#I think we need more anti Nazi movies and shows in current day

[piedpiperart]

What I learned from the new Indiana Jones movie:

You’re never too old to punch nazis

[kristallioness]

2016 | 2017 | 2018

*quietly sneaks back in*... Happy New THIS Year, my dear followers! In Estonia, we have this saying that if you wish someone a 'happy new year' after Three Kings' Day (the 6th of January), you gotta have a bottle of alcohol with you and give them a drink. *lol*

Anyways, I would like to apologize for the sudden disappearance that happened prior to Christmas. I was just busy travelling back home for the holidays, unpacking and putting away my stuff, watching some great, traditional movies or shows on TV, and most importantly, working on those 2 latest masterpieces that I posted (which barely got 30 notes each.. *sigh*).

But as you can (and probably will) see, the year of the yellow earth pig (i.e. my dad's year) was a rollercoaster of emotions and accomplishments, or lacking thereof.

My creative side seems to have suffered the most due to lack of leisure time. I only managed to finish 3 full digital drawings and left behind several sketches or unfinished WIPs (2 of which are revealed here under the months of June and November for the first time, I intend to finish the Korrasami one btw). At least I got to start 2020 with a completed drawing on the very 1st day, ha-ha! Perhaps that's a good omen for this year?

If so, then I hope I'll find the time to finish the rest of the 2019 Inktober prompts, since I only did 4/31 this past October (even though I'd thought of ideas for all of them). I brought all the necessary drawing utensils and sheets of paper with me, so whenever I'm in the mood, I'll try to sketch another one.

*calculates for the nth time*.. I wrote 18,110 words worth of fanfiction, plus 820 words for the UYLD prompts (making the total 18,930). Technically, you can count another 8k+ in there, since it comes from that unfinished story (of Aang taking care of a flu-ridden Katara, as illustrated by the September sketch), which I haven't finished within the last 4 months or so. Plus, I barely wrote 1/5 of the amount compared to 2018.. *hides in shame*

Then again, I was an excellent pupil for picking up an actual book and reading through 150+ pages (which means I have ~300 pages to go). I'm talking about the new Kyoshi novel that came out. As I once said, I haven't voluntarily read a book in years make that 2 years ago (most of the reading I've done in my life is either Tom & Jerry comics, now the Avatar comic trilogies and art books as well as fanfiction online, or compulsory reading during school). But this novel is freaking fantastic superb!

Not only that, I bought all the new comic trilogies and managed to read them through. Damn, did they give me feels.. especially "Ruins of the Empire" (ngl I squeed so hard when I saw the Korrasami farewell kiss on the 1st page of the 2nd part). I can't wait to read the 3rd part this year!

However, I failed to rewatch Avatar last year, and I haven't seen Korra since.. 2016, I believe? Wow, that's 4 whole years.. But I intend to fix that mistake starting from 2020. Hopefully I'm in the mood to start my rewatch this weekend tonight. *fingers crossed*

But as I said, I had much less time to focus on my hobbies since 2019 was the year for finally moving on with my life (sort of, I'm still working on it). I still remember how down I'd been feeling for a while and how valid those emotions really were. The first quarter of the year (+ like a month or two) was a continuous descent into desperation and feelings of utter failure, which already started around the 2nd half of 2018 and only continued to deepen around that time.

Everything began to change when I was first chosen to be part of a 2-month summer internship in an IT company, and I had to start building a new nest in a new location in Tallinn this May. And now, I feel like I've hit the jackpot by getting a permanent job in another IT company this October.

I got the opportunity to work in two different fields, in two different teams within a year. I met some awesome colleagues (a lot of whom are foreigners) and got the chance to really put my English skills to the test.

Thanks to the new job, I also had to go to a free health check, which went really-really well. Despite my nervousness in the beginning, I feel much more relaxed about my physical (and mental) health, cause the results showed that everything's okay (something I'd been worried about since March 2017).

Speaking of health or staying healthy, there were a few sports events that I went to, too. Our team held the first winter team event (it was the first one for me, at least) by going to do archery in a range on the outskirts of the capital.

I watched the football match between 2 teams of our local league at my hometown together with my dad on his birthday. Our home team won the match and came in 4th place overall in the league this year, which is their best result so far (I'm really proud!). And merely days before I started work, I visited the Tallinn International Horse Show for the first time (also with my dad). I last got to watch horses jump over fences or dance to their musical programs ~ 10 years ago, and I loved it!

Event-wise 2019 was pretty full of them. As has become tradition, I went to the Defence Forces parade on our 101st Independence Day (which seemed rather bleak compared to the centennial, even more so since we didn't have ANY snow at the time).

What will hopefully become new traditions, I visited the television tower on the Restoration of Independence Day (where Uku Suviste gave a free concert in the evening), and went to the Veteran's Rock concert (to honour our war veterans) on our Freedom Square on the 23rd of April (since I'm residing in the capital now, I should be able to go again this year).

To continue with the centennial celebrations (yes, some things are STILL turning 100), I saw and explored inside the armoured train no. 7 called "Wabadus" ("Freedom") in the Baltic Station. This armoured train was one of the keys that led our country to victory during the War of Independence from 1918-1920.

There was an even bigger (150th) anniversary to celebrate in the beginning of July, when I attended our Song and Dance Festival. This was a really important, if not the biggest event of the year. I intend to make a longer post about my experience, cause it's something that you foreigners need to see for yourself. I can't simply describe or put it into words, I have to show you some videos and photos.

But while we're on the topic of concerts, I should mention that I went to 2 more at the beginning of June - Bon Jovi and Sting - as well as 2 that were part of Christmas tours in December - Elina Nechayeva and Rolf Roosalu.

Besides that, I went to 6 different festivals, half of which I'd been to several times before, such as the Türi Flower Fair, Jäneda Farm Days (where I went on my first helicopter ride for my 25th birthday present) and the Christmas market in the Old Town of Tallinn.

The other half is comprised of festivals that I'd been considering going to for a while, or which took place for the first time. The latter applies to the Black Food Festival, whereas the "Valgus Kõnnib" ("Wandering Lights") and the duck rally, both of which took place in Kadriorg, fall under the first category.

The duck rally is a charity event held in the beginning of June. Regular people can buy at least one (or several) rubber bath duckies for different prices, which will then be dumped into a tiny stream that'll carry them towards the finish line. This event has grown more popular each year, and the money the Estonian Association of Parents of Children with Cancer (sorry, long name in English!) collects is donated to the Cancer Treatment Fund.

*wipes forehead*.. Phew! I'm surprised, that's a whole lotta positivity for 2019. I think there's one more important, but seriously negative topic I haven't covered yet, but I feel should be mentioned and explained.

When it comes to politics, 2019 was a complete disaster for us. EKRE (Eesti Konservatiivne Rahvaerakond in Estonian, or Estonia's Conservative People's Party in English) i.e. our populist/nazi/pro-Trump party is in the government as of April 2019, thanks to 100,000+ idiots (out of our population of 1.3 million) who voted for them and gave them 19/101 seats in the Parliament.

No, I am NOT going to apologize for calling them a nazi party, because their main leaders have repeatedly supported ideology that's common to nazis (they use aggressive rhetoric, blame the media for making them look bad, downgrade women, minorities, are racist, anti-semitic etc...). And I will not apologize in front of the people who voted for them, because "thanks" to this, EKRE has dragged our country's reputation straight through a mud puddle (not to mention the scandals that have accompanied 5 of their ministers, 3 of who have THANKFULLY stepped down from their positions) and.. *swears like the British*.. it's BLOODY EMBARRASSING.

I am done being nice, I have at least some kind of prejudice about anyone who supports them or their ideals. And I will certainly not let Estonia end up like America. So that is why I participated in two protest events against EKRE and our current government (because the 2 other parties, who were willing to form the coalition with them, are spineless jellyfish that simply seek to hold onto their current positions of power). I'm willing to take bets as to when our government falls (the sooner the better).

*shakes off the frustration*.. Brrr! So besides that, I guess the only downside to 2019 was my spare time falling back in the list of priorities (which shows in the empty square of July).

2020 is gonna be the year of the white metal rat. I can only hope (and take action so) that it'll be just as eventful, and much more creative than 2019. Thank you all for following me (or lurking anonymously) for so long, especially to the bloggers who've offered me support through better or worse! *raises a glass* Here's to 2020!.. *sip*

[entamewitchlulu]

so i did a reading challenge this year and i wanna talk about what i read

transcription under the cut

i did Popsugar 2019 and wanna talk about what i read:  Book Reccs and Anti-Reccs 

1.) Becoming a Movie in 2019: Umbrella Academy (vol 1) by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba

4/5. A fascinating take on superpowers, dysfunctional families, and the apocalypse. Can get pretty gory, confusing here and there and you have to pay close attention to panels for lore, but overall an entertaining romp.

2.) Makes you Feel Nostalgic: Circles in the Stream by Rachel Roberts

4/5. Middle grade novel about the magic of music, belief, and of course, friendship. Definitely written for kids, and has some unfortunately clumsy Native rep, but overall an absolute joy to dive into once again.

3.) Written by a Musician: Umbrella Academy (vol 2) by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba

4/5. Ramps up the confusion to ridiculous degrees with some absolutely bonkers, unexplained arcs, but still fun to watch this dysfunctional family do its dysfunctional thing.

4.) You Think Should be Turned into a movie: All That Glitters by Rachel Roberts

4/5. Continuation of Circles in the Stream, but with more unicorns, more rainbows, and more fae, which makes it automatically even better than the first.

5.) With At Least 1 Mil. Ratings on Goodreads: 1984 by George Orwell   

1/5. I understand why it's important and all but wasn't prepared for some of the more graphic scenes and the overall hopelessness of the message.  Would not recommend or read again.

6.) W/ a Plant in the title or cover: The secret of Dreadwillow carse by Brian farrey

5/5. A fantasy world where everyone is always happy, save for one girl and the princess, who set out to solve the mystery of their kingdom. Poignant and great for kids and adults.

7.) Reread of a favorite: Cry of the Wolf by Rachel Roberts

4/5. Yet another installment in the Avalon: Web of Magic series, which clearly I am obsessed with.  Please just read them.

8.) About a Hobby: Welcome to the Writer's Life by Paulette Perhach

5/5. A welcome kick in the pants, chock full of great advice told without condescension, and full of hope and inspiration for writers both new and old.

9.) Meant to read in 2018: The Poet x by Elizabeth Acevedo  

4/5. Absolutely beautiful coming of age novel told in verse.  Do yourself a favor and listen to the audiobook version.

10.) w/ "pop," "sugar," or "challenge" in the title: Black Sugar by Miguel Bonnefoy

2/5. I think maybe I just don't understand this genre.  Or maybe the translation was weird. I was confused.  

11.) w/ An Item of Clothing or Accessory on the cover: Our dreams at Dusk by Yuhki Kamatani

4/5. It had a lot more slurs/homophobia than I was prepared for, but otherwise is a very touching, relatable collection of queer characters living in a heteronormative world.

12.) Inspired by Mythology or Folklore: Ravenous by MarcyKate Connolly

3/5. A girl goes on an impossible quest to save her brother from a child-eating witch. Really wanted to like it more because I loved the first one, Monstrous, but it dragged a little.

