#an explanation exclusively for you dear audience

[izutsoupmi]

Magia Cyan - Annotated: - The same way that (I keep insisting) momo is based on tomoyo ccs, saki's design is based on Daughter Of All Time sakura ccs - In japanese flower language, sunflowers mean "I look only at you" and "admiration/longing", and here momo is to sunflowers as saki is to sun, we all understand. If the site i was checking wasn't lying to me and the number of flowers does, in fact, matter, then 11 sunflowers additionally means "beloved/dearest" - That's my phone. I know japan is iphoneland and i know momo has an iphone but I Don't and it was easier to just use what i had instead of finding the one specific picture at the one specific angle with the video setting for the camera on. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me - Michiko dropped out of uni to become lord enorme and feels/is directly responsible for cyan's disappearance. It kinda just Feels Right that she would've jumped ship around the start of her second year (which wouldve also been the second year of hs for momo/randa/saki). My plan was for saki to do this big reveal and then bolt so i guess we're looking at a summer 2018 timeframe, since that's when sunflowers bloom? knowing how long the mgh took would make this a lot easier... (but i kinda drew myself into that corner, huh) - it's 04:37:56 on the camera timer bc i'm reffing ch. 43 (baiseleo vs pesca, which doesn't have much to do with anything but is the only one that i could feasibly turn into a time code of some kind) and ch. 56 (shio-chans SoL), the 7 is a / :^)

BONUS: the design draft (?), the first AND firstest sketches, and miss girl, unobscured

[phlurrii]

It’s finally time to introduce the secondary project I’ve been working on >;Dc

I’ve had this queued for sometime in June, did not check when, so hello on [random date in june] ;D

I’m also here to explain how I’ll be posting this stuff going forward! Everything will be posted here, on my main account before being reblogged over to Soul’s Anchor a side bog with the place holder title. Unless it deals with more adult/suggestive content or heavier topics, of which will be exclusively posted to Soul’s Anchor side blog. As I don’t want certain themes alongside AM! I’ll also be referring to this series as Anchor for short! I will encourage any and all Questions, Mentions, and Thoughts to be directed there for those interested and those who are not, dw! You’ll only see the initial posts here, no asks or follows up, but this is still my art account and I shall enjoy it as I please ;3

Brief Synopsis about the Story:

A queer love story following a cursed pirate and a cult refugee implanted with a god’s eye as they combat the reality of living in a world which was created solely to feed the gods that govern it. All whilst a sapphic couple attempt to help guide the pair along a path to to a better future, one that’s validity comes into question. A dark fantasy story that aims to represent the disabled community, the LGBTQIA+, and SA survivors written by fellow members of these communities.

Also brief disclaimer, I, Phlurrii, am simply an ally to the disabled community, my partner in crime writing alongside me, ArtJunco on Instagram, is our resident community member ;]

Anyways onto the meat of this!

Below is a collection of some, emphasis on some, of the concept art and processes I went through to develop and create one of the two main characters, Lumae.

Here are some of the earliest ideas, the basic thoughts I had in my brain when developing this goober after a 3 hours pacing in my kitchen at 1 am when that inspiration struck. His hair was the HARDEST bit for me to figure out. Which sucked as usually the hair is one of the first things I figure out because of how much I love it, so it was Agony while brainstorming that part.

I also briefly considered a goatee, however it was so cruelly shot down by my dear friend. So in stead we compromised that he may get one later down the line story wise… and see how we feel then. However, upon finally figuring out his hair I was bloody elated, still has some tweaks now and then, but the base is there.

As for this next concept, this was actually the FIRST thing created for Lumae and what started everything else about his character/design! His eyes! They are still my favourite but about him and something I adore whole heartedly! They are the core of his character ;3c

These next few are early refs and mock ups of his full design, testing our colours, experimenting with shading, getting used to drawing humans again, and general concepts I had for him as a character! Also a sneak peak at Ayric, our second main goober for this story! Who was lovingly designed and created by ArtJunco!

And finally his most recent WIP ref! The only thing currently bothering me about his design is the colour for his boot covers, I have no idea what to do with them so I’d you have suggestion or ideas, sincerely, feel free to shoot an ask to the Anchor blog! I’d genuinely love outside opinions!

As for the main curiosity of why I’m doing this, for those that missed the last post, I’ll give a brief explanation below ;3

To help with burnout so I can hop between fixations, help to avoid losing interest in AM in the future!

Keep up practicing humans and critters alike.

To take a break from story telling to do story building! Give the telling part of my brain a break, while still making cool stuff ;]

To have a more interactive blog with ya’ll! One where I’ll likely be asking advice and discussing a lot more hypotheticals, doodling asks, and general audience interaction given I am not bound by any updates! Purely just “ooo… shiny-“ and anyone is welcome to join me ;D

Last thing I request is to please read Anchor’s blog bio/description before you follow, as this story will deal with subjects not suited for all audiences posted/discussed exclusively on that blog.

Anywho, that’s all for now folks, hope you enjoyed this brief intermission to kickoff the second project being public!

[skuntank]

11 for Cynthia or Diantha, 9 for both of them?

thank you very much, my dear sir....

11. Just for Fun: Describe what the first five pictures in your character’s Instagram would be.

oh this is a GOOD question, i like this one a lot. i want to answer it for both of them lmao.

cynthia: like ive said before, i dont see her being a hugely avid social media user. but if she were, i see her having two accounts: one for more professional work, such as stuff to do with archeological work she is doing, and is more for educational and informative purposes. it isnt at all personal in nature and feels more like an account run by some nerd who is just really passionate about their work. most of the photos would involve little snippets and explanations of dig sites, artifacts, fossils, scenery, and perhaps museum exhibits she has helped contribute to. every once in a while, maybe a random wild pokemon that has wandered up to her out of curiosity accompanied by the text talking about how it stole her lunch after she turned her back. another rare type of photo you might get would be of her in her dig clothes and mildly sunburnt with a small team of other archeologists looking just as disheveled but excited.

i feel that she would also make regular posts about fundraisers and charity groups she likes and advocate for things she feels strongly about, like conservation and education.

her second account would be a personal one that is locked and has far fewer followers (exclusively people she knows irl) and far fewer posts. she doesnt post much on it but what photos are there are usually the selfies she takes with diantha, photos of her pokemon, and maybe a few random ones of something delicious she ate.

i also think there would be a promotional account for the sinnoh league, which i feel each league would have one, but its run by a manager and features things like official events, if any league members are on tour or something, and other general news pertaining to league stuff. and as champion, of course she gets featured on it regularly, but its never her making the posts herself.

diantha: i see diantha being a little more Online than cynthia in some ways, but is still very guarded about her personal life. again, i see her having a couple different accounts. she too would probably have a locked personal account for friends and family, but she would also have a public account for fans to follow. nothing too personal would be posted, but like ive shared before, there would be behind the scenes snippets, ootd posts, some discussion about makeup and whatever look shes done for that day, and here and there some semi-personal posts that dont go too deep, like if she has traveled somewhere and took a nice photo of a view she liked or the rare selfie of her and cynthia.

she would also make posts to promo her projects she is a part of, and promo the projects of other actors whos work she enjoys and wants to help get more eyes on their work. i imagine shes done a lot to help lesser known artists get more of an audience. every once in a while there might be a video she will post where she talks about an opinion on something or other. oh lol i just realized, she would also sometimes do videos in character for characters she has played and do short little memey or jokey things as said characters

i feel like her fans would do the thing that fans often do where they would ask about fan theories or what x character shes played thinks of x thing or does she think x character she has played has feelings for another character and she would sometimes indulge and give her thoughts, or answer in character in non-conclusive ways.

there would also be the league promotional account where she would be featured, like the sinnoh league one i talked about. and in addition to that, i imagine there would be a different professional account for her projects that kathi lee or maybe some social media specific manager runs that posts about the films and shows shes in, interviews shes done, upcoming appearances she will be making, and high quality photos taken of her during shoots or while at ceremonies or in character or whatever.

this got long (and didnt even really discuss specific photos oops) so ill answer the other question in a separate post lol

[asherlockstudy]

Rhett and Link’s problems with the Enneagram

I have now watched both Enneagram EBs and the second one actually set my gears to work (So Anon here it comes! I promise it was spontaneous).

After listening to Link and mostly Rhett talk about the Enneagram again and again, I realised I have a problem but I can not place its exact root. There is either something fundamentally wrong with the Enneagram itself or maybe it’s Rhett and consequently Link who talk about it in a way that made me feel a little uncomfortable.

My problem and cause of concern was that everything that was said during the two podcasts had a clear negative tone to it. I will have to bring in myself to it to give you an example so bear with me for a paragraph. I did the test and I am a 5 (Investigator - Observer, something like that) which suits me rather well, especially since it agrees perfectly with my Myers-Briggs INTP type. The results said I was a 5w6 (essentially an emotionless analytical robot) which is definitely wrong as I am clearly a 5w4 (a sad mess who analyses the world and searches pointlessly for the true meanings in life and wants to come up with the ultimate all-encompassing philosophy). I mean, OK, they are not described exactly like that but trust me, that’s the point. But despite all the flaws associated with it, especially in the fields of socialising and tremendous procrastination due to an insane fear of failure, I am actually very much in touch with it. I revel in analysing, in trying to see the bigger picture, to make up my own theory about life and the world. It gives me fuel to go on, it fills me with excitement, it gives me a purpose.

Now, what I kept hearing from Rhett and Link are the things they would hope to run away from. I can’t seem to remember a single positive thing they said about their personalities. All traits they mentioned ( which were all pretty one-dimensional for both I dare say) were presented in the context of torturing them and having to confront them. With these insights in their personalities and the spiritual deconstructions earlier, their old (surprising back then) statement that they are “fundamentally sad people” makes more and more sense. Some of their traits, like Link’s care for perfection to the smallest detail and his moral concerns could have been neutral or positive but, no, they are almost all given as clear negatives or at least as things that have an emotional toll on them.

