#tv talk: Chicago Justice

[tomboy014]

I’m mostly going off of fanon when it comes to Constantine, so bear with me, but after all the times Constantine has complained to the JLA for dragging him into whatever problem they’ve managed to bumble into, Batman and Oracle have started looking for alternative occult and supernatural consultants, but it’s not like they can just look someone up in the phone book… right?

Except that’s exactly where Oracle finds Harry Dresden, Professional Wizard. 

There aren’t many records Oracle’s able to pull up, and what she does find is a mixed bag.  He’s got a fairly decent record working as a consultant with the Chicago PD, but he’s also worked with known criminal organizations.  There’s a pending lawsuit with TV studio over some wrecked equipment, good reviews from his former landlady, and a mix of dissatisfied and very satisfied customers, but it seems like, for the most part, he gets results. 

Plus, his rates are reasonable and he’s willing to travel; might as well bring him in on a trial run.

Nothing big at first.  Break up a new cult, disprove a haunting, all much smaller and easier than what he usually deals with back in Chicago.  He’s even managed to not burn down a building or two while he’s been here.  And while his methods can be… unorthodox, he can hold his own in a fight using both magical and mundane methods.  He’s a good detective and can work a crime scene.  He’s a hell of a lot more personable than Constantine.  Most importantly, he’s willing to teach.  Giant dork that he is, he’s eager to explain the magical theory behind his methods.

After a few months, Batman asks if Dresden is willing to be brought on full time, so to speak, and work his first “big” case.

“Only if you can provide a babysitter.” 

…What?

The Carpenter’s are on their family trip, and he doesn’t really have anyone else who can watch his kid.  He can only help if they can get him a babysitter.

Not what any of the Bats were expecting, but Batman can call in a “favor.”

Cue Dresden rolling up to Wayne Manor with little Maggie and her trusty sidekick, Mouse, in tow.

Alfred gets Maggie and Mouse settled in, and once she’s out of the room, Dresden turns to Bruce Wayne and casually asks if he gets to see the Batcave.

Dresden is aware he’s not always the brightest crayon in the toolshed, but he’s still a damn good detective, and he knows people.  It didn’t take him long to puzzle out that Bruce and the kids are vigilantes.  Bruce isn’t happy, but it does make things easier going forward.

Other than Tim, the Birds take to Dresden quickly.  He’s good with kids, never talking down to them, and is full of dorky movie and book references.  He can sling almost as much sass and sarcasm around as Steph.  Maggie is tiny and adorable and looks like a mini-Cass they can all coo over.  And Damian cannot get enough of Mouse who is just so large and fluffy and so much dog!  Tim doesn’t want Dresden to come anywhere near him; he shorts out every tablet and has to stay at least 20ft from the Bat Computer to keep it from shorting out.

So, Dresden finally works with the Justice League on some big, world-ending doomsday case, and yeah, this is unfortunately the speed he’s used to working at.  And, of course, a building burns down, but it was mostly not his fault!  But, everyone comes out more or less in one piece, the day is saved, and a bruised and beaten Dresden drags himself back to Wayne manor to recover before heading back to Chicago.

Just a normal day for Harry Dresden, professional wizard and supernatural consultant for the Justice League of America.

Still a much better deal than he’s used to getting.  The pay is good, and he doesn’t have to constantly watch his back against his own teammates.  Perk of working with superheroes; they’re generally good guys. 

But the biggest perks have been the positive effects on his daughter, Maggie.  It’s no Chez Carpenter, but the Manor and all the bat kids have a strong and warm family vibe of their own.  They’re (worryingly) good at helping talk her down from panic attacks and PTSD episodes.  They’ve got a lot of parenting advice to give, too.

And Maggie can finally get the therapy she needs from Black Canary without Dresden worrying about her being thrown into a loony bin for talking about the literal monsters she’ been exposed to.  Harry, too.

This is the best Harry and Maggie have been doing in a long time.

John Constantine, on the other hand, is getting worried.  The JLA have gone a suspiciously long time without getting themselves into trouble, and despite the way he acts, he does care in his own way, so he goes to check on them.  And who does he find they’ve invited into their house?  Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, apprentice of Justin DuMorne, son of Margaret LeFay, fiancé to Lara Raith of the White Court of Vampires, and the right-hand goon of the Dark Faerie Queen herself, Mab.  For Dresden, he can’t believe John Constantine, renegade warlock, necromance and black magic practitioner, just walked in.  He’s been on the Warden’s list for years. 

Both parties are trying to make their case about why they shouldn’t be using the other; they’re evil!  But the more Dresden and Constantine yell and argue with each other, the more they realize that they’re both working outside boundaries, but generally in the direction of good.  The two end up in positions that require them to work together, and it goes surprisingly well.  Their knowledge and experiences complement each other’s, and they make a well-oiled, if reluctant, duo.

[bradshawssugarbaby]

Illicit Affairs (Danny Nyland x Reader)

pairing: Danny Nyland (Chicago Hope) x Reader

song prompt: Illicit Affairs - Taylor Swift

warnings/content: nsfw if you squint, a lil angst, being Danny’s booty call, Danny Nyland being a f-boy but feeling guilty about it in the end

word count: 1445

a/n: not enough is written about Danny and like, justice for my favourite trauma surgeon, please.

And you know damn well, for you, I would ruin myself a million little times

You felt your heart racing as you left Danny’s apartment, the cold Chicago air stinging your cheeks as you walked down the street. It was nothing short of a routine for you anymore - you’d go to Danny’s after work for a night of heated passion, and then return home, pretending nothing had ever happened.

You’d go into work at the same hospital, he a surgeon, you a nurse, and you’d pretend that the events from the night before never happened. You’d see each other at work for a whole 12 hour shift, avoiding eye contact and stealing glances like a schoolgirl with a crush. You and Danny had an agreement of sorts - things would remain casual, there was never a need to make it anything more, at least, not for him. Danny was never the type to commit to anyone, or anything other than his work. It left a sour taste in your mouth, having something so passionate one minute and then being discarded like a spent cigarette the next, but, you found yourself craving it, the more it happened, the more you wanted Danny Nyland and all his lack of commitment.

Danny thrived on female attention, like it was essential for his survival. He was constantly flirting with the nursing staff, patients, doctors, anyone who might take a liking to him. It’d definitely gotten him in trouble more than a few times, but he always managed to charm his way out of it. Every time you saw Danny using his signature flirt on other girls, you felt your blood boiling in your veins - you couldn’t help it. You knew nothing between you was ever mutually exclusive, but each time he grinned as he asked a girl out for dinner, you felt sick to your stomach. Like someone was taking *your* Danny.

You knew that by the time you clocked in for your shift tomorrow, Danny would have another date lined up, if you could call them that. It was always the same with him when it came to dates - dinner at a romantic restaurant near the hospital, then a couple glasses of wine shared between you and back to Danny’s for “dessert”. Then within a month, he’d get bored and move on to the next one. But with you, it was different. Danny kept calling. Whenever he was bored or alone, you were who he’d call. And obediently, you always showed up. It was like you were magnetized to one another despite everything.

Today, when Danny had called you, you were on your day off. You’d been lounging on the couch, watching tv and watching whatever was on, when the phone rang. Danny sounded playful as you answered. You got the usual, “Hey, what are you doing? Up for a little fun?” and within minutes, you were on his door. Part of you hated yourself for allowing yourself to be Danny’s plaything and the other part of you knew you couldn’t function without him using you.

As your keys hit the dish in your living room, your phone started to ring. You took off your winter coat and boots, putting them away in the front closet of your apartment before answering the phone.

“Hello?” You asked, praying to God it wasn’t the hospital calling you in for an emergency shift coverage. A familiar voice was on the other line.

“Hey, it’s me.” Danny said, his tone different from usual.

“Well that didn’t take long, miss me already?” You teased.

“Actually…”, Danny went silent on his end of the phone for a moment, “I wanted to talk.”

“Talk?” You frowned, chewing your lip.

“Yeah…Can I come to you? I’ll be over in 10.”

