#take the keefe situation for instance.

[myfairkatiecat]

NOT TRYING TO BE RUDE, BUT i HATE KEEFE SO SO MUCH AND IM WONDERING (GENUINELY) WHAT YOU LIKE ABOUT HIM BECAUSE I CAN'T SEE THE APPEAL

ALSO YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THIS IF IT MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE OR BUGS YOU SORRY IF IT DOES EITHER/BOTH

Hey anon! Those are some strong feelings you've got there!

This is a tricky question to answer since a lot of the things that make me like Keefe's character make some people dislike his character, so you might be about to get a list of all the things you despise about him by asking me what I like about him. I like him because I think he's a good character, and way better written than people give him (or Shannon) credit for. I don't always love Wattpad Fanon Keefe (perfect boyfriend, super sweet, always says the right thing) because it erases so much of his character. I like canon Keefe. He's a raw character with a lot going on and a whole slew of well-developed character traits.

Before I jump into this post, however, I want to say one thing: I think a lot of people who dislike Keefe are mostly frustrated with Shannon's portrayal of his character flaws, and I don't think they give Shannon enough credit for the way she's intentionally written Sophie as an unreliable narrator. It's rather clear during different parts of the series that Sophie isn't the most reliable narrator, and Shannon also explicitly writes in the margins of her annotated KOTLC book that she used a certain scene as an example of when Keefe takes his jokes too far. Sophie forgives him without even an outright apology in that scene, but Shannon makes it clear in her annotations that she, the author, isn't writing it off. I don't own the annotated so I can't remember the exact quote, but it's my biggest case for why I think Shannon has intentionally written Keefe with these character flaws, as character flaws, and yes, Shannon sees them as character flaws and has said so, so for the purposes of this ask response here, let's assume Shannon Messenger is aware she's writing a flawed character, because I do think it's rather unfair to her how often the people of the fandom accuse her of brushing by Keefe's actions when in reality she's just writing Sophie Foster as true to her character as she can.

With that, let's jump into this little essay about Why Keefe Is An Awesome Character And I Love Him that I've writtten for you!

My AP English teacher always used to say, "characters are more human than humans." I believe the purpose of this quote was that well-written characters exemplify what makes us human—our love, our experiences, our regret, our strengths and flaws—in ways that connect strongly to the audience. Part of the reason so many people like Keefe's character, I believe, is because they are able to connect strongly to him. This is because he is written as "more human than humans," as my AP English teacher would say—even though technically, he's not a human, but an elf.

One major strong point of Keefe Sencen's character is that his strengths and weaknesses are often wrapped up in the same character traits. This is something that is true for many people. For example, my politeness in real life social situations makes me a lot of friends, but too often can turn to people-pleasing. A good character, in my opinion, should have both strengths and flaws stemming from all of their major character traits. Here are a few of Keefe's:

His humor

One major aspect of Keefe's character is his humor. Whether you personally find it funny or not (I think I found it a little funnier when I was eleven... I'm sorta growing out of some of it, though his wittier comments in the latest books are more my style, which might be a sign of both me and the character maturing) it's an enormous part of his character. As a major character trait, it presents both strengths and flaws.

Often, he brings levity to heavy situations that the other characters appreciate. One instance I remember is in Flashback. They were preparing for a confrontation, and I don't remember what it was that Keefe said, but Sophie narrates that she appreciated the moment of comedic relief, because it eased some of her anxiety. Keefe is able to take intense moments and settle them with quick-witted (or hilariously not funny) comments. This is likely a skill he adopted in order to handle the crushing pressure of being in his own home as a kid. (Fitz, contrastingly, adapted the skill of just holding lots and lots of weight, bending and bending and bending until he finally breaks. Not to make my Keefe essay about Fitz, of course, but I know someone is going to point out that Fitz also dealt with a lot of pressure at home, and wanted to point out that he developed somewhat unhealthy coping mechanisms as well, they're just different from Keefe's.)

However, sometimes his jokes are unwanted or go too far. Shannon comments on this specifically at the end of the first book, where Keefe makes a joke about how he helped save her when she almost died, and then sorta trailed of when he realized he was talking about her almost-death. Shannon commented in the margins that this was a moment of Keefe experiencing awareness that his joking has gone a little too far. She hasn't released annotated editions of any later books, but I'm confident that at least a few other scenes are examples of this as well. Sometimes I run across them during a read through and I'm like "huh, it's interesting to have a good idea as to what Shannon was thinking writing this." Sometimes, his constant making light of serious situations really isn't funny to anyone, and it keeps him from accepting the gravity of what they're doing, likely contributing to his reckless behavior.

2. His intuitive communication

Something to notice about Keefe is that even though he's often socially unaware, either in ways that indicate his childhood trauma or just his emotionally immaturity as a teenager, he's very good at knowing exactly what to say for his intended goal. That intended goal isn't always necessarily something he should want, mind you—we just talked about how his need to lighten the mood sometimes causes problems, and he knows enough about some of his friends (cough Fitz cough) to know exactly what words will hurt them the most in an argument as well.

This can be a strength for him, especially when he's comforting Sophie. Since he can feel her emotions instinctively, he often knows exactly what she needs to hear. He's actually incredibly sweet at times, especially in Legacy (I mean... there are other issues there, which I'll get into another time). For example, when he's telling her the reasons Bronte isn't the worst possible father for her to have. There's nothing inherently great about the specific way he comforted her, but it did ease some of Sophie's queasiness, because he knew what she needed to hear. Also, there are the scenes in Legacy where he's telling her that Sophie Foster is all she needs to be, or the scene in Everblaze where he reminds her that no matter who her parents are, she's still going to be exactly the same person she is, and they can't change her. Keefe is really good at knowing the right thing to say. (This might have stemmed from walking on eggshells his entire life aroud his parents!)

However, this also makes it really easy for Keefe to be manipulative, or lie, or say the completely wrong thing on purpose. The best example of the first two was when he somehow convinced everyone in just a few sentences that he totally wasn't going to go to Loamnore with them. Somehow, the guy famous for not doing what he's told convinced everyone he was going to do what he was told, and the thing is, it wasn't even unrealistic. He gave really good reasons that it made sense for him to stay back, and even made jokes about it, about how he and the others not going were "too cool for Loamnore." He had everyone convinced he really wasn't going to be reckless this time, when he totally knew his plan the whole time. The famous Unlocked healing center scene is a great example of the last one, because Keefe got upset with Fitz and knew exactly what to say to make him the most upset and embarassed in that situation. He only even took back the words when Sophie became upset as well. He and Fitz are in... not an awesome place in the latest books, and his POV reflects that.

3. His courage

Let's be honest. Is Keefe a runner? Yes. But when he runs, is he running from a fight? Nope. Never. One of the major instances of this guy running away actually put himself in a ton of danger. He doesn't run for cover, or safety. He runs usually out of fear of himself, his relationships, or that he isn't able to help in any other way. If we really look at his character, Keefe is incredibly brave. All of the KOTLC main cast is. They've got guts. But a lot of the others have a more guarded sort of courage, while Keefe's is... well. Not guarded.

Keefe doesn't think things through, and sometimes, there isn't time for that. Sometimes, immediate action is necessary, and Keefe is great with that. Quick, in-the-moment plans are his specialty. He's not afraid to stand up to people who want to hurt him (*cough* Dimitar scene *cough*).

But he's also extremely reckless (*cough* Dimitar scene *cough*). Because his courage is less guarded than his friends (such as Sophie's or Biana's) he may be more inclined to carry out his plans quickly, but he's also more likely to not think things through fully and end up putting his own life at risk, and sometimes even his friends' lives, even when he's trying to help.

4. His caution and fight or flight instinct

To everyone who ever said Keefe's character is flat and his strengths and flaws never develop or change, what version of KOTLC are you even reading?! Like I mentioned above, Keefe's recklessness is a huge part of his character since book one, but now I'm here about to talk about his caution/obsessive worrying/the famous running away, specifically the second time. This is a relatively new character trait for him. It develops slightly after Lodestar/the first half of Nightfall. Keefe truly did learn a lot from leaving for the Neverseen and lying to Sophie before going to Ravagog. We're given an extremely limited window into this process, since Sophie had other things going on and Keefe's short story focused a lot on his crush on her, but Keefe noticeably steps back and stops trying to turn things into a "Keefe show" (as Sophie puts it in Nightfall) and attempts to work more as a team, which is definitely character development again. However, where he really learned his lesson was Loamnore. He showed up, again going behind Sophie's back and coming up with a plan of his own, and it ended with Sophie tied up on the ground and him being forced to undergo a transformation that gave him powers he's terrified of. While his recklessness didn't entirely vanish after this (his response in the end was to run away to the literal Forbidden Cities) but is definitely flavored with siginificantly more caution and an attempt to be genuinely responsible.

In Unlocked, Keefe noticeably asks for people to be kept away from him, including Sophie, so that he can keep from accidentally controlling anybody. He also stops using his voice entirely. These are actually incredibly selfless things for him to do. He loves to be with his friends (particularly Sophie for reasons) and he loves to talk! And neither of those things are bad! But he isn't willing to put them in danger. In fact, he actually sort of overdoes it in Unlocked, even asking for Dex to make him an ability restrictor. (While he's well-intentioned here, I think Keefe brushes past the idea that making one of those again might be something of a traumatic experience for Dex.) In the end, he's so worried about it that he runs away, but he does it with considerably more of a plan than he did when he joined the Neverseen. He knew he'd know the languages, he arranged a way to get his hands on human currency, and while Unraveled isn't out yet, the state in which they found Keefe along with some of the things Keefe described about his experience make it clear that Keefe purposefully learned a lot about human cultures and successfully blended in and made his life work.

His newfound carefulness paired with his classic instinct to run really encapsulate a lot of his character strengths and flaws. In the later books, it's actually a sign that he's developing as a character and moving away from some of his past character flaws, but like all well-written major character traits, it comes with its own drawbacks.

Another important aspect of Keefe's character is the way he is noticeably shaped by his own experiences. I mentioned the whole "being more human than human" thing earlier, and while yes, he's still not human, I think this is part of what makes so many people connect to his character. He's realistic. He has even more strengths and flaws than the ones I've mentioned above, and all of them obviously come from somewhere specific in his past.

Why is he so chronically unserious? Because he couldn't be serious enough for his family. Before he met Fitz and started spending time with the Vackers, he didn't even really have friends. He had a suffocated home and impossible expectations, and when he tried to live up to them, he just wasn't good enough. So he adapted to break the tension. He adapted to just... not try ("those who don't try never look foolish" -Fiyero in "Dancing Through Life," from Wicked. I think Fiyero is... very Keefe coded) and started skipping classes, breaking the rules, playing pranks and doing anything to cut through the tension. He dealt with pressure by tossing it off his shoulders and just deciding to not deal with it. Obviously, deciding to Just Not Deal With Things eventually began to hurt him, and he slowly and painfully begins to learn to have difficult conversations (but hey, at least he's getting there? I think Neverseen is where his development in that particular area becomes apparent, with the way he opens up more and even admits where he's really beginning to feel guilty).

