#Police Inspectors' Association

[tenth-sentence]

"It is a privilege to be associated with you in the handling of a case," said the inspector, warmly.

"The Illustrated Sherlock Holmes Treasury" - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

[inspectorspacetimerevisited]

I like that the programme has never been pigeonholed as a police procedural.

That gives the Inspector and his/her Associate(s) a wider array of solving whatever mystery they stumble upon.

[1tbls]

some rambling thoughts on shivers (red bolding mine throughout):

so shivers says this to harry after he has a dance-induced seizure in the church, right:

YOU - But who am *I*? Why are you talking to me?

SHIVERS - YOU ARE AN OFFICER OF THE CITIZENS MILITIA. *AGENTES IN REBUS*, WHEN YOU WEAR YOUR COAT, YOU WEAR MY SOUL.

SHIVERS - YOU MOVE THROUGH MY STREETS FREELY IN MOTOR CARRIAGES AND ON FOOT. YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE HIDDEN PLACES. YOU ALSO CIRCULATE AMONG THOSE WHO ARE HIDDEN.

here's wikipedia on "agentes in rebus":

"The agentes in rebus were the late Roman imperial and Byzantine courier service and general agents of the central government from the 4th to the 7th centuries."

"Being outside the control of the provincial governors, some agentes ... were appointed as inspectors ... for which they gained a reputation as a secret police force. As their routine assignments brought them into contact with matters of great concern to the court, and as they reported back to the court on everything they saw or heard on their varied missions, the agentes can be seen to have had an intelligence function ... This role, as well as their extraordinary power, made them feared: the 4th-century philosopher Libanius accused them of gross misconduct, terrorizing and extorting the provincials, "sheep-dogs who had joined the wolf pack". Nevertheless, the vast majority operated quite openly, and the claims of the agentes operating as a modern-day secret police are certainly exaggerated."

hey shivers. why are you invoking the RCM as your secret police, via a term not just associated with collection of information, but with corruption and manipulation of power.

and, if you fuck up the dance check and call kim a slur, she says:

"SHIVERS - BY THE WAY, APOLOGIZE TO YOUR PARTNER AT ONCE. UNITY AMONG THE RANKS IS PARAMOUNT."

which sticks out to me, because earlier we have this encyclopedia check with noid:

NOID - "A life is true if it's free from fear and internal division among oneself. And others -- mankind has seeds of greatness in it. A germinal will come, a return to trueness. It will be hard core."

YOU - "How would you go about *returning* to this true life?"

NOID - "Beats and bright lights to shatter falsehoods. Nerve impulses for the collective body. We are very much alike in basic structure. A hard enough beat would awaken everyone to a truer calling -- in unity!"

ENCYCLOPEDIA - Rejection of the right-left axis, emphasis on *unity*, appreciation of some primordial mode of being -- what does that remind you of?

YOU - "Sort of like fascism then?"

now, i don't think either noid or shivers are outright fascist :p but i do think the purpose of this encyclopedia line is to highlight how those criteria are flawed and damaging, how they are red flags, whatever the intention.

some comparisons:

1. return to trueness. le retour. the return of... what? in both cases, truly quite vague except for the idea of some dramatic upheaval of the current order, the idea of "returning" to some idealized past state or event.

2. nerve impulses. shivers. "appeal to nature" type fallacy, appeal to a baser instinct... invocation of physical reactions as metaphor for political reactionism, perhaps?

3. unity. on the surface, shivers telling harry to make things right with kim is touching, certainly. but specifically "unity among the ranks" is an interesting framing 🤨 as though the crucial thing is that their forces are not divided for what's to come, regardless of kim's feelings, regardless of harry's potential racism.

likewise, noid's call for unity addresses... nothing at all. simply that everyone would be awoken from their petty, false divisions into unity. neither this nor his criticisms of left vs. right acknowledge that the division is not equal, that one side in most social power conflicts is invested in stripping the rights of the other... because that is simply not on the radar when the priority is unity above all else. in its way, unity is authoritarian where it does not abide difference or dissent in the interest of the of the stasis/power of the institution.

this is all to say. hey. let's talk about the inherent nationalist nature of la revacholiere, my problematic wife ♥️

[cliozaur]

It’s always amusing to read fanfics where Javert rides a horse. Where does this idea come from? Is it inspired by the 2012 film? Hugo was quite clear in his reluctance to have any of his characters ride a horse. Myriel rides a donkey, and when horses are mentioned, they are usually working animals, falling and dying. Riding a horse was something associated with the higher classes. Even at the peak of his political career, Hugo himself did not own a horse. The only significant horse-riding scene is in the Waterloo digression. In Les Misérables, people don’t ride horses—they walk a lot, like Jean Valjean and Fantine crossing the countryside, or everyone else navigating Paris. They also use public transport or rent carriages. Javert is no exception—he’s just a modest police inspector, not entitled to ride a horse.

[genderkoolaid]

The Transgender Welfare Equity and Empowerment Trust (TWEET) Foundation, which runs Asra Shelter Home in Gurugram's DLF Phase 3, said that a police inspector from Uttar Pradesh barged into the shelter home wearing his uniform on 1 September at around 12:15 pm. Accompanying him were his wife, his elder son, and two unknown persons. The phones of Sehgal and Gomes were also snatched and they were not allowed to contact their lawyers or other officials associated with the non-governmental organisation (NGO). Put in the vehicle, the transmen were also beaten and "threatened," as they were asked to reveal the location of the police official's son. They were then taken to DLF Phase-3 police station and beaten there as well, TWEET alleged. They also said that the local police did not do anything to prevent the four men from thrashing the transmen.

[zoya-olenko]

Like a moth to a flame (Shine/OC)

Ok people, first time posting a fic so please be nice and forgive any mistakes (please remember Portuguese is my first language).

I blame totally @catz4ever for this idea after posting that picture above.

Cross posted on ao3.

Summary: Inspector Shine is obsessed on finding Edmund Reid, who is now a fugitive. He suspects someone is hiding him: his sister.

Notes: OC is Edmund Reid's sister and already acquainted with Shine. There is smut so minors, STAY AWAY. Feedback is appreciated!

There was a loud knock, or rather a loud bang at the front door of the house. The housekeeper rushed to answer it, opening as quickly as she could before a bunch of uniformed men from the local police station, led by Inspector Shine, rushed inside without even having permission to do so.

