#I’m objectifying the poor creature

[official-penis-posts]

Look up how many heads an echidna's dick has.....you're welcome

Holy shit

Looks like a Star Wars character. Or like an Ood from Doctor Who.

[mightymizora]

So, I’d love to hear some commentary about ‘Even If Love,’ specifically regarding Lae’zel’s chapter.

One day she calls her Darling in front of the others, and they laugh at her. The Blade in his cloying softness explains that the word is a form of endearment, not usually a name, but the creature tells them all that it is as good as anything else. That she doesn't know what else she is, or could be. Astarion proposes more; Red Reckoning, Freckles, a game that amuses the others to no end as they wander through this endless, dull rock, but nothing is proposed that stays.

She hates the dawn that brings the day here. She hates the muted browns of the earth, the rolling hills, the leaves on the trees and the constant sounds of chittering. She hates the rules of this place, the look the Cleric Shadowheart gives her of disgust, she hates the way things are not-said in the places between, she hates the lack of discipline, the children expected to frolic with no training, the sad face of the Blade of Frontiers when he says they should just be allowed to be children. Children, indeed. Darling looks on them with a similar confusion, and she asks her why as they leave the grove with their new ally on their heels.

Lae’zel literally so autism creature to me ❤️. My wife with poor social understanding. Also, she and Manva are incredibly similar. Objectified as weapons, violence is power, etc.

Is Manva Lae’zel’s darling from beginning to end of BG3? Does Manva care about her at all? Does it mean anything to Manva that she is the source of Lae’zel’s bruises? And finally, I’m curious about this stanza:

She will betray you too, you know that, don’t you? Shadowheart tells her before she leaves. The Nightsong is with Ketheric, and the Cleric will never fulfil her destiny. She is the last to leave them, and was not the first. She places her forehead against hers with a sharp grip on her neck, an intimacy not earned that she squirms against, but is held fast to. Do not let her, Lae’zel. You will ride a dragon one day. I believe it.

She had almost forgotten.

She will not forget.

Explain!

- 🫀

Weee I get to talk about my fave! I love this fic honestly.

Answering this director's cut question... about my fics!

I'm probably going to jump straight under the cut as this ask is quite long!

So the first thing to say about this fic is that these little things are short, typed-into-the-browser character studies so they're very much vibes led. I just have a thought, take a moment to sit down and just type away with no real edits!

With Lae'zel I had been thinking about names and what she knows and doesn't know. I had, as I often do lmao, been thinking about a line in @popiellart's seminal, beautiful, masterful The dark urge sleeps alone which is my favourite bit (hard to choose but it just about wins) when Wormwood and Lae'zel are fucking nasty and this exchange suddenly happens:

"You remind me of my sister." "What's a sister?" Lae'zel demands breathily, and drops her hips down, spearing herself on him without hesitation, drawing a desirous, possessive growl from his draconic muzzle. His eyes, half-lidded with hunger, have that foggy, far-away look that vexes others, but she doesn't mind. He is living, yawning death on the battlefield, his scales turning regal crimson whenever he's bathed in blood, and when he violently grips her and slams her down on the crumbling altar, bruising her back and cracking this font of worship to some dusty, dead god with the roaring fire of their living, he is a dragon red enough for her. "I don't know," he admits, finally. "Something sharp, I think."

(God what a FIC.)

It got me thinking a lot about what words probably don't have a direct translation in Tir'su, and forms of affection was something I came back to a lot. Lae'zel has no real choice but to take things as they are presented to her, and I thought it was odd and kind of sweet that she might take a term of endearment to be a name and, without anything better to give her, Manva allows it.

I think Lae'zel is a tremendous love interest for a Durge on the middle to relapsing path. Astarion, Wyll, Gale, Karlach and Shadowheart offer so much for a resist!Durge, and of course Minthara and a full evil run is sublime. But there's something so beautiful and sad in the fact that Durge and Lae'zel meet each other in a similar space, both understanding violence, passion, a calling to something potentially. But as Lae'zel has the potential to grow into a new part of herself, Durge kind of either goes far away from what made their love beautiful or hurtles so far into the violence that it leaves her broken. It's just...!

With Manva specifically, post-Kressa she's a very reduced version of herself. She's not completely different, but there are gaps, uncertainties, and she falls back very much on relying that the energies given to her will guide her right. You're right, they are SO similar, especially in the tentative steps into the world in act 1. Again, they're both very much taking the world as they see it at the beginning of the game. Lae'zel is so forward with her affections, but when it comes down to it, although she cares for her very much, I don't think Manva loves her in the way Lae'zel needs her to. She's also dazzled by Minthara, and she reserves a lot of (eventually non sexual) intimacy for her friendship with Astarion. It doesn't end technically, but it doesn't grow into something deeper because Manva just craves more and more blood and passion, and it ultimately will destroy them both if Lae'zel doesn't stop (she'll never love anybody as she loves her father, anyway.)

As for this final bit! I thought it might need a bit more set up but I left it as it was. Manva's relationship to Shadowheart was always very much "You can stay, but you stay for your oath." and Shadowheart follows because she thinks that Manva understands the importance of a higher call. It's a very tense relationship. Then Manva doesn't take her to the Nightsong and instead gives her to Balthazar, a decision that I don't even think Manva understands at that point (she doesn't really understand her relationship to Ketheric, but there's something left that makes her decide to hand her over.) That's the betrayal. Manva promises them all something; that Astarion and Minthara will have their revenge and take their power, and that Lae'zel will ride a red dragon, but Shadowheart sees her for who she truly is. She will never do right by them, and they must not be drawn into her web. And she's right.

(I also can't resist a little Shadowzel moment. Poor Lae'zel should have gone with her when she had the chance!)

[too-scared-to-do-this]

Insufferable

Chapter one - Strike a match and watch it burn

Sander’s sides fanfiction - ‘Off the Devil’s head’ spin-off (can be read as a stand-alone)

Wordcount: 1172

Ship: intrulogical

TW: cursing - a lot of cursing (this is Remus after all), thievery, angry man, chasing, Remus somewhat-objectifying people and shit-talking, second-hand embarrassment aaaaand I feel like that might be all. If anything pops up, do let me know :)

Summary of the whole story: This might have not been the brightest idea - steeling from a cart right in the fucking smack-dab-middle of the Square. But Remus never claimed his ideas were bright. Never said his words and actions were appropriate either. So how in all off goddamned hell did he find himself sprawled out on a giant comfortable throne instead of a cold and dark (and very drippy) prison cell - with guards actually guarding his safety instead of assuring his imprisonment - is completely beyond him.

Link to AO3 for those who prefer reading there ^^

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Chapter one - Strike a match and watch it burn

This might have not been the brightest idea - steeling from a cart right in the fucking smack-dab-middle of the Square. But Remus never claimed his ideas were bright.

If they prevented him from starvation, they were more than perfect in his book. Although this might have been just a tad too stupid even for him. No, not stupid - daring. Because why else would he find himself in this goddamned idiotic situation; running at full speed and dodging stuck up towns-people left and right just to escape the angry cart-owner that’s gaining on him.

To hell with all this crowd! There’s literally no space to squeeze through! But they have no problem parting for the hurling grease-ball that’s flying after him. (Flying as flying - he’s stumbling from foot to foot breathing heavier than a dog in hot weather.)

And for a stupid reason even! Fucking apples!  Two fucking apples! The man wouldn’t even miss them! And it’s not like the town folk would mind. Yet, he apparently really, really does.  

So, guess what? This idea blows. And Rem is fully aware of this. But what else is he supposed to do but keep on dodging people and trying not to run over any poor kid in his way. Constantly checking behind his back to see if he lost the overly-heavy man.

Ah, to hell with pleasantries, call it what it is - the man was fat. Really, really fat. - Remus thought to himself. No matter how well his mum razed him, and how much he respects any body-tipe, this man just couldn’t be described any other way.

His head swiveled backwards, checking in on the now-barely shouting pig. A smirk stretched across his lips - he was a good stretch of path ahead of him and the cart-owner was kneeling over, panting hard. Good. Stupid idea, or not, he outran him. Now only to find a good hiding spot before he get’s caught by the gua-

Rem’s body collided with something. Something tall, hard and surprisingly really nice-smelling. He went flying backwards, butt hitting the ground harder than he expected. “Au…” he murmured rubbing his ass - not that the pain was that important at the moment.

His eyes blinked then focused on the pair of shoes standing still in front of him.

So what he ran into wasn’t a ‘what’ but a ‘who’ apparently. Eyes traveling up the fancy pants and suit, he took in the sheer height of the person standing in front of him. A very tall, very angular, very… lacking-emotional-expression-in-the-face person. Only the slight widening of his specks-hidden scarily-blue eyes was indication of any surprise.

Remus gulped. If it weren’t for the whole sitch he’s currently in, he might even let himself dwell on the fact that this someone is extremely hot. Not that he doesn’t let a few lusty thoughts cross his mind - that wouldn’t be Remus, if he didn’t. And as always, thoughts are accompanied with wide grins and words that spill out without control.

“Jesus Christ, if I wasn’t fleeing, I’d kiss you right here on the spot.” Well, no amount of mental slapping will take back that stupid sentence. His grin widens involuntarily - a nervous tick. Hops up from the ground. “But as you can see, handsome, I’m on the run.” Fucking hell, he winked. He actually winked. “So, I’ll be on my way.” Remus tips an imaginary hat, bowing slightly and steppes aside to leave.

Just then the crowd behind him parts again and the fat-ball stumbles into view. “Your majesty! Be careful, that’s the thief!”

Rem’s eyes widen at the thought; corners of his mouth pulling painfully. Your majesty?!

He looks the guy up and down quickly once again and it all comes crashing down. The shoes, the suit, even the fancy hair and glasses. Jesus fucking Christ, Rem just rammed into the king.

He gulped, trying to step around the him, but there was no way of getting out of the circle of citizens that has formed. Their majesty’s eyes were trained on him, the slight surprise in them fully gone. There was literally nothing that could give away his intentions - not a single tick of the muscle.

Remus was so, so screwed.

Well, prison, here he comes again. Those long nights of dripping water from god knows where and the awful company of his own suffocating thoughts. Back then he had the dragon-witch to talk with during the nights at least, now though… Matilde was far too far away by this point - fleeing from the forest because of idiots that attacked her with torches. Not that she couldn’t defend herself - that creature was the most powerful woman Rem has ever met - but she just didn’t want to waste her energy. “Better hidden and at peace, then discovered and at war.” she used to say.

That’s exactly what Rem was living by - camping out in her old house, rotating the surrounding kingdoms to steel from. Ya know, to keep himself alive out there. Yet here he was - discovered and at fucking war. He was going to prison, and that was that. No escape this time.

But then the king did something neither of them expected. His gorgeous blue eyes blinked and then he just so slightly moved aside, giving Remus the opening he needed to run. He gaped at the King for about a second, before his loud head returned back to earth. An internally embarrassing seductive wink later he was running again. Fleeing the outraged and surprised gazes. Headed for the woods. Mentally thanking the crazy king for saving his ass. Mind full of images of extremely piercing cold blue eyes.

-

And far behind his back the king pretended to be showed out of the way the moment the thief pushed past him. He on his own had no idea why he had done this. But the angry barking of Jeff the cart-owner and questioning of his loyal subjects weren’t the suitable surroundings to figure this out.

Instead, he reassured his guards that, indeed, he was fine and stood up straight again.

“He ran off!!” Jeff sneered angrily, still panting. “Your majesty, he’s running away with my apples! Do something!”

Coral, the head guard, turned to her king. “Should we go after him?” The rest of her crew immediately stiffened and got ready to move.

But Logan just held up his hand. He looked over his shoulder, searching for the wild green-haired hurricane that just tore through his peaceful kingdom. When he couldn’t see him, he announced: “There’s no need. He’s gotten too far by now. The castle will compensate for your loss, Jeff.” he nodded towards the heavy-boned bolding young man.

“Thank you, my king! You truly are the best!”

But the annoying citizen was already forgotten. Logan gave a curt nod, turned, and with the five guards following him, left. Walking the path which he came from - the one leading alongside the thick dark forest back to his castle.

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I feel like “He’s running away with my apples” is such a stupidly hilarious sentence XD 

Aaaaanyways! I know said any day now, and not today, but I caught the Writing bug and now it’s midnight and here we are. 

How have you been? I’ve been AWOL for a while I guess. But I’m back. With full force and new and fresh interest in writing this thing! I just hope I’ll do Rem’s character justice. 

Do let me know how you like it so far! And, you know I love speculations and theories - so bring them on! Maybe they’ll end up in the story because I like them enough XD

See ya next chap! <3

[bestwishes1986]

2am Guest (pt 1 of Val and Donavan)

The rain was coming down in sheets that Tuesday night across London. Val stood with a glass of water in his small kitchen. His thick fingers holding the glass as if it were a lifeline to some unseen creature. Ten deaths, bodies ripped apart, the wings of each fairy consumed on sight. He had been wracking his brain as to why for days. All since he had met That Man. Donovan Roe, tall, muscular and above all beautiful with those sad gray eyes. Val had been so sure he had been the monster he had chased through brothels, tea rooms, opuim dens and back alley surgery theatres. But he had been wrong, all he had found with Donavan had been a scared twenty three year old on the run from that same killer.

Taking a long drag of the water he thought about those gray eyes pleading with him to let him go. Donovan was an incubus who had a few times gone to far in feeding. Left corpses in cheap hotels, by all rights Val should have brought him before King and the Council of Life. But something about those eyes had caused him to pause. Incubuses weren’t like other creatures, they couldn’t live without taking life. He knew that, had seen the bodies that Donovan had admitted to being his victims. No sign of a struggle, no bruises, just looks of pure pleasure burned into their final moments. He had brought Donovan to the Castle morgue under a false name and with a hood over his face.

Had he known then, that he would let the boy go? Even at twenty three Donovan seemed like a boy to him in his early forties. But what had done it? What had caused him to turn his back on the law, on the Council and let the man out at the Globe Theatre? He had driven them there, the drive silent. Silent save for Donovan’s sobs. The young man may have grown into a tall muscular man, but in the face of his own passive brutality he was nothing more than a scared child. The car had idled there for a while, he had waited hoping Donovan would run into the night. But instead he had been forced to turn the motor off. Get out and walk around the car to the passenger side and yank him out.

Donovan was a foot taller than him, but he was a stout man with more muscle than fat on his body. So getting the larger man out wasn’t a hardship.

“Please help me.” That request from the weak, labored by guilt voice had been too much for him. He had shoved the man away and got in his car and driven away. Looking in the rear view mirror, watching the man crumple to his knees on the sidewalk.

The water gone he went to the sink and crouched low. He only wore an undershirt over his expansive chest and tapered waist and blue boxer briefs. His vanilla skin beneath the overhead light glowed as he dug around the cleaning supplies in the kitchen cupboard for the tall bottle of vodka. Standing again he got a few ice cubes into the glass. A frown etched across his square sparsely bearded face that had once been a five o’clock shadow.

He poured the vodka half way up the glass and watched the ice cubes float a bit then dunked low and settled at the bottom of the glass. Val closed his eyes and thought of his daughter. Barely six years old who still believed his wife was on holiday. She had been the third victim of the killer, how would he form the words to convey hope to his Abigail? Sighing heavily he lifted the cup to his lips and drank.

A soft tapping at the door drew his attention from the glass and his thoughts. He glanced at the stove clock with it’s green numbers against the black plastic and glass. Two A.M. it read. He padded across the hardwood floor on long pale bare feet to the door and peeked through the small gold rimmed peephole. It took him a moment to focus with the darkness and rain but when the tall man came into view, he yanked open the door after unlocking it.

“Get in here,” he hissed, keeping his voice low.

Looking as pitiful as a puppy left out in the rain, Donavan slowly and timidly walked over the threshold. His thick soled boots creating noise Val did not want Abigail to hear. He glanced back into the house and waited but heard nothing as he closed the door.

“Take those off.” Val whispered before he rushed from the spot and down the hallway to the bathroom and grabbed towels and a first aid kit. He returned to the front door to see Donavan sitting struggling to get his one remaining boot off to our beside the other. Val didn’t know if it was the frustration on the young man’s face or the fact three toes were jutting out of a large hole in the other foot’s sock. But he felt pity. Once the boot was off and beside the other one, Donavan stood in a hurry. His white t shirt stuck to his chest and abs as if painted on. He was shivering but tried to look at attention as if Val were a drill sergeant.

“It’s done sir,” Donavan states and Val rubs at his eyes.

“I can see that, what are you doing here? This is my home, you have no right coming here,” Val says in a voice with a dangerous edge.

“I’m in trouble and didn’t know where to go, what to do, you’re card has your address on it. So I came. Please sir ya have to help me.” Donovan said as he lost his composure. As if reality had peeled off a layer of itself Val watched the glamour fade from Donavan and all the cuts and bruises appeared in the place of unruined skin.

