#and ends the entire system third choices included

[kotaerukoto]

chat I'm asking this seriously genuinely for realsies what did Junko mean by this

[fatehbaz]

Today, as you read this [...], there are almost 2 million people locked away in one of the more than 5,000 prisons or jails that dot the American landscape. While they are behind bars, these incarcerated people can be found standing in line at their prison’s commissary waiting to buy some extra food or cleaning supplies that are often marked up to prices higher than what one would pay outside of those prison walls. [...] If they want to call a friend or family member, they need to pay for that as well. And almost everyone who works at a job while incarcerated, often for less than a dollar an hour, will find that the prison has taken a portion of their salary to pay for their cost of incarceration. [...] These policymakers and government officials also know that this captive population has no choice but to foot the bill [...] and that if they can’t be made to pay, their families can. In fact, a 2015 report led by the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Forward Together, and Research Action Design found that in 63 percent of cases, family members on the outside were primarily responsible for court-related costs [...].

Rutgers sociology professor Brittany Friedman has written extensively on what is called “pay-to-stay” fees in American correctional institutions. In her 2020 article titled, “Unveiling the Necrocapitalist Dimensions of the Shadow Carceral State: On Pay-to-Stay to Recoup the Cost of Incarceration,” Friedman divides these fees into two categories: (1) room and board and (2) service-specific costs. Fees for room and board -- yes, literally for a thin mattress or even a plastic “boat” bed in a hallway, a toilet that may not flush, and scant, awful tasting food -- are typically charged at a “per diem rate for the length of incarceration.” It is not uncommon for these fees to reach $20 to $80 a day for the entire period of incarceration. The second category, what Friedman refers to as “service-specific costs,” includes fees for basic charges such as copays or other costs for seeing a doctor or nurse, programming fees, email and telephone calls, and commissary items. 

In 2014, the Brennan Center for Justice documented that at least 43 states authorize charging incarcerated people for the cost of their own imprisonment, and at least 35 states authorize charging them for some medical expenses. More recent research from the Prison Policy Institute found that 40 states and the federal prison system charge incarcerated people medical copays. 

It’s also critical to understand how little incarcerated people are paid for their labor in addition to the significant cut of their paltry hourly wages that corrections agencies take from their earnings. Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of incarcerated people work behind bars. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, those who work regular jobs in prisons such as maintaining the grounds, working in the kitchen, and painting the walls of the facilities earn on average between $0.14 and $0.63 an hour. [...] Arkansas and Texas don’t pay incarcerated workers at all, while Alabama only pays incarcerated workers employed by the state’s correctional industry. [...]

For example, if someone sends an incarcerated person in Florida $20 online, they will end up paying $24.95. [...]

Dallas County charges incarcerated people a $10 medical care fee for each medical request they submit. In Texas prisons, those behind bars pay $13.55 per medical visit, despite the fact that Texas doesn’t pay incarcerated workers anything. Texas is one of a handful of states that doesn’t pay incarcerated people for their labor. 

In Kentucky’s McCracken County Jail in Paducah, it costs $0.40 a minute for a video call; this translates into $8.00 for each 20-minute video call. [...] For those who need to use email, JPay charges $2.35 for five emails for people in the Texas prison system ($0.47 an email). [...]

People in Florida prisons pay $1.70 for a packet of four extra-strength Tylenol and $4.02 for four tampons. And with inflation, commissary items are priced higher than ever. For example, according to the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, incarcerated people in Kentucky experienced a 7.2 percent rise in already-high commissary prices in July 2022. Researchers noted that a 4.6-ounce tube of Crest toothpaste, which costs $1.38 at the local Walmart, is $3.77 at the prison commissary. [...]

In Gaston County, North Carolina, incarcerated individuals who participate in state work release may make more than the state’s $0.38 an hour maximum pay, but they pay the jail a daily rate based on their yearly income of at least $18 per day and up to $36 per day. In fact, Brennan Center research indicates that almost every state takes a portion of the salary that incarcerated workers earn to compensate the corrections agency [...].

These room and board fees are found throughout the nation’s jails and prisons. Michigan laws allow any county to seek reimbursement for expenses incurred in relation to a charge for which a person was sentenced to county jail time -- up to $60 a day. Winnebago County, Wisconsin, charges $26 a day to those staying in its county jail.

