he isn’t asked to leave the discussion after that rude remark. Unless this young looking dude is a partner too? But I don’t think he is.  

Julius notes that if they’re going to pursue this case, they need money like Cord’s. At that, Liz starts to leave the meeting. “We haven’t decided if we’re taking this Cord money yet,” Madeline protests. “Of course we are,” Liz says and leaves.  

Now that’s more like it! I’m not sure if this is necessarily the best way to handle this, but she’s a) correct, they were always going to take the money because it is $12 million and an issue of interest and b) using her authority. Should Liz be making decisions totally on her own? Maybe not. Does Liz making this decision and then leaving (with everyone accepting that she’s correct) cut through a lot of bullshit and establish Liz as the one in charge? Yup.

Diane says, “Ooh-kay” with a little bit of an eyeroll after Liz exits, but she’s still laying low. I think in a different season Diane might’ve tried to push back.  

Is it me or does Baranski get a lot of material this episode we haven’t seen before? Lots of really good reaction shots/tones in this episode I don’t really think we’ve seen from Diane before. I’m impressed there’s still new stuff after 12 years.

At some point maybe I will actually write the essay I’ve been wanting to write for ages about how TGF is still so relevant despite being in a universe that should be showing its age by now. I wish I could find the first time that I called TGW a period piece set in the present day (I know it would’ve been during season five) because I think that’s the key to TGW/TGF’s enduring success. The shows always feel timely because they try to capture the present moment (which is, of course, always changing) and don’t get stuck in any one moment in time. Further, the fact that the writers are always so tuned in to events and skilled at quickly reacting to what happens in the world makes them VERY good in a pinch, which is (I think) why they’re able to make the most of unexpected situations (Josh leaving TGW, the pandemic).  

Liz and Julius bring a suit against ChumHum to attack 230. Judge Friend is initially skeptical of their argument that 230 is unconstitutional; then she’s intrigued. I am too. This argument about the press is a very interesting one. I obviously have a lot of reading to do on 230, but my take after this episode is pretty much that social media platforms have to be held responsible in some way, but I don’t think it’s feasible or desirable for them to be responsible for every single one of billions of posts. I think there has to be some way to regulate social media giants that would allow everyday people to share things and speak out but would prevent the curated (even by an algorithm) spread of fake news and make social media giants accountable when there are very public bad actors using their platforms. What that regulation would be I have no idea. I just refuse to believe that our options are to give the social media sites full immunity or to regulate the internet so strongly that no one is able to speak freely because all the platforms are worried about lawsuits.  

Over at the VA, people are being fired. When Kurt gets into his office, Madeline Starkey (wait, are there two characters named Madeline in this episode?) is waiting for him. She’s still very quirky and scary.  

Starkey says the guy that Diane reported is now saying Kurt trained him on using assault rifles and buying ammunition in bulk. Kurt notes these were topics covered in a group setting, which Starkey knew—and what she’s really after is the names of the others in the group. (She may already know them, since she knows there were five of them.)

Kurt refuses to name names and just stares at her.  

Case stuff happens! (I liked the last two episodes a lot but it’s much faster for me to just write, “case stuff happens” for some of the scenes.)

Hey, surprise Aaron Tveit! (Not really a surprise; he is in the credits. But still yay!)  

I don’t really know why Liz and Julius are talking about newspapers specifically and not all types of fact-based journalism/press? I feel like their argument is most convincing when it’s about actual newspapers (especially local ones) but still would apply to cable news...

Marissa’s still hard at work sorting papers when the associate comes back in and informs her she can stop; they’ve changed strategies and everything she’s done is now irrelevant. She also says “I forgot to tell you” at the start of that thought, meaning that she neglected to tell Marissa this important information earlier and wasted her time. Marissa is not pleased and so she goes to Wackner’s court, where Wackner now has a deli ticket machine and is wearing super-sized novelty sunglasses. Why not!

He sees Marissa and calls a five-minute recess. In “chambers,” Marissa tells him she’d like to work for him part-time but keep her RL job.  

Wackner needs her help processing more copyright certificates. He’s priced them competitively at $20 and found that a lot of writers want these certificates, even though they have no legal value. (Neither do actual copyrights, Wackner notes. And he notes that if anyone plagiarizes, they can sue in HIS court.)  

