#this definitely isn’t the prelude to an article I’ve been working on on the side for a bit now

[linklethehistorian]

If I had a nickel for every time I was in a fandom where my favorite character was a gentle, loving, overly romantic and totally gay sweetheart who was clearly written to be an abuse victim with a tragic past, was thrust into a world where he clearly didn’t belong, had incredible power compared to most but actively chose not to cause harm with it in any situation where it could possibly be avoided even when that could come back to bite him in the ass, and fell in love with someone who was so wrapped up in their own tragedy that they couldn’t let him in and thus repeatedly hurt and abandoned him, and the fandom still somehow was so media illiterate that they at large refused to understand this and instead wanted to make him into the villain —

…I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it SURE AS HELL is WEIRD AND ANNOYING that it happened twice.

[shark-myths]

4. wilson (expensive mistakes)

part 4 of shark-myth’s mania meta series

so even though there are a few posts of preliminary screaming about this song already (here and here), I haven’t done a proper crawl through the lyrics yet! hold onto your butts, kids. here we go.

Wilson is named for the volleyball in Castaway who is Tom Hanks’ best friend and sole companion as he sloooowly sinks into madness. The bond is imaginary, created entirely in Hanks’ head out of his desperation. There is no hope of the relationship ever being reciprocal—Wilson, by definition, cannot participate in it the way Hanks would want him to. Isn’t that an interesting choice of dynamics to frame this particular song with? ISN’T IT. The initial assumption I made on was that Pete was the Castaway (Pete with his endless endless ENDLESS way down south stuff, Pete with his introducing the song as ‘this is about the person you want to run away to a desert island with’). but later, when we get the video, that perspective shifts: it is Patrick holding the volleyball, Patrick from whom Wilson is violently ripped away in the Beyond the Video.

pair that with the soundplay-over-wordplay quality of certain verses of this song and the mentions of being drunk (which as quite rare in the FOB discography, but quite plentiful in the solo Stump discography), and I think Patrick had more of a hand in writing these lyrics than usual. (oh my god I promise that was an ACCIDENTAL youngblood pun.) I think that there is some sharing of voice, here: some of these verses are from Pete’s perspective, and some of them are from Patrick’s. sonically and thematically, as I have argued before, I anchor this song firmly in the 09 era, around the time of I Don’t Care (this song’s twin, I think) and the hiatus.

the song opens immediately with some classic p. steezy lyrical markers: stutter-singing and emphasis/rhyme by repetition.

 I was I was I was I was Gonna say something that would solve all our problems But then I got drunk and I forgot what I was talking about I forgot what I was talking about

If the lyric was got high, I’d think Pete wrote it. But it’s not, and I think this bit is Patrick. It’s the feeling of being the one with the power to say the one thing that would fix it all, but losing your nerve, or fucking up your intention. What could Patrick have said in 2009 that would have fixed every problem faced by the band, by he and Pete in particular? here you are in shark-myth’s creepy museum of queer conspiracy, so I think you know what I’m going to say. I love you. Patrick could have said Pete, I love you too.

and god. wasn’t it a mistake, not to? didn’t it cost them—everything?

Don't you, don't you, don't you know

There's nothing more cruel than to be loved by everybody

There's nothing more cruel than to be loved by everybody but you

Than to be loved by everybody but you, but you

this verse is pure Pete. Pete Wentz, adored and loathed in equal parts, jumping his own fucking shark in 2009, a media mogul and a reality star and our punching bag and our golden son all at once. (aside: even in their February 2018 interview in UPSET magazine, Pete still expressed that he’d rather be hated than ignored. this explains so much about pete wentz.) And all he fucking wants is for Patrick to love him, and he can make the rest of the world hang on his every word, and it doesn’t mean a fucking thing to him. Patrick is what he wants, what he can’t have. and it’s so fucking cruel.

If I could get my shit together I'm gonna run away and never see any of you again Never see any of you again

This is pure way-down-south escapism. I’ve got a whole post about it, linked above, if you want to hear more about that. It’s very consistent with 2009, and fits well as a line of thinking that preluded the hiatus.