---

Text by: Lauren-Brooke Eisen. “America’s Dystopian Incarceration System of Pay to Stay Behind Bars.” Brennan Center for Justice. 19 April 2023. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me.]

[watermelonsloth]

Itachi and the Uchiha Massacre

This might be one of the most controversial posts I’ll ever make.

I find myself very undecided about how I feel about Itachi’s role in the Uchiha massacre. It fills me with the same moral indecision and disgust of the trauma olympics (aka the comparing of “who had it worse”). Every time I try to come to a consensus, I immediately doubt my conclusion and question whether I’m giving Itachi too much of the benefit of the doubt or I’m not taking his circumstances into account enough. It’s like asking if him being a child outweighs him killing children. And that makes me uncomfortable.

On the one hand, he did something very very very bad. He killed an entire clan of people, including who knows how many innocent civilians and children. He then proceeded to psychologically torture his seven year old brother with the memories of him doing so. Prior to being met with this specific conundrum, I would’ve said without hesitation that this is a black-and-white situation with Itachi being solidly in the wrong. Even if he wasn’t the only perpetrator, he still would deserve much of the blame for being one of the executors of such an abhorrent act.

I cannot stress enough how terrible the massacre would’ve been in practice.

However, and this is where I might lose a few of you, as more information is revealed, one question nags at my entire fucking central nervous system. How much of a choice did Itachi really have?

To understand the full circumstances, first you have to understand that the context falls under two categories: who Itachi is (and his perspective) and what position he was in when he made the decision he did. First, who he is:

Itachi grew up in a militaristic village that normalizes violence, especially violence being used to solve problems.

This village has also normalized putting the village’s survival over oneself and one’s friends/family.

He was alive to see the very end of the third shinobi war and the nine tails attack, two events that have solidified his belief that war is the worst thing ever and should be prevented at all costs.

Hiruzen, Danzo, Kakashi, and Shisui encourage his belief that war should be avoided at any and all costs. Three of them are authority figures (see the Milgram experiment for why that’s relevant) and one of them is his first and only best friend.

He is a very introverted and closed off person. He’s so closed off that not even his immediate family can read him. Because of this, his inner circle is very small (meaning he has a very small support network).

He grew up with a strict, authoritarian father and entered the anbu at a young age, meaning he grew up being expected/pressured to obey those in positions of power without asking questions.

He’s an introvert who’s scared of conflict and keeps his head down.

Second, his actual position when he was told to kill his clan (I might be missing some, so feel free to add any others you remember.):

He was thirteen. That is a child in grade 8. That is the age of most genin.

Tensions between his family and village are implied to have been rising for a while and are now at the point that, for whatever reason, negotiation is deemed impossible.

Tensions are so high that if the village doesn’t act soon, the Uchiha’s coup will spark an all out civil war.

The Uchiha clan has little to no chance of winning the conflict and will likely have most (if not all) of its members killed in it. Plus, the conflict would’ve also resulted in many casualties on Konoha’s side as well, including civilians, children, and shinobi who had nothing to do with what was happening.

Tensions between him and his father are extremely high as well with the two of them being implied to regularly argue.

His best friend, possibly only friend, died by jumping off of a cliff in front of him after giving him one of his eyes and left the responsibility of handling the entire situation to him.

He’s being suspected for the murder of said best friend (and was flat out accused of it in front of his younger brother by three adult police officers) and is suspected as being more loyal to the village than to his clan, making him even more of an outcast to his clan.

He's aware that his best friend was attacked and mutilated by Danzo, one of the village leaders and his superior. If he wants any action taken against Danzo, he’ll have to fight a solo, uphill battle against all of the village leaders and risk losing all sway over the Uchiha situation (which would still be a ticking time bomb) in the process.

If he doesn’t want to fight a two sided war or lose what little power he has in the situation, his safest option is to follow orders while pushing for a plan where casualties are minimized.

Did Itachi have other options? Yes, I’m not gonna pretend that genocide was Itachi’s only choice. But a lot of people seem to forget how difficult or flawed a lot of his alternatives would have actually been in practice.

