#People are entitled to their opinions and there is no real wrong opinion <33 even if I do think on some petty and evil level they are wrong

[some-pers0n]

The art of not engaging with bad opinions and getting into fights over petty fandom stuff that doesn't ultimately matter is one people got to learn, but goddamn is hard to abide sometimes. You'll just see somebody insult and trash on something you like and you'll go "Woaw, it's so beautiful how people can experience the same thing and arrive at different conclusions. They are entitled to their own opinion, even if I do disagree" but internally you're like "They hate the thing I like. They will die and go to hell for it"

[unfortunatelyilikebnha]

monoma for character bingo!

[ID: a 25 square bingo card entitled “character opinion bingo”. “Template by @ paintpanic” is written in the lower right corner.

The squares read: 1) “they are soooooo cool looking” 2) “everyone but me is wrong about them <3” 3) “wasted potential” 4) “if they were real I would be afraid of them” 5) “if they were real I would marry them” 6) “they’re like a blorbo to me” 7) they’re deeper than they seem” 8) “not as deep as they seem” 9) “I like them enough to project my own issues onto them” 10) “they get done DIRTY by the fans” 11) “didn’t get enough screentime” 12) “I want to carry them in a handbag like a tiny dog” 13) “free space” 14) “nothing I like about them is technically canon” 15) wow! They are a horrible person” 16) I don’t really have much to say about them” 17) “why do they look like that” 18) “I’m mentally ill about them” 19) “they work better as part of a dynamic” 20) “wow… they are LITERALLY me!” 21) “they got too much screen time” 22) “I forgot this character existed” 23) “I actively dislike them sorry” 24) “why was this character in the work at all” and 25) “they’ve never done anything wrong in their life <33.

“They’re like a blorbo to me” “they’re deeper than they seem” “they get done DIRTY by the fans” “didnt get enough screen time” “I want to carry them in a handbag like a tiny dog” “free space” and “they’ve never done anything wrong in their life <33” are highlighted in yellow. End ID]

Monoma!!! I love him!!! Heavy on the “they get done DIRTY by the fans” bc even though some people seem to be warming up to him a little recently, I haven’t forgotten how awfully everyone treated him before this!! He is definitely more complex than the fans give him credit for, and I hate when people reduce him down to just “I hate class 1a and will do anything in my power to make sure they are inconvenienced at any possible turn” or worse, pretend he’s a bigot and a bully for no goddamn reason (because he was rude to bakugou at the sports festival :/)! Respectfully, if you do that I don’t like you <3 Anyways I’m glad some people are warming up to him now but respectfully I will not forget how y’all treated him <3 thin ice <3 anyways stan monoma :)

[inkykeiji]

hi just curious, don't mean no harm ok? i heard people say dub-con/non con is equal to rape, and what's your opinion as a writer? i myself, started reading, but sometimes i feel quite guilty and i'm trying to educate myself in therms if this is okay or not, i'm not sure yet. i understand is only fiction, and that people that write/read might not support dub-con/non con it in real life. you can answer in private or ignore if you'd like. thank you!

hi babie!! no harm taken at all <3 okai we’re gonna dive into this under the cut cause i have a looot of thoughts on this.

first and foremost, i’m so sorry you’re feeling that way. you have absolutely no reason to feel guilty for reading and enjoying fictional noncon! as a writer, i’d say yeah, in the fake world of fiction that i’ve created, it technically is rape. but the beauty of fiction and art is that it allows us to safely explore these darker topics (for whatever reason; could be coping, could be morbid interest, could be a thousand other things) with 100% control to stop them at any time. most people explore these topics in fiction precisely because they don’t actually want to do them in real life, they don’t actually want to hurt real people. if anything, feeling guilty about it is a very good indicator that you don’t support this in real life, even if you enjoy reading or writing about it. rape fantasies are very common among women, but that does not in any way mean these women actually want to get raped. it all comes down to control. if you’re playing out a scene with a partner, which would essentially be consensual noncon, then you have complete control  to stop it at any time; you have made these decisions for yourself, they weren’t taken from you, you’ve given your partner explicit permission to do this and to stop if you safeword. if you’re feeling uncomfortable, you have the power to end the scene (and in the same vein, the reading/writing) at any time you want to and walk away. as you’ve already touched on, enjoying something in fiction does not in any way, shape, or form mean that you condone it in real life. i love horror films, i love writing about murder and gore, i love true crime docs and am endlessly fascinated by serial killers and the inner workings of their minds. does that mean that i want to actually kill someone?? good GOD no; i can’t even LIE to people without feeling insanely guilty hahahaha i would never ever be able to take someone’s life from them!! and this is such an obvious example, right?

tons of people love horror, and we never question if they want to actually kill people, because it just sounds absurd; everyone already knows this stuff is wrong and that the fiction they’re interacting with is fake. so ask yourself, why is it any different with fanfic writers who write dark fic about 2d anime men? it isn’t! it is literally the exact same thing. another example: quentin tarantino is one of my all time favourite directors (yes i am a filmè bro, don’t come for me, and no pulp fiction isn’t his best movie, don’t come for me x2) and i love love love his work, but does that mean i want to recreate his violence? of course not! does it mean HE wants to recreate his violence? absolutely not!! even just asking the question out loud sounds kinda silly, doesn’t it?

the fact of the matter is, if someone reads or watches something dark, and then thinks that thing is OKAY, then there was something wrong with THEM in the first place, not the piece of media they interacted with. mentally healthy & sane individuals know right from wrong and can easily separate fiction from reality.

as such, liking this stuff doesn’t make you a bad person, i promise you with my whole heart. if anything, the fact that it’s got you worrying as much as you are and feeling THIS distressed is already proof enough that you aren’t!!! bad people don’t often worry if they’re bad people.

in terms of whether or not it’s ‘okay’, baby, morality is grey. i’ll use the murder example again just because it’s easy: there are people in this world who will argue with you tooth and nail that killing, ALL TYPES OF KILLING, is bad regardless of the outcome, regardless of if it saves lives, and there are people who will argue with you tooth and nail that sometimes killing is necessary (terrorist, hostage, BAD people) and that killing for the greater good (ie taking one life to save several) is okay.

there’s no right answer here. morals, beliefs, ideals, they’re extremely personal. so only you can decide whether or not you think this is okay. you’re allowed to think it isn’t! that’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it, and we would respectfully agree to disagree (what you aren’t entitled to is harassing creators over it!). your morals don’t have to perfectly align with everyone else’s, and i’m very proud of you for doing your own research and asking these questions in an effort to form your own opinion on the matter <33 don’t let anyone scare or bully you into agreeing with them. additionally, why do these people’s opinions even matter to you? who are they, other than a stranger on the internet, and why are you giving them so much power over your life, thoughts and feelings? these are important questions to ask yourself!! because at the end of the day, YOU know yourself best. YOU know you don’t condone this stuff, and that’s all that‘s important, because those who matter don’t mind, and those who mind don’t matter <3

the bottom line is, if you can read noncon and go ‘i know this is wrong in real life’ then you’re all good!! you know that you know right from wrong, good from bad, and that you don’t condone this in real life. you’re doing good anon, pinky promise you <33 i love you whether your morals perfectly align with mine or not! ur valid!! sending tons of big hugs ur way n I hope this helped a little <3333

[makoto-naegi555]

the bloody bloody despair arc: chapter 8

https://archiveofourown.org/works/31737307/chapters/80467357 https://drive.google.com/file/d/19dSWapOdGFDia_kftPmpLbdeUL94HJH5/view?usp=sharing

Gp: it is time…. ok so let’s start

0:13

Don’t do it! You aren’t entitled to tell her anything and she isn’t entitled to know just go on with your day!

0:28

Hook line and sinker

0:45

Good news Mitarai you got jabaited.

Face palm

Oh the hubris of man.

1:33

Mukuro no!

But I mean she is mentally sound ….was mentally sound you know its like you know shes like a dads old car just kept together by so much duct tape so much….

But I mean compared to Junko shes a perfectly healthy individual.

Soulbound: they all need therapy.

2:20

Gp: YOU WHAT YOU LIAR YOU HACK YOU FROAD I LET YOU IN MY HEART AND YOU BETRAY ME LIKE THAT

Soulbound: your passionate

Gp: ITS BRAINWASHING HES A SCAM

Soulbound: I do agree brainwashing is unethical and the fact he did it is not cool.

Gp: if you need brainwashing to make your animation good your animations not good YOU DIRTY LIAR Pixar, Ghibli, James Baxter! There animations are to cry for, and they don’t brainwash people!

Soulbound: at least I hope they don’t.

Gp: so you! You you you! Forcing people to like your anime! Of all the unethicality’s! you iddddiiooooootttt oh well let me give you your just deserts if you think brainwashing people isn’t anything to worry about how about you get a taste of your own medicine ay!? Ay?!

Soulbound: oh no

2:27

Gp: YOU’VE DOOMED US ALL!!!

2:33

But Then Junko got an idea. An awful idea. Junko enoshima had a wonderful, awful idea.

Soulbound: You're a mean one, miss Junko You really are a heel. You're as cuddly as a cactus You're as charming as an eel Miss Junko, you're a bad banana with the greasy black peel.

Gp dancing in the background

Gp: but in all serious MITARAI YOU IDIOT YOU DOOMED US ALL

2:34

NOOOOO MUKUROOO! STOP IT RJ NOT NICE NOT NICE NOT NICE!

Soulbound: mukuro dosent get paid enough for this… -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Mukuro: I don’t get paid at all. -----------------------------------------------------------------------

2:45

Gp: THAT IS A LOAD OF TORUS POO if you believe that mitari I will lose all faith in you!

Soulbound: you had faith in him?

Gp: well not anymore with the path he takes

2:50

Oh theme song! Man so short I didn’t know we could talk too much.

4:30

IT’S A REAL-LIFE BEAR IN DANGARONPA so that’s what they look like nice.

5:33

OH MY GOD BAGEL BOOTY

6:33

My word

7:07

And that’s how mikan died.

Soulbound: she didn’t die?

Gp: she died on the inside but we all know shes doomed poor baby

7:15

And now its these guys again

8:11

Poly

8:54

Oh dear rj you killed him didn’t you?

9:05

My word

And once again Junko had a wonderfully awful idea.

Soulbound: You're a monster, Miss Junko, your heart's an empty hole Your brain is full of spiders, you've got garlic in your soul, Miss Junko. I wouldn't touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half-foot pole!

Gp dancing

9:36

Gp: it’s kinda annoying how fake she is though, if your gonna be evil rj at least be upfront about it! your faker then a capitalist companies carrying policy!

Soulbound confused about the mushrooms.

9:48

Soulbound: there real!? I thought they were a metaphor!

Gp: a metaphor for what?

Soulbound: SADNESS of course!

9:55

Gp: DOOOOMMEEDD DOOOMMEEDD

10:11

Soulbound: WHAT THE HECK IS THAT!!!

Gp: ou yeah she does that sometimes

Soulbound: SHE LOOKS LIKE LIKE- I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT SHE LOOKS LIKE BUTS IT LOOKS WRONG

Gp: oh chill buddy shes just using her super smart brain skills no Biggy

Soulbound: THAT’S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!?

Gp: yeah why did you think it was an automatic process or something?

Soulbound: YES

Gp: well you thought wrong its like a switch on off on off do doot do

Then gp slaps both sides of his face to wiggle his eyes as if they were playing ping pong

Its weird but cool like shes on drugs which is fair I think her mom owned a drug cartel.

10:25

No mukuro you’re fine!

10:50

That…. That was something but now its time for the moment we’ve all been waiting for

11:08

I FORBID IT YOUNG LADY!

Soulbound: she can’t hear you.

Angry gp noises

11:58

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH its gonna happen I need to prepare myself.

12:07

Good news! you are all going to heaven Bad news! RIGHT NOW!

13:44

Soulbound: why don’t they just use the weapons to kill her?

Gp: well you see, there’s a little thing called fear, stress and pressure it makes you stupid and not see any other way besides the ones told to you happens all the time in horror movies …..

14:14 (just play the scene and hear the song)

[GP] Well…  pulls out guitar. here’s the first killing I have a good song for this...

Will I lose my dignity? Will someone care Will I wake tomorrow From this nightmare?

Group #1 Will I lose my dignity Will someone care Will I wake tomorrow From this nightmare?

Group #2 Will I lose my dignity Will someone care Will I wake tomorrow From this nightmare?

Group #3 Will I lose my dignity Will someone care Will I wake tomorrow From this nightmare?

Group #4 Will I lose my dignity Will someone care Will I wake tomorrow From this nightmare?

Gp: oh the depravity…

But you know I don’t think I’d call that despair either like whoop de do you threatened people and put them in a room of stress blackmailing them causing them to panic and kill eachother who would have ever guessed that would happen literally everyone like it’s a scientific provation so what do you get from it? unless you were secretly hoping they were better than that and that they would just shoot you in the head then and there hahahah…. Maybe

19:33

AND NOW WE’RE ALL DOOMED

20:01

Oh yeah the other guys reaction to it well let’s just say the committee didn’t want people to catch wind of this but why tell you when I can show you.

Soulbound: did we ever get their names.

Gp: … no actually I think not …. ok ok let’s go in order left to right

Ok first guy archie gator then haru gilla old dude with the hair is Jio Futoago and last guy is Callisto de viper.

Got it? Good!

[GP] And now, an explanation of the Corrupt Bargain, which took place in the back halls of hopes peak while no one was watching.

[HUSK] Do, do, do, do, do Do, do, do, do, do Do, do, do, do, do, do, do Archie gator says:

[GATOR] We need to find a scheme to Keep the power in the Hands of the chosen few.

[HUSK] Jio Futoago says:

[FUTOAGO] If my dad was in the council I should get to be in it too!

[HUSK] Haru gila says:

[GILA] I’ll make you councilmen. If you keep me as Secretary of State

[HUSK] Callisto de viper says something in Italian That none of us can translate Whoo!

Do, do, do, do, do Do, do, do, do, do, do, do Do, do, do, do, do Do, do, do, do, do, do, do

All you educated people You can talk of liberty But do you really want The Japanese people To learn of this tragedy? Ooh!

Do do do doot (repeated)

Jio Futoago says:

[FUTOAGO] If we cover it all up Then the mastermind will surely cave!

