#Business Rocket reviews

[thegadgetgurus]

Business Rocket: Launch Your Dream Business with Ease

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What Is Business Rocket?

Business Rocket is an online platform that offers affordable and efficient business formation services for entrepreneurs. Their mission is to make starting and managing a business simple and stress-free by handling the administrative and legal tasks on your behalf.

Services Offered by Business Rocket

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Ensure compliance by obtaining all the necessary permits and licenses for your industry. Business Rocket helps you navigate local, state, and federal requirements.

3. Trademark and Intellectual Property

Protect your brand with:

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Pricing Overview

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👉 Explore Pricing Plans

Success Stories

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[mostlysignssomeportents]

Amazon's bestselling "bitter lemon" energy drink was bottled delivery driver piss

Today (Oct 20), I'm in Charleston, WV at Charleston's Taylor Books from 12h-14h.

For a brief time this year, the bestselling "bitter lemon drink" on Amazon was "Release Energy," which consisted of the harvested urine of Amazon delivery drivers, rebottled for sale by Catfish UK prankster Oobah Butler in a stunt for a new Channel 4 doc, "The Great Amazon Heist":

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-great-amazon-heist

Collecting driver piss is surprisingly easy. Amazon, you see, puts its drivers on a quota that makes it impossible for them to drive safely, park conscientiously, or, indeed, fulfill their basic human biological needs. Amazon has long waged war on its employees' kidneys, marking down warehouse workers for "time off task" when they visit the toilets.

As tales of drivers pissing – and shitting! – in their vans multiplied, Amazon took decisive action. The company enacted a strict zero tolerance policy for drivers returning to the depot with bottles of piss in their vans.

That's where Butler comes in: the roads leading to Amazon delivery depots are lined with bottles of piss thrown out of delivery vans by drivers who don't want to lose their jobs, which made harvesting the raw material for "Release Energy" a straightforward matter.

Butler was worried that he wouldn't be able to list his product on Amazon because he didn't have the requisite "food and drinks licensing" certificates, so he listed his drink in Amazon's refillable pump dispenser category. But Amazon's systems detected the mismatch and automatically shifted the product into the drinks section.

Butler enlisted some confederates to place orders for his drink, and it quickly rocketed to the top of Amazon's listings for the category, which led to Amazon's recommendation engine pushing the item on people who weren't in on the gag. When these orders came in, Butler pulled the plug, but not before an Amazon rep telephoned him to pitch him turning packaging, shipping and fulfillment over to Amazon:

https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-let-its-drivers-urine-be-sold-as-an-energy-drink/

The Release Energy prank was just one stunt Butler pulled for his doc; he also went undercover at an Amazon warehouse, during a period when Amazon hired an extra 1,000 workers for its warehouses in Coventry, UK, in a successful bid to dilute pro-union sentiment in his workforce in advance of a key union vote:

https://jacobin.com/2023/10/the-great-amazon-heist-oobah-butler-review

Butler's stint as an Amazon warehouse worker only lasted a couple of days, ending when Amazon recognized him and fired him.

The contrast between Amazon's ability to detect an undercover reporter and its inability to spot bottles of piss being marketed as bitter lemon energy drink says it all, really. Corporations like Amazon hire vast armies of "threat intelligence" creeps who LARP at being CIA superspies, subjecting employees and activists to intense and often illegal surveillance.

But while Amazon's defensive might is laser-focused on the threat of labor organizers and documentarians, the company can't figure out that one of its bestselling products is bottles of its tormented drivers' own urine.

In the USA, the FTC is suing Amazon for its monopolistic tactics, arguing that the company has found ways to raise prices and reduce quality by trapping manufacturers and sellers with its logistics operation, taking $0.45-$0.51 out of every dollar they earn and forcing them to raise prices at all retailers:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/25/greedflation/#commissar-bezos

The Release Energy stunt shows where Amazon's priorities are. Not only did Release Energy get listed on Amazon without any quality checks, the company actually nudged it into a category where it was more likely to be consumed by a person. The only notice the company took of Release Energy was in its logistics and manufacturing department – the part of the business that extracts the monopoly rents at issue in the FTC case – which tracked Butler down in order to sell him these services.

The drivers whose piss Butler collected don't work directly for Amazon, they work for a Delivery Service Partner. These DSPs are victims of a pyramid scheme that Amazon set up. DSP operators lease vans and pay to have them skinned in Amazon livery and studded with Amazon sensors. They take out long-term leases on depots, and hire drivers who dress in Amazon uniforms. Their drivers are minutely monitored by Amazon, down to the movements of their eyeballs.

But none of this is "Amazon" – it's all run by an "entrepreneur," whom Amazon can cut loose without notice, leaving them with unfairly terminated employees, outstanding workers' comp claims, a fleet of Amazon-skinned vehicles and unbreakable facilities leases:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/04/17/revenge-of-the-chickenized-reverse-centaurs/

Speaking to Wired, Amazon denied that it forces its drivers to piss in bottles, but Butler clearly catches a DSP dispatcher telling drivers "If you pee in a bottle and leave it [in the vehicle], you will get a point for that" – that is, the part you get punished for isn't the peeing, it's the leaving.

Amazon's defense against the FTC is that it spares no effort to keep its marketplace safe. As Amazon spokesperson James Drummond says, they use "industry-leading tools to prevent genuinely unsafe products being listed." But the only industry-leading tools in evidence are tools to bust unions and screw suppliers.

In her landmark Yale Law Review paper, "Amazon's Antitrust Paradox," FTC Chair Lina Khan makes a brilliant argument that Amazon's alleged benefits to "consumers" are temporary at best, illusory at worst:

https://www.yalelawjournal.org/note/amazons-antitrust-paradox

In Butler's documentary, Khan's hypothesis is thoroughly validated: here's a company extracting hundreds of billions from merchants who raise prices to compensate, and those monopoly rents are "invested" in union-busting and countermeasures against investigative journalists, while the tools to keep you from accidentally getting a bottle of piss in the mail are laughably primitive.

Truly, Amazon is the apex predator of the platform era:

https://pluralistic.net/ApexPredator

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/20/release-energy/#the-bitterest-lemon

My next novel is The Lost Cause, a hopeful novel of the climate emergency. Amazon won't sell the audiobook, so I made my own and I'm pre-selling it on Kickstarter!

[seeingivy]

Omg can u do a one shot where reader goes to the eras tour with Gojo??

miss americana and the heartbreak prince

satoru gojo x f!reader

an: this didn't mesh well as a one shot when I wrote it, so i hope this mix of blurbs and headcanons is ok <3 also, this is for a very specific audience, feel free to ignore on your dash!!!

--

satoru gojo, in his infinite knowledge and wisdom, is first exposed to the eras tour when you ask him to sign up for a presale code

“wait, so. you just want me to sign up for all the dates?” satoru asks, voice echoing through your phone speaker.  “yes, make sure that you verify your ticketmaster account and everything now. and then when you do that, send me a picture so i can make sure you did it right.” you respond.  “it’s not rocket science, babe. i’m sure i can figure out how to do it.” satoru grumbles, as you hear typing on the other end of the line.  “just take the picture when you’re done.”  “was this that important that you had to call me while I was at work?”  “babe. this is taylor swift. of course it was.”  “right.” 

the fated day of buying tickets come and you and satoru are literally hiding from your bosses in the corner of your office - laptops pulled up and anxiously watching the queue

you're both nervously watching the numbers get smaller and smaller, nervous hands open on a twitter tab that's talking about people getting kicked out of the line, locked out, or being told that the tickets are already all gone

but by the grace of god, satoru's laptop goes through first and he manages to bag the two of you floor tickets and you're in

you climb into bed, pushing the hair off of satoru’s head to give him a kiss on the forehead, before you tuck yourself into the sheets and nestle into his arms.  “sweetheart.”  “hm?”  “can i ask you a question? you don’t have to say yes.” he asks, voice all uncharacteristically shy.  you prop yourself up on his bare chest, trying to discern the look on his face in the dark, as you nod.  “can i go to the concert with you?”  and when you see the little frowny face he has on, you can’t help but laugh at the entire ordeal, at the satoru gojo begging you to take him to a taylor swift concert. and when you start laughing, he starts grumbling, turning his surely pink face away from you.  “shut up.”  “oh my god, toru. you’re so cute, you know that?”  “i’m glad my misery is adorable to you.”  “I’d love if you would come to the concert with me. on one condition.”  “what’s that?”  “you have to learn all the lore and listen to the songs before we go. i’m not about to be that girl standing next to the guy who doesn’t know the surprise songs on the floor.”  “okay. what’s a surprise song?”  you press your fingers against his lips and place a kiss on his cheek.  “all in good time.”