This gives me the impression that Link and especially Rhett have found comfort in studying the Enneagram and try to find an explanation for what they are like, to feel part of a group, represented in their misery. In short, they focus on the analysis of the flaws of their personalities as a part of who they are and avoid dealing with the root that caused said flaws. Link is more self aware while Rhett still struggles to reach the root of it, which is his childhood. Not that he doesn’t know it but he can’t just deal with the people and the situations that impacted him enough to make him a three. For instance, Rhett seems to believe that he is a natural three that his parents made manifest even more strongly. It could be the case or the threeness we observe in him is the direct product of his parents’ constant judgement. By keeping chanting he needs to “be” instead of “do”, I am not sure Rhett will achieve much. Honestly, the one impactful step he needs to take is to stop caring about what his father thinks and I am sorry to say he is still not near achieving this. Especially when I take into account how scared he was during his videocall with his dad in GMM and how relieved he looked after the call was over without drama. In short, my problem with their take in the Enneagram is that it seems that Three is Rhett’s pack of unresolved issues rather than his complete personality type.

Furthermore, Rhett speaks knowingly about all numbers / personality types which proves he consumes passionately all Enneagram information that is available. For a man of his level of active lifestyle, hectic schedule and impatience, this shows that he indeed seeks comfort in finding a detailed description and an explanation for his personality, for the way he feels and acts. What does this mean? Well, that he does not like the way he feels about himself a lot. Not only that, but he is actually in a search of self. At this point, he is no longer cryptic about it but it is more serious than he lets on. He tries to make sense of himself and he tries desperately to find something in himself to love. I hope there are people in his life who let him know that he is worthy of their love, friendship and appreciation even though he is so deep inside his head that even the affectionate feedback can only help so much. Rhett will start finding some peace only if he takes the one step I mentioned above.

And then it seems that Link’s personality type is also exclusively a byproduct of his childhood and is aggravated by his relationship with Rhett. Link’s perfectionism doesn’t cause him enthusiasm - he just dreads the disturbance of his supposedly perfectly stable world. In all honesty, Link doesn’t strike me as an ambitious person. Link would just love to have his dear routine and a loyal person to share it with. Link needs stability and companionship. He is fine with just one person as long as this person contributes to the stability of their bond. Who that one person is in Link’s life is another story…

Link doesn’t care that much about the creative process and, frankly, he doesn’t care all that much about the comedy. Link cares to keep the environment Rhett and he work stable and safe. For Link, judgement from the audience is not as alarming as Rhett’s frustration because of it. Link cares to ensure that Rhett’s idea will be successful enough to keep working and to keep working together. So Link’s entire self-identification as a one seems to stem from his fear of abandonment and worthlessness only. Link fears he has not much to contribute to Mythical and he tries to counteract that by becoming the ultimate source of management and control. Because if he didn’t even manage the company, then what would Rhett need him for? Hence, Link’s obsession for control is a consequence of his fear, he doesn’t necessarily love to be in control for the sake of it. This is proven by his plane example, which shows that he finally relaxes when he does NOT need to be in control.

Link has been working hard most of his life to ensure his position next to Rhett. This brings even more insight in his resentment for Rhett that explodes from time to time. Link resents Rhett because he tries so hard to be always by his side but due to Rhett’s opportunitism, he can’t tell whether Rhett wants his companionship or he simply needs it for their brand. Even worse, Link dreads that the reason Rhett is his friend is because Link feeds his ego with his loyalty and admiration, because he takes Link for granted and not because he loves Link for who he is.

“Do you care for me or do you revel in the fact that I care for you?”

Now, I can’t get inside Rhett’s head but I doubt he uses people. I believe his genuine care for Link can be found in the weirdest examples - those from which Rhett has nothing to gain i.e getting frustrated when Link doesn’t enjoy food as much. Yes, this is a sign of love. Rhett enjoys food so much that he wants to share that enjoyment with Link. He can’t realise Link’s tongue works differently - he thinks Link is missing out and it frustrates him. Another silly example is Rhett buying Apocalypse equipment for a clearly disinterested Link and probably never getting its money’s worth back. This is important to Rhett for some reason and he is concerned enough to protect careless Link as well despite having no personal gain from it.

The truth is that these two men feed off each other; Rhett keeps Link attached to him to always feel worthy and Link keeps Rhett attached to him to always feel safe. However, the fact that Rhett is almost his entire source of safety and that Link is Rhett’s biggest calibrator of worth is indicative of the levels of love and need. Nevertheless, Rhett and Link are not independent people. They were constantly in search of support from one another and they lost themselves in the process of satisfying others or being safe. This is something they are realising only now.

Link’s fear of abandonment is so big that it frequently leads him to an almost paranoid behaviour. It is crazy that he felt left out when Rhett communicated with the audience during a podcast whose key purpose is to… communicate with the audience. His fear here has two sides: 1) that Rhett didn’t consider him an equally important business partner so he preferred to speak directly to the audience and 2) that Rhett isn’t emotionally invested in him in order to open up to him. And by saying he can deceive people if he needs, Rhett doesn’t help Link overcome his huge insecurities. This is why Link begs Rhett to talk to him about his feelings more. He does not understand whether Rhett loves him or uses him. The notion that Rhett doesn’t truly love or appreciate him is one of his biggest fears in life.

As for Rhett, it is certainly huge growth that he starts opening up and being vulnerable to a few thousand strangers yet it all still derives from his need to be accepted by said strangers as I am afraid that the late disproportionate criticism he gets for silly stuff on Twitter and Tumblr surely don’t help him deal with his issues, no matter how hard he tries. Therefore, Rhett is trapped in a vicious circle. Besides, Rhett was overly sensitive to be hurt when Link stated the obvious; that he was being vulnerable in hopes to be understood and accepted, because that was clearly what Rhett was openly doing. However, having someone discussing openly his vulnerability immediately made Rhett retreat back to his shell because no matter how hard he tries, Rhett hasn’t managed to separate vulnerability from weakness in his mind yet.

Long story short, Rhett and Link might be Three and One respectively but I am not sure they have a good understanding of themselves anyway. They may have figured out their types correctly but they certainly narrow their entire sense of being to their unresolved issues and phobias. They entirely lack a sense of self-worth and they probably have not realised the extent of the traumas in their youth. In the Enneagram language, the nine personality types have nine levels of development. I believe Rhett and Link are either in the average levels or the mildest unhealthy level. They are certainly not in the healthy top three levels.

Their obsession with the Ennegram helps only superficially but they seem to have based an illogically huge part of their self exploration on it. The Enneagram might offer some insight but won’t offer the resolutions they long for and badly need in order to find some relief. The ones that come when you confront your environment instead of overanalysing yourself and beating yourself up because of it.

[yourfanvivitran]

It should come as no surprise that John Carpenter and Dan O’Bannon were students in the same film class, that they created Dark Star together, and that they both had a great affinity for 1951’s The Thing From Another World. If you put Ridley Scott’s Alien, which O’Bannon wrote, next to Carpenter’s The Thing, the parallels cannot be contended. A group of people, bound together almost exclusively by their careers, are isolated and trapped in their own environment with a murderous monster. One by one, they are picked off by this alien beast and are forced to pull out all the stops just to survive. The tension in both movies is suffocating. The suspense stays well after the credits roll.

So, why did Alien excel and why did The Thing fail?

Alien was heralded as a science fiction-horror masterpiece, raking in over $200 million at the box office. The Thing, although now recognized as one of Carpenter’s best films to rival even the likes of Halloween, barely exceeded its $15 million budget by $4 million. What’s more is that critics panned The Thing almost unanimously after its 1982 release. And to what point?

When you compare the 2 movies, it objectively doesn’t make much sense. When you sit down and watch The Thing, without even thinking of its much more popular predecessor, it still doesn’t quite add up. There is not much I can say about The Thing that hasn’t already been said before. It’s well-known, now - the writing, the acting, the practical effects, the cinematography? Masterfully done. No arguments. So what went wrong?

The most popularly accepted explanation was that it just wasn’t the right year for it. In 1982, The Thing had to contend with the Summer of Spielberg, being critiqued alongside horror giant Poltergeist and science fiction treasure E.T. How could a stark and grim story of distrust and gore stand alongside such beloved classics?

But in tandem with these films and also calling back to the success of Alien, Carpenter cites reception from various focus groups: they hated the ending.

It should be assumed at this point that if you have not yet seen The Thing, you are sorely missing out. All the same, however, be wary of spoilers.

The end of The Thing is bitter, to put it lightly. Childs (Keith David) trudges through Antarctic snow, lit by the burning wreckage of Outpost 31, towards R.J. MacReady (Kurt Russel) who sits alone, already half buried. They observe their inevitable deaths, and drink to the supposed demise of their shapeshifting predator.

A lot is left out to die in the snow.

According to Carpenter, this ending was seen by test audiences as too dismal. And rightfully so, when you take into consideration the other popular releases of 1982. Carol Anne is ultimately saved, along with the rest of her family, at the end of Poltergeist. Elliot embraces E.T. before he finally returns home. And going further back, even Ripley is able to escape the xenomorph by the skin of her teeth and secure herself the title as one of the greatest “Final Girls” ever put to the silver screen.

And what of MacReady and Childs?

Well, that’s up to your imagination, Carpenter told a test audience member who asked who the final host was at the end of the movie.

“Oh, god. I hate that,” they responded.

As a writer, this loose ends style of concluding a story is almost expected from a lot of modern works. It’s written this way in order to haunt the reader, to linger and adhere itself to the real world in the most sardonic of ways. Think Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” or Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.” This almost anticlimactic close of the curtain arrived in the literary world long before it found its place in film, but it’s a big point of contention in mainstream criticism.

Dark or incomplete conclusions have been met with the most scathing of responses. Beware the black cutaway of Sopranos fame. Or the near-universal outcry against the third Mass Effect game that grew so much, the developers created a morsel of DLC content that maybe kind of confirmed a more optimistic fate for our dear Shepard.

But even for the horror genre, The Thing seemed unprecedented. The only fate darker to fall upon a mainstream protagonist was Ben’s untimely death in Night of the Living Dead. The tragedy of both movies is palpable - all this trouble to survive against inhuman killers, all this trouble to outlive something gruesome and maybe even make the world a better place, and what was left to show for it?

In short, Carpenter’s science fiction terror was too much of a bummer.

I personally did not take much of a liking to horror until much later in life. My parents didn’t filter the media I consumed as much as they probably should have, and I was scarred early on by movies as cheesy and entertaining as The Lost Boys and Blade. It wasn’t until late adolescence and into college that I set out to catch up.

My roommate at the time of this resolution had been a fan of horror her whole life, her favorites being Halloween, Candyman, and The Thing. Having already known a good deal about the former two, I decided to strap in for The Thing for the first time ever.