Val’s dark eyes widened in horror at the sight of the gashes and bruises. His cop brain turned in his head analysis already working as he grabbed the man by the arm and led him to one of the chairs at the kitchen table.

“Get out of your wet clothes and dried off and we can talk about what’s got into you and taken chunks for souvenirs it looks like.” Val jokes, it was in poor taste but it’s how he handled the crisis and this was a crisis. The man looked at him bewildered for a moment but still reached down and peeled the bloody wet shirt from his chest. He handed it to Val with apologies, Val let the words go as he held the shirt away from him and with his toes pressed on the release of the lid of the trash bin and dropped it in.

“I’ll give you a new one. It’s in ribbons anyway. Now sit for a moment while I turn the kettle on and get you dried off. Then a shower and bandages will be applied you can sleep here tonight or morning as it were.” Val said thinking he was being very spot on for being in the presence of a killer, he had to keep reminding himself of that. The man looked downright pathetic with how his head hung, dark bangs hanging around those sharp gray eyes. The eyes that were watching him with an expression of gratitude.

Val realized he had met those eyes gaze a moment too long and hastily turned his back to him and moved to walk to the electric kettle and ended up walking into the kitchen island. Pain shot up his torso and he had to bite down on his bottom lip to not make a sound.

“Sir, are you alright?!” He heard the deep husky voice of Donavan ask in alarm.

“Ye don’t need to be formal, I’m standing here in my underwear making a right fool of myself in front of ye,” Val mutters as he walks around the traitorous island to the kettle.

“I don’t know your first name. But Teague sounds not right to me to say cause of your wife.” Donovan said in a soft tone. The mention of Teagan cut Val deep behind the ribs where his heart beat. He froze and Donavan watched the long sculpted back of Val as he gripped the counter. The kitchen was quiet for far too long.

“…Teague…?” Donovan asked, the body before him stiffened. Donovan frowned at that, he knew he had done wrong by saying the name. But it was out of his mouth.

“Valiant. My name is Valiant Teague, but just call me Val, sorry I had a drink before you came here. It’s made me a bit…weak.” Val lied to save face and was bewildered as to why he felt the need to. He busies himself with the kettle and water and then moved to the pantry for tea. He was aware of Donavan watching him but didn’t feel fear.

Donovan patiently waited, his eyes enjoying the view of the man. His pert round arse almost made him forget the horrible day he had. Almost. When the shorter man turned with two steaming mugs of tea Donavan had tried to look at his face first, but his eyes had betrayed him and he had looked between the men’s legs first at what had to be the most impressive flaccid cock he had ever seen. Val cleared his throat and Donavan raised his eyes to Val’s. It looks could kill Donavan would be a pile of ashes.

“Sorry, just distracting myself.” Donavan said offhandedly looking innocent and Val’s eyes narrowed.

“You come here half dead, and you still have a mind to objectify me? After mentioning my dead wife no less?” Val asks, trying to keep his voice down.

“Half dead isn’t all dead Si….Val, I already apologized. What more can I do?” Donavan asks his own irritation to get the better of him.

“Drink your tea and let’s get you in the shower. Before you freeze to death in my kitchen.” Val states as he takes a sip from his own mug.

“Your kitchen with it’s murderous island,” Donavan said as he took a swig.

“Cheeky lil shit.” Val thought from behind his mug but a smile played at the corners of his mouth all the same. Donavan tried to smile but winced from laughter that stretched his wounded ribs.

[nerianasims]

Billboard #1s 1986

Under the cut.

Dionne & Friends -- "That's What Friends Are For" -- January 18, 1986

While listening to this song, I think it's a very squishy ballad with a nice sentiment that's not for me but is tolerable. Until a certain point. That point is when Elton John has his big part. Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight: Great, amazing, I love them, and though their talents are wasted on a song this slight, they make it listenable. Elton John's talents are not wasted on a song this slight. Couldn't they have brought in someone else? There's no way Prince would do something like this, but what about Paul McCartney? Kenny Loggins? Billy Ocean? I guess George Michael was too young for the song's schtick. But I'd take even Lionel Richie over Elton John.

Whitney Houston -- "How Will I Know" -- February 15, 1986

Whitney Houston was an amazing, phenomenally talented singer. And she oversang. Almost all the time. She didn't have to; she knew how to sing with subtlety and grace. But oversinging was (and is) popular, so that's what she did. It means I don't like most of her songs, including this one.

Mr. Mister -- "Kyrie" -- March 1, 1986

I'm not Christian any more, but one can pull inspiration from anywhere. I love the phrase "kyrie eleison." There's something beautiful about that combination of sounds, and there's also something beautiful about the sentiment. The music does not live up to it, unfortunately, though the opening is gorgeous. It also gets super repetitive at the end. It's pretty good, but I want it to be great, and sadly it is not.

Starship -- "Sara" -- March 15, 1986

I'm going to have to listen to "White Rabbit" a dozen times to cleanse this from my brain. A band that used to do stuff like that devolving into making this garbage is extremely depressing. This song starts with music box tinkling which sounds nice. Then saxophone over it which... okay. Just the sax would have been nice, but over the music box it's a little much, but I can keep going with it. Then they add a harmonica layered over it, and it's like I'm listening to a parody of mid-80s easy listening. And then randomly there's a drum crash and the weak voice of this guy comes in along with massive synth, and I start to wonder if I'm being punked. Are we sure this song wasn't a joke?

Heart -- "These Dreams" -- March 22, 1986

I watched the video probably hundreds of times when I was a kid. (On Betamax!) I adore this song. I got to it and went well, this is gonna win 1986, because there's only so much rational distance I can take from what was my favorite pop song when I was 9 years old. This song didn't start my Romantic sensibility, but it spoke to what was already in bloom. "There's something out there I can't resist." We'll see what else is on the list.

Falco -- "Rock Me Amadeus" -- March 29, 1986

I love the movie Amadeus, even though it constitutes a massive slander against poor Salieri. It gets Mozart pretty spot-on though. And I always loved classical music, was surrounded by it from infancy, so I was glad to see its popularity spread by the movie. (Yes, at age nine. I've always been a huge nerd.) This song is really fun and well-made too, though of course I can't understand any of the German lyrics.

Prince -- "Kiss" -- April 19, 1986

Prince sings this almost entirely in falsetto, so one would guess I would hate it, since falsetto usually sends me running in the other direction. One would be wrong. I adore it. Prince was that kind of artist -- he could get away with anything. He was notoriously arrogant, but was it really arrogance when it was just a proper conception of his own abilities? Anyway,

of course "you don't have to be cool to rule my world" deeply spoke to my experiences. I was the most uncool girl in school. Until high school, when somehow my not giving a damn about being cool (as I'd failed at it my whole life) actually helped me.

Also when Prince drops to a low note on the last "kiss," it is incredibly hot.

Robert Palmer -- "Addicted to Love" -- May 3, 1986

I have no idea what I'd think of this song without the video. The video infuriates me. The clone-looking emotionless women aren't "sexualized." No, you have to be treated like a human being on at least some level for that. They are purely objectified, treated literally as blank interchangeable things, with nothing at all inside them. The song is skeevy anyway, though I guess the music's good. But blech.

Pet Shop Boys -- "West End Girls" -- May 10, 1986

I've never liked this song and I've never really understood why. It's the kind of song I felt I should like. But I've always felt (since I noticed it as a teenager) that there was something missing. Now I know why: According to the Stereogum article about it, the band leader doesn't like rock n'roll, and is a pop critic. Oh. Some rock is exactly what this song needs. Without it, it's too cold and removed, and to me sounds smug. Also how can you be a pop critic and not like rock n' roll? That is a wrongness.

Whitney Houston -- "Greatest Love of All" -- May 17, 1986

Whitney Houston doesn't oversing on this song as much as usual, so that's good. Though she still oversings. What's not good are the music and lyrics. The music is bland as can be. Lyrically, it starts with "I believe the children are our future" and there's a verse about "the beauty they possess inside." Blargh.

Then after the first verse there's a total change in theme, going into how the narrator never found anyone to look up to. And that the "greatest love" is loving yourself and only depending on yourself and no one else. I despise this sentiment deep in my bones. Not of loving yourself -- though the song claims that's "easy to achieve," which is bollocks of the first order. Rather that you should only depend on yourself. That's literally inhuman. We are social creatures; without depending on each other, we are adrift in nothingness. So yeah. I hate this song.

Madonna -- "Live to Tell" -- June 7, 1986

This song gives me chills. The music is gorgeous and perfectly suited to the lyrics. I listened to the "True Blue" tape many, many times from about age 10 until, um. Well, I listened to the album on Spotify the other night. This song is the standout for me on it. I always thought that Madonna was singing about having been emotionally abused as a child herself. That is apparently not it at all; it's a song for a movie soundtrack. But to me it's about familial abuse. And always has been. It felt like she was singing for me. "The light that you could never see/ It shines inside, you can't take that from me."

Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald -- "On My Own" -- June 14, 1986

Not the Les Miz song, sadly. It's about how the narrators are breaking up. Patti LaBelle is great, but I am so bored. Michael McDonald isn't bad, but he can't match Patti LaBelle, and even she can't stop this song from being deadly dull. It took me like 5 tries to be able to listen to the whole thing.

Billy Ocean -- "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" -- July 5, 1986

What makes someone decide to put a parenthetical in a song title? Is there a formula? Anyway, he's singing (in his head) to someone he wants to be with. The "sad songs" are not actually supposed to be sad songs, it seems, but love songs that make him think of her. I guess. I don't know. Something about this song is turning my brain to mush. The tinkly parts and the violins are nice I guess. But I'm going to fall asleep at my desk if I try to listen to this song any more.

Simply Red -- "Holding Back the Years" -- July 12, 1986

Just looking at the lyrics, this song should be deeply depressing. He feels that so far his life has been a waste, but somehow he'll "keep holding on." There's a beautiful saxophone part. The song is not depressing -- it's Blues. It's terribly sad and cathartic at the same time. I'm not thrilled with Mick Hucknall's voice though.

Genesis -- "Invisible Touch" -- July 19, 1986

I did not pay attention to any of the lyrics of this song except the chorus until just now. I thought it was about a woman with an "invisible touch" whom people fall for left and right, and that's true. What I did not know was that she was supposed to be doing it on purpose. Which, okay, sort of like "Maneater"? Except no, because "Well I don't really know her, I only know her name." Then how do you know this about her?! He sounds like a stalker. Or this sounds like a first draft. The music is good enough, and the chorus could make for a good song around it lyrically, if they had bothered with that.

Peter Gabriel -- "Sledgehammer" -- July 26, 1986

I used to think this song was meant to be about a guy who was going to basically tank for you (and also have sex with you.) Well, apparently he wants to solve only one of your problems in particular: namely, that of your lacking orgasms. The "sledgehammer" is supposed to be a metaphor for his dick. Ow? Whatever, I'm going with my own interpretation of it. I like the beginning flute part, which is actually from a keyboard demo. It's a fun song, but it gets pretty repetitive.

Peter Cetera -- "Glory of Love" -- August 2, 1986

"We did it all for the glory of love" is a sentiment I usually adore. But this song is a limp dishrag. Did what for the glory of love? Why does she seem to be thinking of leaving him? And Peter Cetera being "the man who will fight for your honor" is a hilarious idea. His voice is nasally and he sounds like a faker. He comes off as someone who only vaguely understands the small-r romance of flowers and chocolates, and not at all as someone who understands the Romance of a castle far away. Bryan Adams did much better with this kind of thing in the 90s.

Madonna -- "Papa Don't Preach" -- August 16, 1986

The article I'm reading about this says there was a controversy over this song regarding abortion somehow, with left-wingers being upset that the narrator didn't consider it and right-wingers praising her for keeping the baby. Maybe in California. That is not what I remember in Michigan, and I do clearly remember a controversy. What I remember is right-wingers being absolutely incensed that Madonna was singing about the pregnancy of an unmarried young woman (or teenager, though I always felt the narrator was college-age) at all. I also remember one on the radio being angry that this working class girl was keeping her baby rather than giving it up to a rich family.

It is a really good song. Actually it is kinda Romantic. The narrator's in a dramatic life-changing situation, she has to choose whether or not to marry a guy before she's sure she's ready, and there are intense violins. Her father disapproves of her boyfriend, but she needs her father's advice. She's also not ashamed. She's in a difficult situation, but there's no guilt. Good. And this is what made so many people so angry with Madonna, and what was so deeply important about Madonna. She refused to even pretend to be guilty about sex in her music, ever.

Steve Winwood -- "Higher Love" -- August 30, 1986

I think this is about wanting to believe in a god. But then there's "I could make the sun shine from pure desire." Maybe it's about Aphrodite. Chaka Khan sings on this song, and she's obviously the best thing about it. It's not great, but it's enjoyable enough.

Bananarama -- "Venus" -- September 6, 1986

Speaking of higher loves. Bananarama are obviously having a wonderful time singing this 80s dance version of this song, and who wouldn't? The "she's got it" of the song of course also means "I've got it", hence "I'm your Venus." And Bananarama leans into that in a really fun way. It's a great version of a great song.

Berlin -- "Take My Breath Away" -- September 13, 1986

This is the big love ballad from Top Gun. I have managed to escape ever seeing Top Gun, though I've picked up some ideas about it. Mainly that it's a commercial for the U.S. air force, that Tom Cruise looks blank in it a lot, and that there's some kind of volleyball scene. Before I knew it was a commercial for the U.S. air force and therefore avoided it, I avoided it because of Tom Cruise. He has always been a total cold shower to me. As I've said since I started noticing these things (which was right around 1986), he reminds me of a Ken doll.

So the song. It sounds more like it belongs with a fantasy movie than in a modern military movie. Though I guess Top Gun is a fantasy too. But not the kind in which people usually look through hourglasses. It's a big, emotional ballad. I like it but I don't love it. If it weren't associated with Top Gun possibly I'd like it more.

Huey Lewis and the News -- "Stuck With You" -- September 20, 1986

This is a middle-aged man singing to his middle-aged wife about how he's "happy to be stuck with you." It's like if dad jokes became sentient and got married. It's cute and bouncy, and honestly pretty true-to-life. You can't be all higher love all the time.

Janet Jackson -- "When I Think of You" -- October 11, 1986

If "Nasty" had gotten to #1, it would have taken my "best of the year" spot. Sadly, it didn't, and this was Janet Jackson's first #1. "When I Think of You" is a really good song though. Janet Jackson is the best of the Jacksons and always was in every way. I think she was even a better dancer than Michael. (I don't know about "is", considering her age, but she's still a better artist.) "When I Think of You" is a very simple love song lyrically. When her "world gets crazy," she thinks of you to calm down. If this were easy listening, it would be unbearable. But it's a dance song, and a fun one. There's some great bass and interesting syncopation.

Cyndi Lauper -- "True Colors" -- October 25, 1986

This is such a beautiful song. It's helped me through some rough times ever since it came out -- the tape it's on was one of my first. It's straightforward in both lyrics and music, so there's not much to say about it besides that it's a great song.

Boston -- "Amanda" -- November 8, 1986

I am listening to this song now, and I don't recognize it. When they get to the chorus near the end it sounds kinda familiar, but I'm not sure that's because I recognize this song in particular, or because it sounds like every song like this in existence was put in a blender and this is the resulting slurry. Either this wasn't played on the radio much where I lived, or I changed the channel as soon as it was. It wants to be a power ballad, but it's an absolute nothing.

The Human League -- "Human" -- November 22, 1986

I guess it's an apology song, but "I'm only human" doesn't sit right with me as a real apology for something truly bad. He cheated on her. Which I do consider forgivable, depending on the circumstances and apology, but his is that she wasn't around so he was driven to cheat on her. And he should forgive her because he's "only human." Then the woman comes in and says she cheated on him too when they were apart, because she's human too. That makes the song tolerable. Maybe they need an open relationship. They still both sound whiny. And I don't like the music. It's boring and repetitive.

Bon Jovi -- "You Give Love a Bad Name" -- November 29, 1986

SHOT THROUGH THE HEART! AND YOU'RE TO BLAME! I love this song. Also I thought Jon Bon Jovi was hot at the time, though nowadays that 80s perm is hilarious. His voice is still hot though (so is he nowadays, grey hair and all, with his more contemporary haircut.) This song got plenty of radio play. Still does. And deserves it. It's technically a heartbreak song I suppose, but the video gets it right: It's Bon Jovi goofing around on stage in front of a joyous crowd. I love the bass, I love the guitars, and I did mention Jon Bon Jovi's voice is hot, right? Voices over looks every time for me, though both together is obviously welcome.