“Search every room in the house! He must be hiding here somewhere”, shouted Shine yo his goons.

Erin Reid walked down the stairs and met the Inspector in a calm manner. “You could tell me what you are looking for my dear Mister Shine, instead of causing all this havoc around my house.” She was quite aware of his intimidation tactics and would certainly not give in to them.

Shine chuckled, a smirk crossing his lips as he studied her up and down, measuring his opponent before giving a step forward into her direction and getting closer to her.

She did not blink or showed any change at that gesture. “Your dear brother Edmund is, as now, a fugitive as you might have known”.

She scoffed, shaking her head, “As if my brother would be so naive as to try to hide in here. Neither of us are that stupid, Jedediah,” she said his name slowly, knowing full well the effect it had on him, especially in the way it was said by her, like honey dripping from her lips.

For years, the two of them kept a flirtation going but nothing had come out of that, especially with her brother forbidding anything else between them but Shine had something about him that made her attracted to him, even knowing that was dangerous and she could not deny she felt an attraction, like a moth to a flame.

“There is no one down here sir. Maybe he is hiding upstairs? I think we should check, Inspector.”

Shine blocked the way, “I will look for him upstairs, you may all go back to the station.” When he said that, her hand grabbed the banister, knowing fully well what he had in mind, especially by the way he was staring at her lips, his breath shallow as he did so.

Her housekeeper locked the door and noticing the way he was close to her mistress walked towards her. Erin lifted her other hand, showing she was alright. “I am fine Mrs Harris, I know what I am dealing with.” The woman nodded and left, heading back to the kitchen at the back of the house.

Shine smirked again, moving his hand over hers and holding it against the banister, “Are you sure about that Miss Reid?”

If there was one thing she knew was how to deal with men like him. For a few years she had been working at an association aimed at helping abused women, and that is why she ended up in Whitechapel with her brother and friends with Susan Hart. Edmund had always tried to protect her from that place and the thugs around.

“May I lead the way, Mister Shine?” He nodded and allowed her to walk ahead of him, heading upstairs. “There are a few places around here where he might be hiding, where would you like to search first?” she asked him with a teasing tone.

Shine licked his lips, his voice rougher than usual, “I believe your bedroom would be the ideal place to start.”

She opened the door and he entered behind her, walking as if he owned the place. No other man had ever set foot in her room, not even her brother, let alone the one who was presently courting her, Inspector Abberline.

Shine closed the door and placed his cane against the wall then removed his long coat and tossed it over an armchair. Taking back the cane, he pushed it against her chest, pushing her so she would sit down on the bed.

“It seems he’s not here, such a shame. Well, you know me well by now Miss Reid, I am not a man who likes to leave empty handed.”

Would he dare hurt her to force his brother out of hiding? Edmund had indeed spent the night there but vanished before she woke up and she had no idea where he was now. She hated herself for already feeling something between her legs just by the fact that he was so damn close like that.

“Let me guess, you will force yourself on me in order to get revenge over my brother for the simple fact he humiliated you? If that’s the reason, you are wasting your time Jedediah because I am not afraid of you and I am quite curious to see how you would react if the woman you are making such a threat actually wants you to do it.”

For a moment, it seemed as if his brain had short circuited, clearly expecting her to resist his advances and not the other way around.

He dropped the cane and pulled her closer, grabbing her by her waist. “This is indeed going to be interesting, I can’t remember the last time I was in this role before.” He whispered those words against her ear, his bearded chin brushing against her neck, sending shivers all over her body.

Boldly, she looked into his eyes, “You don’t have to be gentle Jedediah, I’ve done this before.” He nibbled her earlobe, making her moan softly, “I wasn’t planning to Miss Reid.”

A long smirk crossed his lips and he crashed them against hers, not waiting for an invitation to have his tongue in a battle for dominance with hers. She cupped his face, moaning loudly as they kissed, his mouth tasting like a mix of cheap whisky and tobacco from his cigar. 

She was expecting him to rip her clothes apart and neglect her mouth but they’ve been playing that seduction game for quite some time in order for them not feeling at least something for each other. He could have taken her over his desk at the precinct easily enough if that was not the case.

They broke the kiss, both panting for a moment, “How are you doing this to me?” he asked her. “Just take me Jedediah.” The way his name left her lips was enough to drive him insane. He reached to the buttons of her dress, ripping them while revealing the corset she was wearing under it.

“Why do women have to wear such contraptions?” he asked while getting on his knees and took her shoes off while pulling the skirt of her dress down. She took off his vest, then his cravat, followed by his shirt, revealing the muscles on his chest. She had seen him shirtless before when she snuck out in one of his fights but it still amazed her how firm and fit he was.

He noticed her staring and lifted her chin with his finger, “Like what you see Miss Reid?” She nodded, placing both her hands over his chest, closing her eyes for a moment to feel them, “I like the sensation as well.” 

He pulled her body against his and she gasped at the hardness against her stomach, “What about this one then?” She moved her hand and palmed over the bulge in his trousers, “Very much indeed.”

He was tired of being nice so he turned her around and ripped her corset, making her gasp in surprise, wondering for a moment how he’s even managed to do that. She felt her breasts free and he pulled the long thin shirt she was still wearing, apart from her socks, over her head.

He sucked against her neck, his large hands grabbing her breasts as she felt her bare back against his hard cock. “I should throw you over that bed and have you on your knees while I fuck you but if I do that I won’t be able to see the look in your eyes while I do it. How do you feel about riding me instead? Would you like that?”

She was panting heavily, her head spinning, feeling her arousal already dripping down her thigh. “Are you actually giving me a choice here Jedediah? I was not expecting this from you to be honest.”

He let go of her for a moment as he undid his trousers, freeing his erection fully. “Turn around and see what’s waiting for you.” She did as he asked and swallowed hard at the sight in front of her. The tip of his cock was already dripping, touching his stomach, making her salivate

She had spent enough time around Long Susan’s brothel so she knew exactly what to do. She got on her knees and crawled towards him, getting a satisfied chuckle from him, “My my Miss Reid, aren’t you full of surprises?” 