[HUSK] Archie gator says:

[GATOR] You can do what you want If you don’t try to take away my slaves

[HUSK] Haru gila says:

[GILA] You’ll keep the reserve course ‘cause I know How to play realpolitik

[HUSK] Jin kirigiri said something prescient about this But he not important Let’s dance!

[ALL] Do, do, do, do, do Do, do, do, do, do, do, do Do, do, do, do, do Do, do, do, do, do, do, do

[HUSK] You can compromise all you want They’re still drunk and smell like pee! But Do you really want the mastermind To cause the tragedy?

Jio Futoago:

[FUTOAGO] The people are stupid!

[HUSK] Haru gila:

[GILA] They can all go rot!

[HUSK] Archie gator:

[GATOR] They’re lame!

[HUSK] Futoago:

[FUTOAGO] They suck!

[HUSK] Haru gila:

[GILA] The mastermind’s a total twat!

[HUSK] Archie gator:

[GATOR] These guys are idiots but It’s the mastermind who’s a real threat.

[HUSK] I’m sure sora enix would have an opinion But he hasn’t been born yet

Junko is a loser!

[DEPRAVITY] Junko is a loser! Junko is a loser! Junko is a loser!

They all laugh maniacally as they celebrate what they think is their victory.

[JIN] DON’T I GET A SAY IN THIS?!

Gator and Gila sigh, perhaps not caring an ounce on what jin has to say.

Gp: but Junko was in fact not a loser

because this was all part of her plan with them covering it up it gave her free rain to leak it out but with a certain extra… brain washing flair tainting all their souls with darkness becoming slaves to the great hivemind But I think the best way to explain this is… IN SONG!

22:00

[GP] Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh You didn't know that you fell Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh Now that you're under our spell

Blindsided by the beat Clapping your hands, Stomping your feet You didn't know that you fell Oh-whoa-oh-oh-oh Now you've fallen under our spell Oh-whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh

We've got the music, Makes you move it Got the song that makes you lose it We say "jump", you say "how high?" Put your hands up to the sky We've got the music, Makes you move it Got the song that makes you lose it We say "jump", you say "how high?" Put your hands up to the sky

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh You didn't know that you fell Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh Now that you're under our spell

Listen to the sound of my voice Oh-oh, whoa-oh-oh Soon you'll find you don't have a choice Oh-oh, whoa-oh-oh Captured in the web of my song Oh-oh, whoa-oh-oh Soon you'll all be singing along Oh-whoa-oh

We've got the music, Makes you move it Got the song that makes you lose it We say "jump", you say "how high?" Put your hands up to the sky We've got the music, Makes you move it Got the song that makes you lose it We say "jump", you say "how high?" Put your hands up to the sky

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh You didn't know that you fell Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh Now that you're under our spell Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh You didn't know that you fell Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh Now that you're under our Spell... hahahaha MAAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAHA!

23:13 Like lambs to the slaughter  and if it all goes the way the creator wants then literally!  Well that’s all for now tune in next time for when things go wronger! 

[mtvswatches]

10 Things I Hate About You

Obligatory soundtrack 

1) The late 90s/early 00s were filled with contemporary adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays - Julia Stiles starred in three of those, coincidentally - but, in my opinion, none has been more iconic than 10 Things I Hate About You. It’s been over 20 years since the movie was released, and it’s certainly become a teen/rom-com classic. It’s definitely a feel-good movie, and even though it obviously had great source material to work with, it did so in such a unique and fun way. And it was kind of woke for its time, too.

Disclaimer: I am a bit afraid this whole review will turn into me taking screenshots of the movie and just writing “iconic.” You’ve been fairly warned.

Anyway, let’s get into it!

3) I really love how they managed the “show, don’t tell” technique with Kat’s introduction. Her first scene really shows who she is – a jaded, kind of rebellious teenager, who marches to the beat of her own drum. Or to the beat of Joan Jett’s drum…

She’s shown as the opposite of the other girls, but it doesn’t feel like a criticism of the other girls' more cheerful, sunny disposition. We very quickly learn what she is like, but we have yet to find out why.

4) The next characters we meet are Cameron and the school’s guidance counselor. Cameron is the new student and the guidance counselor is just…

I love her. And Allison Janney proves how talented an actress she is by making the token counselor character both memorable and unique.

5) We also meet Patrick Verona, the resident Bad Boy who had “exposed himself” in the cafeteria. Oh, Heath Ledger, you are truly missed!

6) Michael Eckman  shows Cameron around and he basically delivers the token “school cliques scene”, and since I’m not American, I’ve always wondered if this is a real thing in schools? Like, are there really so many cliques that are so visually different from one another? Each group dressing in a particular style and hanging out at a specific spot? Anyhow, the cliques here are the beautiful people (or rather, the assholes), the coffee kids (?), the white Rastas (or white stoners), the cowboys (?), and the yuppies.

7) Michael’s tour gets cut short when Cameron spots Bianca, and he’s instantly infatuated with her. I’ve always found it hard to root for Cameron at first because I’m not really a fan of insta-love, and he ends up doing A LOT of shady things for a girl who he doesn’t know AT ALL. But more on that later. In fact, the movie kind of makes a point of how ridiculous it is for Cameron to be in instant-love with Bianca by having her deliver this little lecture on love:

BIANCA: Yeah, but see, there's a difference between like and love. Because I like my Skechers, but I love my Prada backpack.

CHASTITY: But I love my Skechers.

BIANCA: That's because you don't have a Prada backpack.

Bianca clearly grows a lot over the course of the movie, but it’s clear that Cameron was in love with her appearance and not her brains or personality, which makes his quest to sweep her off her feet misguided at best.

8) And then Michael presents the main plot point…

The question then is, how is Cameron going to get the girl? It’s his quest to get a date with Bianca that creates a domino effect that brings all the characters together. 

9) See what I mean? ICONIC!

And can I say that I just love Kat? Not only is she smart, but also, she didn’t take any bullshit from anyone, especially not males. She was a feminist before being a feminist was cool. And she does grow a lot. 

10) Okay, two things, A) I love Mr. Morgan, and B) foreshadowing? Sort of?

11) Iconic.

12) Michael seems to have a lot of preconceptions about Bianca – and most of them were kind of accurate, at least at the start of the film. She was kind of vapid and shallow and self-absorbed. For someone who believes that Bianca is not only completely out of Cameron’s league but also not worthy, he does get very involved in trying to get Bianca to date Cameron.

13) This is one of my favorite lines in the movie, probably because it sounds a lot like Buffyspeak…

14) This is so random…

And the movie does have a lot of these little moments of slapstick comedy that almost seem to belong to a different type of movie, but for some reason, they work?

15) And this reminds me of the Veronica Mars of yore, the one I used to love…

16) We meet Cat and Bianca’s dad, and he is very overbearing at first, but he truly grows on you once you understand where all his rules are coming from. And of course, he establishes The Rule, which sets off the movie’s shenanigans – Bianca cannot date unless Kate does.

17) Bianca does prove a lot of Michael’s preconceptions right during her interaction with Cameron, who asks her out on a date, and even though he has been tutoring her she can’t remember his name and after he reminds her of it, she calls him “Curtis.” Bianca very clearly sees in Cameron the solution to her dating problem, and she very obviously manipulates him when it’s clear she’s not interested in dating him. She’ll get him to do the dirty work, and then let Joey rip the rewards. On the one hand, this is wrong. On the other hand, Cameron sort of had it coming? He was only interested in Bianca because of her looks, and he was about to manipulate Kat with total disregard for her feelings, so...

18) So Michael and Cameron set out to find a match for scary Kat. And what do you know…?

They figure the only way to convince Patrick to date Kat is by paying him, except they don’t have any money. So they turn to Joey, who gladly agrees to invest if it means this will get her Bianca.

19) Patrick and Joey strike a deal, and let me tell you, this deal never made any sense to me? Like, after some bargaining Joey agrees to pay Patrick 50 dollars? And I might be daft but how would Patrick be making a profit here? If he took her out, he’d be spending most of that on the date, making the whole thing pointless if he’s not making a profit? And Joey was supposed to be loaded, so why not offer more than that, to begin with?

20) I really love how Patrick assumed all he’d need to do was say hello and Kat would be at his feet, and she gloriously turned him down and put him in his place. He tries again the next day and he gets turns down, again. And I can’t blame her, he was acting like an entitled douchebag and assuming she’d want to jump his bones only because he was hot and asking her to go out, like that’s all it’d take.

21) And Joey gets a little bit of what’s coming to him…

22) This leads to Kat getting into an argument with her dad, making a lot of valid points…

WALTER: Is this about Sarah Lawrence? Are you punishing me because I want you to stay close to home? KAT: Aren't you punishing me because Mom left? WALTER: You think you could leave her out of this? KAT: Fine. Then stop making my decisions for me. WALTER: I'm your father. That's my right. KAT: So what I want doesn't matter. WALTER: You're 18. You don't know what you want. And you won't know what you want till you're 45, and even if you get it, you'll be too old to use it. KAT: I want to go to an east coast school! I want you to trust me to make my own choices... and I want you to stop trying to control my life just because you can't control yours!

I can see both sides of this argument, though. He wasn’t punishing her because her mom left, I think he was just afraid they’ll get hurt again and that’s why he was so overprotective. And Kat had just crashed her car on purpose, so I really don’t understand how she managed to turn the whole thing against her father?

23) Patrick renegotiates the terms of his agreement with Joey, demanding a 100 bucks per date. He can’t have had getting something for Kat as his goal at this point, but I think he was just trying to screw Joey over as much as possible, which kudos to him.

24) Michael and Cameron approach Patrick and inform him that they’re actually the masterminds behind this date-Kat plan, and they agree to help him woo her. And I get that Kat was not the most agreeable person to begin with, but it’s still very disheartening to see that literally no one considered her feelings in this whole thing? Like, all of them were so proud they were playing Joey, but she was the one getting played the worst? And Bianca even allows Cameron to go inside Kat’s room and go through all her private things? Everyone was an asshole in this movie, is all I’m saying.

25)

26) And then…

Probably in spite of herself, he managed to get through her shell a little bit.

27) Bianca finally begs her sister to go to the party so that she can go, and what do you know? Kat does have a heart after all, and she agrees to show.

28) Which leads to…

29) Kat seems very happy to see Patrick at her door, although she quickly puts the bitch rest-face back on and pretends his keeping his word and coming to get her did not affect her at all…

30) So, now that she got to the party and gets to hang out with Joey, Bianca demands her sister do not address her in public, and I’m like, wtf?! Kat then begs her to listen, and again, Bianca shrugs her off and tells her to go off and “enjoy her adolescence”, which pisses Kat off and probably hurts her, too. So she decides to enjoy her adolescence the way everyone seems to do, getting trashed and embarrassing themselves.

31) Further evidence that Bianca was, indeed, an asshole… Cameron is the reason she got to go out at all – after he pulled off this elaborate plan to get her sister a date – and she manipulated him by feigning to be interested in him, and now…

But karma is a bitch because Joey might be the most popular boy in school – god knows why! – but he’s as dull as dishwater, and she quickly finds herself regretting her decision to brush Cameron off in favor of Joey.

32) Meanwhile, Kat is truly enjoying her adolescence…

And thank god Patrick was there to catch her because if he hadn’t, I don’t think anyone would’ve helped her.

33) I really love Patrick’s pep talk to Cameron…

CAMERON: It's off, okay? The whole thing's off. PATRICK: What are you talking about? CAMERON: She never wanted me. She wanted Joey the whole time. PATRICK: Cameron, do you like the girl? CAMERON: Yeah. PATRICK: And is she worth all this trouble? CAMERON: I thought she was, but, you know, l... PATRICK: Well, she is or she isn't. See, first of all, Joey is not half the man you are. Secondly, don't let anyone ever make you feel like you don't deserve what you want.

34) And Patrick taking care of drunk Kat is the sweetest thing ever…

35) Of course, now that Bianca no longer wants to hang out with Joey and her friend leaves her high and dry, she asks Cameron for a ride home.

36) On the way home, Kat actually opens up to Patrick, a lot. She admits she’d love to play in a band, and that her father wants her to be someone she’s not – her sister. Patrick admits that he doesn’t really get what everyone sees in Bianca, and Kat delivers what’s probably the greatest compliment you could get from her…

She puts herself out there… and gets shut down. Of course, Patrick was probably feeling remorse about the way he’d gotten to know this girl and the way he’d been playing her because now that he’d gotten to know her a little bit better, he could see that behind that badass façade she was extremely vulnerable and sensitive. Kat feels rejected and humiliated, and who can blame her? He’d been relentlessly pursuing her, and now that she’d opened up to him and offered to kiss him, he’d turned her down…

Anyway, Patrick’s behavior, later on, makes no sense after the way he acted here, but more on that further below.

37) Cameron finally confronts Bianca about her manipulative behavior, and to her credit, she is honest and owns up to being selfish when he calls her on it. And I guess she finally sees he’s worth it…

38)

39) This exchange is so silly and hilarious?

Like, Cameron’s answer seems silly, but what type of answer was Patrick expecting? Where could she have possibly kissed him? On the knees?

40) Kat is clearly not yet over the rejection…

41) See what I mean about the jokes in this movie?

And they just look over and go on talking, as if she hadn’t just nailed her teacher on the ass with an arrow...

42) Joey goes to Patrick yet again and offers 200 dollars to get him to take Kat to the prom. Patrick tells him he’s sick of this game, and Joey ups the ante and offers him 300 dollars, which Patrick somewhat begrudgingly takes. I just would really like to know if it was at this point that he thought he’d used this dirty money to buy something for Kate. Otherwise, he was still being a jerk...

43) This scene just gives me butterflies, okay?

And as charming as he is, Kat is still not over the humiliation of putting herself out there and being rejected.

44) Cameron returns the favor and gives Patrick some very good advice, the reason for that glorious scene later on…

CAMERON: Look, you embarrassed the girl. Sacrifice yourself on the altar of dignity and even the score.

This gets Patrick thinking…

45) And I’m just going to add the video here because this whole scene is just rom-com perfection and bless Heath Ledger again, okay? And why didn’t we get more of him singing in everything he did? His voice just makes me feel things, okay?

Seriously, how do you say no to that boy asking you to let him love you? You don’t say no, that’s how.

Same, Kat. Hard same.