I hope the roof flies off and I get blown out into space I always make such expensive mistakes I know it's just a number but you're my 8th wonder I'll stop wearing black when they make a darker color

This verse is definitely Pete’s voice. We’ve got the pop culture Wes Anderson quote, the pop culture Addams Family quote, and the sharp, clever wordplay to prove it. Pete loves Wes Anderson, and very specifically, this quote from Moonrise Kingdom is pulled from a movie about two oddball kids against the rest of the world who decide to run away from their mundane, misunderstood lives in the name of their true love. their love and relationship is very underdeveloped in the film, very adolescent, very becoming; it serves as an echo and an amplifier of each kid’s sense of not fitting in, of isolation. They choose each other as the miracle solution, the cure, to that isolation; an adult looking at their escape plan sees the futility of it: running away with someone else, someone who is totally untested in love, someone you have made into this huge lifechanging idol in your head but you don’t know very well in real life? they’re going to disappoint you. you’re going to get to mexico and you’re going to find yourself, and all your shitty feels, right there. You have to find a way to fit into your own life before you can fit there comfortably with anyone else. The movie is a good one, and it hits every fucking note for me when we layer it in next to pre-hiatus Peterick and the choice of the Wilson/Chuck Noland relationship as the title of this song.

‘I know it’s just a number’ evokes the weird fixation on math and accounting that some of their lyrics have had through the years, which I will write on someday when I sort out my thoughts about it. I like here too the acknowledgment of artifice; we get it again in TLOTRO, with ‘tell me I’m the only one, even if it’s not true.’ Words and symbols, endearments and declarations, we choose those: we wear them. They do not reflect a true quality. They reflect choices. Pete’s saying, listen, this doesn’t have to mean anything to you, but it means a lot to me; you are the most wonderful thing in the world to me. There’s the great pyramid, there’s the hanging garden of Babylon, there’s the temple of Artemis, and there’s you: Patrick fucking Stump of the golden heart and marble thighs. Which. Fucking same.

The Wednesday Addams quote is of course a fucking delight. It says ‘I’m intense, I’m overwrought, I don’t give a fuck. I’m only ever going to double down. I will never back off. I don’t care if you think I’m ridiculous, I am too much, and I always will be.’ I treasure this line. I sing it to my cat like, several times every day (which i understand is the normal amount)

On the wrong side of p-p-paradise And when I say I'm sorry I'm late, I wasn't showing up at all I really mean I didn't plan on showing up at all

The first line here ties well to Y&M—I woke up on the wrong side of reality—and I love the way it highlights the gap between what we say, for the sake of social lubricant, and what we really mean. Pete and Patrick are both self-identified hermits—Patrick has been speaking a lot lately about his horror of interacting with others, and Pete has said that his main goal on any given day is to speak to as few people as possible — so this line could really be either of them.

Don't you, don't you, don't you know I hate all my friends, I miss the days when I pretended I hate all my friends, I miss the days when I pretended with you I miss the days when I pretended with you, with you

OKAY IF THIS ISN’T ABOUT TRYST THEORY I DON’T KNOW WHAT IS

 Uses of Pretend in Fall Out Boy Relevant History:

the whole song The End of Pretend, written by Pete during the hiatus

"Pretend you don’t remember,” written by Patrick during the hiatus

“Don’t pretend you ever forgot about me”

“I’m outside the door, invite me in, so we can go back and play pretend”

“But I can’t just pretend we weren’t lovers first”

‘I hate all my friends’ is a good time-anchor too. We have the friends who only like you for your hotel suites, we have the making a few more fake friends, we have pete’s endless blog posts about fake people who don’t really care about him—this mentality is very, very indicative of pre-hiatus Pete, especially during his disillusionment in the Sell Out Era, when he moves from ‘the world’s not waiting for five tired boys in a broken down van/these friends are golden’ to a much more cynical ‘sham friends/friends just because we move units/we’re only good because you can have almost famous friends/these friends, they don’t love you/I’ve got a lot of friends…who are just black holes/my friends all lie and say they only want the best wishes from me’ perspective.