“You have no idea,” she said when she reached him, moving her hands up his legs, feeling the strong muscles of his thighs. She shyly licked the base of his cock, her nose buried in the patch of dark hair there, getting a moan from him. She lifted her eyes and he grabbed her hair, guiding her through it, “Go on,” he said in a raspy voice encouraging her.

That was all she needed to hear before licking the full length of his cock, noticing carefully the sounds he made at each spot. She then licked the tip, tasting the salty pre-cum already there, before opening her mouth and letting it slide inside it, something that made him growl in pleasure and increase the grip over her hair. 

He began to move her head, encouraging her to continue what she was doing. She was surprised she wasn’t choking with his size but the tightness seemed to improve the pleasure he was feeling. She felt her saliva dripping down her chin and the sounds he was making increasing.

He suddenly stopped, “Don’t move,” he gasped and released her mouth, suddenly grabbing her and placing her over the bed, “It seems you are spending too much time in Susan’s house of business.”

It seemed he’s changed his mind about her riding him and instead slid between her legs, kissing her again, biting her lower lip, “You taste like me Miss Reid, what will your Fred do if he finds out?” She pulled him close, moaning again as she felt his hard cock against her stomach, “Fred is not that innocent, knowing him, he would like to watch us fucking like this.” She gently scratched his back as she moved her hands up and down, loving the deep sounds he was making as she touched him.

“This is your last chance, aren’t you going to tell me where he is?” She shook her head, “My guess is as good as yours Jedediah.” He groaned and spread her legs, holding his cock in his hand and giving it a few strokes before placing it in her entrance, “I can’t promise I’ll be gentle Miss Reid, you are so fucking wet for me. So hard to resist.”

She was panting heavily, her heart beating loudly against his chest, “Take me Jedediah,” she begged him. He closed his eyes and easily slid inside her, making them both moan and groan loudly. He placed his hands on each side of her head and began to move, “Fuck, so tight for me,” he gasped, burying his face against her neck as he began to move his hips, dragging out all sorts of sounds from her as he did it.

He pulled her legs around his hips, increasing the speed of his thrusts. She arched her back, cursing him over and over. His breathing became more and more shallow and with one final thrust, he came hard inside her, “Erin…….” he groaned, saying her name for the first time that night. She felt something as well, a tidal wave of pleasure, not sure if that was an orgasm or not but it made her legs feel weak as he collapsed on top of her. She reached for him, stroking the back of his head as he panted heavily against her neck.

She didn’t want to let him go but knowing him, he would soon get up and return to work as if nothing had happened. He moved, sliding from inside her and she could feel his seed dripping from inside her.

He got up, gathering his clothes and getting ready to leave. She pulled the sheets over her naked body, sighing. To her surprise, he sat down next to her, lowering his head and kissing her. “It seems the search wasn’t conclusive, I’m afraid I’ll have to return tonight and have a more detailed and thorough search if you won’t mind Miss Erin.”

She smiled and stroked his bearded cheek, “I won’t mind at all Inspector Shine.” He lowered his head and whispered in her ear, “Try to rest, I can’t promise I’ll be this gentle later tonight.” He kissed her one last time before getting up and left the room, having her hoping his brother was never found.

[101flavoursofweird]

The thing I love about Kat and Ernest’s relationship

Kat grew up not just in the shadow of her father, but her older sister (the Golden Apple, Professor Layton’s protege), her older brother (who became a police inspector), her uncle Luke (Layton’s apprentice), Emmy (Number One Assistant) and Desmond (Azran-expert Professor Sycamore), etc. etc… 

Basically Kat comes from a family of clever, cool, sophisticated, capable characters, and it would be so easy for her, as the youngest child, to feel overshadowed. (Not that her family would purposely make Kat feel like that! But it’s probably inevitable when your father is THE Professor Layton!)

It’s possible little Kat appeared in the papers alongside her father— if the Professor was even taking on new cases at that point… but any fame Kat did have would be in connection to her father. Then, Layton and Luke disappear when Kat is ten. Would the public even remember the name of Professor Layton’s youngest child? (How many archaeologists can you remember by name? Not fictional ones. Can you remember the names of their children?) 

By the time Kat opens her detective agency, at he age of 21, no one (outside of her family and close friends) seems to know who she is. You’d think people working at Scotland Yard would know  Kat— her older brother works there— but the average police office like Inspector Hastings doesn’t recognise Kat when she first turns up at his office. (As seen in Ernest’s flashback!) In fact, Hastings seems to resent her! 

When Madame Gretchin Doublée requests the assistance of a ‘Layton’, she expects the Professor himself to arrive at her house— but instead, she gets his young parvenu daughter. 

We see a similar incident in the first episode of the anime, when Simon Light turns up at the Layton Detective Agency, insisting he wants Professor Layton’s help… much to Kat’s irritation.

It’s safe to say that before she opened her detective agency, Kat was just a nondescript girl in the eyes of the general public.

Sherl is Kat’s first ‘client’ when she opens her detective agency, but before that… Kat helped a young man accused of theft at Gressenheller. 

Ernest is a complete stranger to Kat. When they first meet, the only obvious connection the two share is their association to Gressenheller. Ernest mentions that he often encounters bad luck (which, I suppose Kat could relate to with her family) but other than that, Ernest doesn’t recognise Kat or her last name. He claims he chose to attend Gressenheller because his favourite professor (Dr. Ohm) taught classes there— and I believe that. I don’t believe Ernest masterminded a whole plan where he would bump into Hershel Layton’s daughter and she would expose the dragons for him. (Though, this is a cool take and I’d love to read something like that!) Maybe Ernest started developing his plans to bring down the Seven Dragons— keeping his intentions hidden from Kat— when Kat was taking on cases from the Dragons… but his first meeting with Kat was complete coincidence.

The day they met, Kat’s sole pure intention wasn’t to help Ernest out of the goodness of her heart. She was on her way to the university anyway, so she let Ernest accompany her. She may have solved the case partly to boost her own reputation and to stick it to Hastings… but she was still kind was kind to Ernest and, in the end, she cleared his name. No wonder she left such an impression on him!