46) Kat goes into detention and distracts the coach while Patrick attempts to escape out the window, and then…

And the teacher is looking directly at her tits? And while the distraction tactic worked, how was she not sent to the principal’s office? Patrick was sent to the principal’s office for “exposing himself” with a bratwurst while joking with the cafeteria lady, and Kat is literally exposing herself and she walks scot-free? Hmm.

47) Patrick and Kat have another heart to heart, and to be honest, it always melts this cold heart of mine…

PATRICK: So, what's your excuse? KAT: For? PATRICK: For acting the way we do? KAT: I don't like to do what people expect. Why should I live up to other people's expectations instead of my own? PATRICK: So, you disappoint 'em from the start and then you're covered, right? KAT: Something like that. PATRICK: Then you screwed up. KAT: How? PATRICK: You never disappointed me.

Same, Kat. SAME.

48) #SWOON

49) And this is the part that doesn’t make sense to me. They’ve just had this perfect date, and they’re growing closer, and they’ve kissed, and he clearly likes her. And the reason he didn’t kiss her after the party was that he was feeling guilty about the way he’d gotten her to go out with him and fall for him – through deception and manipulation. And now that they’re much closer and into each other, he tries very hard to get her to go to prom with him, pushing her in a way that makes her feel uncomfortable, and like, why? They’re clearly not the type of people who go to proms, so why not take Joey’s money and screw the deal? Why did he have to keep his promise? Why not be honest with Kat? Why not tell her, I like you a lot and this idiot is paying me to date you even though I’m honored to do that for free so why don’t we team up and scam him? I know the answer is “conflict”, but it’s always pissed me off.

50) Seriously, though, Cameron. Why?

51) In true teen-rom fashion, everyone needs to be paired up, right?

52) See what I mean about the jokes?

53) Loved the Dawson’s Creek reference…

Believe it or not, a lot of people thought DC was scandalous at the time. And DC was so naïve compared to its predecessors The OC or Gossip Girl…

54) Kat finally opens up to Bianca and explains why she has so many issues and why she doesn’t want to conform to high school’s social rules and expectations and stereotypical idea of “normalcy.” She’d had a less than stellar dating experience back when she was way too young and far too vulnerable with none other than Joey, who had slept with her and dumped her right after. Oh yeah, and it all happened right after her mom had left them. In an attempt to prevent the same thing from happening to her little sister, she had agreed to their dad’s rules, effectively preventing Bianca from experiencing anything on her own. It’s kind of a case of the pot calling the kettle black, considering she’d complained about the very same thing to her father.

55) Kat finally realizes she’s been unfair to her sister and decides to go to prom, to their father’s dismay. Kat even swallows her pride and actually apologizes to Patrick for questioning his motives to ask her to the prom, and he has the nerve to forgive her. Dude, you do have ulterior motives, and the girl you like is actually apologizing even though she’s done nothing wrong and you’re blatantly lying, and he doesn’t even bat an eyelash when he tells her “You’re forgiven.” I mean, I love Patrick, but still… not cool.

56) Bless Walter.

57) I guess they’re a thing, because why not?

58) And this is, among many other reasons, why I can’t hold anything against Patrick Veronica…

He got her favorite band to play in the prom.

59) Chastity is such a bitch for no reason? Like, she and Bianca were close friends, and then, all of a sudden, they aren’t? And she’s so mean to Bianca!

60) And leave it to Joey to ruin everything…

61) And I truly love that Bianca is the one to put him in his place…

62) See? He’s a good guy, he was just trying to protect his daughters the only way he knew how…

WALTER: Bianca did what? KAT: What's the matter, upset that I rubbed off on her? WALTER: No, impressed. Fathers don't like to admit it when their daughters are capable of running their own lives. It means we've become spectators. Bianca still lets me play a few innings. You've had me on the bench for years. And when you go to Sarah Lawrence I won't even be able to watch the game. KAT: When I go? WALTER: Oh, boy. Don't tell me you changed your mind. I already sent 'em a cheque

63) And I also have to include the video for this scene because it’s just… *chef’s kiss*… Julia Stiles absolutely nails this one, and it never fails to bring me to tears…

Same, Patrick. Same.

64) And while the fact that he doesn’t immediately run after her always has me screaming, he does make up for all of it…

KAT: A Fender Strat? Is it for me? PATRICK: Yeah, I thought you could use it, you know, when you start your band. Besides, I had some extra cash, you know. Some asshole paid me to take out this really great girl. KAT: Is that right? PATRICK: Yeah, but I screwed up. I, um... I fell for her. KAT: Really? PATRICK: It's not every day you find a girl who'll flash someone to get you out of detention. KAT: Oh, God. You can't just buy me a guitar every time you screw up, you know. PATRICK: Yeah, I know. But there's always drums and bass and maybe even one day a tambourine. KAT: And don't just think you can...

65) This movie is hardly a masterpiece, but it doesn’t intend to be either, and not every movie needs to be. It’s a feel-good movie, and it delivers on so many levels. It’s funny, it’s tropey, it’s cute, it’s romantic, it has a great soundtrack, and you just feel a whole lot better after watching it. It’s the 90s at its best, and that’s why it became a classic.

What I love the most, though, is Kat’s character development. We see this girl who is a badass and super smart, takes no bullshit, holds everyone accountable for their shitty behavior, and has a great wit. But she is not without flaws. She’s closed off because she has been hurt before, both by her mother and her first love. She holds everyone at bay because it’s easier that way. Throughout the movie, however, she shows empathy and a lot of vulnerability. And she soon finds out that she had been missing out on a lot of things by shielding her emotions. She’d missed out on having a good relationship with her sister and on finding love again. What is truly admiring about Kat, though, is that when she’s hurt the most and she has every reason to close herself off again, she does the exact opposite. She opens herself up not only in front of the guy she’s in love with but everyone. The shrew cries and bares her soul for the world to see. Regardless of the happy ending, I think that in itself s truly inspiring, don’t you? 

66) Bonus: bloopers!

67)  Hope you enjoyed my recap, and, as usual, if you’ve got this far, thank you for reading! If you enjoy my recaps and my blog, please consider supporting it on ko-fi. Thanks!

[starwarsopinion]

‘Star Wars Fatigue’

Before we begin, I would like to say that this is my opinion! It is NOT my intention to insult or, in any way, hurt anybody’s feelings, but alas, it’s impossible for everyone to agree on everything. Somebody’s bound to get their knickers in a twist. So, I’m just going to apologize in advance to everyone who find the following displeasing.

As you may know, there has been a lot of talk about the so called ‘Star Wars fatigue’. I personally don’t find it surprising. Ever since Disney purchased Lucasfilm in October 30, 2012 (for $4.05 billion, mind you), the Star Wars franchise has gone downhill. One would expect Disney to treat such a beloved franchise with love and respect. But we fans don’t always get what we want, now do we?

Now, some might argue that Star Wars was already ruined by the prequels. I say that’s bullshit! I was but a little girl when I first saw all the movies, prequels first and then the originals. And I absolutely love all six movies! My favourite one as a little girl was the Phantom Menace. I know that might sound crazy to some, but as a little girl, I could really relate to young Anakin. Also, I found (still do) Qui-Gon Jinn so calming and great mentor! He has such a beautiful voice. It was perfect casting, and while we’re on topic of perfect casting, let’s take a look at a couple of other great casting choices: Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu are freaking perfect! I honestly can’t imagine anyone else playing these characters!

These characters, along with an infinite list of others, made a huge impact on me. They were well-written, relatable, lovable, and what’s more, the main villain was someone you could actually hate with every fiber of your body and soul. I don’t thinks there’s a single fan out there who wouldn’t love to throw Palpatine/Darth Sidious off a tall building. (Of course, I may be wrong.)

Now that I’m almost 21, I’ve fallen in love with these movies, and the franchise, even more. That is, until Disney came and fucked it all up for me. I don’t hate the new movies. I just don’t like them. They don’t feel like Star Wars. They feel like feminist propaganda, because let’s face it, there is a clear agenda behind practically all Hollywood movies these days, Captain Marvel for one, but I’m not going to talk about that. wanting and supporting female and LGBT+ rights is fine, but please, for the love of all that is good and pure, DON’T FORCE IT IN TO MOVIES!!

Marketing a leading female character as a ‘strong, independent female’ is downright obnoxious! These are strong words, but it’s my opinion, as a woman! Some people have been wrongly accusing men for outright female-hatred. I’m not saying that there isn’t men in the world who hate women, because there are, just like there are women who hate men. I’m saying that most men don’t hate women and have absolutely no problem with female characters, whether in leading role or a supporting role or as a random background character.

People like me who have a problem with today’s film-industry, specifically with how female role’s are being marketed, are not bad people. Some have said that if Alien had been released today, Sigourney Weaver as Ripley would have sparked out same kind of negative reviews as, say Captain Marvel and Rey. This is not true simply because Ripley had not been portrayed, at any point, as a ‘strong female character’. And that’s why she is an iconic character. Even I know her even though I’ve never actually seen the whole movie.

My point is, people would be much happier, more open-minded if we weren’t told beforehand how and what to think of a character. Let us make up our own minds! Rey was marketed over and over again as a ‘strong female character’ and that’s what I expected to see in the movie, but when I saw The Force Awakens, I was brutally disappointed. Instead of a character I could relate to, I was given a mere shadow of what she could have been. I find Rey incredibly annoying. Of course, there are a lot of issues with the new movies, but this would get out of hand if I started to write about that as well...

I brought up the ‘Star Wars fatigue’ and as Mark Hamill himself has said, yes it is possible it exists. The conversation of the topic was fueled by Solo’s bad performance in the box-office, which, in my opinion, is due to the hate The Last Jedi got. I don’t hate the Last Jedi, but I certainly don’t like it. I hate what they did to the character of Luke Skywalker! It’s not right, fit or proper! As for the Solo, I actually kind of liked it. Sure, it has some issues as well, but compared to Force Awakens, Last Jedi and Rogue One, it was pretty damn good.

Cinemablend made a poll about ‘Star Wars fatigue’, and by the time I answered it, the results were as follows:

44% said that they aren’t as excited about the franchise as they used to be, whereas 33% said they are still excited about the future of Star Wars. 23% (that includes me) said they have mixed feelings and 2% said ‘other’. Now, I have mixed feelings because I still love Star Wars and I’m kind of excited to see the new movies, but at the same time I’m terrified. What if it gets worse? Rogue One is, in my opinion, the worst Star Wars movie ever made. I had been wondering for so long how the Rebels got the schematics of the Death Star, and that’s what Disney came up with?! What the hell?! It was garbage and garbage won’t do! Again, I know that many enjoyed that movie, no offence intended. This is my opinion that I’m entitled to have!

So yeah, I’m not as excited as I used to be about Star Wars, but man was I hyped when they saved the Clone Wars! Though that was clearly a political stunt to get some of the fan base back and excited on something that so many love.

I have one final point that I’d like to share with you:

Disney’s Star Wars: Episode VIII.V - All The Projects Blown Away Like Alderaan.

LucasArts was working on Star Wars Force Unleashed III video-game and what did Disney do? On April 2013 Disney shut down LucasArts, fired several of its employees and canceled several of its projects. So, no Force Unleashed III, no ending for the Starkiller’s story-arch, no amazing video-game what so ever. This sucks because I really liked those games. I want to know what happens to Rahm Kota, Starkiller, etc. But I’ll never get my answer. Because the games, the comics, the whole Star Wars Expanded Universe, or Legends, is no longer canon. Disney just picks bits and pieces and makes their own stuff.

And these are some of the reasons I have felt ‘Star Wars fatigue’and why I think Disney Ruined Star Wars. This has been a long rant. But I just wanted to get this off my chest. As we can establish, the phenomenon that is known as ‘Star Wars fatigue’ is quite real and Disney really needs to take it in account.

Hope you guys enjoyed this, sorry if I offended anyone and may the Force be with you! :)

@madamrogers 

[nikkxb]

On the heels of that post, I’ve been thinking about a terrible realization I’ve had over the last few months. The definition of child pornography is what sparked it and while I’ve seen people get in arms over technical definitions and terminology and how ‘arguing semantics is only hurting the cause’ -- it’s important.

Calling something the wrong term is harmful in many aspects. The boy who cried wolf, diminishing abuse done to real life victims, sparking outrage without all the facts, the list goes on and on. It’s important for a multitude of reasons, but the one that I keep going back to is that if we continue to mislabel issues, those terms lose their meaning.

Ugly truth here: I turn away from posts on tumblr that talk about pedophiles. It’s terrible because that’s a horrible thing that’s going on and causes severe damage and it needs to be stopped. But do you know how many times I’ve been called a pedophile because I shipped a 19-year-old character with a 33-year-old character? I can’t even tell you. I lost count. I’ve lost count of the number of blogs I’ve blocked for that sole reason.

Because yes, that’s a large age gap. Yes, I can see where that would make some people uncomfortable. Yes, we are all entitled to our opinions and squicks and what have you. No, it’s not pedophilia. And it doesn’t matter how many times the definition of pedophilia is explained, no matter how many times arguments are made, and no matter how many times I’ve had to defend myself, I was still called a pedophile.

So now when I see posts that contain “pedophile”? I ignore them. I scroll past. I sometimes go to the extent of mentally discounting everything OP says in their post because I don’t know if they’re talking about actual pedophilia or just an age gap that they’re not comfortable with. 

And this is dangerous. It’s dangerous because what happens when there’s an actual wolf? What happens when you cry “pedo” and it’s real, but no one believes you because of all the times you’ve used the term incorrectly?

You have to use the right terms. We all have to use the right terms. Because the boy who cried wolf was responsible for all the damage the wolf did when it finally showed up and this is not a consequence I would wish on anyone.

[padfootdidit]

reason in madness

JILY CHALLENGE | @padfootdidit vs @wotcherpotter             tv show aus (may) + “ok yes we're all juvenile delinquents but it's mE thats trying to help us survive while yOU just seem to be sabotaging everything...dont give me those eyes like you've done nothing wrong, you're literally holding an automatic weapon???"

This is late and a step away from the prompt a little bit (and a leap away from the actual show) but it’s here and I think that’s what counts.

au: the 100 | word count: 2.4k | ao3: read here

Day 1

The Ark was order. There was nothing out of place, no rule not written, everyone accounted for.