These days, I always have several soap boxes on retainer, just waiting for the next unwitting recipient of my usually-beer-induced rants. Brian Jones was killed, Jaws single handedly endangered sharks, banning books is a stupid practice, representation in media is important, etc. Predictably, one of these soap boxes is the general lack of appreciation of The Thing, both at the time of its release and today (it does not even make the top 100 on Rotten Tomatoes’s highest rated horror movies).

And yet, at the same time, if The Thing had achieved the credit it deserved upon release, I may not like it as much as I do today.

I make a point to not read too much about movies I am feverishly anticipating, and revel in the feeling of going into a well-known movie knowing as little as possible. Most of the time, it makes for the best viewing experience, but I’m sure I don’t even have to point this out.

This was my experience seeing The Thing for the first time. I was on winter break, staying at my parents’ house for the holidays. Everyone else had gone to bed, and I stayed up late in the living room, curled up under layers of blankets, content in perfect darkness save for the television.

I had no idea what to expect, as I had not been spoiled by any TV show making any blatant references and had not done any prior reading into the film itself. And I was absolutely delighted from beginning to end.

What stays with me the most is the special effects. It’s true what they say - that practical effects hold up better than CGI alone. And the production team didn’t cut any corners in this department. Stan Winston and his team, who were later responsible for the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, helped construct one of the best animatronics in the movie. Rob Bottin, who brought this constantly-morphing creature to life from conception to every last slimy detail, went on to be hailed as a genius in his special effects career. And there is definitely something to be said for the work of cinematographer Dean Cundey whose masterful control of lighting and framing is best seen in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

The extent of my knowledge of the titular creature was that it was an alien. That it was an alien who could consume multiple life forms and take on their shapes was both exciting and terrifying. There’s creative genius in this premise that thrills the science fiction lover in me, and also fascinates the bookworm in me. I had been a fan of Agatha Christie novels as a teenager, and to see a new and outrageous take on the And Then There Were None structure was incredibly novel to me.

The appeal wasn’t just that there was something out there, lying in wait to torturously pick off it’s victims one-by-one. It was that it could have been anyone.

At its core, horror as we know it has deep roots in whodunnit style murder mystery. With the rise of the giallo and the sensation of the slasher, horror movies of this nature are far from uncommon and can be seen as late as 1996 with the Scream franchise. Carpenter himself spurned a new kind of fear with his breakout success with Halloween by refusing to give a bodily face to its main antagonist. Here, with The Thing, he takes the eponymous killer character to the next level by giving it the genetically inherent function of deceiving its prey. Not knowing the true face of your murderer has proven to be inherently bone-chilling.

Even now, hundreds of horror movies under my belt later and still constantly learning, I keep coming back to The Thing. I really cannot think of another movie in my wide array of favorites that I love more than The Thing, and I truly believe it has everything to do with me not knowing anything about it upon my first viewing. Every other movie I can name on my (similar to the subject) constantly changing top 10 list of most beloved horror flicks was, at some point, spoiled for me in some capacity.

Think of how often the twins in The Shining are referenced in cartoons, of all the head spinning jokes made in reference to The Exorcist. Anthony Hopkins’s portrayal of Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs has become so infamous, that I knew his dialogue (and Buffalo Bill’s) long before I ever saw the movie in full.

I don’t blame these references for ruining these movies. As a super fan, I understand that compulsion to pay tribute. It’s no one’s fault and to their credit that these films take lives of their own. But the repercussions don’t age well in terms of initial viewing experiences.

All that being said, I truly cherish how much I was not exposed to this movie. The unpredictability of the creature and the quiet, looming despair that comes with it create a horror unlike any other.

Although it was a box office flop, The Thing is now a welcome and praised name in both science fiction and horror. Even Quentin Tarantino made it known that The Hateful Eight was primarily inspired on several fronts by Carpenter’s underrated work. However, it has not pervaded pop culture like so many other horror classics have left their indelible mark on film vernacular. And to that end, I hope it remains in that slight shadow of anonymity for all future enthusiasts.

[hekate1308]

Owe No One Anything, Chapter Eight

Chapter Seven

Even knowing that Aziraphale and he shared a long history, Crowley was somewhat taken aback by the clarity of the angel’s memories. Not because he had feared that they would be gone – although he had – but because there were some he had had no idea of.

He shuddered when he realized where he’d landed in his attempt to find the angel. 1348. There was a reason he’d told Hastur once he would have loved the fourteenth century.

They’d been dropping like flies from the Plague, and there’d been nothing he could do to make it better. So he’d performed small miracles, like tempting a rich man to be able to boast to his friends that he was a benefactor of mankind in order to make him give bread to a poor, sick family and passing them as successes to his bosses downstairs.

He didn’t think he and Aziraphale had met during the plague years, so he was about to turn away since he needed to find him in here somewhere, when he suddenly saw himself enter a house and the angel noticing from across the street.

Of course Aziraphale had been in the middle of it, too; he’d probably healed people even though Heaven wouldn’t have wanted that.

But why…

He saw Aziraphale follow him quietly, apparently intent on finding out what he was doing; and Crowley, temporarily forgetting why he was there, moved automatically to see what happened, mostly because he was confused why Aziraphale hadn’t let him know he’d come across him.

His stomach clenched when he recognized the house. He remembered that.

A family of five, all dead but for a little girl, who’d be the last one to go at sunset.

He knew that because he’d stayed until then, unable to let her face death alone.

He watched Azriphale watch himself through the window. He didn’t need to listen to remember.

“Mummy” she whispered desperately.

“You’ll be seeing her soon, sweetheart” Crowley said while wiping the sweat of her forehead and glancing at the bed where her mother had breathed her last just a short time ago, “I promise.”

What took Crowley aback was the look on Aziraphale’s face.

They had wasted even more time by not being honest with one another than he had thought.

That reminded him.

Time to move on.

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Crowley quickly made his way through more and more memories; then, suddenly realizing that he was going nowhere, he reluctantly stopped and thought.

There had to be something he could do, something that would bring him closer.

And then he remembered a children’s movie he had watched in cinema when it first came out, of all things.

Core memories. There had to be memories that were more important to Aziraphale than others. If they were embedded deeper into his mind, then they must lead to him eventually.

   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first memory he realized was important – from the sheer feel of it, the affection Aziraphale had for it was palpable – was of a small creperie in Paris in 1793.

“And” his past self was currently asking the angel, “Was that worth almost being discorporated for?”

“Oh my dear, they are simply marvellous! You must try one of them –“

“I don’t see why I should take one away from you, since you’re enjoying them so much.”

Present Crowley, meanwhile, was marvelling at the fact that he’d forgotten this was the first time Aziraphale had called him dear.

He smiled at the angel happily devouring his crepes, then realized he was just presenting a mirror image of the demon sitting across from him and hurried on.

Yes. This must be the right path.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And so he went on for he would never be able to say how long, determined to find his angel or die trying.

The memories that came up where almost exclusively of him and Aziraphale – with a few exceptions of miracles he’d performed and apparently been especially proud of, and small wonder, given how he had apparently convinced young Mozart to study extra hard.

Still, though.

Mostly, Aziraphale’s most treasure memories were of him and Crowley.

Crowley made a mental note to tell him that, could he see inside his head, it would look something like this, too.

Although perhaps not quite in that order.

After their crepes – well, he supposed he could call it a date now – there came the Crucifixion of all things. He didn’t quite understand until he realized that had been the first time when he’d openly admitted doing a good thing to Aziraphale. After all, he hadn’t really tempted Jesus like downstairs had wanted. He had just shown him the world, let him have a bit of fun. He’d deserved it, knowing what would come afterwards.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another memory.

The two of them in the Globe theatre, watching Hamlet. The angel was munching away on some grapes, of course, looking pleased at the audience that had congregated.

Personally Crowley still didn’t like the gloomy ones, but it had been worth it just to see Aziraphale smile like that.

“You have to admit he’s wonderful” Aziraphale sighed, his eyes fixed on Burbage.

“Oh yes, wonderful” Crowley echoed, although he was definitely not looking at the actor, his attention focused elsewhere.

Seriously, how had they gotten this so wrong for six thousand years?

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next memory that felt as if it was of immense significance surprised Crowley somewhat, mostly because it had taken place only a few weeks ago and didn’t seem in any way particularly interesting to him.

They were lounging on the sofa, Aziraphale lost in a book as usual, with Crowley occasionally glancing towards the pages.

Well, obviously. Despite his attempts to make the angel believe that he didn’t do books, he liked to read now and then. Just now and then, mind.

“So what are you reading anyway, angel?”

He looked up and stared at him through his spectacles, clearly needing a moment to return from whatever literary heights the question had pulled him from. “Oh. It’s Stefan Zweig. An –“

“Austrian writer. I’m not that naive, angel. Early to middle of the twentieth century.”

Aziraphale beamed. “Yes! What he has to say about Marie-Antoinette may be incredibly inaccurate, but his language –“

“Would you read to me?” Crowley asked lazily, stretching out so he lay with his head in Aziraphale’s lap. “Too tired to read it myself.”

A pause. When this had happened, Crowley had already closed his eyes to focus on his angel’s voice, so that he hadn’t seen his expression; but now, his heart beat faster when he saw the obvious love in Aziraphale’s face as he began to read and simultaneously run his fingers through his hair.

Crolwey had dozed off one or two chapters in, but he hadn’t minded.

He swallowed and hastened away. If he wanted to make more of those memories, he had to find him.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not-Crowley was strangely insistent today. Normally, he left Azriaphale alone after a while, but he’d all but carried him back to the book shop and was now actually busy making tea. He hadn’t bothered to do that since Aziraphale had figured out that this wasn’t real. “What are you doing?”

“You like tea.”

“Yes but it’s not real.”

He sighed. “How often do I have to tell you this is as real as you want it to be.”

“Not at all, then.”

“Again – it’s only a matter of time until they get him out there. You could just stop worrying and enjoy this. You enjoyed the time before you realized, didn’t you?”

He couldn’t deny that he had – he still felt guilty that he had somewhat betrayed Crowley. But certainly the demon would understand once he explained it to him.

He groaned. “Seriously? You still believe that he’ll show up?”