If we hadn't done this thing I think I'd be a medicine man So I could get high on my own supply whenever I can I became such a strange shape, such a strange shape From trying to fit in

THIS BIT HERE! This is SO GOOD! The song really shifts all of a sudden at the end. Pete has described himself of this era as a drugstore cowboy, and speaks very openly (especially in this amazing interview with playboy that will make you fucking weep, I need to own this magazine, yes for the articles, and in post-divorce articles about his mental state at that time) about his misuse of prescriptions during that time. so this is pretty obvious: if they hadn’t done the band, if they hadn’t somehow made it work, the only kind of future he can see for himself is dealing some kind of artificial high and keeping himself medicated, insulated, high above all the rest. Interesting, the lyrics say my own supply, but the actual track says our own supply. That shifts the content for me, a little: it makes it more about a collaborative magic that he makes with someone else. It brings me squarely right to the drug use peterick metaphors, the way Pete has written about Patrick as a drug and a high for so many years.

Finally, I love more than anything this line: ‘I became such a strange shape from trying to fit in.’ This, here in the strange tone-shift of the last verse, takes a step back. This is present-day Pete looking back at himself, the way he became contorted and wracked from trying to please everyone. He’s looking at the Pete who ran away from Chicago and floundered in the neon emptiness of LA, getting drunk and photographed and letting his body be used as a dramatic set piece in the flashbulb frenzy of up-and-coming starlets. He’s looking at the Pete who sold himself cheaply, because he knew he wasn’t worth much. He’s looking at the weirdo behind the awkward tragedy of Fresh Only Bakery, the Pete who bit off his own tongue so he never again had to hear himself speak. ARE YOU CRYING YET? I AM. But the line isn’t just sadness: because it shows us, now, the solid ground that present-day Pete is standing on. The distance he now has from his former life as a demolition derby heart. It shows us how well he knows himself, and what he needs, and what he is newly capable of giving.

To sum up: PETERICK IS DEFINITELY REAL

Love you guys! more MANIA meta soon, and keep your eyes peeled from some v day peterick on wednesday 💘 💘 💘 part 0

part 1

part 2

part 3

[simonaott904-blog]

20 Resources That'll Make You Better at digimon world dawn

Digitize PSP Cheats And Methods ~ Cheathunter

Following a success of Disney's 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Japanese domestic anime market confronted severe pressure from international filmmakers. Nelson Chitty can be a Venezuelan expat residing in Argentina. He's a writer and translator passionate about background and foreign cultures. His ideal weekend is definitely spent between leisurely games of Civilization VI and looking for the next seinen anime to marathon. Not only was it a switch of pace when it comes to the Digimon themselves, however the human heroes also get a lot more tale than most seasons. There are some actual heart-tugging occasions and hints throughout of impending tale beats that produce rewatching a lot of fun.

Honestly, there is little reason to play this title today. Regularity with the parameters established initially by the series redeems Digimon Globe to a certain extent, emboldened in the eye of fans who appreciate simulation type games; however, that is easily one of the worst titles to try and grab today. Online. A players shuffled deck is placed face down right here. Cards drawn into the player's hand are extracted from the Online pile. I love the Assassin's creed series along with both Dead Space games. In modern times, butterflies are extremely common in Japanese anime and manga. Most often, butterflies represent a character's fleeting thoughts or dreams.

Digimon Globe for the PS1 is a great game if you enjoy Tamagotchi style gameplay. You need to raise and train them carefully in fact it is better to follow a information so that you can train the correct stats to make sure your Digimon digivolves into the particular monster you want. Once you have them digivolved you possess a certain amount of gametime before they will die and then you have to retrain the hatched Digimon. The main storyline revolves around you exploring to find a specific Digimon and recruit it back again to the village.

The English dub cast is fantastic and they are the reason I blind bought this anime without seeing it on legal streaming in Japanese. In the movie, Digimon Adventure which was a prelude to the Digimon series, no one knew the way the gateway between the Digital World and real life was activated. All they saw was just a moment when Digimon could travel from one to the other. Pokémon fans will immediately recognise the gameplay method of Best Fiends and can enjoy what it has to offer. When you begin out, you'll have the option between three different starter creatures (audio familiar?), and from there, you will http://www.bbc.co.uk/search?q=digimon start your journey to be the best.