After that, Ernest decides to drop everything and dedicate himself to the girl who saved him. He pronounces himself Miss Layton’s assistant and seeks her out at her detective agency. Yes, Ernest can be a little obsessive and Kat tells Sherl she doesn’t need an assistant, but actually… she really could use an assistant. Ernest makes her tea. He solves puzzles with her. He reminds her to pay rent. He carries her bags for her. He compliments her outfits. He’s indulges Kat’s wild theories. He’s like her personal cheerleader.

Kat— the overlooked, youngest Layton— LOVES this. She loves having someone to hype her up. She loves how someone (outside of her family) finally recognises her worth. She loves having a friend, who would do anything for her. 

Yes, she would be hurt by Ernest’s deception, but she forgives him. When Ernest tries to resign as her assistant and leave her forever, did he really believe Kat would let him go, after the losses she had experienced in the past? (Her father, Luke, Alfendi in hospital…)

Nope. 

[black-rabbit-razumikhin]

Raz Reads Les Mis (XXIV)

Marius - The Noxious Poor

From the title alone, I think I need to re-look at my thoughts on the previous chapter

Marius is lovesick and misses Lanoire/Ursula/(Cosette?) and not even partying with his friends will help him

On a walk, he bumps into two girls, sending the letters they were carrying tumbling

He takes them and reads them, because they weren't sealed so obviously he can

Marius that's not how that works

All the letters are begging letters, signed with different names, but the same handwriting, paper and cadence

Which could just mean they're all transcribed by one person helping the illiterate

But the addresses of the benefactors aren’t on the letters either, so he doesn’t understand how to return them

Enter evening, enter eldest daughter of his neighbor, the Jondrettes

She is - honestly a bit of a force of nature, I like her more on paper than I would in real life

She proves that she can read and write and wants food - going so far as to eat moldy bread

She’s also the author of the letters

So there goes that scribe idea

She tells Marius how her family is always hungry (she’s also dressed in rags and is not looking the greatest) and the letters are for people that her family knows are rich in order to beg for help

She calls Marius a very pretty boy

From descriptions I can agree, but I need to warn her that his logic leaves much to be desired

Especially in chases of people he’s infatuated with

I know Marius gives her five francs and I know somehow Leblanc and Lanoire end up visiting the Jondrette family as one of their benefactors, but how we got from point a to point b I cannot remember

This was a long chapter, I should have made notes while I was reading

But we move on, Marius is peering through a gap in the upper part of the dividing wall that he didn’t know existed

And has also never heard anything through the paper-thin walls until it was imperative to the plot that he did

Not your best work, Hugo. But I’m invested so I’ll let it slide

Marius, upon knowing that Lanoire/Ursula/(Cosette) is right there!! right on the other side of the wall!! he can’t help but try follow her to her address

But he’s not dressed in his best clothes at the moment and the cab driver refuses him a lift unless he pays in advance

Marius has given most of his money away to the Jondrette daughter, he can’t pay, he can’t follow

Curse his charitable heart!

Why have Leblanc and Lanoire gone? Leblanc is getting Jondrette more money to pay his rent

But what’s this? A plot on the other side of the wall? A plot that Marius would have missed had he been able to follow the infatuation of his heart?

Jondrette wants to employ the bandits of Patron Minette to set up an ambush for Leblanc

And if Marius had followed them he would never have known, never have been able to take measures to protect his precious Ursula

Bless his charitable heart!

Immediately off to the police station we follow Marius, who wants to speak to the chief inspector, but he’s out so his associate will have to do

They devise a plan wherein Marius will pretend he’s gone out, but instead be very quietly hiding in his apartment, listening to the goings-on of the Jondrettes and their hired hands and the goings on of the ambush

Once these are set and an agreement culminates (which, as a lawyer, surely Marius will recognize) he will shoot a pistol shot into the roof of the apartment

That will be the sign for the police raid

So as long as Marius does exactly what is required of him, the Jondrettes and bandits will be apprehended and his precious Ursula will be safe

Obviously events don’t go like that because (1) this is Paris and (2) someone entrusted Marius with something important

The hour comes, everything is in place (it's only Leblanc, the girl has not come with this time) and a reveal is made

Jondrette recognizes Leblanc

And, what's more, Jondrette's real name is Thernadier

Leblanc, who has to be Valjean, is completely unphased

Marius, on the other hand, is shocked. So much so that he forgets his one job

Thernardier? The brave, bold Waterloo fighter who his father has told him to defend with his life? This is the Thernardier who has put the wellbeing of his crush in jeopardy? Has called an ambush on this man? The Thernardier upon whom Marius himself has set the police?

Marius is torn between his heart and the responsibility he is meant to uphold on his father's grave

Never a dull moment with this man, is there?

Thernardier says that Leblanc can keep his daughter, the Lark, but he wants 200 000 francs

A small sum for a pseudo-bourgeois such as Leblanc/Valjean, surely

I know this has to be Valjean, but I don't think Hugo has said so explicitly in this chapter

Overcoming his shock, Marius comes up with a plan in order to release his conscience from two bad decisions

The eldest daughter who visited him, Eponine (an amazing name, really, my favorite name so far), she left a writing sample

A writing sample that looks like code for a means of quick escape in this situation

He bundles up the sample and chucks it through the hole in the wall, everyone thinking it must have come from the window

There is a commotion

A lot happens in the commotion, and the whole scene is more suspenseful than the action I've seen in most blockbuster movies

The lack of coordination, the fact that everyone is trying to save their own skin but also nobody knows whose side anybody is on anymore

They end up deciding to draw lots to see what order they all get to leave

(Anyone remember where Valjean is in all this?)

And then

The best intro of this whole book

Who could it be but Javert (!!) who swaggers in to the door, takes his hat off his head and offers it out with a smile to let them draw lots from his hat

It shows how much I dislike Thernardier if seeing Javert made me happy

Or that was just an incredible entrance

Genuinely well done, man knows presentation

The Thernardiess tries to throw a whole paving stone at Javert, but she misses

Needless to say, Javert and the rest of the police are successful in capturing everyone save one man

And the rope ladder Valjean used to escape hasn't even had time to stop swinging yet

The chapter closes with a little boy looking for Thernardier

And only now as I've typed that have I realised that he's their neglected son from way back when

This was a long, long chapter to work through, but it all felt worth it. It was so exciting! I've condensed a lot of it or we'd be here all day, but that's Marius's book over? That was too short. I feel like there's so much more to be learned about his character that hasn't been covered yet. Also I won't be getting over that Javert reveal any time soon. That was exquisite.