As a matter of fact, Aziraphale was growing more and more convinced that he would. Because there had to be a reason that Not-Corley was still there. And if he was at least partially in his mind to keep him here and growing more desperate…

I am waiting, dear. Don’t worry, I’m holding on.

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ah. The thwarted Apocalypse. This was one of Crowley’s favourite memories too – mainly because Aziraphale had finally admitted that they were on their own side.

He only gave it a passing glance.

He was getting closer.

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What the –

He hopped around. Why was this –

Oh. The church. Crowley, who’d been working for British counterintelligence back then (and made sure not too many Londoners became victims of the bombs while selling his job to headquarters as planning a few war crimes) hadn’t even stopped to think when he’d learned about the Nazi spies who were tricking Aziraphale.

What he had not been aware of was the look on Aziraphale’s face as he was already walking towards the car.

Crowley recognized that feeling. It had really hit him in a blazing bookstore, but of course it had been building up for much longer, most likely since Eden…

Yes. Now he was getting close. There was no other explanation.

I’m coming, angel.

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“What was that?” Aziraphale asked. He’d busied himself with reading, ignoring not-Crowley; but that last sentence had sounded different than his usual chatter, somehow…

“I wasn’t saying anything since you aren’t listening anyway” he sulked.

Aziraphale glanced at him. He looked… worried?

And that voice…

He’d heard it clear as a bell. I’m coming, angel.

Why would not-Crowley say something like that?

He wouldn’t.

But that meant…

His love must be near.

His heart beating wildly with hope, he got up and put the book away. Time to start to think about a way to deal with not-Crowley.

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes. This had to be it. This had to be the last memory.

Crowley knew because – well, it was his favourite, too.

The night after the world had failed to end. The night where Aziraphale finally went home with him and actually took his hand on the bus ride, palm pressed against palm…

He’d then and there sworn to himself that he was never letting go again.

And he wasn’t about to.

Currently, he was staring at them trying very hard to tell each other what they needed to hear on his sofa. Oh Go- oh Satan, had he really stammered that much?

He sighed with relief as Aziraphale gently took off his glasses and said “I understand, dear.”

Of course the angel had been the first of them to lean in for a kiss. Say what you want, but once Aziraphale had made up his mind (even if it took him millennia sometimes) he always acted quickly on it.

And then, for the first time, he saw a door. Until now, the memories had simply followed one after the other without any transition being needed.

He saw it as a good sign and went to open it.

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The important part was that he had to be very careful how to get rid of not-Crowley. There had to be some of his memories of the demon in there, if only to prove the delusion; so he couldn’t just eliminate him. That might have caused problems, not to mention possibly made him forget a few things about Crowley, and he couldn’t allow that.

How to extract all of that, though, that was the problem…

Well, it was his mind. And he remembered what the angels had done to him. Sort of. He shuddered at the thought of doing that to another person – to Crowley – but then, this wasn’t a person, was it? It was a representation of an abstract concept in his mind.

“Angel, it’s cold; why don’t you get away from that window?”

There was something in his voice, something strange and disheartening…

Almost as if he was growing even more nervous. But this was just a street in his mind, so –

And then Aziraphale saw him.

On the street.

Running towards the bookshop.

“Crowley!” he burst out, trying to go and meet him, but being held back by not-Crowley.

“Did you really think” he said quietly, “That it was going to be so easy?”

Chapter Nine

[lobsters-on-their-heads]

OB Rewatch: Beneath Her Heart

Going straight to the top.

As always, there’s SPOILERS! If you haven’t seen all of Season 5, and you don’t want spoilers, don’t read on!

I loved

Everyone's happiness in the cold open. When we first met Aynsley back in Season 1, she hated her husband and Alison was already suspicious of her, yet she stuck by Alison's side until Alison slept with Chad. Here we finally see the background of Aynsley's loyalty.

That long pause where Alison and Donnie think a threesome is being proposed. There are no words, but facial expressions, body language, and audience knowledge fills in the gaps. The show trusts the audience to be intelligent, and it's appreciated.

Alison being high on shrooms. Her impulse to grab them right after and because Beth texts her is a sign of things to come.

And Alison meeting Cosima for the first time! I never knew I needed this until I saw it. Also, my first thought for this, even in the rewatch, was that Cosima must be there because the actress’ contract states that she’ll be in every episode. Obviously.

The Alison / Rachel exchange at the end. They have sooo much in common, and they see here. I also love Alison's matter-of-fact explanations - “Donnie didn't have basic fire arms safety” and “minus the head, which was donated to science.”

I liked

MK's memorial was lovely.

Bringing Chad back. Alison's actions had very real consequences well beyond her own family, and it’s good to see that acknowledged. 

When Kira told Rachel that everyone's told her not to trust her, Rachel responds with a question “Do you?” rather than assuring Kira that she can be trusted. It’s a better way to actually gain confidence.

“Talk to the bouncing hand, Donnie.”

The “Ain't No Mountain High Enough” duet. I know lots of people loved it, but I liked it mostly as a duet between Tat and Kristian. The transition to Helena in the convent was beautifully done, though.

I didn't like

After Frontenac tells Alison she's basically useless, she says she's a mother and a homemaker, in order to assert her worth, I assume. But she doesn't mention Bubbles or her School Trustee job. Is she even still doing those? They don’t come up again at the end, either, when she tells Donnie she’s leaving. 

Alison trying to drug Nona Walker. Girl, you're better than this.

I don't know that holding a mouse by its tail is the best thing, Kira dear.

Alison, if you're going to hold your hand up to block the lights, you should actually block the lights.

No one uses friggin headlamps on this show.

Other notes

This is apparently 6 months or less from the first episode. It took six months for these happy couples to completely turn on each other. Damn.

I like to think that Aynsley and Chad actually DID plan to suggest a 3 or 4 some, but had the mushrooms as a backup plan in case the Hendrixes weren’t interested.

Cosima came from Berkeley to Toronto presumably just to meet Alison, and then she changed schools for them, all within the same less-than-six-months time period. This girl was invested.

“Why do I love my sisters so much when they've ruined my life?” - Alison might be the only one of the main clones who loses more than she gains through the sestrahood.

With all those pills dissolved in it, that drink is gonna tasty nasty.

I so hope Alison finds a different church that isn't full of bitchy cunts. They exist, but one often needs to look for criteria other than race and affluence to find them.

Rachel's wearing black and white again, rather than her all-white ensemble.

Alison’s elevator guard isn't the guy with the bots, but the resemblance is uncanny. Did Rachel bring him back from Revival with her?

Rachel instructs Enger to dispose of the bodies, meaning that in the final episode, Helena does not in fact live above two corpses. Not that she would mind.

For me, this is really Alison’s last episode. Goodbye, Alison. You will be sorely missed. 

I have questions

In the whole church, they couldn't have found a bigger receptacle for Donnie to puke in? Like, I dunno, a trashcan or something? Not that I don't enjoy the bright yellow sand bucket, mind you, but, splash back. Ew.

Where's Leekie's head been this whole time? Was it in cold storage under the Rabbit Hole? Furthermore, where did go after Alison left Rachel’s office?

As much as I love Alison's confrontation of Rachel, I don't entirely follow the logic that leads Rachel to so readily call off her persecution of Alison's family. Even if a murder investigation does lead back to Rachel, which is uncertain in my mind, murder investigations take a LONG TIME, during which the Hendrixes could rot away in solitary confinement if someone wanted them to. 

I would've liked to have seen

Much more of Cosima's relationship with Beth. How they met, etc. However, here’s a shameless plug for the fic I wrote on that very subject: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12073659 

Chad and Felix spending, uh, some quality time together. Chad is obviously into women, but not exclusively.

[oliverphisher]

Shannon Horsfall

Shannon Horsfall is an author and illustrator based in Australia but living in fairyland. 

Her head is a mess of stories, pictures and the occasional cake recipe.

She loves to draw, doodle, dream, design, imagine, write, dance, sing (badly), scribble, splatter & cook.

Although she is not young, she is very much a child. (Or immature, depending on how you look at it.)

She has published a number of picture books including Was Not Me, published by HarperCollins in July 2016, and shortlisted for Speech Pathology Australia's Book of the Year, Nomax, published by HarperCollins in June 2017 - a CBCA Notable Book for 2017 and illustrated Dear Santa, published by Scholastic in 2018, and another, My Unicorn Farts Glitter by Hachette published in July 2019. Her adult fiction short story Doomed was published in the University of the Sunshine Coast anthology Unravel in 2018 and she illustrated Issue 259 of WQ Magazine for Writers Queensland in 2017-2018. In 2020, Shannon published the poem Blight(y) and flash fiction Go Fish in the University of Sunshine Coast anthologies First You Get Hurt and Here Be Monsters.

Her awards also include BAD and AGDA awards for both her graphic design work and illustrations.

What are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life?

Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King. I never realised you could write in this way, with so many layers and ambiguities.

Life after Life by Kate Atkinson. The premise of this story is incredible. 

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. No explanation needed.

What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your life in the last six months (or in recent memory)? 

Any one of the books I buy regularly. Books are an escape, a way of understanding, a crow-bar into changing hard held opinions.

How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? 

Failure is a way to improve. It forces me to take another look, question what I thought was true, find an alternative that may be confronting, but will result in something better, more imaginative, something that expands my mind.

Are there any quotes you think of often or live your life by?

'You only die once, you live every day.’ - not sure who said that. And by Mark Twain: ‘Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to.'

What is one of the best investment in a writing resource you’ve ever made? 

After I had two picture books published, I commenced a Creative Writing/English Literature double major degree at university. It is the best decision I have ever made. I am now undertaking my Honours degree and writing a Middle Grade fiction as part of it.

What is an unusual habit or an absurd thing that you love? 

I adore children’s books. I really, truly do. They can challenge me even more than adult fiction at times. And I love that.

I have an unusual habit, in these modern times, of handwriting all my narratives. I cannot face a blank page on a computer screen.

In the last five years, what new belief, behaviour, or habit has most improved your life? 

Endeavouring to write every single day. Although this does not always happen. I spend an inordinate amount of time staring out the window.

What advice would you give to a smart, driven aspiring author? What advice should they ignore? 

Write every day. Don’t edit as you go (advice I should listen to myself). And write your own unique voice - it is easy to fall into the trap of emulating writers you admire. Trust in your own talent and ability.

What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession often?