Digimon Globe: Data Squad exists predominately as a tie-in for the recent Digimon: Data Squad anime series, so it shouldn't be too astonishing that the overall game spends short amount of time on character introductions and cuts straight to the flimsy plot. There's a great evil in the digital globe that's causing Digimon to do something all crazy, threatening to break through to the real world, and it's really up to the spiky-haired, androgynous Data Squad to investigate. Making things personal, younger sister of one of the associates of the info Squad, along with a bunch of additional young girls, has gone missing, plus they believe there's a connection. Characters will occasionally pop-up to shout some awkward dialogue, but once all the parts are set, the rest of the game is mostly simply a long, tiresome dungeon crawl.

It's hard to just go through the game at start state and realize the scope of what it was doing, the way that it had been forcing the industry to rethink several long-held assumptions about grouping and leveling. Certainly it wasn't noticeable to the devs at Blizzard, who (if memory serves) implemented the solo-friendly leveling framework because they wished to allow players in to the raiding endgame quicker and more efficiently. It had been only later that they realized just how much people recommended a more accessible framework and what that actually meant for the game's development.

I've only performed the first Digimon Globe, so I have no idea how it prices alongside the others. But I could say it's lots of fun. You teach up your Digimon, travel the island discovering new Digimon to provide to the town which grows the more people join. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary Content material in this edit is normally translated from the existing Russian Wikipedia article at :ru:Digimon Adventure; see its history for attribution.

On the Android side, Google's fiercest competition originates from - who else? - Samsung. The Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus had been released at the start of the year, and they utilize the same Snapdragon human brain as both of the PIxel 2s. Beyond that, their expansive Infinity Displays are almost beyond reproach and conveniently outshine the panels Google used this year. Both likewise have excellent cameras, even though I prefer what Google has achieved with the Pixels, the S8s have hook edge in low-light photography. Honestly, the decision boils down to software program: The S8s still run a version of Android 7.0 Nougat painted over with Samsung's custom interface. It's swimming in Samsung apps too, including the lackluster Bixby virtual assistant. Google's cleaner approach, coupled with the guarantee of software updates for three years, can make the Pixels more attractive to some.

I by no means claim this is a blacks versus whites issue. Multiculturalism could be applauded by blacks, since they get black background month, etc etc etc. Nonetheless it was created, promulgated, trained, and defended by whites who are ashamed of their own competition; ashamed by their very own country; and who would like everything America has stood for to become turned upside down-deconstructed. If you feel "popular 'old college' samurai anime," you imagine Rurouni Kenshin. The anime adaptation was manufactured in 1996, and was directed by Furuhashi Kazuhiro. Originally a manga (Japanese comic) series, Rurouni Kenshin follows the tale of Himura Kenshin, a wandering samurai through the Meiji period who utilized to be a skilled assassin working for the Bakumatsu government.

Digimon Globe Championship on the Nintendo DS is sort of like an upgraded type of the original Digimon games that were virtual-pets. You feed and care for your Digimon, and help them digivolve into more powerful forms. Championship is also very, very, VERY dull. There is very little gameplay in this game; your Digimon pals do all your work for you. All you have to to do is be sure that they are taken care of, which isn't exciting whatsoever. Championship looks wonderful for a game on the DS, and it does provide good nostalgia for individuals who grew up with the original Digimon virtual pet playthings. Notwithstanding that, Championship is certainly virtually Digimon for babies.

Stingmon is one of the more recognizable Digimon to anyone who was raised viewing the anime. Stingmon 1st showed up in the anime in Digimon Adventure 2 where he served as an antagonist for the 1st part of the time of year. Although Stingmon seems to be a Digimon with a cool head that's ready to battle at any time, his rookie type Wormmon is certainly a wimp and may never state what's on its mind. One of the major factors that produce Stingmon so cool is the drastic transformation in personality after digivolving. Stingmon's character is a key factor down the road when Stingmon becomes an excellent man and pairs up with his former rival Veemon creating an ideal balance between the two. Stingmon may not become the coolest Digimon on appearance alone, but he is certainly one of the coolest in the Digimon Universe all together.