For example, I’ve seen a lot of people throw around the idea of Itachi just grabbing Sasuke and leaving the village. First of all, the massacre still would’ve happened, Itachi and Sasuke just wouldn’t have been there for it. Second, Itachi would’ve had to remove Sasuke from the village without being caught by the village or the Uchiha clan when he was under the scrutiny of both. Itachi is a good shinobi, but I don’t know if he’s that good. Third, how would he even get Sasuke to go along with him? Itachi may not have been close to his clan, but Sasuke loved his clan. Yes, Sasuke also loved Itachi, but it’s a pretty big stretch to say that seven-year-old Sasuke would’ve just gone along with it, especially when he wouldn’t have been able to understand the true scale of the situation. (Itachi would pretty much have to kidnap Sasuke for this plan to work.) Fourth (and similarly), people don’t tend to like uprooting their entire lives to leave the home they grew up in, even in emergency situations or when it’s the objectively better/safer option. Itachi and Sasuke, who were both raised to be “lay down their lives” loyal to their home, would’ve been especially averse to this idea. Fifth, even if they got over all of that and got out of the village, Itachi would have to raise his younger brother alone at thirteen years old while being on the run from a world power with no protection in a world where they’re at risk of being killed or getting the attention of creeps like Orochimaru simply for having kekkei genkai. It’s not like Itachi had outside contacts (beside Obito but Obito would not have helped them even if Itachi trusted him enough to trust Sasuke’s life to him) or there was a benevolent nation to take them in. Even if they managed to one day settle into a peaceful life, it would’ve taken years of fighting to survive before they’d have gotten there. Cool fanfic idea, but making Itachi slightly more innocent isn’t a solution.

The idea that Itachi should’ve just told the Uchiha clan what was going on and got help from them is similarly short sighted. The Uchiha clan were the victims in this situation, but they weren’t perfect angels either. Itachi was not close to, or particularly well liked by, his clan. Save for Shisui (who is theoretically dead in this scenario) and Sasuke, he had no emotional connection to the clan, only vague respect and a waning sense of responsibility towards it. And even if he did go to them, Itachi telling them what was happening would’ve just sparked a civil war, the one thing Itachi was desperate to avoid and the thing that would’ve gotten them all killed.

So…

What was the point of all this?

I’ll admit that I hoped typing out my thoughts would somehow end in me settling on an opinion, but right now I’m still just as undecided and significantly more depressed. Because, like, it’s just a depressing, shitty situation where there were victims and perpetrators and Itachi who just so happened to be both. Maybe trying to ask if Itachi is either “good” or “evil” is asking the wrong question. Maybe the entire discussion about how moral Itachi is as a person or all of the other choices he could’ve made is missing the point.

[mezimraky]

So what on earth is happening with the Czech election right now? Who is this general? Do people actually want Babiš? How does this vote work?

it's complicated! essentially, what is happening in czech rep right now is the third ever direct presidential election. meaning, every citizen over the age of 18 gets a vote. the last two elections ended with miloš zeman as the winner. miloš zeman is a bitter old man who is a rude drunk but people felt represented by him, and so elected him twice.

the second time around there was a big wave of dislike for zeman but the voters did not manage to pool in to one other candidate but instead spread to at least three fractions, making it impossible to beat zeman. this is not the case this year, with this election.

the first round of the election ended with two favourites. generál petr pavel and andrej babiš. they both had around 30something% of votes and ended within less than a percent to each other.

andrej babiš, the poplusist oligarch, is the head of the biggest political party in the country, ANO. andrej babiš is also a businessman who first went into politics in cca 2011 and his main positive was that "as a rich businessman he would not need to steal from the people as a politician." and "as a successful businessman he can run the country like he runs his company". they essentially built their popularity on populist policies that range the whole political spectrum without much of a system or reliability. they would form alliance with anyone who allowed them to be in the position of power.

the prominence of ANO has indirectly caused a crisis in democracy. the two sides of the political spectrum are out of balance. ANO's populist policies have replaced the political left almost entirely. if you'd watched the last government election last year, you'd see that the fight was no longer between the left and the right but between populism and democracy. the democratic right has won at the cost of forming a giant coalition made out of five different parties. they really needed that many in order to beat the ever so popular ANO, and babiš himself.

and this appears to be happening again. the choice of the second round of the presidential election is between babiš and generál pavel. babiš being a populist who will say just about anything to win (including pointing at the general's millitary past and claiming that he will drag our country into the war, take your kids away and whatever else). generál pavel being a guy with diplomatic experience in NATO, who mostly bases his campaign on his unshakeable calm and order. which, to be fair, following the many years with miloš zeman does seem like a very alluring concept.