After confirmation, Danny hung up and made his way to your house. His knock on your door was firm, and loud, with a sense of urgency to it. You opened the door to Danny standing there in his jeans and sweatshirt, his winter coat draped over him, snowflakes in his hair. He walked in and sighed, this side of Danny was completely unfamiliar territory.

“Hey, can we talk about something?” Danny’s usually confident, cocky demeanor was gone, replaced by someone vulnerable and anxious.

You cocked an eyebrow at Danny, confused by his approach. You felt a tinge of anxiety as you dreaded what he could possibly want to discuss, worried he may want to end things between you. As much as you loathed being at his every beck and call when he wanted some fun, you didn’t want to lose the passion and thrill that had brewed inside you every time you walked through his door. You were completely taken by him, entirely captivated as if you were under his spell. You’d never admit it, but you almost felt like you had feelings for Danny. He was *yours* at the end of the day - he wanted you more consistently than anyone else. He was almost committed to you. Almost.

“Look, this isn’t working,” Danny sighed, his dark brown eyes looking at you with great intensity.

“What?” You felt your heart leap into your throat at his admission.

“This can’t work,” Danny shook his head, “We’re getting…too attached.”

You felt your blood begin to boil as Danny’s words left his mouth. His commitment-phobe lifestyle was coming through, and you felt yourself feeling desperate and jealous, upset that someone else may take your place.

“Attached? Danny, that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Danny shakes his head and holds up his hands in defense as he speaks.

“No, we agreed in the beginning, friends with benefits, no attachments. It’s getting too far and I can’t let it continue. We were supposed to just be a little bit of fun. Now we’re getting jealous when we talk to other people and people are talking at work.”

You wanted to scream, you felt your blood pressure rising as you shook your head, trying to remain calm as you spoke to him.

“So what, you’re going to end this because you don’t like me talking to other guys or because someone at work teased you about dating me?”

Danny sighed and ran a hand through his thick dark hair. He looked up at the ceiling for a moment before taking a deep breath. The silence in the room was heavy, it felt suffocating and soul-crushing. Finally, Danny spoke.

“No. I’m going to end this before either of us get hurt.”

“Hurt?” You asked, confused by what he was getting at.

“This always goes the same way. We get attached, we start dating, we fight, we break up, we both end up hurt, and we move on forgetting anything ever happened between us. That’s why we had this agreement in the first place. We’re heading to attachment and I don’t want it to end in heartbreak for anyone, ok?”

You shake your head, and can’t help but laugh in disbelief at what he’s saying.

“Danny, you don’t get to make decisions for me or for my benefit, got it? If I want my heart broken by you, that’s my choice. Not yours. And I’d choose to let you break my heart over and over again if it meant keeping what we have. I’d rather be your booty call at 1am after a long night than not be in your life.”

Danny frowns and shakes his head, “That’s not what I want. I don’t want you to think that’s all you are.”

The heavy silence falls on you both again, Danny was avoiding eye contact now, looking at anything in the room other than you.

“Look,” Danny takes a deep breath before he speaks, shaking his head again, “Maybe I’m the issue here? I don’t want to get hurt when you wake up and realize you want someone who can be with you and not be afraid of everything going wrong? Maybe I don’t want to hurt you because I care too much about you, did you think of that?”

Danny’s words cut through you like a knife. You stood there speechless for a few moments before you look Danny in the eye. Your voice is soft and comforting as you speak.

“Danny…maybe I care too much about you too, because I would let you hurt me like that a million times and keep coming back to you. You could break up with me every day and I’d keep coming back. So what does that make me?”

Danny’s lips turn up into a soft smile, he laughs and shakes his head as he looks at you, meeting your gaze.

“Just as stupid in love as I am?”

“I guess so,” you grin at him.

[joleneghoul]

Hey I followed to see that DC Disability public essay, so I’m new to this blog. It had me wondering what was your journey of discovering DC and it’s characters and what are your favorite comics, stories and characters?

Hi! Welcome and I'm sorry this blog is kinda my "put everything i think of" train of thought blog. But it's also my only blog lol! Thank you for being interested in the Essay. It's not near done as I'm still taking responses but we will get there. Rest is under cut because i accidentally rambled on.

As far as my journey with DC comics I feel like Dc has just been a part of my life forever- I've grown up in this world where caped stories are pop culture and everywhere and when i was growing up like EVERY cartoon about heroes was about the dc ones (brave and the bold, batman the animated series, justice league)

Actually my first memory I can recall is seeing an episode of justice league on the tv and seeing john stewart green lantern.

Though I wouldnt of called myself a fan really back then because my special interests for most of my life started with Sonic and then Transformers. But in my opinion the base of both of those universes and stories is the same as caped comics so it makes sense I eventually got into them fully.

I don't think I've told the story about how I started actually reading the comics but basically I was homeless at 17 and thats when my love for these comics started. I started reading old batman comics because around then I had met my boyfriend whos special interest was batman so that was my way of both distracting myself and bonding with him.

BUT through batman comics I got introduced to Blue Beetle and Booster Gold and I instantly shifted to reading the Blue beetle comics (sorry to booster i didnt read vol 1 until maybe a year later) specifically the 1986 solo about Ted Kord.

Like I mentioned I was homeless at the time and I hadn't even been diagnosed yet with any of my illnesses I had been suffering from for 5+ years at that time. But within those comics there are two very special stories that cemented my love for these comics and its.

1. Ted has an issue where he goes around the streets of Chicago at night because someone is killing homeless people. In other stories i'd read heroes would maybe briefly talk to the homeless if at all. But instead of that Ted the entire comic sits down with people and speaks to them and gets their stories. I remember reading it and feeling "oh, this is a hero who would actually care to sit down on the sidewalk with me. This is special".

2. There is another story in this run where Ted basically defends the life of this kid who ran away from home and has no immune system and sets out a way to help him. Not the best but I was relating to the kid at the time.

I ended up carrying around an issue relating to Ted in my backpack for most of that time just because it was special to me. Anyways its pretty much history from there I ended up getting into Booster Gold and other heroes as I looked further into these stories and learned more about teams and etc. But Ted Kord will always be special to me, especially since he also has a chronic condition.

As my condition progressed this became one of my outlets for expression and it still is. Through reading I found that a lot more of these heroes were disabled than I had previously thought because NOBODY talked about it. I remember at first not knowing Booster had lost an arm because it just wasn't something I saw mentioned (though back then like. Nobody was posting abt him or ted hardly. you'd be surprised it was like they had a lull in popularity for a bit which makes sense they were not in comics) so I kinda have made it so I talk about these things so they are in peoples minds more. At least a bit.

As far as my Favorite comics go I have to say my favorite comic is Justice Leagues Quarterly 10, but you'd probably want to know the JLI roster before reading it if you dont. JLQ has very fun collections of stories. I try to recc blue beetle 1986 to people too just because it's special to me same for booster gold 1986.

Speaking of essays, here is one I wrote about Booster Gold and his relationship with disability.

[agentcable]

Chicago Justice Season 1 Ep. 11 "AQD"

The team is investigating the murder of an Alderman who was against environmental policies. He was killed in a hit-and-run accident. Dawson and Nagel are having trouble finding witnesses to the crime. Valdez discovers that the driver was a mother who was frantically trying to find her kidnapped daughter, but later finds out it was a scam. During the investigation, Dawson runs into Sylvie Brett and thinks about their former relationship.

If you want to watch the series for yourself, stop reading! This post contains spoilers to the storyline.

The episode starts with a meeting in Alderman Christopher Jones' office. A delivery man enters, and after Chris signs for the package, he pours oil all over the desk. However, He is stopped before he can light the oil on fire. He shouts that Chris is sending poison into their neighbourhoods and killing their children. The man is then dragged out of the building through the back. Chris left the office, stating that he needed some fresh air. However, as he crossed the street, a truck hit him, throwing him onto another parked vehicle.

During a conversation with Antonio Dawson, a witness confirms that the driver did not swerve to avoid the victim and did not stop after the accident. The witness provides the last three digits of the license plate and mentions that the car had special lettering on the side. Sylvie Brett from Chicago Fire infoms Antonio that the hit and run victim did not survive and hands him the report. Laura Nagel joins Antonio, but they do not have much information to share. Nagel is surprised to learn that the victim is Alderman Christopher Jones.