What does inspire though, may be the video game that accompanies the cartoon. You play it in real life pretty much exactly as you see it performed by the individuals on the TV. Minus the huge battling monsters. The game includes magnetic transforming Bakugan monsters that start out as spheres, but when they encounter the magnetic Gate cards they unfold to reveal the creature inside. If you want to discover ways to play Bakugan, you can try the official website. There are all types of trick shots and in depth strategies you can devise when playing this video game. It's so popular Toys R Us provides been hosting tournaments around the US.

The anime is based on a Capcom video game group of the same name, and takes place during the digimon world 4 agumon digivolutions Sengoku, or the Warring States Period, in Japan. Two young warlords from rivaling regions form an alliance to bring down Oda Nobunaga, the Devil King. A Chinese manhua was written and drawn by Yuen Wong Yu (余 遠鍠 Yu Yuen-wong), who based its storyline on the television series. This adaptation addresses Digimon Experience in five volumes, Digimon Adventure 02 in two, Digimon Tamers in four, and Digimon Frontier in three. The original stories are seriously abridged, though on rare occasions events play out differently compared to the anime.

In Japan, nine Digimon anime movies have been released. Seven of these are related to their anime series. Of the nine all but two have been released worldwide. Ultimate Power! Activate Burst Mode and X-Evolution are the two that have not really been released internationally. Minato Sahashi is an intelligent son, but because of his inability to deal with pressure he's unemployed and failed university exams twice. One day he meets a girl named Musubi, who actually falls from the sky. Minato learns that she is a Sekirei who chose him as her Ashikabi: a human which allows a Sekirei to bring out her full powers and participate in life-threatening battles.

[againjack]

Once upon a dream

Colby ended up back in town Wednesday due to the car drama. We had chatted about seeing a movie, and had feared it would be leaving theaters soon. So while neither of us HAD to see the other that evening, and I had confirmed the movie would be around at least another week or so, he really wanted to get together. I was supposed to be in a meeting, but figured I wasn’t necessary and skipped it. 

He met me at the door with a big hug and lovely kiss. Oh how I had missed him, and he clearly missed me. At that point it was two weeks and a day since we had last seen each other. 

We chilled and talked for a bit after I put some groceries away that I had picked up on the way to his place away. (More nesting on my part - ensuring I have breakfast as well as salty and sweet snacks at his place. I also picked up a few things he had asked me to, since he literally had gotten back two hours before hand and I had offered.) He was clearly exhausted and sorta surprised when I snuggled up to him like a cat, conforming to how he was sitting. I was surprised that he didn’t share his dramas, since he had alluded to them at various points either via text/chat/phone conversations. 

When he decided we should head to the theater he asked me to drive, since after 5 hours he was done.:P I complied. He was amused at how I cleaned out the front seat from dog and random other stuff. Even being tired he was a good navigator, since he wanted me to go a specific way. This bodes well for whenever we do a road trip together. (Note: aka checklist item for long term potential.) 

While in line for popcorn, because he insists on it and was shocked I avoid it, we had some interesting discussions. I mentioned how I had told my parents about him based upon our discussions at the french restaurant. He wasn’t sure what I was referring to. I was all awkward and said that I must be one of those women who reads into things too much, but standing in line with people all around us was not the time or place to have that discussion. 

We had some very interesting discussions about the movie afterwards. It was nice to have such a varied and in depth analysis with so many references that we both understood. It was nice to have such an intellectual discussion with a hint of silliness. It was... awesome. An item on my long term potential checklist I didn’t know I had and needed. An item that was placed there from my exhusband who set a high bar there. :P

Back at his place we had dinner. We sat and chatted for a bit, he putzed at something while I nuked the casserole. It felt lopsided and very traditional gender roles. Dinner wasn’t anything that stood out from our conversation. After dinner he just sat there and chatted at me while I began to clean up. I started to feel resentful that it felt like more gender stereotype roles. He did eventually bring his own dishes in and took care of them. This is definitely a point to discuss in the (near) future. 