Peter Cetera and Amy Grant -- "The Next Time I Fall" -- December 6, 1986

Christian fundies had a deep and abiding hatred for Peter Cetera. Maybe they still do. I encountered this multiple times online over the years, and finally looked it up -- it's because of this song. Amy Grant used to be a singer of Christian music only. Then she had a pop hit with this dweeb, and certain usual suspects decided she was being corrupted by him.

The only way this song could corrupt anyone is if they started smashing things because they were so bored. The narrators have been heartbroken but are gonna try it again with each other, and it's as passionless as possible. Amy Grant's a better singer than Cetera by a ways, as she does not sing through her nose, but it's not like anyone could elevate this sludge.

Bruce Hornsby and the Range -- "The Way It Is" -- December 13, 1986

People are racist and treat poor people like shit. And people say that's just the way it is, but don't you believe them. This is true. We have come incredibly far, and things change. It's a good sermon, but as a song it's too simplistic for me, both musically and lyrically. I agree with the sentiment, but it's not a song I really want to listen to either.

The Bangles -- "Walk Like an Egyptian" -- December 20, 1986

Of course I loved this song when I was a kid, all the kids did. But I was already a Bangles fan. I had their first tape, which is their best and has the least pop sheen. I would prefer "Hero Takes a Fall" had been a big hit, but oh well. "Walk Like an Egyptian" is still fun.

BEST OF 1986 -- "These Dreams" by Heart  WORST OF 1986 -- "Sara" by Starship

[armageddon-generation]

Improving Crimes of Grindlewald

Just watched this movie again, and I’m not touching the representational/ethical issues, but here are some ways to streamline the movie.

(some small changes to the first movie, since this is already fantasy)

Newt comes to New York because he suspects Obscurus activity, and wants to make up for not saving the one he keeps in his case as a reminder. This connects Newt emotionally to Credence and his B plot

Make the locations more magical - Central Park Zoo is cool but give it a Wizarding dimension: A museum with magic exhibits about how 'dangerous' Magical Beasts are, and MACUSA hunting many to extinction. Newt and his beasts 'accidentally' destroy this misinformation. There's a War Memorial hidden in the Park like the one for the Potters in Godric's Hollow. Newt and Jacob bond over their experiences.

Instead of the beast in that random building, have one go to Coney Island. A magical old-timey Fairground is the perfect setting for a Beast chase.

The shit ‘Graves was Grindlewald’ twist didn’t happen, he’s just a follower. Use him to build up Grindlewald's appearance in this movie

Establish Credence could be a Lestrange (MACUSA found adoption records when covering up the death of Mrs Barebone - President Piquery mentions to Newt "I believe you're familiar with the Lestrange family") to set up the twist in this movie

Newt helps set Queenie and Jacob back up at the end, including restoring his memory - it's consistent with Newt’s disregard for both authority and segregation

Opening and Prison sequence

Start with a montage (newspaper headlines and moving photos, like in the first movie) of MACUSA cracking down on Wizard/muggle segregation and escalating tensions as they grow more paranoid about Grindlewald - establishing the theme of the Ministry being their own worst enemy

We see Queenie and Jacob - trying to live happily in secret - get busted, arrested and separated. This is scary, aggressive.

Queenie tries to protect Jacob (a frightening Jean Grey - style attack with her Legilimensy, to establish how far she'll go for him) but she’s outnumbered, and the fan-favourite character from the last movie is knocked out and wrestled away.

A terrified Queenie is transported to the American wizard prison for processing as a criminal, where Percival Graves is awaiting transfer to trial. He and Queenie make eye-contact as he passes

Highlight MACUSA treating Queenie as a dangerous freak because of her Legilimensy

Grindlewald breaks into the prison and frees Graves. This is our first time meeting him and he subverts expectations; charming and benevolent  to his follower where Voldemort was abusive.

Grindlewald and Graves save Queenie and set the other wizards being processed for No-Maj fraternisation free

This sets up Queenie’s conflict of wanting marriage equality without turning her into an unstable psychopath - she has no home, no job, and can’t turn to Tina because as an auror, technically Tina should arrest Queenie

Grindlewald’s Followers

Graves replaces that random woman as Grindlewald’s right-hand. There is one corrupt auror 

This auror leads the attack and arrest of Queenie in the opening sequence, but it isn’t revealed he’s working for Grindlewald until later

 Then he is one of the aurors the Ministry sends to hunt down Credence, with Theseus Scamander.

Gindlewald’s agent kills the House-elf when the aurors confront Credence. Then, at the end when the agent betrays the aurors and tries to join Grindlewald, Grindlewald kills him to show both Queenie and Credence he’s on their side. Thus Grindlewald gets to be rutheless like in the original, but he’s also a master manipulator

This way we roll 3 characters into 1 (the American who helps Grindlewald escape, the English guy who kills the House-elf, and the follower Grindlewald kills)

Ministry scenes (+ Dumbledore)

Same scene with the Ministry trying to recruit Newt to kill Credence, only this time they turn to Theseus after he refuses - putting Theseus in direct conflict with Newt

Dumbledore scene without the safehouse, have him recite the poem that he only namedrops in the original, to give the audience more context clues for later.

Include the conversation cut from the original where he explains why he sent Newt to New York - to help Credence - and establish Newt and Credence as Dumbledore and Grindlewald’s respective champions. Kindness vs Raw Power

Cut the sequence at Newt’s house and save the creature stuff for the circus

Theseus

Include the deleted scene of he and Leta at the party to establish their relationship - except instead of the floating baby (already in the Boggart scene) the pure bloods try to persuade Leta to join Grindlewald, creating ambiguity in her morality that will be resolved in the finale

Expand Theseus' character by touching on his PTSD. The Ministry pick him because he's a "war hero", but Theseus is clearly uncomfortable with that title - "I was just a soldier, Sir. And this is meant to be peace time."

When Theseus confronts Newt about choosing a side, have him draw on their respective experiences in WW1 - "While you were down the line playing with your dragons some of us had to stand and fight."

This is why Theseus doesn't want to provoke Grindlewald's followers - he can't face another war, or the peace he fought for breaking down

Much as I hate the idea of Grindlewald stopping WW2, framing Theseus' character this way means the rally and prospect of another War has a big emotional impact on him

Credence attacking the aurors after the House-Elf's death triggers a PTSD flashback - as he heads back to the Ministry we see a flash of wizarding WW1, dragons etc

Centre the Plot Around the Circus - Getting the Characters Together

Tina has tracked Credence down to the Magical Circus moving through France. She wants to protect him (like she did in the last movie) from the aurors trying to kill him

She contacts Newt; he’d be perfect for this situation because

the circus is full of magical beasts

Credence has befriended a Maledictus, whom Newt would know about because of their close connection to beasts

Newt knows  and cares for Credence

This allows us to naturally incorporate more fantastic beasts into our Fantastic Beasts movie; Newt gets hired as the circus’ beast master (the ring master thinks his name will draw in a crowd) 

It also gives Newt a concrete reason to be there without being the ‘chosen one’ of the story - he just wants to make up for letting Credence down last time

It also cuts the stupid ‘Tina read gossip in a magazine and now she won’t talk to Newt’ subplot, and all the time wasted looking for her

Use this portion of the movie - travelling across France to Paris in the circus - to build the dynamic between Newt, Tina, Credence and Nagini, so we care about them.

Nagini (recast as a different ethnicity) uses her experience living with a curse to teach Credence how to control his Obscurus, creating a sense of responsibility for him

Newt talks to Nagini about her condition: Explore the emotional toll of being a Maledictus - Newt is initially weirdly jealous of the idea of turning into a beast, which Nagini finds funny

Insert the ‘creature caring’ sequence from Newt’s house here - the characters bond through the creatures.

Parallel the burgeoning romance between Credence and Nagini with the awkwardness of Newtina

Credence explains he survived because Grindlewald saved a part of his Obscurus while MACUSA was attacking, and released it just before he was captured. Credence then spent months stuck in that form, rebuilding himself, which also helped him control his Obscurus

This immediately puts Credence in Grindlewald's debt: he was able to save him when Newt couldn't

Insert the Hogwarts scenes and flashback here. Leta mentions her father in the present and past - e.g. when she and Newt talk about going home (CUT MCGONAGALL!) to better set up her story at the end

Paris

We arrive in Paris. Leta’s brother Yusuf attacks the performance and Credence stages his escape against Newt and Tina’s wishes.

The beast escapes as in the movie

The group gets split up - Credence and Nagini, Newt and Tina

Newt, and Tina chase Yusuf into Paris’ sewers, where they get pinned in a firefight. Newt attracts an urban water demon (the kappa from the circus?) that incapacitates Yusuf.

Tina interrogates Yusuf. He explains his version of events - Credence is Corvus Lestrange. Now we don’t get two twists straight after each other at the end

The escaped circus beast causing chaos outside distracts them enough for Yusuf to disapparate. They catch the beast as in the movie

Cut Nicholas Flamel - he’s gratuitous fan-service adding little to the plot

Grindlewald

Present Grindlewald to the audience as the characters see him - charming, personable, the exact opposite of Voldemort

This means no baby-killing 

Make him look normal but attractive (Depp looks inhuman and off-putting, a poor-man’s Voldemort)

Forget the albino hedgehog, we need to believe this man could charm the pants off Albus Dumbledore

Queenie uses her Legilimency to probe his mind.

He uses Oclumency, and we see a battle of the minds wage in the background as they talk. 

Grindlewald lets her in to selective thoughts - namely his beliefs about marriage equality and his wholehearted ‘belief’ in them

He also reveals to her his relationship with Dumbledore, as a way to convince her he’s doing the right thing - “Dumbledore wasn’t willing to fight for what was right, but he still agrees with me” and that he can relate to her struggle with Jacob

Grindlewald is the first person to praise Queenie’s mental powers and encourage her to embrace her Legilimensy - her whole life she's been Othered and objectified, in the first movie even Tina hid Queenie away

Queenie’s persuasion takes at least a few scenes - every time we see Grindlewald, check in on Queenie’s fall

Especially given the setting between the World Wars, use this as a way to explore how fascism works - the dangerous seductiveness of that mentality manifested through our villain

Cut the scenes with Queenie in the French Ministry/wandering Paris

Finding Credence

Credence and Nagini run free together through Paris (include the scenes cut from the original, including the one where the pheonix chick arrives)

They find the House Elf, but Theseus and the aurors arrive and the attack plays out as previously described

Theseus leading the aurors drives a wedge between Credence and Newt by association in the finale

After Credence escapes the aurors go immediately to the Mnistry to report

A scene of Theseus and Leta supporting each other in the Ministry, while he’s making his report (after his PTSD attack)

Leta: I don't trust them. You've already sacrificed so much for these people and their wars. Just... Let the others die first, alright?

Theseus [laughing]: you're such a Slytherin.

Leta: And you're far too much of a Gryffindor for my liking. It's going to get you killed.

This sets up Leta's sacrafice in the finale.

Newt and Tina now have to find Credence

They know about the House-elf because Credence told them in the circus, so they go to that address to find it destroyed

This is when they travel to the Ministry, to look at the Lestrange records

The corrupt auror with Theseus gets there first and runs with the information both Leta and Newt want

The demon cats attack Tina even though she is Ministry personel because Queenie is considered an associate of Grindlewald - Tina finds out her siater was arrested midway through this action sequence and Leta saves her while she’s distracted

Tina and Leta working together to protect Newt from the demon-cats

Theseus realises what is going on and tries to stop the corrupt auror but he escapes. Theseus then helps Newt, Tina and Leta escape

They release the circus beast as in the movie

Credence and Nagini meet Grindlewald, with Queenie. Grindlewald tells them about the informaton in the Lestrange crypt and lets them be.

Finale

Only Leta has to explain her story, then the rally plays out much the same (which is f*cking problematic but that’s not why I’m here)

No blood pact because it fucks with canon - Dumbledore is just reluctant to fight Grindlewald directly because of their relationship and the Elder Wand. This way Newt has the same frustration as the audience - why didn't you go?

Queenie tries to persuade the others to come with her, and reveals Dumbledore’s relationship with Grindlewald as justification, shaking Newt, but they refuse.

The corrupt auror who killed the house-elf and arrested Jacob is killed for Credence and Queenie’s benefit

Queenie and Credence are disapparated away

Then Grindlewald attacks Theseus’ aurors, but without the fire dragons; his speech was about not hurting anybody, so trying to destroy Paris straight after is stupid. Show Grindlewald's power with a 20:1 duel

Personally I wouldn’t kill Leta because she’s so interesting, but if she does die have it be here, holding Grindlewald off while the others escape (Tina, understanding, pulls Newt away and Newt pulls Theseus).

Leta's sacrafice is what directly inspires Newt choosing his side

When they meet Dumbledore in the last scene Newt is angry and upset about what Queenie told him, and tells Dumbledore his lovers’ quarrel got Leta killed

[projectnero]

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: THE SHEPHERD

Ah, Mr. Amos. The Starwatcher. The Shepherd. The Survivor. There are many names that my massive friend has taken over the years, but the only one he seems to consciously retain is “Amos”. Any attempts at a first or even middle name have been met with failure, and it has been confirmed that Canadian Mountain Giants do not even adhere to a typical giant nomenclature or tribal structure; that is to say, Amos is not his clan’s name, and Mr. Amos’s refusal or inability to divulge any more information than he has already given us makes finding records of him or his tribe next to impossible, unless one of you schleps feels like hiking through the Canadian wilderness. I’ll leave the moose fighting to the RCMP, thank you very much.

I am told by Mr. Amos that remark could be construed as offensive and inaccurate to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Yet, if they do not FIGHT the moose, how do they mount it?

I am being told now that they do not ride moose.

My apologies. It seems that even they have enough sense not to pick a fight with those massive death machines.

One of these days I must have a word with Epimetheus.

Regardless of the hellish landscape my massive friend is from, he IS a dear friend of mine, and the only one amongst our company who surpasses me in age. His wisdom shows, though his age does not. He is pleasant company, if a bit quiet and reserved at times. I sometimes worry he only interacts with me out of fear of angering my patron god Apollo again -- we shall get to that part soon.

Anyhow, I suppose we should get this underway. Once again the lovely Doctor [REDACTED] has deemed herself fit to evaluate Mr. Amos’s mental state. Even though nobody asked, I’m starting to think that these psychological evaluations are just excuses to try and assign labels to that which is inherently unique. Classifying that which cannot be classified. Which of you scientists has lived for over 2000 years? Nobody? That’s what I thought.

NAME: Amos

ALIASES: Mr. Amos, Goliath, The Shepherd, The Slaughterer, The Survivor

AGE: Approximately 4,500 years old, by his own estimation

HEIGHT: 20 Meters (non-suppressed), 3 Meters (suppressed)

Note: Mr. Amos requested we use the metric system because, and I quote, “America needs to get with the times” and “Citizens of other countries might read this”. Mr. Amos is wrong on both accounts, but nonetheless I have accommodated his ridiculous request, if only because I remember what it was like to not be beholden to America’s rules. For any of you Americans scrolling through this (I’m assuming that would be all of you), his respective heights are 65 feet when not wearing his suppression amulet and 9 feet when wearing the suppression amulet. Approximately. I promise you I tried every method under the sun to get the man under 9 feet but it is impossible.

WEIGHT: 9071 Kilograms/20,000 pounds (non-suppressed), 1,360 Kilograms/3,000 pounds (suppressed)

Again, I tried every method under the sun to make this giant hunk of muscle be able to walk around without leaving craters everywhere, and 3,000 pounds seems to be the best I can get. Gods watch over you if you get in-between this man and his protein.

SPECIES: Giant/Goliath (SUBSPECIES: Canadian Mountain Giant)

NOTABLE ABILITIES:

Gods above, what CAN’T he do?

Apologies, but one cannot help but be in awe of the giant known as Amos.

For starters, with the assistance of an amulet I made specifically for him (you know, because I’m a savant), Mr. Amos can solve the problem of not being small enough for human interaction by shrinking considerably, reducing his overall mass. Your human law of conservation says this is impossible, but Apollo and Thoth spit in the face of your Einstein.

Even while in his shrunken form, Mr. Amos is proportionately strong for a man of his size. Further testing over the years has shown Mr. Amos actually retains his strength of his non-suppressed form at 100% efficiency, and his strength is actually so great that we as weaklings are incapable of differentiating between his different levels.

On a side note, have I mentioned how beautiful this man is?

No, really. This is INCREDIBLY important. When you think of a giant, a certain image comes to mind, right? Some gnarled, ugly, unwashed heap of muscles and meat who doesn’t even know what a loincloth is.

Unfortunately for my poor little heart, Mr. Amos’s species seems to have properties similar to only one other known creature: the fucking succubus. Which is just fantastic, because one of my comrades is a succubus.

This means that Mr. Amos, as well as Mr. di Carina, constantly make subtle changes to their appearance with every passing second to appear more and more beautiful, and constantly release pheromones designed to make sentient creatures of ANY gender attracted to them. This means that, somehow, if Mr. di Carina is ever rendered out of action, the fucking GIANT is our next option for seducing someone. Terrific.

