#a series based on unlikelihoods

[imjustlovinlivin]

@robster1138

Community is a Chekhov play and the gun that foreshadows the ultimate tragedy of the Greendale study group is in the Dean's first speech with his missing card,

"Many of you are halfway through your first week here at Greendale, and as your dean, I thought I would share a few thoughts of wisdom and inspiration. What is community college? Well, you've heard all kinds of things. You've heard it's a loser college for remedial teens, 20-something dropouts, middle-aged divorcees, and old people keeping their minds active as they circle the drain of eternity. That's what you heard... However, I wish you luck! ... Okay, you know... Oh-oh. Okay, there's more to this speech. There's actually a middle card that is missing."

That middle card is Community's equivalent of Chekhov having a character hold a gun in the first act. The card is never found just the same way the study group never really escapes Greendale as anything but what the dean describes them as in his speech, the missing card is their potential, lost to time, lost to incompetence, lost on the Greendale campus never to be found again. Troy never really graduates instead becoming the epitome of remedial teens running from the world by literally floating through it on a boat, Britta remains stuck at Greendale a twenty something dropout unable to get a degree but also unable to leave and in the original draft of the pilot the dean even adds an aside that the dropouts are "crawling their way back to society" an acomplishment Britta never reaches by the end of the series, Shirley never becomes more than a middle aged divorcee with a husband that came crawling back only to leave her once again losing herself in Louisiana to play nursemaid to a man she just met, and Pierce dies the same way he lived depressed, gross, broken, and alone. Jeff, Annie, and Abed don't have equivalencies in the speech that appears in the pilot, but Annie is given an aside in the original draft in the same moment as Troy, being labeled "a young person who couldn't get into a university" and she never does make it to a real university. In the end, Annie and Abed are the only two given endings that can be read as happy, she leaving for the FBI Academy and he leaving for film school in Los Angeles, the only two able to escape the Greendale purgatory for supposedly greener pastures, but Annie's ending is to become a cog in the system, a cog that would have happily sent her younger self to jail for the rest of her life for an addiction beyond her control finally reaching the lofty goal she thought she must reach as the small overachiever Annie came to Greendale as, finally able to grow up and be a big girl. Maybe her ending was happy or maybe it was just another form of corruption. Perhaps Abed Nadir is the only one whose ending is truly everything he ever wanted, but he goes to film school alone, he reaches his dream far away from all of the people who loved him, the only people who ever loved him, Abed Nadir ends the series the same way he entered it, the same way they all entered it, alone. And of course, Jeff Winger, the man who wanted to stay at Greendale for the shortest timeframe he could possibly achieve is now stuck there, dedicated his life to teaching there, to fixing the broken school that somehow fixed him and broke him even more left watching everyone else leave him behind.

The missing card, the one that could have told them all what they could be, what they could have acheived at Greendale is never found, but it comes back in the third act in the form of Season 7, the cutaways the group comes up with in the finale of what their season 7 could look like, the missing potential that notecard used to have now inside they're own minds and as Jeff pulls the trigger, fires the only bullet left in the chamber and begs the others to please just stay with him, to stick around and make the idealic season 7 he has created in his own imagination, the gun backfires and explodes in his own hand as reality comes crashing down to steal that last bit of hope he had left

"The plays that Chekhov wrote were not complex, but easy to follow, and created a somewhat haunting atmosphere for the audience."

This quote from Chekhov's wikipedia stands out to me in a way that perfectly describes a modern sitcom and I feel it especially fits with the atmosphere Community created. It was funny, it was broken, it was irreverent, and it was goofy, but it's a show that has haunted me for years, has haunted the entire fanbase for seven years demanding a movie until the powers that be finally gave in

E. J. Dillon thought "the effect on the reader of Chekhov's tales was repulsion at the gallery of human waste represented by his fickle, spineless, drifting people" and R. E. C. Long said "Chekhov's characters were repugnant, and that Chekhov revelled in stripping the last rags of dignity from the human soul".

And these quotes, while they were striking at Chekhov's work in a disparaging way, they just make me think of the characters from Community. Is there a better description for the Greendale 7 than a group of fickle, spineless, drifting, repugnant people stripped of their last rags of dignity? Chekhov was known for being able to capture the specific sadness of an ensemble of depressed codependents trapped in the utter monatony of a working class sedentary life and his popularity was credited to his, "unusually complete rejection of what we may call the heroic values." There are no heroic values in any of the Greendale 7, they are a group of flawed indivudals who come together to create a flawed Community. The Greendale 7 don't have a perfect happy ending, the last moments of Community don't fall into place the way you want a feel good sitcom about a group of friends to end. The ending is bittersweet and broken, a show that shambled on for more seasons than anyone ever believed it could hemoraging cast members along the way feeling like it had died many years before it actually ended, but Abed delivers a speech about the nature of TV and you're crying and you're smiling and when they all leave for the last time with a tight hug that feels like the earth is shattering you're launched into one last self aware fourth wall breaking gag that jolts your emotions before credits roll and they're the last credits that play for the entire show and you don't know if that was an ending or if you should wait for something else.

Virginia Woolf mused on the unique quality of a Chekhov story in The Common Reader (1925):

"But is it the end, we ask? We have rather the feeling that we have overrun our signals; or it is as if a tune had stopped short without the expected chords to close it. These stories are inconclusive, we say, and proceed to frame a criticism based upon the assumption that stories ought to conclude in a way that we recognise. In so doing we raise the question of our own fitness as readers. Where the tune is familiar and the end emphatic—lovers united, villains discomfited, intrigues exposed—as it is in most Victorian fiction, we can scarcely go wrong, but where the tune is unfamiliar and the end a note of interrogation or merely the information that they went on talking, as it is in Tchekov, we need a very daring and alert sense of literature to make us hear the tune, and in particular those last notes which complete the harmony."

Community ends not with a bang but a whimper and a broken note that makes you question what happens next, where do they go from there, what scene fits here in the script, is this truly the end or just where the writer put down his pen. It's a Chekhov play written in six seasons and soon to be a movie

In the end, the tragedy of Community is literally written on the cards

[electronickingdomfox]

"The Final Reflection" review

Novel from 1984, by John M. Ford. This one stands apart from other TOS novels, and for several reasons. For starters, it's a book inside a book. The framing story has Kirk intrigued by a sudden "Klingon fad" among his crew, related to a new novel that hasn't been well-received by the Federation. Out of curiosity, Kirk decides to read the novel, titled "The Final Reflection" and written by a "JMF" (evidently John M. Ford), based on the memories of Dr. Emanuel Tagore. The rest of the book, therefore, is a reproduction of this fictional novel about Klingons, based on real events from some forty years ago. The second reason why this one is different, is a consequence of the first: for the most part, the story doesn't deal with the Enterprise characters, but with the Klingon captain Krenn, and his crew. This was the first time a TOS novel switched perspective, and told things from the point of view of the series' "bad guys".

However, far from being a story about bloodthirsty Klingons, battling against Federation starships, this is a thoughtful novel about politics, war, and the human (and Klingon) condition. The Klingons, though still warlike, are revealed to be much more sophisticated, civil and honorable than what's perceived by the Federation. From their unique point of view, humans seem as alien (and often as callous) as Klingons seem to them. And there's a sardonic view of human diplomacy and xenophobia, once Krenn gets to visit Earth in a diplomatic mission.

Games figure prominently in the story, in the form of chess, poker or the strategic Klingon game klin zha (similar to 3D chess). They're metaphors for the several political games that play out through the course of the novel. And ultimately, of the game of life (the Perpetual Game, as Klingons call it). There are several versions of klin zha that further stress this parallelism between games/life: a blind version where you can't see your opponents' moves, a brutal live version where real people are used as pieces... And the most difficult, the "reflective game", where there's a single set of pieces that each opponent uses in turn, thus creating both an advantage and a disadvantage with each move. "The final reflection" of the title refers precisely to the last move of this game, when the opponent paints himself into a corner. This is what happens to the (largely invisible) bad guys at the end, responsible for trying to ignite a war between the Klingon Empire and the Federation, and also Krenn's enemies for more personal reasons. But it's also a reference to Kirk's final reflections upon finishing the book, when he considers his own narrow views about his enemies.

There's indeed much of Kirk in Krenn, both in personality and career. The first third of the story follows Krenn since his childhood as an orphan, later adopted by a master strategist Admiral, and then in his early years as cadet, before taking command of his own ship. After this, he's tasked with bringing Dr. Emanuel Tagore to the Klingon Empire, as new ambassador from the Federation. The characters Krenn meets during his adventures are all colorful and fleshed out. Specially memorable is his adoptive father, Admiral Kethas, and Dr. Tagore. The latter is a frail, sweet old man, fiercely determined to achieve peace. And the relationship that forms between Krenn and him turns out to be surprisingly moving, for all its unlikelihood. There are also cameo appearances of Sarek, Amanda and a child Spock (who plays chess, and loses, against Krenn). As well as McCoy's grandfather, who storms out from a meeting saying "I'm gonna go change my grandson Leonard's diapers now, but I'll be thinkin' of you the whole time." (much to McCoy's embarrassment in the present). However, I'm not going to dissect the plot here. First, because there's not a single plot; the three sections of the book each deal with Krenn at a different point of life and with a different mission. And also, because I think the most interesting parts of this novel are in the conversations, and the glimpses of wisdom that one gets from them, and those don't translate well into a dry summary of facts. Actually, I still suspect there are further layers to this story than the ones analyzed here; things that would require a second reading (or a more skillful analyst) to bring to the surface.

As for all the lore about Klingon culture and language introduced, this novel came out at a time when almost nothing was known about this race. There were just a handful of episodes, and those portrayed Klingons as rather one-dimensional. The effort to flesh out their culture is commendable, but unfortunately, much of this lore has been ignored or contradicted by later series (though some concepts, like the Black Fleet of Klingons' afterlife, has been recently incorporated to canon). The chronology for Klingon history is no longer correct, and it seems to owe a lot to the FASA games (for which the author was also a collaborator). And some biographical details are also off. For example, the stardate of the frame story places it some time after The Wrath of Khan, while Krenn's mission was just forty years ago. It's not possible that Kirk wasn't even born, and McCoy was just a baby; even less so that Spock was a young child (McCoy is older than Spock). But if these details don't annoy you, this is a really good book, not just as a TOS novel, but as a novel in general (and I admit it brought tears to my eyes sometimes). Anyway, it's a retelling of events, so inconsistencies can be dismissed as "artistic license". As Dr. Tagore says to the fictional author in the prologue:

"Be a storyteller, an embellisher, a liar; they'll call you that and worse anyway. It hardly matters. The Tao which can be perceived is not the true Tao."

Spirk Meter: 0/10*. There can hardly be if the characters aren't even there.

*A 10 in this scale is the most obvious spirk moments in TOS. Think of the back massage, "You make me believe in miracles", or "Amok Time" for example.

[tech-radar-247]

Panic Season 2

Amazon's teen drama, Panic, has been a highly anticipated show in the dystopian teen genre. Created by Lauren Oliver, it is based on her 2014 novel, Panic. The first season, released on May 28, 2021, garnered attention with ten episodes. Now, fans eagerly await the return of Panic Season 2.

Setting the Scene: Carp, Texas and the Annual Panic Competition

The story unfolds in Carp, Texas, where 23 graduating students annually compete in the Panic competition for a chance to win $50,000 and escape the town. Changes in the rules this year raise questions about the risks involved. Initially ordered by Amazon in 2018, Panic's fate hinges on whether Prime Video renews the series for a second installment.

The Unfortunate Decision: No Season 2 for Panic

Just three months after the initial release, Amazon chose not to renew Panic for a second season in August. Low viewership, with a rating of 6.6/10 on IMDb and 65% on Rotten Tomatoes, led to this decision. The show couldn't match the success of its counterpart, The Wilds, which secured a renewal. Season 1 exhaustively covered the storyline from Oliver's novel, leaving no foundation for a second season.

Possibility Amidst Unlikelihood: Will Panic Return?

Currently, the chances of Panic Season 2 seem slim. However, Lauren Oliver is actively working on the second part of her novel, creating a potential storyline for a second season. The possibility of continuing Panic as an anthology series offers a glimmer of hope for fans.

Potential Returning Faces: Cast for the Next Season

If Panic is revived for Season 2, Olivia Welch as Heather Nile, Jessica Saula as Natalie Williams, Mike Faist as Dodge Mason, Ray Nicholson as Ray Hall, and Cameron Jones as Bishop Moore could all make a return. Their fate hinges on the adaptation of Oliver's second novel, and if Prime Video confirms the second season.

Closure: The Current Status of Panic Season 2

As of now, Panic Season 2 is not in the cards, given Amazon's cancellation in August. However, the possibility of the story continuing exists if the show is revived by the network or picked up by another. Stay tuned for more updates on Techradar247.

[writersblockedx]

Protector of the Party: Chapter 6

Chapter Six: An Unlikelihood of Situations

BASED OFF  - 1X06 WARNINGS - Violence, sexism, blood/wounds WORDS - 3k

Read on AO3 / Wattpad

Series Masterlist Masterlist 

Y/n liked the idea of staying low, doing nothing.

Despite how her mind was racing with the looming knowledge that Hawkins lab really was all what them conspiracy theories made it out to be. She couldn't do much without risking her own life. And, honestly, she didn't believe there was much yet she could do. So she found herself wondering around the house anxiously throughout the weekend.

The girl thought about checking in with Johnathan. But what if they were listening? After what had happened, sneaking into the lab, the last thing she wanted was drawing more attention to herself.

That Saturday morning, a loud knock rung through the Henderson house. Y/n was up for once, scribbling down theories on a note pad, Dustin had left on his bike at least an hour ago and Claudia was sat on the couch with mews snoring into her.

The girl had her music stereo playing loud enough that everything else seem non-existent. "Y/n!" Claudia shouted, her footsteps booming through the hallway towards her room.

Y/n couldn't dare tear her eyes from the memorises of the lab she as jotting down as she answered the older women. "Yeah?" Her voice only just heard over the music.

The door swung open and Claudia huffed, "Johnathan's here," She said, still having to shout over the music. "With Nancy."

That peeked at Y/n as she shut off the stereo and rushed towards the front door. And there, in the doorway, was Johnathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler. At least they were alive, a passing thought stated. But, with everything they had experienced this week, that really wasn't something any of them could take for granted anymore.

"We-" Johnathan went to speak but Y/n held up her finger to her lip - just as Hopper had done the day prior.