There are many people and organisations that want to make money off aspiring authors. They will prey on your passion and desire to be published. Make sure you research anyone recommended to you in this regard.

In the last five years, what have you become better at saying no to (distractions, invitations, etc.)?

I am better at thinking I need to find time to keep everyone happy. Since going back to university full time I have had to time-manage myself down to the millisecond (or so it seems, at times).

What marketing tactics should authors avoid?

Avoid being shy about what you do. You do, unfortunately (because I know creatives often find it difficult) need to shout about your successes and talents.

What new realizations and/or approaches have helped you achieve your goals? 

That I am actually pretty good at what I do. My writing, when I trust in my own self, surprises me with just how good it can be. University has helped me see that. Achieving my goals, though? Ironically, university has also meant I have very little time to write to my publishing goals.

When you feel overwhelmed or have lost your focus temporarily, what do you do? 

Sometimes I need to step away from what I am working on. If I feel it is going nowhere, or I have lost my way, or I am drowning in creative self-loathing, I put it away and come back to it later.

Any other tips?

If a manuscript isn’t working, don’t try to force it. And sometimes, if a manuscript isn’t working, try writing it from a different perspective - change the narrator’s point of view.

________

Enjoyed this Q&A? Want to discuss in more depth? Join Community Writers. You'll get access to 100+ exclusive writing tips. Q&As with successful authors, an exclusive ebook on building an audience and much more. Sign-up for free as a community writer here

source https://www.thecommunitywriter.com/blog/shannon-horsfall

[kenbunshokus]

Hi. I am a different anon. I just want to say that I enjoy reading your thoughts in anything regarding One Piece. I am curious, what was so bad about how Sanji's past was written and the explanation of his chivalry? I read somewhere that the Japanese actually love it. I read that Zeff killing himself was actually why Sanji won't hit women, since they said Sanji doesn't want Zeff to die. And with Sanji's past, what was so bad on how it was written? And sadly with Nami, people still call her weak

hi, thank you for enjoying the things i write !! i’ve talked about this before in this ask, which basically boils down to: yes, i don’t mind it within the narrative, but no, i don’t like it on a meta level

within the narrative, it makes sense. I’m sure Oda is trying to imply that Sanji sees women differently because he wants to become the kind of person Zeff is proud of (Zeff also said “don’t grow into an asshole I’ll despise”, which is a parallel to Judge despising Sanji for growing up without powers). it is an interesting insight to how Sanji values himself and the opinions of people he holds dear

but outside of the narrative, on the meta sense….why? Oda can literally use any other topic, so why this? why make Zeff so dramatic about it? why make him hate Sanji and dramatically threaten to kill himself if Sanji decides to hit any woman? and why is the reason he uses is “it’s the iron-clad rule of the universe” as if women are always automatically weaker than men? the occam’s razor answer is because Oda himself agrees with this view, and it often bleeds into the narrative of One Piece, through Sanji more often than most

this also resonates well with the Japanese audience – and to an extent, traditional Asian audiences including my country – because our cultures still see an inherent value in putting a woman on a pedestal. and this is the part that I think is still badly written. i’m not saying Sanji should start beating up girls for no reason, but the fact that he still sees them in a different light and idealizes them…is Not Good. and this problem isn’t exclusive to Sanji’s character (lookin’ at you, Zoro vs. Monet) – it is part of a larger problem stemming from Oda’s views on women and the society he lives in

and eh, the Nami thing isn’t even transparent. if a traditionally weak male character (like Usopp or Coby) holds their own against stronger characters, it’s “breaking the conventions of shonen manga” and “awesome”, but if Nami gets the upper hand on Big Mom, it’s “making the Yonkous look weak” and “bad writing”. double standards, i see you from a mile away

[thepressingtimes]

Lightmatter - Things don’t add up

There are certain perks that come with being a reporter. The fact that every organization (or most) wants to make a splash, you get invited to certain exclusive places. That said, even with Virgil’s grand claims of science changing technology, no reporters were ever invited to his secretive facility, until now. I was given exclusive, one day, access to Lightmatter technologies. And, my dear reader, after spending a day at Lightmatter, I can confidently say… Something doesn’t add up. This is the first of my two part about the current chaos, mystery and drama that is surrounding Lightmatter.

 Lightmatter is going to be the pillar on which we shall build the future

When I came to Lightmatter, Virgil wasted no time in showing me the crown jewel of his and Arthur’s empire, the CORE. And a jewel it was. It was so mesmerizing I couldn’t help but stare.

 “it looks like a pillar of light, does it not?”

Before this reporter could answer, Virgil continued.

“Lightmatter is going to be a pillar on which we shall build the future!”

Readers, one thing I learnt with my interactions with Virgil is that when he asks you a question, he is in reality asking himself. To him, a person is simply an audience of one.

 Why would you trust the word of a man that poisons people?

Out of the two-hundred plus employees at Lightmatter - I was allowed to meet two - Cab and Moe

Cab had a firm handshake to him. Unfortunately, his had was very wet, with what I imagine was sweat. As I shook it, I wondered, about how intense the world of human resources was. That said, he had the body of an athlete and seemed like a very amicable person. 

Moe, as well, seemed equally amicable. However, one would not have thought that by looking at the wide variety of different tattoos that covered his body. When I first saw him, I couldn’t help but think that those tattoos would have barred him from employment in most other companies.

Now, you may be asking: what about James? The famous miner that climbed up the ranks to become security manager. I was told he was on vacation. No explanation was given except that it wasn’t stress related. Now readers, here is where it does not add up. Arthur was dropped off a week ago at a hospital three hours away from Lightmatter by what witnesses have described as “an ambulant mountain”.

Since in hospital, Arthur has been in and out of consciousness rambling about hair-loss, James, and how Lightmatter and Virgil will doom us all. When Virgil was asked of this, he simply retorted:

 “why would you trust the word of a man that poisoned people?”

 When pressed to elaborate, Virgil gave me a flask and some footage. The footage was inconclusive, but the flask clearly has been tested positive for poison. I asked the employees about these poisonings, but they didn’t seem to have a clue about what was happening with Arthur. They were under the impression that he was on leave and were anticipating his return.

 He owed a lot of money

Moe and Cab were still hoping that Arthur would come back in a better mood. When I showed them the picture of a bloodied and beaten Arthur at the hospital, Moe responded: 

“he owed a lot of money [and he steals]”

Cab, on the other hand, entertained that Arthur’s ramblings were due to some “nightmarish memory from childhood”. This reporter doubts why a child would have dreams about Lightmatter… Actually, this reporter doubts that anybody other than Virgil would have childhood dreams about Lightmatter.

 As always, Lightmatter, Virgil and the people that work for him, are an enigma. Read the second part of this two-part report on Lightmatter as we try to add up the different and contradicting stories.

_____________________________________________________________ This article was influenced by the roleplayers in our server! If you want to join in on the fun, here is our discord! https://discordapp.com/invite/lightmatter

[amorremanet]

@apolloniae Okay, first: skffghfk, omg wow, thank you!! That means a lot, especially since this passage is all still early-ish in the writing process for me (like… it’s not as early as the borderline stream of consciousness first-person POV stuff that I was writing with this project last summer, but it’s still fairly early), and I consider it pretty rough still

THAT SAID. omg, dialogue is actually something I both love and dread writing, because I never feel like I have the best gauge on how much is enough or if I’m shoving in too much exposition with it or what, but! I have a couple things I rely on

Not-so-fun secret first: that particular section might be a pretty early draft, but I’ve still revised it something like four times, from jotting the initial idea down longhand, through the different typed versions of this scene that I’ve written (which have gotten changed around pretty significantly), and revisions help a lot with dialogue, in my experience. They can be anything from small stuff like figuring out a better word order but mostly keeping things the same, to taking a really sketchy outline (e.g., “A says something about B’s shoes, B thinks A is being rude and what is up with that, and C is just happy to be here, why can’t we all get along” or full on snatches of dialogue, but written in a way that doesn’t fit the characters) and building the scene up from there. Either way, revisions are a writer’s friend.

But, okay. Speaking more generally: the best place to start is just getting familiar with dialogue, both in real life and in fiction. You really do need both of these influences to write dialogue, because getting more familiar with how people speak IRL can help your dialogue feel realistic — and in some cases, it can be really important to have that verisimilitude, e.g. when you’re writing a bilingual or multilingual character and don’t want to fall into some of the more tired, unrealistic tropes of how multilingualism can manifest in people’s speech; and when you’re writing a deaf character (disclaimer that I’m not deaf, and this fic isn’t the be-all and end-all of how to do this well, but I really like the portrayals of Steve and Clint in, “Trump Diet” by caloriebomb on AO3, and they’re pretty well-researched and well-written portrayals of deaf characters).

On the other hand, though, only listening to how people talk IRL isn’t enough. You can learn a lot from that, for sure — especially when it comes to things like how people present themselves from situation to situation, and how their speech patterns or word choices can change in different contexts (from full-fledged code-switching, to more simple things like swapping in child-friendly substitutes for swear words when you’re with your godkids/younger sibling/grandma/whoever) — but you also need to look at how different techniques for writing dialogue work or don’t in order to figure out how to best present the dialogue so that it helps tell your story.

Different writers also have different strengths that you can learn from, e.g. JKR is really good at blending summaries of things the audience already knows into new scenes (like Harry witnessing the, “Snape brings Remus his Wolfsbane Potion” scene, then immediately running and telling Ron and Hermione), vs. Neil Gaiman’s ability to make dialogue read as realistic and natural even while his characters are talking about patently non-realistic things like magic and whatnot (which I think especially comes out in American Gods, but I’m biased because I’ve been rereading it in honor of the TV series starting), vs. the way that the late, great Terry Pratchett had of really making the dialects, accents, and so on a part of his characters, rather than something pasted on (JKR can also be good at that, but sometimes she goes a bit overboard). So, reading as much as you can is good, and paying attention to how the different writers use dialogue will help you write your own.

Unfortunately, a lot of dialogue-writing ends up being a, “play it by ear” sort of thing. You can easily overdo it with flowery dialogue tags, or repeating, “said” too much. Having too much action between bits of dialogue can bog down the scene, but not having enough can make it feel like nothing’s happening while these people talk (plus, what characters do or not during a conversation can help characterize them as much as, or arguably more than, what they say and how they say it).