A notable distinction is that succubi surpass expectations of gender; for instance, Mr. di Carina is constantly adjusting to standards of beauty, appearing male to some, and female to others, and retaining an all around feminine appearance in spite of it all. However in all known instances, Mr. Amos has only ever appeared to fit the observers ideal of an attractive male.

I feel guilty for objectifying Mr. Amos, despite how many times he has assured me it is perfectly fine. Gods grant me the strength to continue.

Mr. Amos is capable of traversing massive bodies of water and land in little to no time. The strain on his body appears to be nonexistent, though with his appetite it would be unable to tell if his body is expending more energy than is the norm.

As befitting a giant, Mr. Amos has a ridiculously high pain threshold. Many have compared the man to the fictional character “The Juggernaut”, and indeed it would be a comprehensive comparison if not for Mr. Amos’s weaknesses.

NOTABLE WEAKNESSES:

As mentioned before, Mr. Amos has been compared to the fictional Juggernaut of Marvel series fame. However, if the Juggernaut is an unstoppable force like a freight train, then Mr. Amos is more of a... unstoppable Sherman. He has traded Mr. Juggernaut’s weakness to psychic powers and a binding contract to a deity for moving about as fast as a turtle.

I should clarify. Mr. Amos is not slow by any means, but the mere power in his steps and his dense body means that gravity is constantly weighing down on him, and were he to pick up speed, the already massive craters he calls footsteps would eventually dig through to the Earth’s core and he would all die. Mr. Amos moves deliberately and once he reaches his target, they will be decimated. However, this makes hit and run tactics very disadvantageous, and instead makes Mr. Amos a useful front line combatant and siege unit; I wish that we had been able to make use of Mr. Amos’s abilities when fighting in the Somme.

As mentioned before, as the biggest member of Project: Nero, Mr. Amos requires a massive amount of sustenance. I have seen 90 nobles of the most wasteful houses go through less food in a week-long feast than Mr. Amos does. Apparently this insatiable appetite does not disturb the ration officers; I saw one of them reading a book by some Welsh author about giants and such and the ‘why’ became clear.

Due to his inability to be stopped combined with his high maintenance, we are currently only really able to bring Mr. Amos’s giant form out as an ultimate trump card... and because the chaos caused would not be able to hide our existence to the world anymore. The government only authorizes the transformation if they don’t want any survivors or witnesses.

Subsequently, this treatment of Mr. Amos as an emergency-only monster, deemed to chaotic compared to the likes of even Mr. Takahashi have lead to some... harsh treatment of Mr. Amos by the human outliers of the science team. It has not been good for Mr. Amos’s self-esteem and were it not for the fact that I have no real authority and we must meet a human quota, I would order these hateful beasts to be executed painfully and without mercy.

As of recently, Mr. Amos’s age has finally caught up with him, at least mentally, and the anguish of his perfect memory and knowledge of the past has caused him to become closed-off, lowering team morale.

Make no mistake. I may be the de facto leader of this little ragtag group of freaks, but Mr. Amos is the heart.

PSYCHOLOGICAL DIAGNOSES AND PERSONALITY TRAITS:

Mr. Amos has a severe case of survivor’s guilt, as well as imposter syndrome, though his feelings of fraudulence appear to be completely unfounded as the man has been nothing but forthcoming.

As of Mr. Amos’s deployment to Vietnam and his subsequent return home, routine psychological evaluations seemed to indicate development of post-traumatic stress disorder and late-onset dissasociative identity disorder, if there truly is such a thing as late-onset DID. It is more likely that the giant has been battling with this disorder his entire life, and the harsh conditions and psychological trauma suffered while in Vietnam simply made him unable to mask his suffering anymore. I cannot imagine what it must be like to suffer for over 4,000 years in silence. The man has been suffering from survivor’s guilt for over 2,000 years as well, indicating that whatever happened to his tribe, it happened long before Europeans ever made contact with the Americas.

Mr. Amos seems to have an intense fear of death, as if the concept never occurred to him before.

Behind a deeply troubled man lies a heart almost as massive as he is. No, not literally. That would be biologically impossible. As Dr. Fero previously stated, Mr. Amos is certainly the most beloved member of his team... by his fellow squadmates, at least. I have nothing against Mr. Amos, do not get me wrong. However, the also aforementioned treatment of Mr. Amos by my fellow humans does not make me eager to approach him and inevitably cause more pain.

Mr. Amos is a deeply spiritual man, and seems to be in tune with nature. He is all-loving, and this attitude seems to endear him to everyone, especially the mostly prickly Agent Shrub. Yes, that was a pun, and no, I will not tell you why. I suppose you’ll find out once we get to Agent Shrub’s profile.

Even despite his fear of humans, Mr. Amos has made efforts to understand us - something that I cannot say my colleagues have done. Mr. Amos is a skilled baker and farmhand, and his skill levels equal those of one with PhDs in horticulturalism, herbalism, agriculturalism, animal behavior, science, and even culinary arts. I cannot describe the cakes he makes, for they are filled with something that we humans cannot even grasp. When we say something is made with “love”, I’m not sure we even know what “love” is. When I first tasted some of Mr. Amos’s pastries, I cried. Everyone always does. It tastes divine. It reminds me of... well, I shouldn’t get into details of my own life.

Mr. Amos has shown signs of a crippling loneliness and every time I look at him I want to help. I know I cannot, but when I catch glimpses of his eyes I see a man in need of love.

Note: The rest of the lines have been scribbled out, crossed out, drowned in white-out, and are evidently too embarrassing for Doctor [REDACTED] to repeat.

BACKGROUND:

Hello, all. I will try to keep this short.

My name is incomprehensible in the human tongue, and so I go by Amos. I once had a first and middle name, but the shame of losing my tribe has caused me to discard them.

I couldn’t protect them, and I cannot protect the ones I care about. I will not lie to you and pretend that I read Carter or Yvette’s analyses of me. I will instead tell you the plain, hard facts of my life.

I was born to a loving mother named Viktoria, and a just-as-loving father named Isaac. For a while, life was happy. Giants of my type generally live longer than humans can comprehend; death by old age would not happen until thousands of civilizations would rise and fall. I did not have to worry about mortality. Even when I died, I knew the Gods would reincarnate me as something infinitely more beautiful, such as a gust of wind, or a bird, or a flower. Such is life.

Our clan was exempt from most of the horrors that other giants faced; there was no such thing as war for us. There was no shortage of supplies, no shortage of responsibilities or things to do. We were shepherds. Farmers, bakers, herbalists, apothecaries, we were the providers, the caretakers of this world. Epimetheus’s favored tribe, we carried on long after he and Prometheus were punished for their hubris.

Our clan cared for all the sacred, exotic animals of the different pantheons, but chief amongst them were the Greeks. Athena’s owls, Poseidon’s stallions, Dionysus’s leopards... the most important were Apollo’s sacred cattle. For a while we were happy. Good at our jobs.

And perhaps if that peace had lasted, you would not be hearing from me.

When humans first came to the continent, we welcomed them with open arms. They were kind and kept to themselves; they held much of the same views about land as we did. Unfortunately, humans carry so many viral diseases that they even poison each other accidentally. It was no surprise, then, that left and right giants started to come down with what was only called “the pestilence”. With fewer farmers to tend to the vast fields, to take care of the animals, our crops and livestock dwindled. Panic and mass hysteria set in. Some giants left to try to feast on the very humans that had brought this plague -- but that in and of itself is against the nature of giants. Hatred is not in our veins. We do not resent mankind for bringing sickness. It is simply the will of the Gods.

And so those who feasted on human flesh were stripped of their clan names and their rights, marked as monsters.

But the pestilence and famine continued, and finally death came to us. In Christian mythos, there is a fourth horseman, and if you know who he is, then you should be able to predict what came next.

War. Infighting broke out amongst us. I was hardly a child; 2000 years old. My parents, who should have lived for tens of thousands of years more, were cut down in the blink of an eye. So enraged and desperate where we, so powerful was the cursed horseman’s influence, that we made weapons that should not have been able to kill us, and yet did -- through the power of hatred or through ingenuity, I do not know. What I do remember was seeing my former clansmen feasting on the remains of my parents. Once again they had turned to the unthinkable, the horrible, in order to survive this horrible time.

When the war was over, thankfully the winning side were not the cannibals. The cannibals were not only marked as monsters, but it was decided that they should be executed as well. So disgusting and long-lasting were War’s repugnant effects that once we learned how to kill each other, we still used it. They were killed. It was the will of the Gods.

With our quelled numbers, it was theorized that surely we should be able to survive on the food now, yes? No.

Giants still starved. Babies passed due to the pestilence. And we still killed one another.

Eventually my more weak-willed kin gave up hope. Truly there WAS no way of the Gods. They had abandoned us.

And once the Gods abandoned us, why should we keep ourselves from taking what was no longer sacred, but instead sustenance?

I watched in horror and fear as the four horsemen left before my very eyes. With each bloodied hand that dug into a bull or cow, I could feel the gentle warmth of the sun turn to a blistering fire.

Before my very eyes, the four horsemen were replaced by one angry God.

Apollo vaporized my tribe. I was the only one not to eat the cattle. No, I had instead prayed every day to Apollo as I lovingly tended to his remaining cows.

And for this, he spared me.

The rest is all relative.

Learn from my mistakes. Please.

Do not lose faith.

[tessatechaitea]

DC House of Horror #1, Part Two (AKA A Review of Netflix’s The Mist)

It looks like Batman is fucking Flash while Flash fucks Green Lantern while Green Lantern, covered in semen, jerks off a candle.

Here, a woman smells her fingers for some mysterious and sexy reason.

I'm sorry for that previous caption! The only reason I said it was probably sexy was because she is a woman and I'm objectifying her. I smell my fingers for decidedly non-sexy reasons all the time! If anybody is interested in my life away from my blog, you can visit me intellectually debating the guys at the weird science comic book review blog on their review of Deadman #1. I'd forgotten that they were supposed to be my nemeses! But I remembered! Oh how I remembered! The woman smelling her fingers has been possessed by Wonder Woman because she took part in a Milton Bradly sponsored seance.

See?! You probably thought I was being facetious about the chewing testicles part! It's a known fact!

It's too bad I just scanned two images so closely together because the next page contains a nipple and a bare butt! The nipple is in shadow but you can still see the shape of it! I don't know why I'm using an exclamation point for that revelation. Back in the pre-Internet days, it would have been a glorious find for a young kid. But now, it's as tame as if the panel depicted a basket of kittens. The girl possessed by Wonder Woman kills all of her friends and everybody she meets before getting home and killing her abusive father. She also says a bunch of stuff in Greek. I bet she's saying things like, "I'm here to kick ass and chew testicles! Mmm! So good!" Nope. I was wrong. The first thing Wonder Woman says after possessing the girl is "Where am I, witches?" Then she kills the witches. Later after her killing the girl's dad, she says, "The world of man is Hell. It is going to be a glorious war." Man's World Rating: Are these stories horrific? I guess so. Imagine if Superman were a confused toddler scared out of his wits when he arrived on Earth? He probably would kill everybody by accident in his fits of terror. And Wonder Woman suddenly coming to man's world without any context except what she's been told about why the Amazons can't leave the island? She'd be ready for some serious clean up! And she only killed the women at the beginning because they were obviously witches. Some women, you just can't trust. So you get what we had here in this story. I don't like it any more than you women.

[sagebodisattva]

Morality and Spiritual Training for Trolls

Alright. Morality and spiritual training for trolls. A common misguided tendency among many novice philosophers, or older rigid inflexible thinkers, (which is never good; as, that which is inflexible will inevitably crack, then eventually snap in half,) is this premature assumption that a lack of objective outputs automatically translates into subjective meaninglessness. That, there can be no such thing as morality; nor any purpose that could be derived that would be worthy of focus and discipline; all such assertions being complete and utter nonsense, and lame justifications for just plain laziness. And I’ll go into detail as to why. And oh, you know you don’t even have to worry about a thing, because of course I’m going to go into the why, ad nauseam.

So I got a couple of recent comments from an insidious troll; and seeing as how the comments are conveniently on topic, I’m going to serve them up, and then slap them down with brute force; dissect and deconstruct every nuanced detail of them, with sniper precision. Because that’s what I do.

A little backstory on this particular troll. We’ll call him, “dual-sock”. This troll might loosely be considered a former aspirant of enlightenment, who, for a brief time, earnestly gave a half hearted attempt to free his mind, but, ultimately, in the long run, failed on his path dismally, then quickly fell into the shadows of the darkness thereafter; and has since degenerated into a low wretched state; reduced to a vile repugnant creature; a loathsome abomination completely bereft of any positive qualities; a blighted deluded consciousness, whose overall potential has become completely mired by his own dark insatiable appetites for attachments, desires, and heavy negativity. It was the type of deterioration that saw this troll come to embrace sinister ideologies, such as nationalism, and just plain full out racism. This type of descent qualified the troll to be gagged, bound, blocked and buried. And he was indeed subsequently blocked from the Meta Sage channel. And thus, such was done.

Hence, the troll was CAST OUT of the fold, banished, and then exiled forever into oblivion, never to return. And, for awhile, the troll vanished; finding respite and refuge down in the bowels of the sewers; hiding deep in the sewage where no one could find him. But, eventually, he awoke from his deep troll hibernation, and gradually rose to the muck of the surface, where he would, once again, re-emerge, raising his ugly head up out of the slop and slurry; and has since been spending most of his time prowling around in the shadows of the internet landscape, lurking about under rickety bridges, and haunting the acres of old abandoned playgrounds; all the while festering in his malcontent; stewing in the juices of his own personal deep hatred for freedom and enlightenment. And so it was. And so shall it be.

Fast forward to current times. One morning recently, I noticed that this stalker troll is suddenly commenting again! So, either he somehow got unblocked, which is a basic impossibility, or, he simply created a new account, which, incidentally, is one of his greatest proficiencies. So very adept in his artful deceptions, yet so very incredibly bankrupt in the core fiber of his being. And so, he made a couple of new comments on a couple of different videos. And, as usual, has shown that he hasn’t grown any more insightful or intelligent with the passage of time. It might even be argued that he has regressed, and is now being passive aggressive, using a sock account to make an initial comment, then waiting to see if the Meta Sage would respond, and if and when I did, he would then have the opportunity to chime in to the conversation with a comment under his main account, responding on the thread without it seeming like he started the comment exchange. And it was this same type of comment configuration that occurred for both of his new comments on both of my videos. A desperate ploy for attention. Shameful. And pathetic. And exactly why he’s acquired the sobriquet of “dual-sock.”

So, without further ado, on to the dual-sock’s comments, which I will now slice dice chop and mop, and then block.

In the first of his comments, he makes a rambling statement to a subscriber named “Sew Me”, who just got finished having a comment exchange with the Meta Sage, concerning a possible incongruent relationship between lucidity and morality, which, coincidentally, also ties in to the main subject of this video. The video on which this dialogue occurred, was an oration of disapprobation on pollution. And so, I will read the comment exchange, as it happened, including the dual-sock’s remark at the end, which I’ll then circle back around and skewer in conclusion.

So here’s the comment exchange:

Sew Me: “sure, fine, but you seem to venture into moralizing and it doesn't follow from the other content or you don't convincingly connect it.”

Meta Sage: “It connects solidly. We are students, here to undergo spiritual training, in order to free the mind from mental slavery. Behaviors that are conducive towards enlightenment are worthy of encouragement. Behaviors that are conducive towards delusion are worthy of condemnation. For a sage not to uphold these standards would be a dereliction of duty.”

Sew Me: “i guess, i cant really argue that littering large or small is good, but i still feel something is missing.”

Meta Sage: “Yes, something is missing. A few things, actually. Mainly, discipline, mindfulness and efficiency.”

That was the initial exchange; to which, dual-sock decides to now chime in, and comments, quote:

dual-sock: “What’s missing, is the recognition of his de-evolution into attachments and valuation of illusion. As if there was some point to this place we find ourselves in. A training ground, a spiritual training ground, he tells you. Is that what this is? Training for what? Ask him that. What are we training for? Oh, that’s right, NOTHING... And does nothing require the illusion of training for some end? Lol. He’s descending into the darkness, slowly but surely. He’s projecting his valuation of a future world for his child. He’s finding PURPOSE here. He’s finding, because there is a sense of self that is searching. It really is that simple. I gladly welcome him to the darkness. At least now he’s letting his morality flow. A powerful sith lord he will become. Or, he will fade into irrelevance. Either way, who really cares?”, unquote.