During the interrogation, Nagel and Antonio question the delivery man, Jim Sprague, who is angry about Christopher Jones' actions. He believes that the city's transportation department is destroying the city with their "bomb trains". Sprague reveals that the oil was only symbolic and was made of prune juice and soap. Antonio suggests that Sprague wanted to "cut off the head of the snake" by targeting Chris, who was the face of the issue on TV. When Sprague responds with "something like that", Antonio interprets it as a confession. Nagel implies that he murdered Alderman Jones. Jim is shocked and says that he would never kill someone.

Bobby visits Mark Jefferies and reveals all the other antics citizens have done in protest of the Department of Transportation. Bobby states that there is no chance this death was an accident and claims that they are not environmentalists but anarchists. He demands that Jefferies make an example of these people and then leaves.

Jefferies meets with Peter Stone, who reveals that Antonio and Laura are at the environmental group Jim Sprague created. They only have partial specialty plates and are checking traffic cameras in the area.

At the group's headquarters, Antonio and Laura talk to someone who shares that there is nothing wrong with them making a political statement. He says they are opposed to the oil trains, just like they are opposed to killing people. He hands them a pamphlet. The pamphlet explains how they can show their opposition by writing or speaking to their Alderman. He also tells them that they are free to speak to his people.

Nagel returns to the office and discovers a potential match for the license plate digits. They visit Mrs. St. James, who informs them that she rents out her vehicle. She reveals that Jane Reynolds rented the car early that morning. Antonio requests that she track the car, and she demonstrates how she monitors it. Antonio takes her tablet, promising to take care of it, while they leave to locate the car.

Nagel and Dawson found the vehicle parked alongside train tracks. When they opened the door, they found two young teens smoking inside. The vehicle was damaged, and both teens were very high. The teens insisted that they were the wrong suspects as they did not kill anyone.

Antonio confirms that Jane synced her phone to the vehicle's bluetooth and finds her cell phone number. They find Jane sitting in a park. When they arrest her, she begs them not to touch the bag full of money, saying, "They have my daughter!"

In the interrogation room, Jane says that hitting the Alderman was an accident, as he came out of nowhere. She says the man told her that if she stopped, she would never see her daughter again. The woman's daughter was scheduled to visit the museum with her classmates. However, she received a call from a man who claimed that her phone had been hacked and that she was being monitored. The man threatened that if she hung up or sent a text, she would never see her daughter, Emma, again. Antonio was surprised that the men only demanded 8,000.

Stone asks if anyone believes her story. Nagel questions why the kidnappers would care about the source of the money. Anna Valdez wonders why they insisted on her renting a car when she owns a brand new Mercedes. The call she received is also a dead end since it came from a burner phone. Stone asks if it is possible this was an accident once they check her history, but Antonio said she didn't stop. Laura suggests she may have panicked. Stone instructs Laura and Antonio to inform Jane's ex-husband about their missing daughter.

He is shocked to learn that Emma is missing, but Antonio assures him that the FBI is working on locating her. Antonio requests that he return with them so they can question him further.

Captain Reynolds expressed surprise that his ex-partner did not call the police immediately when their daughter, Emma, went missing. Jane emphasised the urgency of finding Emma and disregarded any discussion about her ex-husband. Although both parents have a strained relationship, Reynolds acknowledged that Jane is an excellent mother. He also mentioned that he is working four jobs to support them.

After separate interrogations, Antonio and Laura left their rooms, and Anna arrived with Emma, who had been on a class trip the entire time.

Anna and Stone walk with Jefferies. Jefferies learns that Emma was only virtually kidnapped. He says, unfortunately, the funeral he needs to attend is very real. Anna says there are two victims here, but Jefferies doesn't want to hear it. He says that if someone took his grandchild, he would call the FBI, and if he ran down someone on the way, he would call the cops. Jane is being accused of reckless homicide and leaving the scene. Anna argues that each person should only be punished for the harm they caused, citing AQD (ad quod damnum). Jefferies, who also went to law school, disagrees and points out that the woman ran down an Alderman, which is a significant harm.

Jefferies lacks sympathy and instructs them to charge the mother, but then retracts his statement and says that if they catch and convict the person who called her, he may consider offering probation.

Antonio and Laura return to Jane's room and ask who knew about Emma's field trip. Jane discloses that someone called her house first and that there may be a recording of the call. Nagel asked why Jane didn't contact the police after receiving the first call. Antonio explained that when his son was taken, he couldn't think straight and all that mattered was getting his child back. As they played the message back, Antonio questioned why Darth Vader would need 8 grand.

The lab technician reveals that the caller used an app to scramble their voice. The technician fixed it for them to hear, and as they listen, they realize the voice belongs to Captain Reynolds. Stone and Anna are quickly informed, and Anna explains that what he did amounts to intimidation, which is a Class 3 felony. This means he won't face more than a year in prison. Antonio is furious.

Stone instructs them to arrest him and charge him with the death of Christopher Jones. Jones was killed during the commission of a felony, and Stone argues that his actions constituted felony kidnapping. Anna disputes this, stating that Emma was not physically kidnapped, but rather subjected to virtual kidnapping. Stone responds by pointing out that the statute does not make a distinction between physical and virtual kidnapping.

When the authorities arrived to arrest Captain Reynolds, he was having dinner with Emma. He tried to close the door on them, but Nagel pushed it open and gave him two options: either he could come with tem quietly and let the social worker sit with Emma, or his 10-year-old daughter could watch them drag him out kicking and screaming. He chose to leave quietly with them.

Meanwhile, at the bar, Anna and Stone were discussing marriage and divorce over dinner. Upon arrival, Holly Washington introduced herself as Ted Reynolds' public defender. She handed over a motion to dismiss, stating that she did not want to disturb them and that she was not there to make a deal. She found the charge of felony murder amusing.

In court the following day, Stone had to explain how a virtual kidnapping could lead to a murder charge. Holly argued that intimidation was not sufficient to trigger the felony murder rule, but Stone countered that any felony involving a threat of physical force would trigger the rule. The judge denied their motion to dismiss.

Back at the office, Jefferies was unimpressed with Stone's victory, stating that he was bootstrapping the law.

In court, Stone's lab technician revealed how they identified the scrambled voice on the tape. However, Holly raised concerns that the technician may have altered the voice too much, making it unrecognizable. She requested that the technician replay the tape where the voice threatens Jane, but he admitted that there was no actual threat on the recording.

Jane takes the stand. However, she contradicts the tapes that the court has already heard. She says that the caller mentioned her daughter's name on her cell phone. This implied that he would cut Emma's throat if she didn't comply with his demands of renting a car and withdrawing money at various banks and ATMs. She claims to have been on the phone with him the entire time, driving as fast as she could. she accidentally hit Alderman Jones but was unable to call the police or stop because the caller threatened to kill Emma if she did.

Holly gets Jane to confess that she and Ted argued during their marriage and produces the divorce papers. Jane committed perjury twice about her husband threatening her, but these claims were later dismissed. Holly confronts Emma about being the only one who heard her husband allegedly making those threats. Jane was driving like a maniac and Holly questions whether he really threatened to hurt Emma.

The jury deliberated for four days, but they were unable to reach a verdict, and the judge declared a mistrial. Stone informed Holly and Ted that he would file for a retrial, despite Jefferies' objections.

Anna explained to Antonio and Laura that the mistrial occurred because Ted did not threaten her in the recordings. Jefferies recommended charging Jane with reckless homicide and leaving the scene. Antonio is shocked. Stone is okay with that. However, unless Ted confesses, they have nothing. Nagel suggests talking to Emma.

During the meeting, Emma confides in Laura that she was frightened by her parents' arguments, even though her father never hit her mother because he loves her.

Meanwhile, Stone tells Antonio that childrend tend to see what they want to see when it comes to painting pictures. Antonio shares a story about his ex. He says that somewhere deep inside, he always thinks about whether his wife will ever come back to him. He explains that this is something that happens when you share a child together. Stone pauses.