[athena5898]

(RNN) —

According (https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/uk-police-raid-home-seize-devices-eis-asa-winstanley) to Electronic Intifada, "British counterterrorism police on Thursday raided the home and seized several electronic devices belonging to The Electronic Intifada’s associate editor Asa Winstanley. (https://electronicintifada.net/people/asa-winstanley) "Approximately 10 officers arrived at Winstanley’s North London home before 6 am and served the journalist with warrants and other papers authorizing them to search his house and vehicle for devices and documents." The police claimed that he was being investigated under the 2006 Terrorism Act, stating that the investigation was related to his social media (https://x.com/asawinstanley) posts. Asa was not charged, but his devices were seized. This is the latest in a series of repressive acts targeting pro-Palestinian voices, organizations, and individuals, especially those in support of the resistance (a right enshrined in international law), among the most recent of which being Samidoun's designation as a "terrorist entity," (https://ift.tt/Zw70BiY) the detention of journalists Richard Medhurst, (https://www.palestinechronicle.com/political-persecution-journalist-richard-medhurst-arrested-under-uk-terrorism-act/) Richard Lofreddo, (https://t.me/RNN_Prisoners/2305) and Scott Ritter, (https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/fbi-raids-home-of-ex-un-weapons-inspector-scott-ritter/3298680) Meta's restrictions (https://t.me/PalestineResist/60598) on the 🔻 emoji and the word "zionist", (https://t.me/PalestineResist/48117) NYU making "zionist" a protected trait, RNN's ban (https://t.me/PalestineResist/54275) in the EU, and many others. It is worth noting that the raid comes a few days after Asa's article: "How Israel killed hundreds of its own people on 7 October," (https://electronicintifada.net/content/how-israel-killed-hundreds-its-own-people-7-october/49216) discussing the zionists' use of the Hannibal Directive.

[bending-sickle]

i love how Chief Inspector Japp stands up for Poirot whenever people try to be dismissive of his detective friend

for example:

Japp: Poirot, this is Federal Agent Burt. May I introduce Hercule Poirot, the private detective, and his associate, Captain Hastings.

Poirot: [shaking Burt’s hand] The American crime buster.

Burt: Japp, I hope you are not so short of manpower, you're hiring a shamus... What are they good for? Chasing lost dogs. This is a matter of international security we're dealing with here.

Japp: [coldly] I have no intention of hiring anyone, Burt. And if you must know, Mr. Poirot here has an outstanding reputation.

Burt: Oh! [to Poirot, with a mock bow] A gumshoe…of distinction.

- “The Adventure of the Cheap Flat” (2x07)

and

Japp: He has his own methods, Sir Bernard.

Sir Bernard: I don’t want method, I want action.

Japp: I’ve never known him to fail yet.

and in the same episode

Japp: [on the phone] Well I couldn’t agree with you there, sir. [person on the phone replies] No, he’s not slow, he’s thorough. […]. [hangs up; to Poirot:] Guess who he was talking about.

Poirot: Modesty forbids, Chief Inspector.

- “The Kidnapped Prime Minister” (2x08)

but the best so far is this praise:

Japp: [giving a talk to an audience] The professional private detective, ladies and gentlemen, is not the glamorous figure of fiction. He is a man who, failing in more worthy walks of life and being of meddlesome and troublemaking disposition, finally comes to rest in a dingy office over the chip shop, where he plies for hire in the sordid world of petty crime and divorce.

[Poirot, spying in the wings, turns to leave, ashamed]

Japp: Except, I have to say, for one. I have been fortunate in my career, in that many - in fact most of my cases have been shared with the most extraordinary of private detectives and, if I may borrow a word from his own native tongue, that doyen of the Belgian police force, Monsieur Hercule Poirot. I think I may say without fear of contradiction that Hercule Poirot has one of the most original minds of the 20th century. Intelligent, brave, sensitive, devastatingly quick, Hercule Poirot stands head and shoulders above any other detective of my considerable experience

[Poirot smiles, pleased, and leaves]

- “Double Sin” (2x06)

[tieflingkisser]

Al Jazeera office raided as Israel takes channel off air

Israel's government has moved to shut down the operations of the Al Jazeera television network in the country, branding it a mouthpiece for Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the cabinet agreed to the closure while the war in Gaza is ongoing. Police raided the Qatari broadcaster's office at the Ambassador hotel in Jerusalem on Sunday. Al Jazeera called claims it was a threat to Israeli security a "dangerous and ridiculous lie". The channel said it reserved the right to "pursue every legal step". Israel's Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said equipment had been taken in the raid. A video posted by the minister on X shows police officers and inspectors from the ministry entering a hotel room. A BBC team visited the scene, but was prevented from filming or going into the hotel by police.

[...]

The shut down of Al Jazeera in Israel has been criticised by a number of human rights and press groups. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) said they had filed a request to the country's Supreme Court to issue an interim order to overturn the ban. The group said that claims that the broadcaster was a propaganda tool for Hamas were "unfounded", and that Sunday's ban was less about security concerns and more to "serve a more politically motivated agenda, aimed at silencing critical voices and targeting Arab media". The Foreign Press Association (FPA) urged the Israeli government to reconsider its decision, saying the shut down of Al Jazeera in the country should be "a cause for concern for all supporters of a free press". The FPA said in a statement that Israel now joins "a dubious club of authoritarian governments to ban the station", and warned that Mr Netanyahu has the authority to target other foreign outlets that he considers to be "acting against the state". The Committee to Protect Journalists' (CPJ) Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna echoed the same concerns, saying: "The Israeli cabinet must allow Al Jazeera and all international media outlets to operate freely in Israel, especially during wartime." The UN's Human Rights office also called the Israeli government to reverse the ban, posting on X: "A free & independent media is essential to ensuring transparency & accountability. Now, even more so given tight restrictions on reporting from Gaza." Foreign journalists are banned from entering Gaza, and Al Jazeera staff there have been some of the only reporters on the ground.