“Marissa, I’m building something here. I want you to join me. I want your advice on cases. I want to bounce legal theories off you,” he says. “What are your legal theories?” she asks. “I don’t know. That’s why I need to bounce them,” he says.  

Marissa gives him from noon to 2 and 5-7, which seems awfully ambitious for someone working at a law firm!

“That’s how revolutions are made. Back rooms of copy shops,” he says, accepting her offer.  

Kurt is sulking in the dark when Diane arrives home. He lets her know about Starkey’s visit and she immediately goes into lawyer mode. Notably, this scene does not spend much time on how Starkey found out the rioter’s name. Curious if they’re saving that for later or if Diane and Kurt both know what Diane must have done or if Kurt think’s it’s a coincidence.  

Kurt SET UP A TOUR OF THE CAPITOL for one of the veterans in his shooting group, and that tour was ON JANUARY 6TH! I really do wish he’d told Diane that upfront.  

Maybe the long pause where Kurt refuses to tell Diane which congressperson arranged the tour even after she promises she won’t say is him letting on that he knows that Diane ID’d the guy? Or maybe it’s just Kurt.  

I do not like the dead birds in Starkey’s office, mostly because I do not like thinking about dead birds.

Starkey compares Diane and Kurt to the Conways.  

And now more case stuff happens.  

Julius gets to question a witness for the first time in two years! He’s a little shaky at first but then he does a fantastic job! Yay Julius!

When Diane arrives at the office, reception is filled with around a hundred teddy bears. “What?” she asks. “Build-a-Bears. They were sent to Marissa,” the receptionist explains. “Okay... why?” Diane asks the logical next question. The receptionist does not know.  

“This one’s a Marissa bear,” she says, showing Diane a bear wearing boots and a wig. It does not look much like Marissa and it says “Hug me.”

Diane looks confused and furious at the same time. Her look here is, like, a milder version of the death stare she gives Alicia in Outside the Bubble when she learns about Alicia and Cary’s plan to leave.  

“Why don’t we, meaning you, take all these stuffed animals and put them in the conference room,” Diane instructs the receptionist. She is NOT! HAPPY! The receptionist seemed to be having fun with the bears, but clearly the right answer was to have done something with them and... not to have put them over every surface in reception. Eeek.  

Carmen’s new client, the rapist, arrives at the firm before anyone can hide the bears. “This may not be the firm for you,” his advisor/lawyer (I’m not totally sure what this dude’s job is) warns.  

Madeline notices the rapist and glares at the receptionist. “I know. I’m putting them in the conference room,” the receptionist says, thinking Madeline is upset about the bears. She is not upset about the bears.

Diane finds Marissa, who’s working with Carmen again. She asks Carmen to give them a moment.

“Why are there hundreds of teddy bears in our reception?” Diane asks. Marissa is confused. Diane shows her the Marissa bear. Marissa looks horrified and amused. “That doesn’t even look like me,” Marissa notes, completely missing how pissed off Diane is. I don’t think we have seen Diane be this direct/no-nonsense in ages.  

“That would seem to be beside the point. What is going on, Marissa?” Diane demands. Marissa suspects this is based on some advice she offered to a client who was buying a Build-a-Bear franchise and thinks this is a thank you gift. “What client? You’re not a lawyer! Why do you have clients?” Diane says exasperatedly.  

Marissa gives her a look, and Diane immediately understands that she’s been back to Wackner’s court. “Oh my God, this is about that Copy Coop court?”

“Marissa, no. By participating in that simulacrum of a courtroom, you exposed this firm to malpractice, sanctions, and God knows what,” Diane says. If that were really true, she wouldn’t have sat there and argued. I mean, I don’t know the legality of this all, but I feel like it’s a bigger optics issue than legal issue if Diane and other lawyers are willing to even consider participating?  

“If you wish to continue your employment at this firm, you will never do anything like that again. Do you understand?” Diane says. She will not hear any arguments.  

I love that Marissa is the thing that keeps Wackner coming back. It’s a good plot for her, but structurally, it also allows the show to keep Wackner around without many contrivances. Wackner sees that Marissa would understand what he’s up to, she sees that he shares some of her frustrations with the law, and they both want to work together again. It’s not like suddenly everyone’s talking about Wackner’s court and all the cases somehow end up there or anything.