Anna and Stone meet with Ted and Jane with their attorneys. Jane's attorney presents them with a deal for a 5-year prison sentence. Ted agrees to the deal, but Jane calls him a bastard, questioning what kind of father pretends to kidnap his own daughter. Despite Ted's desire for full custody, Jane refuses to take the deal. Stone stands up and says that it's fine with him, and Antonio handcuffs Jane as Ted watches quietly.

As they escort Jane out, Ted confesses everything in front of Stone, Anna, and Antonio. Jane is released, and Ted is arrested by Antonio. Stone offers Jane one year of probation. Jefferies finds it bizarre that Ted hates Jane but is willing to go to prison for 20 years for her.

[jvstheworld]

Due South Re-watch: part 4. The end of the pilot episode.

Finally coming to the end of this and on the last 2 pages of my notes. Yay.

•Firstly let’s talk about the landscape shots because damn they look good. The cinematography is really well done. You do get a sense of how vast and open the Territories in Canada are. It’s such a stark contrast with how Chicago looks (even though the show was filmed in Toronto). In Chicago everything looks cramped and chaotic with too many people and too much noise, but when Fraser is home it’s quiet, serene, and he’s the only one there for miles. I can see the appeal. 

•So we finally get some exposition about what’s been going on. Basically the government backed dam had a flaw in it. It couldn’t hold all the water it was supposed to. To rectify this they periodically let water out to flood the land, but this kills a lot of the wildlife that lives there, hence why they had all died and/or disappeared. A few people knew about this, Gerard being one, and Bob Fraser being the other. They were bribed to keep quiet, Gerard did but Bob didn’t want to and was killed for it. Drake was hired by Gerard to take care of it. It’s also why he was they only one opposed to Fraser going to Chicago.

•How did a man walk into someone’s office and leave a dead caribou on a desk and no one notice? How bad is your security if someone can get away with that?

•Ray, an American, shows up with lots of guns. Because of course he would. However due to budget constraints they can’t use them all (Here’s looking at you Deadpool).

•Best friends punch people together. That is a fact.

•It is not real chase scene without at least one explosive from a vehicle. That’s the rules. 

•After the chase ends we get all call back to the opening lines of the show, but this time with a happier ending. Fraser gets his man. But just leaves Gerard bleeding out while they take Dief to the vet, because Fraser is a good wolf dad. 

•While Gerard is rightly hated by people, Fraser gets hate too because he’s the one who turned him in? He did the right thing. He got justice for his father and exposed corruption and a huge cover up by the government that was damaging the environment. But for that he gets practically kicked out of Canada? The sad thing is that’s actually pretty realistic.

•The episode ends, the theme music plays and Fraser gets his $100 back from the guy at the airport. A happy ending.

I call this: How to intro a TV show, brought to you by 1993.

For the next time I will keep it to 1 post per episode, because this was actually a lot of work for me.    

[masscomgirlie]

I know you hate Kim K blah blah blah…

Well I don’t…and here’s why…

Kim Kardashian is known for being a reality TV star, but she is so much more than that. She is a mother, businesswoman, and advocate for social justice. Over the years, she has faced many challenges and overcome them, inspiring others along the way.

As a mother, Kim has shown that she is dedicated to her children. She has four children, North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm, and has been open about her struggles with fertility and pregnancy. She has also been vocal about her commitment to raising her children in a loving and supportive environment. Kim has said that motherhood has been the most rewarding experience of her life, and it shows in the way she talks about her kids and the time she spends with them.

In addition to being a mother, Kim is also a successful businesswoman. She has launched several businesses, including KKW Beauty, Skims, and KKW Fragrance. These ventures have been incredibly successful, and Kim has been recognized for her entrepreneurial skills. She has also used her platform to advocate for important causes, such as criminal justice reform and gun control.

Kim has faced many challenges in her life, including a highly publicized robbery in Paris in 2016. She was held at gunpoint and robbed of millions of dollars worth of jewelry. The experience was traumatic, but Kim was able to overcome it and use it as a catalyst for change. She has since become an advocate for mental health and has spoken openly about her struggles with anxiety and PTSD.

Kim has also faced criticism for her past actions and choices, but she has used these experiences to grow and learn. She has apologized for past mistakes and has worked to educate herself and others on issues such as cultural appropriation and

[ashtraythief]

A little random, but I love how you made Jared the perfect line between good/evil. If he were anymore evil, this relationship would be hard to root for, and he’d be hard to love. But he has morals and ethics, like how you talked about how he wouldn’t date an employee, for example. He has rules (that he usually follows, at least.) He has people that he loves, more than just Jensen. And he really loves them with all he’s got. Like he’d really do anything to protect them. You can really feel how conflicting this is for Jensen because Jared is lovable as hell and treats him really well. How did you walk that line between good/evil?

I let this one linger for a while because I wanted to give a proper answer. Your ask also just made me go super mushy inside because this was exactly what I was going for with Jared so I'm so thrilled that it worked ❤️ (I know that opinions differ on this and some people want to see Jared go down for his evil ways but I'm with you, nonnie 😅)

So, I wanted Jared to be kind of what he wants to be, which is the sheriff of the criminal underworld. It was kind of inspired by the original concept of the mafia. If my very superficial research informed me correctly then originally the sicilian mafia were basically neighborhood protection/policing organizations that evolved into criminal enterprises. But I think in most classic mafia/mob/organized crime stories whether TV or literature, these groups have their own internal rules and moral codes. Which I think you need to function. There's only so far you get with ruling with fear, you also need loyalty, shared values, a real community. Otherwise people just rat each other our or fight internally and you can't build a secure empire. I'd think 😅 so it makes sense for Jared to operate like that from a strategic point but I also didn't want him to be evil. I wanted him to legitimately see himself as the sheriff of Chicago. A guy who does what needs to be done, who dispenses fair justice with the understanding that regular law enforcement can neither protect nor punish people properly, so he needs to do that himself. And since he grew up with a criminal family, he sees crime as something that happens anyway, so might as well do it properly himself. And of course people like that can love too. And I like writing characters that aren't just bad or just good and Jared really gives me a lot of range to explore that. I like about him that he does have a selfish streak and is willing to throw out his rules to protect his people. He'll never kill an innocent. Unless an innocent is a witness in a trial against one of his people. He's fiercely protective of the people he loves (there's probably something there about not getting enough love from his own family after his mom died etc etc. about finding support after going through adolescence on his own etc). He's controlling to protect himself and his people, which is really what a lot of it boils down to, I think with him a lot of the terrible things he does he does for the "good" reason of love. It's terrible in rl, but I was going for Sam and Dean vibes of letting the world burn to save the other. Idk it's grand and dark and romantic and we know it's wrong but in fiction it feels right? Idk I'm just rambling now, but that was my thought process there. Thanks for your lovely ask and indulging my underneath ramblings ❤️

[myfrenzi]

The Influence of Streaming Platforms on Movie Distribution

The Impact of Streaming Platforms on How We Watch Movies

Hello, movie buffs and streaming enthusiasts! Today, we’re diving into the fascinating world of movie distribution and the influence of streaming platforms. We’ll also explore some of the top-notch films you can catch on OTT. So, grab your popcorn, and let’s get started!

The Changing Landscape of Movie Distribution

The way we watch movies has transformed dramatically over the years. In the past, you had to wait for your favorite films to hit theaters or rely on TV broadcasts. But now, thanks to streaming platforms, you have a universe of movies at your fingertips.

1. A Cinematic Revolution

Streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ have shaken up the movie industry. They’ve brought cinematic experiences directly to your living room, making it easier than ever to access the best movies on OTT.

2. Convenience Is King

One of the biggest perks of streaming is convenience. You can watch what you want, when you want, and where you want. Say goodbye to rigid showtimes and hello to ultimate flexibility.

3. A Global Movie Theater

Streaming platforms have turned your home into a global movie theater. You can explore films from all over the world, broadening your cinematic horizons.

4. Original Content Galore

Streaming services don’t just offer existing movies; they produce their own original content. This means more diverse storytelling and opportunities for filmmakers.

What to Watch on OTT: Cinematic Treasures

Now, let’s talk about what really matters — the movies! Here are some of the best movies on OTT that you simply can’t miss:

1. “The Irishman” (2019)

Directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese, this epic crime drama features an all-star cast and a gripping storyline. It’s a cinematic masterpiece that you can enjoy from the comfort of your couch.