[sloshed-cinema]

Le cercle rouge (1970)

Silence may be golden, but it’s also a key driver of tension in Jean-Pierre Melville’s heists. The simple pleasure of a complicated heist pulled off never gets old, as evidenced in everything from Ocean’s 11 to The League of Gentlemen and beyond. But few balance the effort on a knife’s edge better than the jewel heist at the climax of Le cercle rouge. While little more than a cursory casing of the joint clues us in on the security obstacles—cameras, a locking mechanism on the wall, electronic safes for jewel cases—there is still an intricacy to the burglary. The film cues us into this sort of tension building early on as we witness the prisoner Vogel manage to pick the lock of his handcuff and escape his train transport. Every sound or stray movement could clue the inspector escorting him on this journey that something is afoot and botch the escape attempt in an instant. We grit our teeth as he clutches the opened cuff perilously, undoing one of the bunk supports before taking the leap. Sure, he’s evading justice for a mystery offense, but it’s so damn fun to see it pulled off! The same applies later as Corey and Vogel cut the glass of the window to get into the jewelry boutique. Any stray noise could alert the guard and spell doom for their mission. Sound design feeds in with immaculate choices in editing: when to linger, when to switch to a perspective shot, at what points to push in close or take in a whole space, all of these decisions have an effect in the way that the audience experiences the excitement of the sequence. The actions carried out may be the clinical work of experts, but they should be conveyed in an engaging way. Though there’s still room for the human touch in actions here: marksman Jansen has been overcoming alcoholism during the course of planning this heist, checking his hands for shaking and fighting off monsters. In the heist, he brings along a tripod to aim at the wall lock, but in a sudden passion he aims himself and fires his specially formulated bullet successfully unassisted. This is the kind of feel-good moment we crave in a burglary!

After Inspector Mattei is tasked with capturing the man who escaped him at the start of the film, his superior officer notes that all men are criminals, that nobody is truly innocent after birth. While its conclusion ensures that nobody “gets away with it,” what transpires in its duration is more morally grey than that punchline. Corey spends the film pursued by his former associate Rico, who is driven by revenge after his heavies are killed by Corey and Vogel enforcing his will in what begins as a sort of marriage of convenience. He pursues them illicitly, but also has the option to use the police force as an arm of that revenge. Meanwhile Mattei, while he dotes on his kitties at home, has his own machinations: trying to get local club owner Santi to spill on the criminal underworld, he orchestrates for his son to be picked up on trumped-up marijuana charges. That quickly spins out of control, showing that Mattei is both less impeccable at his game than he believes and more amoral than he would like to think. He gets his man in the end, but at a great cost.

THE RULES

SIP

Someone says 'job'.

A gun is holstered.

A round red object appears in frame.

BIG DRINK

A wipe transition is used in the edit.

Someone is introduced in a scene by reaching into frame.

[twistedtummies2]

Gathering of the Greatest Gumshoes - NUMBER ONE

HAPPY EASTER! TIME TO CELEBRATE WITH THE MOST NON-EASTER-Y THING EVER! Welcome, everybody, for the final entry of “A Gathering of the Greatest Gumshoes!” Throughout this month-long event, I’ve been counting down my Top 31 Favorite Fictional Detectives, from movies, television, literature, video games, and more! We’ve finally come to the end of March, and the time has come to unveil my topmost personal pick.

SLEUTH-OF-THE-DAY’S QUOTE: “Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

NUMBER ONE IS…Sherlock Holmes.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous creation is one of the most frequently adapted, reimagined, and referenced characters in the history of English literature. I think the only other pieces of literature who can compete are Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” and possibly Lewis Carroll’s “Alice” stories. Therefore, while so many other characters have carried the title in their universes of “the World’s Greatest Detective,” it’s no surprise most people still associate that phrase with Holmes, and it’s no surprise that Holmes takes the top spot. Through sheer universal appeal and constant reinvention, he’s clearly earned the rank. If Edgar Allan Poe invented the modern detective story with C. Auguste Dupin, then Doyle’s Holmes perfected the formula, and created the icon that pretty much every famous detective character since then has tried to emulate or push against since then.

It's not entirely clear WHY Conan Doyle made Holmes. I’ve heard multiple different accounts and explanations for how the concept came into Doyle’s mind, and what prompted him to create the great detective. However, if the reasons for his creation are unclear, what IS clear are Holmes’ origins. Doyle was chiefly inspired by a former teacher of his, Dr. Joseph Bell; a slightly eccentric surgeon who was one of the first forensic experts in history, and would eventually gain some recognition when helping the police on the infamous Jack the Ripper case. (He also may have taken some inspiration, according to at least one source, from the real-life Scotland Yard Inspector Richard Tanner, who worked on the slightly-less-well-known Franz Muller case - the first recorded murder committed aboard a train.) Mingling this inspiration with various unique qualities that seemed to stem from his own imagination, Doyle created the ultimate detective: the first Private Consulting Detective in fiction, and easily the most renowned.

It is humorous, in hindsight, to then realize that Doyle didn’t actually care that much for Holmes, overall. A bit like Agatha Christie with her own much later creation, Hercule Poirot, Doyle came to feel dissatisfied with Holmes. This wasn’t so much because of Sherlock’s personality or motivations, but simply because Doyle saw the Holmes stories more as a sort of lucrative hobby than anything else; he sensed that other works of his, which he felt far more passionately about, were being sidelined by this strange gumshoe. Doyle, like Christie, attempted to kill off Holmes…but unlike with Christie and Poirot, Doyle could not keep the detective dead. After a few false restarts, he finally brought Holmes back for good, and really didn’t stop writing for the detective till 1927, only three years before the end of his own life. The reason for this was simply money: Doyle came to realize that Holmes was what paid the bills, and what everybody wanted most to read. So, for all the other great things he created (Holmes was far from Doyle’s only literary claim to fame), it would be his contribution to crime fiction for which the good man would forever be best recalled. For better or worse, Doyle had created a character who truly seemed immortal.

The Sherlock Holmes stories set the benchmark for just about every famous detective to come. All of the classic tropes are basically here. Eccentric main character with multiple layers? Check. More mundane sidekick who provides an anchor for the audience? Check. A touch-and-go relationship with the official police, riding a fine line between rivalry and amiability? Check. Ability to solve crimes that no one else can seem to figure out? Obviously check. It all begins with Sherlock Holmes, before and beyond anything else. Nearly every character on this countdown up to now would not even EXIST if Sherlock Holmes had not been created, and had not been a success. He is the first great, true hero of literary fiction, I would argue: yes, there’s mythology, folklore, and other such things, but in terms of something with defined roots in what can be classified as resembling contemporary times, Holmes was the one who started everything.