We walked his dog and I commented about an email I had sent earlier. I am trying to “manage” him, like one would with your boss at work - present options or situations ahead of time to give them time to think things through and be ready to make a plan/decision/action when the time comes. This email was about my birthday in two weeks. The email was that I wasn’t sure if he had made note of it when it was brought up off hand months ago. That I wasn’t expecting anything from him (except maybe a card.) That I know he has a lot on his plate and unknowns (like he has to go back to SC to pick up his car if it is repaired.) But I wanted to make plans and wanted to know IF he had any ideas or wanted me to be available for him to do something with. That way if he couldn’t/didn’t it was ok and I could make other plans. He said he had scanned it and was thinking about it. He said he appreciated my ‘managing’ him.

He was putzing some more after walking the dog, so I pulled out the book I am studying to make notecards as part of my study process. After a few minutes he noticed and seemed taken aback. I told him that I expected he would focus on things, so I brought something to do in the mean time. He knows my test is coming up (exactly a month from today!) and that I’ve got a lot of responsibility with work and my synagogue in the next few weeks as well. I told him that I understand how present he is when with me, and I want to give him the same. That I only wanted to do the cards while he was busy with something else. He said he understood but gave an air of being disappointed and maybe hurt.  He went upstairs to get ready for bed. 

I finished the card I was on, then grabbed a different book and notebook for notes so I could read while he got ready. He was unpacking his bag while I read, and he tossed something at me while he walked to the bathroom. I looked up confused. He said that it was sort of an early birthday present. I blinked and asked him if he wanted me to open it then or to wait - he said it was up to me. (At this point I was wondering if this was my only gift from him or if it was a prelude. I also wonder if it was meant to be something else but due to the bday talk earlier he decided to call it that. :\ ) 

I decided to open it right then, since I feel it is important to open a gift from someone in front of them and I wasn’t sure if we would be together on my bday or not. It was a beautiful scarf. Hand dyed indigo cotton scarf. So soft and beautiful. He had left the price tag on it, and it was way more than I would have paid - even being artisan and expensive materials.:P But that is the definition of a gift, right? Something you want but wouldn’t buy for yourself. 

It was funny how after that we discussed why he chose that one over other patterns - like one too polkadoty, another being very tallis like... He was obviously pleased with my reaction. 

Part of why I wonder about if it was intended as a bday gift or for that evening was he seemed miffed that I was studying/reading rather than puppy dog following him around with him as my sole attention. Part of our conversation after I thanked him and was playing with the scarf he said some very interesting things. He thanked me for sticking by him the past few months that his life was way more crazy than normal. He showed in his voice, face, and mannerisms that it meant a lot to him and he felt it was special and rare. That he didn’t expect it and was surprised and values that. I joked how I have the patience of a saint, and told him how awesome and special he is and what I think we have together is. I focused more on him than us. I feel like he is getting closer to saying he loves me, and I’m not sure if what I say/do encourages or pushes that away. 

On the radio the other day was a discussion about a study about when in a relationship people say I love you for the first time. Most people it is an even split between the first week or at the 3 month mark. Only 5% took longer than three months. It really made me think about how I am and when I say it, as well as when my previous partners have said it. The whole world (that reads this or talks to me) knows how I fell in love instantly with Colby and it has only deepened and become more real over time. (The radio personalities reacted like most people that if someone says I love you in the first week it is a huge red flag and to run! So I am glad that while I have felt that way I haven’t said it.) It has been over three months since we met, and we are 10 days from the three months after our first date. I’m really curious when he will say it and it is getting harder for me to wait. I’ve been alluding to it, but occasionally saying things like, “good morning, luv.” 

A part of me is wondering with his being a self proclaimed romantic if he is saving his declaration of love - or sex - for my birthday. Being a romantic myself, and being that the first time is special, I think we are on the same wavelength. Of course, I could just be building castles in the clouds. 