The receptionist, who is having a truly terrible day, comes into announce that Kurt and Starkey have arrived. “Don’t put them in the conference room!” Diane commands, knowing that the teddy bears will be there. It’s too late, though, because the receptionist (who previously seemed to be fine at her job if bad at recognizing public figures and understanding that partners might not find teddy bears amusing) has already put them in the conference room. I feel bad for her, and don’t think the other things were her fault, but I feel like she could’ve seen this one coming...  

I find the teddy bears HILARIOUS, mostly because the reactions to them are so funny. It’s kind of the same gag as the balloons for Lucca in season two, but I don’t really care, because I’m getting to see Diane Lockhart treat hundreds of Build-a-Bears like they are a real work problem.

Starkey jokes about the bears; Kurt is silent.  

The rioter from the poster is now accusing Kurt of coming up with the STRATEGY for January 6th, which Kurt and Diane both dismiss as bullshit.  

I could do without Starkey’s musical cues.

I can’t tell if Kurt is in trouble here or if she’s just pressing him to name names. Why wouldn’t she just have rioter guy name names if he’s so eager to blame Kurt? I guess maybe if the others were actually there, he might be less likely to name the names of his actual co-conspirators? Or, Starkey might already know the names (surely the shooting range has logs) and be using this to raise the stakes.  

No one (except maybe the partner named Daniel) is happy about the rapist in reception. “Since when are we representing people like Wolfe-Coleman?” Julius asks. Didn’t these people help both Sweeney (though I think Sweeney was in some weird police brutality case and they didn’t actually want to represent him) and Bishop? And Rivi? But they draw the line here? Sure.  

Ah, there we go, an expository line-- “he’s the next Jeffrey Epstein”. Almost made it the whole episode without one of these. I’ll forgive it since it’s so late in the episode lol.  

“Did you approve this, Liz?!” Madeline demands. Liz did not. Daniel wonders if that means Diane approved it. Liz doesn’t think so and calls Diane (who happens to be walking past) in.  

“I know, the teddy bears. I’m working on it,” Diane says when she opens the door. I think the teddy bears are a bigger issue to Diane than to anyone else.  

Diane didn’t approve representing Mr. Rapey either. She’s uncomfortable that a meeting was happening without her; Madeline notes that she is standing there specifically because they wanted to involve her.  

David Lee pops up out of nowhere with the answer: one of the new associates (not Marissa, “the real one”) pulled in Mr. Rapey. Are there only two associates now even though orientation was for a big group?  

Firth is gone, btw. David Lee is the new Mr. Firth. I have no idea why David would want to be STR Laurie’s guy for managing RL but... sure, whatever? David Lee is an effective antagonist, especially in small doses, and this allows the writers to keep him around and continue the STR Laurie plot without a key guest star. If STR Laurie is still a thing, and it seems like it is going to be a thing for a while, then having David Lee take on this role makes sense for plot. Otherwise they’re going to have to shoehorn him in to every plot somehow. At least now he has a reason to be around.  

Liz and Diane take a walk to chat. Diane is worried about having David as their boss. Liz says she has a worse worry—David Lee knew exactly when to come downstairs with information, suggesting he know what they were talking about. “Would he do something like that?” Liz asks when Diane wonders if there’s a bug. “Oh, yeah,” Diane replies. Hah, yeah. He absolutely would.  

They decide to have Jay search for bugs and Liz is frustrated with how much time they have to spend on things other than lawyering. Yup.

“What is going on with all the teddy bears in the conference room?” Liz asks as they head back to the office. “It’s a long story,” Diane sighs. I also love that the teddy bears link the various pieces of the episode together—it feels like all of these threads are happening simultaneously because of that constant.  

I don’t get RL’s approach to clients. Bishop and Rivi are ok, Wolfe-Colman is not (except that actually he is fine). Cord is okay too. Do they draw the line anywhere? I know Liz was right when she said that OF COURSE they were taking the money, but is there really nothing that differentiates that situation from this one? I feel like there should be.

Marissa goes back to see Wackner. Since someone refuses to say “I respect and I love you,” Wackner reverses his ruling. This is part of the “Bad Loser Law of last Wednesday,” so the rules of Wackner’s court are clearly a work in progress.