Well, obviously YOU care. And more then just a bit. In fact, it seems quite obsessively, to be exact. Apparently, enough caring to warrant a haunting on the video by the shadowy specter of the dual-sock. Please. Go away, hungry ghost. There’s nothing for you here. No one summoned you. So why dost thou harken to me? Go back to the shadows. Go out back to moan and groan in the boneyard, where you belong. All of this malcontent within you is just due to the fact that you are heart broken over the knowledge that, soon, you will no longer be able to continue to successfully fool people into attributing power and responsibility onto some imagined externally existing inventory item. So naturally you’ve become irritated and disappointed, but I’m so completely glad you’ve become disillusioned; because all this fake bullshit that’s currently being used for self pacification and willful delusion, is coming to an end! And you don’t like it. You want to be able to continually hide in delusion, and all the implications about lucidity, truth and awareness, will just spoil everything. Awwwww. Poor baby! The little baby needs his little baby bottle! That’s why the poor little baby is lamenting that there isn’t any point.

“As if there’s some point to this place we find ourselves in!”

Of course there’s no pre-existing point. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t any point. There may be a point, but it isn’t a point that’s gonna be supplied to you. And that’s because sensory perception is mind created phenomena. You can imagine it to be an objectified manifestation in your mind, all you want; if that makes you feel better, but that doesn’t change the fact that perception is a complete fabrication. And you’re not okay with this. Hence worship of god. Hence worship of objects. That’s the difference between a true escapist and a true realist; but the REAL difference, rather then the continually told lie of the inverse. And as such, there are those that shun the truth, and reject mind created reality, most commonly materialists or theists; thereby authentic escapism. And there are those that welcome the truth, and accept mind created reality, usually some type of nihilist or existentialist; thereby authentic realism. You see, existentialism doesn’t have a problem with the contrived nature of sensory phenomena. But this is your exact trouble. You want purpose and morality to be factors supplied to you by some type of superior outside power. You want to feel exceptional. You want to be anointed; so you wish some otherworldly aspect would materialize, to see that your washed, then smear your body down with holy oil; so as to better bestow a divine hand job upon you, all because you are just so god damned unbelievably fucking special. Well, unfortunately for you, but luckily for the rest of us, it ain’t happening.

No, there isn’t any point out there, waiting for you to find. And there also isn’t any “place” for a sense of self to find itself in. Yeah, “in.” This sense of self is apparently located INSIDE some type of parameter, right? That’s why you keep insisting that there’s some sense of self out there searching for a purpose. Always taking everything way too literally. Places, inside, outside, self, others. All externalizations. But, it’s understandable why. Of course you’re not going to understand the implications of existentialism, because you are not lucid. At all. So, naturally, you wouldn’t be able to recognize where the source of reality is. Because you’re always too busy looking past it. Therefor, you apparently need a purpose to be forcibly penetrated into you, by something you think in your mind is extrinsic; otherwise god will die, and then everything just gets ruined for you, and then you’ll be forced into cynicism, and then compelled to believe that purpose, and hence morality, are ultimately worthless! And then everything goes downhill from here. What a dilemma indeed!

Basically, just like a little anally wounded theist, who wants to take his ball and go home, all because there isn’t some big sky daddy out there to give a blowjob to. Awwwww. You just can’t seem to get passed your little oral fixation, can you. And I know, anyone who tries to help you to stand up on your own two feet and be a man, is an asshole, all because you can’t get passed your little oral fixation, and you insist on giving fellatio to flying spaghetti monsters. Well, get off your hands and knees and get over it! And don’t bother saying that it isn’t what you’re doing, because it’s EXACTLY what you’re doing, whether you consciously realize it or not. And it doesn’t matter if you say you are not a theist, because your mindset achieves the exact same depressively oppressive mind state. Just because you’ve replaced “god”, with some narrative about an extraterrestrial, a secret society, a DNA molecule, or whatever other bullshit externalization you’ve come up with, doesn’t make it any different. Same fecal matter, different anus. Understand: There isn’t any objective aspect out there to act as your supplier. So stop searching for one; like some drug addicted junkie, looking for a dealer to jock for a chance at some product. That makes you no better then a cheap common dirty whore. And that’s truly contemptible.

You mock my call for discipline, mindfulness and efficiency because, by your estimation, it must be the result of attachment and the valuation of illusion, and it’s completely understandable why you’d think that, due to it being the only frame of reference you can conceive of; because you are truly an unabashed attachment whore, and a shameless value junky. When one can only intellectually consider the concept of lucidity, rather then lucid awareness itself, then it would seem to logically follow that, if one learns that sensory perception is illusion, then this will ultimately mean that nothing matters, and this will justify recklessness, and eventually become a license to be a predator. And this is the part you just can’t seem to understand. Hence, this is where I step in to expound.

First off, no on ever said the objective is to eradicate value, reason, purpose or narrative. You are only being asked to detach from these utilities. And before you even ask, no, you can’t. Anyone who tries to manipulate this process to foster the ego will meet quick remand. The idea that lucidity will lead to a loophole that will allow the playable character to cheat the game and fulfill all it’s twisted desires, is just that: an idea. It doesn’t follow in actual methodology, and is incongruent to reality. Pursuing desire is necessarily a fall into delusion; as, any craving for illusion can only be sustained by a loss of clarity. If it’s clearly laid bare that all sensory perception is mind created, then a desire for any of this phenomena; that is, the fear based motivation to grasp or push away at illusion as a means to some end, relies completely on completely burying the truth. So get that right. We subtract the ATTACHMENT to value, reason, purpose or narrative; not the value, reason, purpose or narrative itself.

Secondly, it’s also not about abstinence, or the denial of certain inventory items to your playable character; another pitfall you just can’t seem to stay out of. Again, it’s not about pulling or pushing. It’s about seeing the true nature of what you’re pulling and pushing, and adjusting to the truth accordingly. Hence, valuation of illusion isn’t necessarily a problem. It’s the attachment to valuations of illusion that becomes a problem. How many times must this be said before you can comprehend it? Of course illusion has some value, as illusion assists in our spiritual training. Not for you to cling to it desperately. Hence, purpose itself isn’t necessarily an issue. Attachment to purpose is the issue. Understand? It’s okay to interact with illusion. Just don’t become attached to interacting with illusion.

So, with that said, here comes your big question: how can you possibly establish any discipline or proper conduct in a context that is objectively meaningless and isn’t governed over by an all seeing super power that manipulates you into certain behaviors by doling out punishment and reward? Apparently, in your mind, you can’t. That’s why you relegate morality to the workings of a Sith Lord; as, without a god to dictate morality, that leaves man alone to establish a moral code; and, of course, that means human morality must be evil; as, man can’t be anything good, without a god to MAKE him good, right? Which is why you compared my righteous stance against pollution to a Sith Lord. Please. Keep that distinction for yourself. I think it’s YOU who is doing the projecting. Although, realistically, you would hardly be considered a Sith Lord anyway. More like a Sith LARVA. That’s about it. A measly little mealybug; a parasite who seems content to continually suck on the juices of a mighty and righteous host. A simple pest. An annoying little nuisance fit to be whisked away to it’s fate by a swift and heavy hand.

But, getting back to the meat of the matter, of which, is the main assumptive stance adopted by the dual-sock, and, by and large, by people in general; is this presupposition that mind dependent phenomena, and a lack of god, equates into a necessary loss of meaning and purpose, and hence, morality. And the other commenter on the video also apparently agrees; complaining that morality cannot follow from the implications of sensory perception as mind created illusion. So let’s break it down.

One thing you need to understand up front is, just because reality is mind created, doesn’t mean there can’t be morality. Take responsibility. Why do you need to be bribed by some imagined outside entity in order to understand discipline and morality properly? Let me guess. You wanna go to heaven and don’t wanna go to hell, right? How deep of you. And that very well may help you sleep at night. But I’ll tell you one thing. If you’re a player, game to conduct himself according to a paradigm of “avoiding punishment and gaining rewards”, then, for good or bad, you’ve established a code of conduct on all the wrong reasons. “Gaining and avoiding”, are the delusional path, and a way to obfuscate the truth. There’s nothing to gain or lose here. You were zero sum before you came in this game, and you are exiting this game in the exact same way. And don’t take zero to mean absence. An absence is a negative. A presence is a positive. Both different degrees of the exact same stuff: illusion. Zero is superposition. So gaining and avoiding aren’t a legitimate basis to formulate a moral compass on; unless you’re a Mario Brother, running around collecting coins and jumping over turtles.

A lack of a god doesn’t mean there can be no such thing as morality. A lot of atheists incorrectly dismiss moral features due to religious associations, but there’s no need to throw the baby out with the bath water. We can figure out a standard for intelligent beings that can be applicable to all life forms, and we don’t need some make believe judge in the sky to keep us honest. We can set a standard. And it’s not that difficult to sort out.

So, how can we set a standard? To figure this out, you need not look any further then to your own functionality. You know, without question, that within yourself, you have a free will that has the capacity to use force; as in, actions that create effects on outside conditions, and, you have a free will that has the capacity to receive force; as in, seemingly outside effects that apply actions on you, modifying your condition. So this formulates a border we can use as a basic outline. And there’s no such thing as anyone who does not have any boundaries. And even if so, there are still instinctual ones. Only Jesus Christ would be exempt from this. So with boundaries, comes the issue of consent. We’ll refer to this junction as the boundary line of the will. And this really shouldn’t need to be explained to you, because it isn’t an intellectual consideration, even though the terminology of “the boundary line of the will”, is an enigmatic and ambiguous consideration.

Let’s put it this way: Why do the sheep run from the wolves? Why do you get annoyed and move away when someone sits too close to you on the bus? Why do you scream in pain and recoil when you get punched in the eye? Is this a matter of moral relativity? After all, sometimes we enjoy getting our throats cut when we sleep, right? It just depends on your culture. Is that it? No, of course not. You don’t need an education or a cultural background to figure out that you need to remove your hand from a hot stove, do you? So the basis for a moral system is actually pretty simple. There’s no need for you to go on pretending that morality is too hard to flesh out.

Boiled down. Life forms are either receptive or unreceptive to phenomena; and the outcome of one or another isn’t a matter of philosophy; so the proposal of moral relativity stinks of extraneous intellectualism. This is not an ideological proposition. It’s a fact of raw instinctual physiology. And we can build upon this.

You already know that, when force is used against a will, there is a rejection of it. Just as you also know, when force is used in accord with a will, there is acceptance of it. Hence, moral behavior is the proper use of force. Immoral behavior is the mis-use of force. That’s it. Need more be said on the matter? If you are able to recognize this natural configuration within your so called “own existence”, then it shouldn’t be too hard to recognize that it also resides in ALL life forms; not just for your own personal ego.

And this isn’t about any “Golden Rule”, as, many of you hate yourselves, and are completely self destructive, so, “doing unto others as you would have others do unto you”, is not necessarily the best formula for the job. But even a self destructive degenerate ego still has a boundary line of the will. Positive and negative responses to stimuli don’t cease happening just because an ego has become devoted to evil. The evil one’s hand still recoils from the hot stove, does it not? So it’s still possible to violate evil’s consent. Yes, that’s right. Dracula doesn’t want you to stick that stake in his heart and will try to prevent it. Is that a shocker? Maybe Dracula had to go to college to understand that he doesn’t want a stake in his heart? So, this is why, if evil is going to pretend morality doesn’t matter as a mere justification for overly indulgent disgusting behaviors, then that ego will be punished swiftly. And rightfully so.

Why?

Because delusional behaviors are contrary to the training. And again. We are students, here to undergo spiritual training, in order to free the mind from mental slavery. Behaviors that are conducive towards enlightenment are worthy of encouragement. Behaviors that are conducive towards delusion are worthy of condemnation. For a sage not to uphold these standards would be a dereliction of duty.

Can you understand this? The right and wrong of behaviors will be determined on a foundation of lucidity as the highest ideal. That is, just as was previously said, behaviors motivated towards delusion are bad, and should be condemned accordingly. Behaviors motivated towards the truth of lucid awareness are good, and should be commended appropriately. Similarly, anything that malevolently tries to interfere with your enlightenment should be considered bad, and constitutes a mis-use of force. Just as, if you were to try to malevolently interfere with another’s enlightenment, it should be considered bad, and would constitute a mis-use of force; even if you personally benefited from it, or derived selfish pleasure from it. And yes, that needs be clarified due to the soul dead psychopaths out there. So there’s no way around it: any mis-use of force against a will is considered a delusional enterprise, hence is contrary to lucid awareness, and therefor is a violation of right conduct. There’s the basis for a rightly based morality.

Hence, this same moral template can be applied to the act of pollution; the argument I made that the dual-sock has criticized as attachment. But the criticism doesn’t wash. Being destructive to one’s environment definitely qualifies as immoral conduct. It demonstrates a total lack of mindfulness; a crucial element of a lucid mind; which is the the basis of the spiritual training. So does that answer your question? You told the commenter to go ahead and ask me what we are training for, but it’s really YOU who is doing the asking. And, unfortunately, you don’t like the answer.

And, that’s right. Training. SPIRITUAL training! And that’s right again. Training, for NOTHING. What’s the problem with training for nothing anyway? Oh, because an addicted heroin addict can’t fathom the idea of giving up his heroin. What a surprise! I guess the little baby is gonna need to adjust to functioning without a pacifier! Because that’s all that is awaiting you, “out there.” Nothing. And when I say nothing, I don’t mean an absence of objects. Hence, an absence of objects isn’t the focus of the training. The focus of the training is, and always has been, pure potential. So when I say, “nothing”, I mean that literally. Nothingness itself. The pure static field that isn’t even a pure static field. And there’s nothing wrong with training for nothingness. This is the essence of Pure Potentialism. And to master it, one must really be devoted to it, despite receiving no gratification or validation from it in return. That’s how it’s determined whether or not you are full of shit. This is how it’s seen whether you are a spiritual warrior who wants nothing for himself but freedom and the truth, or a little lying pansy, who looks to receive rewards and hide in his delusion. We pay respect to pure potentiality, even though we can’t affix a label unto it, familiarize it, or compare it to something similar. We are not here looking for a nipple to suckle, like the dual-sock. We are here to be spiritual warriors, sworn to serve the common good, and to sacrifice as much as we can. All for the truth of lucid awareness.

Now, on to the dual-sock’s second comment, which I will now read, then obliterate quickly; as this video has already gone on too long. Again, it follows a comment exchange between a subscriber and the Meta Sage, and at the end of that exchange, the dual-sock chimes in, stating, quote:

dualsock: “You allowed the talking tiger to mind rape you. Notice how anything you bring up, he redefines for you? See how he redirects your attention to him? You speak of a creating force, he tells you there is nothing beyond awareness. This has subtle, psychological implications, that implies he is awareness, and you are not. That there is nothing beyond awareness (him), that he is the pinnacle. That your answers are found in him and need no searching beyond his word. These are mind tricks, to make you subservient to his will. You ask the wrong questions. Ask him what awareness is aware of. Ask him how awareness can be without the contrasting and complimentary distinction of the unaware. Ask him, how can he be sure he’s awareness if theres no way for him to be aware of what he’s unaware of.”

So that’s the second comment. And here’s a measured response:

Everything that comes out of the dual-sock’s mouth is deceptive bullshit. All he can produce is falsehood. So, to clarify: I don’t redefine. I guide towards the open ended. This isn’t a shell game. This isn’t about rejecting one inventory item in favor of another one. It’s about embracing the truth; and the truth isn’t found by selecting the right inventory item. They are all equally false. So how is it exactly that I’m redirecting anyone’s attention to me? This has nothing to do with me. But this is the nature of the dual-sock. Lies. Misrepresentations. Mischaracterizations.

Yes, the commenter spoke of a creating force, and I rightly brought him back down to reality. Awareness is the sure thing, which can be verified and is the ultimate foundation of everything. Not because I say so, but because that’s how it is. A creating force is an abstraction. Again, this is more cowardly evasions. Another example of feeble subservience, looking for some outside entity to hold all the power and responsibility, because you’re too weak and lazy to assume it yourself.

I point towards awareness. So how is this in any way an implication that “I am awareness and others are not”? Or that I am the pinnacle, and only want others to take my word with no verification for themselves? How is this so; other then just the dual-sock saying so? Because that’s all it is. Distortions and deceptions. I have always repeatedly advocated for just the opposite. Don’t take my word. Don’t stop your investigation. Find out for yourself. I don’t want your subservience. I’m telling you, I have no use for needy dependent followers who need somebody to lean on. If that’s what you are, then GET OUT OF HERE! I’m looking for those who want to stand on their own two feet; and don’t need my support. I have no time to support you.

And here you tell the commenter that he’s asking me the wrong questions, and, again, ask the commenter to ask me certain questions, which means, again, it’s really YOU who’s asking the questions. So I will go ahead and answer your questions. Since you indirectly asked.

Question 1: What is awareness aware of.

Answer: Awareness is aware of an imagination.

Question 2: How awareness can be without the contrasting and complimentary distinction of the unaware.