One of the biggest pitfalls for a lot of writers is that we put too much dialogue in, usually focusing on the parts of conversations that don’t do anything to help show who the characters are or tell the story. Like, unless your characters have a particularly unique way of saying, “hello” (and showing that to the audience helps establish the characters for us), or there’s something important about how they answer questions like, “Nice day, isn’t it?” (e.g., the, “Wonderful weather this morning” / “Yes, but I always carry an umbrella” exchange from CATFA, because it’s not actually about the weather, but is the password into the secret SSR laboratory), or, “How’re you doing?” (e.g., your character is someone who doesn’t actually respond to that question with some variation on, “Fine, and you?”), then there’s a lot of dialogue that you can probably skip.

However, it can sometimes be difficult to tell where the too much/not enough line is, once you get past that — which really just goes back to the, “Revisions are your friend and you shouldn’t be afraid of them. They don’t mean you’re a bad writer; they’re a part of making your work stronger and telling your stories in the best ways for them” point.

Finally, though, the best rule of thumb is just knowing your characters. Knowing at least a few baseline things about where your characters come from and how they present themselves are helpful for finding their voices and keeping true to it in different scenarios. A character who excessively tries to mold themself according to what other people want them to be, or who unconsciously mirrors those around them, probably won’t have the same speech patterns as a character who doesn’t give a fuck what other people think of them, or who might give a fuck but is too tired/upset/intoxicated/whatever to censor themself effectively. Characters’ upbringings and backgrounds can also come out in their dialogue, so being (more or less) clear on them can be helpful.

One pretty classic example of these ideas is the trope where someone who’s going about in unfamiliar circles may be able to emulate other people’s behaviors, pick up the common speech patterns, verbal tropes, and lingo pretty well, and so on…… but still has a particular verbal tic or cadence to their speech that they can’t shake.

For instance, my Sebastian, from that passage, grew up in a wealthy family that would be minor nobility if the U.S. acknowledged that we totally have a de facto system of nobility (and his paternal grandparents often make a big deal out of how they’re descended from a legit, “Our ancestors earned their title as knights in the service of the King of France before certain well-to-do members of the Third Estate started buying their way up into our ranks, back before the glorious Ancien Régime was even a Thing” noblesse d’épée bloodline). He’s been around folks from a mix of different backgrounds during his time in school, and more so in his adult life, which has involved a lot of hijinks in places that would make his Grandparents go, “Good Heavens, why are you slumming it with the lower classes” before focusing on the actual issues like,, “Why on Earth were you dating an ecoterrorist” and, “Oh dear, our grandson who wanted to join the priesthood when he was a boy seems to have developed a serious problem with opiates”

Like, real talk? Roland and Cecile love their grandchildren, they really do. But when Sebastian went to rehab, they tried to push for sending him to a ridiculously expensive inpatient clinic in California with a huge, pedigreed list of celebrity clients because they thought of it as Rich People Rehab. The explanation, “No, okay? If I’m doing this, then I’m going to this place in Minnesota that exclusively hosts LGBTQ clients because I really don’t feel like I’ll be helped by potentially being around homophobic fellow patients and/or staff”…… was mostly met with blank stares that were the human equivalent of the, “buffering… buffering…” spinning wheel of doom, and the response, “…But going there will put you in treatment with the common rabble, why on Earth would you want that.”

Thankfully, Abe and Marceline, Seb’s parents, were nowhere near this bad — but that classism and the emphasis on how We Are From A Distinguished, Noble Bloodline, So Act Like It were still part of the atmosphere that Seb and his siblings were raised in. Their experiences in schooling moderated it a bit (though less so for, say, eldest brother Max, who went to Posh Boarding School for all four years of high school, then did his undergrad at Columbia and grad school at Harvard), and Seb got a lot of moderation by learning the hard way that sounding too posh in a decidedly not-posh environment is a dead giveaway that you don’t belong there and might get you mistaken for a Federal agent. But it’s hard to completely shake that posh upbringing, and it comes out sometimes in his phrasing, his word choices, etc.

On the other hand, though, Seb is also a human disaster in ways that affect his speech (…and he’s multilingual, but that doesn’t fall under the heading of, “human disaster things”). The trick with those parts of him — like his anxiety and how it kicks into overdrive in certain situations (like, when he’s talking to Stephen, his sponsor’s curatorial assistant, who Seb is crushing on) — is finding a balance where it’s part of his characterization but also doesn’t get completely impossible to read (like the mistake that some people make when writing characters with stutters, where they overdo it to the point that you can’t tell what the characters are saying, but because the writers didn’t do this on purpose, you’re expected to know what’s being said).

Anyway, I’m sorry this got kind of long, but I hope it helps a bit! Dialogue can be tough to work on, but you can learn a lot from experimenting with different ideas and techniques, and just continuing to work on it, even when you hate what you’re writing. ❤️

[ouathinktank-metacommentary]

You've been completely reticent about the new episodes, are you with us? Are you even watching? Or is the C$ fuckery rendering you speechless with its predictably bad trajectory, so much that you can't even fanwank Swan Queen anymore? Because I know I'm there. :(

Fanwank? Oh, poor dear soul, why on earth would you ever need to fanwank Swan Queen–if they’ve canonically grown and evolved like no other relationship in this campy circus of a show? Or, oh. You mean–romantically? Then, if you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired–of reading between the lines (it’s still there, though–only bigots and phobes became so aggressive that now you have to squint to see it) there’s the glorious world of fanfiction, and its best sub-genre, called ‘there, I fixed it’? :)

But  to answer your question–honestly, we’re a bit sick of singing the same tune about both Emma, and nowRegina as well–again (what with the Pinecone v.3 being back–with addition of ‘roguish’badboy spunk, to increase the appeal… not sure for which non-existent part of the audience that gives a shit about him,though?) being exclusively, in all of the scenes, dialogues, anyshoved-not-shown moment of supposedemotional resonance–drowned in their men. So you’ll forgive us if we’re just a tad bit tired of it?

The noveltythough, is the fact that I’ve personally come to enjoy scrolling through various Hook/CS ‘meta’(for the lack of a better word, but they do call it that–so bear with me) posts, which now have a ridiculously hilarious comedy value. You know, being all along the lines of “heis a completely changed person and he has never since the beginning of hisredemption disowned his own past actions and he always took responsibility overthem” and… you can really get a good belly-laugh there, you know? But yeah, again to answer your question–coincidentally I did watch this last ep (what, I usually can’t sleep on aflight, so I came prepared–and Once is better than any sleeping pill these days)and so as far as ‘big’ (see: superanticlimactic, in an episode called ‘ill-bodingpatterns’ at that) C$ proposal, there are still only two possible explanations:

Either they’re giving us the most subversively told cautionary tale ever (of anill-boding pattern that’s been widely romanticized since Victorian times–all theway to 50 shades era) that large majority ofus have picked up on, while the pea-brained who didn’t–still buy their productdespite general ridicule, or… they have completely forlorn those with anybrain capacity–and are writing this shallow shite for the pea-brained, becausethe show is only as good as the lowest common denominator in the audience.

And which one is it?

Well,I do believe that one way or another–we’ll definitely find out by the end ofMay.

[sircolinmorgan]

I have been a fan of sherlocks holmes since I was 15. I am 30 now. That show and its exclusive fans that kiss moffats/gaitis ass sound like they never read the books. That show literally took a dump on the canon once season 3 happened. It was a shitty fanfic that was spoon fed to us. You have a sound argument, but my dear friend, fuck those assholes. They aren't worth the anger. They are not real fans.

tbh i don’t exactly blame the fans, i mean i do judge them for not realising they’re being played by moffat and gatiss but they don’t write the show (and if they did it probably would be a whole lot better). the blame lies solely with the writers, they know they can write as bad as they want, they can queerbait as much as they want, they don’t have to come up with plausible explanations for cliffhangers, they can do anything they like bc there will always be a willing audience and that’s what makes it so unfair.

[thisdaynews]

Haley-Pence rivalry heats up as GOP weighs post-Trump future

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/haley-pence-rivalry-heats-up-as-gop-weighs-post-trump-future/

Haley-Pence rivalry heats up as GOP weighs post-Trump future

Vice President Mike Pence and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley have grabbed senior Republicans’ attention as fodder for a possible 2024 primary showdown. | Spencer Platt/Getty Images

politics

Interviews with top Republicans reveal they’re watching each other warily ahead of a potential 2024 showdown.

When top Republicans convened at the St. Regis resort in Aspen, Colo. last month for an exclusive donor retreat, several attendees said there was palpable tension in the room as the gathering’s two headliners prepared to speak: Vice President Mike Pence and former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley.

The assembled group of governors, high-dollar donors, and operatives were well aware that the two have big ambitions; to some it seemed as if Pence and Haley, who spoke on back-to-back days, were vying for their attention. Some in the audience found themselves parsing and comparing the two speeches and buzzed they were getting a sneak preview of a 2024 Republican primary. Others recalled something peculiar: Neither Pence nor Haley acknowledged each other in their presentations, even though they gave shout-outs to others attending the retreat.

Story Continued Below

At a time when Republicans are starting to contemplate what their party will look like after Donald Trump leaves office, a rivalry has developed between the two politicians who cut markedly different profiles — and signs of strain are bubbling to the surface.

Pence and Haley aren’t openly sniping: Publicly, both sides maintain there’s nothing but mutual respect between them. But interviews with nearly two dozen top Republicans revealed that the opposing camps are closely tracking each other’s moves, and remain deeply suspicious of one another.

The Pence team has recently asked senior Republicans for updates on Haley’s outreach to donors. And with Haley embarking on a national fundraising tour and promoting a new outside political group, top Pence advisers blame her for persistent rumors that she will replace him on the Trump’s ticket in 2020. Tensions flared after Haley chose not to publicly repudiate a Wall Street Journal column in June urging Trump to put her on the ticket.

Earlier this month, Haley took a swipe at Trump after his criticism of Baltimore and its black congressman, Elijah Cummings. “This is so unnecessary,” she wrote on Twitter, adding the eyeroll emoji. White House counselor and former Pence pollster Kellyanne Conway then fired back: “THIS is so unnecessary. Trump-PENCE2020,” Conway wrote of Haley’s tweet.