The Ground is chaos. Lily feels it, they all feel it, as soon the Dropship doors open. Light streams in, bright, natural, real light. Light none of them have seen before. She squints, lifting her hand up to shield her eyes and then all she can see is green.

Day 2

No one knew what to expect. But it wasn’t this.

A spear appears out of the trees and Bertram Aubrey almost dies. They aren’t alone. The Ark hadn’t told them to prepare for that. No one had planned for others having survived. The Ground is meant to be a deserted, a ghost town.

“Ghosts don’t have accuracy like that,” Remus Lupin says when Lily says this aloud. He saves Bertram Aubrey’s life. On the Ark he was an apprentice medic and somehow he manages to do just enough that by sunset they’re still at one hundred delinquents.

Day 3

James Potter from Alpha Station stands on the Dropship gangplank and tells them he has a plan to save their lives. James Potter who grew up on Alpha Station and has never wanted for a thing tells them he knows what to do. Lily scoffs at the idea.

“Is there a problem Evans?” He asks, jumping down and stalking over towards her. As if he thinks she’ll back down. Of course she has a problem. What does he know about survival? She’s the one who lived against all odds. Survived beneath the floor, silent, hiding, obeying. She’s the one who knows how to beat death.

She’s just about to tell him as much when Sev appears. Of all people, Sev. He’s not meant to be here. He can’t be here. But he is and, before Lily knows what’s happening, Sev is defending her. Well, he’s punching Potter and she assumes that, in his eyes, that’s defending her.

There’s a brawl. She can’t do anything to stop it. Doesn’t even know if she cares anymore that Sev is on the floor, blood streaming from his nose. He sold her out. He killed her mother. He shouldn’t be here.

Day 4

They sit on opposite ends of the floor of the Dropship which Remus has claimed as an infirmary and Lily ignores Potter as she tells Sev that she doesn’t want anything to do with him anymore. That he shouldn’t have come, that she doesn’t need him.

He tells her that she does, that she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Potter watches them with a smirk, she can feel it. She doesn’t get to tell him to shut up though because a scouting party returns and they have guns. Lots and lots of guns.

Day 5

Potter is back on his feet and even more ignorant than ever. He stands on the Dropship’s gangplank, pistol tucked into his waistband and automatic slung over his back and tells them they’re going to head for Mount Weather. It’s their only hope, apparently. Lily scoffs at this too.

“Got any better ideas?”

“One, start hunting, two, learn how to fire a gun, three, stay where we know is safe, four, get a better leader, five –“

“You think I’m the leader?”

“You’re acting like you are so-“

“That’s very kind of you Evans, I feel honoured that you would –“

“Finish your sentence, I dare you,” she says and aims her own gun at his chest. She has no idea how to fire it but Potter doesn’t know that. She smirks as he raises his hands in surrender.

Day 6

Lily shakes her head as Potter leads a group of delinquent volunteers into the forest, heading towards Mount Weather. According to his map there’s a signal tower a day’s walk away which will help them find Mount Weather, and allow them to contact the Ark.

It’s a stupid idea, venturing out into territory they know from experience is dangerous. Sev thinks so too and he tries to tell her.

“Who does he think he is, right? Marching –‘

“Who do you think you are Sev? Judge, jury, executioner? You’re definitely a murderer.”

“Lily, I didn’t –“ he trails off as she walks away. She’s not listening to this. Doesn’t need to listen to this anymore. Just needs to survive and she doesn’t need anyone’s help to do that.

Day 7

They have a perimeter fence now and food and another of the scouting parties found a freshwater pond which doesn’t seem to be contaminated. Lily goes with Remus to check it out and he tells her that Potter is just trying to help.

“Help get us all killed you mean.”

Day 8

Black runs into the clearing first. He’s yelling for Remus. Lily leaps up from where she’s trying to skin a rabbit and can do nothing but stare as Potter limps into view, supporting a bleeding girl. Behind him three other delinquents each carry their own load. Not all of them are moving.

“We… ambush.” Is all Potter says as he gently lowers the girl to the floor in front of Remus.

“They’re fucking animals,” Black spits and swats Remus away from the gash on his neck. “Her first.”

Day 9

They’re down to ninety seven.

No one wants to leave their perimeter anymore. Not even to hunt. Lily volunteers, only because she wants to get away from the three graves that now rest behind the Dropship.

“I’ll go too,” Potter says and she wonders if it’s out of guilt for the graves or a desperation to annoy her.

“No thanks,” and she leaves before he can even get up to follow.

Day 10

A spear flies into camp and Bertram Aubrey’s second chance at life is cut short.

Day 11

“What if we just –“ a spear flies into camp and the boy from Farm Station doesn’t get to finish his suggestion.

Day 20

They’re being picked off one by one.

They’re down to eighty six.

Day 21

“We need to fight back,” Potter says, “or we’ll starve before they kill us all.”

“All they have is spears, it’ll be a piece of cake,” Black says. Lily has never had a piece of cake. She doesn’t care about how easy it will be. She cares about what it will cost them if they kill the only other people who survived the end of the world.

“Or we could talk to them.”

Day 22

She walks out of camp with a shredded white top wrapped around a stick and hopes they know what it means. She walks out of camp without any weapons and hopes she doesn’t die.

“Stop!” A voice, muffled, calls from above her and she stops. Looks up. Refuses to let herself be scared when a figure, followed by eight more, drop from the trees. She can’t see their faces. They’re all shrouded in thick animal fur and mud.

“We don’t want to –“

“Stop!” The first figure to jump holds their hand up. Before Lily can speak again two others have grabbed her arms and pinned them behind her back.

“Hey!” Oh my fuck, he wants to die.

Day 23

They don’t kill Potter and Lily can’t decide if she’s happy about this or not. They could have at least had the curtesy to put them in separate cells. But no, here she is, on The Ground, prisoner and stuck in close proximity with the Prince of the Ark.

“You know, if you stopped working against me, we could actually do something good.” He suggests, staring at her intently.

“You’ve done nothing but try to kill us since we landed your highness,” she shuffles around so she doesn’t have to face his gaze, “why would I stop working against you.”

“Contrary to popular opinion, I’m actually trying to keep us alive. If you would just stop sabotaging every-“

“Me? Sabotage?” She shuffles back around. Wonders if their guard would mind if she killed him. “What about yesterday? What about following me out when the agreed upon plan was for me to go alone? That wasn’t sabotage?”

“That was –“ their guard bangs on the door and they shut up. Potter still stares though. Somehow, it’s louder than his voice.

Day 24

The Grounders agree to a treaty. Well, an arrangement. Well, something.

They agree not to kill any more of their people, if the delinquents promise that they will stay on their side of the forest and not cause any damage. It’s an easy promise to make in exchange for their lives.

Day 25

Sev runs to greet her when they return and Lily is surprised when Potter steps in front of her. She’s not really upset about it but she also doesn’t appreciate it either. She can handle herself. Resents any implication otherwise.

“Move, Potter, I –“

“Need to get the fuck away from, Evans, just like she’s already told you a hundred times.”

“Potter,” she lays a hand on his arm, glares, then turns to Sev. “You really do need to stay the fuck away from me.”

Day 30

They meet with the Grounders again, this time sans the binds and threats of death. The Grounders tell them that Mount Weather is a myth and attempting to reach it would be an unnecessary risk to everyone’s life.

Potter still wants to go.

Day 31

“My parents told me about it, okay, and they aren’t the sort of people who would put our lives at risk, so –“

“They sent you down here.”

“Evans, you have no idea what happened –“

“No, but I know what’s going to happen if we try and find Mount Weather.”

“So you’re a seer now as well as a pain in the arse?”

Day 32

A vote is taken and somehow Potter wins.

Day 33

They start the trek to Mount Weather before the sun has risen and leave the Dropship behind. They’ve taken all their supplies, which were starting to run out anyway, and left the perimeter gate open. Lily finds herself leading the group alongside Potter and she’s not sure how it happened but they’ve become sort of a team. At least, all the other delinquents treat them like that. They don’t actually act like a team. No team has ever disagreed as much as them.

Still, the other delinquents listen to them and look to them and only Black doesn’t take orders from them.

Lily isn’t sure if she minds. They’re still alive. He’s not all that bad. Not every idea out of his mouth is a death wish, even if some of them sound like it. He’s not even that entitled which is just annoying because it makes him endearing and Lily doesn’t want him to be endearing.

When they stop for the night, he takes a seat next to her around the fire and offers her his unfinished rations.

“What’s this?”

“Peace offering.”

“What if I don’t want –“

“Just take the damn food, Evans.”

She takes the damn food and they sit side by side in silence as the rest of the delinquents chatter and eat and sleep. She eats the damn food and considers that maybe she could stop sabotaging the majority of his plans. She finishes the damn food and thinks maybe, just maybe, they might actually be able to make it work.

They might actually be able to survive. Together.

[whereareroo]

JURY NULLIFICATION

WF THOUGHTS (1/16/21).

Have you ever heard of the legal topic called "jury nullification"? That's my topic for today.

Stick with me. First, I'll explain a bit about jury nullification. Then, even though nobody else is talking about it, I'll explain why it's a very, very relevant topic right now.

We all know what a jury is. Today, I want to focus on jury verdicts in criminal cases that are brought in federal courts. Pursuant to the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, a unanimous verdict is required for a conviction in a criminal case.

Let's spend thirty seconds on the "unanimous" requirement. If a single juror votes to acquit, there cannot be a conviction. That may seem unfair, or illogical, but that's how our system works. The purpose of the "unanimous" requirement is to protect against wrongful convictions. Got it? A single juror has enormous power.

Let me give you another fact that significantly increases the power of every juror. A juror doesn't need a reason to vote against conviction. A juror has no obligation to explain his or her vote. Unless the juror is somehow wrongfully tainted during the trial (by bribery, blackmail, corruption, or failure to follow sequestration rules), a juror can follow their conscience and vote however they wish. Jurors are supposed to follow the law, but there is no way to stop jurors from considering other "real life" issues.

There's a final factor that amplifies the power of a single juror. If a defendant is acquitted, because one or more jurors oppose conviction, the defendant cannot be tried a second time for the same crime. The prosecution doesn't get to "try again" in front of a different jury. If a juror blocks a conviction, the case is over and the defendant walks free.

In movies and on television, we've all seen depictions of jury selection? What are the lawyers doing? The prosecutor, in addition to weeding out jurors with biases that might run in favor of the defendant, is trying pick jurors who will exclusively follow the law. The defense lawyer, in addition to weeding out jurors with biases that might run in favor of law enforcement and the prosecution, is trying to pick jurors who might ignore the law and focus on other factors. Many trials are won, or lost, during jury selection. It's an interesting game.

Are you starting to see where this is going? "Jury nullification" occurs when a juror, or a group of jurors, blocks a conviction for reasons that aren't set forth in the law. Maybe the juror disagrees with the law. Maybe the juror thinks the prosecutor has been too tough on the defendant. Maybe the juror thinks that the probable prison sentence is too long under all of the circumstances. It doesn't matter why the juror votes against a conviction. Without a unanimous jury there cannot be a conviction.

In America, there's a long history of jury nullification. A few examples will give you a better understanding of the topic:

▪In the Slavery Era, it was against the law to harbor a runaway slave. In the North, despite irrefutable proof that the law had been violated, many juries refused to convict defendants who harbored runaway slaves.

▪During the Prohibition Era, juries routinely ignored the law and refused to convict barkeepers who were flagrantly violating the alcohol control laws.

▪During the Vietnam War Era, it was illegal for young men to evade the draft or to ignore mandatory military service. The Vietnam War was very unpopular. Most jurors knew somebody, perhaps a family member, who was evading the draft. Juries routinely ignored the law and failed to convict young men who refused to participate in that terrible war.

Today, 10 days after the siege on the Capitol, I was thinking about jury nullification. For the past week, federal law enforcement officials have been saying that the terrorists will be brought to trial and convicted. Sadly, because of jury nullification, I'm not so sure.

Recent opinion polls say that 35% of Americans believe that the 2020 election was "stolen" from Trump. Many of those people think it was appropriate for Trump supporters to occupy the Capitol in an attempt to block Biden's confirmation. After all, that's what Trump told them to do. I'm not saying that 35% of America approves of the violence that occurred, but they do sympathize with the underlying beliefs of the terrorists. People from that 35% of the population will sit on the juries that hear the trials of the terrorists. Will they vote to convict, or will their sympathies for the defendants motivate them to vote against conviction? I'm not confident. Remember, one renegade juror can stop a conviction.

The location of these trials will be crucial. Most, if not all, of the cases will originally be filed in Washington D.C. In the 2020 election, 94% of the Washington voters cast their ballot for Biden. If the trials actually occur in Washington, the odds of jury nullification are low.

I think there is a risk that the trials will be relocated out of Washington. The defendants will claim that the jury pool is stacked against them because it's 94% Democrat. The defendants will claim that they cannot get a fair trial in Washington because of the extensive media coverage that has occurred on the local media. The defendants will claim that the jury pool is full of people who either work at the Capitol Complex or who know people that work at the Capitol Complex. The federal prosecutors may have a difficult time overcoming these objections. After all, the defendants are entitled to a fair trial before a fair jury.

If the cases are moved out of Washington, it's not clear where they will be sent. Virginia, where Trump got 44% of the vote, is nearby. So is Maryland, where Trump got 33% of the vote. If the cases are sent to either of those states, jury nullification becomes more likely.

It's possible that the defendants will convince the court that their trials should be in their "home" states. Many of the terrorists came from places like Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, and West Virginia. Trump won at least 50% of the vote in those states. Would jurors in those states vote to convict, or would we see massive jury nullification? Remember, a single juror can block a conviction.

If I was a defense lawyer for one of the terrorists, I wouldn't be doing any plea bargaining right now unless we were talking about a quick plea for a minor misdemeanor. I'd be waiting to see if we can get the case moved to a location that is more favorable than Washington D.C. If I can get the case out of Washington and I'm facing a serious charge, the chances of jury nullification go up and the chances of a conviction go down. If I could get the case moved out of Washington, I'd automatically have more leverage in plea negotiations and I'd be far less fearful of a trial. My client might become the beneficiary of jury nullification. I'd have to educate the client about jury nullification and let the client make the decision between a trial or a deal. I suspect that many of these defendants, believing that they have comrades in the jury pool, will take their chance and hope for jury nullification.