you make a game plan for satoru, color coded and planned out, for him to learn everything you want him to know

you break it down for him era by era, asking him to first listen to the album and send you his reviews - and then explaining important key details that he would need to know

and it evolves so fast, because he gets more and more excited as he goes on, texting you his thoughts at work

he just needs a reason to not do work, but he gets REALLY REALLY INTO IT

satoru: YOU’RE GAY.  you: no? i don’t think so satoru: i’m singing picture to burn babe, be quiet satoru: if the way i loved you is country music, slap a flannel and a cowboy hat on me because i am FLOORED. ABSOLUTE BANGER.  you: PLEASE ARE YOU LISTENING AT WORK???  satoru: mind your own business.  satoru: also, who is mr. perfectly fine about?  you: joe jonas.  satoru: she dated joe jonas?  you: no satoru, she dated barack obama. yes, she dated joe jonas.  satoru: well now i hate him. he’s so rude.  satoru: THIS IS ME SWALLOWING MY PRIDE STANDING IN FRONT OF YOU SAYING IM SORRY FOR THATTTT NIGHT  you: last night when you ate my leftovers?  satoru: that wasn’t me you: sure.  satoru: is dear john about john mayer?  you: yes. we don’t like him.  satoru: fuck yeah we don’t. SHINING LIKE FIREWORKS OVER YOUR SAD EMPTY TOWN??? JOHN, JOHN WHEN I CATCH YOU  satoru: babe if you ever break up with me ill go sleep on the highway  you: ok?? I wasn’t planning on it satoru: do not EVER give me a reason to relate to last kiss i will actually do something dangerous  you: why did shoko just send me a picture of you with your head down on your desk at work?  satoru: babe please don’t talk to me rn. i just listened to all too well and i am inconsolable.  you: wait till you watch the short film.  satoru: PLEASE I CAN’T HANDLE THIS. JAKE GYLLENHAL ALEX THE LION FROM MADAGASCAR WHEN I GET YOU.  you: ok satoru. pipe down.  satoru: ARE WE OUT OF THE WOODS YET ARE WE OUT OF THE WOODS YET ARE WE OUT OF THE WOODS YET  you: i feel like im creating a monster.  satoru: I WANT YOU FOR WORSE OR FOR BETTER BROKE YOUR HEART ILL PUT IT BACK TOGETHER satoru: just finished reputation. many thoughts  you: oh???  satoru: one. can we get frisky to dress? two. I am buying you a necklace with my initial on it. three. king of my heart is my favorite song so far. four. CAN WE GET FRISKY TO DRESS. five. kanye west, when I get you. you: satoru. you are at work. please focus.  satoru: i know that’s a yes.  satoru: just listened to lover. I am inconsolable and i love this white woman. DAYLIGHT??? THAT’S SO ME AND YOU. LOVER??? THAT’S SO ME AND YOU. PAPER RINGS??? ME AND YOU.  you: do not take paper rings as an excuse to not buy me a real ring. I am expecting a nice six pronged gold band circular cut diamond.  satoru: also can we get frisky to false god.  you: satoru gojo.  satoru: babe. urgent. 911.  you: what.  satoru: am i augustine or am i betty??  you: you’re inez. nosy gossiping ass bitch.  satoru: EXCUSE ME. also invisible string is so us. joe alwyn, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS.  you: well. satoru: is she ok. like seriously, is taylor ok??? if she has happily been in a relationship for six years why did she write tolerate it? doesn’t she know my mental health is fragile?  you: why tf are YOU crying about tolerate it? we’ve been in a stable relationship for four years satoru: i was imaging you being mean to me. it really hurt my feelings  you: ok.  satoru: long story short, the masterpiece that you are. JOE AND TAYLOR YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS.  satoru: what is their name combined  you: toe.  satoru: ok… satoru: MEET ME AT MIDNIGHT you: oh god. you’re at the end. let’s hear it.  satoru: one. can we get frisky to maroon? two. you’re on your own kid changed my life. three. sweet nothing is us. four. can we get frisky to maroon. five. john mayer i will KILL YOU. six. also is like scooter braun a crack head or something like what is vigilante shit even about  satoru: babe. satoru: no.  satoru: YOU’RE LOSING ME???? JOE???? JOE ALWYN MY BROTHER JOE ALWYN???? NO.  you: yes.  satoru: Y/N. HE WON’T MARRY HER?????? IM GOING TO KILL HIM. THE GUY WHO LOVER IS ABOUT??? WHO MASTERMIND SWEET NOTHING INVISIBLE STRING IS ABOUT???  satoru: do not talk to me. I hate you.  you: WHAT DID I DO

satoru gets more and more excited about the entire thing as it goes on, telling YOU that you need to start planning outfits and making bracelets like you weren't the one who got him into this

satoru cannot make friendship bracelets. but he likes watching you make them and asking you all the little things you like about the music

“ok. what do i make the next one?”  “hm. did you do style yet?”  “no.”  you start collecting all the beads as satoru props his phone up against the table, to the live stream of the concert. every night, the two of you watch the surprise songs together and make a note of which ones you lose from your drafted list of picks - a mix of yours and satoru’s favorite songs that aren’t on the setlist.  “open.”  satoru holds the spoon of noodles right over your lips as you focus on finishing the bracelet, his eyes focused on the live stream.  “satoru.”  “hm?”  “can i ask a weird question?”  “sure.”  “you seem like you’re like really into this. like actually.”  “well, i am. this is serious - i cannot lose clean for a second time or i will break something.”  “not that. I just mean, the entire thing. like the songs and the music and all that. you…are really into it.”  “well, why wouldn’t i be? it’s something you like. and it clearly means a lot to you, so it does to me too.”  you can feel your cheeks burning at how blunt he is about the entire thing, like it’s something so obvious, like him putting in all this effort to like something you do is a given. you lean forward and press a kiss to his cheek, which he smiles at before focusing back on the live stream.  “BABE. NO.”  “OH MY GOD." “ITS CLEAN.” “TORU HOW DID WE LOSE A SONG TWICE.”

satoru decides that the two of you are going to go as miss americana and the heartbreak prince - and watches you meticulously collect fabrics and threads to make the pink dress you had in mind

you made it a point to also sew on the little broken heart for satoru's light pink shirt and white slacks that he was going to wear to the concert and buy the two of you matching gold crowns to wear together

“something is missing from my outfit, y/n.”   you frown, looking over at him as he fixes the little gold crown you got him on his white hair.  “what are you talking about? you look fine.”  satoru digs through your makeup box, rummaging around till he pulls out a tube of your red lipstick.  “you want to wear it, toru?”  “what? no. you put it on and then plant a bunch of kisses on my cheeks. so it leaves a mark.”  “oh?”  “IT’LL LOOK BETTER THAT WAY. I SAW SOMEONE ON TIK TOK DO IT.”  you roll your eyes as you lean forward in the mirror, blotting the buttery product on your lips and ignoring the devilish smile that satoru’s giving you in the mirror. and then you turn around and cup his face in your hands, making it a point to pepper long kisses on his cheeks and the side of his neck, making sure the full mark of your lips is left on his skin.  and when you’re done, he turns in the mirror and gives you a satisfied smile.  “perfect.”  “you’re so lame, satoru. if you wanted me to kiss you, you should have just asked.”  “can i have a kiss?”  “no.”  he leans forward and wraps his arms around your waist, it being his turn to smother you in kisses, eliciting a laugh from you when his breath tickles your neck.  “shut up.”