both babiš and pavel also have a communist past, much like most people their age in this country. while pavel was a regular party member (and gained part of his millitary training under the old regime), andrej babiš has been proven to cooperate with the secret police at the time, being their secret agent of sorts. the cynics would tell you that there its not a real choice, that its between a communist and an agent, that they both suck. but.

it's not just the choice between two people. it's once again between a real diplomat and a liar. they are many poignant arguments concerning these two, but let me just focus on this one, as it is the most important one to me. babiš as a person does not stand for anything. he will say anything to get what he wants. he contradicts himself on the regular and does not cope well with being called out. he makes himself out to be an underdog but he was the prime minister until last year, and as a prime minister proved himself to be both completely spineless and worthless. and yet, his loyal fans seem to forget. they seem to have a weird sort of parasocial relationship with the kind grandpa in a turtleneck that he presents himself as on the social networks. they don't care what he did or didn't do. they like him as a person. they don't care what he would do to the image or political orientation of our country. they don't care. they care that he baked a delicious vánočka the other day, just like they do, every christmas!!!!

generál pavel has his own minuses, one of the ones that get thrown around a lot-- having millitary past, it's not all clear what he's done while in the millitary. having had diplomatic affiliations before, they say we can't know for sure where all his allegiances lay. and he was a communist after all. but. the thing is. he's the only other option we've got. and he's not all bad. he speaks well, he's consistent in his opinions, and he's willing to listen to marginalised groups for reasons other than to make himself look good.

and he's decent. and unaffiliated with a particular political party. insistent on democratic values. it's a low bar, i know. but it's the best hope we've got...

[boundinparchment]

Deus In Absentia - IV

The first time was a coincidence. The second time was a fluke. But the third time? You were starting to think it was fate. Or, more likely, a calculated trap. Reposted from my previous blog, @/zhonglis-empty-wallet AO3

As you imagined, there was only the illusion of choice; if a Harbinger wanted a resource, they got it, one way or another.

You were given quarters among some of the other, higher ranking Fatui members; a small room with a single window, bed, wardrobe, desk, and attached bathroom only large enough to serve its purposes.  At least you didn’t have to share.

The room was a respite you would probably use very little, you came to quickly realize.

Most of your time was spent in Dottore’s labs and the adjacent rooms down in Haerasys.  Reading, organizing, sorting.  You tried not to think too hard about the dark stains at the edges of stray pieces of paper or the screaming from the sub-basement.  

The tour you received of the facilities didn’t include the cells where specimens and subjects were kept.  In fact, you were explicitly told to not go down there.  Probably for the best, if the topics you were glimpsing over were anything to go by.  Krupp had dragged you along once, and only once, and you suddenly understood what he meant by ‘human resources’ in your first meeting.

You’d held your own throughout Krupp’s tirade, expressionless, until you arrived back in the privacy of your rooms, where your stomach protested what little dinner you’d eaten and your mind refused to let you sleep.  Human experimentation, especially on children…confused, lost, scared…it was wrong.

And you would, no doubt, join them when Dottore was finished with you.  Death would be a mercy.  And he was the furthest thing from merciful. ____________________

“Archivist!”

You winced. Over the past few weeks, you learned quickly to distinguish the differences in his tone when he used your title.  He never called you by your name.  It was better that way, you supposed.  Professional.

Or perhaps, as you occasionally heard from recruits in the hall and the hushed whispers people dropped in your ear, he was entirely incapable of connecting with others.  The other Harbingers kept their distance unless otherwise required.  Their own staff were just as wary.  After all, Dottore loved to see them squirm whenever he had the chance.

He shouted again, more frustrated than before, and you hastily made your way to his main workshop.  The Second had his back to the entrance as he scanned a large bookshelf, one you only finished organizing days prior.  Already in disarray.  Again.

“Yes, Lord Harbinger?”

Krupp referred to Dottore as master.  

You would do no such thing.  You, at least, had dignity.  Dottore might have taken everything from you so far but he couldn’t take that.

The good doctor held a book in his hand and waved it about, making it difficult to see the title.  “Where are the additional volumes for this?!  They were right here!  You’re making such a mess, Archivist.” 