Her eyes stared out into the driveway. She searched for anything out of the ordinary, anything to suggest the lab were listening, or watching. Y/n found nothing. She turned back and faced her aunt. The last thing she wanted was Claudia finding out about all this. So she gestured her head towards the porch and led the two there, shutting the door behind her.

"They planted a bug in mine and Hopper's light after we got back from the lab." Y/n informed as she leant against the fence, already grasping for a cig. "He came round, said I had to lay low."

Nancy was leaning by the wall opposite Y/n as her head fell in thought before glancing back up to meet her eyes again. "That's why you didn't show up yesterday?"

She nodded, "Couldn't call either." The girl flicked the cig between her lips, letting the fire from her lighter spark. She pulled it away and let her leg bounce out of her nervousness. "They're always listening. Always watching." As if that had reminded her, her head snapped back, checking her driveway once again. "What'd you find anyway?"

They shared a glance as if they were silently laughing at an inside joke. "Definingly something." Johnathan muttered.

"This thing," Nancy started as her eyes stuck to the floor, as if she were replaying a memory. "I don't know, it was like I got to it's home." She went on.

Y/n took enough drag from her cig, "I'm guessing you didn't kill it then?" She questioned with brows raised.

Johnathan seemed stand up straighter, catching the gaze of Nancy in a passing moment. "That's why we're here." He declared.

"You still got that gun?" Nancy asked.

The other girl tilted her head in thought, "I think we might just need more than a gun." She paused and glanced to Johnathan who was still standing with his hands shoved in his pockets. "I know a place, if you can drive us there."

In one shared look between them all, a make-shift plan was formed.

Johnathan pulled into the parking of the hunting shop. And Y/n led the way in. The three of them were quiet as they separated, each mindlessly lulling through the four aisles that occupied the shop. Y/n's finger tips grazed against the different weapons and tools. She stopped at a bear trap. Her mind tilted in thought and she glanced over at Johnathan who had gathered a tank of gasoline.

As if feeling eyes on him, Johnathan turned to look at Y/n. She raised the bear trap, her expression in itself asking for his thoughts. He shrugged in return so Y/n took it into her hold and continued browsing. She grabbed some other stuff: some pocket knifes, a hammer and some screws. Then the three, with baskets full of equipment, made their way to the cashier. She was sure they look way out of the depth.

Y/n stood in the middle as she and Nancy unpacked their shopping and placed everything down onto the counter. The cashier who watched was predominantly quiet as he watched it all unfold. As everything was placed down, Y/n grinned up at him like a child might have done. "And four boxes of 38s...please." Her grin never faded as the cashier grabbed the ammo and placed it down with their other belongings.

"What you kids doing with all of this?" He asked with knitted brows as his eyes glanced over the items set in front of him.

Johnathan and Nancy looked to Y/n to answer. She could feel them waiting for her excuse to explain all of this. And she shrugged and stared up at the man, "Monster hunting." I mean, it wasn't false and hopefully, wasn't cause for concern.

The cashier chuckled a little at what he presumed to be a joke. But there was a underlying sinsiter atmosphere that only the three of them picked up on; it wasn't a joke. They would take these tools and this equipment and set it up to catch the creature that had kidnapped Barb and Will. Still, they shoved it back into a box and wondered back towards the car.

"Monster hunting?" Johnathan had reiterated as a laugh trickled from his lips.

Y/n shrugged with a box held in her palms as she snapped back at the boy. "Because you were so great at answering that question, weren't you Johnathan?" She defended as Nancy opened the boot and the boxes were practically thrown down. "And, its not as if I'm lying." She added.

Y/n reached out into the boot, taking her crowbar that no longer fit between the boxes. "You know last week, I was shopping for a top I thought Steve might like." Nancy started as the other girl wondered towards the passenger seat door. "It took me and Barb all weekend. It seemed like life and death." Guess that certainly put some things into perspective.

The girl lurked by the car door as she watched Nancy's expression, completely bewiled by how things had changed so drastically. "And now you're shopping for bear traps with Y/n Henderson and Johnathan Byers." The two glanced back at Y/n, a slight grin on all their faces. "What's the weirdest part? Us or the bear trap?" Johnathan then questioned.

She thought, but there really was no need to, the answer was on the tip of her tongue. "You." She said as she glanced between him and Y/n. "Definitely you."

Y/n shrugged as she grasped the crow bar in her other hand, "To be honest, shopping with Nancy Wheeler for me, is just as weird." Thinking back on it now, she didn't know how she could view Nancy as just this preppy princess. The girl was hunting a supernatural creature with guns and other various weapons.

Their conversation was pulled to a stop as a car drove past, some jock hanging out from the window. He honked the car and smirked ever so sickly, it made Y/n's stomach curl. "Hey, Nance!" He called out to her as the three of them all watched the car. "Can't wait to see your move." And with that mystery, he continued driving.

Nancy felt her eyes jump straight to Y/n's. It was if they both felt that prick in their gut, like they knew what the words had been implying already.

Nancy started walking first. "What?" Called a rather confused Johnathan as he watched the girl.

Y/n followed Nance towards the movie theatre, Johnathan trailing behind. It didn't take long to catch it. One turn around the corner and the newest Hawkins headline was glistening above the theatre.

All the right movies Starring Nancy the slut Wheeler

Nancy started running. So Y/n did too. And then so did Johnathan. Before they realised it, the three were sprinting across the street, no care for the vehicles that drove past them as they came right under the sign. Nancy wanted nothing more than to tear it down, already feeling the eyes of passer-by's on her. Their scowls of disgust seeped through her skin and their chins were held so high as to look down on her. And all Nancy could do was look up at it as if it were taunting her.

Y/n tugged at her jacket, trying to pull her away from the words. "Come on, Nance, we can't do anything about it here." She tried to tell her as her eyes finally drew away for the sign.

Then came the distant sound of spray paint sizzling against bricks walls. Maybe there was something they could do.

The three only had to walk so much until they came to an ally, Steve and his dogs crowding around. Y/n felt her grip on the crowbar tighten as she glared at them. It was as if they thought they were untouchable, as if they had just painted over the whole world that Nancy was slut and no one would do anything about it. Quite frankly, because probably no one would.

Nancy started storming over, Y/n still right next to her side. "Aw, hey there Princess." Tormented Carol as a smile became plastered over her lips.

"Uh oh, she looks upset." Tommy added to the mocks as he chucked the empty bottle of spray paint to the floor.

Nancy stared at Steve, tears pricking at her eyes that she didn't bother hiding. As she took a breath, she let the palm of her hand collide with Steve's cheek. A loud chorus of, "Ohh." Soon followed as the pair found themselves caught in the other's eyes, riddled by fury.

"What is wrong with you?" Nancy finally spoke, her tone stern, seeming never more sure as to what was coming out her mouth.

Steve scoffed. "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you? I was worried about you!" He snapped back at her. He paused for a moment and Nancy opened her mouth to say something, but Steve was there before she was. "I can't believe I was actually worried about you."

Nancy brows fell knitted, "What are you talking about?" She asked him.

Carol stepped forwards as if it were her place to intervene with this. "I wouldn't lie if I were you. Wouldn't want to be known as the lying slut now do you?" She snickered.

As if on cue, Johnathan finally found his way down the ally, a blur of puzzlement written into his expression. "Speak of the devil." Tommy suddenly straighten up as if he knew this was about to get more entertaining for him.

And suddenly, with the look on Johnathan, it was like something clicked for Nancy. She turned back to face Steve, "You came by last night." Y/n, however, was still very much confusion and could only assume.

"Ding, ding ding!" Called Carol who still stood behind Steve with a smirk. "Does she get a prize?"

Nancy, rightfully, ignored Carol's words and attempted to pretend as if she wasn't there. "Look, I don't know what you think you saw, but it wasn't like that."

Y/n watched as Steve's eyes shot daggers towards Johnathan. "What? You just let him in your room-" He looked to Nancy, "To study?"

"Or for another pervy photo session?" Tommy joked with his arm now slung around Carol.

They all giggled like a bunch of children. "We were just-" Nancy started.

"You were just want?" Steve interrupted. "Finish that sentence. Finish the sentence." He took a menacing step forward and Y/n felt her nerves grow at how close he as getting to Nancy.

Silence followed. Y/n didn't step in. If anything, she wanted this to be over. The idea of what could follow made her feet inch just at the thought of running. And, if she were honest, a wave of relief past her when Nancy didn't answer and didn't fuel this fire that was already sparking with flames. "Go to hell Nancy." Steve said as his goodbye.

Y/n was quick to her side, gently pulling at her jacket again. "Come on, Nance." The girl attempted to urge. "These people aren't worth it." She made comment, a flutter of a glare sent to Steve before her and Nancy finally turns their backs on them.

But Steve couldn't help himself.

"Says the girl whose worth was so low, neither of her parents stuck around for it." Y/n felt her feet stop. She could feel Steve's scowl burning through her skull. And, as she gave in, she finally turned to face him. "Everyone's heard the stories of your mother, drove to insanity. You know I wouldn't be surprised if you were following in her footsteps."

Y/n felt as if she could scream or throw a punch. She wouldn't say she was a violent person, she hadn't even pulled the trigger at the lab when it was life or death. But as she stood there, she felt her grip on the crowbar tighten so badly her knuckles were going white. "Let's go." Said Johnathan.

When she said nothing, and Steve realised he hadn't gotten the raise out her like he had wished, his eyes glanced to Johnathan. "You know what Byers? I'm impressed, I always took you for a queer." He started as the three of them all took their attempt at leaving. "But I guess you're just a little screw up like your father." Steve pushed his shoulder with his words, as if trying to give more emphasis on what he was saying. Johnathan kept walking and Steve kept pushing. "Oh, yeah that house is full of screw ups. You know I guess I shouldn't really be surprised."

Johnathan stopped. Y/n knew then that the fire was burning.

"Johnathan leave it." Nancy tried to get though to him, but in one look, anyone could tell that the only thing behind his eyes was anger.

"-A bunch of screw ups in your family. I mean your mum-"

Y/n took a step forward, "Come on, Johnathan, lets go."

"I'm not even surprised what happened to your brother."

Nancy begged with her eyes, "Johnathan, please."

"Steve, shut up!" Y/n yelled but none of them were listening. It felt like no matter how much Nancy and her shouted at them, they were just empty words.

"But the Byers, their family is a disgrace to entire-"

Johnathan threw the first punch. But there seemed a moment that, as Steve gathered himself, holding his cheek in his hand, he hesitated. Then Y/n blinked and Steve had tackled Johnathan onto his car, throwing every punch and shove and hit he could. While Nancy pleaded for the boys to gather some sense, Tommy and Carol cheered them on as if they were watching horses race.

Steve threw Johnathan into the concrete ground. He raised his fist, hitting and hitting and Y/n watched as blood started to litter the face of her best friend. Y/n felt like she couldn't do anything. Then she remembered the metal tool that hung in her palm. She glanced between the fight and the crowbar. A thought in her brain passed, one that simply let go of all common sense.

She walked into the midst of the fight, lurking over Steve's back. Out of nowhere, she start jabbing and poking and hitting with the pointing end of her crowbar. "Get off of him!" She yelled, watching as Steve struggled to fight off both Johnathan and the crowbar.

He started slipping and Y/n could see Johnathan was finally getting an advantage. "Get her out of here!" Steve demanded through punches.

Before she knew it, Tommy was behind her, hands scooping around her waist as he lifted her up and dragged her from the fight. "Let me go!" Y/n screamed as the crowbar dropped from her hands as she wiggled in the hold she felt trapped in.

"Keep the fight fair, ay, Princess." He commented.

Y/n shoved the ball of her elbow into his stomach, hard enough for him to let her out of his grip. "Get your hands off me." She uttered in a muffled jumble of words as her feet finally stumbled back on the ground.

"Little bitch!" Tommy cursed as he held his side in pain and retreated back to the comforts for Carol.

Nancy was straight to Y/n, her arms wrapping around her shoulders as she pulled her back away from the fight. The two boys were both now stood, throwing hands and ducking. For awhile, it was balanced. But then Johnathan threw one hard punch and Steve lost it in him to fight back. So Johnathan kept going. "Stop, Johnathan! You're going to hurt him!" Nancy shouted, never daring to let go of Y/n as she spoke.

Johnathan didn't hear Nancy. So his next punch was hard enough to knock Steve to the floor. He should have stopped there. He should have definitely stopped when the sound of police sirens were heard.

But seeing red, Johnathan didn't. He kept punching despite Calhan pulling the cop car into the ally. He kept punching when both the officers exited the cars and demanded that he stopped. "He's had enough!" Screamed Tommy.

Callahan was first to fight. Which didn't work well for him as he attempted to pry Johnathan away, getting a punch of his own. The officer was swept off his feet as Powell finally grasped Johnathan and tore him from Steve.

Johnathan was arrested while Steve, Tommy and Carol slipped away with a few bruises and cuts.

Y/n took one glance around: Johnathan pressed against the hood of a cop car, currently being arrested, Steve and Tommy getting chased down by Callahan and her at the centre of it all, still being held by Nancy Wheeler.

Fuck.

-

Taglist - @fanficfanatic204 @neverylee @myheartonthemove​ @satsuri3su @gobringmemyfood (Let me know whether you would like to be added or removed)

Chapter Seven (Strange yet Sweet) to be published Wednesday 8pm (BST)

[shihalyfie]

Digimon Adventure 02 Appreciation Challenge: Day 6

Day 6: Which bond between the 02 team kids do you enjoy the most?

Well, this may be one of the hardest questions for me so far, because I’m constantly in the mode of “they all love each other! So much!!!!” when it comes to the 02 crowd, but I’ve basically been playing these questions by ear and not really thinking too hard about it beyond what first comes to mind all that much, so today I want to talk about Takeru and Iori.

A lot of people tend to cite the “unlikelihood” of Takeru and Iori as a pair as evidence that the Jogress matchups after Daisuke and Ken were done arbitrarily, saying that Takeru-Hikari and Miyako-Iori would make more sense based on existing relationships, but I think this kind of misses the concept that being “unlikely relationships” was a bit of the point -- there’s nothing really “earned” if the two click well already, and the reason the concept of Jogress is so impactful is because of the efforts each kid had to put in to make those relationships work. Relationships are like that -- you’re not going to get very far in life if you only go along with “easy mode”, you have to build your friendships out of actively reaching out and doing your best to understand them, even beyond differences and difficulties. Daisuke had to actively go out of his way to break down Ken’s barriers, and Miyako and Hikari had to face some of the less-than-pleasant aspects of themselves that they hadn’t for 30 episodes.