The shadow fight shows no sign of abating. Pence has spent the year barnstorming swing states that will determine the outcome of the 2020 election. But on Monday, he will head to Haley’s home turf of South Carolina to give the keynote speech at an annual barbecue hosted by GOP Rep. Jeff Duncan that has previously attracted White House aspirants. South Carolina is a gimme for Trump in the 2020 general election, but it will be key to anyone seeking a future Republican presidential nomination.

“The two of them have absolutely been friends and worked well together over the years, but you have to suspend disbelief to say that their relationship going forward won’t be viewed within the context of the presidential election after next,” said Rob Godfrey, who served as a senior aide to Haley during her six-year tenure as South Carolina governor.

On Wednesday morning, POLITICO posed questions to a Haley spokesperson about her political activities, relationship with Pence, and interest in a future presidential bid. That afternoon, before her office provided a formal response to the inquiry, Haley took to Twitter to declare that she’d had “enough of the false rumors.”

“Vice President Pence has been a dear friend of mine for years. He has been a loyal and trustworthy VP to the President,” she added. “He has my complete support.”

The following morning, Haley spokeswoman Chaney Denton provided an explanation for the tweet.

“This foolish talk about the vice presidency has gone on for a long time. Ambassador Haley preferred to avoid it altogether,” Denton said. “It was only when the subject kept coming up over and over, including this week, that she decided it made sense to address it.”

While the two could hardly be more different — Pence is a 60-year-old social conservative, she is a 47-year-old daughter of Indian immigrants — those close to them say they have long had a warm relationship. Haley traveled to Indiana in 2012 to help Pence with his gubernatorial campaign, then returned three years later to headline a state GOP dinner while he was embroiled in a competitive reelection race.

The two also shared an adviser in Nick Ayers, a prominent consultant who spent four years as executive director of the Republican Governors Association. And their offices gave them access to the same pool of powerful donors who fund races for governor.

The recent divisions have been fueled partly by the rumors that Haley could replace Pence on the ticket and the fact she took so long to address them. Some top Pence aides said they think Haley or an ally was behind the Wall Street Journal op-ed, which a representative for the former ambassador denied.

The White House has pushed back against the idea that Pence will get booted. Trump privately told Pence he was irritated by the Wall Street Journal article, and last weekend the president told reporters he was “very happy” with the vice president and “wouldn’t be thinking about” removing him from the ticket.

Erick Erickson, a prominent conservative commentator who is close to Pence and Haley, said the former ambassador was wise to shoot down the VP speculation. The rumors had intensified so much that two governors had recently reached out to him to ask whether Pence was about to be canned, Erickson said.

“I do think there are people in Trump-world who question her loyalty now,” he said. “And so making sure they see her as loyal is a good thing and getting out there and defending the vice president about rumors that are circulating behind the scenes isn’t a bad thing for her to do.”

Pence’s inner circle is convinced Haley is laying the groundwork for a future presidential bid. Since departing the administration late last year, she’s crisscrossed the country raising money for down-ballot candidates and conservative groups. Haley has also formed “Stand for America,” a political advocacy organization.

The group allows Haley to cultivate major donors and establish the kind of national fundraising network she would need to mount a national campaign. Among those working for the group is Mark Harris, an operative who worked on a pro-Marco Rubio super PAC during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Some Haley skeptics said they’re watching to see whether she uses the organization to help candidates in next year’s races, or saves its resources for later. David McIntosh, the president of the anti-tax Club for Growth, said potential future Republican presidential candidates will be judged based on what they do to help the party in 2020.

“I know where Pence comes out on it, that’s exactly what he’s doing. I would hope — and Haley’s a smart politician so I think she would get it — that that’s her key task right now as well,” said McIntosh, a longtime Pence ally.

Denton, the Haley spokeswoman, said the former ambassador is “committed to helping get the Trump-Pence ticket reelected, and to helping Republicans hold the Senate majority and win back the House.”

“All of her political efforts this year are about the 2020 elections,” Denton added.

In a statement, Pence chief of staff Marc Short said, “The Vice President has enormous respect for Nikki Haley , and she was an excellent ambassador for the Trump-Pence agenda during her one year at the UN.” (Haley served as UN ambassador for just under two years.)

Further complicating the dynamic between Pence and Haley is the role of Ayers, who remains close to both. Senior Republicans want to see whether the 37-year-old operative, who stepped down as Pence’s chief of staff at the end of last year to return to his native Georgia, picks one over the other.

Former colleagues of Ayers, who has deep ties to the donor class, say he hasn’t chosen sides. He speaks with Pence and Haley regularly and was seen with both at the Aspen retreat, which was hosted by the RGA. A few weeks later, Ayers and Pence appeared together onstage before a national group of young conservative leaders.

The skirmish offers a potential preview of what’s in store for the GOP after 2020 — a fight over the direction of the party. Pence has been the president’s most unwavering ally since he joined the ticket in 2016, even when Trump’s policies and personal conduct veered far from the principles Pence had long been known for. Haley, who endorsed Marco Rubio in 2016 and was critical of Trump during the campaign, has shown a willingness to break from the administration. She has urged the GOP to be more inclusive, representing potentially a new direction for the party.

Haley’s forthcoming memoir, to be released in November, may offer a hint of her approach. While the book isn’t expected to take direct shots at the White House, its promotional materials describe her as “a leader who seeks to bring Americans together in divisive times.”

Read More

[titheguerrero]

The Demise of the Trump Foundation, an Extreme Example of Elite "Do-Gooding" to Prop Up the "Broken System" that Benefits Them

Big foundations often claim that they are out to improve society.  For example, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation claims to be

the nation’s largest philanthropy dedicated solely to health.

Its goal is to improve health care for all, that is,

help raise the health of everyone in the United States to the level that a great nation deserves, by placing well-being at the center of every aspect of life.

Yet, as we discussed here, large foundations with an interest in health rarely address the sorts of issues we discuss on Health Care Renewal, particularly problems with health care organizational leadership and governance, most particularly leadership that is ill-informed, incompetent, self-interested, conflicted, or even corrupt.  One explanation was provided by Anand Giridharadas, author of  Winner Take All: Elite Charade of Changing the World, as summarized in an August, 2018, op-ed ine New York Times. His thesis was that society has handed over the responsibility for reform to those who benefit most from the status quo. Thus,charitable foundations, one vehicle for reform, are now largely run by people with business management background, and financial ties to big corporations.  The foundations thus largely propose minimal, if not fake reforms, representing change "the powerful can tolerate." So, 

American elites generally seek to maintain the system that causes many of the problems they try to fix — and their helpfulness is part of how they pull it off. Thus their do-gooding is an accomplice to greater, if more invisible, harm. What their 'change' leaves undisturbed is our winners-take-all economy, which siphons the gains from progress upward.

In a recent interview with the Guardian, Giridharadas explained how his concerns evolved while he was a fellow of the Aspen Institute,

a thinktank that organizes exclusive ideas conferences for the wealthy and powerful, as part of a program designed to raise up a 'new breed of leaders' and solve 'the world’s most intractable problems'.

Aftr being selected as a fellow, along with a bunch of corporate leaders, he realized that the Institute was carrying out its view that

the people best-equipped to protect the interests of the poor are the rich and rich adjacent.

In a 2015 talk to an Institute audience, he

delivered an electrifying critique, arguing the 'change makers' and 'thought leaders' in America’s winners-take-all economy – once again, the very people he was speaking to – are less helping the world through their various philanthropic efforts than propping up the broken system that made them.

The 2015 audience was apparently "aghast," but it is not clear whether Giridharadas' insight led them to change their ways.   Instead, foundations continue to prop up the "broken system," but in often subtle ways.   It is likely that those that benefit from the current status quo continue to promote little reforms around the edges, while failing to face the real issues, because doing so could "could implicate powerful people, or perhaps even themselves." Foundations may continue to fund projects that promote small incremental changes, while avoiding those that could lead to questions about aspects of the system that benefit its current top leaders, or suggest changes in the policies that allow this.  For example, as we wrote here, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's is currently led by a former top pharmaceutical executive who had defended extremely high drug prices which presumably helped fuel her extravagant compensation.   Meanwhile, the Foundation has been accused of "ideological commitment to promote neoliberal economic policies and corporate globalisation." Example: the Demise of the Trump Foundation Now in 2018, three years after Giridharadas confronted the Aspen Institute with little effect, we witness a truly extreme example of a non-profit foundation supposedly set up to do good for society, instead propping up the system, and specifically the supposedly generous philanthropists who founded it.  However, rather than funding marginal reforms, this example demonstrates much more direct, crude efforts to prop up the system which supported the founders of the "charity" in question, that being the Trump Foundation, the creature of our current US dear leader. Major questions were first raised about the Foundation in 2016, when the Washington Post published an article by David Farenthold entitled, "Trump Boasts About His Philanthropy.  But his Giving Falls Short of his Words."  The Post continued its investigation of the topic, leading to an investigation by the New York Attorney General.  This week, that investigation resulted in an agreement to shut down the Trump Foundation, as again reported Farenthold in the Washington Post.  In announcing this agreement, Barbara Underwood, the New York AG, said the investigation found

a shocking pattern of illegality involving the Trump Foundation — including unlawful coordination with the Trump presidential campaign, repeated and willful self-dealing, and much more.

Transactions Benefiting Trump and Family Basically, the Foundation was alleged to have made transactions that resulted in direct personal benefit to Donald Trump and his family.  For example,

The largest donation in the charity’s history — a $264,231 gift to the Central Park Conservancy in 1989 — appeared to benefit Trump’s business: It paid to restore a fountain outside Trump’s Plaza Hotel. The smallest, a $7 foundation gift to the Boy Scouts that same year, appeared to benefit Trump’s family. It matched the amount required to enroll a boy in the Scouts the year that his son Donald Trump Jr. was 11.

One suspicious transaction could be construed as a bribe meant to forestall investigation of another shady Trump venture, Trump University.  Per an opinion piece in USAToday, the Foundation made a "donation" to

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi's re-election campaign in September 2013, years before Trump decided to run for office. According to Florida campaign finance records, the Trump Foundation contributed $25,000 to And Justice for All, a section 527 political organization associated with Bondi. Charitable foundations like the Trump Foundation, however, are prohibited from political activity. On its tax forms, the Trump Foundation claimed it did not transfer any money to a 527 organization or engage in any political activity, and did not report any contribution to And Justice for All. Instead, it reported a contribution to a similarly named nonprofit organization. The foundation cited 'coincidences and errors,' but it looked like a ham-handed attempt to hide the illegal political contribution. In fact, something more sinister than improper political activity may have been going on. The Trump Foundation made its contribution three days after it was widely reported that Bondi's office was reviewing joining the New York attorney general's lawsuit against Trump University. Following the donation, Bondi's office decided not to join the suit or open an investigation. It is possible the contribution was meant to influence Bondi's decision, and it is possible that it worked. Whatever the intent, the payment was illegal, and the IRS ultimately sanctioned the foundation, levying a fine for the violation.