13.) Published Posthumously: The Islands of Chaldea by Diana Wynne Jones

3/5. I adore Diana Wynne Jones, but this one was missing some of the magic of her other books. Not sure if it was because it had to be finished by someone else, or if I just grew out of her stories.

14.) Set in Space: Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

4/5. Powerfully written story of a girl straddling tradition and innovation, who wields power through mathematical magic, surviving on a spaceship alone with a dangerous alien occupation after everyone else has been killed.

15.) By 2 Female Authors: Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

2/5. Ostensibly a story about a revenge pact in a small island town, but leaves far too many dangling threads to attempt alluring you to the sequel.

16.) W/ A Title containing "salty," "bitter," "Sweet," or "Spicy": The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith  

3/5. It's okay but I literally just never know what anyone means at any time. Are they being reticent on purpose or do i just not understand communication

17.) Set in scandinavia: Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura

2/5. Technically and historically accurate and well made, but the story itself is not my cup of tea.  Very gory.

18.) Takes Place in a Single Day: Long WAy Down by Jason Reynolds

4/5. A boy goes to avenge his murdered brother, but ghostly passengers join him on the elevator ride down. Stunning and powerful character-driven analysis.

19.) Debut Novel: Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

4/5. Charming and then surprisingly heart-breaking comic about Nimona, a shapeshifter who wants to become a villain's minion. Really love the villain/hero dynamic going on in the background, along with the dysfunctional found family.

20.) Published in 2019: The Book of Pride by Mason Funk  

4/5. A collection of interviews with the movers, shakers, and pioneers of the queer and LGBTQ+ community.  An absolutely essential work for community members and allies alike.

21.) Featuring an extinct/imaginary creature: Phoebe and her Unicorn by Dana Simpson

4/5. Incredibly charming, Calvin and Hobbes-esque collection of comics featuring the adventures of Phoebe and her unicorn best friend.

22.) Recced by a celebrity you admire: The Emerald Circus by Jane Yolen

2/5. Recced by my fave author Brandon Sanderson. An unfortunately disappointing anthology proving that any story can be made uninteresting by telling the wrong section of it.

23.) With "Love" in the Title: Book Love by Debbie Tung

4/5. One of those relatable webcomics, only this one I felt super hard almost the entire time.  Books are awesome and libraries rule.

24.) Featuring an amateur detective: Nancy Drew: Palace of Wisdom by Kelly Thompson

4/5. REALLY love this modern take on Nancy Drew, coming back home to her roots to solve a brand new mystery. Diverse cast and lovely artwork, though definitely more adult.

25.) About a family: Amulet by Kabu Kibuishi

4/5. Excellent, top tier graphic novel about a sister and brother who have to go rescue their mother with a mysterious magic stone. LOVE that the mom gets to be involved in the adventure for once.

26.) by an author from asia, Africa, or s. America: Girls' Last tour by Tsukumizu

4/5. Somehow both light-hearted and melancholy. Two girls travel about an empty, post-apocalyptic world, and muse about life and their next meal.

27.) w/ a Zodiac or astrology term in title: Drawing down the moon by margot adler

3/5. A good starting place for anyone interested in the Neo Pagan movement, but didn't really give me what I was personally looking for.

28.) you see someone reading in a tv show or movie: The Promised NEverland by Kaiu Shirai

4/5. I don't watch TV or movies where people read books so i think reading an adaptation of a TV series after watching the series counts. Anyway it was good but beware racist caricatures

29.) A retelling of a classic: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Rey Terciero

5/5. We can stop the Little Women reboots and retellings now, this is the only one we need. In fact, we can toss out the original too, this is the only one necessary.

30.) w/ a question in the title: So I'm a spider, so what? by Asahiro Kakashi

4/5. Cute art despite the subject matter, and a surprisingly enthralling take on the isekai genre. Love the doubling down on the video game skills.

31.) Set in a college or university campus: Moonstruck (vol 2) by Grace Ellis

2/5. An incredibly cute, beautiful, and fascinating world of modern magic and creatures, but unfortunately falls apart at the plot and pacing.

32.) About someone with a superpower: Moonstruck (vol 1) by Grace Ellis

4/5. Though nearly as messy plot-wise as its sequel, the first volume is overwhelmingly charming in a way that overpowers the more confusing plot elements.

33.) told from multiple povs: The Long way to a Small, Angry Planet by becky Chambers

4/5. Told almost in a serial format, like watching a miniseries, a group of found-family spaceship crew members make the long journey to their biggest job ever.

34.) Includes a wedding: We Set the dark on fire by Tehlor kay mejia

4/5. Timely and poignant, a girl tumbles into both love and resistance after becoming one of two wives to one of the most powerful men in the country.

35.) by an author w/ alliterative name: The only harmless great Thing by brooke bolander

3/5. Much deeper than I can currently comprehend.  Beautifully written, but difficult to parse.

36.) A ghost story: Her body and other parties by Carmen Maria Machado

4/5.  It counts because one of the stories in it has ghosts. A sometimes difficult collection of surrealist, feminist, queer short stories.

37.) W/ a 2 word title: Good omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

4/5. Charming, touching, and comical, probably the best take on the apocalypse to date. Also excellent ruminations on religion and purpose.

38.) based on a true story: The faithful Spy by John Hendrix

4/5. Brilliantly crafted graphic biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and his assistance in fighting back against Nazi Germany.

39.) Revolving around a puzzle or game: the Crossover by Kwame alexander

4/5. The verse didn't always hit right with me, but the story is a sweet, melancholy one about family, loss, and moving on.

40.) previous popsugar prompt (animal in title): The last unicorn by peter s. Beagle

5/5. Absolutely one of my all-time favorite books, it manages to perfectly combine anachronism and comedy with lyricism, melancholy, and ethereal beauty.

41.) Cli-fi: Tokyo Mew Mew by Mia ikumi and Reiko Yoshida

4/5. Shut up it counts

42.) Choose-your-own-adventure: My Lady's choosing by Kitty curran

3/5. Cute in concept, a bit underwhelming in execution. Honestly, just play an otome.

43.) "Own Voices": Home by Nnedi Okorafor

3/5. The storytelling style was definitely not my style; while the first book was slow, too, it felt more purposeful. I found my attention wandering during this installment.

44.) During the season it's set in: Pumpkinheads by rainbow rowell

3/5. Cute art, but precious little substance.  The concept simply wasn't for me in the first place.

45.) LITRPG: My next life as a villainess: All routes lead to doom! by Hidaka nami

5/5. An absolute insta-fave! Charming art, endearing characters, an incredible premise, and so much sweet wholesome fluff it'll give you cavities.

46.) No chapters: The field guide to dumb birds of north america by matt kracht

3/5. It started out super strong, but the joke started to wear thin at a little past the halfway point.

47.) 2 books with the same title: Unfollow by Megan Phelps-Roger

4/5. A brave and enduring personal story of growing up in and eventually leaving the Westboro Baptist Church. Really called to me to act with grace and kindness even more in the future.

48.) 2 books with the same title: unfollow by rob williams and michael dowling

1/5. How many times do you think we can make Battle Royale again before someone notices

49.) That has inspired a common phrase or idiom: THe Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

4/5. Definitely good and deserves it's praise as something that pretty much revolutionized and created an entire demographic of literature.

50.) Set in an abbey, cloister, Monastery, convent, or vicarage: Murder at the vicarage by agatha christie

3/5. I just cannot. physically keep up with all of these characters or find the energy to read between the lines.

ok that's all i got, what did y'all read and like this year?  (oh god it’s gonna be 2020)

[omniversalobservations]

Supergirl (December 2019)

Holy crimson skies of death! Part One of the Arrow-verse crossover “Crisis on Infinite Earths” destroyed Earth-38 and sent Stephen Amell’s Oliver Queen to an early grave after he stayed behind to avert the anti-matter wave from killing billions more people. Even The Monitor didn’t foresee it happening! While all the superheroes assembled to try and prevent Earth-38’s destruction, the episode still managed to include quite a few familiar faces from across the DC multiverse. Here are all the cameos from the Supergirl portion of “Crisis,” so let’s get to it.

Alexander Knox Sees Red Skies On Earth-89 Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman was confirmed in “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” even if the moment was short-lived. Robert Wuhl’s Alexander Knox, a Gotham Globe reporter, appeared in a brief scene at the beginning of the episode. In the scene, Alexander is seen reading the Gotham City Gazette with the headline “Batman Captures Joker!” As soon as the red skies emerge, Alexander notices the Bat signal. “I hope you’re watching, Big Guy,” says Alexander. Unfortunately, even if Batman was around to see the red skies, it was already too late and Earth-89’s fate was sealed.

Dick Grayson Walks Ace On Earth-66 While Burt Ward had already been confirmed to appear in “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” it wasn’t expected for his cameo to be nestled in the opening montage of Part One. The scene in question detailed the multiverse’s birth (and upcoming death) while flashing to different Earths across the multiverse.

One of the Earths was Earth-66, which showed Burt Ward’s Dick Grayson from the 1966 Batman TV series walking Ace, the beloved Bat-hound. Ward played Batman’s trusty sidekick, Dick Grayson/Robin, in the Batman series. Ward’s version of Dick is clearly no longer the Boy Wonder, but it was good to see him again before Earth-66’s unfortunate demise.

DC Universe’s Titans Appear On Earth-9 Arrow-verse executive producer Marc Guggenheim tried his best to bring together a plethora of characters from across DC’s shows and movies, and even asked Nicolas Cage to appear! Even though fans knew to expect the unexpected when it came to cameos, it was still surprising to see Jason Todd’s Robin (Walter Curran) and Hawk (Alan Ritchson) from DC Universe's Titans, which just wrapped its second season and finally transformed Dick Grayson into Nightwing. It was only a quick shot of the two of them, but it does confirm that the Titans exist somewhere in the DC multiverse. Too bad Alan Ritchson couldn’t return as Smallville’s Aquaman, though!

Earth-X’s The Ray Makes A Comeback! The crossover “Crisis on Earth-X,” which saw Nazis crash Barry Allen and Iris West’s wedding on Earth-1, introduced a freedom fighter named The Ray. Originally from Earth-1, The Ray helped the Arrow-verse heroes defeat Earth-X’s Nazis. He’s briefly seen flying across the skies, presumably while protecting his earth from those who wish to destroy it. However, the cameo is brief as he and Earth-X vanish in the anti-matter wave.

Source: Cinema Blend

The baton has officially been passed.

In hour 1 of the CW’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover, which aired on Supergirl Sunday night, Oliver Queen/Green Arrow (Stephen Amell) and his daughter Mia (Katherine McNamara) joined the rest of the Arrowverse’s heroes on Earth-38 to fight the Anti-Monitor’s shadow army. Before wading into battle, though, Oliver gifted Mia her very own Green Arrow super-suit.

Katherine McNamara opened up about how much this exchange meant to be both Mia and her personally when she dropped by EW’s after-show Crisis Aftermath, which was hosted by Kevin Smith and aired on the CW following Supergirl.

“That was one of my favorite moments to shoot definitely just because Stephen and I have spent most of the season together and getting to watch him work and being a part of this story and this being my first crossover,” said McNamara. “That was such a big moment for both characters and I think we both felt that.”

Shortly after this, though, Oliver is mortally injured battling the shadow army, and the Monitor returns him to the Team Arrow bunker, where he dies surrounded by Mia, the Flash (Grant Gustin), Sara (Caity Lotz), and the other heroes. McNamara felt a very weird mix of emotions when they shot that scene.