Iori is genre savvy enough to know that if the other four kids in the group have figured out their own Jogress, he and Takeru are “left”, but the relationship between the two is so intimidating that it takes three whole episodes to achieve it. (The fact it takes so long compared to the other two is pretty much the series itself acknowledging how much of an uphill battle this was.) It’s the only one that genuinely feels like one of them has to claw their way upwards into this. This is also a major character development moment for Iori, who had generally been on the “deferential” end of polite -- in the other two cases, Daisuke and Miyako had been the “in-your-face” ones who reached out to their respective emotionally reclusive Jogress partners, but this time it’s an inversion of expectations that the more rigid Iori is the one to reach out to the ostensibly open Takeru. It reveals a lot about Takeru in that for all he seems open and outgoing, he’s actually emotionally reclusive in his own way. And poking through the mass of emotions that is Takeru ultimately becomes Iori’s first step to understanding how complicated humans can get -- Miyako being so straightforward probably wasn’t a good example to work with in the prior years -- which ultimately becomes one of the early stepping stones in his further character arc in regards to understanding human morality.

Takeru being so “deceptive” probably makes him the single hardest person to reach out to in this group, because unlike Ken and Hikari, who will at least be very quick to admit that they need to handle this a bit better, Takeru’s default reaction is to cover things up. So it does, ultimately, make sense that the one to reach out to him is the most to-the-point and straightforward of the group. The other two Jogress pairs are fueled basically on a similar ground of one of the 02 group’s chaos agents (Daisuke and Miyako) carrying along one of the more “go with the flow” members (Ken and Hikari), but in the case of Takeru and Iori, there are so many thorns they have to go through that it’s probably not a good idea to introduce more chaotic energy into it, or conversely more passivity. But they pull it off, eventually, and I have to say that if we all put at least half as much effort into our relationships as these two did, we’d probably all have a lot healthier of friendships overall.

[quilloftheclouds]

Surge; Ascendant of Waves, Currents and Whirlpools

Otherwise known as: Surge, please calm down.

Surge sirens are vicious, resourceful and cunning.

Though not the most rarely encountered, these sirens are the most rarely escaped. Due to their extremely hostile and territorial behaviour, awareness of the Surge sirens’ existence is incredibly limited, because any attempts made to investigate have ended in tragedy. Among those who know, however, the warnings are not to be taken lightly--they may lack a song, but their skill in speed and stealth leads to surprise attacks highly efficient and highly feared. Being the most widespread of the sirens, they reside in the open ocean as well as coves, using their control of the ocean currents to crush the air and life from their victims or to take down entire ships with rogue waves and whirlpools.

MAIN ABILITIES:

Water Current Manipulation

Creation of Rogue Waves

Creation of Whirlpools

GENERAL TEMPERAMENT: Incredibly hostile and aggressive, very territorial.

SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR: Often solitary, occasional single family pods. Sometimes found working together with Mist sirens.

HABITAT: Open ocean or closed coves. Very widespread. More specific sub-varieties depend on region.

DIET: Carnivorous;

Fish/marine creatures

Humans

Rare scavenging

MISCELLANEOUS INFO:

The most fearless of the sirens, thoroughly enjoy fighting for the thrill (cowardice is perceived as the one of the worst weaknesses).

Encounters are not rare, but stories are sparse due to unlikelihood of escape--their elevated senses of smell and sight allow easy targeting of survivors.

The most shark-like of the sirens based on behaviours and appearances, although many other varieties of Surge sirens exist.

LINKS:

WIP page for One Siren’s Soul

The world of One Siren’s Soul - Sirens and Magic - Part 1, Part 2

Other parts of this series: Mist Sirens || Forest Sirens || Light Sirens

TAGLIST: @scottishhellhound @mvcreates @carmenwrites @waterfallwritings @runningonrain @dissevr @bookish-actor @bookenders @mouwwie @onfablesandfiction @candy687 @anaestheticdisaster @yearlyaquariace @elizabethsyson @your-local-imagination-station @imaghostwriter @orphicodysseywrites @esoteric-eclectic-eccentric @elisabethrosewrites @lookslikechill @fuyuuki513 @purpleshadows1989 @fiama-l-hernandez @keithislactoseintolerant @tenacious-scripturient @mackerelwrites

This series is going to lay out the basics of the four siren types, but if you have any questions, feel free to send in an ask! I’d absolutely love to ramble about my worldbuilding~

[orbemnews]

Netflix needs a Next Big Thing Disney has Disney+, but it also has theme parks, plush Baby Yoda dolls, blockbuster Marvel movies and ESPN. Comcast (CMCSA), Amazon (AMZN), ViacomCBS (VIACA), CNN’s parent company WarnerMedia and Apple (AAPL) all have their own streaming services, too, but they also have other forms of revenue. As for Netflix (NFLX), its revenue driver is based entirely on building its subscriber base. It’s worked out well for the company — so far. But it’s starting to look like the king of streaming will soon need something other than new subscribers to keep growing. That was a big whiff for Netflix — a company coming off a massive year of growth thanks in large part to the pandemic driving people indoors — and Wall Street’s reaction has not been great. The company’s stock dropped as much as 8% on Wednesday, leading some to wonder what the future of the streamer looks like if competition continues to gain strength, people start heading outdoors and if, most importantly, its growth slows. “If you hit a wall with [subscriptions] then you pretty much don’t have a super growth strategy anymore in your most developed markets,” Michael Nathanson, a media analyst and founding partner at MoffettNathanson, told CNN Business. “What can they do to take even more revenue out of the market, above and beyond streaming revenues?” Or put another way, the company’s lackluster user growth last quarter is a signal that it wouldn’t hurt if Netflix — a company that’s lived and died with its subscriber numbers — started thinking about other ways to make money. An ad-supported Netflix? Not so fast There are ways for Netflix to make money other than raising prices or adding subscribers. The most obvious: selling advertising. Netflix could have 30-second commercials on their programming or get sponsors for their biggest series and films. TV has worked that way forever, why not Netflix? That’s probably not going to happen, given that CEO Reed Hastings has been vocal about the unlikelihood of an ad-supported Netflix service. His reasoning: It doesn’t make business sense. “It’s a judgment call… It’s a belief we can build a better business, a more valuable business [without advertising],” Hastings told Variety in September. “You know, advertising looks easy until you get in it. Then you realize you have to rip that revenue away from other places because the total ad market isn’t growing, and in fact right now it’s shrinking. It’s hand-to-hand combat to get people to spend less on, you know, ABC and to spend more on Netflix.” Hastings added that “there’s much more growth in the consumer market than there is in advertising, which is pretty flat.” He’s also expressed doubts about Netflix getting into live sports or news, which could boost the service’s allure to subscribers, so that’s likely out, too, at least for now. So if Netflix is looking for other forms of near-term revenue to help support its hefty content budget ($17 billion in 2021 alone) then what can it do? There is one place that could be a revenue driver for Netflix, but if you’re borrowing your mother’s account you won’t like it. Netflix could crack down on password sharing — a move that the company has been considering lately. “Basically you’re going to clean up some subscribers that are free riders,” Nathanson said. “That’s going to help them get to a higher level of penetration, definitely, but not in long-term.” Lackluster growth is still growth Missing projections is never good, but it’s hardly the end of the world for Netflix. The company remains the market leader and most competitors are still far from taking the company on. And while Netflix’s first-quarter subscriber growth wasn’t great, and its forecasts for the next quarter alarmed investors, it was just one quarter. Netflix has had subscriber misses before and it’s still the most dominant name in all of streaming, and even lackluster growth is still growth. It’s not as if people are canceling Netflix in droves. Asked about Netflix’s “second act” during the company’s post-earnings call on Tuesday, Hastings again placed the company’s focus on pleasing subscribers. “We do want to expand. We used to do that thing shipping DVDs, and luckily we didn’t get stuck with that. We didn’t define that as the main thing. We define entertainment as the main thing,” Hastings said. He added that he doesn’t think Netflix will have a second act in the way Amazon has had with Amazon shopping and Amazon Web Services. Rather, Netflix will continue to improve and grow on what it already does best. “I’ll bet we end with one hopefully gigantic, hopefully defensible profit pool, and continue to improve the service for our members,” he said. “I wouldn’t look for any large secondary pool of profits. There will be a bunch of supporting pools, like consumer products, that can be both profitable and can support the title brands.” Source link Orbem News #Big #Netflix

[spryfilm]

“The Son – Season One” (2017-present)

Drama

Episodes: 10 episodes

Developed by: Philipp Meyer, Lee Shipman, Brian McGreevy based on the novel by Phillip Meyer

Featuring: Pierce Brosnan, Henry Garrett, Zahn McClarnon, Jess Weixler, Paola Núñez, Elizabeth Frances, Sydney Lucas

Phillip Meyer: “No land was ever acquired honestly in the history of the earth.”

Released this month on DVD is a new Western of sorts in the form of a mini-series (although now getting a second season) in the form of “The Son” (2017-present), in a way a throwback to the giant miniseries of the 1980s but made on a micro level, as well as a limited budget that covers at least two time periods, both in the past which makes this a period piece, not only that but it covers ground familiar to many but also has resonance in todays world, politically, economically and socially. This is a world in Texas that is at once alien yet familiar to millions because of the many fictional and non-fictional stories set in that huge state.

Originally written as a novel under the same name by Phillip Meyer “The Son” is a sweeping family saga that traces the story of Eli McCullough’s transformation from good-natured innocence to calculated violence, as he loses everything on the wild frontier, setting him on the path to building a ranching-and-oil dynasty of unsurpassed wealth and privilege.

The series offers a look at the relatively recent history of Texas, the move away from cattle to the removal of oil from the land and the massive fortunes that were made after that was recognized as a viable way to turn the land for a profit. It also addresses the relationship as well as the genocide of the Native Americans, their replacement in the way in which the US treated their Southern neighbours, the Mexicans, and to a larger extent the entire South American population. It also addresses the border skirmishes that existed and how if you were not white then you were at the very least treated as second class citizens, at the worst treated as the enemy.

“The Son” is led by the great Pierce Brosnan who is the matriarch of the McCullough’s and who plays the part with not only ease but a level of excitement to see an actor of such stature really breathe in a part that is not only three dimensional but all to realistic. The character Brosnan plays, Eli is possibly the most complicated person he has ever played with layers of emotion, rage, pity and so much more that it must have been a gift to get this role this far into a very long career. It is no understatement to make that without a believable actor to play Eli this show would not be anywhere the show it is, which is a reflection of US politics and social values over the past two hundred odd years. Brosnan plays the part as a man who embraces change but at the same time looks back on his complicated past knowing he can never change it, would he want to? Who knows, but his past has defined him, everyone around seems to pay the price for that past whether he knows this or not. Another aspect of Eli is his true love for his family, which is as sincere as anything else I have seen. There can be a temptation that a man like Eli who wants power or money will do anything to get it even at the expense of his own kin, but he will do anything to protect them and not only that he genuinely gets on with his family, you often see him laughing with them which is original for a family drama.

This is a show with other great stand out performances running the ethnic gamut from white men to Native Americans to the Hispanic performers all are incredible which acknowledges the great work in the casting department, that is no joke, there is nary a false performance among this huge varied cast. My other favourite as well as extremely narratively important is that of Zahn McClarnon who plays the part of Toshaway a Native American in the early timeline who captured Eli then teaches him, appearing to him as a ghost in the future story, he is a great actor who knows how o vary his performance in every scene.

“The Son” is an extremely dense story that has a complicated narrative especially when considering that most of the time these type of narratives can be of little consequence, but in this story they are both vital not limiting the actions of the characters in the past as it is so far in the past that at times it seems like a different world. When viewing the two time periods it is telling about the change in technology from 1850 to 1915 we see the advent of the motor vehicle, the telephone, irrigation and many other aspects of life that someone Eli’s age in the modern period world find alien in the earlier part. The change in technology over those sixty years was sudden, abrupt, life changing as well as altering the fabric of the Western World especially the US, which again is a direct reflection of our own times in the new millenium. Interestingly just when you think you know where the story is headed in any given tie period it will pull the rug out from under you which is a narrative trick that really works, once I started watching this show I had trouble turning it off, it was addictive and I look forward to the second season.

Episodes:

First Son of Texas: In 1849, young Eli McCullough and his brother, Martin, are taken captive by Comanches; the remaining family members are killed. Blaming Eli for his family’s deaths, Martin becomes defiant with his captors and is killed in front of Eli. In 1915, Eli and his son Pete prepare for Eli’s birthday party, while contending with cattle thieves and saboteurs of their burgeoning oil business.

The Plum Tree: In 1849, Eli’s attempt to escape the Comanche camp is thwarted, and, after being punished, he becomes the Comanches’ slave. In 1915, Eli and Pete debate over their captive, Cesar, whom they caught fleeing a sabotaged oil rig. Eli tortures Cesar, believed to also be linked to the thefts. Pete later escorts Cesar to a river to release him into Mexico. However, Cesar attacks Pete, forcing him to kill Cesar and secretly bury him.

Second Empire: In 1915, Eli and oldest son Phineas meet with potential investor William Philpott, who declines due to Eli’s shaky finances and the unlikelihood of finding oil in the Rio Grande Valley. Back home, Pete experiences guilt over Cesar’s death.

Death Song: In 1849, young Eli must help a severely wounded Comanche back to camp, while evading Texas Rangers on patrol. In 1915, María García warns Pete that something bad is going to happen. He and Eli inform the Rangers of the Mexican rebels’ plan to derail a train. Eli is told to form a posse. They find tools to be used in the derailment and wait for the rebels to return.

No Prisoners: In 1849, the Comanches sneak up on a Tonkawa camp only to find it deserted, ravaged by smallpox. Eli is ordered to gather their horses and what supplies that he can. While doing so, he finds a survivor who specifies items to take, so that the Comanche will also become diseased. Eli refuses. In 1915, the McCulloughs’ notoriety from the ambush has consequences, when their homestead is attacked. Both Marie and Jeannie seek help, and it arrives with Pedro’s men fending off the rebels. Eli sees oil on Jeannie’s horse and asks what route she traveled.

The Buffalo Hunter: Young Eli finds a group of white hunters skinning some buffalo. He tells them that he recently escaped a Comanche camp, and the hunters vow to protect him, but Eli is merely a distraction for a Comanche raid. The lead hunter and a girl are taken captive. In 1915, Charles McCullough learns that Ramon, a farmhand, might have led the rebels there for the attack. Ramon is hanged in front of a remorseful Charles. Eli and Jeannie search for and find the oil seep, but it is in the Garcías’ territory.