2. “Parasite” (2019)

This South Korean sensation made history by winning the Academy Award for Best Picture. Its clever plot and social commentary will keep you hooked until the credits roll.

3. “Soul” (2020)

Pixar’s “Soul” takes you on a heartfelt and soulful journey. It’s a visually stunning and emotionally resonant animated film that appeals to audiences of all ages.

4. “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (2020)

This courtroom drama directed by Aaron Sorkin is a powerful and timely exploration of civil unrest and justice. It’s a must-watch for fans of gripping narratives.

The Streaming Revolution Continues

As streaming platforms continue to grow and evolve, the future of movie distribution is bright. They’ve not only changed how we watch movies but also expanded the horizons of filmmaking and storytelling.

Wrapping It Up

Streaming platforms have revolutionized movie distribution, making it easier and more accessible for everyone to enjoy the best movies on OTT. Whether you’re into crime dramas, international films, or heartwarming animations, there’s something for everyone in the world of streaming.

FAQs

How do I choose the right streaming platform for me? Consider your movie preferences, budget, and the platform’s content library. Most platforms offer free trials, so you can explore before committing.

Are all movies on streaming platforms included in the subscription fee? Not necessarily. Some movies may require an additional rental or purchase fee, while others are included in the subscription.

Can I still go to theaters if I use streaming platforms? Absolutely! Theaters provide a different cinematic experience, and many movies are released in theaters before they hit streaming platforms.

Are there family-friendly options on streaming platforms? Yes, most streaming platforms offer family-friendly content, including animated films and kid-friendly series.

Can I watch movies on streaming platforms without an internet connection? Some platforms allow you to download movies for offline viewing. Check the platform’s settings for this feature.

[laresearchette]

Sunday, January 08, 2022 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: MAYFAIR WITCHES (AMC+/AMC Pilot Only - 9:00pm) ALERT: MISSING PERSONS (CTV) 8:00pm EAST NEW YORK (CTV) 9:00pm NCIS: LOS ANGELES (Global) 9:30pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT?: BOB’S BURGERS (FOX Feed) FAMILY GUY (FOX Feed) ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL (PBS Feed) MISS SCARLET AND THE DUKE (PBS Feed) VIENNA BLOOD (PBS Feed) MY SISTER'S SERIAL KILLER BOYFRIEND (TBD - Lifetime Canada)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

DISNEY + STAR TOKYO REVENGERS (Season 2 premiere)

NFL FOOTBALL (TSN) 1:00pm: Ravens vs. Bengals (TSN/TSN3) 4:00pm: Cowboys vs. Commanders (TSN/TSN3) 8:15pm: Lions vs. Packers

NHL HOCKEY (SNPacific/TSN3) 3:00pm: Canucks vs. Jets (SN) 3:30pm: Panthers vs. Stars (SN1) 5:00pm: Blue Jackets vs. Capitals (TSN4) 7:00pm: Leafs vs. Flyers (SNWest) 7:00pm: Flames vs. Chicago (SN/SN1) 8:30pm: Bruins vs. Ducks

NBA BASKETBALL (TSN4/TSN5) 3:30pm: Trail Blazers vs. Raptors (SN Now) 7:00pm: Mavericks vs. Thunder (TSN5) 9:00pm: Hawks vs. Clippers

HEARTLAND (CBC) 7:00pm: Tim goes after the person responsible for Jack's accident; Lou struggles to reconnect with Katie; Amy agrees to let Logan take the lead with a new client...HORSE!

WHO'S TALKING TO CHRIS WALLACE? (CNN) 7:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): Chris Wallace is joined by filmmaker James Cameron and actor Hugh Jackman.

THE CASE AGAINST COSBY (CBC) 8:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE):  Of the more than 60 women who accused Bill Cosby of sexual assault, only one was able to gain a conviction; this is her story.

SCENTED WITH LOVE (City TV) 8:00pm:  Rosalie returns home after training as a perfumer in Paris and tries to rent a store to sell her own perfume. The only space available is shared by the local furniture store, which is owned by the previously geeky-now handsome Jason.

DIRTY JOBS (Discovery Canada) 8:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE):  Mike Rowe joins a second-generation pool fixer in West Palm Beach, Fla., and cleans dirtiest pool in America to clean 17 years of accumulated filth; in Orlando, Mike and a Soap Whisperer recycle dirty hotel soap in an effort to Clean the World.

IRREVERENT (Showcase) 9:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): An American criminal on the run from the Chicago mob loses all of his money and is forced to hide out in an Australian beach town, posing as their new reverend and becoming dangerously involved with the locals.

SEWER DIVERS (Discovery Canada) 9:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): In North Jersey, N.J., Dirty Water Don dives into a toxic sewer line; In Mt. Vernon, Va., Ramone and George try to fix a sewage-filled basement; In Cleveland, Josh tries to break down a rock-solid formation before it leads to catastrophic flooding.

CHEF DYNASTY: HOUSE OF FANG (Food Network Canada) 9:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE):  Chef Kathy Fang plans to use a modernized menu to take her San Francisco-based restaurant to new heights; she hosts a dinner for influencers, as well as her father, business partner and toughest critic Peter Fang, to put her new ideas to the test.

A ONCE AND FUTURE PEACE (documentary) 9:00pm:  Based on Indigenous peacemaking circles, a restorative justice approach brings healing to families and communities.

THE CURSE OF OAK ISLAND (History Canada) 10:00pm: The team returns to the swamp and immediately uncovers more evidence of a sunken ship; in the money pit, the discovery of a collapsed structure could mean they have finally located the off-set chamber.

TUT'S TOXIC TOMB (Nat Geo Canada) 10:00pm:  Paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi explores the gripping science behind an astonishing Egyptian legend as she investigates whether toxins inside Tutankhamun's tomb and among the pharaoh's treasures could explain a number of mysterious deaths.

END OF THE ROPE (Discovery Canada) 10:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): The Extreme Heights Repair Team heads to California to place 13 targets on the Bullards Dam in just three days; they install bird sensors on a wind turbine.

[awesome-opossum-after-hours]

rewatch details/thoughts part 2 (s2 ep4- s2 ep9)

-okay so the beginning of ep4 bears a STRIKING resemblance to the whole "Chrissy wake up" scene (except obviously Will doesn't get killed). so why did Vecna keep him alive when he could've easily taken him?

- also, Will's drawing of the Mindflayer is almost identical to Creel's spider drawing, but obviously a different setting

-can we talk about Will's breakdown to Joyce and him just sobbing "I just want this to be over!" because thats so fucking heartbreaking

-Hopper has one if those stupid bass fish decorations on him cabin wall. why, bro?

-why did I JUST realize that El was so upset about the TV being taken away, not just because it's a source of entertainment, but because she uses it as white noise to contact Mike? maybe I'm stupid

-Dustin relocated his turtle and never put him back. rip Yurtle

- I feel like the fact that Dustin also used to like Max is pretty overlooked. don't get me wrong, Lucas and Max all the way I mean they're adorable. but it would've been interesting either way

-so at the end of season 4, Will says that the "He" that was in his mind in season 2 was Vecna, but in s2 they pointed to a drawing of the mindflayer and asked if that was the "he" and Will said yes. so either he said that because of how often he'd see the Mindflayer in his visions, or Vecna was presenting himself as it in Will's mind. either way I wanna see that touched on more in the last season.

- the demobat trailer scene heavily parallels the junkyard demodog scene in s2 ep6, just in a different sequence. in the case of Eddie, they build the defense on the trailer, run inside and defend against bats trying to come in, THEN Eddie runs out and sacrifices himself. in the case of Steve, they fortify the old bus, Steve uses himself as bait, and then (as he should've) ran back into the bus to ward of the demodogs

-most of El's clothes are WAY too big, specifically her flannels. are they Hopper's?

-Kali has different powers than her siblings, and it's not ever said if she also has telekinesis. it seemed like 10 had sloghtly different powers too, which is a bit of a red flag for Eleven, seeing as she has the exact same powers as 001.