Let me make a few things perfectly clear. I don't want the terrorists to be saved by jury nullification. I hope they all rot in jail. I realize, however, that jury nullification exists in the world. Given the very strong beliefs of the pro-Trump forces, these cases might be jury nullification "magnets." The federal law enforcement officials should stop sounding so confident about convictions in these cases. It will be a long process and, unfortunately, they need to be worried about jury nullification. Sometimes jury nullification is very moral. Sometimes it's totally wrong. I'm worried about what might happen here. For better or for worse, our system fails or succeeds based upon the whims of individual jurors.

[comic-movieheroesranked]

Cinematic Comic Characters Ranked! (Year 2011) Part III

This year I think has the most characters ranked so far, and all from movies introducing brand new characters. X-Men franchise gets a reboot with X-Men: First Class; The MCU welcomes the additions of Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger; DC Comics introduces Green Lantern, and we also get The Adventures of Tintin, Cowboys & Aliens, The Green Hornet, and Priest. Here’s #40-21!

*SPOILER ALERT FOR THE HIGHLIGHTED MOVIES ABOVE*

40. Erik Selvig (Thor)

"Anyone who's ever going to find his way in this world, has to start by admitting he doesn't know."

Erik is a wise man of science who helps Jane work on her projects. Despite not believing Thor's story one bit when the god arrives to Earth, he still helps Jane rescue him and even leaves some words of advice to Thor that helps him understand what it means to be a king. He's a good guy so it sucks to see that by the post-credits scene, when he's talking to Nick Fury, he's been possessed by Loki himself.

39. Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine (The Adventures of Tintin)

"Nothing I do is an accident!"

A villain on a quest for revenge in his great ancestor's name. Sakharine had every move and action planned out to find the lost treasure of the unicorn but didn't quite predict Tintin's involvement. Despite all his efforts, he's unable to complete his mission and loses to Haddock just like his ancestor did.

38. Benjamin Chudnofsky (The Green Hornet)

"My gun has two barrels. That's not boring."

The big bad villain of the film, Chudnofsky is just a crime boss who is going through a mid-life crisis. Turns out that being scary means a lot more than just killing everyone who crosses you. He learned the younger generations want something a little more flashy. He tries but it's kinda like when a father tries to hang out with his teenage son at a party. It just doesn't work. However, he's still a violent being who takes out a lot of people but in all honesty, he can't be that impressive when he couldn't even kill Britt on his own. Sure, Britt had Kato, who managed to deliver the killing blow to the crime lord, but if he was as bad as wanted to be, he would've had no issues.

37. Lenore Case (The Green Hornet)

"If you even look at my ass again I'll sue you for sexual harassment."

Geez how did this girl even want to work as Britt's assistant after finding out what a complete douche he was? His attempts at flirty were so pervy you just couldn't help but feel bad for Case. Kato didn't really help either and if I were in her shoes I'd let the cops take them both down. But for some reason she helps them and decides to continue to help them keep the city safe by the end of the film.

36. Azazel (X-Men: First Class)

"Damn it."

In my opinion, Azazel is Shaw's most dangerous assassin in the Hellfire Club. Not only can he teleport but he's also a master at wielding a long blade. The combination of the two really shows when he kills most of the government agents protecting the X-Men by himself. His combat skills are so impressive that he's able to take on Beast and Havok at the same time. He apparently can't take a punch though, as it only takes one from Beast to knock him out. When everything's said and done, Azazel joins Magneto's Brotherhood.

35. Thaal Sinestro (Green Lantern)

"Are you afraid?"

With his mentor dead, Sinestro seems to be the strongest member of the Corps alive, but he's faced with a lot. Even with his skill he can't seem to defeat Parralax, who keeps destroying planets with his powers of fear. Worse, he strongly feels like Hal isn't fit to be a Lantern so in an act of desperation turns to the Guardians to find another source of power to defeat his foe. The source is fear, the opposite force of willpower, the very essence of what it means to be a Green Lantern. Despite Hal proving willpower can overcome fear, at the end of the film, Sinestro still puts on the yellow ring, becoming the first member of the Yellow Lanter Corps.

34. Black Hat (Priest)

"After all, if you're not committing sin then you're not having fun."

Black Hat used to be a priest who was taken down during an attack on a vampire hive that went wrong. Instead of killing him, the vampire queen feeds him her blood instead and turns him into the first vampire-human hybrid, containing the skills of a priest and power of a vampire. This makes him dangerous as he leads an overwhelming army of vampire to kidnap Lucy, Priest's daughter, and destroy towns full of humans. He also proved his power by killing three priests on his own as well as nearly taking out Priest towards the films climax. However, Priest had help in the form of Hicks and Priestess and was able to see Black Hat burn up in flames at the last second.

33. Laufey (Thor)

"Go now, while I still allow it."

Man was this guy a huge let down. I truly thought Laufey was going to be the big bad villain of the movie, but turns out he was just another pawn in Loki's ultimate plan to rule Asgard. King of the Frost Giants, he's definitely not to be messed with, but he puts his faith in his son and when he goes to kill Odin in his sleep, Loki betrays him and blasts him to dust.

32. Hector Hammond (Green Lantern)

"How wonderful that all it took for you to grow up was the end of the world."

I almost did want to feel bad for all the crap Hector seemed to be getting from his dad his entire life, but all of that went out the window when the first thing he does when he sees Carol is sniff her hair. The dude is weird, jealous, and entitled so of course he ends up getting possessed by Parralax and granted these psychic powers that comes with a disturbing physical appearance. He gets his revenge on his students, his dad, even Hal for a bit before the other male manages to trick him into wearing the ring. The ring doesn't recognize him and backfires on him and when Parralax shows up and sees him wearing the weapon of his sworn enemy? Yeah Hector died real quick after that.

31. Thomson and Thompson (The Adventures of Tintin)

"To be precise, you are under arrest!"

These two are pure comedy. Not only for how they exchanged words with each other, but because they were absolutely horrible at doing their jobs yet, oddly enough, seemed to be at the right place at the right time to help Tintin save the day. I mean the two were literally at the house of the kleptomaniac they were after and were arguing AGAIST him on how he wasn't their suspect. If that isn't what you call a pure comedic mess I don't know what is.

30. Britt Reid/The Green Hornet (The Green Hornet)

"Everyone knows, you corner a hornet, you get stung."

I hated Britt. He's almost exactly like Bruce Wayne when it comes to being rich, having dead parents, and then deciding to become a superhero, but his arrogance, rudeness, and in-capabilities with mental and physical prowess proved this dude could never be on Batman's level. There was just so many times that he would screw everything up that you just wanted him to fail because it was frustrating to see someone as annoying as him save the day.

29. Parralax (Green Lantern)

"Once I have devoured your world I will have all the strength I need to defeat the Corps and destroy the Guardians."

A former Guardian, Parralax wanted to use the power of fear instead of willpower, making him an easy enemy of the Green Lantern Corps. After his first defeat, he returns stronger than ever, devouring planets through their inhabitant's fear. He nearly destroys Earth as well until Hal manages to fight him off, tricking him into being pulled in into the sun and burns away. His legacy in fear lives on though, once Sinestro slips on the yellow ring that is fused with his powers.

28. Woodrow Dolarhyde (Cowboys & Aliens)

"Get off my plains!"

At first Dolarhyde seemed like a huge asshole that let his son terrorize a town just because he was rich and that he was actually going to be an obstacle Jake would have to face during his war with the aliens, but the latter never happened. Dolarhyde was quick to band together with the others, only really showing disobedience when it came to working with the Native Americans which, granted, was only because they had just taken him prisoner. He proves to be a good shot during the final fight and even saves Jake's life at the last moment inside the ship. I would have preferred Percy dying instead of Colorado and then Dolarhyde officially adopting Colorado to be his son but instead he gives Percy exactly what he wants again but at least Percy kinda stopped being a dick.

27. Alex Summers/Havok (X-Men: First Class)

"Whatever."

Havok seemed to be the member shrouded in the most mystery when he first joined the group. He was very hesitant about being around everyone and they quickly knew why, his energy blasts are out of control. After the death of his good friend Darwin, he decides to focus on his destructive blasts but still can't manage to do it. Even though he mocks Hank to no end, the brilliant scientist helps create a device that helps him control the blasts. He holds his own when the X-Men go up against the Hellfire Club and he officially stays with Xavier after Magneto kills Shaw.

26. Carol Ferris (Green Lantern)

"You don't think I would recognize you because I can't see your cheekbones?"

Carol Ferris is a strong fighter pilot, a smart businesswoman, and Hal Jordan's ex-girlfriend. While it's clear she still cares about him, she just can't take him seriously. She's even smart enough to realize the Green Lanter is Hal, but I mean she makes a good point on him not really having a big disguise. Her bravery matches her brain power too, when she saves Hal from death by blasting some missiles at Parralax and giving him the opportunity he needs to save the day.

25. Johann Schmidt/Red Skull (Captain America: The First Avenger)

"Hail, HYDRA."

This guy takes having a God complex to a whole other level. He wants the world at his feet and in order to do so he needs power. So he creates HYDRA and joins Hitler and the German Nazis to find it. He becomes the infamours Red Skull when he tries to take the super soldier serum and his body rejects it. Even though he's really intimidating at times, he never really accomplishes anything. When his plan fails and Captain America defeats him, he grabs the tesseract and it seems to kill him with it's sheer power alone.

24. Ella Swenson (Cowboys & Aliens)

"I won't be around for very long."

Yeah Ella's true identity as another alien being was definitely a plot twist I didn't see coming but after learning who she really is you really got to admire her selflessness. She literally lost her entire race of aliens like her yet still went out of her way to warn and later help the humans before they were wiped out as well. She manages to help rescue all the kidnapped humans from the alien's captivity but her real shining moment comes when she sacrifices herself to detonate a huge bomb that destroys the entire alien ship, killing every single one of them. We did see her come back to life earlier so who knows if she actually stays dead this time.

23. Moira MacTaggert (X-Men: First Class)

"You're your own team now. You're X-Men."

Moira is a great CSI agent. As soon as she discovers that the Hellfire Club is full of mutants, she goes and finds herself an expert on one. She holds no prejudice like most humans in her era which is probably why Charles starts developing feelings for her. Despite being the only human on the team, she does her best to fight Shaw and even Magneto when he proves to be a huge threat, firing several bullets at him, one of which ends up paralyzing Charles from the waist down. Afterwards, for the safety of him and his students, her memory is wiped clean for when she's interrogated by the CSI.

22. Sif, Vostagg, Hogun, Fandral (Thor)

"We must find Thor."

Sif and the Warriors Three are some of Asgard's greatest warriors and Thor's best friends. They're loyalty is shown all throughout the film when they travel with Thor to confront the Frost Giants and when they disobey Loki and travel to Earth to bring Thor back to Asgard after his banishment. They each have their own unique qualities and abilities that brings something good to the table, but it's only when they all work together that they really become a strong force of Asgardian warriors.

21. James 'Bucky' Barnes (Captain America: The First Avenger)

"This isn't a back alley, Steve. It's war!"

Steve's best friend who's looked out for him his entire life before he joins the army. He reunites with Steve after he becomes Captain America and rescues him from a HYDRA facility. Bucky really becomes that sense of home for Steve, but I couldn't help but feel a little hint of jealousy in him? I mean I think he was so used to being the better man and then all of a sudden Steve is the face of the US army. Don't get me wrong, I think he cared about Steve one hundred percent but I think it was a hurt ego that made him try to rush that giant machine with Steve's shield before he gets blasted away and falls to his apparent death.

[divinexchaos-moved]

 ABOUT THE MUN

nabbed from: @killedoptimist

tagging: @mindlessnovamuses @yourcrazymuses @nctyourplaything @bloodyknucklesx @wildmoored @fakedfun @holypatronus @antiquiities @androonimyard

REAL NAME: Arianna NICKNAMES:  Ari  SEXUALITY: pansexual. PRONOUNS:  she/her. ARE YOU A MORNING PERSON?: No! I despise mornings and I will sleep in until I have to get up, right down until the last minute. When I do get up I am really sluggish and grumpy for a little while.  WHEN SWIMMING, DO YOU PREFER TO DO IT IN THE OCEAN, OR IN A LAKE?:  Both have downsides, all the lakes where I live are gross and murky, and oceans are salty and sting your eyes and make your throat dry. I’m going to have to say ocean though just because the experience was so amazing for me.  ANYONE YOU WOULD LIKE TO MEET IN REAL LIFE?: @mindlessnovamuses we have literally made a gameplan. We have to meet IRL to get married. But really, I would love to. meet everyone that I RP with or have had contact with. ILY ALL <3 ANYONE YOU HAVE MET IN REAL LIFE?:  Nopppee WHEN DID YOU FIRST JOIN?: Uhm I think the first time I joined tumblr was back in 2012? I had an indie Deanna Winchester RP blog and an indie Jamie Whittemore (teen wolf oc) blog. Both were pretty terrible. My writing has come a long way!  YOUR CURRENT ACCOUNT?: @amultitudeofmuses & @dxstinedtofail ANY PEEVES?: lmao are you ready?

When TV shows are spoiled for me. If I am actively watching a show and I AM NOT caught up yet I tell other people that very fact if I know they are caught up. It really pisses me off when they spoil it for me after I have asked them not to. This goes for talking to another person in. front of me and trying to use ‘code’ words so I don’t catch on. 99% of the time I do catch on and it still all ends up being spoiled for me. I feel like it takes the fun out of the show for me. 

when people disregard other people’s existence or have any sort of views that make other people feel like they don’t have a right to exist. 

When people try and tell me what to do. I hate it. I hat ebeing told what to do, where to go, and how to be. I also hatte being told that I can’t do something. It makes me want to do it more just to prove said person wrong. 