Marriage Bond: Upon learning of Ramon’s death, Eli suggests to Pete that Charles leave the ranch. Pete takes Charles and Jeannie to the McCullough home in Austin. Charles admits his complicity, but adds that he didn’t expect Ramon would be hanged. Pete tells Sally that he cannot rise above his family’s violent tendencies and suggests the children remain in Austin. A troubled María visits him, and they have sex. In 1850, Eli tries to help Ingrid, the captive girl, who wishes to die, but Prairie Flower warns him to stay away from her. While hunting, Eli is approached by Charges the Enemy, who is courting Flower.

Honey Hunt: Charges returns to camp without Eli, stating that Eli escaped during the hunt. Flower wishes to search for Eli, but Toshaway informs her that her father accepted Charges’ dowry and the wedding will soon happen. She sneaks off to search for Eli, but Charges stops her by saying all supplies will be cut off from her family if she continues. She relents and they marry. In 1915, Pete and María plan for a future, once they are free from their respective spouses. Eli and Phineas attend a party for a judge, whom Phineas manages to bribe to help secure the oil seep on the García property.

The Prophecy: Young Eli, with his injured leg, finds a settler named Maggie at her camp. She nurses him back to health, but her solitude all these years after leaving her group seems to have affected her mind. However, she tells his fortune, mentioning his long life and having three sons. In 1915, Eli tells Phineas that his injury was a sign and calls off the bribe and oil scheme, at the risk of losing the ranch. Eli later finds a saloon burning; Phineas admits to it, only because Eli secretly wanted to frame Pedro García.

Scalps: With the rumor that Pedro García’s men were seen running from the saloon fire, Eli declares war and rallies an angry mob. Pete arrives at the García home to warn them. He suggests fleeing, but Pedro declines and prepares his men. Pete assists them and fires upon his father’s army. Many casualties occur on both sides; all of the Garcías are killed, except María who flees with Pete as seen by Phineas. When Eli relates the battle to his family, Sally asks about Pete. Alone, Phineas tells her the truth. The McCulloughs are later granted the García property. In 1850, Eli returns to the Comanche camp seeking revenge on Charges. Toshaway asks the elders for compensation, and they give him four horses; he also gives Eli a pistol of his own. Eli still pines for Flower. Later, on a hunt, the Comanches are attacked by Texas Rangers. Charges is shot, but Eli prevents a Ranger from scalping Charges who dies from his wounds. Eli then scalps the Ranger.

DVD review: “The Son – Season One” (2017-present) "The Son - Season One" (2017-present) Drama Episodes: 10 episodes Developed by: Philipp Meyer, Lee Shipman, Brian McGreevy based on the novel by Phillip Meyer…

[tmbacorbett]

Blog Tour: THE MOONS OF BARSK by Lawrence M. Schoen

File Size: 4850 KB

Print Length: 432 pages

Publisher: Tor Books (August 14, 2018)

Publication Date: August 14, 2018

Sold by: Macmillan

Language: English

ASIN: B078X2BG4R

Praise for THE MOONS OF BARSK

"Weird, wise, and worldly, Barsk: The Elephants' Graveyard is a triumph.” —Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of Red Planet Blues

“The second you encounter the arboreal uplifted elephants who speak with the dead, you know you're reading a work of singular imaginative power. It's a delight from beginning to end.” —Walter Jon Williams, Nebula Award-winning author of the Metropolitan series

“A captivating, heartwarming story in a unique and fantastic world... as rich and mysterious as Dune.” —James L. Cambias, author of A Darkling Sea

“A heartfelt and wonderfully weird book: a space opera about kindness and memory.” —Max Gladstone, author of the Craft Sequence

“A masterful, onion-layered tale of pariahdom, treachery, and genocide that ultimately reveals the true deathlessness of hope and love.” —Charles E. Gannon, author of Fire With Fire

“Combines excellent characters and a fascinating world. What really makes it work is how he deftly weaves together startling SFnal ideas with character-based intrigue. You'll really care for these characters, even as you find them believably alien. I found it a compulsive page-turner and immensely enjoyable.” —Karl Schroeder, author of Lockstep

“Powerful. Grand in scope, yet deeply intimate. Schoen gives anthropomorphism some serious spirituality. It got inside my head in the way that only an exciting new idea can.” —Howard Tayler, Hugo Award-winning creator of Schlock Mercenary

About the Book:

Years after the events of Barsk: The Elephants' Graveyard, the lonely young outcast and physically-challenged Fant, Pizlo, is now a teenager. He still believes he hears voices from the planet’s moons, imparting secret knowledge to him alone. And so embarks on a dangerous voyage to learn the truth behind the messages. His quest will catapult him offworld for second time is his short life, and reveal things the galaxy isn’t yet ready to know.

Elsewhere, Barsk's Senator Jorl, who can speak with the dead, navigates galactic politics as Barsk's unwelcome representative, and digs even deeper into the past than ever before to discover new truths of his own. 

You can purchase The Moons of Barsk at the following Retailers:

EXCERPT:

His ears dropped at the wonder of it, questions of math falling away for the moment. She wore a simple dress of pale brown with a slightly darker vest over it, both clung to her body as the rain soaked them. As she drew closer, he caught a faint floral scent, a perfume that had been popular decades ago. Her eyes locked on his face, her arms opened wide in greeting. The simple familiarity of the ritual provided a touchstone and he shook off his confusion, stammering the traditional reply as he had at other introductions, thousands of times over too many decades. “Perhaps our mothers knew one another.” The absurdity of his words hit him. Knew one another? It would require a Speaker, assuming one could be found who was old enough to have known either an Eleph named Layne or his own mother before they had sailed away and arrived here themselves. The framing of that puzzle brought the impossibility of the math back to his mind, now compounded. This was the final island. No one lived here. Each Fant sought it some few days after awaking to the knowledge that their death lay at hand and then strove to arrive on its shores. Nothing of the living world belonged here, least of all a … hostess.

Ryne sucked air hard as his mind raced with probability functions. Assuming the island’s perimeter contained an average span of usable beaches for bringing a boat to shore, arriving on the same day as another Dying Fant had better odds than the annual archipelago lottery. But this Bernath, she had called him by name, spoken of his home, and that unlikelihood exceeded all the stars beyond the clouded sky. He gawked at her as the words fell from his mouth. “You … you know me?”

“I feel as though I do, though I know we’ve never actually met. But in time, you and I will come to know one another far better. In time, I hope you’ll entertain some questions I have, questions about magnetic optics and the dynamics of charged particles on electromagnetic fields.”

His ears flapped back and down as he lowered the odds of his initial estimate, taking into account the thousands of students he’d had over a lifetime spent in academia, the many papers he’d presented and published. Even so, the math was still impossible. Cut the nearly infinite in half and one still had half an infinity. And yet the Eleph woman’s questions reflected some of his most recent work and unpublished theories, research that had never been a part of his classroom, calling into doubt his calculations once more. “You know my work?”

She closed the distance between them and, without inquiry or invitation, slipped her arm around his. “Indeed, yes. It has occupied much of my time in the last few years. You were so close to a breakthrough before you left, weren’t you?” She began leading him back toward the forest from which she’d come.

“I … I think I was. One can never be certain of course. The simulations were quite promising, but I needed funding to take things to the next level and—”

She patted his hand. “Funding won’t be a problem for you any longer. I promise.”

He snorted, a piercing trumpet of disbelief. “No matter how small the budget item—and the needs for my work were anything but small—in all my years at the university on Zlorka, funding physics research has always been a problem.”

“Look around, Ryne, revered scholar. Do you have any doubt that this island is not Zlorka? The limitations you endured at the university will not hamper you here.”

“You mean … I … I can continue my work? But I’ve … I thought I’d left that all behind, with my life. I’m dead now, aren’t I? Isn’t that why I’m here?”

“That life is dead, yes. Everything involving the people you knew, the bonds you forged with friends and colleagues, all the relationships you built, the vast family you have known—all that is gone. But I think you have a few years left to you. Don’t you agree? And wouldn’t you like to finish what you started? Surely you have some suspicion where it all leads. Now that life is behind you, what else is left but to follow the ideas of your mind’s creation down avenues no other being has ever conceived?”

“Of course, but—”

She guided him deeper into the trees, moving slowly in acknowledgment of his still labored breathing but without drawing attention to it. “I imagined as such. One does not settle for only a glimpse of how the universe works, not when there’s the chance to see so much more. By the way, I have to tell you, I had to argue with a number of the others to be the one to greet and welcome you.”

“Others?” Ryne paused, and Bernath patiently stopped as well. His gaze lifted, as if he could see through the dense forest, up ever higher, perhaps all the way to the canopy. “You’ve an entire, populated, Civilized Wood here?”

She laughed, a strange sound in his ears after days of deluge and constant bailing. “Of course. It wouldn’t be much of a city if we didn’t.”

“But—”

“Hush, Ryne. All these questions are natural enough, and you’re not the first to arrive here and ask them. I promise you, there’s a full and informative briefing in your near future and you’ll find the answers perfectly satisfying. Now come, let’s get you settled. No doubt you can use a hot meal, and a roof over your head, and an opportunity to put on some dry clothes.”

“That all sounds quite wonderful,” he admitted, though he never expected to experience any of that again. “If … if you think there’s time.”

“There’s plenty of time, now that you’re here. A couple nights of solid sleep in a comfortable bed will have you good as new. When you’re ready—and not before—there are more than a few people eager to meet you, students of a caliber you’ve never experienced, all waiting to discuss your work.”

He nodded, following along as in a dream, a part of him already crafting the next stages of his research, spinning off from the last notes he’d scrawled and left behind for his most promising students. After only a few steps deeper into the Shadow Dwell of this, the final island as he’d always understood it to be, he caught Bernath’s eye and asked, “So, is everyone wrong then? This isn’t where we come to die?”

“Technically, I suppose it is,” she said, as they left the last shore farther behind. “Death comes for all of us eventually. No one’s discovered any way to avoid that. But just because you’ve arrived here doesn’t mean you need to be in any rush to expire.”

“But then, if it’s not the end of the final voyage as we’ve all been taught, what is this place?”

Bernath laughed again and Ryne realized he could get used to the sound of such delight. She patted his arm as she replied, “I like to think of it as the best kept secret on all of Barsk.”

Copyright © 2018 by Lawrence M. Schoen

About the Author:

Photo Content from Lawrence M. Schoen

Lawrence M. Schoen holds a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology, with a special focus in psycholinguistics. He spent ten years as a college professor, and has done extensive research in the areas of human memory and language. His background in the study of human behavior and the mind provide a principal metaphor for his fiction. He currently works as the director of research and chief compliance officer for a series of mental health and addiction recovery facilities in Philadelphia.

He’s also one of the world’s foremost authorities on the Klingon language, and since 1992 has championed the exploration of this constructed tongue and lectured on this unique topic throughout the world. In addition, he’s the publisher behind a speculative fiction small press, Paper Golem, aimed at serving the niche of up-and-coming new writers as well as providing a market for novellas.

In 2007, he was a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. He received a Hugo Award nomination for Best Short Story in 2010 and Nebula Award nomination for Best Novella in 2013, 2014, and 2015. In 2016 he won the Kevin O’Donnell Jr. Service to SFWA Award, and his book Barsk: The Elephants’ Graveyard was finalist for the Nebula Award for Best Novel and went on to win the Coyotl Award. In 2017 he turned in the sequel to that work (codenamed: The BARSquel) as well as the fourth novella in his Amazing Conroy series, the ongoing adventures of ta stage hypnotist traveling the galaxy in the company of Reggie, an alien buffalito that can eat anything and farts oxygen. By the end of the year he anticipates completing the first book in a new series about lost cities and the advancement of human civilization.

Lawrence lives near Philadelphia with his wife, Valerie, who is neither a psychologist nor a Klingon speaker.

Giveaway:

 --Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

-  5 Winners will receive a Copy of THE MOONS OF BARSK (Barsk #2) by Lawrence M. Schoen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

source https://www.tmbacorbett.com/2018/08/blog-tour-moons-of-barsk-by-lawrence-m.html

[polandspringz]

i’m making a to-do list for tomorrow since i got side-tracked for over 2 hours ranting to my friends about the unlikelihood of OHSHC getting a season 2 based on merchandising and but the possibility when compared to trends with other series, and RWBY’s writing of Oscar

i apologize to my readers, lol. I feel bad i know a lot of you just followed me recently because of my writing but i feel like i need to almost work backwards to write this fic. like im writing ch 3 of “i’d rather be dry” and i want to just jump to what i need in ch 4 so i might do that and then come back to ch 3 to and finish it and then make tweaks to help both flow into one another. I also need to start writing ch 3 of siberia while proof reading ch 2 so im also one chapter ahead of whats published and then work on my other balance unlimited fic before episode 3 drops this coming week. Luckily that show is easier to write but i feel like i need to play obey me at some point during all of this cause im still only mid episode 15 and the new event just came out and I don’t want to end up waiting until the end of the event and playing because when i did that during the festival event my game glitched and none of the models loaded in so i couldnt enjoy the story ;-;

[dazzledbybooks]