Why is he such a master of knowing what to say? Because he grew up walking on eggshells around his parents. And when he decided to stop caring about his parents, he weaseled his way out of trouble whenever possible, and learned to use other people's emotions to learn things from them and get his way. "But Katie," you say, "reading other people's emotions without permission and using them to get his way is a very not good thing to do!" You're very correct! And it's an enormous indication of how skewed his view of normal is. What's the one Empath he grew up observing? His father. Look, he knows his parents suck, but because his parents suck, he has no way of knowing what is and isn't normal. Is his father doing this particular thing because he's a horrible person or because that's a normal thing to do? How on Earth is Keefe supposed to know?! Well, there are rules about telepathy, and there aren't any rules about empathy, so the external indications seem to tell him that this particular thing is normal. This is yet another example of Keefe's life experiences having a huge impact on his character.

Why is he so reckless? Because he doesn't care. Even his his most noble moments of bravery stem from the same place of not caring what happens to his life. It's the same reason his deep care for his friends' lives turns to quickly into self-sacrificial tendencies (which show themselves in canon on numerous occasions and usually don't even help). He has this "better me than any of them" mindset that's deeply rooted in his childhood trauma. Even though he's fought tooth and nail against everything his parents have ever said about him, he still has this ingrained sense of worthlessness. The way he says he "doesn't care about permanent damage" and tells Sophie that he's going to make sure he's always the one who ends up wrapped up in bandages and also has that moment in Unlocked where he wants to retreat into the darkness and never wake up? Look, we all know he needs therapy, but maybe reread that last sentence. ...Keep reading it until you get it.

And finally, what makes him finally learn to be cautious? Because he sees firsthand how his reckless plans are impacting the lives of other people around him, and if there's any negative trait that Keefe is NOT, it's selfish. Keefe may be occasionally selfish—you know, case by case basis, like most people—but it isn't a character trait of his by any means. He struggles significantly more with not caring about himself than he struggles with not caring about others. So when he realizes it isn't only his own life he's putting on the line, and sees the way it's hurting his friends, he takes an enormous step back, and even runs away for a time. Now, it would be great if he would start caring about himself too, because this poor guy needs therapy and his level of self-deprecation at this point is way out of control. But it is the case that he cares about his friends a lot (if someone quotes this part and brings up Fitz, I'm going to point out that their friendship has fallen way out due to actions and reactions on both sides of that relationship) and ultimately it ends up adjusting the balance in his character traits and their related strengths and flaws.

In short, Keefe is a lot of things. He's good things, he's bad things, he's consistent things. He reads like a real person—someone who frequently makes the same style of mistakes but does learn and grow over the course of his life. Every character trait of him stems from some aspect of his past. Shannon didn't write him with a slew of random personality traits—each and every one of them ties down to who he is and how he's shaped by his experiences. He can be a truly amazing friend. He can be a really horrible friend. He can be sweet and amazing and say the perfect thing. He can say the wrong-est possible thing with the intention of cutting the other person deep. He's a slow learner, but he learns nonetheless. His character development isn't a smooth arc in which he has trait A, event B happens and at the end he has trait C. That's common in storytelling, but not real life. Keefe learns, grows, then makes the same mistake again, then learns stronger. His character development sees both growth and setbacks, and the changes are subtle. He's still the same person even when he changes.

He's good things, he's bad things, he's consistent things, and I think it is out of an awareness of our own humanity that so many people relate to him and therefore enjoy his character.

I hope you enjoyed this essay, anon. Believe it or not, I actually have plenty more to say about any of these topics, and some other topics that I didn't even bring up, so if you want to see even more, just direct me towards what you want to hear and I assure you I'll have thoughts. Have a wonderful day!

[scummy-writes]

Pairing: Keith/Reader(she/her)

Words: 614

Prompt: "Oh, God." He muttered, his heart dancing in his chest. "What did we just do." From this prompt list.

Context: I livestreamed me writing on my server, Scummy Streams, and let whoever joined pick a prompt for me to write then and there! @ridiculouslly-ridiculous picked out this prompt with Keef, and then we sat and... listened to lofi calmly as I typed ahahaha

There were many instances where Keith’s heart was set aflutter- those moments where turning the pages to another one of Sonia’s books had his chest pounding in excitement and intrigue, or those lonely moments where he ‘woke up’, dazed and confused with his surroundings.

Typically, it was quick for him to piece together what had happened. If he was in the woods at random, he knew his other self likely needed a break from the politics and royal bullshit. If it was his apothecary, it was easy to gleam what exactly his other half had been concocting- so on, so forth. And those moments where his heart ramped in speed would only last for seconds before he was able to let out a sigh of relief.

However… This time he awoke to another set of eyes before his, and his heart slammed into his throat. A coughing gasp, and he nearly jumped out of his skin with how fast he took a step back, mind racing to put together the messy pieces of this scenario.

He blinked rapidly, trying to process what had happened- your face was set with a deep blush, lips slightly parted as you brushed the pads of your fingers along them, also sharing some of his wonder to an extent. The more he glanced around - taking note of what little space the balcony he was on had, the faint bustle of noises through the covered glass doors behind you -  the more his chest constricted. 

"Oh, God." He muttered, hand pressed against his racing heart. "What did we just do."

You started to speak before your brows furrowed, a flash of disbelief across your features. In that moment, he was busy trying to quell his own thoughts. Was his first kiss just taken away from him? Did he really switch just after the experience ended, leaving him to act like a fool in front of you?

“What do you mean?”

Oh… Snapped back into reality, it was easier to see how the sweet bewilderment in your gaze transformed into betrayal, hurt. 

“W-w-well, that is… we, um…”

Nothing was coming out right, because what could he say in this moment? How could he explain what must surely look like a blundered attempt at a retreat from…whatever situation has transpired before. There must have been sweet words exchanged, because what else could explain the prickle of heated tears in your eyes.

You turned on your heel swiftly, no doubt in a rush to hide the waves of emotion rolling through you. Even when he called out for you to just wait, just for one moment, you still left him alone on that cold balcony, still trying to process what just happened.

Did… His other self just ruin any chance he had pursuing you, his crush? 

The temptation to linger and just stare blankly at your fleeting form, your body weaving and disappearing into the crowded ballroom, was a strong and familiar feeling. It brought forth memories of other instances where his feet had been rooted to the spot, watching a misunderstanding take off while he did nothing to stop it.

Did he really want that to happen with you, as well? Could he continue his stay in Rhodolite having to dodge you in the hallways and the library, never getting to spare more than casual greetings your way?

Imagining that- the way you’d possibly look hurt, unable to meet his eyes from this point forward, had his feet moving before his brain could catch up with his actions. Clumsily, perhaps a little too forcefully, he made his way from the balcony and through the ballroom, determined to find you and set this right.

Annnnnnd that is that! Short lil ditty. I don't write keith that often and wasn't sure how to tackle this one, and thought in this type of scenario that alt keith COULD be an asshole like this....IF he wanted... I imagine alt Keith probably did this as a way to spur Keith to admit his feelings- like to finally get the balls to, rather than just let another crush fizzle out due to being too scare to pursue it.

That's that.

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[crymeariveronceagain]

I'm curious - what made you hate Alden? When did you start hcing him as abusive?

For me, it was probably when I reread the series and started relating to Fitz a lot more. Having Fitz as your favorite character makes it hard to like him.

it's... a lot of things.

but the catalyst for me was that scene in Flashback.

It made me sick.

First of all, Alden knows exactly what Keefe Sencen's family situation is like. And without question or hesitation, for his own purposes, he turned that against Keefe. Used it as a weapon. Called him a son to hit him in the face with the knowledge that he doesn't matter as much as his other kids. That at the end of the day, Keefe is still just a pawn to every single one of his parental figures.

Secondly, I understood something. Crappy people are crappy people. If you're crappy in one area of your life, the crappy-ness is infectious. It bleeds. It seethes. If it's in one area of your life, especially in the way you handle your relationships, it's probably going to be in other areas. More than that. Moreover, in my personal experience, crappy parents are often very nice to kids who are not theirs. This is how Alden treats a kid who is not his. So, bearing all that in mind, I went back and I looked at his kids.

Biana is invisible, hiding in the shadows of her older brother, she's there but she's not, silently held to an impossible standard, and declaring that her scars are a part of her now, like someone told her that she needed to be ashamed of them. Fitz is so perfect there are cracks and he breaks down screaming, unable to handle the pressure. Alvar fricking abandoned everything his family stood for with no remorse and ditched everything to join a terrorist organization. All I see in this are huge, huge, huge red flags.

Thirdly, after this, I looked back on Alden's behavior. And I just. I noticed things.

For instance. He constantly shuts down Sophie. Treats her a bit like a pawn as well. He condescends to her, treats her like she's too young to handle anything, when he is the one who brought her into this. He constantly tries to control situations. He takes on roles that should not and do not belong to him. He is very respected, and has a ton of power at his fingertips. He sent his six year old son into the human world(need i mention all the crap we pull every single day?? how many car accidents??? kidnappings? armed robberies? no??). Labelling Fitz as "the perfect golden child" is like a major red flag. Like uhm hellooo i has questions. His whole family keeps this aura of perfection that the lost cities tries as a whole to embody. Perfection does not exist. But the Vackers are perfect. Who keeps them all in line?

I honestly have more questions than I have answers about this man.

But when I look at him, all I can see, in my head, is--

“No, it’s the definition of caring.” Alden stood and made his way closer, wrapping an arm around Keefe’s shoulders. “You may not be my genetic son,” he said quietly, “but I’ve long considered you part of my family.”

Yeah, screw off, old man. I can see straight through you. Don't treat your kids like that, don't treat Keefe like that, don't treat anyone like that.

And so yeah. It's disgusting behavior, and it shows that Alden will sacrifice people to get what he wants.

If Alden was a good person, and had good relationship ideals and dynamics, this would never have been something he'd have done.

It just wouldn't have been something he'd have done.

So why did he do it? Does he think that it's fine? Does he think that it's normal? Kind?

What else does he think is normal?

*grumbles*

[bookwyrminspiration]

if given the chance do you think keefe would actually kill / severely injure his mom? Also if he did how do you think the crew would react ? I feel as if the hatred for Gisela is pretty mutual among the group, and Sophie has described wanting to hurt Gisela multiple times, however when Fitz punched Alvar / tried to kill him, despite knowing all that Alvar had done, everyone seemed at least a little unsettled/upset. I know the comparison isn't perfect, but I think its interesting to think about.

Oh that's an interesting question! I know that he'd say he would be willing to hurt and/or end her because she's a horrible person and he doesn't care about her and it's what's right, but when it comes down to it I think it'd be a lot harder decision to make. Because that's his mom. No matter how awful or horrible she's turned out to be, he grew up with her and part of him loves her and wants to be loved by her.

(cut for space reasons!)