“That was a historic moment in many ways for me personally. It was my first day on set with everyone in the suits. It was my first day wearing my suit on set, so I was so excited,” she said. “Then I get to set and I realize, ‘Oh I have to cry over my dying father. Let me reframe my entire headspace.'” She continued, “It was so wonderful, and Stephen killed it. Everybody really came together because Stephen, in a sense, was the beginning of this entire universe.”

With Oliver’s death, the Green Arrow mantle is now firmly in Mia’s hands. But, as Smith wonders, does Mia actually want this responsibility?

“That’s been the toughest kind of struggle for Mia throughout her entire process of being involved in this,” said McNamara, who will be the new Green Arrow if The CW orders the in-development spin-off Green Arrow and the Canaries, which will have a backdoor pilot in Arrow‘s final season. “She was raised in a world in which vigilantes were villainized and she’s come full circle with that having met her father and kind of gotten a look into the difficult choices he’s had to make. Now, she’s been through and worked through all of these issues and has a wonderful relationship with her father. She doesn’t want the responsibility because she doesn’t want to lose him. She knows she can take it on. She knows she’s ready for it. But she’s finally filled the one missing piece of her life and doesn’t want to lose that. That’s kind of the tragedy. Yes, there always needs to be one Green Arrow, but there’s only one Green Arrow. So she knows that’s coming to an end and it’s difficult.”

Crossover executive producer Marc Guggenheim added that legacy is a big theme in “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” “It’s not just the passing of the torch from Oliver to Mia,” he said. “There’s a lot of passing the torch and keeping the flame alive.��

Guggenheim also revealed a very intriguing detail about the Arrow hour of the crossover, which doesn’t air until January. “We open with the mother of all flashbacks and we basically do the secret origin of the Monitor and the Anti-Monitor,” said Guggenheim. “Actually that whole sequence, the first draft, was written by [Crisis on Infinite Earths comic writer] Marv Wolfman.” He added, “We give you an explanation for the [Monitor’s] outfit.”

Source: Entertainment Weekly

The Arrowverse's biggest crossover ever takes place over all five superhero series on The CW, starting with Supergirl. Crisis has been building since last year's Elseworlds crossover, which introduced the cosmic being known as The Monitor (LaMonica Garrett), who began 'testing' the many worlds of the Multiverse to see if they were strong enough to survive the cataclysm to come. Crisis has accelerated throughout the current seasons of Supergirl, The Flash, Batwoman, and Arrow but now the end is here.

With the anti-matter wave sent by Crisis' big bad, the Anti-Monitor, threatening the Multiverse, Harbinger (Audrey Anderson) gathered Green Arrow (Stephen Amell), Mia Smoak (Katherine McNamara), Superman (Tyler Hoechlin), Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch), Sara Lance (Caity Lotz), Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh), Batwoman (Ruby Rose), and The Flash (Grant Gustin) to Earth-38, the home of Supergirl (Melissa Benoist). The heroes had to defend Kara Zor-El's world from the anti-matter wave using a Quantum Tower constructed by the Monitor and repel an attack by a horde of Shadow Demons. However, despite their best efforts to evacuate the planet with the help of Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath), they couldn't save Supergirl's world.

Crisis Part 1 delivered on the promise that the crossover's stakes are life and death on a Multiversal scale. Literally billions died in the first chapter of the epic and this, shockingly, included one of the Arrowverse's founders and greatest heroes. Here's the body count of Crisis Part 1, which is just the start of the cataclysm that will reshape the Arrowverse:

* Alura (Erica Durance), the mother of Supergirl. Alura was introduced in Supergirl season 1, when she was played by Laura Benanti but Smallville's Erica Durance took over the role in season 3. Helped Superman and Lois launch their infant son Jonathan on a rocket before the antimatter wave struck, in a moment poignantly echoing Kal-El's origin story, so Jon Kent survived, though he landed in Earth-16's Star City in the year 2046 and had to be saved by Lois, Brainiac (Jesse Rath), and Sara Lance. Of course, Durance will return as Smallville's version of Lois Lane later in Crisis.

* Everyone on Argo City, the last surviving city of Krypton. Unfortunately, Argo had no starships to evacuate besides the spacecraft Alura saved for baby Jon so the people of Argo were all wiped out by the antimatter wave. Luckily, Harbinger teleported Superman and Lois to Earth-38 at the last minute.

* Earth-38 was destroyed, including 3-billion people who couldn't evacuate the planet in time. Despite the superheroes' efforts to defend the planet, they couldn't stop the antimatter wave from wiping out Supergirl's adopted world. While a wave of spaceships supplied by Brainiac and many of the aliens who took refuge on the planet was able to evacuate 4-billion lives to Earth-1 (thanks to a dimensional portal built by Lena Luthor), they couldn't save everyone. The Monitor said 7.53-billion people lived on Earth-38 so over 3 1/2-billion people died when the planet was destroyed.

* Green Arrow (Oliver Queen) gave up his life to help the evacuation of Earth-38 after the Monitor had teleported the rest of the superheroes to Earth-1. Out of arrows, Green Arrow took on the army of Shadow Demons by himself and was fatally injured before the Monitor rescued him. Oliver had long expected to die during Crisis and he spent all of Arrow season 8 preparing for the inevitable. On his deathbed, Oliver confessed to Barry Allen and Kara Danvers that he made a deal with the Monitor to spare their lives in exchange for his during Crisis - but the Monitor revealed that this wasn't the death he foresaw for Oliver, which casts serious doubt on how the Arrowverse's heroes can defend the Multiverse in Crisis On Infinite Earths.

Source: Screen Rant

In the beginning there was only one. A single black infinitude. Then the infinitude found release, and finally, the darkness broke, filling it with life.. With the multi-verse. Every existence multiplied by possibility. And spread out before space and time in infinite measure. Civilizations rose and fell. And rose again across reality's expanse. Life. A precious gift persevering in the face of every obstacle, until finally, the age of heroes was born. Chaos. The constant enemy of life, kept at by champions across the multiverse. Joining forces to fight on behalf of all creation. They found each other just in time because now, the entire multi—verse is about to come under attack. There is a malevolent force at work, one driven by a singular goal. The destruction of all there is. I have planned, there are those who say I have schemed, but the time for preparation has passed.

Source: TVMaze

(images via YouTube)

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

The First Purge review

The Purge is such a fascinating series to me in that it goes through the reverse of what you might expect a series to go through. The first film had an interesting concept - a night of legalized crime in which society indulges in its most base desires and goes about murdering - but instead of exploring or even SHOWING us this, instead we get a s0-so home invasion film where a rich white couple fights off masked intruders. Yawn.

But then came the sequels, and with them the director seemed to realize all of the social and political commentary that could be mined from such a subject as the Purge, and by god did they run with it. This is a series that ascended in quality, with the sequels just getting better and better, and while you can debate which film is the best in the series, no one will ever say it’s the first one.

Because of all this, I think I can safely say at this point I love The Purge series. Its lack of subtlety in its social commentary and political criticisms combined with its over-the-top violence and sinister government conspiracies makes me incredibly endeared to it; I think we all too often forget subtlety is not always the best, and in the current political climate I think The Purge series is kinda the hot cup of tea we need to be served. And out of all the movies in the series, The First Purge may be the hottest cup of tea of all.

So you know that criticism the films get, where “Oh, everyone goes out to kill? That’s so unrealistic, people would probably just vandalize or do drugs or whatever, why is it murder?” Well, this movie, in showing the test run for what became the Purge, shows us… exactly that. Despite the government offering money to poor, disenfranchised, and struggling people on Staten Island, the testing grounds for this new system… they record one murder done by a man named Skeletor, who was an insane, frothing-at-the-mouth violent lunatic before any of this. Everyone else? They’re having block parties, fucking in public, or just messing with people. The worst crimes in the early hours are the murders Skeletor commits and some robberies committed by people who were already drug-dealing gangsters. There’s also a creepy guy wearing a crying baby doll on his face who set up a trap so he can grab women and drag them into the sewer so he can grab their pussies, but that’s neither here nor there; the point is, the Purge isn’t doing what the evil political party the New Founding Fathers want. So what do they do? They decide to fudge the results of this test by flying in mercenaries, Klansmen, just real fucking evil and violent people, to massacre the poor so that they can get the numbers up. This isn’t really a spoiler - this is all stuff proudly displayed in the sequels - but seeing how even early on the government twisted a social experiment so they could sell legalized murder of the poor to the public is truly disturbing.

Our heroes are gangster Dmitri, his ex girlfriend and anti-Purge protestor Nya, and her little brother Isaiah who has decided to go out so he can kill Skeletor. Can they survive this night? I mean, we know the Purge is gonna be going on for another couple of decades at least, but will these guys be ok?

So the film is about as subtle as a brick to the face, as I’m sure you can tell from what I described, but I think that’s what makes me say this is the smartest film in the series. Our country NEEDS a lack of subtlety right now. And I think we forget that sometimes a lack of subtlety helps make a compelling narrative; look at American History X, for example. That movie is entirely unsubtle, but it is effective and well done. Now, I’m not saying this film is as good as American History X, but I do think this movie’s lack of subtlety helps it along. Every major character in the film is a minority of some kind - our main characters are all black, and we see Asians, Latinos, even an older gay couple. Pretty much everyone in this film is struggling or poverty-stricken. And the villains? An evil group of sadistic government assholes who think slaughtering the poor is the best way to help the public, and when people don’t wanna buy into it, they create a false flag operation to sell the idea of legalized killing. There’s really no good white people in this movie, save for, interestingly enough, the woman who came up with the idea of the Purge in the first place. While at first she seems as evil and politically motivated as any other person working for the NFFA, as soon as she notices things getting ultra violent she becomes suspicious and finds out her test’s data is being fudged by mercs being flown in to kill the poor. She gets shipped off to Staten Island and killed for her trouble. Like I said, UNSUBTLE. But it is pretty effective.

The most fascinating character in this film is probably Skeletor, an absolutely insane black man who signed up for this night so he could get paid for indiscriminately killing people. He’s the kind of utterly fanatical murderer you’d expect from this series, and his actor Rotimi Paul steals every single scene he’s in. It makes it all the more of a letdown when he doesn’t get the honor of a final fight with the protagonists, despite being set up as a major villain, but even his anti-climactic ending is pretty cool as he manages to sneak up on and kill armed soldiers while being nearly naked.

And of course it wouldn’t be a Purge film without a bunch of creeps in masks. We have the baby-doll pussy grabber, we have a creepy rag face guy who just walks down a hallway creepily, we have this insane butcher guy in what looks like a welding mask, and best of all, in the final battle, we have what I can only describe as… a Gimp Nazi. For some more general mooks we also have truckloads of Klansmen as well as some masked cops who beat down a black man in… well do I REALLY need to explain what they’re going for there? Unsubtle, remember. Of course, with all these nasty folk out and about, it becomes extremely cathartic to watch them get stabbed, neck snapped, and gunned down by our heroes. Let me tell you, seeing Klansmen murdered is always a good time.

Honestly, this movie is an excellent example of a modern Blaxploitation film; it has pretty much all the trappings of the genre, as it’s set in a poor neighborhood, has a majority black cast, features the protagonists fighting against The Man and the oppression of evil white folk… all that’s missing is some kung-fu and some more funk in the soundtrack. And that just makes me love the film all the more, because boy do I love me some blaxploitation.