Obviously, there have been way too many interpretations of this character to even ATTEMPT to list. I mean, for God’s sakes, I did a whole countdown – much like this one – where I listed no less than forty-one separate interpretations, including the honorable mentions. And even that one couldn’t cover EVERY version of Holmes I know and have some fondness for. He’s EVERYWHERE. He’s fought Dracula, Jack the Ripper, and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde almost as often as he’s tackled his arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty. He’s been depicted in stories that are romantic, comedic, “edgy,” and every other tone you can think of. He’s made it into just about every medium there is, and has been portrayed excellently from seemingly all four corners of the globe. (Which is especially impressive, because a globe shouldn’t HAVE four corners!) From his roots in England, to America, to Russia, and even to Japan: Holmes is inescapable. Whether he’s focused on playing the violin, pumping cocaine into his veins, dealing with a three-pipe problem, or engaging in fisticuffs or even swordplay, he’s always on the move and always up to something odd, and we love him for it. I don’t think anyone would disagree with me when I say that, for sheer recognizability above all else, Sherlock Holmes more than earns my recognition for being My Favorite Fictional Detective. “It’s Elementary, My Dear Watson.”

Thank you all for joining me! Were there any famous detectives you like that didn’t make the cut? Any in particular you’d have placed higher or lower? Feel free to let me know! Take care, everyone, and make sure to get a clue. ;)

[shychick-52]

So, in the EPCOT interactive game DuckTales World Showcase Adventure, there are seven countries with a different mystical artifact- the Seven Plunders of the World- hidden in each one. It’s basically a scavenger hunt, and the player (‘Adven-sharer’, as the Ducks call them) looks for clues to help the Ducks find each treasure and thwart a variety of villains from stealing them. The enemies are a mix of regular/recurring villains and one-time villains from certain episodes. The seven countries in the game are Mexico, Norway, Germany, France, Japan, and China.

When I watched all the videos of them on YouTube, I was delighted to learn that Gyro and Fenton are in the game too! They aren’t in every country/mission, though- Gyro is in the France mission and Fenton is in the Japan mission.

…I was shocked that Gyro isn’t in the Japan mission, because of his significant association with Japan revealed in the season 3, episode 6 episode ‘Astro B.O.Y.D.’! ‘Astro B.O.Y.D’ took place in Japan, which was not only where Gyro suffered a traumatic past that changed him for the worse (his backstory is so good, and explains why he became the embittered, distant, and seemingly arrogant present-day Gyro), but also where he ended up gaining closure about his past, the beautiful beginnings of much-needed character development and healing, and the beautiful beginnings of a relationship with his robot son Boyd at the end of the episode. If Gyro had’ve been in the Japan mission of DuckTales World Showcase Adventure, maybe we could have also gotten a Boyd reference or even a cameo, which would’ve been fantastic because that little guy and his relationship with Gyro are both criminally overlooked.

It turned out that Gyro's role in DuckTales World Showcase Adventure (where he still wasn't given much character development, but was still hilariously snarky as usual XD) was in the France mission instead.

Sooo, no Gyro (or Boyd) in the Japan mission. But surely Akita is the bad guy for that one, right? You know, this guy? Guy responsible for forcing Boyd to be a killer robot and destroying Tokyolk?

I mean, that should've been the obvious choice, right?? Sure, he’s only a one-time villain, but three other one-time villains were brought back for the game to represent their respective nations (Toad Liu Hai for the China mission, the Kelpies for the United Kingdom mission, and Hecka- one of the Valhalla wrestlers the family faced in ‘Rumble for Ragnarok’- for the Norway mission).

Wrong! The villains for the Japan mission were the Beagles and Mark Beaks (which make zero sense), who’d teamed up to steal the Illustrated Scroll of Quackagawa from the temple where it was stored. (More ‘Astro B.O.Y.D.’ erasure, ugh) Turns out Ma Beagle had Beaks design a robot lookalike of Webby to steal the treasure and frame the real Webby at the same time. The plan was for the Beagles to sell Beaks the Scroll so he could “add it to his extensive collection of rare historical manga.” Ok, then…

Well, neither Gyro, Boyd, or Akita were even mentioned in the Japan mission, but we did get one reference to ‘Astro B.O.Y.D.’! A very quick image of Inspector Tezuka (silent recycled footage from that episode) while Dewey was explaining that “local police think that the real Webby took the Scroll because the bot looks exactly like her.” So, that was pretty neat!

Ok, I admit that Fenton was the second-best choice for the Japan mission. Fenton’s role in this mission? Well... once Beaks learned how dangerous the Scroll’s powers were, he stupidly decided to use the robot to activate those powers because “that story would be trending for at least an hour!” So, they needed a “robot expert” to help them stop the robot.

Still, you’d think Gyro would be that robot expert, right? I mean, duh. It’s Gyro, c’mon, who else?! DX All the more reason for him to be in this mission, and they blow it again. It takes place in Japan and involves an evil robot, and they don’t use him??

(At this point, Fenton should have reminded them that Gyro's the real robotics expert)

Well, ok, by “robot expert”, Huey was actually hinting that Fenton could handle it because he’s Gizmoduck (which Dewey clarified)- a superhero in a robotic suit of armor, which would be more than a match for the robot imposter of Webby.  Fair enough, I admit. I mean, Fenton’s role in this does make sense when you consider that. But still… it’s Gyro, man.

Quit squandering all these perfect opportunities to feature him (and Akita), DuckTales team!! DX

And even if Gyro still was banned from Japan at the end of 'Astro B.O.Y.D.' (even tho he was instrumental in saving the day and it was revealed the '2-BO' incident was neither his or Boyd's fault), there was no reason for Akita not to be in the Japan mission!!

Oh, and this post also explains how it was also a missed opportunity for them to reveal Akita ending up in F.O.W.L. in the show.

[cliozaur]

It's Javert's chapter today!

This POV shift in the Brick is one of the most intriguing. Now we see everything that happened to Valjean after his initial escape from jail through Javert’s eyes. Since we won’t meet Javert again for quite a while, today I indulge myself in posting a lot about our inspector.