As things are currently, I think if he were to hurt Gisela it would be for his friends. Gisela's hurt him badly, but I don't think he'd fight back for his own sake, he doesn't think he's worth it. But her targeting the people/person he cares about? That's an instance where he'd be more capable of hurting Gisela because it's not about him and he'd be able to act on something outside of his own conflicted feelings. When it's about him and Gisela then he'd freeze, and Gisela could goad him into a verbal conflict and say things to mess with his head. There'd need to be a buffer between the two to clear Keefe's mind and help him focus. It's possible he could have development and fight for himself and see himself as worth something, but right now he's not there.

Also, I think the only instance where Keefe would hurt Gisela would be in the heat of a battle. If they were in an environment where he had to take a deliberate action to hurt her (say, while they were questioning her or something) then he'd be unable to. But if they're already fighting and he's acting more on instinct then it's more like he's just following the flow and moving and not thinking about anything but the next second. He doesn't have time to have a moral dilemma, he just has time to act and to defend his friends and try to end everything. It's the thinking that gets to him. If he kills her, it's going to be a heat of the moment kind of situation is my prediction. Which will then be followed by silence as the thinking catches up to him and he realizes what he's done and tries to figure out if he's made the right decision. A sort of "I didn't mean--i was just trying to stop her. I wasn't trying to kill her" thing.

For how everyone would react, I think it'd be mostly shock. And concern for Keefe's well being. They all hated Gisela and wanted her gone, but that desire is very different from their friend actually actively killing him mother. So they'd probably be a little unsettled that Keefe actually did it, but be glad that Gisela couldn't hurt anyone anymore. But then there's the whole matter of "is he like...okay?" because he just killed his mother. So that would probably take precedence because what's done is done and they don't want Keefe to fall apart. They care more about Keefe being okay than about Gisela being dead, so the adults can worry about that while their friends all make sure he's not going to fall apart. Whatever their thoughts on it are, that's not as important as making sure Keefe isn't going to break.

I think the same "it'll ruin you" mindset from Fitz trying to Alvar could be applied here as well. That's part of what Sophie said to keep Fitz from killing him, and he stopped because she said she didn't want to lose him. It'd change him irreversibly to kill his brother. Keefe if he killed Gisela is what would've happened to Fitz if he'd gone through with it. Permanently changed, ruined, and they don't want to loose him. That's not something you can come back from. That's not to say he wouldn't be okay someday, but he would never be the same person again.

So I think given the chance in a moment where he doesn't have time to think about his actions, Keefe could kill or severely injure Gisela. And that his friends would be unsettled but more concerned for his well being than dealing with him killing her. It's very interesting, so thank you for bringing it up!!

[sunset-telepath]

Why I hate Ro

So, I was asked to explain why I hate Ro. And I’ve been compilating several arguments that I’ve heard and written myself. And I’d like to put a disclaimer here - it’s not because she’s this “sokeefe idol.” It’ just... her character and what she does in support of sokeefe.

Disclaimer: I’m condensing several conversations that I, JaxTheShade, and [Redacted due to them not wanting to be credited] had on the wiki about a month ago. Around 40% of these ideas are mine, 40% are Jax’s, and 20% are [Redacted]’s.

Right off the bat, she’s a misandrist. She quite literally calls boys as stupid as amoeba in Legacy. You can say that that was a joke, but it’s not funny. It’s not okay to blatantly call anyone or generalize any group stupid. It’s not ok. It’s the exact same thing as saying that women belong in the kitchen or that blacks are criminals. It’s not ok. It’s disgusting, despicable, and repugnant behavior.

In the Flashback Short Story, she objectifies Sophie as a prize for Fitz and Keefe to fight over. What the actual f***. That is not acceptable behavior under any circumstances. It’s repugnant, disgusting, detestable, and f****** evil. Treating any person as a prize to fight over is textbook objectification and it is blatantly evil. It is not ok. And it’s disgusting that this narrative has leaked into some of the fanfics that I’ve read. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. IT IS NOT EXCUSABLE. IT IS EVIL.

She flat out bullies Fitz. She alludes to him being a nasty microbe in Legacy. She ridicules his desire to perfect himself. There is nothing wrong with being or trying to be perfect. Don’t push yourself too hard trying to be perfect, but if you should always strive to be better (and if you’re naturally talented like Fitz is, achieve your dreams. Fulfill your potential. Ignore the haters). She mocks and bullies him, calling him names and ridiculing his desire to be perfect. Newsflash: There’s nothing wrong with trying to be perfect. Who the hell is Ro to decide how perfect someone can be? Who the hell does Ro think she is? As a perfectionist myself, I despise Ro and her adversity to perfection. It’s not her place to decide how perfect a person can be. I admire Fitz simply shrugging her off and not letting her flat-out abuse get to him. It’s the proper way to deal with people like her.

Her entire character can be summed up as a chronic-complainer who ships Sokeefe. Shannon basically turned the Instagram Fandom into a character and made it Keefe’s Bodyguard. She never confesses to making mistakes and she’s never humbled or knocked down a peg. 30% of her dialogue can be attributed to complaining about sparkles or “elf-land,” 20% of it can be attributed to her flat-out bulling Fitz, and 50% of it can be attributed to her pushing Sophie and Keefe together. None of the characters like her. The other bodyguards detest her, Bo wants to kill her, Fitz thinks that she’s awful, Sophie is embarrassed by her, and Keefe wants her to shut her mouth.

She’s blunt, she’s rude, and she’s just awful. She interferes with a relationship that is none of her business. She has no regard for the emotional abuse that she inflicts. Ro and Keefe are very similar, and clash often. Ro always wins, however, either because she’s stronger than him or because she can emotionally manipulate him. (These sound like big claims now, but they’re backed up later)

Ro dismisses Sophie by saying that “blondie doesn’t know what she feels.” And it’s disgusting. She’s objectified by “blondie” - a term focused on Sophie’s appearance rather than by her personality. She’s Sophie Elizabeth Foster, not “blondie.” She dismisses Sophie as naïve and disregards her feelings by saying that Sophie’s doesn’t know what Sophie feels.

~The Following Section was directly quoted from JaxTheShade because he summarized it so well~

Well...no, Ro. She does have an idea of what she feels. In fact, she was ecstatic and perfectly fine with dating and eventually sorting out her issues with Fitz until you started "hinting" about Keefe. Sophie does understand her feelings - and those feelings led her to Fitz. And even if she does have some underlying issue about who she likes (which has admittedly been hinted at), it's up to her to figure it out. Not a brash ogre bodyguard who scoffs at the notion of the Elvin culture and thinks she has a right to intrude in a teenage relationship she isn't apart of.

And Fitz...well, I'm sure Ro doesn't hate him. But she's pretty close to--that's not hard to deduce. Because Ro has ever bothered to pay attention to and sympathize with Keefe ( and yet she still finds a way to neglect his feelings ), she hasn't the slightest inclination of who Fitz is. So, like most people, she decides to consider him "the opposing candidate" in the love triangle and never look past the surface of Fitz, just calling him "Captain Perfect" and thinking that he could never be right for Sophie because he's competing against Keefe. 

Sometimes I wish someone, anyone, would call Ro out for amount of sheer insults she layers on Fitz, whether he's there or not. Although most of the time it's done behind his back--what a surprise. 

I mean, look at this:

She slyly calls him a 'nasty microbe'. And while some have argued that she wasn't calling Fitz this, she was very clearly expressing her disdain for Sophie's favourite colour being teal--and, by proxy, calls teal things 'nasty'. 

“[...] But I thought it was only right to save your imp from being sparkle-fied—and I was going to be nice and turn him your favorite color. But apparently your favorite color is teal—and yeah, yeah, we all know why. But, um, do you realize how many of the nastiest little microbes are that color?” She shuddered. “I couldn’t do that to you—or the little dude. [...]”

Ro also calls him "Captain Perfectpants" and openly admits that Fitz would have problems with all the time Sophie is spending with Keefe. Essentially admitted but disregarding how upset Fitz would be--because who cares about Fitz's feelings when Keefe is having emotional turmoil? And as a little bonus, she also pulls her classic, "I can't take this anymore! I simply have to intervene in this situation of which I'm not apart of!

"Ro snorted. “Of course he would! He’d be super, super jealous!”

“Don’t,” Keefe told her.

“No—I can’t take it anymore!” Ro stalked toward Sophie and tapped her on the nose with a calloused fingertip. “I repeat: Yes, your Captain Perfectpants would be jealous! He scraped together the courage to get all share-y about his feelings, and now you’re ignoring him, and being all mysterious about why, and telling everyone who asks that you’re not dating him. And I’m not saying that’s a bad call. Trust your instincts! Hopefully they’ll lead you out of the oblivion. But in the meantime, count on your teal-eyed Wonderboy feeling a little insecure, particularly if he finds out you’re spending lots of quality time with other dudes. And you know what? That’s good for him. We all know that boy could use a little help in the humility department. So make him sweat a little. And you”—she spun back toward Keefe—“need to stop being so afraid.”

And those are just two instances, of which I can search for plenty more. 

Ro is not a good person. She's a rebellious princess who ultimately works for her own gain. She thinks she's got it all figured out with Keefe, and decides that, since he shared his story of liking Sophie, she'll take it upon herself to get them together no matter what. 

And I mean 'no matter what'. She has put down Sophie for liking Fitz, interrupted conversations so she can drop hints about Keefe's feelings against his will, and made fun of Sophie for being oblivious--even going to the extent of getting fed up with and blaming Sophie for her oblivion "becoming less and less cute".

She's also tried to actively break up Sophitz and push together Sophie and Keefe. She's insulted Fitz and holds a very hostile disposition towards him simply because he's "perfect boy" who's against the Saint Also Known As Keefe. Ro tries to subtly force Sophie's feelings for Fitz out of her while dropping in some "isn't Hunkyhair so great?". I wouldn't for a second put it past her to succeed in shutting down as many Sophitz moments as possible all so she can continue to ignore the pleas to stop and the embarrassed faces surrounding her. 

And her excuse?

"It's the only fun she gets to have here in Elf Land".

She isn't apart of this relationship. She isn't affected by this relationship. She's only seen one side of this relationship, and uses that to base her opinions of the other two. Which is a terrible idea considering that leads to opinions like "Okay, well that other boy is awful because he's the competitor, and that girl must like the boy because the boy likes her, and sometimes she acts shy around him, and that's totally how relationships work".

Ro has absolutely no excuse for the amount of hurt she's inflicted on all three of these teenagers.

And yet she's regarded as a saint amongst all, while people like...say, Alden ( who made mistakes, but ultimately went about it in a calmer, gentler, and more well meaning way--as well as having much more justification and reasoning behind his actions ) are seen as evil and deserving of death. So what's the difference? Is it just because Ro is all for Sokeefe and Alden is really pushing for Sophitz? Have we really sunk low enough to the point where we can adore one character and hate another--despite performing the same actions--simply because of shipping preferences?

Everyone has decided to hate Alden because he showed up to speak with Keefe, ended up getting sidetracked and talking about relationships ( because of Ro, go figure ), sympathized with Keefe and shared meaningful advice from personal identical experiences, and then making sure Keefe knew that he considered him apart of the family.

That was what Alden did. And we have absolutely no reason to believe that Alden was anything but genuine when he stated that he "long considered him part of the family".