UNPOPULAR OPINION:  I like Debbie Gallagher? I mean shit I know she’s acting all self-entitled and bitchy right now and disrespecting Fiona but we have gone through things with all the siblings we don’t like? Debbie has redeeming qualities and I refuse to let that go. As a child she used to take Liam to school with her because they didn't have anyone to watch him, and she was taking care of Frank, she wanted to keep her baby, therefore, dealing with the consequences of her actions, she was worried about Fiona when Fiona was in jail and forgave her for what happened with Liam instantly, she went and found Mickey and told him to go and visit Ian when Ian got back from the hospital. Debbie wanted to kill Sammi for hurting Ian and went to the hospital to try and get. more Lithium when he. flushed his down the toilet. She also is extremely caring towards Lip as he is struggling with alcoholism. She is building a. stable environment for her daughter and even got a job. She is the most forgiving of the Gallaghers, letting Frank and Monica back in many times she shouldn’t have.  DO YOU EASILY GET JEALOUS?: Sometimes. DO YOU EASILY GET ANGRY?:  Depends, I can have a hot temper if it's something I am very passionate about or if the people I. care about are being hurt.  ARE YOU EASY TO CHEER UP?:  Short answer is yes, long answer is no. I am not easy to cheer up but often act like people have cheered me up because I. know they are trying really hard and I want them to know I appreciate that.  ARE YOU GOOD AT HIDING YOUR EMOTIONS?: I am. WHAT’S THE VERY BEST WAY TO CHEER YOU UP?: Getting me talking about things I’v passionate about and actually listening and actively engaging in the topics with me. It makes me feel heard. Also Elliot Fletcher and nutella.  ARE YOU CURRENTLY IN A RELATIONSHIP?: I am, I have been for a little over a. year now.

DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE A CRUSH ON SOMEONE: ELLIOT FELTCHER. HAVE YOU SEEN THAT BOI. ALSO. @mindlessnovamuses is cute af. I mean and my boyfriend. He’s ok. IF YES, MIGHT THAT SOMEONE BE READING THIS?: I know Dyl is, that mofo reads all my shit. <33 DO YOU KISS ON THE FIRST DATE?: I don’t usually, I didn’t with my current relationship and I was very proud of myself. I believe if somoene if really interested that they will wait. Of course, that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have kissed him if he had tried. If I am comfortable enough I am up for a goodybye kiss.  DO YOU PREFER GOING OUT, OR STAYING HOME, WHEN IT COMES TO DATE?:  I like going out and staying in. Mix it up. I mean going out is great but-nothing beat watching netflix in your underwear and eating pizza with the one you love. FAVORITE DRINK?: I really enjoy ice tea. This includes hard ice tea. FAVORITE FOOD: Lasange or Spagetti. I just fucking LOVE PASTA

Repost, Do Not Reblog !!

[lookwhatilost]

i saw this valentines day ask meme earlier and i wanted to reblog it but i also dnt want people prying on gp and i know nobody will send me anything here bc i have like no followers, so im going to answer it under the cut and if you wanna b #nosy, then you’re at your liberty to do so

also im drunk answering these so theres that

1: Do you have a crush at the moment?

lmfao

2: Have you ever been deeply in love?

yes, sadly 😪

3: Longest relationship you've ever been in?

unofficially we were on and off over the course of almost 4 years but officially the longest we were together was only a handful of months... but i generally tell people the unofficial version bc i feel like they’d downplay the significance of it otherwise

4: Have you ever changed for someone?

yeah but in the sense that i let good things inside me wither and die when i shouldnt have

5: How is your relationship with your ex?

he’s living with someone else but makes a point of letting me know that he’s still th*rsting over me... it’s rly embarrassing

6: Have you ever been cheated on?

idk for certain but most likely

7: Have you ever cheated?

no

8: Would you date someone who's well known for cheating?

if i was aware, no, but i feel like i’d be totally possible for me to start going out w someone like that without being aware of that reputation beforehand

9: What's the most important part of a relationship?

your heads need to b in the same place i think... what with priorities, values, etc. i know some people can happily ignore conflicts like that & jst know to never bring them up but i can’t ever picture myself doing that.

10: Do you like to be in serious relationships or just flings?

i’ve never had a “fling” in my life and i dnt intend to

11: When you are dating someone do you believe in going on "breaks"?

if you need space from someone, then it is what it is, but i dnt think i would ever use the term “break” bc it’s too grey. i’ve seen friends. i know what’s up.

12: How many people have you ever hooked up with?

harry’s the only person ive been with in any capacity

13: What's one thing you regret saying/doing in a previous relationship?

a lot but i think i would say, like, letting it go on for as long as it did bc i thought i didn’t have anything else going for me. granted, i didn’t, but sometimes it’s better to be invested in an ex that you aren’t speaking to, than be invested in a relationship that’s dragging you down

14: What age do you think is appropriate for kids to start having sex?

never tbh sex is dumb as shit

15: Do you believe in the phrase "age is just a number"?

fuck no

16: Do you believe in "love at first sight"?

i believe you can instantly recognize that you connect to another person but that’s not, like, love lmfao

17: Do you believe it's possible to fall in love on the internet?

yeah but i’ve no interest in that

18: What do you consider a deal breaker?

in a relationship i dnt think i would interpret anything as an objective deal breaker aside from the Big Shit like cheating etc. but if i was considering dating someone i think the biggest deal breaker would be political differences.

19: How do you know it's time to end a relationship?

i’ll let you know when i figure it out

20: Are you currently in a relationship?

no

21: Do you think people who have dated can stay friends?

under the right circumstances, sure

22: Do you think people should date their friends?

i would encourage them to. i personally wouldn’t want to get into a romantic relationship that didn’t already have the foundation of a strong platonic one

23: How many relationships have you had?

one

24: Do you think love can last forever?

no but i dnt think there’s anything wrong with that either

25: Do you believe love can conquer all things?

absolutely not

26: Would you break up with someone your parents didn't approve of?

my parents are so out of touch w who i am that their approval or objection carries no weight beyond that so... no

27: If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice about dating what would it be?

all advice is useless. conclusions have no meaning unless you draw them yourself. if i could go back in time, i would kill hitler.

28: Do you think long distance relationships can work?

yes but personally ive no interest in one

29: What do you notice first about another person?

this is gnna sound dumb but whether they have a threatening vibe to them or not. for context: i work in service

30: Are you straight, bi, gay or pansexual?

i’m bisexual but i dnt see my attraction to men as anything more than begrudging & a nuisance

31: Would it bother you if your partner suffered from any mental illness?

not in principle, but i have a lot of mental illnesses myself, and if i was in a position where my mental disorders and my partner’s were jst endlessly feeding off of one another... yeah that would definitely upset me

32: Have you ever been in an abusive relationship?

harry was definitely emotionally abusive to me at times but he was jst stupid tbh and retrospectively i dnt consider it to be abusive. jst, like, it was a very bad dynamic and it coaxed shitty things out of both of us

33: Do you want to get married one day?

not rly

34: What do you think about getting your partner's name tattooed?

i wouldnt

35: Could you be in a relationship without sex?

easily

36: Are you still a virgin?

i wish

37: What's more important: Looks or personality?

personality obvi but physical attraction still needs to be there lmfao

38: Do you enjoy love films?

no they’re bad

39: Have you ever given anyone/received roses?

ive gotten roses twice

40: Have you ever had a valentine?

what even is that

41: What's your imagination of a "perfect date"?

i dnt have a specific vision but it would involve day drinking lmfao

42: Have you ever read "Romeo & Juliet"?

yeah. 3/10 tbh.

43: What's more important: Your partner or your friends?

it’s a balancing act! ive been guilty of putting my friendships on the back burner in favor of romantic relationships and i dnt want to do that again!

44: Would you consider yourself "romantic"?

not anymore

45: Could you imagine to date one of your current friends?

this is a loaded question bc all my friends follow this... if i say yes, it’s awkward. if i say no they’ll be like “well why the fuck not?”

46: Have you ever been "friendzoned"?

have people i liked romantically not returned my feelings? yes. have i gotten all indignant and entitled abt it? i’d like to think not.

47: Which "famous couple" is your favorite?

literally i can’t even think of any

48: What's your favorite love song?

momentarily? knock you down by keri hilson. it’s cute & a throwback

49: Have you ever broken someone's heart?

doubt it

50: If you're single, why do you think you are?

lack of proximity to available people that i’m compatible with, the fact that i have standards

51: Would you rather date someone who's rich but a douchebag or someone who's poor but a nice guy?

poor & nice... no shit sherlock

52: Are you good at giving other people advices regarding dating/ relationships?

all dating advice is a shout into the void. i dnt bother

53: Are you jealous of couples when you're single?

i think exposure to that kind of stuff hits on a very real insecurity that stems from a rly long pattern of being mistreated in my romantic endeavors, but it’s not jealousy lmfao it’s something much more insidious than that... like i feel like im being taunted for having extremely severe emotional trauma related to that and it’s rly not a can of worms i want to open

54: How important is it to make a relationship official (p.e. on Facebook)?

it’s not like important-important, but suffice to say, i would be suspicious of someone who was vehemently against it

55: Would you consider yourself "clingy", "overly attached" or "jealous"?

i’m trying to learn there’s nothing shameful abt being attached to the people you care abt, so yes & no

56: Have you ever "destroyed" a relationship?

yeah but i dnt feel particularly bad abt it either

57: Do you think it's silly to consider suicide because of a broken heart?

when you’re suicidal you dnt care much for what is or isnt silly, let’s be real

58: Are you the "dominant" or the "submissive" part in a relationship?

ideally my relationships dnt have a dynamic like that

59: Have you ever forgotten important dates like your partner's birthday or your anniversary?

i have a weird fixation on dates and remember significant ones from, like, 10 years ago. february 9th 2009 was a big one, actually. so no i generally dnt forget dates unless i didnt commit them to memory in the first place

60: What's your opinion on open relationships?

stupid

61: Who's more important: Your partner or your family?

my family isnt important to me

62: How do you define "cheating"?

doing anything #physical with someone other than yr partner, or like, carrying out any sort of emotional relationship w someone you aren’t dating (like you’re telling someone else that you love them & wanna get w them or whatever)... some of it is rly cut n dry but other times its very, well, grey

63: Is watching porn while being in a relationship inappropriate?

i mean it’s not but like... holy shit dude you’re not 15 anymore.

64: Do you think Valentine's Day is overrated?

who dznt?

65: Would you consider yourself a "cuddler"?

probably. who knows. i cant believe answering this ate up almost a whole hour

[thisdaynews]

A smear campaign, witness intimidation and a gutted State Dept.: What we learned in Friday’s hearing

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/a-smear-campaign-witness-intimidation-and-a-gutted-state-dept-what-we-learned-in-fridays-hearing/

A smear campaign, witness intimidation and a gutted State Dept.: What we learned in Friday’s hearing

It was one of the most striking moments in a day of bombshell testimony.

Read below for more highlights.

Republicans hold their fire on Yovanovitch

Republicans seemed to decide fairly quickly that attacking Yovanovitch was not a smart strategy. Several praised her instead, though at least one threw in a startling insinuation.

Rep. Elise Stefanik made sure to praise Yovanovitch’s service in Mogadishu after President Donald Trump implied on Twitter that Yovanovitch’s long-ago stint in Somalia may have contributed to that country’s chaos.

Along the way, the Republicans stressed that although Yovanovitch was recalled as an ambassador, she wasn’t fired from the Foreign Service. She’s now teaching at Georgetown and still on the State Department’s payroll.

Rep. Mike Conaway, though, took an unusual tack. He noted the praise many of Yovanovitch’s colleagues have offered her, including George Kent, a top State Department official who testified earlier in the impeachment inquiry.

“Any reason on Earth that you can think of that George Kent would be saying that because of some reason other than the fact that he believes that in his heart of hearts?” Conaway asked.

“Like what?” Yovanovitch asked.

“Well, I mean, like somebody paid him to do it,” Conaway said.

“No. Absolutely not,” a surprised Yovanovitch replied.

Yovanovitch pushes back on ‘adversarial’ relationship with prosecutor

Yovanovitch pushed back on GOP counsel Steve Castor’s depiction of her relationship with Ukrainian prosecutor Yuriy Lutsenko as “adversarial.” But she noted that he ignored entreaties from the U.S. to prosecute the corruption cases that he’d promised to pursue when he took office, which was likely a reason that he had “animus” toward her and the U.S. embassy.

“When I say adversarial, that’s a really strong word,” she said.

“We at the US embassy — and visiting key people from the State Department and other agencies — we were pushing Ukrainians, including Lutsenko, to do what they said what they were going to do when Mr. Lutsenko entered office. That he was going to clean up the PGO [Prosecutor General’s Office] and make reforms, that he was going to bring justice to the Heavenly Hundred, the people who died on the Maidan in 2014, the Revolution of Dignity, and he was going to prosecute cases to repatriate the approximately $40 billion it is believed [former] President Yanukovych and his cronies fled the country with.

And he didn’t do any of that. We kept encouraging him to do the right thing, that’s what the Ukrainian people wanted him to do.”

Hillary Clinton and Ken Starr slam Trump’s Twitter attack

Democratic members savaged Trump for his real-time Twitter salvo against Yovanovitch, while most Republican lawmakers defended the president to reporters.

Several high-profile political figures also weighed in on social media and cable news, including Trump’s rival in the 2016 general election and a key player in the most recent presidential impeachment process two decades ago.

“Witness intimidation is a crime, no matter who does it. Full stop,” Hillary Clinton wrote on Twitter.

Former independent counsel Ken Starr similarly criticized Trump’s attack but said he didn’t think it constituted witness intimidation. “Well, I must say that the president was not advised by counsel in deciding to do this tweet. Extraordinarily poor judgment,” he told Fox News.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the No. 2 Democrat in the chamber, also accused Trump of witness intimidation. And he chastised his Republican colleagues for attempting to downplay the gravity of Trump’s tweets.

“Every Member of Congress ought to be standing up to the President’s attacks and witness intimidation,” he wrote on Twitter. “It is wrong and dangerous.”

White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said the tweet was simply the president’s opinion, “which he is entitled to.”

“The tweet was not witness intimidation,” she said.

‘I did’ feel threatened and ‘devastated’ by Trump’s comments

Asked what her reaction was when she read the record of Trump’s July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Yovanovitch testified that she was “shocked, absolutely shocked, and devastated, frankly.”

“I was shocked and devastated that I would feature in a phone call between two heads of state in such a manner, where President Trump said I was ‘bad news’ to another world leader, and that I would ‘be going through some things.’ It was a terrible moment. A person who saw me reading the transcript said the color drained from my face. Even now, words kind of fail me.”

Yovanovitch repeated what she said in her closed-door deposition about feeling threatened by Trump’s comment that she would be “going through some things.”

“I didn’t know what to think but I was very concerned,” Yovanovitch said. “It didn’t sound good. It sounded like a threat. I did [feel threatened].”