Marissa explains she can’t be the law clerk because of Diane. She tries to connect him with a real lawyer, still not understanding exactly what Wackner’s after. “You know just enough not to crush what I’m doing here,” Wackner explains. “A real lawyer will look for reasons why not. I need someone to look for reasons why.”  

Case stuff happens. I cannot read Cord’s handwriting. Liz and Julius lose the case because Judge Friend says what’s happening isn’t fair, but it is constitutional. (So here we have, at least in the show’s POV, a good and attentive judge who can’t make decisions that make sense because she’s bound by a document written before anyone had ever dreamed of the internet.)  

Cord is waiting for Liz in her office. He’s prepared to bankroll an appeal. Did they blow thorough that $12 million already? Impressive; it’s been like a day.  

Cord says they are definitely the firm he wants. Interesting.

Now Liz wants a meeting with Carmen, so it’s Marissa who leaves the room. This scene seems like it was meant to be a different day?  

Liz wants to talk about Mr. Rapey. Carmen is, yet again, chill about the case. “Carmen, is there anyone that you would not represent?” Liz asks. Funny, Liz, I could ask you the same. Being hesitant about it is not changing the fact that you’re representing bad people. Carmen’s just cutting the bullshit.  

“I don’t understand. Is there someone you don’t want me to represent?” I love how Carmen’s incredibly polite responses always seem very pointed. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Carmen’s reply, and yet it puts Liz in a place where she can’t dance around what she’s trying to say.  

“I’m just trying to get a sense of who you are,” Liz explains.  

Then Liz decides she’s going to help on the Craig Wolfe-Colman (Mr. Rapey) case, and they will keep talking about her career path. Liz, this does not seem like the right solution! You're worried about your associate representing bad people so you’re like, I know, what if I ALSO represented bad people? If your goal is to convince Carmen not to take clients like this, you’re kinda shooting yourself in the foot!  

“Are you worried about me?” Carmen says, again turning things on Liz. “I don’t know what I am about you,” Liz replies. Me either. Well, I know I'm intrigued, but beyond that, no clue!

All the bears have ended up in Diane’s office, where Wackner is waiting. He jokes about how his court is always seen as informal, yet this real fancy law office is covered in Build-a-Bears. Then he says he wants to hire RL—he's willing to pay. He wants consultation from Marissa (“consultation on legal issues”) and he’s prepared to spend a lot. And, if there’s one thing we know, it’s that they’re always going to take the money. So, they do.

I love that Wackner’s goal is to “perfect my little clubhouse of the law.” It’s a fun plot, and it also allows for the rules in his court to change (I’m sure we’re going to be treated to/subjected to a lot of whimsical gags around changing and ridiculous rules). It's also a good way to work through the thought experiment over the course of the season. It’s not like Wackner already has a system set up and it’s perfect—I'm sure we’re going to see his system run into issues and explore that more, too.  

Wackner monologues a bit here about why he’s running fake court, and he lets us know he’s going to monologue. Basically he thinks people no longer want to help people and are only motivated by their own self interest. He notes that no one talks about the Peace Corps anymore and asks the last time Diane heard anyone say those words. I’m sure I’ve heard a reference more recently but my mind went RIGHT to season one Cary Agos saying “Peace Corps. Belize,” as some kind of smarmy pickup line. This is likely not where my mind was supposed to go.

Wackner wants “A new Peace Corps. For America.” Diane’s sympathetic to that and agrees to take him on as a client.  

Wackner asks if he can take a bear. Diane instructs him to take two.  

Aaaand Wackner and Cord end up on the elevator together. Wackner hands Cord a bear, the elevator doors close, and the episode ends. Since last episode ended with Marissa and Carmen in the elevator together, I’m hoping this will be how every episode this season ends. I think using the Kings’ favorite liminal space to transition between episodes is kind of fun, and it fits with the ellipses at the end of every episode title.  

Speaking of... did you see today’s elevator-themed episode of Evil? It was written by the Kings. Those two have been obsessed with elevators for at least a decade.  

[blackfictional]

ch • luya

[badgerhuan]

15 with any characters/pairing of your choice

hiii i know it'd been a Bit but thank you for sending <3

15. trembling hands (RBL, Cleveland AU)

The worst thing about almost losing his left hand is that Rob can't use it to hold Barry's or Les' hands anymore, not in the way he used to. He can't cup their faces like he used to, either. Any effort to put pressure into his touch just makes his hand tremble against their skin.