And yet Ro is the one who starts ranting about how "he didn't mean it" ( and saying something like that to a teenage boy who never felt loved by his father means a lot--but Ro has to ruin it and say that Alden's words were "a stinking load of garbage" ). Ro is the one whose objectification of the triangle by saying that Keefe being there for his friends is "sabotage" is what sparks Keefe to tell her that Sophie's feelings do matter. Ro is the one who interrupts every conversation by either stating her obnoxious opinion that nobody asked for, or calling a time out so she can bash on Fitz again. Ro is the one who has spent every waking moment since she arrived in the series either making Keefe's desire to be happy for his friends feel invalid, insulting Sophie because she's her own person with her own feelings for someone else, and coming up with every insult under the sun to throw at Fitz. Ro is the one who has no justification for her actions, seeing as she a) is not apart of this triangle, and b) has minimal relationship experience considering both her boyfriends hate her, and one was an arranged marriage.

But...Ro is also the loved and appreciated one.” - JaxTheShade (I’ve been paraphrasing some of the things that he’s said all ready, but I’m directly quoting him for this. His statement is direct and gets to the point)

~End of direct Quote~

I'd like to make one thing clear though - the point of selfishness. There's a stigma to the word that I'd like to clear up, because there are two types of selfishness, rational self-interest, and sacrificing others for yourself.

Fitz is the first type - he has a rational self-interest, he's looking out for himself and his own long-term happiness first. There is nothing wrong with that, if you won't look out for yourself, who will? It's why I completely supported Fitz yelling and breaking up with Sophie - if a relationship is making you unhappy long-term, it is in your best interest to break up with them. It's why Fitz was so adamant about finding Sophie's biological parents, he wanted to avoid future stigma, gossiping, and heckling. Fitz knows how horrible these things are to experience, and so sought to avoid them in the future. This is why Fitz is my favorite character - the others are reactive, Fitz seems to be the only proactive one. (One of the few characters in any literature to be proactive, in fact). While Sophie and the others look at the now and the immediate future, Fitz is concerned with the long-term future, a trait I share with him and one that I rarely see in literature whatsoever, to my vast disappointment.

Ro isn't selfish at all. She's much, much worse - she doesn't meddle in other's affairs for her own happiness, she just does because she can. She has no respect for other's privacy, and throws out insults towards Fitz and Sophie because she just does. She has no motive, impetus, or drive, she just does, and it sickens me.

The second type of selfishness is similar to a bully bullying others because they're miserable and it makes them feel good about themselves. It's horrible and malicious, and I'm not condoning it in any way, but its far more innocent (if bullying can be called innocent) then what Ro does.

Ro is malevolent, she doesn't do it because it makes her feel good, she just does it, with no regard with the relationships and lives she destroys in the process. She's a toxic radioactive waste dump of a person. A toxic waste dump doesn't make people sick and die for their own gain - it just does. That's how Ro is as a person.

Another reason is that she has no regard for what she says or does. She constantly tears Fitz down just because she can (I want Alden to be there next time she tries that. I want Alden to step in and tell her that what she is doing is not okay, because no other character has recognized this so far). I want Alden to be there next time she calls his son a nasty little microbe. I'd like to finally see Ro get some comeuppance for her terrible behavior.

Let's be honest with ourselves - Ro hates Fitz. She hates and complains and whines about how perfect he is. Since when has perfection been a crime? Since when is it up to her to decide the maximum amount of talent a person can have? As a perfectionist myself, I strive for perfection just as Fitz does. There is nothing wrong with striving to perfect yourself - there is if you are actively hurting yourself, but if you're naturally gifted like Fitz is, and you want to be the best you can possibly be, go ahead! Make the most of your innate talent and use it to seek your happiest future. Build & write your own happy ending.

She isn't a part of this relationship. She isn't affected by this relationship. She's actively impeding their ability to seek their own happiness, and not even for her own happiness (which is still horrid), she just does because she's "bored". Her repugnant behavior sickens me.

Ro is a textbook abuser. Let's go over a list of things an abuser does, and see to which characters she applies them to:

Name-Calling: The abuser will blatantly call the abused derogatory adjectives, like stupid or oblivious

We know she does this to Sophie, calling her oblivious. She also twists being perfect into a derogatory adjective, throwing it at Fitz. She also called Fitz a horrible little microbe, along with calling him & Keefe as stupid as amoeba.

Character Assassination: The abuser will use the word "always". You're always oblivious, stupid, late, wrong, etc.

She does this to Sophie, and also somewhat Fitz.

Patronizing: The abuser will be patronizing towards the abused

She does this to Sophie, Fitz, and Keefe.

Belittling: The abuser will belittle the abused

I'm pretty sure she does this to Sophie, Fitz, and Keefe.

Pushing Buttons: Once the abuser finds out what annoys the abused, they will do it nonstop.

Oh boy, does she do this to Keefe and Sophie. (Fitz just gets out of his way to ignore her and avoid her. It's why she's irritated by him, he hasn't opened himself to her and doesn't show flaws allowing her to find ways to sink her nasty manipulating fingers into him)

These are only a few signs of someone being an abuser, and yet Ro manages to hit pretty much all of them.

She gaslights Keefe into believing that Alden is only looking out for himself and his children - something we know to be completely wrong. She's driving a wedge between Keefe and Alden, one of the few other people Keefe respects and thinks looks out for him. The only other parental individual in Keefe's life, in fact, giving Ro total access to Keefe's psyche and making herself the only "true" source of information Keefe can trust. She is a horrible, horrible abuser.

Ro doesn't have benign intentions at heart. She doesn't even have selfish intentions at heart. She just meddles just because she can.

Ro isn’t selfish. She’s just a bad person - for a lack of a better term that would describe her repulsive behavior.

She constantly complains about the elves. Yes, elven culture is a little weird, but you don’t have to complain about it constantly and in-front of the elves.

Ro is also clearly not afraid to gaslight. She forces Keefe to believe that her opinions are the only valid ones. How does she do this? She says that "Blondie doesn't know what she feels," making Keefe think that any emotions he picks up from her are wrong. She says that Fitz is just "Captain Perfect" who doesn't really care about Sophie - that Keefe "deserves" her. She says that Alden's advice is just made up, and that he doesn't really care about him. She’s established herself as the only source of information that Keefe can trust. She’s removed Alden (the one other parental figure Keefe had) and established herself as the only person Keefe can trust. And that is very dangerous and highly abusive.

She even invalidates Keefe's emotions. Every time Keefe stands up to her and says something like "I'm just being a good friend," Ro responds (like any of this is her business) with something snarky. Or, she tells him to "stop being so afraid." And that forces Keefe to believe that his desire to help his friends isn't valid enough. That he isn't valid enough. So he comes crawling back to Ro.

She’s a terrible bodyguard. She threatens to not protect Keefe in Legacy if Sophie doesn’t share her secret with her. THAT IS NOT OK UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. SOPHIE DID NOT TRUST KEEFE WITH HER SECRET OF BEING UNMATCHABLE. RO EXTORTED IT OUT OF HER, USING KEEFE AS A LIE DETECTOR. THAT IS NOT OK; IT IS EVIL.

If you re-read the portion in Legacy where she does this, it reveals some truly horrible behavior.

Here’s another direct quote from JaxTheShade explaining why this part is so disgusting:

“Essentially, Ro is blackmailing Sophie.

Sophie just found out that if Keefe goes anywhere near the Neverseen, he will probably die. ( Because at this point, they just thought the legacy thing would kill him ). So she's desperately trying to get Keefe to make a promise and stay away from Gisela. Keefe, in typical fashion, adamantly states that he's not going to be locked up.

This is where Ro steps in.

She says that she will be the one to protect him and make sure he doesn't run off. ( Since she is his bodyguard ). But instead of just...doing her job...she decides that she can exploit the situation. She can get something out of this.

She figured out that Sophie is hiding something. And from the way she hasn't told anyone yet, Ro can assume that she's trying to keep it a secret. But she also knows that Keefe's safety is important to all of them.

So she threatens Keefe's life--yes, threatens--unless Sophie spills her secret. The situation becomes, "I have all the power here, so unless you tell me a confidential secret, I'll let my charge run off into danger, which you can't have. So I know that I've put you into a corner. I know that I've won here."

If this doesn't scream "manipulative abuser", then I don't know what does.

It's disgusting, really. Ro's behaviour is despicable.

And while her blatant blackmail is clearly the worst offense, she also sprinkled in several other "I'm a bad person" actions.

1) She said that the reason Keefe gets away with things is because she "doesn't care enough to fight him" on them. Well, if you don't care, then why don't you just go back to Ravagog? Because Keefe is the second most threatened person their group, and he needs an actual bodyguard, not a manipulative princess who makes him feel even worse about himself. If Keefe gets hurt when he runs off, did he get hurt because you "didn't care enough to bother"?

2) Ro says that she doesn't care that much about him. Well, thanks, Ro. I'm sure that really makes Keefe sleep soundly at night, knowing that you don't really care about him.

3) And why does she not really care about him? Because she only bothers with Keefe as long as he doesn't make her "look bad". She says that the reason she's stopping him this time is because it'll damage her reputation if he dies. You know, instead of being worried about his life.

4) She says "I enjoy meddling". And that's her excuse for blackmailing Sophie into spilling a confidential secret. And yet she has the audacity to accuse Alden of "meddling" while here she sits, admitting it to everyone and acting like it's not a big deal.

5) Her very last line in the quote just further proves that she's just doing this to get Sokeefe to happen. Instead of feeling remorse for Sophie, who is trying not to look at them and clearly uncomfortable, she just brushes off the secret that she just forced out of her by saying that "it should do the trick". The trick being 'getting Fitz to break up with her'.

This is probably Ro's most egregious act yet.

And yet nobody ever seems to call her out for it or even think that...it's a little weird that she would do this.

But I guess it really isn't weird at all, seeing as we've have evidence in the past that proves she would stoop to this level.” - JaxTheShade

That part in Unlocked where Shannon said that (deeeeeeeeeeeep down) Ro cares about Keefe? Well, it’s ooc. Look what Ro says in Legacy:  "I may not care that much about what happens to you, but if you get yourself killed on my watch, it makes me look bad—especially if I had advance notice. So, I can’t have that."

Re-read that portion in Legacy. Alarm bells should be going off in your head.

She reminds me of the villain Ellsworth Monkton Toohey from The Fountainhead. Do you know what he did? He turned people into slaves by establishing psychological power over them and making them miserable. By killing their wants, needs, desires, and happiness, he turned people into miserable slaves who would obey his every order. And the scary part? Ro uses the exact. same. tactics. that he does (not going to list them here, that would take far too long) on Fitz, Sophie, and Keefe. And Keefe almost perfectly resembles the characters who fall for his manipulations and tactics, while Sophie and Fitz resemble the characters who ignored him and went about their business. It’s really unnerving.

Everyone is entitled to seek their own happiness - as long as their actions don't impede others from seeking their own happiness.

Ro actively impedes Sophie, Fitz, and Keefe's pursuit of their own happiness, doing it for no other reason than the fact that she's bored. It sickens me.