When he laid down he said the light didn’t bother him, but it clearly did. So I gave up on reading and snuggled up with him. It was clear he missed that, even though he didn’t say anything.  While snuggled up before he fell asleep I joked that he is off the hook for cake and flowers (that I had mentioned in the email as suggestions for my bday.) More of how I think he missed me, when I rolled over to my side of the (king sized bed) because he kept moving (while sound asleep) to be closer to me or to touch me (his foot to my leg, his back to my side/back...) He hasn’t moved to the middle of the bed like that before. 

In the morning he noticed and seemed to like that I was wearing the scarf. He also was clearly having trouble with the idea of us parting ways for work. He was still on island time and thinking he was on vacation, wanting to just take his time and chill with me. :)

We have chatted a lot more through the days. Probably both because I gave him a stern but lightish poke about going days without contact again, as well as now that he was back to normal and not on vacation and with family I reached out more. I found myself wrapping the scarf around my shoulders, like a pashmina/shawl, and pulling it tight, imagining it was him hugging/holding me. I decided to be a romantic dork and told him that, his response was a smile. Since he is such a romantic I know he really appreciated that thought and that I told him too. 

We don’t have plans of when to see each other next, but I feel no worries right now. I am still on the Colby-high though. :P 

Today while chatting he sent me a link about Harry Potter erotica. (An article about a guy who thought he bought the series to read when instead he bought erotic fanfic and had no clue until talking to a friend about book 5. Hilarious article and I really want to read that fanfic series. lol) I told him I wanted to read it, and told him that he isn’t helping with my keeping at his pace - that I was turned on and really wanted him. I took it a bit further, saying how was naturally extra horny due to being midcycle, though it would be hard for him to know since I have a consistently high appetite. lol (Sorta to explain why I playfully bit his ear Wednesday night. >><<) 

I feel like we have slipped a wee bit deeper into being a couple and being comfortable with each other. I feel a bit more solid about how he feels and what I mean to him.

[jamesharringtoncreativeworks]

So I just saw Wonder Woman…

All right, let me start of by saying that I did not have high hopes for this movie…

Hear me out!

The initial reviews of this movie that I saw came from Salon and The Mary Sue…

You know… these yellow journalists:

Back off, men—they’re scientists: New “Ghostbusters” trailer gets slimed by sexist trolls

The Ghostbusters Trailer Backlash Shows Men Believe in the Power of Representation (But Only When It Applies to Them)

Yeah… anything that they give a good review to usually has to be taken with a grain of salt, especially after the a for mentioned Ghostbusters reboot. Critics really can’t be taken all that seriously anymore.

Given all the controversy surrounding it, I was expecting this movie to be completely overrun with identity politics and social justice hypocrisy.

Then why did you go see it?

Well… because it’s Wonder Woman, she’s friggin’ boss! That’s why.

So what did I think of it? OH MY GOD, IT WAS AWESOME!!! The fighting was extremely well done, the history was very spot on, and the scenery was absolutely incredible.

The movie starts off in the mythical land of Themyscira, where Diana… is lives with the other Amazonian women in secret. She is trained to fight from a young age and  becomes the best warrior in all of the land. Her mother seriously wants to keep a secret from her, which we don’t find out about. Apparently the amazons were created to help herald peace and love, but as usual, humanity messes it up.

A pilot in a WW1 plane… rather randomly happens upon the island, crashing into the nearby water. He’s chased by… I believe a German destroyer and several boats. The amazons fight off the troops…

(Jury is still out on what happened to the destroyer… it kind of just vanished… It was listing pretty badly but… I dunno)

… and take the pilot prisoner. He eventually reveals that Germany is creating a new weapon to win the war before the armistice is signed. Diana sets sail with him, against her mother’s wishes, to aid in the fight. She absolutely believes that if she kills Aries, the war will end.

That’s about as much as I’m going to tell you about the plot… So let’s look at the gritty details:

Setting: This movie takes place in WW1 Europe, this is not a modern story, though the entire movie is a flashback thanks to a picture that Batman has delivered to Diana Prince. Very happy about this! Everything appears very accurate surrounding the war. The uniforms aren’t perfect and in some aspects look closer to WW2, but everything is in the right place. So no issue.