-the captions on ep7 made me realize that I've been singing Runaway by Bon Jovi pretty incorrectly lol

-the way the term "mouthbreather" got pretty dropped is sad :( it held a lot of power

-are the streets of Chicago really that scary? someone from the area please tell me

-Kali's power sorta does tie in with 001, actually. so maybe each kid has a little part of his overall abilities? El's telekinesis/ mind communication, Kali's illusions (like the clock, since anything else is actually in the victim's mind), and 010 seemed to have that sort of "true sight"

- Kali's room has a half lit neon sign of a Hamsa Hand- the universal sign of protection

-some of the graffiti in their hideout says: "Hottie", "So Long and Thanks", "Mena", "Forgot", "TR 117", "Wicked", and "Stinky Fa-" (rt..?) didn't catch the rest of that one

-if Kali escaped before the massacre, Henry possibly helped her. if she had helped him back like El eventually did, maybe it would've happened earlier, taking Eleven down with them. reason being, the speech she gives to El about tapping into strong and angering memories is strikingly similar to the advice Creel gives her in the rainbow room flashback. maybe Kali got the same advice?

-I miss Funshine.

- though "Dead End Justice" was a good choice, I think "Cherry Bomb" would've been equally as badass for El's bitchin makeover

-am I the only one who forgot that the guy Kali and El torture literally SAYS that Brenner is alive??? and it's just brushed over. like, I still thought he was dead until season 4 lmao

- while hyping himself up in the mirror, Billy oils up his... yk...

-speaking of Billy, he has a "Kill Em All" poster on his wall. the duality of 80s Metallica fans, apparently

-again, on the topic of Billy's room, he also has a Mötley Crüe album and a dartboard sitting on his bureau

-if I was Bob in that one scene, I'd be shitting my pants. shaking, crying, throwing up, quaking in my boots. mans was playing a real life FNAF Sister Location or some shit. idk my sister made me play once bc she couldn't beat the part with the flashlights and the endoskeletons and I hated that enough. no thank you, I'd rather be out in the open schmaking the shit out of demobats than bolting down dark hallways.

-joyce's trauma seeing Bob die in front of her got so overlooked in s3, plus eventually seeing Hopper "die" as well. it makes the scene in the Russian prison where Hop is using himself as bait a lot more powerful, I'm glad they brought that up so it wasn't just forgotten

-everyone's methods of understanding and dealing with these things are so different, and it's seen clearly in the part where Steve and the kids are left alone at the Byers' house. Steve uses sports terms, Max wanted cut and dry evidence, and the boys resorted to DnD analogies.

-"[The Mindflayer] its so ancient, it doesn't even know its true home" is an overlooked line, I'd like to see that explained more in season 5. the whole "it believes its the master race" though reminds me of Vecna saying how humans were a special kind of pest

-i wish we got to see Joyce's reaction when she found the demodog's dead body in her fridge

-

[usarabradioandtelevision]

Is US Arab Radio and Television Network Best?

The US-Arab Radio and Television Network is the premier Arab American news and information source. With 24 hours of programming in English and Arabic, US Arab Radio reaches more than three million affluent Middle Eastern Americans. The network has been North America's top ethnic commercial radio station since 2004. Its online media platform offers an audience of more than a hundred thousand people and a huge contacts database.

In addition to offering a variety of news sources, the US-Arab Radio and Television Network is also an excellent source of travel information. The network's journalists are familiar with the local and regional news and can help you find the right hotels and travel agencies. Their inside information can distinguish between a successful vacation and an uncomfortable trip.

Despite the political differences between the Arab countries, most television and radio stations are government-owned. Arab governments view radio and television as powerful domestic political tools. After World War II, Arab broadcasting expanded, initially as a means of political nation-building and national defense. The governments justified their controls with the need to protect their countries from outside threats. However, television and radio facilities were also frequently targeted by revolutions and terrorism.

The US-Arab Radio and Television Network's Ray Hanania show is a popular program that focuses on the issues affecting Arab and Muslim American communities in the United States. Ray Hanania is an award-winning journalist and opinion columnist. He started his career in Chicagoland by writing for the Middle Eastern Voice newspaper. He went on to write opinion columns for the Chicago Sun-Times as well.

The US-Arab Radio and Television Network (MBN) also has an online channel. MBN Digital features original reporting and integrates social media into its on-air broadcasts. MBN Digital provides accurate and objective information about current events and other relevant issues. Its online content also includes Facebook posts and interactive features.

Another US-Arab Radio and Television Network program is titled "Arab Voices." The show is hosted by KPFT Houston, 90.1 FM, and will be available on the network's AudioPort website at midnight. The next episode of Arab Voices will feature Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, who will talk about what has changed since the Trump administration came to power. She will discuss the new hope for Palestine's future in her keynote address.

Another important event is a memorial for Shireen Abu Akleh, a prominent Palestinian-American journalist murdered by the Israeli Occupation Forces on May 11, 2022. The Arab Voices program will air remarks from her family, congressional representatives, and senators. She was a prominent Journalist for the Al Jazeera TV Channel. Her family has been calling for justice and an independent investigation to determine who is responsible for her murder.

[thechashow]

Today, Tuesday August 9th at 10am, on IGTV Live, I get to talk all things culinary magic with Tanorria Askew! @tanorriastable is a chef, podcast host and cookbook author. Her credentials are simple: she comes from the “Culinary Institute of Her Parents & Grandparents.” Born in Chattanooga, Tn., and raised in Indianapolis, Tanorria traveled often to be with loved ones. Growing up there was always entertaining and cooking, sharing and telling stories along the way. She got to witness, first hand, how food can build tradition and show love, compassion, unity, and fun. Since her appearance on MasterChef, Tanorria has built a thriving business and loyal client base in the greater Indianapolis and Chicago areas. Her personal chef services at Tanorria’s Table are highly sought after for dinner parties, celebrations and other private events. As an expert instructor, her work also extends to engaging cooking demonstrations and classes for corporate and social events. She has had the privilege of speaking to audiences as a keynote speaker, emcee, and panelist about her significant career shift, anti-racism and social justice work, and the courage it takes to chase dreams. She also serves as the DEI Chairperson of the board for a non-profit called Slow Food Indy. In January 2021 she launched a podcast, Black Girls Eating, with co-host Candace Boyd where they celebrate sisterhood, food, and Black culture. Later that year she was honored on the Indianapolis Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 List. Her first cookbook, Staples +5: 100 Simple Recipes to Make the Most of Your Pantry, published by Penguin Random House and DK, was released in Novmber 2021. A seat at Tanorria’s Table will nourish your body with food and your soul with justice. See you at 10am! #thechashow #seenandheard #werisetogether #roomandneed #questions #talkshow #tvhost #talkshowhost #tv #interview #askquestions #nbc #cbs #gma #today #huffingtonpost #love #chef #masterchef #author #writer #blackcooking #blacklivesmatter #southerncooking #soulfood #yummy https://www.instagram.com/p/ChCbc6pOpOz/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[chenfordsrollisi]

Hey! I'm glad to hear you don't mind me barging into your ask box without preamble, haha.

Amanda is a complicated character and in my opinion her character arc suffered a bit with the switcheroo of show runners. I don't know if you know this, but Warren Leight, the "creator" of Nick, Amanda, Barba and Carisi, directed the show from seasons 13 to 17. Season 18 was handled by Rick Eid, and seasons 19 and 20 by Michael Chernuchin who introduced Peter Stone to SVU. If you ask me one can tell there is a shift in tone in seasons 19 and 20. Chernuchin has a very different style.

Funnier still, Warren Leight returned as show runner in season 21 and has been directing up till now. So you get to see the visions of three different show runners (as well as who they shipped and who they didn't lol). Also, what priorities everyone had. I always thought some things were dropped after season 17 so I was pleasantly surprised to see them resurface in season 21.

On this note, do you have a favorite season so far? And a favorite character?