Dottore’s fury initially made your blood run cold when you first experienced it but you’d pushed through it as soon as you realized you were right about the topic.  He wasn’t much different than a disgruntled customer at times, really.  Others on the receiving end of the Harbinger’s ire were quick to beg and soothe and plead.

Not you.

You approached cautiously, as you had on the first day in Haerasys, and held out a hand for the book.  Dottore frowned but begrudgingly handed it to you before crossing his arms.

“The shelves were reorganized to their initial system you used, based on Universal Decimal.  Topics regarding Divinity and the Abyss are…” you ran a finger lightly over spines as you made your way across the shelves, “here.  They’re then sorted by title, since most of these are written by unknown authors.”

You pulled out the additional volumes in question and presented them to the Harbinger.

“The shelves are labeled, Lord Harbinger.  And there’s a list of inventory attached to the end of the shelf with their intended location.”

Dottore clicked his tongue against his teeth and took the books from you in a single sweep of his arm.  He brought the titles back to the table where he was tinkering on a smaller device and was quickly lost in his work again.

Your system would be useless if he didn’t use it as intended.  The entire point was to eliminate this exact situation, so his resources would be easy to find.  Tools and instruments were labeled, returned to their locations; why wouldn’t his research materials be treated the same way?

You turned on your heel to leave and then, against your better judgment, turned back towards Dottore.

“Is the system I’ve come up with useless for you, Lord Harbinger?”

You hadn’t meant for the exasperation to be as pronounced.  The system was easy enough for customers to follow in your store, after all, or a similar version.  He seemed to navigate the shelves during his visits with ease, immediately understanding the organizational structure.  But if it didn’t work, it was better to know and resolve it than continue on under false pretenses that everything was fine.

Dottore held his place on a page with a finger and looked up, red eyes wider than usual.

“What gave you that impression, Archivist?”

“If you’re unable to find what you need–”

The Harbinger cut you off.  “Few have efficiently stuck to a system that makes sense long enough for it to be useful.  Even one as peerless as myself can adjust when something is more optimal than before.”

You held his gaze, remembering his words to you regarding displaying your organs, and nodded.  In the distance, you heard a shrill scream from the nearby staircase that led to the sub-basement.  You suppressed a shudder, remembering the wide eyes and the pleading, weakened and starved bodies...

Dottore drew your attention back to him as he said, “I expect nothing less than perfection.”

You bowed, your mouth suddenly refusing to work, and before you raised your head, Dottore continued.  

“You’ll know when I’m dissatisfied, Archivist.”  His tone was final, dismissive and threatening.  

You didn’t want to linger anyway.

[gr1an]

Okay I think it's time we all start manifesting the gemtho team up in the next life series. Etho is the brain and Gem is the muscle. It'll happen I promise. not even a question in my mind they're gonna be unstoppable and we will get fanfictions from it for months just you wait. honestly you're crazy if you don't think it's gonna happen because them not teaming up is literally impossible (manifest with me)

Or we get a team of Etho and his fanclub (Joel, Bdubs and Gem)

PLS gem was so good in secret life i’d love for her to be in the next series and YES i’d love for her next group to have etho in it especially if the next season’s gimmick is related to how the last winner (scar) won. or the lesson he learned from it. bc i really like the theory that the winners of the previous series influence the next one.

(warning: hyperfixation infodump that is barely tangentially connected)

grian won third life, and saw that the lives you have or lose aren’t your choice. some are born lucky, some are lucky to be born. then last life had randomly assigned lives.

then scott won last life. he won it in the series where he had someone he could trust with his life the entire time. then double life had soulmates.

pearl won double life. she absolutely won it by her own means, but the final death was her soulmate sacrificing himself. then last life has a system that gives +30 min no matter how much time the person you kill is on. teammate sacrifices rule supreme.

martyn wins last life. he does it by suddenly being overwhelmed by the watcher’s attention and losing his mind to turn on his teammates. then secret life includes a statue of a watcher giving out secret tasks that have everyone acting out of character.

then scar wins secret life. 1) he didn’t even know he’d won at first. 2) he was forced into doing something time after time that almost never actually ended up working in his favor. 3) he was alone the whole time.