type of mf to take BILLIONS OF PICTURES of you outside the concert and even more with you, until you both get ones you like

also, totally wears a stack of friendship bracelets that you made together, but only trades with other boyfriends and dads in solidarity

man stands for the entire concert with you, except during the man. because he knows his place.

you start SOBBING during lover and he's there just smiling at how SILLY you are and wiping your little tears away. you both sway to the song together and scream the bridge together.

he takes a picture of you doing the fearless heart with taylor in the back. bc duh.

speaking of, this dude is NOT recording taylor AT ALL he is recording you and taking pictures of you and it's literally the most wholesome thing ever

like you're just so excited and jumpy that he thinks its cute and he wants to document it

but then he's so inconsolable during tis the damn season and tolerate it that he's SCREAMING THE LYRICS with the passion of ten suns (he is an evermore stan, fight with the wall)

takes a video of you singing during enchanted (which he later makes his lockscreen)

fighting for his life during all too well. like everyone else.

your surprise songs are dear john and daylight - which you're both screaming together on the floor.

satoru is giving YOU the side eye when you scream DATE ME TAYLOR during vigilante shit chair moment.

mister man is blushing when you point at him when taylor sings karma is my boyfriend

carries you out of the concert bc he knows your feet are killing you.

and feeds you after. bc duh. post concert munchies at a fast food drive thru.

--

an, again: tee hee this was so silly but so fun to think about. and for a very niche audience AHAHHAHA. also it feels weird to use my taglist when this is for a VERY specific audience so I will ignore.

[reiketsui]

as second-in-command, archer has a minor role in just about everything rocket does. but he has a few fields of expertise and duties to specialize in.

MAIN DUTIES

– LEADERSHIP ROLE WHEN GIOVANNI IS ABSENT AND/OR BUSY handling the big decisions, handing out and deciding on promotions, approving and reviewing missions and the reports of them, assigning new duties, deciding on punishments for misbehavior, basically anything that needs the 'final word' from the boss.

– BUSINESS RELATIONS handling overseas business partnerships, relations with the involved political and governmental officials, high-end customers, possible relations with the other organizations and teams, and other higher maintenance partners. keeping up good relations with associates is crucial to keeping rocket operating as it does.

– AUTOPSIES performed especially on those who have died under unclear or unexplained circumstances, or those in a state that others in the same field don't necessarily want to examine. afterwards, sending out odd findings to the labs and accompanying the scientific teams in examinations of them.

– WELLNESS CHECKS as one of the heads of the medical staff, he performs routine medical and physical checkups on members of rocket, making sure they are in good shape mentally and physically and fit for their designated duties and ranks. he also keeps track of those injured in duty and their healing process, both temporary and chronic. those promoted from officers upwards get an especially thorough checking.

– GUN CONTROL / MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING holding out classes, both for groups and private, with proper weapon handling and martial arts techniques.

– GUN TRADE in control of the massive trade of gun and weapon smuggling from the kanto & johto areas and overseas.

– ASSASSINATIONS he can work his way through a sniper rifle, whenever rocket needs someone out of the picture for good. also occasionally does outsider commissions on this, when someone is ready to pay top (poké)dollar.

SIDE DUTIES

– SUPPLY TRADE watches over the group of scientists working outside the organization in charge of manufacturing them special battle and healing items like potions and poké balls with certain performance-boosting enhancements.

– POKÉMON TRAINING CLASSES especially for dark types due to being a specialist and the type being notoriously difficult to train.

– THE POKÉMON BREEDING INDUSTRY with a focus on the more on-demand and rare species, like dratinis and porygons.

[ecargmura]

Pokemon Horizons Episode 46 Review - Terastal Debut

What I like most about this episode is that so much is given out and it’s explained so thoroughly. Instead of having the kids go on a Treasure Hunt like in the game, Liko, Roy and Dot enroll in Naranja Academy’s Terastal Course. It turns out that the school allows students from all over the world to enroll in the course to learn more about Terastal as permitted by Director Clavell and Chairwoman Geeta.

Dendra gives an explanation of how the course works. To study Terastal, students must defeat Gym Leaders according to their aptitude. There’s also a condition as students can only have two chances to challenge a Gym Leader and if they acknowledge their skills, they pass. Also, students cannot terastalize outside of battles not revolving around the Terastal Course; this means that regular trainer battles do not permit Terastalizing. Liko gets paired up with Katy, Roy gets paired up with Brassius and Dot gets paired up with Iono. The kids get camping equipment as they have to camp out for the course. Dot is definitely not amused that she has to touch grass for a while now.

There are so many characters introduced here that it’s insane. Alex and Lucca, Liko’s parents, return and are actually seen together. It’s sweet that she has loving parents. Given that Lucca is a teacher, she doesn’t seem to work at Naranja Academy and probably works elsewhere. That’s an interesting detail. Then we have Clavell who wears the Scarlet version of his outfit. Then there’s the Pokemon League members with Geeta and the Elite Four showing up. It’s crazy how they all just show up at the school like it’s normal business to patrol the school or something. There’s also the debut of Penny who has no lines. I guess she’s forced to work for the League in this iteration, but it’ll be cool if Team Star gets implemented into the story. Jacq and Dendra make their debuts as teachers. They still teach their respective subjects of Biology and Battle Studies. Dendra is the one who explains the course to the kids while Jacq tells them that he wants reports from them as they are still students at the end of the day. Nemona makes her reappearance with a newly evolved Pawmot. In her first appearance, her Pawmo was the butt of a recurring joke where it got sprayed by Brassius’s Doliv’s oil twice. Here, Nemona is now the butt of the recurring joke as her desire to battle Roy gets interrupted by staff and the school bell.

The biggest surprise in terms of character returns is Ann who has transferred to Naranja Academy to partake in the Terestal Course with her newly evolved Dewott. The battle between her and Liko was really well-animated. Liko and Ann were very strategic and used various tactics to one-up each other. My favorite part of the battle was when Dewott used Aerial Ace and its fists glowed up and tried to punch Floragato. I hope Ann battles more in this arc because it’d be a waste to not let her battle when she’s very capable.

Another surprise is the Explorers coming in to partake in the course too. Sidian and Coral arrive late, and use very terrible pseudonyms in order to pass as students. Fortunately, they were able to get in because Chalce is disguised as a teacher and was able to hack them into the database. The Explorers are doing this because they were tasked to keep an eye on Liko. There were two things I liked about the Explorers segment. The first is Coral laughing her head off when Sidian introduces them as Onigiri and Sandwich, which she then accepts. The second is the fact that Liko, Roy and Dot recognize them and isn’t suffering from face blindness that Ash and his friend suffered through for 25 years when it came to Team Rocket’s disguises.

Last but not least, the Rising Volt Tacklers are doing their own thing right now. Orla is in charge of the Brave Olivine repairs. Mollie and Ludlow are caring for Pokemon. Murdock is working at what seems to be Patisserie Soapberry as his outfit looks similar to Katy’s. Friede is going to research the Six Heroes as he has the Ancient Pokeballs and Lucius’s belt in his possession as Liko goes to take the Terastal Course. It’ll be cool to see what the other RVTs will be doing in future episodes.

As a whole, the entire episode was a very good introduction to the third chapter. The pacing was great in terms of squeezing in everything that was needed. The new opening and ending songs were great too! I think it’s amazing how they managed to get IVE, a K-POP girl group, to sing in Japanese for Horizons. Since K-POP is rather popular in Japan and they have been using KPOP groups for different anime openings for various animes, it was about time that Pokemon would do the same. It shows that this arc will be one to remember with the new changes! It does feel like the quality has stepped up here. I’m honestly hyped up for what’s to come. What about you?

[qqueenofhades]

You’re the second person I’ve seen reference the music of Swan Lake when talking about the potential fighting between Wagner and the Russian military proper. What is that about?

I encourage your effort to inform yourself, which is why I'll note that this is a question easily answered with a 10-second Google search. For example, if you search "swan lake russia coup" on Google right now, this is what pops up:

This first result is yesterday's article from Business Insider, explaining the significance of "Swan Lake" being played on Russian state TV during moments of domestic political turmoil (the last time being during the attempted coup against Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991). Note that Swan Lake is not actually being played on TV during the attempted coup of 2023, as far as we know, but that is what this is referencing.