(Mine is season 17 with Carisi and Rollins tied as my favorites.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @@@@ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No worries. I love talking to other fans who enjoy the same fandoms and ships that I do. :) As for the switching of showrunners, I didn't know. I made it a point starting a few years ago to not look into anything personal about actors/actresses/musicians or any behind the scenes stuff of my favorite shows because I always find out that bad stuff happened and it ruins my enjoyment of the show or characters on the show. For example, I don't know if you were ever in the Glee fandom, but everything with Cory and Mark killed 95% of my enjoyment of the show. Now, any time I think about Glee, the only things I enjoy are Klaine, Kurt, Blaine, as singular characters, Seblaine (the non-canon pairing of Sebastian and Blaine), Quinntana (though given how things ended with Naya, that's now sad, too), and Quinn and Santana as singular characters.

Also, all the behind the scenes stuff on Chicago PD that Sophia Bush spoke about that had to do with Beghe and the others, has really made me hate the Voight character and it's even interfered with my enjoyment of Upstead (Jay/Hailey pairing, if you didn't know) at times, given that Jesse and Sophia used to date, and now we know he didn't stick up for her when she needed it. Anyway, sorry, got off track there a bit. Wow, that's a good bit of showrunners to go through in a few seasons. And I loved Nick and Barba and now miss them. I'm not yet at the eps where Carisi leaves SVU, but dammit, I'll be there soon enough and it's already making me sad. As for Peter Stone, I liked his character. A few months ago I binged Chicago Justice and am now pissed off that they canned the show after just one season. Also... ANTONIO! *Cries* I loved his character and still miss him after all this time.

I can sort of tell that there has been a different direction going on in some seasons. Like, there was the dark episode where Liv beat the shit out of that guy who had kidnapped her. Another dark one was the episode where she was in the prison and almost got raped. A third dark one was the episode with Ellie's Mom/Noah's Crazy kidnapper Grandma.

Also, there have been seasons where Liv has been a total bitch, and then other seasons where she's super nice. So, I didn't know for sure that things had been changing behind the scenes, but I suspected.

I'm about to watch an ep that has a bit of focus on Carisi and his family. I was about to start watching the ep within the last week, but one of my sisters and two of her kids were moving out, so I spent the whole week and weekend packing up their stuff and helping her/them move into the new house and then falling into bed early each night.

However, I DO hope to watch more eps tomorrow after I finish the last 4 episodes of season 3 of another show I'm binging. Hmm. Favorite season? Favorite character? Tough questions. I really like most of the cast, so it's difficult for me to have one favorite. Liv, Barba, Carisi, Amanda, Nick, and Alex Cabot are my top favorite characters of the show. Fin, Elliot, and Dodds Jr. are my second favorites. Favorite season? A tie between season 15 and season 16.

Season 15 because of episode 22: Reasonable Doubt, where it's implied that Nick and Amanda slept together.

Season 16 because it had Carisi's first appearance, episode 1: Girls Disappeared, and I've liked his character from the beginning.

[beardedmrbean]

A woman was handcuffed and chained to a wall in an abandoned house in Chicago for days until a passerby heard her cries for help, news outlets report.

Antione Dobine, a resident of the West Pullman neighborhood, was walking by when he suddenly heard banging from inside the boarded up property, he said in a Facebook Live video taken Saturday, May 21.

He moved closer and could hear a woman’s voice calling out, pleading for help, Dobine said. He called 911 and stayed on the scene until Chicago police arrived and freed the woman, video shows.

“She’s tied up or something, or locked in that room,” Dobine tells neighbors who have started to gather around the house.

An officer stops for a moment to talk with the small crowd gathered outside and explains the woman was found handcuffed and chained to a wall in the basement, video shows.

“The kids say they’ve been hearing it for weeks,” Dobine says, referring to the woman banging on the window.

Exactly how long the woman was held against her will isn’t clear, though the 36-year-old victim told police she was kidnapped, raped and kept in chains at the South Side address for at least four days, while her calls for help went unheard or ignored, TV station WGN reported.

The woman told investigators that she was walking to a store in the neighborhood when she came across a man she had met before, the station reported. They began talking and the man, believed to be in his 60s, grabbed her and took her to the vacant house.

In Dobine’s video, he claims to have seen the suspect flee the scene before police arrived. As of Tuesday, May 24, he is still at large.

“We are bringing all of our resources to bear in bringing this offender to justice,” Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said at a May 23 news briefing.

“We are working with the victim to try and get a better description of the defendant, and do our best to … apprehend him,” Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said.

[heatherc1212]

CPD - Some Random Thoughts

I don’t usually write much on here anymore (I used to write a lot back in what now feels like a different life sometimes, LOL) but I felt like putting some words down tonight about my current favorite show, Chicago PD, and the ongoing speculations about the S9 finale. These are all just my random thoughts so do with them what you will and don’t feel obligated to respond, good or bad, since this post is clearly just my opinion and just because I need to get it all out so I can sleep tonight, LOL =)

OK, so the finale speculation got me thinking about all the past CPD finales and since I’ve seen all the episodes from S1 through S8 approximately 147 times thanks to working from home the past two years, I remember these episodes pretty well. If you break them all down, there’s not really one common denominator in any of them except that they rarely repeat anything and they all have some form of intensity. Here is a list of the CPD season finales and the main events that happened in all of them...

S1 - Antonio’s family moves out of their house, Erin comforts her friend Annie after that Charlie guy from their past ends up in prison, Kim and Adam hook up for the first time S2 - Al gets called by that random woman from a past undercover assignment and finds out he has another child, Kevin gets back into Intelligence after being demoted for a couple eps, Adam proposes to Kim, Erin quits her job because of her grief over Nadia’s death S3 - Voight kills the guy who murdered his son Justin, Erin tries to stop him but is unable to and leaves the scene, the team realizes that Voight led them to the wrong spot during their case and don’t realize what actually happened until later, Roman leaves Chicago to move to San Diego with one of his buddies S4 - Erin leaves Chicago to take a job with the FBI leaving everyone behind and only saying goodbye to Voight, Jay stands outside Molly’s trying to call Erin and doesn’t get through, Hailey is hanging out with the team at Molly’s for the first time and we hear that Kim is going to join the team there (she had been helping her sister recover from that rape and was on furlough from work) S5 - The team bands together to find out who killed Al in prison, Antonio hears the scuffle on the roof where Voight shoots the culprit but doesn’t see it which causes friction with Adam, Voight finally takes down Denny Woods after he pretty much tortured the team for the entire season, Voight loses it over Al’s death on the roof of a building S6 - Kelton wins the mayoral election which means Intelligence could be disbanded anytime, Antonio picks up his drug habit again, Jay and Hailey have their emotional chat in the break room, Adam is arrested for obstruction of justice for when he covered for Antonio earlier in the season, Kelton is murdered at his house while Voight is seen driving away in his SUV S7 - Kevin gets into a bad situation with a racist cop and his cronies and they band together against him, Hailey is still in NYC for the FBI task force and we get the cute Upstead phone scene from the beginning of the ep (this finale is the only one that for sure wasn’t planned since Covid shut down all the TV shows before they could film their actual season finales that season) S8 - Kim is fighting for her life after being kidnapped and shot, Adam and Kevin have their all out fight at the district, Voight breaks up the team and sends Jay and Kevin on one mission while he, Hailey, and Adam do knock and talks, Adam goes to be with MaKayla while they search for Kim, Hailey finds Voight torturing Roy and ends up shooting him to ‘save’ Voight, Hailey proposes to Jay at home

Dang, that’s a lot to process but I think I remembered all the main things that happened in all of the season finales, so here is what I’ve learned from what happened in those episodes and thinking about this show’s history.

1. They don’t usually leave character’s lives in jeopardy in the season finale (now in the mid-season finales....that’s a whole other story, LOL). Kim in S8 is literally the ONLY time they’ve done that in the almost nine years that this show has been on the air. Since they’ve already done that once, and it was very recent, I am pretty confident that no one’s life will be on the line in this year’s finale since they’ve already done it and they don’t repeat stuff according to their own history. Someone might get hurt somehow while they work a case but honestly, I still don’t think anyone is going to be seriously hurt in the finale this year. Just a hunch...

2. They’re not always totally bat$hit crazy. We know last year’s finale was pretty intense and insanely stressful but they haven’t all been like that over the years so should we expect some sort of insanity for this year’s finale? Maybe not the same type of intensity as last year’s but they do always have a big case come to a head so I think it’s safe to say that the Escano/Anna/Voight story is gonna be front and center in this year’s finale (Gwen also kind of confirmed this already so I feel pretty safe with this prediction) and that will probably affect the entire team somehow. My hunch still tells me that those three will be the main people affected and the team will be reacting to whatever happens in the case.