After the shut down of the Foundation was announced, Trump boasted on Twitter that at least his charity had not paid him directly, as reported by Politico,

The Trump Foundation has done great work and given away lots of money, both mine and others, to great charities over the years - with me taking NO fees, rent, salaries etc.

It seems like a distinction without a difference   The Foundation Functioned as an Arm of the Trump Campaign In recent years, the Foundation mainly worked to benefit Trump's presidential campaign. Per the Washington Post,

In 2016, state investigators allege, Trump effectively 'ceded control' of his charity to his political campaign. He raised more than $2 million at a fundraiser in Iowa that flowed into the foundation. Then, the state said, Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski determined when and where it would be given away. 'Is there any way we can make some disbursements . . . this week while in Iowa?' Lewandowski wrote in an email cited in Underwood’s lawsuit. Trump gave away oversize checks from the foundation at campaign events in the key early-voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, pausing his campaign rallies to donate to local veterans’ groups. Federal law prohibits charities from participating in political campaigns. As president, Trump has called repeatedly for that law to be repealed.

Again, the Foundation was acting directly to promote Donald Trump's interests. The Foundation Had No Meaningful Governance Structure Beyond Trump's Whims Finally, the Foundation seemed to have no meaningful governance structure that could counter its use as a family "piggy bank"

The attorney general’s investigation turned up evidence that Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump — all listed as officers of the charity — had never held a board meeting. The board hadn’t met since 1999. The charity’s official treasurer, Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg, told investigators that he wasn’t aware that he was on the board. State investigators asked him what the foundation’s policies were to determine whether its payments were proper. 'There’s no policy, just so you understand,' Weisselberg said.

So, thanks to the investigations that have swirled around Donald Trump and company since he began his campaign for the presidency, we have seen an amazingly blatant example of a non-profit charitable foundation used not to improve society, but to support the "broken system," and particularly the advantageous position of the charity's founder within the system. Further Discussion This example may be extreme, but it may not be unique.  Vox just published an opinion piece entitled,"The Trump Foundation shows just how preposterously light our oversight of charity is." It noted,

As the political theorist Rob Reich explains in his new book Just Giving, we really don’t expect much from foundations as a matter of public policy. They don’t have to have a website or some other way for interested charities to contact them about funding. They don’t have to make their giving strategy publicly available or accessible in any way. They do have to fill out 990-F tax forms, which are public and provide some information on their assets, spending, and grant recipients. But those take the form of long, difficult-to-parse tax documents, and crafty philanthropists can get around these requirements by starting up offshore foundations. And there are basically no requirements to speak of beyond filing a 990-F and spending at least 5 percent of assets every year. 'Foundations are often black boxes, stewarding and distributing private assets for public purposes, as identified and defined by the donor, about which the public knows very little and can find out very little,' Reich writes.

Maybe the revelations about the Trump Foundation will inspire a more skeptical look at "do-gooder" foundations.  We need to know the extent to which they are devoted to the interests of rich insiders rather than of society at large.  Per Giridharadas, shining more light on their obscure operations might inspire them to start

listening to more of society’s losers, and fewer winners. 'The powerful are very good at disseminating their own bullshit,” he says. 'They don’t need the intellectual reputation laundering of ideas festivals to make their heavily marketed bullshit smell even sweeter.' 'I sincerely believe,' he says, 'that had more of the institutions of this country – and particularly those involved in thinking and ideas, not just conferences but all kinds of things – been more skeptical of elite fantasies and more mindful of what was actually going on in other people’s lives in this country, I think it’s very possible we wouldn’t have orange Mussolini in the White House.

We also could have had real health care reform. Article source:Health Care Renewal

[pope-francis-quotes]

7th November >> (@zenitenglish) #PopeFrancis #Pope Francis (Full Text) Address at today’s general Audience:  On the 7th Commandment: ‘Thou Shall Not Steal’.

‘It’s worthwhile to open oneself to a broader reading of This Commandment, focusing the subject of the property of goods in the light of Christian wisdom’

This morning’s General Audience was held at 9:30 in St. Peter’ Square, where the Holy Father Francis met with groups of pilgrims and faithful from Italy and from all over the world.

Continuing with the series of catecheses on the Commandments, in his address in Italian the Pope focused his meditation on the theme: “Thou shalt not steal;” (Biblical passage: form the First Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy 6:7-10).

After summarizing his catechesis in several languages, the Holy Father expressed special greetings to groups of faithful present.

The General Audience ended with the singing of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic Blessing.

* * *

The Holy Father’s Catechesis

Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning!

Continuing with the explanation on the Decalogue, today we come to the Seventh Word: “Thou shalt not steal.”

Listening to this Commandment, we think of the subject of theft and of respect of others’ property. There is no culture in which theft and abuse of goods is licit. In fact, human sensibility is very susceptible when it comes to the defense of possession. However, it’s worthwhile to open oneself to a broader reading of this Word, focusing the subject of the property of goods in the light of Christian wisdom.

The Social Doctrine of the Church speaks of the universal destination of goods. What does it mean? Let us listen to what the Catechism says: “In the beginning God entrusted the earth and its resources to the common stewardship of mankind to take care of them, master them by labour and enjoy their fruits. The goods of creation are destined for the whole human race” (n. 2402). And again: “The universal destination of goods remains primordial, even if the promotion of the common good requires respect for the right to private property and its exercise” (n. 2403).[1]

Providence, however, has not provided a world “in series,” there are differences, diverse conditions, diverse cultures, thus we can live providing for one another. The world is rich in resources to ensure the primary goods to all. Yet many live in scandalous indigence and the resources, used without criterion, are deteriorating. But the world is only one! Humanity is only one![2] Today the wealth of the world is in the hands of the minority, of a few, and poverty, rather, misery and suffering is of many, of the majority.

If there is hunger on earth, it’s not because there is a lack of food! Rather, because of the demands of the market, sometimes it is destroyed; it’s thrown away. What is lacking is a free and farsighted entrepreneurship, which ensures adequate production, and solidary planning, which ensures an equitable distribution. The Catechism says again: “In his use of things man should regard the external goods he legitimately owns not merely as exclusive to himself but common to others also, in the sense that they can benefit others as well as himself” (n. 2404). All wealth, to be good, must have a social dimension.

In this perspective, the positive and broad meaning appears of the Commandment to “not steal.” “The ownership of any property makes its holder a steward of Providence” (Ibid.). No one is the absolute owner of goods: he is an administrator of goods. Possession is a responsibility: “But I am rich in everything . . . “ This is a responsibility you have. And every good subtracted from the logic of God’s Providence is betrayed, it’s betrayed in its most profound sense. What I possess is truly what I know I can give, I am open, so I’m rich not only in what I possess, but also in generosity, generosity also as a duty to give the wealth, so that all can share in it. In fact, if I’m unable to give something, it’s because that thing possesses me, has power over me and I’m a slave of it. The possession of goods is an occasion to multiply them with creativity and to use them with generosity, and thus grow in charity and freedom.

Christ Himself, though He was God, “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself (Philippians 2:6-7) and He enriches us with His poverty (Cf. 2 Corinthians 8:9). While humanity is eager to have more, God redeems it by making Himself poor: that Crucified Man paid for all an inestimable ransom on behalf of God the Father, “rich in mercy” (Ephesians 2:4; Cf. Gc 5:11). What makes us rich isn’t goods but love. We have heard so many times what the people of God says: “The devil enters by the pockets.” It begins with love of money, the hunger to possess; then vanity follows: “Ah, I’m rich and I boast about it”; and, in the end, pride and arrogance. This is the devil’s way of acting in us. But the door of entry is the pockets.

Dear brothers and sisters, once again Jesus Christ reveals to us the full meaning of Scripture. “Not to steal” means : love with your goods. Take advantage of your means to love as you can. Then your life becomes good and possession becomes truly a gift, because life is not the time to possess but to love. Thank you.

[Original text: Italian]  [ZENIT’s translation by Virginia M. Forrester]

In Italian

A warm welcome goes to the Italian-speaking pilgrims.

I’m happy to receive the Sisters Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with their lay collaborators; the parish groups, especially that of Andria, and the Saint Pius X” Faculty of Canon Law of Venice, on the 10th anniversary of its establishment, accompanied by the Patriarch, Monsignor Francesco Moraglia.

I greet the National Center of Coordination of Italian Masks; the Association of Wine and Flavours Trail of the Colli di Forli and Cesena; “The Flying House” Association  of Gazzo Veronese; the Saint Mark Comprehensive Institute dei Cavoti and the group of the first two years of high school of “Azuolynas” di Klaipeda.

A particular thought goes to young people, the elderly, the sick and newlyweds.

The day after tomorrow we will celebrate the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, the Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope’s Cathedral. Pray for me, that I may always confirm the brethren in the faith. Thank you.

[Original text: Italian]  [ZENIT’s translation by Virginia M. Forrester]

[1] Cf. Encyclical Laudato Si’, 67: “Every community can take from the goodness of the earth that of which it has need for its survival, but it also has the duty to protect it and to guarantee the continuity of its fertility for future generations. In the end, “the earth is the Lord’s” (Psalm 24:1), to Him belongs “the earth and all that is in it” (Deuteronomy 10:14). Therefore, God denies any claim to absolute property: “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with me” (Leviticus 25:23).

[2] Cf. St. Paul VI, Encyclical Populorum Progressio, 17: “But every man is a member of the society: he belongs to the whole of humanity. It’s not only this or that man, but all men are called to such full development. [. . . ]Heirs of past generations and beneficiaries of the work of our contemporaries, we have obligations towards all, and we cannot be indifferent to those that will come after us to enlarge the circle of the human family. Universal solidarity, which is a fact and a benefit for us, is also a duty.”

NOVEMBER 07, 2018 10:51

GENERAL AUDIENCE

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