If you're then interested in learning more about what the last Russian coup attempt involved, you could go to Wikipedia:

And hey! Now you're on your way.

This also goes for the people reblogging my initial post (from last night) with some variant of "there's no evidence for this!!!" or "I hope this is true but I don't think/know if it is." First of all, I literally said in my post that the only evidence for it at the time was what Prigozhin was saying. As I went to bed, the first videos were starting to appear, but there wasn't much confirmation or external verification.

Now there is much more photo and video evidence, providing an independently verifiable route for the Wagner mercenaries from Rostov, to Voronezh, to Lipetsk, to (evidently) Moscow. We don't know exactly what's going on or how it will end, and it's always a good idea to question everything that comes out of Russia, as their official government channels/power structure lies about everything all the time. However, if you're interested in reviewing the evidence for yourself or making a determination as to what has been verified, there are options! For example, here is the Guardian's liveblog:

Basically: not everything is a "gotcha" where Superior Internet Users need to find some way to prove that I'm actively lying to them, and you don't need to fall back on "learned helplessness" when hearing things on social media and wanting to find some way to externally verify them through other news sites. Obviously it can be tricky, and I stress again, nobody knows for sure what's going on. But something definitely is going on, this has now been confirmed by a number of external video/photo/government/other entities both outside and inside Russia, and we will have to wait like everyone else to see what happens next.

[sunshinesmebdy]

Harness the Capricorn Powerhouse: Mercury and Mars Tips for Business and Finance Domination

Gearing Up for Greatness: Mars in Capricorn

From January 4th to February 13th, Mars, the Roman God of War himself, ignites his fiery furnace in Capricorn. When fiery Mars visits this ambitious earth sign, it’s like pouring rocket fuel onto a mountain fire — its drive to conquer multiplies, blazing a trail of achievement. Expect laser focus, tireless work ethic, and a steely determination that melts obstacles like glacial ice. Channel this potent energy towards long-term goals, strategic planning, and disciplined execution.

This transit highlights strategic planning and execution. Mars in Capricorn is known for its disciplined and strategic approach. Leverage this energy by focusing on long-term goals and creating a solid business plan. Your business goals will come into lazor-sharp clarity. Expect a surge of motivation and determination to achieve them. Be strategic, break down your goals into actionable steps, and watch your projects take flight. Your natural business acumen will be amplified. Make calculated decisions, negotiate from a position of strength, and capitalize on any opportunities that arise. Your strategic mind will be a force to be reckoned with.

The urge to spend impulsively will be replaced by a healthy dose of financial prudence. Review your budget, explore savings options, and invest in your future. This is a prime time to build a solid financial foundation. Push yourself towards goals, but avoid overexertion and burnout. Schedule breaks, prioritize self-care, and delegate tasks to avoid reaching your limit. Because Mars can fuel aggression. Handle disagreements with diplomacy and professionalism. Remember, collaboration, not conflict, is key to business success.

Remember, Capricorns, mountains aren’t climbed in a sprint, but with every focused step, you’ll reach the summit, leaving a fiery trail of accomplishment in your wake. Now, excuse me while I go rewrite my to-do list with “world domination” in bigger letters. Use this time to network strategically. Connect with like-minded individuals, build partnerships, and expand your professional circle. You never know who might become your next business sherpa!

Tips for this Transit:

Channel your drive productively

Mind your temper

Stay grounded

Review and adapt

Avoid procrastination

Sharpen Your Wit, Secure the Deal: Mercury in Capricorn

We have a chance to correct our goals from the confusion caused by the recent retrograde. Clarity takes center stage. Your words will be deliberate, well-chosen, and impactful. Use this gift to communicate plans, negotiate deals, and close partnerships with confidence. Every conversation becomes a calculated chess move. Detail-oriented thinking gets a boost. This is the time to refine your business plans, analyze financial data, and create rock-solid strategies. Be a master architect of your future, leaving no stone unturned. You’ll see the bigger picture with laser focus. This is prime time to set ambitious goals for your business and finances, but remember, patience is key. Think marathons, not sprints.

Embrace the momentum. This Mercury in Capricorn transit is a gift for your professional and financial pursuits. Use its focused energy to communicate effectively, strategize your moves, and build a solid foundation for future success. Remember, Capricorn, slow and steady wins the race. This is a fantastic time to negotiate contracts and agreements. Prepare thoroughly, anticipate potential challenges, and don’t be afraid to walk away from deals that don’t align with your goals. Trust your instincts and sharpen your negotiation skills, Capricorns, the ball is in your court!

Tips for this Transit:

Mind the tone (avoid being curt or overfly critical)

Listen actively (be open to adjusting your plans)

Flexibility is key (stay adaptable)

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazilian regulator debunks misinformation about satellite operators

Brazil's National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) is setting the record straight on recent false information circulating online. The regulator pointed out that it does not enter into contracts with internet service providers or satellite companies, adding that its role is to review and grant authorisations for satellite operations within Brazil, ensuring compliance with regulations.

Press reports claimed that Anatel refused to do business with Starlink and signed a contract with E-Space to launch rockets. However, the actual situation is that, in 2022, Anatel authorised the operation of 4,408 Starlink satellites for broadband internet access in Brazil until March 2027. In September 2024, Anatel approved the Semaphore system from e-Space, designed for narrowband IoT applications.

Source.

[moviemunchies]

You know what? The world is stressful. Let’s do something silly. Let’s watch a black-and-white movie about a woodsman trying to beat down some beavers.

Hundreds of Beavers is about Jean Kayak, a brewer whose livelihood is upended by some beavers. After a few days wandering the wilderness hungry, Jean sees how much fortune a fur trapper can earn, especially off of beaver pelts, and starts on the business himself, trying to take out as many beavers as he possibly can through traps, tricks, and just plain weapons. Of course, those wiley beavers are a lot cleverer than you’d expect.

Also, almost all of the animals in this movie are played by people in mascot costumes.

Oh, boy! This movie is ridiculous! Polygon kept calling it the funniest movie of the year; I don’t know if that’s true, but it IS hilarious, in part because of its ridiculous premise, and also because of how absurdly it pulls it off. It’s not just that there are low-budget special effects, it’s that the movie revels in it, and uses those for silly storytelling.

For instance, there’s quite a lot of guts in this movie, from animals being cut open after they’ve been killed. Except… those guts are all plush, and instead of blood, there are bursts of packing peanuts that erupt when an animal has been killed. Dead animals also get an ‘X’ on each eye after they’ve been killed. The violence is almost cartoon in every aspect, and I’m amazed at how the makers of the movie translated it into live-action. And again, most of the animals are played by people in mascot costumes, making it even more absurd.

There are some jokes in here that are more… adult than I really expected? There’s no nudity, at least not with humans; I guess there’s snow-person nudity (if someone cares–they’re not like, alive or anything in this movie)? This isn’t a, “You can’t watch this movie, there are dirty jokes!” This is just a, “Hey, be aware of that, I wasn’t when I started watching this film.” Because a movie without any intelligible, audible dialogue isn’t one where you’d really expect there to be too many dirty jokes. Maybe that’s just me.

I am impressed with how clever and capable Jean becomes over the course of the movie, as well. He’s, quite plainly, an idiot at the beginning of the movie. He’s not a rocket scientist at the end, but he is a lot better at getting things done, figuring out ways to hunt and trap beavers. Again, I don’t expect character development in this kind of movie! But it’s here, even if he doesn’t talk in the entire movie.

The Plot is a bit wandering, though, if we even want to call that a Plot. The thing that actually gives the movie its title isn’t in there until over halfway through the movie. I was under the impression that it would be towards the beginning, so I can understand if some audiences might get annoyed at how much of the movie is Jean wandering around, getting lost, failing to kill beavers, before he has an actual point to his hunting. To me, though, the movie’s funny enough that you almost don’t notice.

The rest of the characters don’t have much depth, though, which is fine: it’s a silly movie about silly characters doing silly things. 