And the fact that Fitz is basically demonized and hated by the fandom while praising Ro is what sickens me the most.

Ro manipulates, gaslights, and abuses Sophie, Keefe, and Fitz for her own fun. She doesn't have any long term goal, just destroying their psyche and impeding their ability to find their own happiness for short term amusement. She mocks Fitz for being trying to be perfect (since when has that been a crime?), she gaslights and Objectifies Sophie, mocks Keefe and openly abuses him, and interferes with their relationships because she finds it funny. She's also a misandrist. She calls Fitz a nasty little microbe (I want Alden and Della there next time she does that). She objectifies Sophie as a trophy for Fitz and Sophie to fight over. She constantly tears down Fitz and Sophie, and uses a number of tactics abusers use in real life on Fitz, Sophie, and Keefe. She is a radioactive toxic waste-dump of a person, ruining their lives and psyches not even for her own gain, but just for her own amusement. Her further abuse of Keefe is repugnant, her objectification of Sophie is disgusting, and her mocking and bullying of Fitz makes me want to puke. She's a terrible, terrible person.

And that is why I hate Ro.

[my-swan-song]

This might be weird to say, but does anyone else think that it’s weird how everyone in kotlc just sorta assumed that Sophie and Fitz would wind up being a couple.

I know that’s going to confuse y’all, but hear me out: I think that a lot of these situations were inserted for the sole purpose of having Sophie get all flustered. Which isn’t inherently bad, but a lot of the time the assumptions have really no basis.

For example (and correct me if I’m wrong), in Nightfall, Amy assumes that Fitz is her boyfriend despite Sophie and Keefe holding hands for most of the encounter and staring into each other’s eyes for like a page long mental discussion.

And there are other instances of this too. I don’t know, it just seems like the characters are taking leaps in their logic.

[jbuenrostro00]

Week 10 Blog Post

1. Do people who troll actually know what kind of toll they can take on people across the internet or communities on the internet?

Honestly, I feel that trolls are just people who kind of have nothing better to do in their spare time than to just ‘troll.’ Since it’s the internet, a lot of people have the mindset that “well it’s on the internet so it really can’t hurt anyone physically.” A lot of people just troll to get reactions out of the person they are targeting or fans of that creator they are targeting. Many people do not even realize what they’re doing, “To my - and in fact to their - fascination, few could recall how they described their behaviors before the subcultural definition of trolling took hold. They have since come to use the term retroactively, but at the time did not think of themselves as trolls.” Although they did not understand what they were doing, ‘trolls’ should be told why their actions are wrong and why their actions can inflict harm to others. 

2. Is removing hate comments/censoring what people post wrong?

This is a complicated question to answer because there are different variations of this situation. On one hand, innocent people such as Leslie Jones can be attacked viciously for simply taking part in a role for a movie that was not that good. Although she was apart of a movie that was not well liked among the general public, for her to receive such malicious comments to the point for her to say, “I feel like I’m in a personal hell. I didn’t do anything to deserve this. It’s just too much. It shouldn’t be like this. So hurt right now.” Followed by a later tweet, “I leave Twitter tonight with tears and a very sad heart. All cause I did a movie. You can hate the movie but the shit I got today... wrong.” In these instances, comments should be taken down because she had no reason to be attacked so much over a role she had in a film. As for other hate comments that are directed to those who inflict hate or have racist views, (cyberbullies, white supremacists, racists) I think for me and for many others, the comments should remain up. This creates a “well how come they can spew hate but I can’t?” situation which can become difficult. I feel that that removing hate comments targeted at people, or just hate comments in general, should be looked at on a case by case basis. There are certain kinds of hate comments that are deemed socially acceptable and others that are not. 

3. Is Reddit a good website for individuals and communities?  (page 2, page 3, 

Personally, I have never used Reddit before but from the article I read it seems to be a pretty ‘true-to-self’ website. “Within the Reddit community, there is nothing in particular that compels a user to be truthful and open about their off-line identity, yet many users seem willing disclose details about their lives away from the Internet.” The website seems kind of the opposite of an app like Instagram - which is where a lot of people try to come off as having perfect lives. Reddit seems more relaxed and less serious than other platforms in which you have to provide information, “The ease that one can create a Reddit account has given rise to the phenomenon of what are known among Redditors as ‘novelty accounts’... Yet as we will soon see, there is still and expectation of truthfulness amongst some community members.” The website also seems to maintain control of hate comments that are spread on the platform by having it to where “If enough users downvote a particular comment it is collapsed and hidden from view; users must click to view the collapsed comment (and its resulting thread). I honestly feel that is a very good feature to have because it gives the power of the users to decide what is right and wrong to post rather than the website creators. It also sounds like the comment is still kept up but just hidden from view which doesn’t really take away a user’s right to comment what they please. 

4. Is trolling/having a fake internet persona dangerous today?

Yes, trolling online and also having a fake persona online can lead to drastic outcomes. A prime example of ‘trolling gone wrong’ is none other than rapper 6ix9ine. He started off as a rapper who had more of an underground/yelling style of music. His career took off with his track, Gummo, which he portrayed himself as a cold blooded gangster who had a lot gang affiliates. He eventually became so wrapped up in this persona that he actually felt he was who he pretended to be, a gangster. He eventually got into several altercations with the law including several RICO charges which could’ve put him behind bars for almost the rest of his life. He eventually fessed up and took down his accomplices and confessed that he was only doing a persona for ‘clout.’ As for his trolling, he is notorious for his shenanigans online by consistently calling out other famous artists. He has called out: Chief Keef, Lil Reese, Tory Lanez, 50 Cent, Trippie Redd, etc. His constant outbursts and callouts of other artists has resulted him in becoming one the most, if not the most, hated artist in the music industry. 6ix9ine has shown that even though the internet isn’t real life, being irresponsible and playing with fire will eventually get you burned. 

Bergstrom, K. (2011). “Don’t feed the troll”: Shutting down debate about community expectations on Reddit.com. First Monday, 16(8). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v16i8.3498

Duggan, M. (2014). Online Harassment. Retrieved from https://moodle-2020-2021.fullerton.edu/pluginfile.php/2715046/mod_resource/content/0/httpswww.pewresearch.orginternet20141022online-harassment.pdf

Phillips, W. (2015). Defining terms: The origins and evolution of subculture trolling. 55-87.

Silma, A. (2016, August 24). A timeline of Leslie Jones’s horrific online abuse. The Cut. https://www.thecut.com/2016/08/a-timeline-of-leslie-joness-horrific-online-abuse.html

[ssgaukraine-russia]

15th of March 2022  World Economy Collapses as Anarchy Takes Over     "There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen"

Despite the valiant efforts of the international community under the ESSGA to stabilize the prices of oil and gas, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has declared the world economy to be “effectively collapsed”, with managing director  Kristalina Georgieva stating that “the world is now in a perilous situation unlike any other, and the only course of action that we can take right now is to pray and hope.” The Bulgarian economist, who has served the institution since 2019, made her announcement from a nuclear bunker located at an unknown location following the ransacking of the IMF headquarters in Washington DC by protestors a few hours before her planned speech. The price of crude oil has now stagnated at around $183.42

The incident at the IMF headquarters is not an isolated one, with instances of property destruction and anarchy being documented worldwide:

Former United States President Donald Trump, declaring President Joe Biden to be “unfit” to rule, has rallied his supporters to take to the streets to protest and demand the immediate resignation of Joe Biden and the rest of his administration. Representative Matt Gaetz from Florida has declared his allegiance to Trump and called for the disposal of President Joe Biden by “any means necessary”, with other Republican politicians expected to join in as riots intensify in the country. Abroad, American rapper Chief Keef has bizarrely volunteered to join the United States Armed Forces, with the rapper expected to be deployed after completing basic training after announcing his “holy duty to end this crisis”, claiming that he is “just built different”.

After weeks of attrition in Ukraine, Russian forces have successfully captured the capital of Kyiv, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy widely expected to be dead after days of no communication. A small swath of Ukrainian forces has vowed to continue their fight, with the battlefield largely moving to the outskirts of the Ukrainian border with Poland. President Vladimir Putin has since declared victory and announced that Ukraine will effectively be annexed into Russia.

In Uganda, the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) has conducted a violent coup d'état that led to the assassination of President Yoweri Museveni, who was shot in the head during the storming of the State House in Entebbe. General Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, the Chief of the Defense Forces, declared himself to be the new leader of Uganda and immediately imposed martial law on the country. Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, who participated in the Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly, is uncontactable, with fears for the ambassador’s safety after the new Ugandan leader declared him to be a “traitor to the country” and called for the ambassador to return to Uganda “dead or alive”.

China has successfully taken over Taiwan after mobilizing a full-scale invasion of the island, with rumors of an oil shortage faced by the military forces of Taiwan resulting in the quick surrender of the island upon the arrival of forces from the Mainland. Xi Jinping, in a message following the annexation of Taiwan, vowed to “promote the values of China” to the people of Taiwan, promising “special educational measures” to support the initiative.

The Suez canal, once the trade hub of the world, is now unrecognizable as radioactive debris block the port, with the Egyptian government warning all ships and nearby persons to avoid the canal due to hazardous radiation that continues to permeate the area. Around the region, a “new Arab Spring” has unraveled, with numerous heads of government either stepping down or forcefully overthrown in recent days. In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and Iran war has entered a stalemate, with around 654,000 casualties reported from all sides. Due to pressure from the US and the cost of the war, both countries are already in the process of peace talks, although the recent rise in unrest around the world has put the likelihood of a successful conclusion into question. 

In Indonesia, students groups have mobilized to the streets, with calls for a second reformation. Notably in Bandung, a group of students from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) has barricaded the main campus and declared the establishment of the Millennial Institute of Knowledgeable Undergraduates (MIKU) society, which aims to be a self-sustaining commune away from the rest of Indonesian civilization. Even though the world failed to stop the current crisis in time, last minute efforts by countries in the ESSGA to stabilise oil and gas has resulted in a faster recovery process- with the UN becoming increasingly relied upon to deliver aid and provide public goods all across the globe. With the downfall of many major nations- it is now up to the scarred, but alive states to pick up the torch and build a newer, better world- notably countries in Africa and Asia. 

Excellencies, you will be stepping out into an entirely new world. Good luck, because you will need it.

[highseasquotes1]

Jonathan Elliot, The American Diplomatic Code, 1834

Page 332: High seas. 558 On an indictment for murder founded on the 8th § of the Act of Congress of April 30, 1790, chapter 36, the death, as well as the mortal stroke must happen on the high seas. — U.S. v. McGill — 4 Dallas, 426, C.C. Penn, 1806.

539. The courts of the United State have not jurisdiction of murder committed by one foreigner on another foreigner, on board a foreign vessel on the high seas. U.S. v. The Pirates — 5 Wheaton, 184. Sup. court U.S. 1820.

…..

543. The courts of the United States, have jurisdiction of …. committed, on the high seas, from a vessel of the U. …. a foreigner being on board such vessel, upon another foreigner being on board of a foreign vessel. U.S. v. Jurisdiction. the Pirates — 5 Wheaton, 184, Supreme Court United States, 1820.