Yovanovitch gets candid about her firing

Yovanovitch did not minimize the disappointment she felt about being recalled as ambassador to Ukraine earlier this year, saying her dismissal without cause was “a terrible thing to hear.”

“I mean, after 33 years of service to our country it was terrible. It’s not the way I wanted my career to end,” she said of the sudden call she received urging her to get on the next flight out of Ukraine.

She added that at the time, she argued to deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan that her removal, which came after a public smear campaign by Trump allies, would set a dangerous precedent for the department and agreed with the Democratic counsel questioning her that she’d never before heard of an ambassador being recalled based on allegations State knew were false.

Nunes calls Yovanovitch’s ouster an HR issue

When the hearing resumed after a break, Republican Devin Nunes tried to portray Yovanovitch’s testimony as, essentially, irrelevant.

Nunes peppered the diplomat with questions about whether she was involved with the infamous July 25 call between Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, the hold on U.S. military aid and other events that post-dated her time in Ukraine.

After she said “no” to his series of questions, Nunes said he didn’t understand why Yovanovitch was testifying in the inquiry. Her early recall from her ambassadorship seemed to be an employment dispute, one better relegated to a “human resources subcommittee,” Nunes said.

No statement of support from Pompeo

Yovanovitch appeared to call out Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for not agreeing to issue a statement of support for her after Donald Trump Jr. tweeted in March about removing “joker” ambassadors like her from their positions.

Yovanovitch testified that over the weekend of March 22, after the Trump Jr. tweet, she made it clear to State Department leadership that in light of the comments from the president’s son, “it would be very hard to continue in my position and have authority in Ukraine” if they didn’t publicly support her.

“So over the weekend of March 22, there was a lot of discussion on email among a number of people about what could be done,” she said. “The Under Secretary for Political Affairs [David Hale] called me on Sunday, and I said, ‘it’s very important that the secretary himself come out and be supportive, because otherwise it’s hard for me to be the kind of representative you need here. He said he’d talk to the secretary.”

But Yovanovitch was told later that “there was a concern” by the secretary and his advisers that if a statement was issued “it could be undermined” by Trump. “That the president might issue a tweet contradicting that or something to that effect,” she said.

Diplomats rallying around Yovanovitch

U.S. diplomats are rallying support for Yovanovitch as she testifies in the impeachment hearings and faces a real-time Twitter attack from Trump.

Using hashtags such as #FSProud and #GoMasha, retired and current members of the Foreign Service are showing solidarity with a colleague many believe was unfairly smeared and yanked from her ambassadorship in Ukraine.

“Having worked with so many incredibility talented Foreign Service members, I will forever be #FSProud– of their professionalism, their patriotism, their commitment to service, and critically, of the conviction they bring to the very human endeavor of diplomacy,” tweeted Samantha Power, who served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in the Obama administration.

Among those pushing the online campaign is the American Foreign Service Association, the diplomats’ union. AFSA is also requesting donations to a legal fund set up for diplomats having to testify in the impeachment hearings.

Putin would try to ‘throw off the scent’ by blaming Ukraine

In their July 25 call, Trump asked Zelensky for a “favor” — to “get to the bottom of” Ukraine’s alleged interference in the 2016 election. Asked whether she was familiar with the allegations that Ukraine interfered in 2016, Yovanovitch testified that while she had heard “rumors,” she had never gotten “hard” evidence to support the claims.

“The U.S. intelligence community has concluded that Russia interfered,” she said.

Daniel Goldman, Intelligence Committee’s director of investigations, then asked whether she was aware that during a joint press conference in February 2017 with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Putin himself “promoted the theory” of Ukrainian meddling in 2016.

Yovanovitch said she couldn’t recall whether she was aware of it at the time, but said Putin, a former KGB officer, must’ve known about U.S. concerns over Russia’s interference then and in the future—and that it’s “classic for an intelligence officer to try to throw off the scent and create an alternative narrative that might get picked up and get some credence.”

‘The attacks against me are dangerously wrong’

In her opening remarks at Friday’s hearing, Yovanovitch outlined her 33 years of diplomatic experience, emphasized the importance of U.S. support for Ukraine in the face of continued Russian aggression, and asked how it is possible that corrupt Ukrainians “found Americans willing to partner with them and, working together, they apparently succeeded in orchestrating the removal of a U.S. Ambassador.”

Yovanovitch was recalled from Kyiv early amid a smear campaign waged by Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani and his allies accusing her of disloyalty to the White House and of attempting to interfere in Ukraine’s justice system—accusations Yovanovitch and other witnesses have attributed to her anti-corruption work, which may have stymied certain Trump allies’ business interests.

“The allegation that I disseminated a ‘do not prosecute list’ is a fabrication,” Yovanovitch testified, referring to an accusation leveled against her by former Ukrainian prosecutor Yuriy Lutsenko.

“I do not understand Mr. Giuliani’s motives for attacking me, nor can I offer an opinion on whether he believed the allegations he spread about me,” she said. “Clearly, no one at the State Department did. What I can say is that Mr. Giuliani should have known those claims were suspect, coming as they reportedly did from individuals with questionable motives and with reason to believe that their political and financial ambitions would be stymied by our anti-corruption policy in Ukraine.”

Warning of the ramifications of her removal, and how “shady interests the world over have learned how little it takes to remove an American Ambassador who does not give them what they want,” Yovanovitch also dinged the State Department’s leadership, lamenting their unwillingness to state publicly “that the attacks against me are dangerously wrong.” Several State Department witnesses have testified that they pushed for a public statement of support for Yovanovitch after her removal, but that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo never signed off on it.

Recalled in the middle of an anti-corruption event

In a revealing anecdote, Yovanovitch testified that she was recalled from her posting on April 24, three days after Trump’s first call with Zelensky, while in the middle of hosting an event honoring an anti-corruption activist in Ukraine.

“She died because she was attacked by acid and died a painful death,” Yovanovitch said of the anti-corruption activist Kateryna Handziuk, who died in November. “We thought it was important that justice be done, for her and for others who fight corruption in Ukraine. It’s not a tabletop exercise there, lives are in the balance. So we wanted to bring attention to this, and we gave her father that [Woman of Courage] award.”

Around 8 p.m., the director general of the State Department, Carol Perez, called Yovanovitch and told her there may be issues with her remaining in her role. At 1 a.m., Perez called again, Yovanovitch testified, and said “there were great concerns” about her at the White House and that “I needed to come home immediately and get on the next plane.”

GOP lawmakers spar with Schiff

Following opening statements by the top Democrat and Republican on the Intelligence committee — and just before Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff was set to swear in Yovanovitch — a brief procedural scuffle broke out between the panel’s chairman and minority members.

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) interjected with a point of order, asking Schiff whether he would “continue to prohibit witnesses from answering Republican questions” and accusing him of blocking GOP lines of inquiry during both closed-door depositions and at the first impeachment hearing Wednesday.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) also jumped into the fray, demanding that Schiff make public some deposition transcripts by impeachment witnesses that have not yet been released.

The jousting came to an end when Schiff offered a backhanded show of gratitude to Trump for turning over the readout of an April call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “While we’re grateful he has released a single document, he has nonetheless obstructed witnesses and their testimony and the production of thousands and thousands of other records,” he said.

Nunes reads summary of Trump’s first call with Zelensky

Just as the hearing was about to start, the White House released the call memo detailing Trump’s April 21 call with Ukraine’s president-elect at the time, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Devin Nunes took advantage. The ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee read the entire summary aloud as part of his opening statement on Friday.

The call appeared fairly anodyne, at least compared to Trump’s July 25 conversation with Zelensky, in which he repeatedly asked the Ukrainian to investigate one of his political rivals, former Vice President Joe Biden.

And that’s probably why Nunes wanted to put it all on the record, to spread the idea that Trump didn’t have ill-intentions in dealing with the Ukrainians.

[ Read the summary of the call.]

Schiff seeks to cut down GOP attack lines

In his opening remarks at the outset of Friday’s hearing, Schiff touted the witness’ diplomatic credentials, citing Yovanovitch’s more than three-decade tenure in the Foreign Service and widely respected work combating bureaucratic corruption abroad.

Schiff also sought to rebut two chief arguments Republican members of his panel have employed ahead of Yovanovitch’s testimony: that the president was within his rights to remove her from her post in Kyiv, and that she could not speak to Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukraine for an investigation of the Bidens.

While the chairman acknowledged that U.S. envoys “serve at the pleasure of the president,” he said the question before the committee “is not whether Donald Trump could recall an American ambassador with a stellar reputation for fighting corruption in Ukraine, but why would he want to?”

Schiff also asserted that Yovanovitch’s ouster “helped set [the] stage for an irregular channel that could pursue the two investigations that mattered so much to the president,” adding that the ambassador “was considered an obstacle to the furtherance of the president’s personal and political agenda.”

Read More

[katiezstorey93]

Millennials are Not all Horrible, society has detested young Individuals for centuries

“Young folks no longer honor their parents,” the author lamented. “They’re rude and impatient. They often inhabit taverns and have no self control.” Not the letters page of last week’s Mail on Sunday, even though a similar opinion could well have been expressed there, but an inscription to a 6000-year-old Egyptian tomb.

The so called ‘youth of today’ have, in short, been getting it in the neck from their elders for centuries. Plato wasn’t a huge lover –“Their morals are sterile. What’s to become of these?” — and the inter-generational castigation has lasted ever since.

This week, yet another wealthy elderly guy weighed in with his own contribution to the annals of older folks passing judgement on the youthful. Only this moment, the cost is that they are too boring.

Twenty years later David Cameron hugged a hoodie — a period when papers were full of ASBOs and high-pitched ‘mosquito’ alarms perceptible only to the seemingly delinquent under-25s –Simon Callow, 68, has hailed young folks because of not partaking in enough booze and gender. Telephone it ephebiphobia — fear of childhood — or phone it moaning. Either way, the ‘youth of today’ can be forgiven for believing that they can’t win.

‘What is happening with millennials?’

“Their morals are sterile. What’s to become of these?”

Plato on young folks

“What is happening with ?” The Four Weddings and a Funeral star requested in a Radio Times interview, even employing the expression given to the first generation to come of age in the new millennium (about, depending on whose definition you take, those born in the early 1980s into mid-nineties).

“They remind me of everything Field Marshal Montgomery said to Churchill: ‘I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, so I eat reasonably. I’m observing my 80th birthday.’ And Churchill said, ‘How? ”’

Callow, whose husband is 33 years younger than him added: “Statistics state millennials don’t have really much sex , either.”

The charge sheet against Millennials was already lengthy. They’re “The Dumbest Generation,” based on some high profile publication of that title, which factors into social websites, computers and telephones, and the then notable effect of peers instead of experienced elderly folks. They’re the selfie creation; Generation Me; entitled and untrue. And that is before you even begin on the Snowflakes — our youngest adults, following on from Millennials and incorporating an allegedly thin-skinned propensity to offence into the combination.

Read more:

Old folks: Let us stop ruining Glastonbury for the Youthful

So thin-skinned, seemingly, that the decision this week using a Canterbury grammar college to prepare an “dangerous space” where pupils can experience “beautifully troubled and upsetting thoughts” free from the limitations of political correctness, was held up as something of a radical improvement.

Those who criticise have regularly found a sympathetic audience. Once an American English instructor, David McCullough Jr, delivered a graduation address to his pupils at Wellesley High in 2012 where he advised his students: “You aren’t particular,” the video went viral and now has three million viewpoints on YouTube.

Mr McCullough, describing the cultural “outbreak” that puts accolades and decorations — something to pose with — before actual accomplishment, informed the listening teens: “Astrophysicists assure us that the universe has no centre and so you cannot be it.”

He urged them to “scale the mountain so that you’re able to see the entire world, not so that the planet can see you.”

‘Only thinking of themselves’

Nevertheless, it was ever thus. “The young people of today think about nothing but” Peter the Hermit is reputed to have said, back when Crusading had been the national pastime. “They have no reverence for parents or old age. They are impatient of all restraint … As for the girls, they are ahead, immodest and unladylike in language, behaviour and dress.”

It hadn’t got much improved by 1816, according to The Times. In the summer of that year, it reacted with horror to the introduction of an “indecent overseas dance” called the Waltz at a ball given by the Prince Regent, which involved “voluptuous intertwining of the limbs”. “We believe it a duty to warn every parent against exposing his daughter to so deadly a contagion.”

Our ‘Greatest Generation’, who fought off Hitler, weren’t immune; teens who saw the amorous silver liner to spending their evenings in Blitz shelters faced the anger of a Southwark custody officer who spluttered into the courtroom in November 1940 about “children in their teens, of mixed genders, which makes up their beds together on the flooring of public shelters, even beneath their parents’ eyes.”

“The thing about being old is that you have been youthful, so a) you have done more and more b) you are comparing the youthful to your self and they are never going to pile up.”

Harry Mount, editor of Oldie

Some of the ‘youngsters’ in turn will have tutted at the Swinging Sixties as they matured, so it moves on. Possibly the only real thing about Callow’s comments is that he would love to find out, as ‘intertwining of limbs’.

To get Harry Mount, editor of the Oldie magazine, that this well-worn “griping” by elderly people is to some extent “completely natural”. “The thing about being old is that you have been youthful, so a) you have done more and more b) you are comparing the youthful to your self and they are never going to pile up,” that the 46-year-old says. Yet it is also “the wrong mindset”.

“It is quite often disappointed, angry old men — and I don’t believe Callow is one of them actually — who state ‘the young aren’t as colorful as I had been’ and it isn’t, as Cicero said back in the first century BC, as they are old but because they are grumpy and covetous. Actually there are loads of old folks who are enthusiastic and curious and lively. It is a mindset thing instead of something.”

‘If you can’t find wild at university, when will you?’

For Mr Mount, however, there’s a fact in Callow’s diagnosis about today’s youth. “I am not attacking the youthful or saying that they ought to get drunk the entire time, but in the event you can’t get a little wild like at university when can you? When the young are more accountable I suspect there are good reasons for this and it is partly to do with how difficult it is to get in Britain now.”

On that hand, he also shares some frequent ground with Robbie Young, Vice-President of the National Union of Students. “We hear a lot of negative stories about pupils and young folks,” he says. “The familiar fear that consumes the older generations about how lazy or boring we’re.”