Answer: Awareness can’t “be”; as, awareness is not an existential factor. It’s only aware of existential factors. Therefor, it doesn’t have an opposite. It doesn’t play by the rules of duality. It imagines the rules of duality.

Question 3: How can I be sure I’m aware if there’s no way for me to be aware of what I’m unaware of.

Answer: “You” are not aware. This “you” is not your identity. More aptly stated: There is an awareness of a persona who thinks he has an individual awareness that he can’t be sure of, due to the fact that he can’t be aware of what he’s unaware of. See, your problem is misidentification. That’s why you can’t unglue from your dream stupor.

So that’s that. I now wash my hands of the dual-sock, and banish him to the netherworlds, once again. But this time, there’s no coming back. You are unrepentant, and hence, are unforgiven. And are therefor removed. Begone from this place.

[thatchoiboy]

Fanfiction Recommendations [GOT7] I

Having trouble looking for some good fanfictions? I'll try my best to put the fanfics you are looking for on this list! {the ones I listed here are the ones I've already read or currently reading} [fanfictions belongs to owners] i have a lot more than the ones i have listed here but this is only the first one. I'll do more kpop groups fic rec besides got7~ Please like or reblog if this helped you in some ways. I spent more than 8 hours doing this (and im hella tired) and typing a lot so i appreciate if you atleast like it. if there's a specific group and a specific ship you want me to do fic recs.. ask away! :D For now, enjoy~~ GOT7 [on asianfanfics] ~ 2jae -> OPERATION: LOVE by UnGodlyHours description : When a diligent agent threw his life away to pursue an "impossible" mission, he vowed to get it over with as soon as possible without any strings attached. However, his careless gambling led to an unexpected development in the agent's relationship with his target. This development seems to be the reason that's stalling the agent from completing his assignment. But he isn't even complaining. status: completed ~ markjin -> OPERATION: HATE (PREQUEL) by UnGodlyHours description : Park Jinyoung grew up lavished in wealth and luxury. Never has anyone dared laid a hand on the demanding young master. Mark Tuan grew up far away from his loving family. Never has he ever taken liking to rich spoiled brats. status : ongoing ~ 2jae -> OPERATION: US (SEQUEL) by UnGodlyHours description : Madly in love with his husband, Jaebum does everything to please him and everything to protect him. Happily in love with his husband, Youngjae would willingly give up his life for him in a heartbeat. And there's Mark and Jinyoung, the ideal of two husbands who are deeply in love with each other. status : ongoing ~ 2jae -> Daddy, Are You There? by UnGodlyHours description : A single dad. A very sassy five-year-old. And a beauty with a soft heart for kids. status : completed ~ 2jae -> Dangerous Game by chocopieyj description : Youngjae isn't a kid anymore. He doesn't play games with his friends like he used to. But there's a game; a game that he was forced to learn, a game that's not fun but is fruitful. An adults game with only one rule: Don't fall in love. Never. status : ongoing [M] ~ 2jae -> All I Want by deffsouls description : Youngjae was an observer. No, he wasn't the class weirdo looking out of place, but also wasn't anything like the person he was in love with. It would be best to describe him as a mere outsider. He couldn't even be considered a supporting character, but 'narrator' fitted him well since he never had his own story to tell, always focusing on people around him. Never himself. Had Youngjae known what would happen later, he would've remained that way. status : ongoing [M] ~ 2jae -> You can be the boss by deffsouls description : The moment his father died, Youngjae knew something was off. There was no way a boss would have let himself killed that easily, much less with no clues left behind. Completely alone with the family business to run, now it was up to him to put the pieces of the puzzle together, find the culprit and take revenge. As he goes down a deranged path, secrets from present and past start to emerge, making Youngjae start to question if everything he had been through until that day was really due to fater or merely family business. "Of all the gin joints, in all the towns in all the world, he walks into mine." status : ongoing [M] ~ JJP -> The Im Family by Jheiaa description : Stories about parents Jaebum and Jinyoung, going about their daily lives, as they figure out parenthood ft. little ball of sunshine Youngjae. status : ongoing ~ 2jae -> Red Sky by chocopieyj description : The sky was painted blue the day they met. When he realized how false that color was. How unreal was the world he was living in. Then, everything turned into a bloody red. A crimson sky shared with him. status : ongoing [M] ~ 2jae -> Thank you for being born by MBLAQloveu description : a/n status : ongoing ~ 2jae -> Love You to Death by immskx description : Everyone knows JB and JR are a "thing". Its not hard to see that. But no one knows what happens when night falls, and the door to JB and Youngjae's bedroom closes. No one knows that Youngjae's the one that takes all the stress away from JB... That's he's the one that loves JB through all his flaws. The one that follows without any question... No one knows. And it seems as if JB wants it that way. status : ongoing [M] ~ markjae/yugjae/markgyeom -> Pic Me! by Choseong description : Mark is one of the best photographer in his division he got a tip that Yugyeom was going to a love cafe. Yugyeom's interest is the pastery chef. Mark's interest is him. status : ongoing [M] ~ 2jae -> Home by purplenekochan description : Youngjae loves Jaebum and Jaebum loves him back. Youngjae knows he loves Jaebum more than Jaebum loves him and he is okay with that. Their friends think Jaebum does not love Youngjae enough, until a certain Mark Tuan came into the picture and proved everyone wrong. status : ongoing ~ 2jae -> Fallen by nairneverasi description : Youngjae is a first year student at university. Despite his tough family background, he is cheerful and lively. With his best friend who's called Yugyeom, they survived the first trimester. However, things happen to become more dangerous and exciting. Youngjae gets to know Jaebum, the handsome senior, who has a girlfriend. Apparently, the last two trimesters seem to be adventureous but risky as well. status : completed ~ markjin -> Dreams of the devil by Miyakolzumi description : When Park Jinyoung, a science freak in his second year of high school, is suddenly pulled into a different world full of supernatural creatures that attend school together, he wakes up in the bed of a handsome young man that calls himseld the devil's son and Jinyoung can't quite deal with it all. status : ongoing [M] ~ 2jae -> Rewind by belonika description : [college!AU] The struggles of sharing a dorm room with someone unaware of his cuteness and its effect on the poor roommate. status : ongoing ~ 2jae -> My Unsociable Sub by markjincupid description : They say 'opposite poles attract.' Maybe that's the reason why Jaebum, a very confident, filthy rich and straight forward guy, felt a massive pull towards the unsociable and shy employee of his company, Youngjae. Trying to be comfortable with his ever so persistent and demanding boss wasn't at all easy but can Youngjae still keep with the progress between them when he finds his gorgeous boss was a dominant? Much more when Jaebum tells him he wants him to be his submissive. Will Youngjae run away? Or will his undeniable submissiveness gave in to temptation? status : ongoing [M] ~ 2jae -> Blood Scent|2jae by Orenji-Senpai description : His eyes, nose, and dark stained red lips. I want him to be mine but I'm afraid to bruise his pale skin. I want to show him the real me but I'm afraid he would fear me. I want to protect him but I'm afraid he would question me. I want to kiss him but I'm afraid he would reject me. What can I do to please make your scent mine? status : ongoing ~ 2jae/yugbam/markjin -> An Unexpected Happenstance by beeayypee description : No one knew that seven typically sexually frustrated and chaotic boys from all walks of like would make a messy outcome. No one knew these bunch would prosper their way through high school, together. No one knew they were desperately suffereing to fit into the society. No one. status : ongoing ~ yugbam -> We Got Married by YugBam97Lover description : The maknae couple secretly got married. And it's up to older boys to keep it a secret from the public and JYP. status : completed [M] part of "GOT7 ENGAGEMENT SERIES" ~ 2youngjae -> baby bear by choimiah description : Youngjae knows that it's abnormal, unconventional, and downright filthy. But he loves the rush of being ogled and desired and the center of anyone's universe. He can't help the thrill of stretching himself on camera and having someone thousands of miles away or even blocks away from losing themselves because he's doing everything right. Call it a guilty pleasure or secret addiction, but all Youngjae knows is that he likes being pampered and objectified and everything that comes with is. However, Youngjae isn't dim; he knows there are sickos out there wanting to do things to him even he can't get off at (and please believe, there are many things he can get off at). So when users bigpapa and sweetpeach approach him about an arrangement offline, Youngjae is rightfully hesistant. His terms are that their first meetin be in a public place with lots of people. Little could he have known he would wish that nobody were around at all because no two people have ever made him feel like such a Little before. status : ongoing [M] ~ 2jae -> Then Elope With Him!!! by got7_jae description : Jackson came up with a good idea on how Jaebum can retrieve his Youngjae from Mark. Jaebum's boyfriend had an idea too but none of it works. Thank goodness their Jinyoung-eomma knows how to cook meatball spaghetti! status : completed ~ 2jae -> Sweet As Sugar (sour as lemon) by Darthkouhai description : He's the residential "bad boy", cold glare to match his leather jackets and multiple piercings. Guys are afraid of him, girls love him. He's the heartbreaker, so there's no way he's in love-- "Hyung?" Youngjae looks over at him with a sunny grin that makes Jaebum's heart jump to his throat. Oh fuck. status : ongoing ~ markjin -> The Office Ban by KVNGMARK description : What happens when Park Jinyoung becomes the rookie of a top music company in Seoul? The CEO of this renowned company Mark Tuan- rumored to be a mysterious man, made a great first impression on the rookie. After that day, Jinyoung couldn't help but feel his heart race whenever they encountered each other. Mark took interest in the newbie after realizing the similarities he had with him. Once Jinyoung was informed of the "No Office Romance" rule, his mind eased a little until he came face to face with Mark again. The two began to fall for one another but with conflicts rising against them, mishaps were bound to happen. status : ongoing [M] ~ 2jae -> The Third Favor. 2jae edition by Wookiell description : Jaebum was a regular high school student, thinking about college and completely bored of life. He wasn't what you could call 'sociable'. Mostly because that's how his nature was and in part because his only three friends were at the other side of the world, yet he didn't really need more of them. Well you could say books were his unconditional friends. That's why he always spend all the time he got at the school's library; making himself happy with the new book he could find to read. He loved swimming across the never-ending shelfs full of books, serching for one which satisfice his curiousity and hunger for something interestiing... and maybe it was fate when one particular afternoon he found the most intriguing book he have ever seen, leading him to accidentally summon one demon as bored as Jaebum, with the same hunger for something interesting to do. status : ongoing ~ markson/2jae -> Thirst Has No Curfew by Alex-su description : Mark and Jackson hooked up a few months backand have fooled around since. Oh, and Mark's boss has been trying to get him to meet (read: date) her son. status : completed (for the markson part) ongoing (for the 2jae part) [M] ~ markjin -> How to Tame a Playboy by markenjin description : Mark Yien Tuan thinks everyone's hearts is a game he could always win and Park Jinyoung doesn't want a game he could lose so he decided to tame the player. status : completed [M] ~ markjin -> I Tamed the Playboy by marknejin description : How to Tame a Playboy sequel status : completed [M] ~ markjin -> Daddies'Day Out by markenjin description : It's not only marriage that can bind two people with full time responsibilities, it can be a two feet walking human wearing an oveersized banana jumper. status : ongoing ~ markgyeom/2jae -> Lamia by IHNFL14 description : Yugyeom is a wizard in training and everything is well until he meets a human boy named Mark. After that everything goes downhill, along with Jaebum. status : ongoing ~ 2jae -> The Boy Who Cried Murder by choimiah description : Just the word prison would send shivers racing through anyone. As it should. But, the only thing Youngjae feels is an overwhelming sense of home. Youngjae can paralyze a human in under thirty seconds just by pinching designated pressure points along the spine and throat. He knows the proper technique of handling a firearm, always intending to immobilize but never kill. He also has the ability to weaponize basically any common object if need be. Yeah, his grandfather taught him some things. And Youngjae never thought he'd have to utilize what he's learnt. That is until a certain waltzes into his life and flips his sedentary existence on its side. Jaebum, Im. Voluntary Manslaughter. Sentence: --- TBD. status : ongoing [M] ~ 2jae -> Sneezy Hyung by cily265 description : Choi Youngjae is a loud kid from the countryside who moves in next to Im Jaebum to the city. Jaebum or 'JB' is not a pervert, but when he has sexual thoughts he has a sneezong fit. It's his little 'dirty' secret, but he's not the only one that has things to hide. status : ongoing ~ 2jae -> Seven Days by cluelesspanda description : Youngjae likes Jaebum. Jaebum is known to date those who confess to him. But it only lasts a week. Youngjae knows this and yet he still wants to try. status : ongoing ~ 2jae -> Because he's mine by KpopOwl description : Jaebum is the spoiled son of a rich househi=old, his days are wasted in every single activity that is sure to piss off his awful step-father. Youngjae grew up in an orphanage and right before he turns eighteen he is illegaly adopted and then sold to a rich family he knows nothing of. They will end up save and free each other. status : ongoing [M] ~ markjaeson ft 2jae and JJP -> Take A Picture (itll last longer) by Darthkouhai description : He was in college, he was jobless, and he was broke; so what was a boy to do? The pay was good and it was anonymous, so he wasn't going to complain- and hey, he looked mighty fine in a dress. status : ongoing [M] ~ markson/yugbam/JJP -> Safety Inn by tearyxz description : Welcome to Safety Inn, where all guests are guaranteed a safe and comfortable stay. status : ongoing ~ 2youngjae -> I want to be with you by TWINpower description : Youngjae likes Jinyoung, Jinyoung likes Jaebum, and Jaebum.... well you will see xD Will their feelings change? status : ongoing ~ 2youngjae -> Trinity by Jheiaa description : Jinyoung and Jaebum finally find the person who makes their triquetra soulmate marks complete. status : ongoing (hiatus) [M] ~ 2jae -> Hold the sugar, please. You're sweet enough for me. by Jheiaa description : In which every customer has a crush on Dream Bean's sweet, oblivious sunshine barista Youngjae, Jaebum is having none of it, Yugyeom tries to teach Kunpimook about the wonderful world of latte art, Jinyoung is being a mom, the king of pick-up lines Jackson is playing matchmake and Marks is 100% done with everyone status : ongoing (hiatus) ~ 2jae -> Words That Start With P by Unnie19 description : Pain starts with P. Pleasure starts with P. And Jaebum's favourite word that leaves Youngjae's lips when he's begging "Pl-please..", Also starts with P. status : ongoing [M] ~ 2jae -> Expoloding Bonbons & Butterbeer by Retr0spect desciption : Cute Hufflepuff Choi Youngjae has a crush on the Gryffindor Quidditch team captain. status : ongoing ~ jackjaeyoung -> soft radical by choimiah description : Youngjae never thought she's spend her summer doing anything more than writing poetry inspired by her almost too vivid daydreams, binge-watching entire dramas until she start sleeptalking horribly greasy pick-up lines, and sketching on her bedroom walls; but her sleepy, overcast summer takes an exciting derailment when a new boy moves in across the street who apparently likes to throw quiet ragers of one late at night and frustrate Youngjae to the point where she ventures out of her safe bubble and into his strange, little world. status : ongoing [M] ~ 2jae -> The No. 1 Fan by got7_jae description : Im Jaebum and Park Jinyoung meets JJ Project's one and only no. 1 fan: Choi Youngjae. status : completed ~ 2jae/markjin/jackbam -> All the things he said by TWINpower description : Youngjae, Mark and Bambam were adopted by a pervert when they were really young. When they finished a proper age the man started to use them sexually and after some time they got use to it. Now they can't even live a day without sex, they all have a mental problem called satyriasis. status : ongoing [M] ~ markjae -> 9,606 Kilometers by _acee_ description : Ever since Choi Youngjae was born, he has a watch on his left wrist that cannot be removed. 9606, it read. A little did he knew that it as the total distance between him and his fated soulmate. Everytime the numbers would decrease, his heart would lit up with joy and wished that it would decrease more. He longed to see his fated soulmate even though they're 9,606 kilometers apart. status : completed ~ 2jae -> Just stay by cant_stop_kpop description : This is a romantic comedy about got7, specifically 2jae. status : completed ~ JJP/yugjin/jackbam/markjae -> OMG! (Oh My Girl) by silverpixie120 description : The unpopular Jinyoung, Youngjae, and Bambam were cross-dressing for School Festival. They weren't aware that it attracted the popular Mark, Jaebum, Jackson, and Yugyeom. And slowly brought them further to something they never thought of before. status : ongoing ~ 2youngjae -> Three's A Company by Darthkouhai description : Between Jaebum's hand tugging at his hair and Jinyoung's fingers digging into his hips, Youngjae can't move, stuck at the mercy of his two hyungs. Neither of them want to let up, seeming to move rougher with every need noise Youngjae let's out. He wouldn't- couldn't complain. Not when it felt so good, not when he wanted more. status : completed [M] ~ 2jae/markbum/JJP -> You're Mine (넌 내꺼야) by Bluetick description : Jaebum received hundred of letter from nameless person with the same content - You're Mine -. He tried to ignore until one day when things are getting out of hand. status : completed ~ markjin -> Hyungdo Massacre by markenjin description : Mark Tuan, a young gifted detective, tries to solve the mysterious unsolved case that happened 10 years ago which murdered 12 families in their compound including his family. Finding the murderer and his beloved best friend, Jinyoung, who was actually the 'lost boy' in the said incident were his ultimate motive in solving the case. status : completed [M] ~ 2youngjae -> There's Room Enough For Three by Darthkouhai description : It's a pleasant (albeit unexpected) surprise when Jaebum comes back to his dorm the next day to a bright smile (was it shining? Probably) and an even brighter greeting. His roommate was in the process of moving a few boxes into the vacant room when Jaebum opened the door, so at first Jaebum only sees the back of his body. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all? status : ongoing ~ 2jae -> the boy who lost his phone by KwangYoungShipper description : *BAM* "Ah-Mianhae!" Youngjae bowed as quickly to the person he bumped into and ran out of the library "I'm so late, Jin's going to kill me" Jaebum blinked as the stranger ran away in such a rush and stared at the floor, seeing an iPhone just laying there. status : completed ~ JJP/markbum -> Connection by itspoppynada description : Mark is a new pediatrician who works for his family hospital. He meets Jaebum when he is treating his son, and their first meeting is not very pleasant. But since then, Mark has been sensing a weird presence of a gentle-looking guy, which is not seen by anyone else. Later he finds out that the guy has something to do with Jaebum and his son, which lead him to start to care for the family. status : ongoing ~ JJP/markson -> mission log : unit seven description : 003. there's not really much of a question about it- jinyoung would die to save any other member of unit 7. the discovery that they would do the same for him shouldn't set him om edge this much, except it does, but figuring that out isn't high on his list of priorities right now. unfortunately for him though, someone tries to change that. status : ongoing ~ 2jae -> Netflix & Chill? by aka-jongups description : In which Jaebum invited Youngjae over for a simple movie night. But something else happens while the younger visits his classmate, who laso happends to be the guy he likes. status : completed ~ 2jae/markson -> The Compelling Adventures of Thot7 by darkalley description : Youngjae blames Jackson and jinyoung for getting him in this shit entirely. status : ongoing [M] ~ 2jae -> 62 Detour Lane by yoshiwoo description : It was all supposed to be a small road trip. Until you took a slight detour. "If you were a vegetable, you'd be a cutecumber." "I hate you." status : ongoing ~ markjin -> A Demon's Mind Games by Mudalion description : A large amount of people are cursed one night by an unkwonw figure. A curse they cannot control. It comes to life at the worst of times and changes them. They became desperate to get rid of their hunger; hunger that can only be relieved througgh sexual acts. They'll do anything to feed themselves, even if it's the forcing of the willing. status : ongoing [M] ~ 2jae -> Macchiato Days by choimiah description : Youngjae came in one morning and found this guy sleeping under a table. status : completed ~ 2jae -> Anonymous by sweetdeadlybackup description : Youngjae is crushing hard on a certain football player named Jaebum. One day, love notes start appearing in Youngjae's locker, whoever could be leaving the notes? status : ongoing ~ 2jae -> My Teddy Bear by exofanficss description : JB was jealous, his teddy bear wasn't giving him his full attention. status : ongoing ~ 2jae -> The Bully's Playlist by got7_jae description : Jaebum just wanted know Youngjae's name. Youngjae wouldn't be playing hard to get if it wasn't Jaebum asking, the mighty Im Jaebum. status : completed ~ markjin -> Elemental Heirs by markjincupid description : Seven boys found themselves tangles in an ancient legend leading them in a dangerous pursuit of long forgotten justice for thier race. Seven boys who have discovered the meaning of both friendship and love among the chaos of fighting for revenge and survival. status : completed [M] ~ 2jae -> The Big Crush Theory. 2jae edition! by Wookiell description : Choi Youngjae is what you could call a 'nerd', but he's not the typical, shy nerd. He's the perfect mix between Sheldon Cooper's mind and a sarcastuc, sharp and strong personality. But there's something Youngjae and the typical nerd share: a bully So, what happens when Youngjae finds out that his bully and archi-enemy suddenly became his step-brother? Well, a long year had passed since that day... Why don't we see how thing are for Youngjae now? status : completed