3. We could be in for a more emotional wallop than a physical one. Since they did all the stressful and life threatening stuff in last season’s finale, it’s been a while since they just did one of their more emotionally draining episodes for the finale. The Escano/Anna/Voight story could bring up a lot of emotional stuff for the rest of the characters and their reactions to all of that might be our actual finale rather than something physically hurting anyone. I can see a confrontation between Voight and Jay being part of the big cliffhanger this year, or maybe Kevin and Adam (they really haven’t resolved their conflict from last season...), the Roy thing could come up again somehow and maybe the rest of the team finding that secret out is the big cliffhanger....there’s a LOT of emotional stuff they could do this season and any of it would be a great way to end the season.

OK, so the main point of me writing this entire post is just to point out that CPD finales aren’t usually insanely crazy (man, some of y’alls theories make my head hurt, LOL) and maybe we don’t need to be all worried and panicky yet. On one hand, speculating can be really fun and a good way to pass the time, but on the other hand, I feel like getting yourself too emotionally agitated about the finale is just gonna drain you before we even get to the end of the season. Honestly, we don’t know enough to really worry about much for this finale yet and I would hate to see people go crazy worrying, especially right now when we know next to nothing! My best advice is to just sit back and enjoy the ride....especially to my fellow Upstead fans! As much as I would love to see some good Upstead scenes at their home during this back half of the season (which you have to admit has been pretty solid overall), I’m gonna live in their wedded bliss moment for as long as possible because we’ve been allowed to live in a bubble where Hailey and Jay are working together solidly just like they’ve always done while being happily married in the background which is WAY better than the alternative of them being involved in any sort of marriage drama/angst. I like this little bubble and I really hope I get to live in it all summer! Wouldn’t that be nice?! =)

BTW - I’m pretty sure Tracy’s comment about Upstead having some sort of ‘conflict’ is being taken WAY too literally. There was NO way she could have known anything about the finale at the point that she made that comment so there’s a very large chance that she was told one thing at the time (maybe to give the interviewers something to talk about...) but the writers changed their minds and that part didn’t go into any of the scripts. That being said, I’ve pretty much let that go at this point which seems like a much healthier decision after seeing so much stuff about it and how much it’s driving some folks crazy...breathe y’all, LOL =)

FYI - If you ever want to chat with me during the live eps on Wednesday nights, I post way more often on Twitter so you can find me over there (kwanfan1212). Also, no offense was intended with anything I’ve written in this post, this is simply a blog to share some of my random thoughts, so please don’t take anything personally. I love reading some of the stuff on here but it’s been a bit overwhelming and a lot to digest lately (hence this entire post, LOL). =)

Happy watching everyone! =)

*GIF and photo above are not mine.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Support Amazon workers today

Amazon is an innovator: the company has invented some of the most sophisticated techniques ever seen to avoid taxation, the minimum wage, worker safety, and climate justice.

They pioneered worker misclassification, allowing them to treat their drivers as independent contractors or even subcontractors to independent contractors, even as they subjected those workers to supervision to rival the most invasive workplaces.

https://pluralistic.net/2021/03/19/the-shakedown/#weird-flex

They summoned into existence the "Mechanical Turks," among the lowest-paid pieceworkers in existence, largely overseas, receiving pennies (or fractional pennies) to backstop "AI" applications, proving that AI really stands for "absent Indians".

https://pluralistic.net/2021/02/17/reverse-centaur/#reverse-centaur

Amazon gets its workers coming and going: it's not just denying bathroom breaks and other human necessities, nor merely wage-theft - it's also tip-theft, stealing the alms we guilty customers toss to its workers to assuage our shame.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/02/amazon-ftc-pay-flex-drivers-stolen-tips.html

But the most visible sign of Amazon labor exploitation is in its warehouse workers, a vast army of "reverse centaurs" who serve as the hands of remorseless, relentless robots. The more automated an Amazon warehouse is, the more workers it maims.

https://www.ft.com/content/087fce16-3924-4348-8390-235b435c53b2?shareType=nongift

Amazon's incredible profitability during the lockdown was paid for with workers' lives. Its warehouses were the nexus of multiple covid outbreaks, and the company used racist smears to discredit workers who demanded basic safety precautions.

https://pluralistic.net/2020/04/03/socially-useless-parasite/#christian-smalls

Amazon understands that warehouse organizing is the beginning of the end for its extraction of inhuman work for inhuman wages.

That's why even its prized tech workers get fired for expressing solidarity with warehouse workers.

https://pluralistic.net/2020/04/14/abolish-silicon-valley/#hang-together-hang-separately

And it's why the project of organizing Amazon warehouse workers is so urgent. Amazon's plans for its warehouses are even more Dickensian than the current system. Take the "megacycle," a ten-hour shift that runs from 1:20AM to 11:50AM.

https://pluralistic.net/2021/02/05/la-bookseller-royalty/#megacycle

It's a shift that any worker would suffer under, but it's especially hard on women workers, forcing them to leave behind their families, and to commute to work at an hour when public transit isn't running.

The megacycle isn't just a way to realize "efficiencies" (more work for less money), it's also a way to punish labor activists: it's being piloted at DCH1, the Chicago warehouse whose workers made national news by demanding safe work conditions during the lockdown.

But Amazon's workers refuse to be intimidated. Warehouse workers continue to demand the right to organize and collectively bargain for a living wage and safe, humane working conditions.

In Bessemer, Alabama, Amazon warehouse workers are voting on union formation.

Amazon has pulled out every stop to sabotage the union vote. They even got the city to change the timing of the traffic lights near its warehouse so that organizers couldn't use red lights to talk to workers on their way to the plant.

https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/17/22287191/amazon-alabama-warehouse-union-traffic-light-change-bessemer

Statistically, you are probably an Amazon customer. So am I. They are nearly impossible to avoid. After all, not only has Amazon predated upon small businesses, eliminating choice - and what they didn't kill, private equity looters destroyed.

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2017-retail-debt/

My problem with Amazon isn't the ease of buying web hosting or compute time; it's not the convenience of having a lot of goods for sale in one place; it's not the utility of music streaming or the entertainment from TV shows.

My problem with Amazon is its brutal labor policies, its tax evasion, its climate wreckage, its monopolistic predation, its union busting, its wage theft.

It's not like the company can't afford to end these crimes.

It made $20B in profits in 2020.

When we talk about a good Amazon, we're not talking about eliminating Amazon (though maybe we should break the company up). We're talking about shifting the disposition of that $20B, so it doesn't accrue solely to its shareholders.

Much of that $20B is the result of exploiting workers, dodging taxes (or even getting tax *subsidies*), stealing from suppliers, externalizing the climate and other costs of its business onto the rest of the world.

We all have a stake in a fair Amazon - whether or not we're Amazon customers. The workers in Bessemer have faced an onslaught of propaganda, spying and intimidation from Amazon and its contractors, the Pinkertons (yes, the *literal* Pinkertons).

https://pluralistic.net/2021/01/04/how-to-truth/#awu

Many of us have recognized that the Bessemer workers deserve our solidarity. The Tech Workers Coalition, for example, has been running the #DoItWithRealPower campaign to counter Amazon's propaganda.

https://pluralistic.net/2021/01/19/deastroturfing/#real-power

Today, we have the chance to *directly* support the workers in Bessemer. SupportAmazonWorkers.org has organized 40+ solidarity demonstrations in cities in the USA and Canada, which you can attend.

https://supportamazonworkers.org/march20/

Amazon knows this fight matters and it doesn't just target @BAmazonUnion for propaganda. You're on the receiving end of those messages, too. That "news report" you watched about how cool an Amazon warehouse is? An ad disguised as news.

https://pluralistic.net/2020/05/28/holographic-nano-layer-catalyser/#quackspeak

Amazon workers in Germany have already unionized. The company can certainly pay living wages and continue to operate. It's not fighting for its life - its fighting to maintain incredibly high levels of profitability, no matter what the cost to workers and the world.