“Young folks are more likely to volunteer or to become involved in social campaigns via protests and internet petitions, and put more emphasis on moral concerns in regards to where they store or at which they operate.”

Rhodri Davies, head of Charities Aid Foundation’s think tank Giving Thought

Yet the fact, he argues, is that young people have much to praise them. “Though nearly half people are filled up with significant student debt we have high aspirations and are taking the digital industries by storm, starting our own companies and mastering new skills. We’re more aware of social issues and far from being the snowflakes so many brand us we speak up, react to injustices and struggle for a better society.”

His claims are supported by Rhodri Davies, head of Charities Aid Foundation’s think tank Giving Thought, who says that on a few steps at least, our allegedly self-centred young folks are more civic minded than their predecessors: “Our latest annual UK Giving report demonstrates that while younger people may devote extra money to charity — presumably because they have less disposable income — they even compensate for it in different ways. They’re more likely to volunteer or to become involved in social campaigns via protests and internet petitions, and put more emphasis on moral concerns in regards to where they store or at which they operate.”

Perhaps it is not Plato, or Callow, to whom we ought to be paying heed but G.K. Chesterton. “I believe what really happens in history is this: that the old man is obviously wrong; and the young men and women are almost always wrong about what’s wrong with him” he wrote. “The practical form it takes is this: that, while the old man may stand by some stupid custom, the young man always attacks it with some theory that turns out to be equally stupid.”

from network 8 http://www.nsorchidsociety.com/millennials-are-not-all-horrible-society-has-detested-young-individuals-for-centuries/

[alhirschfeld]

5 MAJOR Reasons Millennial Leaders Fail (and what to do about it)

Statistics show that the leadership crisis is real—so real, in fact, that nearly 50% of recently-promoted managers fail in the first eighteen months of employment (source: Leadership IQ). Worse yet, this failure rate is expected to be higher, some say as high as 75%. According to a report by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, our outplacement partners based in Chicago, there have been 1,107 CEO departures so far this year.

So, what’s wrong? Why is leadership in serious trouble? And an even bigger question, what can we do to improve our efforts for our leaders of tomorrow?

For starters, let’s go over the new generation of executives that is taking over. They are known as Generation Y. Echo Boomers. Gen Next. Peter Pan Generation. Whatever you want to call Millennials—the group of people born between about 1980 and 2000—this much is true: more than two million of them are stepping into first-time leadership roles each year in the United States alone (source: The Ken Blanchard Companies).

Each generation brings its own perspective and set of traits. According to Deloitte’s third annual Millennial Survey, the Millennial generation is the savviest, most-educated generation in history. And they are set for record-breaking success.

Exhibit A:

33-year-old Mark Zuckerberg (Co-founder and CEO of Facebook)

36-year-old Brian Chesky (CEO of Airbnb)

26-year-old Rebecca Garcia (Co-founder of CoderDojo NYC)

27-year-old Evan Spiegel (Co-founder and CEO of Snapchat)

31-year-old Sean Rad (Co-founder of Tinder)

33-year-old Elizabeth Holmes (Founder and CEO of Theranos).

The road to success isn’t magic, though; it is notoriously challenging and paved with failure. Great leaders fail too—even the most experienced fall, and none have started out on top.

Warren Buffet bagged groceries. Walt Disney was an ambulance driver. Michael Dell washed dishes.

Case in point: there’s no elevator to success. And when the stairs or the ladder breaks from under you, how will you rise?

With the young and hungry Millennials stepping into executive positions, let’s look at the 5 major reasons Millennial leaders fail (and what to do about it).

1.-They haven’t been groomed for management

Great leaders don’t sprout on trees, do they? You might have a fancy C-level title, a corner office with a view, and the power to make important company decisions, but being in charge doesn’t make you a leader.

While 78% of Millennials feel like leaders now (source: The Hartford), they are aware that they need training and development to be effective leaders in the workplace.

What to do about it: Consider coming up with a leadership plan of action. If you can’t offer training, provide Millennials with ideas (and funding if possible) for training resources, such as webinars, courses, books, and blogs. Here’s another idea: what if, instead of telling them what to do, we challenge them to make differences?

2.-They speak more than they listen

Millennials are bright, well educated, and experts when it comes to many forms of technology. This can be their downfall. Wise leaders understand that they don’t have all the answers, that they can’t do it alone.

What to do about it: Millennial leaders should constantly seek out new opportunities and new relationships that will help them grow as a leader and as a person. Be open to ideas and ask more questions than you deliver answers or opinions to. Ask yourself, “How can I improve?” If you are not asking that question, you’ll never succeed. Have a slice of humble pie.

3.-They don’t have support

Leadership isn’t all rainbows and glitter; it can be an extremely lonely place. Leaders are always balancing constant demand and pressure. And there are always risks involved. That’s just the nature of the beast. But just because someone is high up in a company doesn’t mean they don’t need 1 on 1s. If Millennial leaders don’t have support, they will struggle.

What to do about it: Millennial leaders should have a coach or a mentor who will take interest in their success, someone who will guide them, support them, and give them room to explore new ideas and solutions without bossing them around. For all the talk of entitled Millennials, they actually like constructive advice. Involve them in business discussions, coach them to become better, and they will absolutely become better.

4.-They don’t stay on course

Everyone wants results, but not everyone wants to put the proper energy, effort, and planning needed to make it happen.

Newly-promoted, or hired, Millennial leaders need to deliver results yesterday—which can be a good thing, when you belong to an impatient generation, especially when it comes to your career. But when push comes to shove and goals aren’t being met, Millennial leaders can be distracted by the complexity of leadership. The body and mind will always try to pull you to revert to comfort zones. This is where discipline comes in.

What to do about it: Trust your purpose and plan. Don’t scrap it because it’s difficult. Focus. Prioritize. Keep the main thing the main thing. Get that annual budget in today. Complete risk analysis on potential investments. Review reports to come up with solutions or improvements. This is the main thing. Keep the main thing the main thing. Discipline yourself. Your future self will thank you when you are successful.

Millennials already face the stigma of their generation. As a Millennial leader, you will be confronted by scrutiny, resistance, distrust, and skepticism. It can become very easy to give up on yourself or give into the pressure. Believe in everything you do. People will doubt you. Prove them wrong.

5.-They don’t practice self-leadership

If you’ve been on an airplane before, you know that the flight attendant will always tell you to put your mask on before helping others if the cabin loses pressure.

Well, the same applies to leadership. Millennial leaders need room to practice self-leadership and make sense of their experiences. And they’re not going to be their own leaders if they’re not taking a step back to get a good, deep look at their own beliefs, assumptions, behaviors, and expectations.

What to do about it: Lead yourself first! The Millennial leader must not only know and understand their job but themselves. Simple reason: how can you “walk your talk” if you don’t know what the talk should be? How can you “lead by example” if you don’t know what example you’re trying to set? And more than that, if you’re not an example yourself, how do you expect others to follow? As the Greeks said, “know thyself.”

The point to take away is that this isn’t a time to sit back and wait for events to unfold. As Baby Boomers retire in increasing droves, we need to take steps immediately to better train our young Millennial leaders for their first roles. We can either look at the old days and the old ways, or we can support this new breed of leaders and start preparing them. Done well, they will be ready to surpass the successes of the past and lead the world to even greater heights.

By Fernando Ortiz-Barbachano

CEO & Founder of Barbachano International (BIP) the Human Capital Solutions leader in Mexico, Latin America and the USA offering high-impact executive search, executive coaching and outplacement. Directly and through our partners, we have offices in Mexico, USA, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, and Ecuador. Corporate offices are in San Diego, California. barbachano@bipsearch.com. Phone: 619-427-2310.

Let us show you what our unparalleled expertise can do for you.

The post 5 MAJOR Reasons Millennial Leaders Fail (and what to do about it) appeared first on Barbachano International (BIP).

from Barbachano International (BIP) https://bipsearch.com/news/5-major-reasons-millennial-leaders-fail/

[fit2fight4life]

5 MAJOR Reasons Millennial Leaders Fail (and what to do about it)

Statistics show that the leadership crisis is real—so real, in fact, that nearly 50% of recently-promoted managers fail in the first eighteen months of employment (source: Leadership IQ). Worse yet, this failure rate is expected to be higher, some say as high as 75%. According to a report by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, our outplacement partners based in Chicago, there have been 1,107 CEO departures so far this year.

So, what’s wrong? Why is leadership in serious trouble? And an even bigger question, what can we do to improve our efforts for our leaders of tomorrow?

For starters, let’s go over the new generation of executives that is taking over. They are known as Generation Y. Echo Boomers. Gen Next. Peter Pan Generation. Whatever you want to call Millennials—the group of people born between about 1980 and 2000—this much is true: more than two million of them are stepping into first-time leadership roles each year in the United States alone (source: The Ken Blanchard Companies).

Each generation brings its own perspective and set of traits. According to Deloitte’s third annual Millennial Survey, the Millennial generation is the savviest, most-educated generation in history. And they are set for record-breaking success.

Exhibit A:

33-year-old Mark Zuckerberg (Co-founder and CEO of Facebook)

36-year-old Brian Chesky (CEO of Airbnb)

26-year-old Rebecca Garcia (Co-founder of CoderDojo NYC)

27-year-old Evan Spiegel (Co-founder and CEO of Snapchat)

31-year-old Sean Rad (Co-founder of Tinder)

33-year-old Elizabeth Holmes (Founder and CEO of Theranos).

The road to success isn’t magic, though; it is notoriously challenging and paved with failure. Great leaders fail too—even the most experienced fall, and none have started out on top.

Warren Buffet bagged groceries. Walt Disney was an ambulance driver. Michael Dell washed dishes.

Case in point: there’s no elevator to success. And when the stairs or the ladder breaks from under you, how will you rise?

With the young and hungry Millennials stepping into executive positions, let’s look at the 5 major reasons Millennial leaders fail (and what to do about it).

1.-They haven’t been groomed for management

Great leaders don’t sprout on trees, do they? You might have a fancy C-level title, a corner office with a view, and the power to make important company decisions, but being in charge doesn’t make you a leader.

While 78% of Millennials feel like leaders now (source: The Hartford), they are aware that they need training and development to be effective leaders in the workplace.

What to do about it: Consider coming up with a leadership plan of action. If you can’t offer training, provide Millennials with ideas (and funding if possible) for training resources, such as webinars, courses, books, and blogs. Here’s another idea: what if, instead of telling them what to do, we challenge them to make differences?

2.-They speak more than they listen

Millennials are bright, well educated, and experts when it comes to many forms of technology. This can be their downfall. Wise leaders understand that they don’t have all the answers, that they can’t do it alone.

What to do about it: Millennial leaders should constantly seek out new opportunities and new relationships that will help them grow as a leader and as a person. Be open to ideas and ask more questions than you deliver answers or opinions to. Ask yourself, “How can I improve?” If you are not asking that question, you’ll never succeed. Have a slice of humble pie.

3.-They don’t have support

Leadership isn’t all rainbows and glitter; it can be an extremely lonely place. Leaders are always balancing constant demand and pressure. And there are always risks involved. That’s just the nature of the beast. But just because someone is high up in a company doesn’t mean they don’t need 1 on 1s. If Millennial leaders don’t have support, they will struggle.

What to do about it: Millennial leaders should have a coach or a mentor who will take interest in their success, someone who will guide them, support them, and give them room to explore new ideas and solutions without bossing them around. For all the talk of entitled Millennials, they actually like constructive advice. Involve them in business discussions, coach them to become better, and they will absolutely become better.

4.-They don’t stay on course

Everyone wants results, but not everyone wants to put the proper energy, effort, and planning needed to make it happen.

Newly-promoted, or hired, Millennial leaders need to deliver results yesterday—which can be a good thing, when you belong to an impatient generation, especially when it comes to your career. But when push comes to shove and goals aren’t being met, Millennial leaders can be distracted by the complexity of leadership. The body and mind will always try to pull you to revert to comfort zones. This is where discipline comes in.

What to do about it: Trust your purpose and plan. Don’t scrap it because it’s difficult. Focus. Prioritize. Keep the main thing the main thing. Get that annual budget in today. Complete risk analysis on potential investments. Review reports to come up with solutions or improvements. This is the main thing. Keep the main thing the main thing. Discipline yourself. Your future self will thank you when you are successful.

Millennials already face the stigma of their generation. As a Millennial leader, you will be confronted by scrutiny, resistance, distrust, and skepticism. It can become very easy to give up on yourself or give into the pressure. Believe in everything you do. People will doubt you. Prove them wrong.

5.-They don’t practice self-leadership

If you’ve been on an airplane before, you know that the flight attendant will always tell you to put your mask on before helping others if the cabin loses pressure.

Well, the same applies to leadership. Millennial leaders need room to practice self-leadership and make sense of their experiences. And they’re not going to be their own leaders if they’re not taking a step back to get a good, deep look at their own beliefs, assumptions, behaviors, and expectations.

What to do about it: Lead yourself first! The Millennial leader must not only know and understand their job but themselves. Simple reason: how can you “walk your talk” if you don’t know what the talk should be? How can you “lead by example” if you don’t know what example you’re trying to set? And more than that, if you’re not an example yourself, how do you expect others to follow? As the Greeks said, “know thyself.”

The point to take away is that this isn’t a time to sit back and wait for events to unfold. As Baby Boomers retire in increasing droves, we need to take steps immediately to better train our young Millennial leaders for their first roles. We can either look at the old days and the old ways, or we can support this new breed of leaders and start preparing them. Done well, they will be ready to surpass the successes of the past and lead the world to even greater heights.

By Fernando Ortiz-Barbachano

CEO & Founder of Barbachano International (BIP) the Human Capital Solutions leader in Mexico, Latin America and the USA offering high-impact executive search, executive coaching and outplacement. Directly and through our partners, we have offices in Mexico, USA, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, and Ecuador. Corporate offices are in San Diego, California. barbachano@bipsearch.com. Phone: 619-427-2310.

Let us show you what our unparalleled expertise can do for you.

The post 5 MAJOR Reasons Millennial Leaders Fail (and what to do about it) appeared first on Barbachano International (BIP).

source https://bipsearch.com/news/5-major-reasons-millennial-leaders-fail/ from BIP Search | Barbachano International http://bipsearch.blogspot.com/2017/10/5-major-reasons-millennial-leaders-fail.html