And it makes a very entertaining film! It’s not for everyone, I think, but I suspect a ton of people would get a kick out of this movie. If from this review, you find it interesting, go check it out–it’s on a lot of free platforms, like Tubi. Give it a try! And you’ll get to watch a fur trapper beat the packing peanuts out of a ton of beavers.

[waxwings2046]

All That Is the Case - Chapter 3: Proposition with a Sense

Chapter 3 of All That Is the Case is up, at last! I was struggling to find the energy to get around to it this past month between work and health issues. The good news is that the rest of the chapters are now edited and should go up quickly. Many thanks as usual to my wonderful betas @calaisreno, @7-percent, and @jrow.

To recap: This is a Sherlock/John 1940s spy AU, *completed* (not a WIP). Chapter 3 is called "Proposition with a Sense". *Quite* a bit happens in this chapter! So I would suggest reviewing Chapter 2 if you read it like a month ago and you need a refresher.

Here's an excerpt from Chapter 3:

They had won the war, but it had almost bankrupted the country. It really might be a long time before everything was rebuilt, if it ever was. “We’re about to go by a V2 rocket site, though,” John said. “It landed on Boxing Day in ’44. Over 70 people died. The man I buy the paper from said he was nearby when it happened. Heard the explosion as it landed first, and then the sound of it coming through the sky after.” They walked by a flattened area still covered with debris, with a visible crater. A missile that travelled faster than the speed of sound. And now America had invented weapons that rendered the terrifying vengeance rockets unbearably quaint. It should have been the stuff of the faraway future, except it had somehow become a living reality. Perhaps they wouldn’t rebuild. In fact, ought not to. But would they at least raise a marker? A monument? By the time they reached the flat, Sherlock felt they had traversed a million miles and years from the pub in Angel, and half-wondered if he had imagined everything he’d anticipated might happen. Was there any reason not to seize the moment, then, risk what happiness one could take? Especially if things were ever to go the wrong way round again? The earth was full of harbingers that it could. “You alright?” said John. “It’s all rather a lot to take in. It’s not the cheeriest walk, I suppose.” “Oh yes, of course,” Sherlock said, attempting to shake off the rather grim train of his thoughts. “Er...just a long week.” “You and me both. Thank God it’s over.” John touched his shoulder softly, and then got to busying himself, turning on a few lamps and putting on a record. 

👀 Long week, huh? What are they going to do to shake it off??

Read the rest of Chapter 3 here!

[d999666]

Galactik football S1 ep2 review - (1/4)

a New Home

D'jok : well mom, do you see anything?

Maya : I see 3 boys who keep moving and breaking my concentration.

Mice : what are you looking for a good-looking girl treasure a good-looking girl with treasure?

Thrans : We looking for Aarch

Ahito : but he said he was going to form a team

Mice : and you think he's gonna consider you to be his player

D'jok : Why not? we're good right?

Mice : good for nothing.

>comment : D'jok, Ahito, and Thran are positive about the future. But microice is not positive. Why is his pessimistic attitude like that?

The three believe in their football abilities. But Microice is not. The difference between them is that Microice's house is poor. It seems that he did not believe in his talents and dreams because he was poor...?

Mice: Aarch has that gang leader bellow hot on his heels you know? I'm in a good position to know that doesn't make you want to stick around too long in the same spot.

D'jok : Why? you gave him his tickets back didn't you?

Mice : yeah, but that doesn't mean he's my best friend or anything.

>comment : The story behind this is detailed in The Rival of Akillian, which was officially published.

Rocket : Why do you still resent your brother? after all these years?

Norata : I resent them because of all these years

Rocket : everyone deserves a second chance

Norata : WHAT ABOUT ME? DID I GET A SECOND CHANCE? not a day doesn't go by that I don't suffer being a martyr. Aarch still ha his two legs..... I hope he uses them to walk over a cliff

>comment : Norata's family business is a florist, and Norata does research to improve flowers of unusual colors. Norata hopes that his son will continue his work. So he gave him a snowmobile to deliver flowers. The backstory comes in detail in the novel. Norata doesn't send Rocket to school, but homeschools him. So, Rocket is a loner without any friends of his age.

Aarch abandoned his planet, where the disaster began. He abandoned his brother, who had one leg amputated, and left to fulfill his dream. Norata had no one to turn to. his wife leaves, and the son is a newborn baby. In the novel, it is mentioned that his parents were crushed to death when the stadium collapsed. The only remaining brother, Aarch, had to stay in Akillian and take care of his brother and nephew. However, he abandoned everything for his dream and moved to The Shadows. This is Aarch's sin.

I understand Norata's mind.

>comment : Mice is very good at riding magnt boards. Four childhood friends + Sinedd all have their own personal boards, and they are mentioned to be good at boards.

>comment : Akillian's stadium was crushed to death during an ice age incident, so it is mentioned that no one comes near here.

Aarch : yong man you have a habit of falling from the sky.

Mice : another thing I'm good at is slipping out the window but I'll take the elevator this time.

Aarch : hold on kid. there's something you can do for me

>comment : Microice's joke is funny. It's interesting that Aarch's name for Mice changes from Young man to kids.

D'jok : we finally had our chance to do something with our lives something big

Thran : one thing's for sure the red tigers sure aren't gonna take us bunch of snubs

Mice's mother : So boys, microice isn't ready? you know a boy, your age, short, sly, nervous, always has an answer for everything? they say he's a friend of yours but somehow I still can't believe that

Mice : perhaps you're looking for me because when people look for me? they find me not like aarch's case except that i managed to find him without even looking for him.....

> Comment : D'jok wants to get out of his reality. Same with twins. I think I know from whom MICE's jokes were inherited.

> Comment : 4 childhood friends who spread the news to their friends for Aarch's test. They seem to have a lot of friends they know because they used to go to school. The boy Ahito broke the news to is a friend who goes with Sinedd. He immediately delivers the news to bald leader Gang.

Mice : I'm out of here. nothing left for me to do

Aarch : you don't want to stick around for the test?

Mice : Tests aren't really my things. just hearing the word makes me think I'm in school.

[The moment when Microice falls in love with Mei at first sight]

Sinedd : what's up with you microice? you look more stupid than usual.

Mice : Sinedd! what'd you come for to keep an eye on your friends bags? oh I forgot! you don't have any friends!

Sinedd : I'd rather have no friends than have yours!

D'jok : That's not nice Sinedd! you disappoint me?

Sinedd : I'm gonna destroy all of on the playing field. I got more talent in my little toe than all of you combined

Mice : That's what we're here to see buddy.

> Comment: What happened to Sinedd, Mice, and D'jok? Sinedd always quarrel with Mice. D'jok protects his friend. Why did you fight? I want to know why.

Ahito : Are you staying for the tryouts?

D'jok : It wouldn't happen to be because of this girl by any chance would it?

Mice : gils? what gilr?

D'jok, Ahito, Thrans : laugh

> Comment : I think everyone knows that Mike likes girls. I think he wants a girlfriend. And, that Mice didn't know a pretty girl like mei, it's likely Mei was homeschooled like Rocket. Her mom would have homeschooled her.

To be continued....

[serpentsapple]

(This post will contain mild spoilers for Yellowface. There will also be brief mentions of racism.)

Yellowface was a breath of fresh air!

Hello, welcome, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? I honestly thought this blog would be abandoned to inactivity until now when I received renewed vigour to write for it. The cause is simple, really. I finally found another book I thought was worth talking about regarding its portrayal of women.

Now this may surprise you but we don’t particularly enjoy expelling negative energy on books. We started this blog out of a naïve hope that perhaps we would be put in touch with like minds and find books that speak to us. Fast-forward a few years on and that hope was dashed. My co-partner had grown busy with other pursuits and equally had few words to speak on anything literary, and we packed up this blog prepared never to update it again.

That is, until, my saving grace came in the form of a most unexpected source.

I had heard whispers of Yellowface prior to its publication but I admit after reading its premise and a few advanced reviews, it didn’t seem like anything I would be interested in. How it pleases me to be wrong in this instance! And to have taken a chance after having seen a few friends speak its praises. The premise to Yellowface is a simple one: set in a contemporary America, Juniper Hayward steals the manuscript of her deceased Asian female friend and passes it off as her own, and this callous act of self-serving ego rockets her to stardom.