Page 333: 544. The courts of the United States, have jurisdiction, under the cat of 30th April 1790, ch. 36, of murder or robbery committed on the high seas, although not committed on board a vessel belonging to citizens of the United States as, if she had no national character, but was held by pirates, or persons not lawfully sailing under the flag of any foreign nation. U.S. v. Holmes & al — 5 Wheat, 412 Sup. Court, U.S. 1820.

545. Murder or robbery on the high seas, is cognizable by the courts of the United States, when committed on board of a foreign vessel, by a citizen of the United States, or on board of a vessel of the United States, by a foreigner or by a citizen or a foreigner, on board of a piratical vessel; and it is immaterial whether the offense was committed on board of a vessel, or in the sea, by throwing the deceased overboard and drowning, or by shooting him in the sea, though he was not thrown overboard. Id. ib.

546. A vessel lying on the sea, outside of a harbor of the United States, within three miles of the shore, is on the high seas. United States, v. Smith — 1, Mason, 147, C.C. Massachusetts, 1817.

……

548. The waters of havens, where the tide ebbs and flows, are not properly the high seas, unless without low-water mark. Id. ib.

549. On an indictment for an endeavor to make a revolt in a ship, founded on the 12th section of the act of 30th April 1790, chapter 86, it is not necessary to prove that it was committed on the high seas. Id. 443.

550. An endeavor to make a revolt, is an offense within the 12th section of the act of 30th April, 1790, c. 86, if committed in a foreign port. The section does not confine the penalty to offenses committed on the high seas. United States v. Keefe — 3 Mason, 475, C.C. Mass. 1824.

Page 338: 587. A vessel within a marine league of the shore, at anchor, in an open roadstead, where vessels ride under shelter of the land, is upon the high seas. U.S. v. The Pirates — 5 Wheat. 184. Supreme court. U.S., 1820.

588. The high seas do not extend to a river in the interior of the country. U.S. v. Wiltberger — 5 Wheaton, 94, Sup. court, U.S., 1820.

589. All waters, below the line of low water mark, on the sea coast, and, where the tide flows, the waters to high water mark also, are properly the high seas. The Abbey — 1 Mason, 360, C.C. Massachusetts, 1817.

Page 340: 598. An officer of a belligerent vessel of war cannot be arrested or tried in a neutral nation for a capture made on the high seas, as prize of war, and carried for adjudication into a belligerent port. — United States v. Peters — 3 Dallas, 129, Sup. court, U.S. 1795.

599. The federal courts have no jurisdiction of a case where the mortal store was given on the high seas, and the death occurred on shore in a foreign country. U.S. v. McGill — 4 Dallas, 426, C.C. Penn, 1806.

Page 527: 88. From the Secretary of State, J. Madison, to J. Monroe, at London. Right of Search. — Impressment. Extract. Washington, January 5, 1804. We consider a neutral flag, on the high seas, a safeguard to those sailing under it. Great Britain, on the contrary, asserts a right to search for, and seize her own subjects; and under that cover, as cannot but happen, are often seized and taken off, citizens of the United States, and citizens or subjects of other neutral countries, navigating the high seas, under the protection of the American flag.

Were the right of Great Britain, in this case, not denied, the abuses flowing from it, would justify the United States in claiming and expecting a discontinuance of its exercise. But the right is denied, and on the best grounds.

Although Great Britain has not yet adopted, in the same latitude with most other nations, the immunities of a neutral flag, she will not deny the general freedom of the high seas, and of neutral vessels navigating them, with such exceptions only as are annexed to it by the law of nations. she must produce then such an exception in the law of nations, in favor of the right she contends for. But in what written and received authority will she find it? In what usage except her own will it be found? She will find in both, that a neutral vessel does not protect certain objects denominated contraband of war, including enemies serving in the war, nor articles going into a blockaded port, nor, as she has maintained, and as we have not contested, enemy’s property of any kind. But nowhere will she find an exception to this freedom of the seas, and of neutral flag, which justifies the taking away of any person, not an enemy, in military service, found on board a neutral vessel.

If treaties, British as well as others, are to be consulted on this subject, it will equally appear, that no countenance to the practice can be found in them. Whilst they admit a contraband of war, by enumerating its articles, and the effects of a real blockade by defining it, in no instance do they affirm or imply a right in any sovereign to enforce his claims to the allegiance of his subjects, on board neutral vessels on the high seas. On the contrary, whenever a belligerent claim against persons on bard a neutral vessel, is referred to in treaties, enemies in military service alone are excepted from the general immunity of persons in that situation; and this exception confirms the immunity of those who are not included in it.

[dolphinshark]

[SPOTIFY PLAYLIST LINK]

25. J Hus feat. Burna Boy - “Good Time”

I started writing something about how well this song encapsulates J Hus’s London upbringing, his Ghanaian heritage, and the current dancehall boom through it’s canny blending of Afrobeats, bashment riddims, and a just a sprinkle of grime…but then I realized that that is what’s interesting about the song, not why I love it. The reason it’s stuck in my mind is really simple: it’s a suave, unassuming earworm of the highest caliber.

24. Alice Glass - “Without Love”

I really can’t express how heartbroken I was to learn about the abusive relationship that existed during Alice Glass’s time in Crystal Castles, who were my entry point into the entire world of electronic music. But that sadness pales in comparison to how glad I am that Alice is now out of that situation, making art on her own terms, and dropping alternately eerie and whiplash-inducing Fuck You’s like “Without Love.”

23. Stormzy - “Big For You Boots”

The song that took Stormzy from the guy who was making charming videos with  his mum on a shoestring budget and getting tagged as “grime’s next big thing” to making arresting, big budget video epics and getting dubbed “the biggest thing in grime.” What a leap. And he did it while rapping about how “You’re never too big for Adele.” 

(Oh and if I had made a Top 5 Pronunciations of 2017 list, his pronunciation of “boots” as “boooouuuus” would definitely be #1.)

22. The xx - “I Dare You”

Here’s where Taylor writes a really hacky paragraph by saying you should listen to this song and then ending it with, “I dare you.”

…

Or it’s where he just says that this song may be the perfect xx song, an ideal swirl of a silvery, romantic duet.

21. Drake - “Gyalchester”

There is only one way to improve this song.

20. St. Vincent - “New York”

A few weeks ago, my aunt (who mostly attends Fleetwood Mac and Marshall Tucker Band concerts) and my sisters (who mostly attends Miranda Lambert and Kelsea Ballerini) somehow wound up going to a St. Vincent show together. They liked parts of it, but didn’t like others. (The fact that her “opening act” was the middling horror short she directed for the anthology film XX, for instance, was not well received.) And although they couldn’t remember the names of any of the songs they liked, I’m sure they liked “New York,” because I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to dislike “New York.”

19. Boy Harsher - “Motion”

You know that feeling you get when the blacklights sweep over skin as you’re on slinking your way through a German industrial dance club, on a mission to assassinate a double agent who crossed your secret government organization for the last time? Well, I guess I technically haven’t either. But I’ve listened to Boy Harsher’s song “Motion” so I basically have.

18. Chief Keef - “Can You Be My Friend”

2011 Taylor looks though the Future Sight Machine.

2011 Taylor: Chief Keef and Young Chop made one of the best songs of 2017? Nice! I’ll bet that’s one helluva headpunch of a drill track, right?

2017 Taylor: Actually, it’s a playful, romantic dancehall jam.

2011 Taylor’s monocle pops out.

17. Perfume Genius - “Slip Away”

You know how some songs can go from “I like this. This is good. This a good song,” to, “HOLY SHIT I LOVE THIS OH GOD WHAT YES THIS IS A MOTHERFUCKING SONG MOTHERFUCKERS,” in single pivot point? Well, “Slip Away” has the best pivot point of any song this year. If you’ve heard it you know exactly what I mean; if you haven’t, you will as soon as you do.

16. Amber Coffman - “No Coffee”

Even though I ranked other songs above it on this arbitrary and poorly defined list, I don’t think there’s been a song that’s made me happier this year than “No Coffee.” Though Amber made her name with vocal fireworks, her voice is still every bit the wonder in subtler, smoother settings like this. And when it’s paired with a chorus as utterly inescapable as this one, the result is pure contentment.

15. DJDS feat. Amber Mark and Marco McKinnis - “Trees On Fire”

After their album Stand Up And Speak left me cold, I was worried about DJDS’s transition from working with vocal samples to actually collaborating with singers. But after hearing the Jenga tower of R&B hooks and house shuffles that is “Trees On Fire” (and that Charlie Wilson collab from last year) consider any fears I had to be wholly dispelled.

14. Dirty Projectors - “Little Bubble”

There was no more aptly named song this year than “Little Bubble” a perfect, self-contained miniature nestled in the center of Dirty Projectors’ deeply petty and fitfully brilliant self-titled album. While most of that record revels in deeply specific personal detail, “Little Bubble” touches on something more abstract, the ultimate impermanence of all things, no matter if it’s a shadow, a relationship, or (as the video suggests) man’s place on earth. It’s all just a little bubble, for a while.

13. MUNA - “I Know A Place”

Dancing to pop music at a club is often used in films and television as visual shorthand for carefree joy, the sort of thing that people to celebrate happiness and success. But in the real world, it’s just as often something that people do to escape the troubles and fears that burden them. MUNA’s “I Know A Place” is expressed about that experience, dancing yourself free from whatever inescapably looms in the daylight. The result is uncanny: a joyful pop song that’s also a shoulder to cry on.

12. Lydia Ainsworth - “The Road”

Sometimes when I write these things, I hope that I can come up with some sort of perfect three-or-four-word summation of a song or album. But sometimes I encounter a description so perfect that there’s no need for me to even try. So, mad props to Lydia Ainsworth’s friend who described this song as “a marriage of Enya and The Weeknd.” As soon as I read that, I threw in the towel.

11. Cardi B - “Bodak Yellow”

If this list were based solely on which song I rapped along with the most during my commute, we all know what song would be #1. If this list were based solely on how dramatically a song increases the hype of any party that it’s played at, we all know what song would be #1. If this list were based solely on how likely a song was to come up in any given conversation I had this year, we all know what song would be #1.

…wait…

Did I just completely invalidate this list?

10. The National - “The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness”

Six notes. That’s all it took to announce that this was new kind of The National song. Sure, all of their hallmarks were there (Matt Berninger’s rich baritone, swelling strings, their brooding rhythm section) but there were also those six notes, a quick electric guitar riff, like an engine desperately trying to turn over. And when it finally does and Aaron Dessner rips into a massive solo midway through, the mold is shattered forever. “We’re in a different kind of thing now,” indeed.

9. Miya Folick - “Give It To Me”

On this list last year, I said that Mitski’s “Your Best American Girl” was the best soft-loud rock song ever written, so be aware of the import that the next sentence holds: Miya Folick’s “Give It To Me” should be the lead in to “Your Best American Girl” on your next mixtape.