[loudlytransparenttrash]

Feminism is Misogyny

Feminists may be responsible for saying some of the most misogynistic things that I’ve ever had the displeasure of hearing and reading. Typically you’d expect to hear things that are anti-woman from the people deemed as the usual suspects. But I want to make it clear that feminists and feminism may be the single greatest blow to the progress of women in the history of mankind.

You might say, “How can this be? Feminism is supposed to be a cause for equality.” Over the last three years, I found myself researching feminists and feminism after dedicating my life to this movement, but the more I have researched, I found myself faced with this glaring paradox. A paradox which had me casting off the feminist label entirely.

While feminists say that feminism is about equality, actions speak louder than words. These actions suggest an uncomfortable truth. Feminism is not the assumption that we are equal, but the assumption that women are weak and need a leg up. It’s the idea that women are oppressed by an all-powerful patriarchy, and that we need to push men down to thrive as fully functioning independent creatures.

If a man were to suggest that women were weak and needed help doing everything from getting jobs to basic decision making, you’d say this man was sexist. If a man said that a woman could never make meaningful decisions about her life because of her weakness, you’d call for this man’s job and ask that he be fired. If he suggested that women could be easily manipulated and brainwashed into making those decisions, you’d think he was absolutely nuts.

So why do we let feminists do it? Contrary to popular belief; Feminism suggests that women are weak in body and in mind. It suggests that women were no different than slaves to their husbands in antiquity and that they were treated slightly better than beasts of burden. But this is merely historical revisionism fueled by postmodernist bullshit.

To say that for thousands of years, women never used their wits and were living mindlessly under male subjugation is to lie to yourself and everyone else. Both men and women made decisions that you may not agree with or understand in today’s society where we don’t have world wars, plagues and famine on our door steps. Men were being forced into war and were being used as pawns while women and children were protected at all costs and have always been seen as the future. Did women have it easy? Of course not. Did men have it easy? Of course not.

The narrative of modern feminism suggests that all men in the past were boorish pigs subjugating women. That these men, feeling jealous of the power women wielded, kept them out of sight and under control. Was that the case, or was this a more practical reason for keeping a woman inside the house?

The more dangerous the world is, the more men are likely to want to protect the women that live in it. It’s not societal constructs - biology and human insticts have since the beginning of time made tasks and goals more suitable for one sex over the other, both having their positives and negatives. I’m not saying that they are right or wrong for doing this, I’m merely explaining the process behind it. 

One thing that is a fact though, that women who must be protected, limits a woman’s freedom. It keeps women as fragile flowers who must be protected from the elements. The issue we have though is today’s feminists still demand the highest security even though today’s elements are completely different to when feminism was first born.

What are feminists doing today? Getting men fired for telling a joke they don’t like, getting professors fired for disagreeing and male college peers kicked out with false rape claims. Safe spaces, trigger warnings and the concept of both affirmative consent and action. There have been several notable second wave feminists who outright said that they believed all heterosexual sex is rape, because they believe that women simply do not have the power to meaningfully consent to sex. In reality, the people removing a woman’s ability to consent to sex, are feminists.

These feminists went so far as to suggest that if a woman isn’t saying “yes” like a broken record, then a man can accidentally rape her. The people single-handedly turning women into fragile flowers that need special protections, are feminists. The people suggesting that women can not get hired or recognized as assets to a company are, you guessed it, feminists.

Women are not being made to do things for themselves. In the effort to protect women and help them succeed, you’ve created a generation of women who’ve never had to apply themselves as much as men. The women who actually apply themselves and work hard, get lumped in with the women who’ve never had to get their nails dirty. All of this is made possible through the power of affirmative action.

In trying to save and protect women, feminism has removed women’s agency. They talk endlessly about choice, but choice means nothing if you lack agency. Women’s choices mean nothing if you believe women to be so easily manipulated by men and our culture as a whole. To them, the women making choices they don’t agree with, must be suffering from a bizarre kind of Stockholm syndrome.

Most women feel insulted that feminism thinks they are far too weak and stupid to make meaningful choices. Make no mistake, there are feminists right now who think that women are far more likely to be manipulated into living a traditional lifestyle than men. Because to them, no woman in her right mind would choose family over her career.

The freedom that feminists have claimed to fight for, is not the right to be protected. The freedom that they are suggesting was won for women, is a woman’s freedom to make her own choices. That means the freedom to make choices you don’t agree with. It’s the freedom to fail, succeed, and grow.

All these choices mean nothing without consequences. To take away consequences, is to remove the weight of women’s decisions. Feminists have succeeded in doing that, by suggesting that anytime a woman makes a decision that is problematic, that she is merely being manipulated by our patriarchial culture. She can’t be held responsible for her actions, because no one pulled her aside to explain to her how she’s oppressed. If she does something morally reprehensible, she can always blame it on a man.

I wonder how many of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers would have been thwarted by this nonsense. No one told my grandmother, or her mother, that they couldn’t do things. They were strong women who worked alongside men, and achieved just as much as men. They did so all without the help of feminists and feminism. These women were forged through strength and perseverance.

But women don’t need strength and perseverance anymore to succeed. Now they just need a vagina, and STEM fields and business corporations will roll out the red carpet for them to avoid being seen as sexists. You don’t need to be as skilled as men anymore, because feminists have lowered the bar for you and your predecessors. You don’t need to prove you’re as physically fit and strong as a man to join the armed services because feminists have demanded to give these women a break and make it easier for them.

To believe that patriarchy exists in the first world, is to believe that women are absent from decision making on everything from voting, to their choice in what latte to drink. You have to believe that there weren’t female anti-suffragettes, and that there aren’t women who protest against abortion. You have to believe that there isn’t a great number of women who voted against free tampons and birth control. You have to believe that women don’t vote conservative or become housewives.

On the other end, sex workers, models, and actresses would also be poor manipulated flowers that don’t know they are under male control. They would be innocent weak willed damsels tricked into living a life of submission to the male gaze. How could they possibly make the decision to be “objectified” in this manner, don’t they know they’re oppressed!?

Feminists want women to have choices as long as they make the choices they agree with. When you look at the facts, you come to the uncomfortable conclusion that every woman of note, prior to the existence of women’s suffrage, accomplished everything they did without the help of feminists or feminism. When forced to acknowledge this fact, it becomes obvious that the only thing women need to be empowered in the first world, is the desire to empower themselves through self-reliance, hard work, and dedication.

You don’t need feminism. Feminism needs you and the money you are willing to throw at it. They have to convince you that there is this carefully coordinated conspiracy against women by men, to keep them down. If a culture has a deep contempt for women, they aren’t going to care that women are upset. They aren’t going to try to protect them, and they certainly aren’t going to take your protests seriously.

You could not convince a culture with deeply entrenched misogyny to give women voting rights, birth control, or abortion. You could not convince them to give women alimony, child support, or affirmative action. If there is a group with a deep contempt for women and their choices, it’s feminists and their various theories on how we’re all being manipulated by men on a conscious and unconscious level.

I as a first world woman, am not oppressed and neither are the other first world women reading this, it doesn’t matter what your skin color is, you aren’t oppressed in this country. Women do face sexism at times, sure, but so do men and yes it’s a problem but nothing on the part of modern feminism is doing anything to stop that.

What modern feminists are doing is telling the world that women are easily offended by these “microaggressions” and need to be protected from nearly everything. This is because feminists get offended by everything from being smiled at, to being complimented on their shoes. If anything feminists are responsible for breeding more sexism in the population than ever before.

These women are encouraging men to protect women from sexism and everything else that they don’t like. They might say that a woman needs a man, like a fish needs a bicycle, but let’s compare what men have done for women compared to feminism and we can decide then who’s more important for women. Only a fraction of women call themselves a feminist so I think we all know that answer, as much as feminism loves to exaggerate its importance, women simply don’t want to be told to hate and wage war on men. 

You aren’t going to eradicate sexism. Discrimination based on sex happens through natural human preferences, developed through learned experiences. If you see women acting like entitled fragile flowers, instead of strong independent women, then those men will see women as entitled fragile flowers. You aren’t going to eradicate a male preference, by merely demanding it to be so.

In trying to eradicate a preference for men, these women are breeding a contempt for women in our populace with their outrage. Mark my words, there will be a breaking point. There will come a time that we all stop catering to the whims of feminists, until no one takes these women seriously anymore and we have already started to see this happen. This is the bed you are making for yourselves, you will soon be forced to lie in it.

[placetobenation]

With the summer movie season almost upon us, Andy is here to try to make sure you don’t get fooled when spending your hard-earned money when you choose to take in the latest flick at the cinema.

When people ask me what my favorite type of movie is, I always say blockbusters. Don’t get me wrong, but with the exception of paranormal thrillers and torture-porn flicks like the Saw movies, I love all types of movies. As a movie fan, I believe in balance as far as the movies I see goes. I love to see a big budget summer movie, then follow up it with a comedy and then after that check out an independent drama. But there is one thing that I really hate, when I see an awesome trailer but then the movie is really disappointing and bad. And it’s not like you can really avoid trailers these days. There are at least fifteen minutes of trailers before every movie that you see in the theater. You can always be “that guy” who closes his eyes and covers his ears during them. I see where they are coming from, I like to go in with as little info as possible so that the reveals, twists and turns aren’t spoiled for me. For example, I didn’t try to avoid the trailers for Rogue One, outside of seeing them before other movies, I didn’t seek out more clips and info. It did pay off and I didn’t see some of the plot turns that occurred coming. Some trailers you will see for over a year before the film is released. And often the three-minute trailer can contain all of the best parts of a one hundred and twenty-minute movie, that really gets my goat, so to speak. Here are some of the worst offenders over the last twenty years.

Passengers, released December 21, 2016. Here is the plot summary, courtesy of IMDB.com: A spacecraft traveling to a distant colony planet and transporting thousands of people has a malfunction in its sleep chambers. As a result, two passengers are awakened 90 years early. This is a great concept for a movie, so many possibilities and directions it could go in. Add in two of the biggest stars today: Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt with beautiful set design and visual effects, it should be a success, right? So where did this movie fall flat? A few places, but mostly on the script level. The characters were under-developed, and it tried to borrow from too many other movies. This film was derivative of “Cast Away”, “Titanic” and “Home Alone.” Also, one of the characters has a major moral dilemma, but I would call more a “dick move” for what they did. In hindsight, the trailer was a bit deceptive, but in their defense, they don’t want to give away the “plot twist,” so I do get why they did it. I just wish this film held up to the promise it’s trailer gave us.

Suicide Squad, released August 5, 2016. Here is the plot summary, courtesy of IMDB.com: A secret government agency recruits some of the most dangerous incarcerated super-villains to form a defensive task force. Their first mission: save the world from the apocalypse. What a fun concept, right? Let’s get a team of the worst criminals we have and send them in to stop an even worse supervillain. This was probably one of the best trailers I’ve seen in a long time, especially with the classic rock hits, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Ballroom Blitz,” and “Spirit In The Sky” featured in it. It was so good that the studio had the team that cut the trailer take a shot at editing the film. They only had so much to work with, so they couldn’t even save this movie. I don’t hate this movie, I really liked some parts of it, but it was filled with missed opportunities. They didn’t really develop enough of the characters outside of Harley Quinn and Deadshot. The motivations of the characters weren’t fully defined either. Also, I think a lot of people are really getting sick of the heroes of movies having to stop the giant light in the sky. There were at least three other movies, although only one really got it right, that featured this that year, “Doctor Strange,” “Ghostbusters” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows,” so this needs to go away or least used minimally going forward. This gave a lot of concern that the DCEU was in trouble since with was is in such a rush to catch up to the MCU that they weren’t concentrating on the little things that matter and failing to properly set up the universe. Thankfully with “Wonder Woman” and “Justice League”, they have started to course-correct.

Transformers: Age Of Extinction, released June 27, 2014. Here is the plot summary, courtesy of IMDB.com: Autobots must escape sight from a bounty hunter who has taken control of the human serendipity: Unexpectedly, Optimus Prime and his remaining gang turn to a mechanic, his daughter, and her back-street racing boyfriend for help. Honestly, the entire franchise should be on this list. Transformers was one of my favorite cartoons growing up and there are some cool and good parts to these movies. But, it is mainly Michael Bay shitting on my childhood. In regards to this entry in the series, there are so many problems with this movie: the swift and brutal death of the apparent comic relief early in the movie; the mention of the “Romeo & Juliet” law as part of a sub-plot; Optimus Prime being really pissed off and killing a human on purpose. But the worst offense (I will admit it was a cool scene when it happened) was saving the Dinobots for a short scene at the end of the movie after it was the biggest promise from the trailer.