I highly recommend this movie. It’s really great; unsubtle, yes, definitely, but great. Sadly, I think this movie is not going to do quite as well as I think it deserves to. The way our society is right now, people get really hostile at any sort of indictment of modern politics; any criticism of our dumbass president is met with angry people getting offended that someone dares to criticize a soulless politician (a redundant phrase, I know). We just live in a time and place where people are just really hostile towards any sort of social or political commentary, and I sadly think this movie will be a victim of it due to its indictment of conservative ideology, racism, and Trump-era politics. It’s not a shock to me that most of the reviews of this on IMDB are all colored with some sort of anger that this film has the AUDACITY to try and be intelligent, with a good chunk of reviews calling it “biased” and “political propaganda”… oh well. I pray this movie finds its audience, either now or in the future. Because boy oh boy do I believe it deserves it.

Long live The Purge.

BUT WAIT! Just to prove my point… take a look at some of these excerpts from a few absolutely ridiculous IMDB user reviews! We’ve got it all here folks!

Accusations of being written by children combined with whining about how this film is made to “Divide” while also throwing in potshots at Star Wars and Get Out? CHECK!

Accusations of race baiting? CHECK!

Complaining about criticisms of Trump? CHECK! As an added bonus, this guy cancelled his ticket - hey buddy, how’d you review this film opening day if you didn’t go?

Crying about how the film is propaganda? Cheeeeeeeeeeeck!

Whining about BLM? Oh boy do we got a big old check!

And hey let’s just have one more whiny little bitch before we go:

[secretsofthemasquerade]

What the fuck is happening with V5, neonazis, and shits.

So, first, terminology. Everything I am going to be talking about here concerns the company White Wolf Publishing, which is the Swedish company created by Paradox Interactive for when they bought back the IP from CCP. 

This DOES NOT include Onyx Path (with whom I have grievances, but they are mostly a question of taste and some of their business practices I am somewhat disapprove of, but this has nothing to do with them), and their classical authors, whom have nothing to do in the thing. So don’t go about telling Richard Thomas he’s a Nazi asshole okay? They’re clean in this matter and their statement is genuine and honest, and their statement matches their actions and publications. This also does not involve By Night Studios. 

Basically, White Wolf Publishing (new version, the one in Sweden, owned by Paradox) has released a preview for V5 (corebook, which is due in three weeks), and they presented neo-nazis in a way that is controversial to say the least, in the clanspread Brujah for V5, which is in their V5 preview.

Some see it as "wwp trying to make neo nazis play their game", some are saying "lol sjw are being sensitive and ruining everything", some are saying "it's ok to explore dark themes but this is poorly worded and looks like they're glorifying it", and some are all censorship and stuff. 

The spectrum of answers are very wide, with assholes on both sides, and death threats being sent to everyone by everyone. Including OPP people who are completely out of the loop on this one (altho some may argue that since they’re licensing the IP from WWP that makes them a level of complicit/quiet acceptance; that argument can be heard, but I am pragmatic and I understand they don’t want their company and their livelihood to sink into oblivion because Ethics are superior to Food)

Here’s the catch. People aren’t pissed just about the Brujah issue, that places neo-nazis at the same level as any other character concept and definition of the Brujah, without an ounce of self awareness, and using terminologies that clearly appeal to gamer gaters (the use of terms such as “fourth wave feminists” and others...). They’re pissed and worried because this isn’t the first WWP offense, they have multiple times allowed themselves to poke towards such people, more or less willingly. 

There's been plenty of other signs by the WWP crew that they may be integrating alt-right and neo nazi elements in their games, not because they are saying they're a thing, but also somewhat inserting (willingly or not) some propaganda elements, not as a way to criticize them, but normalizing them or even misrepresenting them as "rebels with a cause" (aka Brujah, which makes little sense nowadays, current day neo nazis and alt rights are in positions of power and are very much accepted if not encouraged by our political systems, much to my screaming French ass). 

They somewhat normalize and even glorify them. Despite being a game about monsters (lol u know what vamps are?? have said many people on those threads), it isn’t a game about BEING a monster. It is a game about Dealing with It and their Humanity. 

WWP says it's to "acknowledge the state of the world today" but other elements such as dog whistle elements for neonazis, as well as the use of hate groups types of phrasings (euphemisms, like, clearly derogating terms like "fourth wave feminism" mocking tone like) are pushing non-straight non-white, non-male players out of their base. And oddly, almost everyone defending their edge-approach are.. yes, regular white dudes.

Add in their hiring of Zak S for their video game from February 2017 and the overall lack of research, + their apology / non apology / defense about all of these issues altogether up to now about the whole ordeal when people bring out the issues, and you've got a massive shitstorm of suspicion about whether they are actually openly welcoming neo-nazis and alt-righters into the games, especially when public comments made by WWP staff implies "they are very fine people” and “both extremes are horrible”, putting into equal footing antifascists and neonazis. That in and out of itself is suspicious, but arguable to some degree. Plenty of comments have been made both by the horrid fanbase, but also by WWP staff on the matter, as such they cannot really deny their hands being dirty (looking at you, MR-H and Ericsson, receipts are provided all over reddit and the FB threads from WWP but also from the VtM groups, including this one).

Just because they state they condemn racism, sexism and xenophobia, doesn’t mean that their writings and actions match those statements. They still sign “Blood and Souls,” their letters and posts, which is ODDLY similar to “Blood and Soil”, a known Neo-Nazi chant. The integration of 1 4 8 8 as a dice roll result may be completely meaningless and a sad occurrence, but there are SO MANY other occurrences that giving them the benefit of the doubt is hard. Especially when you add the fact that the lead dev has written books about nazis (so has done research, and when you research, 1488 comes up easily). 

I’m always willing to blame ignorance and stupidity over Malice, and I am doing it for V5 write-ups, but their apologies and defense instead of listening to our concerns takes away their credibility. Their reaction should have been to listen and fix it.

In Game, there is also a BIG BIG PROBLEM that the authors didn’t even research. The Alt Right and neonazis are NOT in a marginal position of protesters anymore. They are in power. They are very much allowed, encouraged, protected by the system, at least in most Western Societies. They are no Brujah hunting ground, they are great Ventrue targets! 

There’s a difference between allowing the themes be used and explored very darkly and grimly and glorifying them as a good thing (the little red book or Leni Riefenstahl’s movies), and doing the same but with careful research, expert consulting and making sure your intent is clear as a content creator (like the Handmaiden’s tale or 1984). You can’t objectively say that Wolfenstein is a game that approves of nazis despite being all about nazis, nor Far Cry 5 about wtf is going on in Far Cry 5, or that Just Cause approves of American Intervention in island nations or Latin American countries, or that Tropico approves of banana island dictatorships. Cartel Ciudad Juarez or many modern warfare games, on the other hand, do not manage this and are clearly not aware of what their game is saying (not unlike a RPG like Fatal... :p).

Then the article archived and linked above was made and shared, and that’s where all shit hit the fan. I do not believe the author is fully right about everything in the contents, especially when it comes to Zak S (who is an asshole by all means, but he is neither a gamer gater nor an alt righter), but there are solid elements that put together some of the various “uh” moments. The article has since been removed due to the harassment, death threats and worse. 

Oddly, Reddit is doing okay (x, x) but Twitter has also given us frowny things about upcoming W5...

Do I think they are openly and willingly trying to pull one past us? No. Do I think the WoD has brought in lots of neonazis as players and has been a problem since the 1990s? Yes, for Vampire and Werewolf for sure. (Werewolf in particular is plagued with them despite the Revised attempts at fixing certain things...). Do I believe the 20th anniversary edition were made to glorify those days? No. Not at all. Do I think Ericsson and co are neonazis? No. They’re not. Do I think WWP is trying to be edgy to cater to anti-sjw and unapologetic show offs? Yes. Do I think WWP wants to openly cater to neonazis? No, but they’re not doing anything to make a stance against them buying and using their games. If their idea of Mature Themes is punching down and glorifying monsters, they are wrong and we should let them know. If a mature theme is exploring the dark sides of the world in a thoughtful manner, having Horror as a key component of VTM, then yes, that is what we want, but it has to be presented properly and fine-tuned. Right now, it’s “oh, wouldn’t it be cool/grim if...?”. They need to consult experts. They need to hire sociologists. Psychologists. Game Theorists. They need to SEE what Chaosium has done with Call of Cthulhu. They need to 

I’m just also going to say that the two FB WWP threads are insane (here and here), full of fanboys and fangirls defending WWP and telling them they shouldn’t apologize, they even made a petition saying they did nothing wrong. I do not want to give up, and I do not want to let my voice be silenced by these assholes for a game I love and care about even if I am such a critic of it.

Let me be very clear. The problem is -not- the inclusion of asshole character concepts in the write up, it is the WoD after all... The problem is that they are presenting them under a good, acceptable, apologetic light even. The problem isn’t exactly the content of the game, the problem is how little research and how little awareness they’ve had about their publication, and the responses that they have given when we have raised questions and concerns about these issues. The problem is Accidental Indoctrination. The problem is Propaganda Games. What are your mechanics saying? What are your actions saying? What is your game saying?

https://youtu.be/4jKsj345Jjw

https://youtu.be/UP4_bMhZ4gA

(Yes they’re video games but it’s he same thing)

And in opposition, extra credits did also an episode about the Shoah book for Wraith. https://youtu.be/EDEgXUqHL9Q

So, do we want great quality mature content, serious gaming material, or shock for shock value? Do we want This War of Mine, Papers Please, Dead of Winter, CupidVN, Spec Ops the Line, Bury Me My Love? Or do we want Hatred, DARK, WoD Preludes, Ciudad Juarez or even Dante’s inferno?

Games Matter.

Education Matters

We matter.

Tyvm

If you have any questions, they’re going to do an AMA on Twitch on July 13, here’s the info.

Let’s try and be numerous to voice our concerns. EDIT: Blood and Souls actually references Elric, it was my bad and I apologize for it, but you’ll understand that sometimes, when it sounds and moves like a horse, it’s hard to see it’s a zebra. Especially considering all past elements from the different eyebrow raising worth of edge for edge’s sake.

I still do not believe they’re deliberately calling neo-nazis but considering their AMA’s comments of people who just don’t want to be respectful and do basic research when treating mature content in an adult way, and be like “hell no, DARK STUFF, don’t steal my dark stuff!”, there’s honestly all the proof we need that that’s the kind of crowd they’ve accepted was using their games as entertainment. Jason’s answers were clear, and did not bite the whole “but what about antifaaaa”. I’m cautiously optimistic, and I’ve chosen, like many others, to keep publishing in the Vault to show them we can do better, and that it’s in the community’s best interest they listen.

They also confirmed Mark Rein Hagen was just a “consultant” and isn’t part of the team in anyway ;)

[anangryfix]

Political Punk Rock Reflection

I can’t sleep. I’m sitting here anxiously awaiting the inauguration tomorrow, hoping to God that nothing bad happens. I figured I might as well reflect on some politics while I have all this nervous energy.  Punk rock music, above all other genres, influenced who I am today. For better or worse, the way I think about the world today was influenced by my (mostly) teenage years fully engulfed in punk rock music. Let’s be honest, you aren’t going to get much of a worldview listening to  Here’s my list of my top five most influential punk rock songs that shaped me into who I am today.  5. Firecracker - Strung Out Some of these lyrics read like they have been lifted out of the pages the last few weeks. It’s almost as if Strung Out had anticipated the MAGA folks, but I can remember that in the mid 1990s when that record came out, there were probably these types of people crying for freedom and justice over the President getting a blowjob. Sigh. Those were the salad days, right?