From the author of The Demon Race comes a YA dark fantasy series inspired by Inuit mythology. In the heart of the frigid North, there lives a demon known as the Face Stealer. Eyes, nose, mouth—nothing and no one is safe. Once he returns to his lair, or wherever it is he dwells, no one ever sees those faces again. When tragedy strikes, Apaay embarks on a perilous journey to find her sister's face—yet becomes trapped in a labyrinth ruled by a sinister girl named Yuki. The girl offers Apaay a deal: find her sister's face hidden within the labyrinth, and she will be set free. But the labyrinth, and those who inhabit it, is not as it seems. Especially Numiak: darkly beautiful, powerful, whose motives are not yet clear. With time slipping, Apaay is determined to escape the deadly labyrinth with her sister's face in hand. But in Yuki's harsh world, Apaay will need all her strength to survive. Yuki only plays the games she wins. Below (North #1) by Alexandria Warwick Publisher: Wolf Publishing Release Date: February 4th 2020 Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy Book Links: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39813043-below Amazon: https://amzn.to/33oZ3GT B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/below-alexandria-warwick/1133914646?ean=9781733033404 Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/below-14 Excerpt: Original Source: http://www.alexandriawarwick.com/below-chapter-1/ CHAPTER 1 A white silence blanketed the land. Newly fallen snow, hushed. Pure, crystalline ice hardening against the pale bark of the trees. The chilled air that swelled with the slow, sleeping breaths of a world that had yet to wake. And a girl cloaked in heavy furs, waiting. Apaay studied the breathing hole in the ice. Her joints ached with cold and the hours she’d crouched, alone save her dog Nakaluq, who lay quietly curled by her side. It was the third time this week she had come to the frozen plain that was Naga, the Eastern Sea, and she vowed it to be the last. Above, the sky was a spill of black ink. The long night was only in its first month, which left five months of darkness to endure. The moon, a shard of pale light, cast a watery sheen upon the ground. It was not enough. Keeping her attention on the breathing hole, Apaay slowly removed the harpoon slung across the bulk of her fur parka. She supposed there were worse things in life than lack of sunlight. Here on the frozen sea, she knew true peace. The sea was sleeping beneath the ice. And the seals were, too. Her gaze slid to Nakaluq’s still form. Unsurprisingly, he was sleeping as well. She nudged his flank with one of her sealskin boots. “Wake up.” A white cloud streamed from her lips. His eyebrows twitched, and he curled his body tighter, bushy tail draped across his nose. A clear dismissal that he should not be disturbed. Apaay rolled her eyes, for this was his absolute favorite game: feed me, and I will awaken. “You’re supposed to be my lookout. You know, to alert me when danger is near?” One of his large, triangular ears flicked west, toward the direction of her village. No sound, no danger. He grumbled, burrowing further into his warmth. The wind had begun to pick up, and it was cutting. “I guess you don’t want your treat then,” she crooned. Immediately, Nakaluq sprang to his feet, prancing around as if to say, Look at me, I’m awake! Apaay snorted at the ridiculous display before wrapping an arm around his neck, pulling him close, and pressing a brief kiss to his snout. His pelt was a perfect reflection of the tundra—white flecked with gray. Snow on stone. “Sit still. You’re making me tired.” Nakaluq side-eyed her. “Don’t look at me that way.” The look that implied maybe she wouldn’t be so tired if she were dreaming with Mama, Papa, and Eska in their ice house, warm and safe in slumber. Dreaming. What a lovely notion. It was simple, really. They needed to eat. They needed clothes, tools, oil for their lamps. Over the last few years, the seal population had dwindled, and she wondered if someone had disrespected the old rules. The Sea Mother did not take offense lightly. Without her favor, the marine life would travel elsewhere for the remainder of the season, proving for a difficult hunt. Decades had passed since anyone had sighted the Sea Mother beyond her watery silence. The sea grew restless. Apaay did as much as she could, but often it was not enough. Her earlier attempts at harpooning a seal had ended in failure. The first time, she had struck too soon. The second, too late. Like this, Eska would say. Try again. And Apaay loved Eska. She did. But she could love her sister with the whole of her heart while also wishing things did not come so easy for her. When she thought deeper on the issue, it was actually quite ironic. Her parents would be displeased to know she was out here alone, and yet who would come, if not her? As if sensing her sadness, Nakaluq sidled closer. “You know how Papa is,” she told her friend. “How can he expect to hunt with a broken leg? Or Mama, already busy with sewing and cooking and cleaning?” A heavy paw settled on top of Apaay’s hand, the rough pads scraping against her mittens. She squeezed it. “Or Eska, too busy drooling over Lusa?” Her sister scowled whenever Apaay teased her about it, though admittedly she did drool over the girl. A lot. Leaning close, Apaay whispered to Nakaluq, “Though not as much as you.” The dog huffed as if offended. Her smile fell as she again examined the breathing hole, huddling only a few feet beyond its slick edge. Black water struck the hard, icy rim. She did not have to worry. Even when her breathing shallowed out, she did not have to worry. This time of year, the ice was frozen four feet solid. There would be no cracks. Still, she shuffled back to put another foot of distance between herself and the ledge. Her fingers tightened on the harpoon, the head a glint of carved ivory, the line curling along the ground. Drifting snowflakes clung to the ruff of wolverine fur encircling her hood. Movement in the water. Apaay held herself absolutely still. She was night, and snow, and hard, glinting ice. The seal’s slick head breached the dark liquid, whiskers twitching, its skin a mottled blue-gray. Its pupils were wet and black, no white to see. It hadn’t yet spotted her. As he’d been trained to do, Nakaluq remained motionless beside her, little more than a boulder among the ice as she lifted her harpoon in an unhurried motion so the animal wouldn’t startle. It would only take a few breaths before submerging again. Her harpoon came down. The seal vanished in a splash of water. Apaay swore and lurched to her feet. Two hours of waiting and what did she have to show for it? Nothing. Her stomach hollowed out from the sense of failure, the anxiety of her family’s diminishing food stores, which would not last another week. She waited another thirty minutes despite the unlikelihood of the seal returning. It would instead travel to another breathing hole, one without a sharp stick aimed at its head. The nearest one lay a half-mile north and wasn’t frequented as often as this one. It would be so nice to return home and slip beneath her furs. Rest, refuel, maybe even dream. But they needed to eat. Apaay whistled for Nakaluq as she approached the sled parked some yards away. Grabbing the harness, she looped it around his body and front legs so it hit him high on the chest. He was of stocky build, with powerful haunches built for endurance and a dense, double coat. “My sweet, sweet boy,” she murmured, rubbing behind his ears. He nuzzled his nose against her chest like he used to do as a pup. The memory softened her hunting frustrations, and she buried her face in his neck before mounting the sled. Two short whistles sent him north, the sled’s walrus-bone runners cutting lines through the thin layer of powder dusting the frozen sea. The runners’ smoothness pleased her, as they had only been recently completed after she had run the last sled, quite literally, into the ground. An accident, she’d claimed, but Papa had been furious nonetheless. Never one to waste anything, she had recycled the old material to build a swifter, lighter sled body, large enough to lash multiple seals to its base. Above, the stars were hard pinpricks of light. The wind was a brutal, shredding force, stinging her cheeks and eyes, scouring her rough, chapped lips. There was nothing that was not hardened or chiseled in the North. It was a land of contrasts, white and black and gray, uncolored, unhospitable to all except those who had been born here. This was why Apaay admired the land. And this was also why she feared it. With the temperature far below freezing, the second breathing hole had already iced over when she arrived. Using the tip of her harpoon, Apaay chipped away the thin film, the splintering sound causing her to flinch. She had just settled down to wait when a whistle carried high upon the wind. Three short bursts, followed by a longer note—the signal for friend. “Apaay!” Uh-pai. Two figures approached, their silhouettes bulked in thick layers. Nakaluq perked up, and his tail, curled over his back in alertness, began to wag back and forth. Apaay waved to Eska and her good friend, Chena. “Over here!” They joined her at the breathing hole, her younger sister ruffling Nakaluq’s fur in greeting. “You know most people are asleep right now,” Eska said with amusement. “Right?” Her mouth widened, more smirk than smile. The world was cold, but in her heart, she felt warm. “You know I’m not most people.” “Trust me, I’m aware.” Her attention slid to Chena, who was unusually silent, her small mouth grim. Silver limned the soft line of her friend’s jaw. Apaay said to her sister, “You speak as if that’s a bad thing.” “Not everyone is so sure of themselves.” A snort sprang free at how untrue that statement was. What was more, that Eska would think such a thing. Apaay was stumbling along in life, chasing at the heels of those ahead. She shrugged. “Maybe. But let’s talk about what’s really important: my new joke.” “Let’s hear it.” “What did the shark say to the whale?” Eska made a show of thinking deep thoughts, even though she probably already knew the answer. It was a game they sometimes played. Who could think of the most cringe-worthy joke? “I give up.” “What are you blubbering about!” She snorted out a laugh. “Get it? Blubbering? Because—because the whale has blubber—” Eska sighed, her face softening with affection. “That was terrible, you know.” Apaay had always thought her sister beautiful, even as a child, and for the longest time, Apaay hadn’t the words to describe why that beauty was admired. People would mention how bright her eyes were, how smooth and round her cheeks were, how precious was her dimpled chin, her mouth like a rosy bud. But now she understood what had eluded her for years. In a land that knew no warmth, Eska exuded what people craved: light, and a feeling of comfort, and peace. “Anyway,” Apaay said, lifting her eyebrows, “you’re one to talk. Why are you out now, except to annoy me? You should be in bed.” “Oh.” Her sister ran a mitten over Nakaluq’s back and sent Chena an unreadable look. “No reason.” She glanced at the sled, its empty base. “Any luck?” Apaay offered a brief, close-mouthed smile, trying to ignore the sudden tension she felt at so few words. “Not yet.” Her sister didn’t know how truly dire their situation was, and she would like to keep it that way. “If you need a break soon, let me know.” And risk Eska taking the kill? “I’m fine, but thank you.” She turned to Chena. A definite paleness washed out the warmer undertones of her skin. It was concerning, but not uncommon. It was easy to catch a cold at this time of year. “How is Muktuk doing?” Apaay asked, speaking of Chena’s brother. “Has he learned the name of his new baby yet?” She tucked her braid back inside her hood. “Not yet. My father is supposed to arrive sometime this week.” Apaay nodded and returned to studying the breathing hole. Chena’s father had traveled to one of the neighboring villages, where his mother—Chena’s grandmother—currently lived. She and the elders would assemble to discuss the baby’s name-soul. This was the Analak way. Someday when she was old enough, Apaay hoped for the opportunity in choosing a baby’s name-soul too. Names did not simply continue individual lives. They continued the life of the community. When the village celebrated a birth, they both celebrated a new person as well as the return of the namesake, or the deceased person from whom the name-soul was taken. These names, these kinship ties, were the threads that bound their community together. After a few minutes, Eska said, with an absurd amount of nonchalance, “Pana was asking for you last night.” She very nearly gagged. “Ugh. Spare me.” “Apaay!” “What? The man is softer than whale intestines. And anyway—” She slid her harpoon free as the water rippled, lowering her voice. “—he doesn’t actually like me. He just wants to . . . you know.” Chena murmured, “You won’t even give him a chance?” Apaay shot her friend a cutting look. The only reason she’d spent time with him was because he sometimes gave her the smaller of the seals if he killed two. But they didn’t need to know that. She had no patience for softness like Pana. It was a hard, jagged world out there. The North would carve you up, spit you out if you let it. There was no place for vulnerability on the ice. “Not all of us have someone like Silla in our lives. And can you both please lower your voices? You’ll scare the seals away.” At the young man’s name, a flush deepened the bronze of Chena’s cheeks. “Right. Silla.” Strained laughter bubbled up, and she clamped her lips together. Apaay looked at her friend. Really looked at her. She was about to ask what was wrong when Eska stated loudly, “It’s probably for the best. No doubt you’d chew Pana up if given the chance.” It was not untrue. “Yes, he’d sob into his bear skins and then where would we be? Now hush. A seal’s coming.” “Apaay—” The ripple flattened into calmness, and Apaay waited, hoping a seal would breach its warm, liquid safety for the chance to take a breath of air, but their voices must have chased it back into the water’s deep. Apaay sat back on her heels, glaring at her sister. At least Eska had the grace to look apologetic. “Sorry.” Apaay took a breath to quell her frustration. Since the animal would probably not return, she’d have to come back tomorrow. Tonight, she would go home empty-handed. Again. Eska reached for the harpoon. “I can get a seal for you. I know of another place—” “I can manage on my own,” Apaay said, snatching it away. “I’ll come back tomorrow.” “But the breathing hole isn’t far.” “I said I’ll come back tomorrow.” Something about Eska shrank, became small. “I’m just trying to help.” Apaay hated herself for saying it, because it had been an accident, and Eska was kind, and her sister, whom she loved more than anything, but she said, “You’ve helped enough, don’t you think?” Chena glanced between them, clearly uncomfortable. “Apaay—” “What?” If she had come all this way, done all this work, it was not so Eska could take the kill from her. Call it selfishness, but for once, just once, Apaay wanted to prove she was as equally capable a hunter as Eska. The seal would be hers. Hers to kill, hers to claim. “Every day that passes is a day closer to starvation. So I’m sorry if I want to make sure we have something to eat next week. If it had been quiet as I had asked, maybe our problem would be solved.” It was hurtful, what she said. Disappointment in her performance made her cruel when she should be kind. “But I guess we’ll never know.” Eska’s eyes swam with unshed tears. Saltwater lapped against the ice, gently. “I’m going to go home then,” she whispered. Apaay nodded, looking to the tops of her boots. “I think that would be best.” “I am sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t know about—I didn’t know.” With one last look to Chena, she left. Darkness soon swallowed her. A few minutes passed before Chena spoke. Her face was grave. “That was a bit harsh, don’t you think? She’s only fourteen.” “I know that, but everything comes so easy to her.” The last word she choked off. Apaay blinked rapidly against the sting in her eyes. Truly, it wasn’t Eska’s fault. All Apaay asked for was a chance. “Every time I fail to bring in a seal, or forget to replenish the oil stores, or ruin some other task, it’s another mark against me. You know I want to lead the hunt this summer.” The men had long ago told her no, and yet she was a burr they could not remove, clinging to their clothes, blowing back in with the force of a blizzard whenever one of the younger men puffed out his chest, claiming this was not her place. Apaay knew why they told her no. She was too flighty, some claimed. Too lost, others said. A leader commanded respect, exuded confidence, and built trust, acting as a beacon in the dark. Why would they ever choose someone like her, unreliable and drifting, to lead? To which Apaay would counter, how could she prove herself if not given the chance? “You are under a lot of pressure,” Chena agreed. “It would make anyone’s patience short.” But. She heard a but in there. Apaay rubbed a palm over her face, dislodging the ice that had condensed around her nose and mouth and eyes. Guilt swam through her. “I’ll apologize.” Chena was right. She had acted unnecessarily harsh toward Eska out of her own insecurity. With the hunt a failure, they decided to return home. Nakaluq hauled the sled while she and Chena traveled on foot until they reached the shore. A cairn, as tall and wide as a man, the stones in browns and grays and stacked atop one another, signified the break between sea and unsea, as well as marked the direction to their community. Snow crunched and caved beneath their boots. This was a still, silent land. Its hush sank deep into the earth, rooting down with those of the bracken and the trees. Their village was located two miles southwest. Boreal forest, thick and lush and evergreen, lay to the south. Open tundra lay to the north. Chena, normally doing everything she could to fill the silence, was unusually quiet. A slight furrowing of her brow had Apaay resting a palm on her friend’s arm. “Is everything all right? You don’t look well.” Chena shook her head, gaze elsewhere. Apaay pulled her friend to a stop and turned the shorter girl to face her. “There is something wrong.” The realization was bright. “Apaay—” “Tell me.” Chena’s glare cut through the gloom. Apaay noticed her fingers digging into her friend’s shoulders, and she loosened her grip. “Sorry.” There was something between them she couldn’t see, filling up the space, pressing out her certainty and ease. The regret she felt for snapping at Eska didn’t help. A shuddering sigh slipped through the chill air. Chena rubbed her mittens over her face, cheeks red and chapped from the wind. “It’s about Silla. We slept together last month.” “So?” “As in we slept together.” Oh. Oh. “Was it—I mean—” Chena cupped her elbows in her palms. “He was good to me.” Her throat worked, as if she wished to hide these words by swallowing them down. “But I realized afterward I wasn’t wearing my pregnancy charm.” Her mouth parted in understanding as her stomach dropped. And dropped. She glanced at Chena’s belly, its softness shielded behind layers of fur. Life swelled beneath it and would one day open its eyes to the world. Clearing her throat, she looked away, unsure of what to say. “Eska told me to come to you,” Chena whispered. “I need help. I don’t know what to do.” The words wavered, a touch desperate. “We’re not even married. I’m not sure if he’ll be able to support me and the child. I mean, he’s a capable hunter, a hard worker, and while he’s excited to be a father, I can’t—I mean—” Her eyes glittered, so dark, so very wide. “I’m not ready for this.” Apaay pulled her friend along, wanting to keep their blood flowing. Chena, pregnant. She could hardly wrap her mind around it. They walked for perhaps half a mile in silence before Apaay asked, “Have you told your mother?” “No. I’m afraid to.” The hill they climbed steepened, but once they reached the top they’d be able to see their village. Apaay glanced over her shoulder to check on Nakaluq and was not surprised to find him only a few feet behind, the sled’s runners having carved deep tracks into the snow. Apaay said, through shallow huffs, “I think you should tell her.” “What if she hates me?” “She won’t hate you. She loves you. You’re her daughter.” “Yes, and now a pregnant one.” Reaching down, Apaay squeezed Chena’s hand. So delicate, so small. “I know it doesn’t feel like a joyous occasion, but it will. You’re going to be a mother.” Not even the worthiest of hunters could overshadow the act of raising and caring for another. “You also have me. If there’s anything you need, I will do whatever I can to help.” Chena nodded, the lines bracketing her mouth easing into smoothness. A moment later, her nose crinkled in distaste. She lifted it to the wind. “Do you smell that?” The scent hit as they crested the hill: sharp and acrid, unclean. Nestled in between clumps of frozen trees, sixty ice houses lay like small mounds of snow upon the ground. Except they were not greeted by glittering white domes. Gray streaks sullied the ice—a spattering of filth. The world rained ash as black smoke hissed from down below, pouring into the sky like blood from an open wound. About the Author: Alexandria Warwick is the #1 fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender. She is the author of The Demon Race and the upcoming North series. Author Links: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15371632.Alexandria_Warwick Website: http://www.alexandriawarwick.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexandriawarwick/ Giveaway: Prize #1: Win (1) signed paperback copy of BELOW by Alexandria Warwick (US Only) Prize #2: Win (1) e-copy of BELOW by Alexandria Warwick (INT) Starts: 29th January 2020 Ends: 12th February 2020 a Rafflecopter giveaway Tour Schedule: https://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2019/11/tour-schedule-below-north-1-by.html January 29th The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club - Welcome Post January 30th NovelKnight - Guest Post Love, Stars and Books - Review Nyctophile nerd - Review Jrsbookreviews - Review Fanna Wants The World To Read - Review January 31st L.M.Durand - Official Dream Cast The Book Bratz - Top 10 list Whispers & Wonder - Review Book Blog London - Review biblioxytocin - Review February 1st The Reading Corner for All - Story Behind The Cover Dazzled by Books - Guest post Library of a Book Witch - Review The Reading Chemist - Review BookCraic - Review February 2nd Kayla’s Wordsmithy - Book Style/Mood Board The Reading Life - Guest Post Foals, Fiction & Filigree  - Review + Favourite Quotes Shelf-Rated - Review Morgan Vega - Review + Favourite Quotes February 3rd Sereadipity - Character Interview Bookish Looks - Top 10 List Milky Way of Books - Review Sometimes Leelynn Reads - Review + Dream Cast Books_andPoetrii - Review + Favourite Quotes February 4th Musings of a (Book) Girl - Meet The Characters To All The Books I've Read Before - Story in 3 or 5 GIFs The Bibliophagist - Review + Favourite Quotes Mahkjchi's Not-So-Secret Books - Review + Favourite Quotes Traveling Through the Pages - Review