8. Posse - “Horse Blanket”

The title track from Posse’s final album is a glorious contradiction: a slacker rock epic. A towering, laconic achievement for people who hate achievement, with ringing guitars that echo to infinity and dead pan vocals drifting through a duet. Then as the whole thing ambles aimlessly up the mountain, the guitar solo starts. And then the other guitar solo starts. And the whole thing tumbles toward nirvana.

7. Lorde - “Green Light”

A few years ago, I once jokingly handed out The Lorde Memorial Award For Most Infuriating Reaction™, to artists that I thought were fine, but that everyone else needed to just chill out about. While I still stand by that evaluation of the award winners (Are you still hyped about Raury?) I have come here to officially announce that I’ve changed my tune about the award’s namesake. Oh and also to say that “Green Light” is a delightful romp of a song.

PS: Clicking that Raury link will also let you travel back to a time when I had to explain who the Chainsmokers were before I railed at length about how much they sucked. Simpler times.

6. Haim - “Want You Back”

“Want You Back” aka the exact moment that Haim’s blend of 1970s soft rock and 1990s R&B finally (FINALLY) hooked TWG and he finally chilled out and finally got on the same page that like 99.9% of cool humans on the planet have been on for, like, y-e-a-r-s at this point.

5. The War On Drugs - “Strangest Thing”

Adam Granduciel’s m.o. as The War On Drugs has always been to take the classic rock of Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty and smear it across the cosmos.

“Strangest Thing” is when the whole thing goes supernova.

4. Migos feat. 2 Chainz - “Deadz”

Man, remember when Migos made fun, disposable, chintzy music that evaporated from your brain the minute it ended? Who would have ever thought that they’d eventually wind up making rap music that’s approximately a billion times more grandiose, baroque, and bombastic than their early recordings? Or that it would somehow also be about a million times more fun than anything they’d ever made before? It’s enough to make everything they made before this year seem like juvenalia.

3. Carly Rae Jepsen - “Cut To The Feeling”

How great is it that we’re just going to spend the next decade getting cast offs from the best pure pop album of the century, and then people are going to ask why they weren’t included on the album, and CRJ’s just gonna keep giving explanations that all kinda sound like “because it was too good…?” See you guys next year when some other terrible French animated movie snags a piece of undiluted pop gold for its soundtrack!

2. Creek Boyz - “With My Team”

A while ago, I had a conversation with a fellow student at my grad school about how his pick for the best movie ever is Forrest Gump. His rationale was that that film makes you feel every emotion at one time or another. Although I remain unpersuaded that Forrest Gump is the greatest film ever made, I do think he has a pretty good definition for great art. And “With My Team” does it one better. It doesn’t just make you feel the entire spectrum of emotions one by one; it gives you every single one at the same time. The joy of friendship. The sting of loss. Anger and resignation and resiliency. But the real secret of the song is this: those emotions hit so hard by the fact that the song is about sharing them. Humans are inherently social creatures and the only way that we can survive is by sharing them with our friends, with our family, with our team.

1.  Charli XCX - “Boys”

Why didn’t a get around to listening to a bunch of major albums?

I was busy thinkin’ ‘bout “Boys.”

Why did I forget to pay my gas bill in December?

I was busy thinkin’ ‘bout “Boys.”

Why isn’t my master’s thesis in better shape?

I was busy thinkin’ ‘bout “Boys.” 

What was I doing at any given point this year?

I was busy thinkin’ ‘bout “Boys.”

[topinforma]

New Post has been published on Mortgage News

New Post has been published on http://bit.ly/2pkVcKB

RPT-JPMorgan tries TV stars, political muscle to regain mortgage ... - Reuters

(Repeats story first published on Friday)

By David Henry

NEW YORK, April 14 After having to stomach $31billion worth of bitter mortgage settlements with governmentagencies a few years ago, JPMorgan Chase & Co swore offa huge swath of the home loan market.

Gone were borrowers with anything much less than pristinecredit ratings. The cost of managing delinquent accounts and thethreat of huge legal penalties were written off as not worth therisk. Better instead to focus on wealthier customers who wantedjumbo-sized loans that are beyond the reach of governmenthousing finance agencies.

But there was a problem: Chase was leaving behind many ofits mass market customers who were going to competitors for theconventional and government-guaranteed loans they wanted.

Now, the bank’s management team, led by Chief ExecutiveJamie Dimon, is working fiercely to change course – hoping tonot only bring back customers, but influence what could be areshaping of U.S. mortgage finance policy for the first time ina generation.

Customers will soon start seeing signs of this effort. Nextmonth, Chase plans to launch advertising featuring Drew andJonathan Scott, stars of the popular reality “Property Brothers”shows. In addition to TV spots, the campaign will featurecardboard cutouts of the telegenic twins in Chase branches.

Chase is also in the process of boosting its mortgagelending force by 10 percent, upgrading its loan-making softwareand jazzing up its smartphone app with more mortgage accounttools.

At the moment, fewer than one in 10 Chase customers withhome loans got them directly from Chase, a situation consumerbanking chief Gordon Smith recently described as “terrible.”

“It is time to go after the opportunity we have with our owncustomers,” Mike Weinbach, the bank’s mortgage chief, said in arecent interview with Reuters.

JPMorgan Chase is not the only major bank that is restlessafter having stepped back from the U.S. mortgage market in theaftermath of the housing crisis last decade. At Bank of AmericaCorp, executives say they are no more content with fewerthan two in 10 of their customers with mortgage loans havingborrowed from their bank.

Mortgage companies such as Quicken, Caliber andloanDepot.com scooped up much of the business from batteredbanks. (tmsnrt.rs/2orqDzB)

JPMorgan’s $31 billion cost of 13 mortgage-related legalsettlements was second only to Bank of America’s $71 billion,according to data collected by bank analysts at Keefe, Bruyette& Woods.

Still, JPMorgan’s mortgage retreat stands out because thebank has used its scale and financial strength to gobble upmarket share in many other businesses, from credit cards anddeposit-taking to commercial lending and Wall Street banking.

In backing away, JPMorgan saw its market share ofconventional mortgages that are small enough to be resold togovernment-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and FreddieMac fall by half, according to data from Inside MortgageFinance.

Its share of all mortgage loans made directly by lendersfell to 2.8 percent last year from 12.6 percent in 2011.Logically, it should be close to Chase’s 8.3 percent of share ofretail deposits, said Guy Cecala, CEO of Inside MortgageFinance.

JUMBO MISSES

Chase opted to go after better-off borrowers who took outso-called jumbo loans in excess of the Fannie and Freddie limit,which then was $417,000 in most parts of the United States. Lastyear, jumbos were 49 percent of all loans Chase made, up from 14percent in 2013.But jumbos account for only 18 percent of U.S. mortgages. Byturning from bigger parts of the market, JPMorgan was hurtingits wider consumer franchise.

That could be costly if it persists. Customers without Chasemortgages are twice as likely to leave as those who have themfrom the bank, Weinbach said. And, checking and savings accountcustomers who get their home loans from Chase tend to add totheir deposits.

Management’s effort to swing back may already be bearingsome fruit. JPMorgan said on Thursday that it made $9 billion ofhome loans directly to customers in the first quarter, 3 percentmore than in the same period a year earlier.

Chase’s shift comes amid crosscurrents in the mortgagemarket. The latest wave of loans for refinancing is abating asinterest rates rise. That has reduced revenue across theindustry.

But bank executives also see other conditions improving.Federal housing agencies have been loosening policies to helpmiddle America get access to more credit. The millennialgeneration has also begun reaching the nesting age, leading to anew crop of home buyers.

The GSEs have already adjusted some rules to be lessfinancially threatening to lenders. For instance, they dropped ademand that banks take back loans that default after three yearsunless there has been fraud.

Dimon sees a chance to get more relief from the government.This month he used four pages of his annual letter toshareholders to outline more changes he wants to see. Heexpressed particular concern about a bank’s costs and liabilitywhen loans it underwrites default.

Current rules have made lenders so cautious that they havenot funded an additional $300 billion to $500 billion of loansfor home purchases in each of the last five years, JPMorgananalysts estimate. The cost to the economy, they believe, hasbeen one third of a percentage point of annual growth.

“If that number is right, shame on us,” Dimon told reporterson the bank’s post-earnings conference call on Thursday. “Weshould have done something about that. And, it can be done veryquickly.”

(Reporting by David Henry in New York; Editing by Bill Rigby)

[extra-mashed-potatoes]

Free Rap Beats & Type Beats

Just what are type beats? Type beats are instrumentals that have actually been dealt with a certain musician. For instance if you go on youtube and also enter "type beat" practically every artist will turn up. From Chief Keef type beat, Future type beat, Drake type beat to Clams Casino type beat. You could basically browse any type of musician as well as their type beat will certainly turn up. Currently why has it end up being so preferred to make type beats. Well from an artists viewpoint its much easier to locate the type of beat you are trying to find when looking for beats or instrumentals for brand-new jobs such as mixtapes, singles as well as albums. And where there is a lot producers on the internet it would be a pain to go through all these producers as well as currently discover exactly what you're looking for. As it as taken place in the past with lots of up and also coming artists, rappers and also artists. So producers have come to a conclusion that it would certainly be much easier to make beats or instrumentals in the style of an artist and label it "musician name" type beat. To make sure that when brand-new artists are searching for drake type beats, chief keef type beats, future type beats etc. It will certainly be easy to situated Free Rap Beats them using sites like youtube, google and also anywhere rappers search for beats or hip hop instrumentals nowadays. Lets take UK producer and beat manufacturer Jay Stacks as an example. If you have a look at this youtube channel (Jay Stacks Beats). You will certainly see that he caters his beats to different artists such as; Drake Type Beat, Future Type Beat, Tory Lanez Type Beat, Chief Keef Type Beat and numerous a lot more. Jay Stacks has kept in mind that considering that he has been making use of the type beat method. He has experience extra Download Hip Hop Beats views, sales as well as fans as he has ended up being simpler to locate via youtube inning accordance with his followers as well as different customers. Nevertheless he does note that its much better to satisfy 5 to 10 type beat artists than trying to do all type beat artists as you will only be seen as a typical producer for all those artists. When its better to be a most likely to producer for 5 to 10 type beat artists. I wish the last part makes sense. In my opinion type beats is the less complicated means for a rapper or musician to connect to a producer. All the rap artist needs to claim is "do you have any kind of drake type beats?" and all the producer would certainly need to reply is just yes or no. I honestly believe its a good time conserving strategy when looking for beats or instrumentals. It cuts out all the unneeded queries some artists or rappers seem to demand or look for when they're looking for a particular kind of beat. There's tons of producers around yet they're not all on the same degree. Some are making a full-time living making rap beats, some are just beginning as well as Beat Makers Blog others are somewhere in the center. The ones that are just starting or are somewhat between are likely distributing several of their beats absolutely free. They will likely intend to keep their tag "recording claiming their producer name or brand name" in the beat or at the minimum they could require you to either mention them in the track or provide credit report for producing the beat anywhere you publish the song on the web. A great area to begin locating cost-free rap beats is simply search YouTube, Google and also Soundcloud for "Free Rap Beats" or "Free Hip Hop Instrumentals". Begin making you a list of all the producers you like that are offering complimentary beats and also see them typically to see just what's new and reveal them like and also sustain. If you launch anything utilizing their beats make certain you let them understand and also share your music relate to them. You never understand if you do a really good work they may want to begin dealing with you solely!