We discover how Javert was summoned to Paris by his patron, M. Chabouillet, to recapture Valjean. He succeeded that time, a detail we missed in previous presentations of events.

Hugo makes us think that Javert has forgotten Jean Valjean after that; he puts it so wonderfully: “the wolf of to-day causes these dogs who are always on the chase to forget the wolf of yesterday.” However, Javert’s subsequent actions and reactions suggest otherwise. He appears obsessed: “he was afraid of being deprived of his convict” (I will come back to some other peculiar phrases later). He took trouble to go all the way to Montfermeil to check an incident with the abducted child because he remembered the name of the child’s mother too well and associated it with Valjean. And he also recalled that Valjean was getting into the coach to Montfermeil. Despite knowing that Valjean is dead, Javert still goes there to check. Absolutely healthy attitude, I would say. It’s also amusing that it was the “respectable and extremely reassuring name” of Lambert (made up by Thénardier) that calmed Javert down.

However, he hasn’t forgotten about Montfermeil and the abducted girl and connection of this story to Valjean. And, of course, Paris is such a small city that a rumour about a man in a yellow coat living with a girl from Montfermeil reached Javert and piqued his interest. Seeing the face, which he almost recognized as Valjean’s, shocked him, but it was not enough to make him sure; Javert needed to hear his voice and for that reason he moved into the Gorbeau house (but still didn’t have a chance to hear Valjean’s voice).

And then the hunting begins, and Javert goes into predator mode. In this chapter, he is likened to a spider, a tiger, a cat, a dog, and a huntsman.  So much is going on: “when Jean Valjean believed himself to be the most secure Javert’s eye had been on him”—there is something very intimate in this. Javert “began the game,” he “experienced one ecstatic and infernal moment,” “enjoyed himself,” took “delight in strangling.”

Hugo provides an interesting detail about the public sphere controlling the police: "the free press embarrassed it," keeping them in check. Even though Javert always plays by the rules, he additionally should consider this oversight. Valjean and Cosette are fortunate that Javert is overly cautious.

Well, after this chapter I can say that Javert is almost effective in his law-and-order duties, organizing the hunt and pursuing a convict. If only he were chasing a dangerous criminal, not an old man with an exhausted and scared child.

[chibivesicle]

Daniel Law thoughts and observations.  Why is his last name so bloody difficult to figure out?

This is a quick and frivolous post as opposed to my normally long form ones.  I’ve got it hard for Daniel at the moment; I’m wade through the vast expanse that is the internet looking for merch for him.  Steven merch is like shooting fish in a barrel with how popular he is.  K.K. merch is also easy and super cheap second hand.  But Daniel merch.  Hoooo boy, it takes some time and effort to find.

The first issue around him is his bloody last name.  Which Japanese isn’t equipped to deal with.  This shows in my merch quest as I’ve scrolled through pages and pages of items.  But first:

The Darkhorse translation calls him Daniel Low.

The Funimation translation settles on Daniel Law.

When you listen to the sub and the dub, both the Japanese VA and English VA both clearly say “Law”.  I’d like to also note that the Japanese VA for Steven, Mitsuru Miyamoto, has really good pronunciation for all of the English terms/names he says specifically which makes me really think “Law” is the intended spelling.   The credits also reflect this.

Both versions also settle on the title of Lieutenant.  While the literal translation is Assistant Inspector (keibuho - 警部補).  I’m not sure why they didn’t go with Detective which sounds like the most American term and Inspector being British.  I guess Detective is a role while, Daniel would still have a police rank associated with him. But I know squat about American policing terms and job titles.  Maybe, I should go back and watch some Law and Order and cringe?

Where is this total weirdness around Daniel’s name coming from?  Especially if we get a season three and Marcus also shows up for the Calamity Auction arc.

Now, we all know that having an equal transfer of Law into Japanese can’t happen since there is no way to make say a “La-wa” etc.  The best you can get is to drop down in the r-line to the “ro” combo.  But then you’ve got that pesky “w” you need to do something with.

If you wanted “Low” this would be the easiest way to get it.  Go with “ro” and add the long vowel dash making it “ro-oh”

But we can see this reading of “ro” with a long “o” can be [sighs] Rho, Lau; Low, Loo, Rau, Raux, Roe or Roh.

Okay, this isn’t what happens in the credits.  The Japanese credits write his name out this way.  “ro” with the “u”.  Now, the first hit is “Law”.  Yay!

But then we get also; Loew, Low, Lowe or even Rowe!  Argh! 

So, how does this tie into merch?  Well, how his name is spelled on KKSS merch of course and how to search for it!

For Back 2 Back full color acrylics that were Jump (Festa Specials I’d guess), we get him and Marcus being referred to as Lowe.  ‘Cause they are twin brothers and Daniel is the older one! Another issue with Japanese language mechanics versus English but that’s for another time.  I’d read Daniel to be several years older since he’s referred to as “older brother” in B2B but since you have to place your sibling in age relative to you - Marcus has to say older brother in the original Japanese.    

There is also a small special badge set with Steven and Daniel here, where he is also referred to as “Lowe”.  Did I impulsively buy this?  Yes, yes I did of course!

Yet when we look at other items music/band themed (acoustic guitar) , the American heroes (fighter pilot? why?), ice skating, saloon barkeep/western. he’s got a last name of “Low”.

You might begin to think - okay, it is clear that 1.) there is no official spelling of his name down on paper.  2.) merch designers see ロウ and make an educated guess 3.) his name can’t be “Law”.

Buuutttt let’s go to the actual search function of a Japanese site like Goods Republic.  And what do we find in the character list on the left hand side?  Daniel Law.

Additionally,  you go on Zen Market and access JP Mercari directly, searching with the terms of ダニエル and 血界戦線.  You will get merch that not only pulls up Daniel but all the translated descriptions will always refer to him as Daniel Law.

What have I learned from this?  That until we get season three and Daniel gets a floating info box like below, we will never truly know how his name is spelled.  However, with the sense of humor that Nightow has and his wordplay in English, I really still think the original intent is “Law” because he’s a fucking cop.  Come on, easiest cheese joke ever.

And if he doesn’t get a floating info box in a season three, it means they aren’t giving him full justice due to his increasing role in the series.