Favorite Lyric:  “In all your glory in all your Pride. Light the way torch of Liberty, Light the sky for the whole world to see, In all your glory in all your pride.” 4. Fertile Fields - Good Riddance It’s hard to pick a political song from one of the most politically motivated punk bands around. Of all the albums and songs I included in this list, I listened to Good Riddance’s “Ballads from the Revolution” the most. From top to bottom, it’s almost a perfect punk rock record (damn you “Not With Him”). I love the intensity and the way everything comes together in the mix. Once you move past the Sudden Impact movie quotes, the song hits like you like a bed of nails. The vocals are loud and raspy but sung with purpose and drive. There’s no pretense about how they feel and what they want to communicate through their craft.   Favorite Lyric: “She who longs for comfort feels instead a savage thrust  And the ashen sky grows ever darker as dawn gives way to dust”

3. Nazi Punks Fuck Off - The Dead Kennedys

Could I make a list, especially in light of everything happening right now, and not include this song? What’s more upsetting is the current iteration of The Dead Kennedy’s (Yes, the tax religion, “In God We Trust, Inc.” band) gave a digital hi-five to Mitt Romney for doing the bare minimum of standing up to an attempted coup two weeks ago. Jello was quick to slam any connection with the odd show of support. “Nazi Punks Fuck Off” is loud and straight to the point. Over 50% of the lyrics are the song title. Sure, it’s not as sophisticated as some of their other hits, but that doesn’t mean it gets right down to business. And when you’re dealing with a former Nazi, a current Nazi, or a budding Parler/Neo-Nazi/Y’all Qaeda in waiting, you need to put something on that is short and sweet. Jello gets it. So should you.  Favorite Lyric: “Ten guys jump one, what a man You fight each other, the police state wins“

2. Adventures in Zoochosis - Propagandhi I have a child now, so that definitely changes thing. Being a parent on the surface is decidedly anti-punk rock, but I would beg to differ. It’s an open act of rebellion, because I felt more unhinged and out of control as a 30-something than I ever did when I was fifteen blasting punk rock records in my bedroom. Propagandhi hits differently with this song and their record Victory Lap. The whole album is a condemnation of Trump, toxic masculinity, the 1%, etc. And of course, that is part for the course. But the lyrics and subject matter of this particular song relate to something you might pass down to your child. When I first heard this song, I openly wept. I listened to it over and over again. In fact, I’m pretty sure it was my top Spotify song for 2017 or 2018. I’d have to check. The vocal intensity is really what seals it for me. The allegory of a zoo to living in America (i.e. enrichment programs from our “keepers”) is absolutely brilliant. This makes me want to punch a wall, hug my daughter, and eat some vegan cashew cream.  This is not only one of my favorite Propagandhi songs, but one of my favorite songs period.  Favorite Lyric:  “I don't give a fuck about the enrichment programs Implemented to extend our captive lifespans Motherfucker gonna get a load of what I got planned“

1. The Decline - NOFX

Just from a musical standpoint, this is still an undisputed masterpiece. NOFX were never shy to talk about the political feelings. To be honest, they were never shy to talk about anything (See: “My Heart is Yearning”). That doesn’t mean their lyrics are tight and succinct in this eighteen minute song. Although this song came out after I had moved on to devouring post punk and indie/emo genres, I still bought it. I listen to it at least once a month in its entirety, especially when I am in a foul mood. I find myself going back and searching through all the lyrics to find new insight into the DIY approach to peaceful resistance. After all, that’s all punk rock is: a loud, unabashed protest of the status quo.  After all...

With a newly bought government, we could make a great profit....or tear it apart. Favorite Lyric:  “I wish I had a schilling (For each senseless killing) For every senseless killing I'd buy a government” Happy Inauguration Day.

[ssnakey-b]

Okay, this isn’t the sort of content I’d normally post on the blog, if only because I know better than to discuss controversial topics on Tumblr, but I feel this needs to be seen by as much people as possible. Now, the topic is about a video game, but this shit would be abhorrent no matter what or who the target were.

In short, a fear-mongering “news” channel ran an almost entirely fabricated story about an android game that they declared to be a “variation of Grand Theft Auto”, despite it having nothing to do with GTA or Rockstar Games (the “journalists” don’t even know who Rockstar Games are!) and went on and on about how it’s a game that allow you kill citizens and police in the city of Adelaide, Australia and how it was “too close to reality” for some people.

Oh yeah, you thought this sort of paranoid nonsense died as gaming became more mainstream, first-generation gamers grew up and started having their own families and the public at large became wiser about what video games are? HA HA! NOPE!

Now, without even getting into the absurdity of getting outraged at the fictional violence being portrayed in real settings (don’t tell these people about the Die Hard or Purge movies), or the absurdity of getting outraged at fictional violence at all, what these people did can only be described as wretched:

- They took an early, pre-alpha build of the game dating back to 2013 that they found on a random forum post and completely represents what the current version of the (still unreleased) game is like, meaning that’s not even a real game;

- They showed footage of it to random passers-by so they could have a few shots of middle-aged people acting indignant. This, by the way, is the extent of the “outrage” they are reporting on. It was entirely fabricated and stirred up by them, as the only people who had ever heard of this game up to that point was the few members of that forum. I can only presumed they did that because they’re not tech-savvy enough to post random tweets of people being offended, the modern way to pretend a made-up outrage is a bigger deal than it is;

- they spliced in some GTA footage modded to include Australian police (of course without mentioning that they’re from a different game or that the content was modified) to make people who don’t know any better think it’s the same game;

- they straight-up lied on multiple occasions, including claiming that the developers did not reply to requests for comments. He did, and of course they didn’t publish that. Ironically, THEY have failed to answer any of the multiple requests Jim Sterling sent their way for comments on their vignette;

- but the most nauseating part, was them exploiting terrorism, by drawing a connection between this and London bombings. Of course, said connection boils down to them saying “this game exists. Terrorism exists too. COINCIDENCE?!!”. I especially love how they say this footage was found days after a terror attack in England despite, again, the build they’re showcasing being 4 years old at the time of the report.

That last part is truly unforgivable to me. How pedantic moral guardians can keep convincing themselves that they are some sort of keepers of decency while they themselves exploit real tragedies, defame people, lie to the public in ways that can have very strong and long-lasting effects as it’s actively trying to hurt someone’s reputation (and indeed it has had such effects on the dev), and overall incite hatred, is beyond me.

And again, I can’t stress this enough, but the game as they describe it doesn’t exist, the outrage they report on doesn’t exist, the police investigation they claim is going on doesn’t exist, the footage they inserted is irrelevant, as are the references to terrorism. They created this entire thing from scratch. This is as close to literal fake news as we can have

To make matters worse, the developer of the game reached out to 9news, pointing out that the current version of the game is nothing like the footage they have shown (he abandoned the violent material entirely and is now focusing on creating the most accurate recreation of Adelaide possible for people to simply walk around and drive in) and they refused to use footage from that and according to the dev, they flat-out said that they wanted to make the game as unappealing as possible.

And here’s the thing, it’s an indy game still under development here. It’s very low-key, and it already had horrible consequences, but if these people are willing to do this to a random person for no reason, they can and will do this to far more people, they’ll keep inventing outrages and assassinate people’s characters, all to make a quick buck off sensationalist horseshit. You or people you love could be next.

I honestly hesitate to call this sort of people journalists. The world needs journalists, as in people informing the masses about major events that could affect their lives and that of everyone around them. People who expose facts that society would have remained unaware of if it weren’t for them. People who risk their own lives so everyone else can know the truth about what goes on thousands of miles away from them. THOSE are journalists. And they are fucking heroes.

But the people at 9news and their ilk, they’re not journalists. At best, they’re lobbyists. They don’t report news. They don’t even report facts. They corrupt their medium by instead using it to spread lies and push their own agenda, and they don’t give a fuck who gets hurt in the process. At a time when terrorism can hit at any moment, Nazis are creeping back into the political spectrum, social freedoms are being set back decades and a White supremacist sex offender who usurped power thanks to a massively anti-democratic loophole has the power to launch nukes, these shitheads have decided that the best use of their status was to lie to the public for their own petty interests.

[batblogcff12-blog]

The Rise of Racism in Canadian Politics

Christian Forzley Saad 214163208

Dr. Ethel Tungohan

POLS 4103

The Rise of Racism in Canada-Be Careful Who You Vote For…

Okay How do I say this? Racism is definitely on the rise in Canada. Don’t get me wrong of course, I new racism always existed in Canada. From the stories I would hear as a child of my grandparents who came to Canada and were mocked and discriminated against a mainly Anglo-Saxon population who had a “distaste for their foreign sounding accents”. To the day a year and a half ago when me and my East Asian partner where denied a rental unit, because we were of “different backgrounds”, till the day me and my partner witnessed a white supremacist commit a terror attack at Yorkdale shopping Mall, where he pulled out a knife, yelled “terror attack”, and attacked an elderly man who was dressed in Muslim garments, (Was briefly reported on T.V.- without any detail- I wonder why…) Not to mention, I testified in court on the condition my distraught partner wouldn’t have to, and when my partner sought therapy and counselling in the aftermath of the attack, her therapist told her “if you don’t like it here, you can go back to where you came from”.

If you’re reading this wondering, of course racism exists in Canada, it always has always. So, what is so different from back then till now? Well you might want to think again… In less than half a year, Canada will be holding its next Federal Elections. Racism and racist ideology are increasingly making its way into Canadian politics. The main candidates include current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, NDP Prime Ministerial Candidate Jagmeet Singh, and ‘Progressive’ Conservative Prime Ministerial Candidate Andrew Scheer. This is where I would like to dedicate a little bit of time address the big elephant in the room, racism in Canadian politics. Where should we begin….

Maxime Bernier, said on August 12th, 2018 in a tweet that wrote “Trudeau’s extreme multiculturalism and cult of diversity will divide us” Wait, Trudeau’s “extreme multiculturalism” (Not So Brief, 2018). How did Justin Trudeau end up in Mr. Bernier’s twitter rants? It almost appears as if some people in this country blame the weather on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Secondly, “extreme multiculturalism”? How can people from diverse racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds which comprise Canada’s diverse population be ‘extreme’? The thought of a multicultural society only seems to represent a “threat” to those who embrace white supremacist ideology, and white terrorist organizations, who CSIS says it is “more and more preoccupied with” (Tunney, 2019, pp 1).

Bernier in another tweet said, “Cultural balkanisation brings distrust, social conflict, and potentially violence, as we are seeing everywhere. It’s time we reverse this trend before the situation gets worse. More diversity will not be our strength” (Not So Brief, 2018). Okay, so multiculturalism brings distrust, social conflict, and violence, but white supremacy doesn’t?