[bookwyrminspiration]

what is sophie pretends to know keefe is (or pretends that she did help him run away) to sort of mislead the council so that they can't find him? obviously there would be a serious punishment for him because he broke the law (and numbed some people). like the council would be wasting time trying to pry keefe's whereabouts from sophie. when actually, she doesn't know either and is just leading the council in circles

Oh that's a direction I didn't consider! If Sophie pretended to know where Keefe was hiding...that would definitely change a lot of what we've (as a fandom) been presuming would happen.

She, of course, doesn't know where he is, but the council don't necessarily know that. I suppose it depends on if she can pull herself together solidly in time before the council realizes he's gone missing, giving herself enough time to compose herself and think of a cover story and be convinced of it. I don't know how soon the council will realize he's missing, but given that he underwent a major change that was being monitored and the council was aware of it, Keefe would be someone they'd check in on from time to time. What I mean is that they're aware of him and have significance, so it's going to be harder to hide his disappearance than if this was Lodestar all over again where they weren't really paying attention to him and took the excuse of "mourning/grieving his mother" or whatever the exact wording was.

When the council finds out, they'd likely want him back in the Lost Cities and monitored as soon as possible, so Sophie pretending to know where he is would be a diversion tactic and one to keep them in the wrong places to protect Keefe--which introduces a whole other thing: her reaction. We've been assuming Sophie would be either upset at this information or completely devoid of anything and unresponsive, go out to look for him to drag him home or just let him go. But this introduces an alternate, her considering the impact of his decision on his life and taking action to make sure it's mitigated as much as possible, or at the very least prolonged so they can try and lessen it.

I don't know what kind of trouble Keefe would be in, given that he's a new situation, but I can't imagine everything will be fine. I don't think he'll be in a lot of trouble for numbing people though, as the council was aware of what he'd done when they came to the healing center and everything was still happening and couldn't be hidden, yet there was no punishment for that and instead difficult decisions about what should be done with him and what had been done to him. But no outright punishment that I remember.

As for Sophie lying to them, I imagine there are two more likely paths for that: she pretends she knows exactly where he is and that it's a concrete location that she refuses to share with the council, or she pretends like he's on the move and keeps sending people out (or joining them) on a random trail but they're always just a little to late and he's moved on.

The first one seems like it would be simpler to orchestrate, but the main issue would be the lying; Sophie doesn't know where he is, but she's never been good at hiding her emotions when an empath reads her, so the feelings associated with lying would all be there, so it would come down to whether Oralie would read her or not to figure out the truth (I think she might be forced to by the others, regardless of what she wants). The second one could solve the lying problem because it would be that she thinks he's there, but is also aware that he could've moved by the time they got there. So she wouldn't need to be absolutely confident of the location, but organizing a way to follow a false trail for however long seems...difficult, to say the very least.

Either way, it does provide a new perspective from Sophie, who we've previously assumed would want Keefe home immediately. In this instance, she instead creates a situation to protect Keefe and his decisions for as long as she can, implying a level of trust or faith in his ideas and that there's a good reason behind what he's doing. In the past she's interfered with basically everything he's done, so it's definitely a change.

I don't know what will happen, but this is certainly an interesting possibility, nonsie!

[lolo--j]

Free Rap Beats & Type Beats

What are type beats? Type beats are instrumentals that have actually been catered to a specific musician. For instance if you go on youtube as well as enter "type beat" practically every musician will certainly show up. From Chief Keef type beat, Future type beat, Drake type beat to Clams Casino type beat. You can practically browse any kind of musician as well as their type beat will turn up. Now why has it come to be so preferred to make type beats. Well from an artists viewpoint its easier to locate the kind of beat you are looking for when searching for beats or instrumentals for brand-new tasks such as mixtapes, singles and cds. As well as where there is a lot producers online it would certainly be a pain to undergo all these producers as well as now find just what you're searching for. As it as taken place in the past with lots of up and coming artists, rappers and musicians. So producers have decided that it would certainly be a lot easier making beats or instrumentals in the design of a musician and label it "musician name" type beat. To make sure that when brand-new artists are seeking drake type beats, chief keef type beats, future type beats and so on. It will be easy to situated them through sites like youtube, google and any place rappers try to find beats or hip hop instrumentals nowadays. Allows take UK producer and beat maker Jay Stacks as an instance. If you have a look at this youtube channel (Jay Download Free Beats Stacks Beats). You will certainly see that he provides his beats to various artists such as; Drake Type Beat, Future Type Beat, Tory Lanez Type Beat, Chief Keef Type Beat and also different extra. Jay Stacks has actually noted that because he has actually been making use of the type beat technique. He has experience much more views, sales and also followers as he has ended up being easier to discover Blog For Up and Coming Artists using youtube inning accordance with his followers and different clients. Nevertheless he does keep in mind that its much better to satisfy 5 to 10 type beat artists than attempting to do all type beat artists as you will just be viewed as an average producer for all those artists. When its better to be a go to producer for Hip Hop Beats by Jay Stacks 5 to 10 type beat artists. I wish the last part makes good sense. In my opinion type beats is the easier means for a rap artist or musician to connect to a producer. All the rap artist has to say is "do you have any type of drake type beats?" and all the producer would need to reply is just yes or no. I truthfully believe its a great time saving approach when trying to find beats or instrumentals. It removes all the unneeded questions some artists or rappers seem to request or look for when they're trying to find a details kind of beat. There's lots of producers available yet they're not all on the very same level. Some are making a full time living making rap beats, some are just starting out and also others are somewhere in the center. The ones that are just starting out or are rather in the center are most likely giving away a few of their beats absolutely free. They will likely want to keep their tag "taping saying their producer name or brand" in the beat or at the very least they might require you to either discuss them in the song or give them credit for generating the beat any place you publish the track on the internet. A good area to start locating totally free rap beats is merely look YouTube, Google as well as Soundcloud for "Free Rap Beats" or "Free Hip Hop Instrumentals". Begin making you a listing of all the producers you like that are giving cost-free beats and visit them usually to see what's brand-new and also show them enjoy as well as sustain. If you launch anything utilizing their beats make sure you let them understand as well as share your songs link with them. You never know if you do a really good job they might want to begin dealing with you exclusively!

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New Post has been published on Mortgage News

New Post has been published on http://bit.ly/2oL2G8Q

JPMorgan tries TV stars, political muscle to regain mortgage footing - Yahoo Finance

By David Henry

NEW YORK, April 14 (Reuters) – After having to stomach $31 billion worth of bitter mortgage settlements with government agencies a few years ago, JPMorgan Chase & Co swore off a huge swath of the home loan market.

Gone were borrowers with anything much less than pristine credit ratings. The cost of managing delinquent accounts and the threat of huge legal penalties were written off as not worth the risk. Better instead to focus on wealthier customers who wanted jumbo-sized loans that are beyond the reach of government housing finance agencies.

But there was a problem: Chase was leaving behind many of its mass market customers who were going to competitors for the conventional and government-guaranteed loans they wanted.

Now, the bank’s management team, led by Chief Executive Jamie Dimon, is working fiercely to change course – hoping to not only bring back customers, but influence what could be a reshaping of U.S. mortgage finance policy for the first time in a generation.

Customers will soon start seeing signs of this effort. Next month, Chase plans to launch advertising featuring Drew and Jonathan Scott, stars of the popular reality “Property Brothers” shows. In addition to TV spots, the campaign will feature cardboard cutouts of the telegenic twins in Chase branches.

Chase is also in the process of boosting its mortgage lending force by 10 percent, upgrading its loan-making software and jazzing up its smartphone app with more mortgage account tools.

At the moment, fewer than one in 10 Chase customers with home loans got them directly from Chase, a situation consumer banking chief Gordon Smith recently described as “terrible.”

“It is time to go after the opportunity we have with our own customers,” Mike Weinbach, the bank’s mortgage chief, said in a recent interview with Reuters.

JPMorgan Chase is not the only major bank that is restless after having stepped back from the U.S. mortgage market in the aftermath of the housing crisis last decade. At Bank of America Corp, executives say they are no more content with fewer than two in 10 of their customers with mortgage loans having borrowed from their bank.

Mortgage companies such as Quicken, Caliber and loanDepot.com scooped up much of the business from battered banks. (http://tmsnrt.rs/2orqDzB)

JPMorgan’s $31 billion cost of 13 mortgage-related legal settlements was second only to Bank of America’s $71 billion, according to data collected by bank analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods.

Still, JPMorgan’s mortgage retreat stands out because the bank has used its scale and financial strength to gobble up market share in many other businesses, from credit cards and deposit-taking to commercial lending and Wall Street banking.

In backing away, JPMorgan saw its market share of conventional mortgages that are small enough to be resold to government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac fall by half, according to data from Inside Mortgage Finance.

Its share of all mortgage loans made directly by lenders fell to 2.8 percent last year from 12.6 percent in 2011. Logically, it should be close to Chase’s 8.3 percent of share of retail deposits, said Guy Cecala, CEO of Inside Mortgage Finance.

JUMBO MISSES

Chase opted to go after better-off borrowers who took out so-called jumbo loans in excess of the Fannie and Freddie limit, which then was $417,000 in most parts of the United States. Last year, jumbos were 49 percent of all loans Chase made, up from 14 percent in 2013. But jumbos account for only 18 percent of U.S. mortgages. By turning from bigger parts of the market, JPMorgan was hurting its wider consumer franchise.

That could be costly if it persists. Customers without Chase mortgages are twice as likely to leave as those who have them from the bank, Weinbach said. And, checking and savings account customers who get their home loans from Chase tend to add to their deposits.

Management’s effort to swing back may already be bearing some fruit. JPMorgan said on Thursday that it made $9 billion of home loans directly to customers in the first quarter, 3 percent more than in the same period a year earlier.

Chase’s shift comes amid crosscurrents in the mortgage market. The latest wave of loans for refinancing is abating as interest rates rise. That has reduced revenue across the industry.

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But bank executives also see other conditions improving. Federal housing agencies have been loosening policies to help middle America get access to more credit. The millennial generation has also begun reaching the nesting age, leading to a new crop of home buyers.

The GSEs have already adjusted some rules to be less financially threatening to lenders. For instance, they dropped a demand that banks take back loans that default after three years unless there has been fraud.

Dimon sees a chance to get more relief from the government. This month he used four pages of his annual letter to shareholders to outline more changes he wants to see. He expressed particular concern about a bank’s costs and liability when loans it underwrites default.

Current rules have made lenders so cautious that they have not funded an additional $300 billion to $500 billion of loans for home purchases in each of the last five years, JPMorgan analysts estimate. The cost to the economy, they believe, has been one third of a percentage point of annual growth.

“If that number is right, shame on us,” Dimon told reporters on the bank’s post-earnings conference call on Thursday. “We should have done something about that. And, it can be done very quickly.”

(Reporting by David Henry in New York; Editing by Bill Rigby)