However… There are critics who rightly say that the movie should have taken place during WW2 as this is where the original story takes place. However I consider this a re-telling and if they want to start off in WW1, I’ll let that slide.

Casting: I love Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. I know a lot of people didn’t like the idea of her having an accent, but if you think about it… Wonder Woman is amazonian, not American (at least not at first). Thus making her a little more exotic isn’t uncalled for.

Steve Trevor was also well-cast and the character is portrayed very well. It was nice to see that the people who wrote the movie really did their homework with many of the characters.

Story: What can I say, it’s awesome and there are definitely some twists and turns that are unexpected.

History:

Like I said, it’s portrayed pretty well. I a couple of articles  that talk about the accuracy of the women’s armor. The costumes for WW1 weren’t perfect, as I said, but they were close enough.

One other piece that I would like to mention… Dr. Maru’s face:

I’ve heard some people complain about this and frankly, I don’t understand why. It may look cheap and kind of dumb… but again, it’s historically accurate. People who had severely disfiguring facial injuries did actually have coverings made for them:

So again, bravo to the movie. They got that one right.

The Villain: Aries, the God of War is the primary villain here. Wonder Woman believes that if she kills him, it’ll end the war, all war. However in a very well-written twist, Aries reveals that he isn’t starting the wars. He is simply putting the tools into humanities hands, helping them create new weapons. He may put the gun in their hands, but in the end, they’re the one pulling the trigger. This draws up the ethical question of just how responsible is Aries for all of the war and suffering?

So anything wrong with the movie that you want to point out?

Yes… as I said, I was worried about the insertion of identity politics into the movie, and I will grant you that there is some of that. The line ‘I wanted to be an actor, but I’m the wrong color’ feels kind of forced. The second line came from ‘the chief’ when he said that Steve Trevor’s people took everything from him. This one was a little bit more underplayed, but I think a little bit more explaining might have been in order.

That being said, it was two lines. I can live with that.

But Jim, what about the line where Diana says that men are good for procreation, but not so much for pleasure?

Meh. There’s an old saying that goes ‘no one loves you as much as your left hand.’ Put that into context, and Diana’s statement could go either way. So I chalk that up as a non-issue.

My only other issue is with the movie’s portrayal of the armistice. It’s really played up as a positive thing and the best chance that everyone has for peace… this is horribly inaccurate.

The armistice led to the Treaty of Versailles, which when placed into the context of the Franco-Prussian War and WW2, was little more than payback for the embarrassment that France suffered at the hands of Germany during the Franco Prussian War, and would be a prelude to WW2. The armistice, nigh the very end of WW1, was little more than a prelude to the reckoning that was soon to come.

Final Thoughts…

The movie was fantastic and I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone who has not yet seen it.

In addition to that, Wonder Woman has, by virtue of existence, shown just how cancerous the far right and left political ideologues really are.

On the right, people complained about Gal Gadot’s casting, why?

Because she was Israeli, not American-born.

Because she was of Jewish descent.

Pretty bad right? However, the left didn’t treat her any better. In addition to body-shaming Wonder Woman out of the UN, the left objected to Gal Gadot’s casting because…

She was too thin…

She was cleanly shaven.

In addition, they complained about her outfit… despite being more conservative than other incarnations.

Finally, some theaters set up women-only viewings of the movie and people on the left mocked those who took issue with it… despite the fact that it was a violation of Constitution Civil Rights, something the Social Justice Left claims to fight for.

So without even really doing anything, Wonder Woman patriotically showed us how cancerous the right wing extremists, the religious fundamentalists, the regressive left, and the Social Justice Warriors actually are.

That alone makes her a hero in my book.

So in summation… forget the idiocy, forget the politics, go see the movie and have a good time. Wonder Woman is a hero for the ages and is someone both men and women of all walks of life and enjoy… and it was a major thrill to introduce my son to her!

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

Wonder Woman: A Fitting Tribute So I just saw Wonder Woman... All right, let me start of by saying that I did not have high hopes for this movie...