Juniper Hayward is one of the best female protagonists I’ve read in quite a long time.

Before I continue, I want to make a few things clear: Juniper Hayward is no feminist icon. She is racist. She is egocentric, prideful, catty, self-interested. She is, in all respects, the villain of the story and the orchestrator of her own misery. And yet… and yet… she compelled me. She reflected an ugly side of being an artist I longed to see portrayed by a woman. While she is the furthest thing from an aspirational and awe-inspiring individual she was so startlingly human, so flawed, so hungry, that I couldn’t get enough of her. I devoured Yellowface in the span of two days and afterwards I was left utterly enthralled by Juniper and Athena both and their parasitic, competitive friendship. 

Deep down, I’ve always suspected Athena likes my company precisely because I can’t rival her. I understand her world, but I’m not a threat, and her achievements are so far out of my reach that she doesn’t feel bad squealing to my face about her wins. Don’t we all want a friend who won’t ever challenge our superiority, because they already know it’s a lost cause? Don’t we all need someone we can treat as a punching bag?

This is the sort of representation I was looking for! Women who are deeply driven by their own want and ambition, compelled to succeed until it takes them to unprecedented heights (or leads to an almighty fall). I truly commend Kuang for bringing these women to life, setting them in a book filled with equally dimensional and awful female side characters, with nary a prominent male presence to be found unless they serve the narrative. It was a genuine pleasure to read about Juniper and her desire to be recognised for her writing accomplishments, to create and leave something behind that was bigger than herself:

A musician needs to be heard; a writer needs to be read. I want to move people’s hearts. I want my books in stores all over the world. I couldn’t stand to be like Mom and Rory, living their little and self-contained lives, with no great projects or prospects to propel them from one chapter to the next. I want the world to wait with bated breath for what I will say next. I want my words to last forever. I want to be eternal, permanent; when I’m gone, I want to leave behind a mountain of pages that scream, Juniper Song was here, and she told us what was on her mind.

Juniper Hayward is a protagonist on par with Humbert Humbert. A loathsome figure full of pitiful self-excuses and delusional rationalisations for the wrongs they commit. You feel disgust with them, you feel for them, you yearn to understand them, but what you can never do is ignore them.

Plagiarism is an easy way out, the way you cheat when you can’t string words together on your own. But what I did was not easy. I did rewrite most of the book. Athena’s early drafts are chaotic, primordial, with half-finished sentences littered all over the place. Sometimes I couldn’t even tell where she was going with a paragraph, so I excised it completely. It’s not like I took a painting and passed it off as my own. I inherited a sketch, with colors added only in uneven patches, and finished it according to the style of the original. Imagine if Michelangelo left huge chunks of the Sistine Chapel unfinished. Imagine if Raphael had to step in and do the rest.

And what I love most is that, penned by an Asian woman like Kuang, there is no chance for Juniper to escape accountability for her vile misdeeds. The author holds her up in all her contemptible glory, with no veneer of justification to be found, and invites you to observe and cast your judgement. She tapped into the gnawing resentment that eats away at every writer in the publishing industry, each of us all clawing for the scraps of recognition those at the table see fit to toss our way until we all turn on each other. Why her? Why not me? Is it because I am not pretty enough? Not charismatic enough? Am I simply too blandly white and heterosexual? Am I simply too unpalatable for the masses? On and on it goes, the gears turning, powering the engine of jealousy until it churns out a monster like Juniper. 

The attacks on the publishing industry and how it commodifies and weaponises identity to serve capitalist interests were particularly salient and incisive from Kuang, I like how she tackled both sides of an argument, exposing both of their respective shortcomings, and left no one unscathed.

She’s done this in all her other novels. Her fans praise such tactics as brilliant and authentic—a diaspora writer’s necessary intervention against the whiteness of English. But it’s not good craft. It makes the prose frustrating and inaccessible. I am convinced it is all in service of making Athena, and her readers, feel smarter than they are.

But best of all, I loved how much the story was so singularly focused on Juniper’s ambitions. There was no looming romance in the background threatening to infringe on the narrative. Juniper never took the chance to lament her lack of a traditional lifestyle, if anything, she scorns it. 

I couldn’t stand to be like Mom and Rory, living their little and self-contained lives, with no great projects or prospects to propel them from one chapter to the next. I want the world to wait with bated breath for what I will say next.

However, like all books, there are shortcomings. I won’t detail them here as they are not relevant to the nature of this particular post and don’t detract enough from the positives to bear mentioning. All in all, Yellowface was a pleasant and welcome surprise and I heartily encourage people to pick it up if you’re interested in reading about women wallowing freely in their dark sides.

[hoperays-song]

Sing 1 Commentary and Review Pt. 3

Welcome back to the madness loves!!! Also, I tried to tone down the commentary so I get further in the movie this time. Is this an elaborate plan to distract me from my fic being with my beta reader? Yes! Am I using it for content? Also yes! Enjoy!

Yes, I am trying to restrain myself more this time, it's hard.

------------------------------------

Guys, guys, guys, here me out here... I think Barry minds.

Also, headcanon I'm not sure I ever mentioned on here before but the reason Barry minds Johnny taking his spot isn't jealousy of being passed over but because he didn't want his honorary nephew to have a larger role in the gang than he already did. He was trying to protect him.

HERE. This is the moment where Marcus confirms they were going to stop stealing after this last heist. They were legit only doing it out of necessity because the needed money.

(aka my debt theory is going strong bwahahaha)

Ok but the way Marcus looks at Stan and Barry when Johnny storms off, just his face of "that's weird right? or is it normal teenage angst? what's going on?" is so funny. He's so lost.

Also, I genuinely believe that Johnny might have been planning on telling his family about the singing here (he comes back much later but seems still really hyped up like he was getting the confidence to do so) but didn't when he was given the role of getaway driver. Even if it was just for one job, it clearly made him feel way less seen as a person and like he was a disappointment for not fitting into the mold of who he thinks his father wants him to be (the queer metaphor is still going hard I see, lovely).

👏 Relationship👏  Counseling👏 

Engineer Rosita My Beloved!!!! <3

This woman definitely has at least two masters degrees in mechanical engineering because the machine she made is something out of Willy Wonka.

So... there either were intake forms where they all listed their talents and Johnny put down a skill he hadn't done since he was little or... Buster legit just asked this teenager to learn an skill that takes years upon years of training in like a month. For some weird reason, i'm leaning towards the latter and Johnny having experience is a coincidence.

Horrified Punk Rocker™️

I completely forgot that Meena wrote out what she was gonna say to Buster on her hand. I love that and I will be including it everywhere.

Also, unrelated, but Buster is on his second felony of the movie right now and we barely are passed the 30 minutes mark. Not to mention the numerous misdemeanors.

And, the workshop where they build their props in apparently on the second floor according to Buster. That seems like you're making more work for yourself with all the moving up and down but, you know, you do you.

Mike puntable moments counter: 19

He really does not think things through does he?

Lance puntable moments counter: 17

Dude, she's your girlfriend, for fucks sake, be supportive!!!! It's not rocket science over here!!!

Johnny making fun of his dad and exaggerating his accent will never not be funny to me. He's acting like a regular teenager, not a gang member, and it's both adorable and hysterical.

Judith has arrived!!! We love characters who are actually just trying to do their jobs here. Like imagine being the bank representative assigned to Buster freaking Moon. You'd be pissed off too.

... Gay. That's the only commentary I can add here. That's very gay.

Gunter, the chaos enabler, Rosita, the chaos handler, and Caspar, the chaos.

You just know as soon as Caspar got home he was begging him mom to let him hang out with the fun dance guy again.

Johnny's over here going through the nine stages of grief about his singing career.

Also, do we know why Johnny was called away this time? Because they weren't planning any heists in between the one we have already seen and the failed one to our knowledge. So, was he actually called back because of something to do with the garage? It would technically be a family business thing then after all.

Ash, I am so sorry. About everything you go through in this movie. So sorry. You get adopted by a crazy guy and an old rockstar by the end of the next movie if it's any comfort (probably not but worth a shot).