http://www.dazzledbybooks.com/2020/02/below-blog-tour-excerpt_1.html

[courtneytincher]

In 1988, Military Experts 'Fought' a Simulated World War III in Asia. Millions Died.

The United States took a more aggressive stance in the 1988 wargame. Instead of waiting for a Soviet attack, Washington immediately began air and unconventional offensives against installations in the Soviet Far East, designed to decimate Soviet air defenses and threaten the survival of military-industrial installations. For their part, the Soviets hoped that a reticent military stance and a diplomatic offensive could keep Japan out of the war. This gambit succeeded to a point, as the Japanese suspended active military cooperation with the United States. American pressure eventually forced Tokyo to yield, and the Soviet opened offensive operations against the archipelago. By this time, however, the U.S. Navy had devastated Soviet naval forces, confining the Pacific fleet to its bastion in the Sea of Okhotsk.Nearly every analyst during the Cold War agreed that, if Moscow and Washington could keep the nukes from flying, the Central Front in Europe would prove decisive in war between the United States and the Soviet Union. The NATO alliance protected the Western European allies of the United States from Soviet aggression, while the Warsaw Pact provided the USSR with its own buffer against Germany.(This first appeared several years ago.)But when the Cold War really went hot, the fighting took place in Asia. In Korea and Vietnam, the Soviet Union waged proxy struggles against the United States, and both sides used every tool available to control the destiny of China. However, while few believed that the Pacific theater would determine the victor of World War III, both the United States and Soviet Union needed to prepare for the eventuality of war there.Scholars have devoted far less attention to the planning of World War III in East Asia than to the European theater. The two classic novels of the Third World War (Tom Clancy’s Red Storm Rising and John Hackett’s The Third World War) rarely touched on developments in Asia. However, in the 1970s and 1980s, the Naval War College traced the potential course of war in East Asia as part of a series of global war games. These games lend a great deal of insight into the key actors in the conflict, and how the decisive battles of a Second Pacific War might have played out.The Players:ChinaHow would China have reacted to the onset of a war between NATO and the Warsaw Pact? Beijing certainly regarded the survival of NATO as critical to its security from the 1970s on. The existence of NATO prevented the USSR from concentrating the bulk of the Red Army and of Soviet strategic aviation against China; a Soviet victory in the West would have put China in great peril. By the 1980s, China stood at a massive technological disadvantage against the USSR. Moreover, Beijing worried (perhaps rightly) that even if the USSR held its nuclear fire against NATO, it would view a strategic exchange with China as less risky. Thus, there was no guarantee that China would open a second front against the USSR.JapanJapan combined extraordinary economic strength with significant military power and a crucial geographic position. A Japan committed to the United States could effectively prevent the sortie of the Soviet Pacific Fleet, while enabling attacks against the Soviet Far East. A neutral Japan limited these options, but still provided the NATO alliance with a strong economic foundation in case of a protracted war. Washington had the advantage; it only depended on how and how much.KoreaWould North Korea have joined a general Soviet war against NATO by invading South Korea? Such a move would have put extraordinary pressure on U.S. forces, although by the 1980s South Korea could probably survive with only measured U.S. assistance. However, Pyongyang answered to two masters; it required the support of both Beijing and Moscow. Given the unlikelihood that China would support a Soviet war against NATO, the prospect of Beijing’s acquiescence in a second Korean War would have been extremely sketchy.Southeast AsiaThe Soviets had an ally in Hanoi, but no means to support that ally against either China or the United States. Moreover, the Vietnamese had little to gain from joining a conflict; they were substantially controlled by Laos and Cambodia, and could do little more than harass shipping lanes in the South China Sea. However, given the bloody nose that Vietnam had inflicted on both countries in 1975 and 1980, neither Washington nor Beijing would have had much interest in reopening the conflict, especially with far more pressing issues at hand. That said, Vietnam could still make some mischief with U.S. allies in the region, and the PRC still had scores to settle.The Chess Pieces:Soviet Pacific FleetThe Soviets took the Pacific seriously. By the 1980s, the fleet included two Kiev class aircraft carriers, and one Kirov class battlecruiser. In peacetime, the ships of the fleet sailed widely, regularly visiting Southeast Asia and even the Indian Ocean. Wartime, however, would have tightly constrained their operations. The Sea of Okhotsk served as a bastion for the SSBNs of the fleet, and naturally as a target for U.S. attack. Soviet objectives would have included the neutralization or defeat of Japan, the defense of the Russian Far East and potentially the penetration of the Pacific in order to attack maritime supply networks and distract U.S. attention from Europe.U.S. Pacific FleetThe United States Pacific Fleet commanded the balance of power in the region. With several carrier battlegroups supported by a variety of amphibious assault ships, battleships, nuclear attack submarines and a large array of land-based aircraft, the U.S. Navy could have undertaken both offensive and defensive operations to control the pace and course of the war. Moreover, the Japanese Maritime Self Defense force and the Royal Australian Navy could have both offered extensive support to the Americans. The central objectives for Allied naval forces would first have been to detect and defeat any Soviet efforts to penetrate attack submarines into the Pacific or Southeast Asian shipping lanes. Second, the U.S. Navy had taken upon itself a mission of attacking the periphery of the USSR directly, in order to distract the Red Army from the Central Front in Europe. At a minimum, this would have involved missile and airstrikes against Soviet installations throughout the Far East. At a maximum, it could have involved amphibious assaults against lightly defended Soviet targets. The War GamesThe Naval War College examined the potential for World War III in Asia as part of its global war game exercises in the 1970s and 1980s. Played annually between 1979 and 1988, each of the games explored alternative strategic and technological aspects of a confrontation between the superpowers. Although generally focused on Europe, the games always included an East Asian component. While the early wargames saw some variance (informed to some degree by the Sino-Vietnamese War), they held to a basic pattern; the Soviets hunkered down, while U.S. and allied naval forces chipped away at the bastions and tried to distract the Russians from Europe.The 1984 wargame played out much differently. Instead of sitting on its hands, the Soviets opened the war with a massive air and missile assault against Japan. This assault destroyed most Japanese air assets on the ground, along with those of the US. special operators delivered by submarine and by clandestine civilian ship-launched unconventional attacks against U.S. bases across the Pacific, including Guam and Pearl Harbor.The Soviets unleashed Pyongyang early in the conflict, redirecting U.S. attention towards the Korean Peninsula. Washington had effective answers; it quickly undertook offensive anti-submarine operations in the Sea of Japan, decimating Soviet SSN and SSBN forces. Soviet surface ships also came under attack. Nevertheless, in a daring move the Soviets launched a successful amphibious assault against Hokkaido. Although the operation suffered heavy losses, it succeeded in establishing a beachhead in Japan (though this was later withdrawn under fire).The United States took a more aggressive stance in the 1988 wargame. Instead of waiting for a Soviet attack, Washington immediately began air and unconventional offensives against installations in the Soviet Far East, designed to decimate Soviet air defenses and threaten the survival of military-industrial installations. For their part, the Soviets hoped that a reticent military stance and a diplomatic offensive could keep Japan out of the war. This gambit succeeded to a point, as the Japanese suspended active military cooperation with the United States. American pressure eventually forced Tokyo to yield, and the Soviet opened offensive operations against the archipelago. By this time, however, the U.S. Navy had devastated Soviet naval forces, confining the Pacific fleet to its bastion in the Sea of Okhotsk.Late in the war, the Soviets gave Pyongyang the green light to invade South Korea. However, this operation backfired, as the North Koreans failed to make substantial progress against combined U.S. and South Korean forces. Moreover, the Soviet move confirmed the U.S.-Japanese alliance, and helped drive Beijing into a much more hostile disposition towards the Soviets.Both the Soviets and the Americans had options in Asia. The strategic environment was far more fluid than in Europe, allowing a variety of different choices to disrupt and destabilize the opponent. This made the course of war far less predictable. At its (nonnuclear) worst, war could have raged across Asia on multiple fronts, from Korea to Japan to the Sino-Soviet border. At its best, the combatants might have observed an uneasy quiet, at least until it became necessary to outflank a stalemate in the West. But as was the case in Europe, everyone concerned is fortunate that tensions never led to open combat.Robert Farley, a frequent contributor to the National Interest, is author of The Battleship Book. He serves as a senior lecturer at the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce at the University of Kentucky. His work includes military doctrine, national security and maritime affairs. He blogs at Lawyers, Guns and Money, Information Dissemination and the Diplomat.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines

The United States took a more aggressive stance in the 1988 wargame. Instead of waiting for a Soviet attack, Washington immediately began air and unconventional offensives against installations in the Soviet Far East, designed to decimate Soviet air defenses and threaten the survival of military-industrial installations. For their part, the Soviets hoped that a reticent military stance and a diplomatic offensive could keep Japan out of the war. This gambit succeeded to a point, as the Japanese suspended active military cooperation with the United States. American pressure eventually forced Tokyo to yield, and the Soviet opened offensive operations against the archipelago. By this time, however, the U.S. Navy had devastated Soviet naval forces, confining the Pacific fleet to its bastion in the Sea of Okhotsk.Nearly every analyst during the Cold War agreed that, if Moscow and Washington could keep the nukes from flying, the Central Front in Europe would prove decisive in war between the United States and the Soviet Union. The NATO alliance protected the Western European allies of the United States from Soviet aggression, while the Warsaw Pact provided the USSR with its own buffer against Germany.(This first appeared several years ago.)But when the Cold War really went hot, the fighting took place in Asia. In Korea and Vietnam, the Soviet Union waged proxy struggles against the United States, and both sides used every tool available to control the destiny of China. However, while few believed that the Pacific theater would determine the victor of World War III, both the United States and Soviet Union needed to prepare for the eventuality of war there.Scholars have devoted far less attention to the planning of World War III in East Asia than to the European theater. The two classic novels of the Third World War (Tom Clancy’s Red Storm Rising and John Hackett’s The Third World War) rarely touched on developments in Asia. However, in the 1970s and 1980s, the Naval War College traced the potential course of war in East Asia as part of a series of global war games. These games lend a great deal of insight into the key actors in the conflict, and how the decisive battles of a Second Pacific War might have played out.The Players:ChinaHow would China have reacted to the onset of a war between NATO and the Warsaw Pact? Beijing certainly regarded the survival of NATO as critical to its security from the 1970s on. The existence of NATO prevented the USSR from concentrating the bulk of the Red Army and of Soviet strategic aviation against China; a Soviet victory in the West would have put China in great peril. By the 1980s, China stood at a massive technological disadvantage against the USSR. Moreover, Beijing worried (perhaps rightly) that even if the USSR held its nuclear fire against NATO, it would view a strategic exchange with China as less risky. Thus, there was no guarantee that China would open a second front against the USSR.JapanJapan combined extraordinary economic strength with significant military power and a crucial geographic position. A Japan committed to the United States could effectively prevent the sortie of the Soviet Pacific Fleet, while enabling attacks against the Soviet Far East. A neutral Japan limited these options, but still provided the NATO alliance with a strong economic foundation in case of a protracted war. Washington had the advantage; it only depended on how and how much.KoreaWould North Korea have joined a general Soviet war against NATO by invading South Korea? Such a move would have put extraordinary pressure on U.S. forces, although by the 1980s South Korea could probably survive with only measured U.S. assistance. However, Pyongyang answered to two masters; it required the support of both Beijing and Moscow. Given the unlikelihood that China would support a Soviet war against NATO, the prospect of Beijing’s acquiescence in a second Korean War would have been extremely sketchy.Southeast AsiaThe Soviets had an ally in Hanoi, but no means to support that ally against either China or the United States. Moreover, the Vietnamese had little to gain from joining a conflict; they were substantially controlled by Laos and Cambodia, and could do little more than harass shipping lanes in the South China Sea. However, given the bloody nose that Vietnam had inflicted on both countries in 1975 and 1980, neither Washington nor Beijing would have had much interest in reopening the conflict, especially with far more pressing issues at hand. That said, Vietnam could still make some mischief with U.S. allies in the region, and the PRC still had scores to settle.The Chess Pieces:Soviet Pacific FleetThe Soviets took the Pacific seriously. By the 1980s, the fleet included two Kiev class aircraft carriers, and one Kirov class battlecruiser. In peacetime, the ships of the fleet sailed widely, regularly visiting Southeast Asia and even the Indian Ocean. Wartime, however, would have tightly constrained their operations. The Sea of Okhotsk served as a bastion for the SSBNs of the fleet, and naturally as a target for U.S. attack. Soviet objectives would have included the neutralization or defeat of Japan, the defense of the Russian Far East and potentially the penetration of the Pacific in order to attack maritime supply networks and distract U.S. attention from Europe.U.S. Pacific FleetThe United States Pacific Fleet commanded the balance of power in the region. With several carrier battlegroups supported by a variety of amphibious assault ships, battleships, nuclear attack submarines and a large array of land-based aircraft, the U.S. Navy could have undertaken both offensive and defensive operations to control the pace and course of the war. Moreover, the Japanese Maritime Self Defense force and the Royal Australian Navy could have both offered extensive support to the Americans. The central objectives for Allied naval forces would first have been to detect and defeat any Soviet efforts to penetrate attack submarines into the Pacific or Southeast Asian shipping lanes. Second, the U.S. Navy had taken upon itself a mission of attacking the periphery of the USSR directly, in order to distract the Red Army from the Central Front in Europe. At a minimum, this would have involved missile and airstrikes against Soviet installations throughout the Far East. At a maximum, it could have involved amphibious assaults against lightly defended Soviet targets. The War GamesThe Naval War College examined the potential for World War III in Asia as part of its global war game exercises in the 1970s and 1980s. Played annually between 1979 and 1988, each of the games explored alternative strategic and technological aspects of a confrontation between the superpowers. Although generally focused on Europe, the games always included an East Asian component. While the early wargames saw some variance (informed to some degree by the Sino-Vietnamese War), they held to a basic pattern; the Soviets hunkered down, while U.S. and allied naval forces chipped away at the bastions and tried to distract the Russians from Europe.The 1984 wargame played out much differently. Instead of sitting on its hands, the Soviets opened the war with a massive air and missile assault against Japan. This assault destroyed most Japanese air assets on the ground, along with those of the US. special operators delivered by submarine and by clandestine civilian ship-launched unconventional attacks against U.S. bases across the Pacific, including Guam and Pearl Harbor.The Soviets unleashed Pyongyang early in the conflict, redirecting U.S. attention towards the Korean Peninsula. Washington had effective answers; it quickly undertook offensive anti-submarine operations in the Sea of Japan, decimating Soviet SSN and SSBN forces. Soviet surface ships also came under attack. Nevertheless, in a daring move the Soviets launched a successful amphibious assault against Hokkaido. Although the operation suffered heavy losses, it succeeded in establishing a beachhead in Japan (though this was later withdrawn under fire).The United States took a more aggressive stance in the 1988 wargame. Instead of waiting for a Soviet attack, Washington immediately began air and unconventional offensives against installations in the Soviet Far East, designed to decimate Soviet air defenses and threaten the survival of military-industrial installations. For their part, the Soviets hoped that a reticent military stance and a diplomatic offensive could keep Japan out of the war. This gambit succeeded to a point, as the Japanese suspended active military cooperation with the United States. American pressure eventually forced Tokyo to yield, and the Soviet opened offensive operations against the archipelago. By this time, however, the U.S. Navy had devastated Soviet naval forces, confining the Pacific fleet to its bastion in the Sea of Okhotsk.Late in the war, the Soviets gave Pyongyang the green light to invade South Korea. However, this operation backfired, as the North Koreans failed to make substantial progress against combined U.S. and South Korean forces. Moreover, the Soviet move confirmed the U.S.-Japanese alliance, and helped drive Beijing into a much more hostile disposition towards the Soviets.Both the Soviets and the Americans had options in Asia. The strategic environment was far more fluid than in Europe, allowing a variety of different choices to disrupt and destabilize the opponent. This made the course of war far less predictable. At its (nonnuclear) worst, war could have raged across Asia on multiple fronts, from Korea to Japan to the Sino-Soviet border. At its best, the combatants might have observed an uneasy quiet, at least until it became necessary to outflank a stalemate in the West. But as was the case in Europe, everyone concerned is fortunate that tensions never led to open combat.Robert Farley, a frequent contributor to the National Interest, is author of The Battleship Book. He serves as a senior lecturer at the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce at the University of Kentucky. His work includes military doctrine, national security and maritime affairs. He blogs at Lawyers, Guns and Money, Information Dissemination and the Diplomat.

August 11, 2019 at 01:30PM via IFTTT

[rolandfontana]

One Solution to Rural Jail Budget Woes: Import Prisoners

Sheriff’s offices typically aren’t big on revenue generation. But in Iowa’s rural Wayne County, overflowing inmates from contiguous counties have been contributing hundreds of thousands of dollars to local authorities’ justice budget–and in the process helping all of them cope with a burgeoning rural justice crisis.

The biggest customer? Nearby Lucas County, where locals opted to build a 24-hour holding facility instead of replacing their jail. Next is Appanoose County, where the jail struggles to hold even one-fourth of its inmate population.

The two counties have paid just shy of $1 million to Wayne County since 2009 to hold overflow inmates.

From July 2017 to June 2018, the most recently completed fiscal year, Wayne County collected $185,225 from the two counties. With a budget of around $1.7 million per year, money from housing other county’s inmates covered about 11 percent of the budget.

Appanoose and Lucas counties represent just the most frequent customers at the Wayne County jail. They hold other inmates, as well, including some from Warren County while the county builds its newly approved jail.

Wayne County, located in southern Iowa, is the fifth least populous county in the state

Wayne County could, in theory, earn more if Sheriff Keith Davis desired to.

But the southern Iowa sheriff Davis said he keeps the cost fair. Some jails elsewhere in the state can charge $75 per day for each inmate, if not more. Wayne’s daily rate is nearly half that.

Wayne County’s jail capacity, now at 31 beds following an expansion about five years ago that added eight beds (referred to by a sign as Appanoose County West), is the maximum their current site can hold. Davis said citizens wanted their new law center to be built on the square, thus the facility is largely land-locked in terms of future expansion space.

Projections of Wayne County’s own inmate population predicted they would need those 31 beds by the time the facility’s 20th birthday rolled around. And the county’s jail population is indeed growing.

Partially due to the influx of cash from holding other county’s inmates, the sheriff’s office has added another deputy. Plus, last year they took over law enforcement in Corydon as the city disbanded its police department. The younger deputies hired since then are arresting more people, Davis said.

Davis said the jail wasn’t constructed as a revenue generator, but project leaders knew that would be a possibility. Holding excess inmates allowed them to open up the expansion wing of eight additional beds earlier than scheduled without needing to pass an additional bond.

The money can’t be traced to specific projects but sending thousands of dollars back to the county’s general fund each month makes it easier to convince the Wayne County Board of Supervisors to fund Davis’ priorities.

“It makes it easier for me to go to the board and say, ‘Hey, I want this,’ or, ‘I need this,’” Davis said.

Last year, Davis paid $770,000 back to Wayne County, between inmate holding revenues and excess collections from local option sales tax that funded their jail construction.

“That’s a pretty good chunk of our budget that we actually return to them,” Davis said.

The county has also been able to save money on medical and mental health services since a larger inmate pool allows them cheaper rates for those services.

“Our medical bills were killing us,” Davis said.

They now have a doctor on call around the clock, which has saved several inmate trips to the local emergency room. They also have nurses that make rounds three times per week.

Regional Jail Plans Stall

 In the late 1990s and into the early 2000s, local counties including Appanoose and Wayne were attempting to band together to replace their jails with a larger regional one, big enough to house everyone’s prisoners.

It was recommended then, according to past stories in the Daily Iowegian, that a 144-bed jail be built with future expansion possible to 200 beds. It was anticipated to be enough to hold a six-county area of inmates until at least 2030.

A study completed in December 1999 found that six counties — Appanoose, Davis, Decatur, Lucas, Monroe and Wayne — could save money by jointly merging efforts to construct the jail.

In June 2000 a $150,000 grant was awarded to develop a strategic plan for the project.

The project stalled, however. Money expected from the state fell through, sidelining the project at the time. Prospects of a regional jail are dead, now.

Of the six counties involved, Appanoose is the only one that hasn’t had new construction.

Wayne, Monroe, Davis and Decatur counties have constructed new jails in the past decade, with a total bed count of roughly 105 between them. Lucas County opted to go with a holding facility, meaning inmates kept longer than 24 hours must be farmed out.

Appanoose County’s inmate population has continued to grow, averaging 22.4 inmates in custody per day and about two new inmates booked every day in 2017.

But two bond referendums to build larger facilities have failed to get the necessary support from Appanoose County residents, the biggest objection appearing to be that the bonds would be funded from property taxes

Additionally, the average stay by Appanoose County inmates is up just in the past five years. In 2014, the average inmate would stay in jail for about 8.4 days. In the first nine months of 2018, that average was sitting at 12.4 days per stay.

New Jail, Empty Beds

On May 5, 2015, voters in Davis County widely approved the construction of a new, 28-bed jail and law center. That same day, the county’s more than 40-year-old jail held just four inmates.

That wasn’t a fluke, from 2012 until the new jail was opened in 2017, the average number of inmates bounced between four and five most days. According to the daily counts reported to the state, and obtained and analyzed by the Daily Iowegian, there were many times in 2015 the jail sat empty.

In 2017, Davis County’s inmate population suddenly jumped, consistently hitting double digits. The new jail that voters approved in 2015 was open, and beds were being filled by inmates from outside the county.

Many of those inmates are coming from neighboring Appanoose County, which averages a daily population roughly triple what its jail can hold legally. The jail, which can hold nine inmates at a time, sits in a county that has been responsible for as many as 38 inmates at a time.

When Davis County was studying the issue, a report showed crumbling structures at its old facility. The building that housed the county’s law enforcement was repurposed from an 1892 building. In 1972, the jail was moved to what had been the water treatment plant on site from its former location beneath the county courthouse.

Among the biggest reasons for the new construction was these building and space issues for both the jail and law enforcement officers.

From 2012 through 2017, Davis County averaged roughly 4.7 inmates a day, though that number had spiked once to 13.

Those who studied the new Davis County Law Center and jail saw a history of population that remained relatively flat year to year. Their projections were based on the unlikelihood that would continue, citing nearby counties that are experiencing ballooning population.

Based on that and a modest five percent growth each year for the next 20 years, project leaders predicted by 2027 the jail would have 15 inmates of its own each day.

In the meantime, Davis County will, like other area counties, benefit from holding Appanoose County’s overpopulated inmates.

Additional reading: Rural (In) Justice: The Crisis in America’s Rural Jails

Kyle Ocker, editor of the Daily Iowegian, is a 2018 John Jay/Rural Justice Reporting Fellow. This is an edited and slightly condensed version of the first of a series of articles on the rural jail crisis written as part of his fellowship project. The full article is available here.

One Solution to Rural Jail Budget Woes: Import Prisoners syndicated from https://immigrationattorneyto.wordpress.com/

[transhumanitynet]

Shock Level 5: Anthropic Implications (part 3 of 6)

The following article is part of a six-part Transhumanity.net series, comprising a single, previously unpublished paper delivered at the 2010 Humanity+ UK conference in London. The presentation was originally titled “Shock Level Five: Augmented Perception, Perceptuo-Centrism, and Reality”.

The anthropic principle (Carter, 1973) is based upon the observation that conditions in the universe as we observe it are exactly what they need to be in order for us to exist. That is to say, there are a number of ways in which the universe might be described or measured, and in every case where such a measurement would need to fall within extremely narrow parameters in order for human beings to exist, it does. Let us momentarily leave aside objections to this kind of reasoning or consideration of its value, and take a brief look at a few illustrative observations.

Dicke (1961) noted that if the universe were one order of magnitude (i.e. ten times) younger or older than it is understood to be, then human life could not exist. One order of magnitude younger, and there would not have been sufficient time to build up requisite levels of vital elements (such as carbon) by nucleosynthesis, meaning that small rocky planets like Earth would not exist. One order of magnitude older, and most stars (other than the dimmest red dwarfs) would have turned into white dwarfs, and stable planetary systems would have ceased to exist.

Dicke also argued that the density of matter in the universe is observed as having almost exactly the critical value required to prevent a Big Crunch (i.e. a future return to Big Bang conditions). Weinberg (1987) has additionally noted that if the cosmological constant (which appears to be the primary contributor to the critical density of matter in the universe) were one order of magnitude larger, then the universe would suffer catastrophic inflation (precluding the formation of stars).