Diversity which strengthens a society’s knowledge and understanding of the world through inherited knowledge and experiences from diverse backgrounds, is a weakness? Perhaps that is why research has shown that diverse groups and societies tend “to be more innovative than homogeneous groups” (Phillips, 2014, pp. 1). “We must reverse this trend before the situation gets worse”? Okay, this is like watching a real-life horror movie, and a creepy one too. If Bernier believes that immigrants and diversity ‘must be reversed’ and ‘will destroy what made us such a great country’, then why doesn’t Mr. Bernier trace the village in France where his familial ancestors immigrated from, reverse it, move back, and see if they’d be willing to take him? They probably wont. (Last Name)

The next candidate is Prime Ministerial candidate Andrew Scheer. Scheer defeated Maxime Bernier by a few percent to become leader of the Conservative Party. You may be thinking… Thank God! Well, you shouldn’t, here’s why. Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer “enthusiastically embraced a ‘pro-pipeline’ convoy on Parliament Hill”, this February (Khandaker, 2019, pp. 1). Furthermore, Scheer did so, knowingly that the convoy had “racist, anti-immigrant elements” present among it (Khandaker, 2019, pp. 1). He didn’t even bother to hide it. On his twitter page, Scheer wrote “The #UnitedWeRoll convoy is a testament to the importance of Canada's energy sector and the crisis it's facing” (Khandaker, 2019). Okay well, Justin Trudeau isn’t perfect right? There is a whole list of agenda items and political decisions we can condemn Justin Trudeau for, but dog whistling to racist organizations, and embracing White Supremacy is Not one of them.

(Photo obtained from Washington Post Shows a member of the ‘United We Roll’ Convoy, Joined by Andrew Scheer)

Moreover, Scheer held an interview in 2017 on Faith Goldy’s ‘Rebel Media’ show (Kinsella, 2018, pp. 1).

(Scheer is seen photographed with Faith Goldy on Rebel Media)

The only problem is that they weren’t making plans to go duck hunting together. Andrew Scheer, a Prime Ministerial candidate knowingly held an interview with Goldy, a “prominent member of the alt-right movement who associates with Neo-Nazis and promotes their ideology” (Who, n.d., pp. 1). Goldy has said the “infamous Fourteen Words on air, a neo-Nazi slogan” Furthermore, Goldy has continuously “defended her use of the Fourteen Words” (Who, n.d., pp. 1).

Goldy has “called for Canada to return to be a 96% white, European country” (Who, n.d., pp. 6). Additionally, when accounting for Canada’s current demographics, with visible minorities compromising a majority of the population of Vancouver, Toronto, Markham, Brampton, Richmond, Burnaby, Surrey, and are set to compromise at least a “third of all Canadians by 2036”, one is forced to wonder what it would take for Canada to become a 96 per cent white country (Visible, 2017, pp. 2).  Discriminatory birth policies and prohibiting non-white immigration “isn't sufficient to reach a 96 per cent white country” (Who, n.d., pp. 8). It would “require mass deportations and mass murder”.

Okay, why is this the problem? Well to say the least, these events, which are shaping Canada’s political scene represent a new extremely dangerous phase in our country’s politics. Why so? Well, these leaders are embracing White Supremacist and racist views similar to those held by U.S. President, Donald Trump. And that is a problem? You bet. Donald Trump was elected President in 2016 and has on multiple occasions refused to condemn white supremacists and neo-Nazis (Graham, 2018, pp. 5).

The year Donald Trump was elected, the number of killings by white supremacist groups “accounted for nine homicides” (Werner, 2018, pp. 2). One year later in 2017, after Trump refused to condemn the same racist rhetoric Faith Goldy, Maxime Bernier, and Andrew Scheer have embraced, a “rise in white supremacist violence” occurred throughout the United States, in 2017, with the Anti-defamation League reporting that the “number of white supremacist murders in the United States more than doubled in 2017, compared to the previous year” (ADL, 2018, pp. 1).

Okay so here you have it, evidence that proves two of the candidates running to be yours, mine, and all of our PRIME MINISTER, are BIGOTS, and have embraced the same hateful rhetoric that caused dangerous white supremacist violence and terror to double in one year’s time in the United States. Still not convinced? Yes, these candidates are Racist, Bigots.

Think about that before our upcoming election this year. Think about your family and friends, among whom are minority backgrounds, and what these candidates really think of them. Would you trust them to decide policies that will affect the lives of your friends? Or your families? Elections are approaching fast, and we need to ask ourselves, what type of Canada will we have afterwards? If you were well aware that a convoy was carrying anti-immigrant and racist figures and elements, would you embrace them? Even more so, would you take to twitter after the fact to praise them, valorize, and exemplify them? Probably not, unless of course, you shared some of their views and ideas. There is an old saying, be careful what you wish for… To all Canadians, I say, be careful who you vote for…

       Works Cited

1.      Graham, D. A. (2018). Why Can’t Trump Just Condemn Nazis? The Atlantic.

2.      Khandaker, T. (2019). Andrew Scheer Criticized for Support of United We Roll Convoy. VICE News Retrieved from https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/a3bjb4/andrew-scheer-criticized-for-support-of-united-we-roll-convoy

3.      Kinsella, W. (2018). Scheer might be hearing more about Faith Goldy as party edges ever-closer to an election. The Hill Times. Retrieved from https://www.hilltimes.com/2018/04/09/139763/139763

4.      N.a. (2018). A Not-So-Brief History of Racism from Andrew Scheer’s Conservative Party. https://north99.org/2018/08/10/a-not-so-brief-history-of-racism-from-andrew-scheers-conservative-party/

5.      N.a. Last name: Bernier. N.d. Retrieved from https://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Bernier

6.      N.a. Who is Faith Goldy? Retrieved from https://www.antihate.ca/who_is_faith_goldy

7.      N.a. Visible minorities may comprise one-third of Canadians by 2036. Retrieved from https://www.macleans.ca/news/visible-minorities-may-comprise-one-third-of-canadians-by-2036/

8.      N.a. ADL Report: White Supremacist Murders More Than Doubled in 2017. Retrieved from https://www.adl.org/news/press-releases/adl-report-white-supremacist-murders-more-than-doubled-in-2017

9.      Phillips, K.W. (2014). How Diversity Makes Us Smarter. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-diversity-makes-us-smarter/

10. Tunney, C. (2019). CSIS dealing with right-wing extremism 'more and more,' says spy chief. CBC News. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/csis-right-wing-white-supremacy-1.5092304

11. Werner, K. (2018). White supremacists committed most extremist killings in 2017, ADL says. NBC News. Retireved from  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/white-supremacists-committed-most-extremist-killings-2017-adl-says-n838896

[ashliteil]

We Need To Talk About PewDiePie

I’ve been waiting a couple of days for a YouTuber I follow - who posts daily - to upload his new video. He’s been talking about something new and different that he put together, and I’ve been excited to see what it is. When I didn’t see anything on his channel, I went to check his Twitter and was horrified. 

Instead of a link to a new video, I found a retweet of YouTube’s controversial “king.” 

“My Response,” was the name of the video in the PewDiePie tweet. “My statement about hate groups supporting me.” I sighed so loudly I woke up my dog.

YouTube has become somewhat of a comfort for me over the past year and a half or so. I’ve discovered some hilarious and creative people, and have been inspired myself to be more creative. I’ve picked up hobbies, learned new skills, and refined skills that I already had by watching YouTube, and on lazy days, I can always count on a series of videos to keep me occupied or help me fall asleep. But sometimes things get weird in the YouTube community, and it starts to drain all the fun. 

As with practically every part of the internet, you learn to avoid two major things on YouTube: comment sections and content that you don’t like/disagree with. I learned pretty early on that PewDiePie’s brand of humor was not for me. I had figured that he maintained such a large following for a reason, and decided to give him a try, but he failed to entertain me. Edgy, boundary-pushing humor stopped being funny to me when I was about 14. But entertaining me, specifically, wasn’t his job; I moved on to channels that did engage me, and I never looked back. 

His current “situation,” for lack of a better word, didn’t come as a surprise to me. He’s said some awful things in the past, and my response to hearing that he made anti-Semitic remarks was along the lines of “yeah, that sounds about right.” 

Obviously, I thought it was atrocious; how anybody in 2017 could possibly think making light of the historical genocide of a group of people was somehow acceptable - or, worse yet, humorous - was beyond me. But I wasn’t shocked when I heard who did it. I wasn’t even shocked when other YouTubers didn’t say anything - whether for or against the situation or PewDiePie himself, there was an overwhelming silence from the community.

But what did shock me was the amount - and the kind - of support he got today, particularly after posting that video.

The video’s description made me think Pewds was going to condemn those hate groups. He was going to maturely accept fault and acknowledge that losing his show and connection to Disney’s Maker Studios came as a consequence of his actions, and that would be that. Instead, what I made myself sit through was less of an apology or understanding of what he did wrong, and more of an instance of “sorry you were offended,” and condemning of the media.

Funnily enough, the video came on the same day our “fake news”-hating president tried to assure the press that he was the least anti-Semitic and least racist person he knew. 

Election night for me, like for many others, felt like the shock ending of a movie: dramatic and emotional, but, by all accounts, the results made no sense. In an effort to find comfort in a situation that led many to fear for the livelihoods of themselves and their loved ones, many of us flocked to social media, particularly Twitter, to express our disdain for what had just happened. What was this going to mean for journalists, who scramble to gather and distribute the truth in a time where the new leader of the country attacked them and their industry at every turn? What about women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ people, people who weren’t rich, people of different religions, people who fit into more than one of these identities? We were openly devastated, not because the person we voted for lost, but because someone unqualified and backed by groups like the actual KKK was elected as the face of the country. 

While most of us were on the same page - angry, terrified, desperate for someone to say “just kidding!” - there, of course, were those who didn’t share the same sentiment. I’m mature enough to know that not everyone shares the same political opinion; to paraphrase a quote from Obama from his farewell speech, we may disagree on our plan of action, but we can agree on what needs to be done for the good of everyone. But this was a different thing altogether; we weren’t just disagreeing on taxes, we were arguing about whether someone who talked about grabbing women by the genitals should be at the head of the discussions on reproductive rights; whether the guy who filed for four different bankruptcies should be in charge of the country’s finances; whether the guy backed by - I repeat - the very real KKK would listen to groups like BLM or condemn hateful acts by dangerous people like D*lann Roof.

But what really blew me away was the response from a YouTuber, who I used to consider a favorite of mine. In a (what appears to be deleted) series of tweets, he made comments on how those opposing the election results were just as intolerable as those people who supported the new president. In a rare move, I replied to one of his tweets, asking why we were expected to be okay with the results and the president’s supporters’ hateful actions surrounding the situation. I was extremely disappointed when he replied that “people hate on [him] all the time,” and that it didn’t stop him from persisting in his career because he didn’t “hate” them back. This was a grown man with a child, so I wasn’t going to explain to him that the “hate” he gets on YouTube is vastly different from the hate of discriminatory groups of people with political and systemic power to hold back and even harm the people that they hate. 

I had an idea of what he was doing - I know that maintaining a large fan base on such public platforms as YouTube comes with being careful not to alienate your fans by taking “extreme” stances on certain issues. I get it. But I expected someone whose “thing” is being nice and accepting of people would be more sympathetic to the fears of his followers.

Imagine my lack of surprise when I saw that this same YouTuber was speaking out in support of PewDiePie, laughing at headlines that he claimed pushed an “agenda” and telling publications to “learn humor.” It really made me wonder why they were so convinced that “the media” as a whole had it out for him. What would established publications have to gain from trying to tear him down? 