Also, their apartment is huge!!! How are they affording that when struggling to find and keep gigs???

Lance puntable moments counter: 27

I am once again reminded that the mob canonically exists here and Mike thought cheating them was a good idea?!?

Mike puntable moments counter: 23

The last moments those poor flowers had. RIP.

The dramatic music that appears whenever she does is honestly amazing. And I love how she just seems to despise Buster on principal here.

But the fact that Eddie's grandmother knows Buster? And a fair bit about his life? Eddie has definitely mentioned him and also Buster went to Eddie's graduation!! That's so sweet, you know he was one of those people who make huge posters of their loved ones faces and their degree.

This, my lovely gentlefolk and assorted cryptids, is what a bad idea looks like!

Ok, we have arrived to the failed heist. Now personally, I would have just pretended to be sick so that Buster would have let me go without worrying about the show. That way my role in the show would be safe while I would also be out of debt, win-win. However, that's clearly not what happened here.

I stand with the fact that this could have been easily avoided but I do not solely blame Johnny here. He's a kid. Kids make mistakes all the time. He just made a mistake. Was it a bigger mistake than a lot of people's? Yes, but it was still a mistake. He is not at fault here.

As for the gang, smart move on their part to immediately surrender. That way they lessened their sentence by not resisting arrest. Also, Marcus looks genuinely worried when he realises Johnny is not there, and I completely understand that. He has no idea where his son is and there's police everywhere, he's bound to be panicked.

Rosita is amazing. I love her, she's so sweet.

Ok, genuinely forgot about Gunter and Rosita's fight at the dress rehearsals.

Also, Mike puntable moments counter: 25

Ok, I feel like we missed a part of this conversation. We jump right to Marcus asking where Johnny was and looking pissed. I can almost guarantee that that conversation did not start like that. Marcus and Johnny are shown to be close, despite their communication issues. He's going to be upset, yes, but he's still gonna be worried about his kid. Marcus definitely asked if Johnny was ok or arrested or sick first.

Also, ouch. This scene hurts. The overall message of familiar rejection for you just trying to be yourself, of who you actually are is not good enough? It makes me sob every single time. This is just insanely painful.

(Yes, this is a central part of Johnny's story being queer coded and as someone who had a similar situation happen when I came out, I'm just saying it's very realistic).

Then the stealing bit afterwards being reference for pushing yourself into who others want you to be to feel love? And Johnny choosing even then it's better if he is his actual true self? Amazing, perfection, true cinema.

This is the emptiest grocery store I've ever seen in my entire life. Seriously. Is anyone other than these two there? I'm guessing a cashier but I don't see one.

Also this security dude is an amazing hype man, just cheering and blasting music.

Buster, stop encouraging kids to commit felonies. I know you're on three now but seriously man???

WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND GAVE THIS GREMLIN A BLOWTORCH?!?!?!?! ARE YOU TRYING TO DESTROY SOCIETY???? Also, Meena and Buster were renovating the theatre at the same time as Johnny was practicing with Mrs. Crawly. I completely forgot they were there at the same time?

---------------------------------------

This is taking way longer than I thought but hey, it's time consuming!

Be back in a few (these take a bit to edit sorry)! - <3 Gooseless

[dramatothethirdpower]

Dramas I finished in 2023 (In Ranked Order from 1-5 stars)

5 Star reviews at the bottom

Bump up business ★★☆☆☆

Boss and a Babe  ★★☆☆☆

Professional single  ★★☆☆☆

See You in my 19th Life ★★☆☆☆

Crash Course in Romance  ★★★☆☆

Forecasting Love and Weather  ★★★☆☆

Glory Part 2 ★★★☆☆

Jun and Jun  ★★★☆☆

Kill Boksoon (movie) ★★★☆☆

Kingdom S1 finished ★★★☆☆

Maid’s Revenge  ★★★☆☆

Meet you in my 19th life  ★★★☆☆

My Lovely Liar ★★★☆☆

Only Friends  ★★★☆☆

Zom 100 (movie)  ★★★☆☆

Shoulder to Cry On ★★★☆☆

Strong Girl Nam Soon ★★★☆☆

Boy For Rent ★★★★☆

Castaway Diva  ★★★★☆

Exclusive Fairy Tale  ★★★★☆

First Love Again ★★★★☆

I cannot reach you (Japan) Netflix ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Jack O Frost ★★★★☆

La Pluie ★★★★☆

Midnight Silence (Movie)  ★★★★☆

Minato’s Laundromat ★★★★☆

Moonlight Chicken  ★★★★☆

Our Dining Table  ★★★★☆

Our Secrets  ★★★★☆

Unintentional Love Story  ★★★★☆

Unlocked (movie)  ★★★★☆

Why you? Y Me? ★★★★☆

20th Century Girl  ★★★★★ - I watched this one blind so I'm going to ahead and warn you, it's very, very, very sad! Sobbing hysterically on your couch, sad. Can't watch anything else until the feelings go away, sad.

Alchemy of Souls Part 2 ★★★★★ - I was worried with this one when they "recast" it that I wasn't going to like it, but it was gripping all the way through. I highly recommend the whole thing!

Glory  ★★★★★ - This one should be coming with all kinds of trigger warnings. It's a revenge drama about a girl who was brutally mutilated via school violence. If you, like me, love a good FAFO story give this a go. If you're even mildly squeamish, maybe don't.

Go Ahead ★★★★★ Go Ahead is... an acquired taste. It's found family, and it's coming of age, and it's love triangle and it's breathtaking beautiful. It examines different family dynamics and what it means to choose your family and what it means when your family doesn't choose you. All of that said... it is also a little bit about dating your step brother, and I know, okay, I KNOW, but if you just trust me on this, it's only a tiny bit weird and then it's not, and you're rooting for these maybe a little bit incestuous but not really, idiots.

Be My Favorite  ★★★★★ This thai BL is not your typical coming of age, falling in love, enemies to lovers, story. Instead we have time travel, and the butterfly effect of the consequences of our actions. Gotta be honest, I'm a total ho for sci-fi tropes and this was done well enough that it rocketed into a favorites of 2023 spot before it was half finished.

Hidden Love  ★★★★★ Come cancel me, Tumblr, I'm ready because one of my absolute favorite tropes is the *dun dun dun* age gap! In this drama a young girl falls hard for her older brother's best friend, and you get to watch as their relationship changes and grows as they mature. There is no hanky panky or even interest in our female lead before she comes of age but if you're a puri-teen steer clear, you won't have a fun time. My favorite part of this drama was actually the relationship between siblings, which felt much more authentic than many portrayals I've come across.

My Beautiful Man S2 ★★★★★ The second installment in this series delivers! There's angst, there's humor, there's *eyebrow waggles*. I'm a tiny bit obsessed with Hira and I can't wait for more!

My Personal Weatherman ★★★★★ Miscommunication, or as I call it, idiot plot, is the best. I know some people hate a storyline that could be resolved with less than 5 minutes of open communication between the romantic leads, but not me. Let these idiots stew in their misconceptions, let them leap tall buildings in a single misguided assumption. GIVE IT TO ME. Anyway, if you don't like that, don't watch this, but if you do, it's crack.

My School President  ★★★★★ GeminiFourth stole my heart in this cute coming of age story. It hit all the right notes, with the added bonus of Fourth! I will say normally I hate when they shoehorn music into Thai dramas (so that the stars can go on tour?) but it fit well with the plot and the soundtrack is amazing. They can be my only exception.

That's my dramas of the year wrapped! You can find all the drama's I've watched (that I remember) here:

[localreviewcom]

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[milesonthenet]

Fusionfall: Cartoon Network's BIZARRE thought experiment!

Welcome back to the House of Milesverse, focused on some things comics, some things Transformers, and some things uh - other things.

Today we'll be talk about a special part of my childhood. I've always considered myself a CN kid more than any othr network. Nickelodeon just did not interest me, and i wasn't into Avatar or anything. But i did like Invader Zim. And my 'love' for Disney only came from the movies, and Kingdom Hearts.