Man Of Steel, released June 14, 2013. Here is the plot summary, courtesy of IMDB.com: Clark Kent, one of the last of an extinguished race disguised as an unremarkable human, is forced to reveal his identity when the Earth is invaded by an army of survivors who threaten to bring the planet to the brink of destruction. We didn’t know it at the time, but this was the first entry in the DCEU. But man, this was no “Iron Man.” The trailer had some cool visuals and it seem to set up an epic battle between Superman and General Zod, which we did end up getting, but the tone of the movie was totally off. I’m not a comic book guy, but even I know that the tone of this movie was way too dark. Superman is the light, “boy scout” of the Superfriends. Batman is the dark character, which is what keeps the balance in the team. This movie was just in the wrong hands, Zack Snyder’s. Superman was too gritty and pissed off for most of the movie. He behaved more like Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Plus, there was way too much imagery portraying him as a Christ figure. This is a prime example of that when it comes to a comic book movie, you need to put it in the hands of someone who knows and cares about the source material.

Elysium, released August 9, 2013. Here is the plot summary, courtesy of IMDB.com: In the year 2154, the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth. A man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds. After seeing “District 9”, like many, I was looking forward to Neil Blomkamp’s follow up. The trailer was great, but it basically gave away the entire movie. Yeah, a few plots points were omitted but anyone who has seen a movie before could piece together what the missing pieces were. Where “District 9” was sci-fi futuristic take on Apartheid, this film tried to do the same with the theme of division of classes and what could happen in the future. It gets too on the nose throughout and story goes off the rails by the end. Jodie Foster, much like Kate Winslet in the Divergent series, is missed-cast and gives a disappointing performance. When Blomkamp came out with his third film “Chappie”, I decided to skip it and from what I heard about it from people who saw it, I made the right decision.

John Carter, released March 9, 2012. Here is the plot summary, courtesy of IMDB.com: Transported to Barsoom, a Civil War vet discovers a barren planet seemingly inhabited by 12-foot barbarians. Finding himself prisoner of these creatures, he escapes, only to encounter Woola and a princess in desperate need of a savior. When this movie came out, most people found it to be too derivative of other movies in the genre, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” & “Star Wars.” The funny thing is that the book it is based-on inspired filmmakers like George Lucas and Steven Spielberg when they were making their early action-adventure films that I just mentioned. And that where the main problem is. The action sequences and special effects are good, but there many similar movies that did them better. Again, like many others on this list, it suffers from poor plot pacing and uneven characters. It was a shame because it was director Andrew Stanton’s first attempt at live-action after having such great success in animation with “Finding Nemo” & “Wall-E.”

Sucker Punch, released March 25, 2011. Here is the plot summary, courtesy of IMDB.com: A young girl is institutionalized by her abusive stepfather. Retreating to an alternative reality as a coping strategy, she envisions a plan which will help her escape from the mental facility. Surprise, surprise, Zack Snyder is on the list again. This is his attempt at an “Alice In Wonderland”-type story. This movie is visually stunning but not much else is there. The plot is similar to that of a video game with quests and levels that have to be beaten by the main characters. Except for Oscar Isaac & Jon Hamm, all the leads in this movie are all women, which is one positive that can be taken away from this film. However, that positive is almost turned into a negative by the way the characters are depicted and objectified.

Cowboys & Aliens, released July 29, 2011. Here is the plot summary, courtesy of IMDB.com: A spaceship arrives in Arizona, 1873, to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. A posse of cowboys and natives are all that stand in their way. Spaceships attacking cowboys in the Wild West? Yes, sign me up. This film also had an incredible pedigree out of the gates. It was produced by Steven Spielberg, directed by Jon Favreau, written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, and starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde. However, this was one of the biggest disappointments I’ve ever seen. Again, the movie’s failure starts at the script level. There were so many character motivations that didn’t make much sense. Underneath the main leads, there was a tremendous amount of miscasting with some of the supporting roles. These were good actors but they shouldn’t have been in this movie. This was a rare misfire by Jon Favreau as a filmmaker. Outside of the concept, there’s nothing much original in this film, most of the set pieces and characters are paint-by-numbers for a western.

Where The Wild Things Are, released October 16, 2009. Here is the plot summary, courtesy of IMDB.com: Yearning for escape and adventure, a young boy runs away from home and sails to an island filled with creatures that take him in as their king. Many of us read this story when we were kids. Film adaptations of books can be difficult, especially when the source material is so short, only about ten sentences long, in this case. Spike Jonze is a director with a great vision. What we ended up getting is a movie that slogs and bores both kids and adults. It is so dark, bleak and depressing that one wonders what the filmmakers were trying to say from the get go.

Jennifer’s Body, released September 28, 2009. Here is the plot summary, courtesy of IMDB.com: A newly possessed high school cheerleader turns into a succubus who specializes in killing her male classmates. Can her best friend put an end to the horror? This was screenwriter Diablo Cody’s follow-up to her Oscar win for the critically acclaimed film “Juno.” This film had a lot going for on the surface. It starred Megan Fox, who was red hot coming off the “Transformers” franchise, the aforementioned Cody and horror was on an upswing at the time, especially horror comedies. However, this movie was neither very scary or very funny. There is plenty of witty dialogue, and some very sexy scenes that teenage boys will dream about, but it seems like there was some unfulfilled potential that the trailer promised.

Watchmen, released March 6, 2009. Here is the plot summary, courtesy of IMDB.com: In 1985 where former superheroes exist, the murder of a colleague sends active vigilante Rorschach into his own sprawling investigation, uncovering something that could completely change the course of history as we know it. Based on a graphic novel, many said that the source material was unfilmable. They were half-right. This was a pretty movie but the filmmakers (cough, Zack Snyder, etc.) spent more time on the look of the film and neglected character development and plot. There were also questionable casting choices as well as misplaced songs from the 80’s featured in the movie’s soundtrack. The biggest drawback of this movie is the run time, at an excruciating three hours plus.

X-Men: The Last Stand, released May 26, 2009. Here is the plot summary, courtesy of IMDB.com: When a cure is found to treat mutations, lines are drawn amongst the X-Men, led by Professor Charles Xavier, and the Brotherhood, a band of powerful mutants organized under Xavier’s former ally, Magneto. Bryan Singer did a very good job directing and world-building in the first two movies in the franchise. And in one movie, Bret Ratner flushed it all down the toilet. This film really messed with the canon of the franchise by killing off too many characters, namely Professor X and Cyclops. With the main plot being about a cure for mutants and the questions and decisions that come along, a much more capable director would have made a smaller film and focused on a few characters dealing with whether or not they should be “cured.” Instead, we got basically an assassination of a major comic franchise that Bryan Singer had to be lured back to in order to save it with “X-Men: The First Class.”, in which they thankfully ret-conned this film from the cinematic universe.

King Kong, released December 14, 2005. Here is the plot summary, courtesy of IMDB.com: After a movie crew travels to a mysterious island to shoot their picture, they encounter a giant and furious gorilla who takes their leading actress and forms a special relationship with her, protecting the beautiful lady at all costs. This one almost didn’t make this list, there are a lot of positives with this movie. Peter Jackson had just delivered on “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, so why not remake a classic monster movie with today’s money and technology behind you. This is another movie that suffers from being way too long. There are so many sequences that can be shortened, especially the one with the giant insects on Skull Island. It takes forever for them to get off the island and to New York. We could do without the ice skating scene in Central Park. The casting for this movie was actually very good along with great special effects. This is a tough movie to re-visit though because of the slogs between great action set pieces.

Be Cool, released March 4, 2005. Here is the plot summary, courtesy of IMDB.com: Disenchanted with the movie industry, Chili Palmer tries the music industry, meeting and romancing a widow of a music executive on the way. This movie made me mad when I saw it. I loved “Get Shorty.” I thought John Travolta did an awesome job in that film as the follow up to his comeback performance in “Pulp Fiction.” It was also touted as an on-screen reunion of John and Uma Thurman. Again, another movie with a great cast, but it seemed like a retread of the first movie, just a different industry setting and without the charm. It seemed to get lazy and go through the motions from the start of the movie.

The Matrix: Reloaded, released May 14, 2003. Here is the plot summary, courtesy of IMDB.com: Neo and the rebel leaders estimate that they have 72 hours until 250,00 probes discover Zion and destroy it and its inhabitants. During this, Neo must decide how he can save Trinity from a dark fate in his dreams. The first “Matrix” was groundbreaking and revolutionary so when they announced a sequel, who didn’t want to see what the filmmakers would do next. This time around, they focused too much on the action scenes and not enough on the characters in the world they built. There was too much exposition in the dialogue, and many of the subplots went unresolved. And what’s worse, they did it again in the next film in the franchise, “The Matrix: Revolutions.”

Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace, released May 19, 1999. Here is the plot summary, courtesy of IMDB.com: Two Jedi Knights escape a hostile blockade to find allies and come across a young boy who may bring balance to the Force, but the long dormant Sith resurface to reclaim their old glory. Where do I start? We waited 16 long years for a new Star Wars movie and because of that, they were able to sucker us in. They played off our hunger for the episodes of the saga that we had all heard about for years. They took advantage of our nostalgia for our beloved trilogy. It opened with the 20thCentury Fox and Lucasfilm logos. They gave us the John Williams score; an image of a desert planet with a spaceship; imagery of worlds we haven’t seen yet; podracing; Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor & Samuel L. Jackson as a Jedis; Yoda; Darth Maul with his two-handed light saber and R2-D2 & C3PO. What could go wrong? That’s a discussion for a whole other article. In a nutshell, too much CGI, an immaculate conception, Jar Jar Binks and the history of the trade federation. There are some good parts in Episodes I-III, but those are few and far between.

Pearl Harbor, released May 25, 2001. Here is the plot summary, courtesy of IMDB.com: A tale of war and romance mixed in with history, the story follows two lifelong friends and a beautiful nurse who are caught up in the horror of an infamous Sunday morning in 1941. This was great trailer that showed the promise of what could have been a rare big budget movie that went on to win numerous awards. The story of one of the most tragic and at the same time heroic days in American history was tailor-made for the big screen. What we ended up getting was overblown special effects, an underserved story with a love triangle shoved in. This is another case of an overall bad movie having some great scenes and imagery but it’s not worth sitting through the almost three-hour long slog.

Godzilla, released May 20, 1998. Here is the plot summary, courtesy of IMDB.com: A giant, reptilian monster surfaces, leaving destruction in its wake. To stop the monster (and its babies), and earthworm scientist, his reporter ex-girlfriend, and other unlikely heroes team up to save their city. Coming off the success of “Independence Day”, the team of Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich could do no wrong, right? Wrong! They decided to take a crack at one of the most famous monster/disaster movie icons, Godzilla and boy, they got it wrong. This was a case of egos getting in the way of making a great film. They threw out the original script and wrote the film themselves. They also changed the design of the title character. The casting was all wrong. Your protagonist is a worm expert played by Matthew Broderick. Really? The plot lacked logic and there wasn’t much in terms of dramatic tension throughout the entire movie. The tagline of the movie was “Size Does Matter.” Guess what? So does the script.

[claritywithachanceofnuance]

What Rear Window Taught Me About Our Current American Moment

I have always wanted girls to like me. When I was younger, I studied leading men in movies and on television, hoping to develop an arsenal of moves and phrases that would keep my lips in business regardless of my proximity to jukeboxes I would coax music from with one perfect slug. But somehow, my voracious gaze usually internalized the quirky sidekick so instead of accessing my inner Fonz, I wound up acting more like Ralph Mouth.

In retrospect, I understand that my chief obstacle to achieving studliness was the fear that for all I wanted from whatever girl I liked, I had little to offer her in return. I was too young to recognize how badly I was objectifying the fairer sex, and too cowardly to realize that I’d learn more from talking to them than I would from men onscreen, but I did sense there was something fundamentally unjust about my approach to women. To glorify my girl troubles, I convinced myself that undermining my own desires was a form of beauty worship- that I was protecting the people I liked by keeping my filthy paws to myself (which of course, I did with vision-compromising frequency). Maybe I sensed that the comic relief was also more introspective and self-deprecating than the hero and thus more kindred with me. But whatever the explanation I was an absolute mess of competing desires and fears. I lacked clarity.

So of all of the lady killers I guru-ized, from nebbishy Dr. Bricker charming the pants off of passenger after passenger to street smart David Addison making some weird toast to a lady at a bar and jump-cutting to putting his clothes back on the next morning to Brando wiping an eyelash out of a damsel’s eye as pretext to kissing her, the strongest impression I got was from Jimmy Stewart’s portrayal of J.B. “Jeff” Jefferies in Rear Window. While Jimmy Stewart wasn’t as obvious a surrogate of romantic overachievement as Richard Dreyfuss or Woody Allen, he neither was as beautiful as Paul Newman or Brad Pitt. His attractiveness relied heavily on his personality. Hoping against hope that my own personality was still fledgling enough to sculpt into something charistmatic enough to make Grace Kelly throw herself at me, I replayed every interaction the two actors had, hoping to crack the code for what made a creature that delicious fawn so shamelessly over a tortoise-like fuddy duddy, and maybe more importantly, how he handled it without betraying any sense that his reception of her unbridled affection sullied her beauty. And what I found was that, in line after line, he remained steadfast, unruffled by any temptation his girlfriend offered to coax him from his principles. Never mind how easily he was drawn into Perry Mason’s backyard intrigue, the more interesting story for me was how he faced off with a woman far more self-possessed than any I had ever met, and emerged equanimous, his code dominating hers. The chief quality his character exuded was clarity (romantically, at least).

To extend the analog, I did not start ferreting out heinous national crimes until George W. Bush was sworn in. Much like our current moment, my outrages and heartbreaks were daily. And really it was not until his winning a second term (still can’t call it a re-election) that I was able to calm down and realize that the apocalyptic tenor his opposition assumed was a tad overheated. It’s not that I thought he was a good president or even decent human being, overseeing the most violent foreign policy of my lifetime and snickering all the way. But I began to understand that my own life was only different by knowledge of events far away from me. And the local injustice I did combat had very little to do with W. None of his supposed draconian domestic policies affected me at all. And moreover, I noticed how unflappably Bush administration officials would react to damning evidence presented by news program moderators. And while I question the validity of the principles they clung to, there is no question that they withstood the onslaught of opposition through firm rooting in some central idea that was more important than whatever cudgel of facts Tim Russert employed to unmoore them.

Trump is not like this. He’s undisciplined and insecure. But he champions one idea and it’s what delivered him those rust belt states on November 8: America First. I have paid close attention to Steve Bannon, not to look for evidence of his evilness, but for the source of his strength. America First. Strange as it may seem, no public figure has been touting that as clearly as Trump has for a very long time (with the notable exception of Pat Buchanan, but somehow he frightens people that Trump doesn’t). Regardless of their cultural sophistication, vast segments of our populace believe that American sovereignty has been undermined by soft immigration policies and globalist trade agreements. I am well aware that our current economy would not benefit from tariffs and mass deportations. But I am also aware that us coastal elites don’t give a shit about American First. Meanwhile, the Sconies, Michiganders and Pennsylvanians sure as hell do.  This is their lodestar, and why they think we’re dumb no matter how smart we think we are. Whether they’re right or wrong is beside the point. The point is American nationalism has been given a bad name and right wing talk radio has spent the past 20 years priming its audience to fight back against maligners of our sovereignty. Why does America First feel so threatening? It’s not a question to be answered by an argument packaged by Rachel Maddow or Charles Blow. It’s a question for us to grapple with individually, without all the media noise. Do we want to grant citizenship to anybody who shows up? Do we want trade agreements that bleed jobs by the millions in favor of cheaper goods? Many of us on the left expect the top 1% to pay more taxes to fund programs to help the poor. Would we be willing to pay extra for clothes and electronics if it guaranteed more jobs for men and women struggling to put food on their tables?

We are in a heated moment and if I get any reaction from this (or if anybody reads it at all) I would anticipate it to be pushback against any advocacy of normalizing Trump. And I am sympathetic to that vigilance. And I remain virulently anti-Trump myself. But I am wary of the chasm between resistence and support. Like many marital arguments, I suspect a lot of I’m right/You’re wrong could be ameliorated if not upended by greater communication. I see so much eagerness for scandal and disaster, so much longing for vindication. It’s natural. But setting aside what a gaping, fetid asshole Trump is, what idea do we have that’s better than America First? Because when the most prescient man in America doesn’t understand how resonant a message is, how can we justify skipping our own personal recalibrations?

Fight for refugees, fight for immigrants, fight for workers, fight for minorities, fight for the press, fight for your neighbors and yourselves. But while you’re at it, see if you can reconcile inclusion and sensitivity with a shoring up of American sovereignty. It’s actually not that hard. And it will help us win.