“I do strongly believe that you can joke about anything,” PDP says in his video. And I think this is part of the problem; you absolutely can not joke about everything. Everything is not a joke. It has nothing to do with differing senses of humor; some things are not okay to make light of. Period. Even in, for example, reclaiming slurs used against marginalized groups, that is only for marginalized groups to do; it’s the same concept that says non-black people are not allowed to say the “N-word.” These are not his jokes to make.

To carelessly say and display a phrase like “Death to all Jews” and say it’s just a joke is irresponsible, especially when you have a following as large as he does that contains young, impressionable kids, who can easily go to school the next day saying the same thing, joke or not. Both kids and adults who joke about things like that (remember fried chicken and watermelon jokes?) are normalizing hateful stereotypes and ideologies. But for some reason, he doesn’t seem to believe that this is something that happens.  

As far as I know, no one believes that he’s an actual real-life nazi. But in trying to push boundaries with distasteful “jokes,” he messed up big time, and it’s time for him, his fans, and his friends to realize that. The Wall Street Journal has no reason to “attack” him; they were reporting on his actions and how that affected his business, because they are, in fact, a publication that focuses on business. And while 48 Jewish community centers in the U.S. and Canada are receiving bomb threats, making hate speech into a joke is crossing a line. There is a bigger discussion that needs to be had beyond people and the media “hating on” successful YouTube personalities. Sitting idly by and keeping silent until your fave is “targeted,” to quote PewDiePie, “helps no one.”

[quakerjoe]

Alrightee. Where to begin with this vid by the Young Turks' Cenk Uygur... This video is more of a cautionary reprimand against violence. Do I agree? Whole-heartedly... at least for the basic, moral stance. However, things, they are a-changin'. I do NOT condone violence. One of my favourite quotes is "The first person to raise a fist is the first one to have run out of ideas." But there are Trump supporters out there. There are very racist people out there. There are religious nuts and gun nuts, and no matter WHAT you say or do; no matter how many facts you present, there IS NO REACHING THESE FUCKTARDS!

Have you ever tried to talk reason with a Trump supporter? On rare occasion, they can make some good anti-establishment points, but that's about where their 'reason' ends and fuckery begins. Do you think YOU can have a sit down with a Neo-Nazi, Alt-Right motherfucker? Personally, I find them to contemptible, and given that their ilk is what's at work right now to undo civil liberties, and to take us back to the Jim Crow days with all the vim and vigor of McCarthyism, and given that the GOP  has, SINCE DAY ONE (with the attempt at sacking the Ethics Committee) put us all on notice that they are going to do some mighty dirty deeds, break laws, and to get rich while burdening We the People with the bills, it should give anyone pause to think "What could one POSSIBLY say or do to change these people's minds and see the insanity they're immersed in?"

I used to be a dreamer. I used to believe in rational, cognitive discussion and healthy debate, but when the other side WILL NOT LISTEN and will not see your views and they throw about their own little fictitious views of reality not based on a shred of fact, then there is NO getting through to them. It's like trying to argue with a spoiled child who's got a degree in ignoring grown-ups. What does one do with a child who is THAT bad? They get a spanking! Oh, and don't give me this "you shouldn't hit your kids" bullshit either. My generation got spankings, and Millennials didn't, and look how that went. (Not as bad as one thinks!) I'm talking about extreme cases here. I've only ever spanked my own kids once or twice, and not that hard, to set the precedence, but the truth is, I TALK to my children, they listen, we discuss, I admit when I am wrong, as do they, and spankings really have never been needed after the first one or two whaps to a padded, diapered bottom.

The big problem here is that we're dealing with "adults", and in regards to Trump/Alt-Right Neo-Nazis etc., I am using that term very, very loosely. They're all impetuous children who won't fucking listen. They won't compromise. They refuse to play well with others or share. So what's left? How are Liberals supposed to combat such flamboyant ignorance? How does one go against people who REFUSE to hear you, and despite all Progressive efforts to make EVERYONE's lives better with health care coverage, education, regulation of those who'd exploit workers and pollute the environment and engage in shitty business practices, they believe you're a selfish asshole? I swear, these people would have burned Jesus alive. We're about out of options here, and given their initial propensity for violence at Trump rallies, the KKK's history of being far less than kind to non-whites, and their stance on women's & LGBTQ rights, I don't trust them, and I don't see how to get them to open their minds, their hearts, or to get them to think.

Love does NOT trump hate. It never has. If it did, war would have been obsolete centuries ago. Love is what keeps us hanging on. Hope is what brings us through to tomorrow. Together, they are what gets us on our feet again after hate has kicked us all in the crotch and punched us in the face and then kicked us again when we're down. THAT is the truth of it. Show me someone who disagrees, and I'll show you a delusional Leftie who's read too many romance novels or watched too many romance movies.

Enough is getting to be well past enough. We're running out of time, and we've run out of options last November when this could have been prevented. The US did this to itself, and now we get to live with it but we don't have to like it. "We fight!" some say. Really? How are you going to do that? Do you think for an instant that those now in government are scared? Oh, fuck no! Don't be fooled. It's only been a matter of DAYS and we're plummeting into a deep, dark, odious pit of fuckery that's going to go on for four years, and it'll take DECADES to repair, even if Progressives get elected for every office in the nation repeatedly. Trump and his supporters will just fiddle while America burns. And again, I DO NOT CONDONE VIOLENCE, but if you've ever read a history book, you will know that the "pitchforks and torches" (and guillotines) stage is rapidly approaching. It's time to stop fooling ourselves with all the hippie-love shit and prepare for battle, because talk is cheap, and it doesn't work against the current adversaries.

[blockheadbrands]

Buzzes & Bummers: 2018 Was a Wild Ride in the World of Cannabis

David Bienenstock of Leafly Reports:

It took a whole lot of rolling (joints) and scrolling (old news feeds) to complete a thorough review of the most important, inspiring and infuriating stories about cannabis from the past year—and no doubt I still missed a few along the way. In my defense, 2018 has been a wild ride in the world of weed, a 12-month timespan which truly could be called “the best of times and the worst of times,” or perhaps just the highest and lowest of times.

My personal year in cannabis began on New Year’s Day, when I waited in line along with countless other Californians to buy some cannabis on the first day of legal adult-use sales. The fact that I was already stoned before I made my purchase would seem to indicate that it wasn’t exactly difficult to find cannabis in the Golden State prior to this momentous occasion, but that’s kind of besides the point.

And cannabis just kept getting legal-er and legal-er all year, including in Vermont, Michigan, Missouri, Utah, and the entire nation of Canada (see more below). Election Night also ushered in new, pro-legalization governors in so-far not legalized Illinois, Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, and New Mexico, and also saw the defeat of staunch cannabis opponent Pete Sessions, who’s been blocking cannabis legislation for years.

And then you scroll a little further down and discover that the new Farm Bill is going to legalize hemp farming in the United States for the first time in eighty years (huzzah!). Or that Big Tobacco just invested $2.4 billion dollars in the weed business (fuck!). Or that Thailand is blazing a trail in Asia—where cannabis laws are often draconian and harshly enforced—by legalizing medical use (yes!). Or assholes like recently retired Speaker of the House John Boehner think that after decades of pushing prohibition they deserved to get rich off cannabis (oh, hell no!).

It’s honestly hard to know what to think these days. Perhaps my new year’s resolution for 2019 will be more rolling, less scrolling! But until then, here are the buzzes and bummers 2018 had to offer.

Buzz: Vermont Legalizes Adult-Use Cannabis

Less than two weeks into 2018, Vermont lawmakers gave final approval to a bill legalizing adult-use cannabis, and the governor subsequently signed it into law, making it the first state to end prohibition through the legislature rather than a direct vote of citizens.

Bummer: Big Tobacco Makes Moves in Cannabis

It’s no longer a question of if Big Tobacco and the booze barons will enter the cannabis market, but rather how aggressively they’ll move in and how much market share they’ll manage to gobble up.

Neither corporate giant lifted a finger to help legalize cannabis or bring justice to the millions of people who’ve been incarcerated or had their lives disrupted as a result of prohibition.

In August, Constellation Brands (brewers of Corona beer) spent $4 billion to massively up their stake in Canopy Growth, which in 2014 became the first publicly traded cannabis company in North America, and now lists on both the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange.

And then in December, Altria (formerly Phillip Morris) made a $1.8 billion investment in Cronos, a Canadian cannabis company, which includes an option to take a controlling stake in the future. As first reported by Leafly, Altria has “over the past five years quietly patented dozens of devices that could be used to consume marijuana, a review of public documents at the US Patent and Trademark Office shows.”

Important to note: Neither corporate giant lifted a finger to help legalize cannabis or bring justice to the millions of people around the world who’ve been incarcerated or had their lives disrupted as a result of prohibition. And Altria in particular comes to the table with a long track record of corporate malfeasance, which is why they changed their name in the first place.

Buzz: Bong Wick Fighting Crime

On September 6, four men burst into the Recreational Cannabis Farmers Market in Shannonville, Canada, spraying a can of bear mace and screaming “get down.” The plan was allegedly to rob the place blind, but as they say in the action movies, these punks picked the wrong dispensary.

Despite being outnumbered and taken by surprise, John Wick—the store’s clerk—reached down below the register, pulled out a borosilicate glass bong, and prepared to defend his turf. As captured in the store’s surveillance video, the four cowardly criminals were clearly no match for a good guy with a bong.

Bummer: The Cost of Legal CBD

What would you call someone who spends $32,500 a year on cannabis that doesn’t get you high? GW Pharmaceuticals will soon call them customers, because that’s how much patients are estimated to shell out for Epidiolex, a cannabis-derived treatment for seizure disorders that was approved in June by the FDA, rescheduled by the DEA in September (though only Epidiolex was rescheduled, not CBD itself) and is currently moving rapidlythrough phase III clinical trials.

There’s nothing to justify the sky-high price (about $90 per day) beyond the cost of research and development to win FDA approval.

Marinol (synthetic THC) has been available by prescription since 1986, and other synthetic cannabinoid drugs are in the works, but Epidiolex is the first plant-derived pharmaceutical to reach the US market. It was fast tracked through the approval process in response to parents of severely epileptic children pushing for a way to legally use CBD, after seeing it work wonders for children profiled in a 2013 CNN documentary called Weed, hosted by Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Bringing pharmaceutical CBD to market will make it available to patients in every state (with a doctor’s prescription), allow it to be covered by health insurance, and guarantee a product that’s produced to high standards.

But there’s nothing to justify the sky-high price (about $90 per day) beyond the cost of research and development to win FDA approval and Big Pharma’s insatiable thirst for profits. No wonder GW has been working behind the scenes to lobby for a de-facto monopoly on legal CBD.

Because here’s the recipe, which includes nothing expensive:

EPIDIOLEX (cannabidiol) oral solution is a clear, colorless to yellow liquid containing cannabidiol at a concentration of 100 mg/mL. Inactive ingredients include dehydrated alcohol, sesame seed oil, strawberry flavor, and sucralose.

Buzz: Canada Legalizes Adult-Use Cannabis

On October 17, Canada made history by becoming the second nation (after Uruguay) to federally legalize adult-use cannabis. Leafly provided coast-to-coast coverage, and threw a party called the “Bud Drop” with a countdown to the big moment when the clock struck midnight.

We even got you ready to roll with a comprehensive list of the best Canadian cannabis strains of all time, including Island Sweet Skunk, Romulan, and Jean Guy.