Similarly, the dimensionless physical constants (also known as fundamental physical constants), such as the “fine-structure constant” which describes the strength of electromagnetic interactions, are observed as having exactly the values required to balance the four fundamental interactions (electromagnetism, strong interaction, weak interaction, and gravitation), thus permitting the formation of the commonly-observed matter from which life has emerged. Small changes in the relative strengths of the four fundamental interactions would also have implications for our understanding of the universe’s age and structure, in turn making it all the more remarkable that their observed values fall within the narrow range compatible with human existence.

A “weak” form of the anthropic principle asserts that our location in the spacetime continuum is in some way privileged, in that it can support our kind of life. Whereas the weak form allows for the possibility that the universe may have spacetime regions inhospitable to human life (such as periods in the very early or late life of the universe), the “strong” form asserts that the fundamental physical parameters of the entire universe must be such as to allow for the existence of observers at some point during its existence. Alternative interpretations of the principle have been proposed, including the possibility of multiple universes, only some of which are capable of supporting observers (Stenger, 2000).

Perhaps the most common objection to the anthropic principle (in either form) is that it is merely a tautology. In other words, one might object that it is unsurprising that the universe should have exactly the characteristics required to support human existence, since if it were otherwise then we would not be here to observe it. It may be the case that the anthropic principle is indeed merely a tautology, requiring no special explanation of the observed state of affairs (such as the existence of alternative universes, or that we live in a simulation of some kind), but if that is so then we must accept one of three corollaries.

The first corollary is that sentient observers could (and would) exist in a universe radically different to our own, in which there may be little matter recognizable to us, and therefore no small rocky planets or stable star systems. Second corollary: That the presence of sentient observers is in no way a special or “privileged” situation, and our universe has no greater intrinsic value than one in which no life can exist. Third corollary: That life is in some way valuable and requires recognizable conditions to exist, and therefore the very existence of our observed universe represents an extraordinary statistical unlikelihood.

Nick Bostrom (2002) has noted an alternative to such possibilities; that a selection effect or “anthropic bias” appears to be behind the anthropic principle. It may be the case that a statistically remarkable “just right” universe (as ours appears to be), or any of the other explanations mentioned above, are not required to explain our observations. It could be the case that our universe simultaneously manifests all possible values for every potentially observable parameter (only some of which we are capable of perceiving or even existing within, by virtue of our physical structure), or at least that it manifests a wider range of values than the very small set we are capable of observing or existing within.

  References:

Bostrom, N. (2002). Anthropic Bias: Observation Selection Effects in Science and Philosophy. Routledge.

Bostrom N (2003) Transhumanist FAQ: What is Transhumanism? In Transhumanist FAQ. Humanity Plus. http://humanityplus.org/learn/philosophy/faq#answer_19 Cited 15 Jan 2010

Carter, B. (1973). Large Number Coincidences and the Anthropic Principle in Cosmology. IAU Symposium 63: Confrontation of Cosmological Theories with Observational Data, pp. 291–298. Dordrecht: Reidel.

Davis, J. (2009, October 29). Peoria’s first cochlear implant surgery has grandfather rediscovering life. Peoria Journal Star.

Dicke, R.H. (1961). “Dirac’s Cosmology and Mach’s Principle”. Nature 192: 440–441.

Gibbs, J.W. (1901). Elementary Principles in Statistical Mechanics. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.

Good, I. J. (1965). Speculations concerning the first ultraintelligent machine. In F.L. Alt and M. Rubinoff (Eds.) Advances in Computers, vol 6 (pp31-88). Academic.

Kurzweil, R. (2005). The singularity is near. London: Gerald Duckworth & Co.

Leary, T. (1983). Flashbacks. Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher.

Loizou, P.C. (2006). Speech processing in vocoder-centric

cochlear implants. In Møller A (Ed.), Cochlear and Brainstem Implants, vol 64 (pp 109–143). Basel: Karger.

Moravec, H. (1999). Robot: Mere machine to transcendent mind. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

More, Max. (1993). Technological self-transformation: Expanding personal extropy. Extropy 10, vol.4 (no.2).

Stavenga, D.G. and Arikawa, K. (2006). Evolution of color and vision of butterflies. Arthropod Structure & Development, 35, 307-318.

Stenger, V.J. (2000). Timeless Reality: Symmetry, Simplicity, and Multiple Universes. Prometheus.

U.S. Department of Energy (2010) Office of Science. In: Artificial Retina Project. http://artificialretina.energy.gov/ Cited 15 Jan 2010

Vinge, V (1993). Technological singularity. Paper presented at theVISION-21 Symposium sponsored by NASA Lewis Research Center and the Ohio Aerospace Institute, March 30-31, 1993.

Weinberg, S. (1987). Anthropic bound on the cosmological constant. Physical Review Letters, 59, 2607–2610.

Yudkowsky E S (1999) Future Shock Levels. SL4.org. http://www.sl4.org/shocklevels.html Cited 15 Jan 2010

  Shock Level 5: Anthropic Implications (part 3 of 6) was originally published on transhumanity.net

[pamphletstoinspire]

Catholic Physics - Reflections of a Catholic Scientist - Part 32

Philosophic Issues in Cosmology 6: Are we special?--the Anthropic Coincidences

“Scientists are slowly waking up to an inconvenient truth - the universe looks suspiciously like a fix. The issue concerns the very laws of nature themselves. For 40 years, physicists and cosmologists have been quietly collecting examples of all too convenient "coincidences" and special features in the underlying laws of the universe that seem to be necessary in order for life, and hence conscious beings, to exist." Paul Davies.

" The argument (the Anthropic Principle) can be used to explain why the conditions happen to be just right for the existence of (intelligent) life on the earth at the present time. For if they were not just right, then we should not have found ourselves to be here now, but somewhere else, at some other appropriate time." Roger Penrose.

"One doesn't show that something doesn't require explanation by pointing out that it is a condition of one's existence. If I ask for an explanation of the fact that the air pressure in the transcontinental jet is close to that at sea level, it is no answer to point out that if it weren't, I'd be dead.” Thomas Nagel, Mind and Cosmos.

"A common sense interpretation of the facts suggests that a super-intellect has monkeyed with physics, as well as with chemistry and biology, and that there are no blind forces worth speaking about in nature.  The numbers one calculates from the facts seem to me so overwhelming as to put this conclusion almost beyond question." Fred Hoyle

This is the 6th in a series of posts summarizing an article by George F.R. Ellis on Philosophic Issues in Cosmology.

The 10,000 dials and 10,000 monkeys analogy

The presence of organic life in the universe (namely us) requires a series of unlikely happenings and restricted values for physical laws and constants.  This “fine-tuning” (as it's been called) has been likened to a room full of 10,000 dials, each of which has to be set to a precise setting in order to achieve action; 10,000 monkeys are let into the room and each adjusts a dial and, lo, action occurs.  The set of coincidences was termed “The Anthropic Principle” by Brandon Carter in 1973, when he introduced it in a conference to oppose the “Copernican Principle”, that man has no special place in the universe.

References

The Anthropic Principle has been discussed extensively in books and articles.  There is a concise summary by Robert Koons in his philosophy lectures , giving various interpretations, with arguments for and against each. (I'll summarize some of these below.) A good collection of articles with different (and opposing views) of the Anthropic Principle is given in God and Design (ed. Neil Manson).  There are many versions of the Anthropic Principle ranging from the Weak Anthropic Principle, WAP, which tautologically observes that if the universe weren't fit for us to be here we would wouldn't be here discussing the principle (see the Penrose quote above), through the Strong Anthropic Principle, SAP, that the universe has been fine-tuned for intelligent life (us), on up to the Completely Ridiculous Anthropic Principle (by Martin Gardner—you complete the acronym).

Can unlikelihood be quantified?

In assessing the improbable nature of the anthropic coincidences, some authors assign a specific probability to the value of some particular physical constant. Such assignment is not always justified, because probability considerations are ill defined, in the usual sense of evidential probability.  For example, theoretical calculations have shown that if the strong nuclear force were 2 % higher or 2 % lower, then the elements as we know them would not have been formed. This does not mean that the probability of having the strong nuclear force at an anthropic value is 4%. In order to give a probability for this range, the population distribution of the parameters for the strong nuclear force would have to be known. Moreover, there is a difficulty in using probability in an after-the-fact, rather than a predictive sense. The way to use probabilities in assessing the anthropic coincidences is via Bayesian probability techniques, with well-defined prior assumptions, and to use the resulting Bayesian probability as a measure of belief.

Ellis's interpretation

Ellis, in his presentation of the anthropic coincidences, focuses on the special nature of physical laws that allow for the presence of life, rather than on their improbability:

“One of the most profound issues in cosmology is the Anthropic question...why does the Universe has the very special nature required in order that life can exist? The point is that a great deal of “fine tuning” is required in order that life be possible. There are many relationships embedded in physical laws that are not explained by physics, but are required for life to be possible; in particular various fundamental constants are highly constrained in their values if life as we know it is to exist...What requires explanation is why the laws of physics are such as to allow this complex functionality (life) to work. ...We can conceive of universes where the laws of physics (and so of chemistry) were different than in ours. Almost any change in these laws will prevent life as we know it from functioning.”

Ellis posits as a first requirement for the laws of physics “the kind of regularities that can underlie the existence of life”:  laws that are not based on symmetry and variational principles are unlikely to produce the kind of complexity that would be required for life. He also sets up general conditions that allow for organic life and cosmological boundary/initial conditions.  In this respect he cites the following as necessary:

“Quantization that stabilizes matter and allows chemistry to exist through the Pauli exclusion principle;

The number D of large spatial dimensions must be just 3 for complexity to exist.

The seeds in the early universe for fluctuations (quantum fluctuations) that will later grow into galaxies must be of the right size that structures form without collapsing into black holes...

The size of the universe and its age must be large enough...we need a sufficiently old universe for second generation stars to come into existence and then for planets to have a stable life for long enough that evolution could lead to the emergence of intelligent life. Thus the universe must be at about 15 billion years old for life to exist.

There must be non-interference with local systems. The concept of locality is fundamental, allowing local systems to function effectively independently of the detailed structure of the rest of the Universe. We need the universe and the galaxies in it to be largely empty, and gravitational waves and tidal forces to be weak enough, so that local systems can function in a largely isolated way.

The existence of the arrow of time, and of laws like the second law of thermodynamics, are probably necessary for evolution and for consciousness. This depends on boundary conditions at the beginning and end of the Universe.

Presumably the emergence of a classical era out of a quantum state is required.  The very early universe would be a domain where quantum physics would dominate leading to complete uncertainty and an inability to predict the consequence of any initial situation; we need this to evolve to a state where classical physics leads to the properties of regularity and predictability that allow order to emerge.

The fact that the night sky is dark...is a consequence of the expansion of the universe together with the photon (light particle) to baryon (mass particle) ratio. This feature is a necessary condition for the existence of life: the biosphere on Earth functions by disposing of waste energy to the heat sink of the dark night sky. Thus one way of explaining why the sky is observed to be dark at night is that if this were not so, we would not be here to observe it.

Physical conditions on planets must be a in a quasi-equilibrium state for long enough to allow the delicate balances that enable our existence, through the very slow process of evolution, to be fulfilled.” (see the Theology of Water.)

There are a number of other constraints, limited values for forces—gravity, electromagnetic, weak nuclear, strong nuclear—and fundamental constants, including that for particle masses and number of particles that are needed for life to evolve. In summary, Ellis puts the Anthropic Principle as the following:

  “Life is possible because both the laws of physics and the boundary conditions for the universe have a very special nature. only particular laws of physics, and particular initial conditions in the Universe, allow the existence of intelligent life of the kind we know. No evolutionary process whatever is possible for any kind of life if these laws and conditions do not have this restricted form.”

Robert Koons summarizes some general objections to invoking the Anthropic Principle for carbon-based life "well isn't that special" (as the Church Lady might say):

The problem of "old evidence";

Laws of nature don't need to be explained;

We had to be here in any event (see Penrose's quote above);

Exotic life might exist;

The Copernican Principle--rejection of anthropocentricity is fundamental to science;

We're only one among many universes (see below).

Objection 1 can be countered by the argument that such evidence is used frequently in science when direct experiments can't be done--witness the General Relativity explanation of the advance in the perihelion of Mercury.

Objection 2 would do away with all interpretations of theory, quantum mechanics, and the philosophy of science.

Objection 3 is countered as in Thomas Nagel's quote above; as information seeking life form we need explanations.

Objection 4 is invalid--we're talking about conditions for carbon-based life; science-fiction can explore and has explored conditions for exotic life.

Objection 5--the Anthropic Principle was introduced to rebut the Copernican Principle.

Objection 6--the multiverse proposition is not itself proven.

The philosophic/metaphysical context for these Anthropic conditions that Ellis sets forth will be given in the final post for this summary.  It should be noted that one interpretation of the anthropic coincidences is the theory that infinitely many universes with potentially different physical laws and constants exist and so it is not unlikely that in all these one universe with appropriate conditions for life would be present.  The analogy is like that of having a lottery ticket with the numbers 1 1 1 1 1 be the winner.  That combination of numbers looks improbable, but since there are a whole host of numbers from 00000 to 99999, it is no less probable than any other number.  This brings up the notion of a multiverse, which will be discussed in the next post. (See Part 33)

Ed. Note:

I am sorry that I cannot properly display all the various pictures or tables on the post. They will, however, be displayed on the pamphlet containing this post, and a link will be provided for your convenience.

From a series of articles written by: Bob Kurland - a Catholic Scientist

[blue-opossum]

A Lottery Scam

        Morning of October 30, 2017. Monday.

        I am in my present home with Zsuzsanna as we are now. There is a focus on some sort of new lottery that is being held. It is based on people selecting values of several different kinds. When I read over the different materials, I start to think about the extreme unlikelihood of anyone winning.

        This is because the lottery uses superscript numbers and subscript numbers in addition to normal numbers as well as letters of the English alphabet in both uppercase and lowercase. One example of typical values to play in the lottery as it appears in the pamphlet includes a series of random letters followed by ten to the eleventh power, fourteen in base six, and other numbers. Even more so, I learn that the lottery results may or may not be given on television at the time designated and that when you pay to play, there may not even be a draw for that payment.

        I read on one left side page of how a woman (unknown) was surprised at winning the lottery with the following: 10 10 10 10 12 12 12. Looking at this, I realize that an actual win would be impossible, not only because of the variety of possible values, but because the values can be repeated. Zsuzsanna and I talk about this as my dream fades.

        I believe this dream came about from thoughts about how easily some people are deceived by sociopaths, pathological liars, wannabe dictators, and religious zealots on the Internet. I feel very lucky, more so blessed, in my life with Zsuzsanna and our children at this stage of my life.