But Cartoon Network? That was a different story. I loved Cartoon Network, and it was the network i watched the most. It just had a lot of fun stuff that kid-me was into.

Kid-Me loved Ben 10, and he really did enjoy Dexter's Laboratory. He'd sit down and watch Powerpuff Girls, or Cow & Chicken. He used to watch Scooby-Doo with his grandma. He even enjoyed early Adventure Time, Regular Show, and Steven Universe.

Total Drama, Johnny Test, The Secret Saturdays, Generator Rex, Teen Titans, Johnny Bravo. There was no limit to the amount of stuff that I'd watch. My entertainment wasn't just playing games or on the computer. It was sitting in front of the TV and seeing what I enjoyed.

But you know what Kid me loved that had - probably most of these things in them?

Well if you weren't clued in by the opening title, I'll show you;

This game got me into playing later MMO games like Elsword and DC Universe Online. It was familiar, it had all sorts of cartoon network characters in it. It remains a big point of my childhood because of it.

So today? Put on your nostalgia lenses. As House of MilesVerse presents it's own miniature REVIEW of;

CARTOON NETWORK UNIVERSE: FUSIONFALL

Making of Fusionfall

Fusionfall's story begins with Cartoon Network and one of their first 'big' forays into gaming. The game was published by Cartoon Network, with a business model planned out by Turner Entertainment. Its developers were Grigon Entertainment, a south korean studio chosen for their art style.

Speaking of? Fusionfall's art style is definitely interesting. It portrays the setting with more anime-esque styling. Characters still retained some of their cartoony looks, however, so while it was different, it still worked.

In the game however, it uh, was an interesting experiment.

Admittedly? Eddy isn't the weirdest looking one here. THAT award goes to;

That's Jake, as in Jake the Dog. He looks like that and is one of the only NPCs with no animations. He's just static, his eyes boring deep into your soul...

Jake knows what you did.

Anyways, Fusionfall is an MMORPG where you play as an avatar. You have some limited but still versatile customization options. Your character uses many weapons, including rifles, pistols, rockets, and melee weapons.

Original? Academy?

The game had two different versions, with one ultimately replacing the other. The original was available from 2009-2011 and gave you a simple story. Your character was a hero testing out a time machine, who wound up trapped in the future. You begin a quest to come back to the past, and eventually you return with the knowledge needed to create nanos.

Don't worry about that, we will get into that bit later.

After the birthday bash, the game's tutorial and introduction was overhauled. Newer characters were added - or at least new for when the game was out. For example? Finn, Jake, Generator Rex, and the Sym-Bionic Titan were all new additions, alongside Chowder, flapjack, and the Saturdays. In addition? Mordecai, Rigby, Gumball, and Darwin were all represented through Nanos.

This version of the game is Academy, which lasts from 2011-2013 when the game inevitably shut down its servers. Academy gives you two bonuses for your character: gliding and dodging. Your multidirectional dodge lets you move from front, back, or side to side.

The overhaul changed your origin story too. You train in the null void (it's a Ben 10 thing), and then Providence. Eventually after completing enough missions, you're sent off to get your guide, completing the tutorial.

Your Guides:

The game had four guides available to you at the start. The good thing about them is that you could change missions. You could swap from one guide to another, but you would start at the first level. If you chose to swap back, then you would be able to resume from your initial position.

These four guides are:

Ben Tennyson

Edd, aka 'Double D'

Dexter

And Mojo Jojo

The guides all have different missions too. Dexter wants to find out where the missing heroes from the world are. Ben Tennyson wants to make sure Lord Fuse (We'll get to that) doesn't get his hands on alien technology. These two are pretty simple.

Mojo Jojo wants to build an army of super-monkeys powered by Chemical X and fusion matter to defeat Lord Fuse. Naturally, the player foils his schemes each time - thanks to Mandy, and Dexter, - because he's evil.

Edd is... not what I would have expected, but he wants to stop Fuse from gaining buried candy and treasure maps. I'm surprised at his inclusion, especially compared to the others. But I think he also helps appeal to the comedic leanings of Cartoon Network.

What's the story?

Now we get to the FUN bit!

Fusionfall's story centers on a connected setting between the TV Series. The events of Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory, Ben 10, and Ed, Edd n Eddy are all connected. All the characters know each other, and everything is united.

The main 'threat' of the series is Planet Fusion, a large gooey planet that's assimilated other worlds. This time it wants to assimilate Earth, breaking it down like it's done to many worlds. The various heroes of the Cartoon Network universe unite to stop Planet Fusion from taking their planet.

This isn't just an easy fight for the heroes, though. Planet Fusion creates dangerous monsters made out of fusion matter to terrorize the people. Worse, they've created evil doppelgangers of our favorite CN characters, named Fusions!

It's a big war between two sides, and your character's caught in the middle. As mentioned above, your character is accidentally sent to the future. He returns to the past with the nano blueprints, so that the resistance may have a fighting chance against Fuse.

Now? It's you, the legendary hero, helping take down Fuse's forces across the world. You lose, Fuse.

The Fusions, and the Nanos

This has been stated above, but it would be easier to hop through it again. The Fusions are evil doppelgangers of your favorite Cartoon Network characters. They may look similar, but they are not nice, and exist to help Planet Fusion move his goals along.

Fusions are always found in fusion lairs, which are in infected zones. Infected Zones are the areas most communicated with fusion matter. There are many infected zones, and they all require you talk to a Dexbot to get in.

In these infected zones, you will usually find more than one fusion lair. This is where the Fusions lurk - are you tired of hearing the word 'fusion'? Don't be, we've got a long way to go. Entering the fusion lair usually requires you fight your way through a horde of monsters, and then the fusion itself.

When the fusion finally dies, you get a nano, made from a personal item of the character, fusion matter, and your own imagination energy. This is just the story reason though, the video game reason is just "kill this fusion, and get a nano". It's adorable, by the way.

Nanos have special abilities, which come in a set of three. With a nano you can get bonus fusion matter from missions, have extra money, make monsters fall asleep, sneak past monsters, and more. You only get to pick one ability, but don't fret, you can change it later.

I always look back and think the Nanos are a refreshing gimmick. Imagine being able to carry a chibi-fied version of Mojo Jojo around. They come with their own voice lines too, with higher-pitched voices.

The base game had around 36 nanos which you gained for each level. Academy added a few notable bonuses, with nanos themed off of more-recent CN characters. In addition, you could use a code to gain access to a nano.

The inevitable shutdown (and potential successors):

August 29, 2013, saw Fusionfall close its servers and shut down. I didn't understand it at the time, but I moved on. It was a sad moment for many fans who had gotten attached to the game series.

Other successors have tried to follow the game series. Fusionfall Retro was released as a revival of the original game before the Academy relaunch. Fusionfall Legacy was going to be released as an upscaled version of the original game with additiona l content.

Both games were struck down by a DMCA issued by Cartoon Network. Retro was removed entirely, and Legacy was canceled before release. Retro is playable through 'Retrobution', a modified spin on Retro.

In addition, both the original and academy games are playable after years of being 'gone'. This is through OpenFusion, an unofficial server that preserves both original iterations of the game. Retrobution is also made using this server.

Conclusion:

Fusionfall was a big part of my childhood, especially as a CN Kid. I'm glad i got to make those memories while playing it. However, I never got to beat the original game because i stopped playing.

Things are different now, and after playing on Openfusion, I managed to beat all 36 levels. I was happy to finally see that through. If I could time travel, I'd go back, and fist-bump my younger self. We finally did it, and we saw it through to the end.

Fusionfall was a cute idea, and the strength of its concept alone could prove useful. However, I don't think it could find an audience in today's market. Outside of old fans, I'm not sure if 'new' kids are as attached to cartoon network as the past few generations were.

Regardless? It could be cool to imagine what it would be like now. Better game engines combined with better controls. Newer cartoon network series like Steven Universe, We Bare Bears, or Craig of The Creek. You could even throw in some oddballs, like Scooby-Doo.

I sure hope you all had fun reading this one. I'll be back later on with another dig. Maybe I can show you guys why I love the Cybertron Transformers games so much. After all, they are also a part of my childhood!

The time is now. The hero is you.