Bummer: Patients Are Still Struggling for Cannabis Access

John Flickner, a 78-year-old resident of Niagara Falls, New York, was evicted from his federally subsidized housing in December of this year for using a vape pen. The facility, which has a “zero tolerance” policy on “drug use” (except alcohol and pharmaceuticals) kicked Flickner to the curb in the freezing cold despite the fact that he uses a wheelchair and has a doctor’s recommendation to consume medical cannabis per state law.

All because federal law still sees him as a wonton criminal. So he ended up in a homeless shelter. Thankfully, a public outcry led his old landlords to allow him back home.

Buzz: Utah Legalized Medical Cannabis

In October, as Utah citizens prepared to vote on Proposition 2, a statewide medical cannabis ballot initiative, Democratic state senator Jim Dabakis decided to head out on a fact-finding trip—in more ways than one. Claiming he’d never tried cannabis before in his life, Dabakis drove to Nevada, bought a cannabis-infused gummy, and then posted a live video feed of himself on social media as he ate the edible.

“I think the reefer madness crowd—you guys, you need to try it.”Sen. Jim Dabakis (D-UT)

“I think the reefer madness crowd—you guys, you need to try it,” Dabakis told the world. “It’s not that big a deal.”

On election night, Proposition 2 passed with sizable majority, but instead of enacting the law as written, lawmakers in Utah signed off on a “compromise bill” that’s more restrictive than Proposition 2 but has wider political support.

Bummer: “Just Say No to Nazi Weed”

Bethany Sherman, formerly the owner of OG Analytics, a cannabis testing lab in Oregon, filed a defamation lawsuit in October against online anti-fascist activists after they exposed her alleged ties to local white nationalists.

She claims that when Antifa activists publicized her posts to social media and message boards, they took them “out of context.” Then she hired an attorney to defend her who is a self-described white nationalist.

Allegations against Sherman included that she baked swastika-shaped cookies for a celebration of Adolf Hitler’s birthday (which is also, coincidentally, 4/20). The lawsuit is still pending, but in the meantime, just say no to Nazi weed and check out the real story of 4/20 for a highly inspiring tale that represents the best of cannabis culture.

Buzz: Cannabis Equity Programs Expand Opportunities

In late November, Blunt + Moore, the first dispensary to get permitted as part of Oakland, California’s far reaching cannabis equity program, held their grand opening in a small, sleek retail space just across the highway from Oracle Arena, home of the Golden State Warriors.

The shop’s proprietor, Alphonso T Blunt, Jr., is a 31-year-old, fourth generation Oakland resident who started selling cannabis when he was just 16. He qualified for the equity program based on a previous felony conviction, and having lived in a neighborhood disproportionately targeted for cannabis arrests.

Blunt told Leafly’s David Downs he could never have made it into the legal industry without the program’s assistance in getting licensed and attracting investors.

“Had you asked me even a year ago, I thought it wouldn’t happen. I can’t even put into words how it feels.”

But reviews of the equity program have been mixed, with critics arguing it so far has a disappointing track record for actually bringing equity-approved businesses online.

The effort has meanwhile inspired other municipalities and states to follow suit. In September, California passed a statewide Cannabis Equity Act, and undoing the damage of the War on Drugs has now become a standard part of the legalization conversation around the world.

TO READ MORE OF THIS ARTICLE ON LEAFLY, CLICK HERE.

https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/buzzes-bummers-2018-was-a-wild-ride-in-the-world-of-cannabis

[ramrodd]

Why does National Security Advisor John Bolton want the United States to go to war so bad? (edit)

The neo-cons like John Bolton liked the idea of John Galt making the $ign of the dollar over Baghdad and he’s been chosen to do it again.

COMMENTARY:

Compensation for being scared shitless of going to Vietnam when he was hiding out in the National Guard and pay backs to combat veterans for being combat veterans. Plus, it has been a lucrative career path for him: after displaying his imcompetence as part of the neo-con “Project for the New American Century” jug fuck, he has been somewhat lavishly bankrolled by right wing Dark Money to help obstruct American progressive diplomacy and to advance the neo-isolationism of Steve Bannon. And he got his job with Trump specifically to start a tidy little war to boost the cash flows from the public treasury to his patrons in the GOP Deep State.

It’s all about money.

ADDENDUM:

An additional study of the native crypto-Nazi cognitive organization in response to various considerations proposed by Louis E. Walker, below:

Bless your shriveled lifer soul, I knew I could count on you, Looey (My compliments to Huey and Dewey) After 25 years of the crypto-Nazis with an (R) behind their name pulling you around by your dick, you enjoy it so much, you pull yourself around by your dick. It’s how you earn your red MAGA hat and get your face on MSNBC.

The source of personal bitterness isn’t some ancient grudge against some crypto-Nazi who reminded me of Humphrey Bogart on the bridge of the Caine, if he was Alex Jones doing his thing. I left that behind that day and, like the Christians in Jerusalem whenCestius Gallus withdrew his investment, got out of Dodge. That was the end of Plan A. I think about it and ponder how I could have remained, but more as a professional speculation: if I had had Myers-Briggs about the time you were about 7 years old, when I reported for duty at Infantry Hall. could I have been able to accomodate myself to the moral strictures John McCain surpassed?

No. I’ve thought about it since that evening briefing in An Khe July 1970. I didn’t leave the Army because the Army was fucked up: I left the Army because I judged myself morally insufficient for the contingencies I must surpass in a similar manner as John McCain. It has to do with Matthew 8:10 and the society of the centurion. I explained to John McCain before he died that the reason I left was that “Honor” in the manner he conceived it isn’t the way I conceive it. I explained that, if I had the option of an early out he had, I’m not sure I would have hesitated to accept and live wiit, fully aware of the act as the moral equivalent of tossing a couple women off a Titanic life boat to make room for myself. I don’t know what I would have done and I needed to know and confronted the existential dilemma of continuing to believe in myself or to continue believing in the Big Green Machine.

It was a no-bainer. I quit believing in myself and, as discretely as possible, bailed out.

The issue of “bitterness” is dealing with the fresh insult du-jour from crypto-Nazi asshole like you acting like a typical crypto-Nazi asshole in Fortune 500 corporations with the power to hire you who is pissed at you as a combat vet because you are superior to him in virtually any catagory they can name except running a business, which is just another skill set that’s easy and fun to acquire, and have a certain J’en ais sais quoi with their women money and status can’t duplicate. It’s why Nero dressed up as a Gladiator and Trump performed that ringside blindside WWE takedown.

I continue to run into that with crypto-Nazis like John Bolton and Tucker Carlson and, I can testify, a huge factor in the suicide rate of ANY military vet trying to reenter the civilian market place, it is just dealing like these white guys who were not Democrats, because Democrats didn’t generally go into corporations in the 70s: that began to change in the 80s, when the community organizers from the civil rights movement and social entrepreneurs from the anti-war-event-organizers began going public with their own corporations.

So, when you pop up with your typical lifer scorn and outrage, you become a useful object lesson in being able to identify crypto-Nazi sympathizers who can be enlightened and are worth the trouble to actually appealing to their expensive training and practice in critical thinking at the 5th Wave High Performance operational level but hasn’t learned how to employ those same epistemological mechanisms at home, domestically, for fun and profit. And, when you come into the civilian corporate operational culture, your superior methods just pisses everybody else off. The reason why the Survivor reality show is so popular and persistent is because it is based on the HR model of Rosabeth Moss Kanter coupled to “Neutron Jack” Welch’s management construct, which is based on voting people off the island.

I voted for Nixon before I went to Vietnam and I voted for Nixon when I came home. Nixon and Daniel Patrick Moynihan developed a domestic program designed to spill over into the global economy, including the Soviet Union, that set a process in motion to transform the Miitary-Industrial Complex to an Aerospace-Entrpreneurial Matrix committed to creating the infrastructure necessary to establish a permanent United Nations Space Force base on the moon by 2001, just like the movie. Officers my age with ROTC commissions assumed that it was just a matter of time until Starship Troopers would deploy to the moon. The movie “Aliens” has the most realistic concept of a squaud of Mobile Infantry at work. That’s actually pretty close to what it felt like to be spending the night at LZ X-Ray in the Ia Drang.

That domestic program was called “Affirmative Action” and Carter inherited and his domestic chief, Stuart Eizenstat, really got it working in the manner that Nixon and Moynihan intended, I was working with a bunch of Democrats in an 8(a) consulting firm in 1980, before and after Mt Saint Helen’s blew her top. and I examined the entire portfolio of the Community Services Administration and realized it was a political gold mine for the GOP because it was an economic gold mine for America. As an Eisenhower Republican, I thought it was a typical Democrat boon-doggle when I first took the job, but I was wrong.

When Reagan was elected, I took it to Charles Z. Wick, the head of the transition team. I got his private number from Ray Price, Nixon’s most faithful speech writer. He had been part of the neighborhood in Georgetown and I ended up housesitting when he was in San Clemente nursing Nixon back to life. Everything I know about Affirmative Action begins from long conversations with Ray and his book With Nixon. My pitch to Wick was that what I now call The Points of Light Program would do for the GOP what the New Deal did for Democrats in terms of a permanent majority. I wanted to run the Community Services Administration to that end. It was, after all, a Republican concept.

He liked the idea and asked me about my resume and, in the middle of the recitation, as I was explaining Plan B included doing business with the Soviets in an Armand Hammer kind of way, he blew up like that Brigade commander in An Khe and informed me with considerable passion that I wouldn’t do lunch on K Street the rest of my life because I was a Vietnam “loser” and I had done business with the Soviets.

And, thanks to crypto-Nazi assholes like John Bolton, he made it stick.

Here’s the thing: Reagan inherited everything he needed to establish a permanent moon base by 2001, including the enthusiastic concurrence of Soviet Aerospace, with the Democratic Socialism of the Nixon-Moynihan-Carter “Affirmative Action” process, but the crypto-Nazi assholes you identify with, politically, were determined to conduct class warfare and began to install the Tory Socialism of Reaganomics.

The thing that is making Elon Musk crazy is that he intuits that the economic critical path of America has always been into space but the crypto-Nazi assholes who were pulling you around by your dick have done nothing but obstruct, sabotage, cripple and otherwise deconstruct America’s capacity to put a permanent colony on the moon.

So, I’m a little bitter about that, but lifer assholes like you are a sure bet to provide me an opportunity to work it out for my several readers to enjoy.

Ltc Frank “Be All You Can Be” Burns and I are the only process theology gurus in the world and he’s dead. You use process theology for surgery: you just don’t use it to think critically about the current prolitical reality.

Putin has got one thing right: America ain’t the super power it was before Trump became POTUS. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing: since the Soviet Union closed shop, America has been the most dangerous nation in the world. The reason why the United Nations General Assembly laughed at him is because Putin is right.

And the reason why Nikki Haley is leaving is because the United Nations isn’t going to make the same mistake with Trump that the League of Nations made with Hitler. They are going to treat Trump like we treated Ghadaffi when he was blowing up Pan Am 747s until adult leadership is restored in the Oval Office in 2021.

And the people and most of you Army/Navy lifers vote for are the reason why.

By the way, you aren’t a orthopedic surgeon, are you? I have a joke about a guy who needed a brain and chose the brain of an orthopedic surgeon because it had never been used.

The punch line is, it still is brand new and in the Oval Office.