They don't mind, though. Les takes the hand in the firm grip of his own, and Barry leans into his feather light touch, and they both kiss him just the same.

( Send me a number and I’ll write a micro story using the word or phrase )

[ontherockswithsalt]

I'm thinking about RBL... Does she have Miami's hottest landscaper at her house every Saturday morning to water and prune bc she likes to watch? Does she still live in hope that Nick will one day come upstairs and inspect her very rare bush? Has she moved on, and is now lusting after her pool boy?

Rare Bush Lady!! I feel like Nick was sharing this story of how she kept pestering him to come in for cocktails with one of his co-workers. One who's far less attractive, but easy and hard-up for some cougar action. And that dude eagerly took over and Noble gradually moved away from Saturday morning jobs. He didn't want the overtime that badly 😂

[isaaccecilbryant]

Get to know people, repost, don’t reblog !

tagged by: @psychcdelica​ (thank you!)

tagging: @sinnersall​, @knightlyhearted​, @unwaveringblade​, @unborderedreflection​

one - ( alias / name ) : Stacie/Admin/RBL

two - ( birthday ) : May 21st

three - ( zodiac sign ) : Taurus/Gemini

four - ( height ) : 5'7″

five - ( hobbies ) : Reading, writing, games, anime

six - ( favourite colour ) : Pink, white, lilac

seven - ( favourite books ) : Night Angel Trilogy, Sherlock Holmes, Chi’s Sweet Home and soooo many other manga series

nine - ( last film or show watched ) : The Disappearance of Yuki Nagato-chan? Fruits Basket?

ten - ( inspiration for muse ) : Mainly music, though I get ideas for him from all sorts of games, shows, books, you name it!

eleven - ( story behind URL ) : Sadly, it’s just Isaac’s name XD

[howlscifer]

thank you for tagging me ;)  @caelestialium

name: emma

gender: female

sexuality: heterosexual 

hogwarts house: ravenclaw

favourite animal: fox

current time: 04:45

cats or dogs: cats because of my ragdoll bb 

dream job: director of tv / movie shows / show runner because it’s a great way to keep story telling and making a world impact. 

when i made this blog: february 2014 wow ... it’s literally been 6 years since I’ve been on this hellsite. 

reason for my url: palette is from IU’s amazing song and if you’ve never heard it, the lyrics are absolutely amazing so check it out. rbls stans for rebellion against the norm, another unique form of self expression as well as another musical reference to DEAN. so my url is essentially a combination of two solo artists that I really admire. 

10 people i’d like to get to know better: @hailthequeens, @malfoire, @fablehaven, @bleubeard. @venlirps, @herorps, @polarisdreams, @nrps, @theslayer, @kendallsroys and anyone else who’d like to do this ! 

[derangedhyena-zoids]

If the poor beleaguered Raynos takes a dive I insist Red Bladey at least lose a limb. It's not like half of Brad's unwelcome flatmates don't have Bad History with Ligers. Also, pretty sure Leon cashed in 110% of his meta-hazard shielding back during K&G.

Losing a limb wouldn’t be a permanent state of affairs though. It’s pretty simple to fix Zoid limbs (more complicated for rarer ones, but still not impossible.) I mean the story almost literally starts off with the RBL and Leon retrieving the broken-off blade from the Berserk Fury lawn ornament so they can do repairs. because it’d be expensive to have a new one fabricated Leon is absolutely out of all such shielding though, yes. Out of fucks to give too. Good thing nobody’s actually out to get him and he’s close friends with the couple-with-guns (and an Organoid and a [spoiler]). ಠ_ಠ Ambient doesn’t care for the RBL obviously (and complains that Leon smells bad because he’s a Liger pilot), but he’s inclined to be much more bitchy towards his actual least-favorite. The Liger Zero was Van’s Blade Liger, after all.

[jetrafied]

That random bar lesbian. The RBL, if you will, probably went home and told her girlfriend all about these two stupid women and made up a story about them. And she was eerily close to the true story. She didn’t include the accidental insemination of course bc how would she guess that, but she got the love triangle stuff and the extremely complicated relationship.

She named them Natasha (Petra) and Jenny (Jane)