those three things could lead to some INTERESTING gimmicks

not knowing really messed him up. as well as all the other stuff ppl kept hidden this series. nobody has any more secrets to hide. panopticon you are not able to hide ANYTHING. meaning that the teams are absolutely going to be less. adventurous than they previously have been. if they can’t trust you with everything they will trust you with nothing.

roles like in the game mafia are a thing. you don’t get to choose whether you’re the healer or the sheriff or the mafia. but you have to act your part to win.

something about the gimmick makes long term alliances actually result in worse outcomes. those that team together become that much more obvious.

sorry this was supposed to be about gemtho but i had thoughts that i couldn’t stop lol

[sophia-sol]

The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (aka Mo Dao Zu Shi), by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

When I watched The Untamed (hereafter CQL) in 2021, my immediate thought upon finishing was that I HAD to read the book (hereafter MDZS) it was based on. Now, more than two years later, I have finally done that.

And it's so good you guys!

And also, really very different from CQL.

I knew that already, because on top of the way that inevitably at least some things get changed in any adaptation process, I understand that the complex system of chinese censorship has standards for a wide variety of different things not being allowed to be shown on tv. And several of those things are integral to the version of the story in MDZS.

Being now familiar with the versions of the story told in both tv and book, I think the difference that's the biggest is the moral universe being presented by the themes of each story. CQL is the story of a person who always tries his best to do what's right, and is treated poorly by society because of it, but eventually is able to triumph. MDZS is the story of a person who makes some huge mistakes and then has to (gets to?) learn how to live with them.

Both are wonderful stories worth telling! And they have a lot in common. But they are not, in the end, the same story. Going forward I will definitely be paying more attention to which version is being tagged as the fandom when I open fic!

I do feel like I'm not quite up to writing a coherent review of the book right now though. I read the first two-thirds or so back in April, and then accidentally took a multi-month break from reading it, and then read through the remainder over the course of the last few weeks. So the beginning portions of the book are fuzzy in my head and easy to confuse with everything else I have read about CQL/MDZS and the fanfic of both, and it's hard to hold the shape of the entire narrative in my head.

But I do have a few more notes! Most of which are varyingly spoilery for either or both of CQL & MDZS

One is how the Jin Guangyao storyline in MDZS more closely adheres to the theme of "making choices, experiencing consequences" imo. In CQL, JGY is kicked out from the Nie sect because of killing the supervisor who treated him poorly, but in the book he leaves the Nie on good terms, and the incidents which make Nie Mingjue distrust and dislike him happen after he's already gone. JGY really could have just stuck around the Nie sect comfortably and with respect if he chose! But he wanted the things he could get from seeking his dad's approval even more. It's about what you decide to prioritize and go after.

I enjoy how MDZS goes more back and forth with the timelines, and you can see current Wei Wuxian having opinions about the past. And I love how WWX just sees his past self as super cringe, rather than like condemning himself or anything!

There are several really excellent female characters in MDZS, but they do not get a lot of page time, so I appreciate CQL's efforts to increase the presence and narrative relevance of the female characters.

The way everyone just calls the Wens Wen-dogs as a standard term is so uncomfortable to me. Dehumanizing your enemy is a classic strategy in war, for understandable reasons, and it does definitely serve to remind me regularly just how much all the main characters are in a war mindset! Which is why it's so uncomfortable lol. But that's like. a good thing. Nobody in this story is morally pure!

Speaking of not morally pure, I was fascinated to see that the distinction CQL makes between the Dafan Wen as pacifist doctors and the Qishan Wen as supporting Wen Ruohan is straight up not present in MDZS. Wens are Wens, and Wen Qing and Wen Ning are important close members of Wen Ruohan's family, and the Wen remnants include cultivators. I appreciate this too! You cannot separate people into "these ones are evil and deserve to die" and "these ones are completely blameless and have never done anything wrong ever." Love to reject a binary.

But then as well, when Wei Wuxian rescues Wen Ning and the others from the work camp, as far as I can tell from what the narrative tells us, he doesn't actually take all the prisoners, only those who are connected with Wen Ning and Wen Qing in some way - which makes it come across less as "I am taking a moral stand about the treatment of prisoners" and more "I owe a debt to the Wen siblings and must repay it."

I also appreciated the bit of context about what work specifically the Wens were being made to do at Qionqi path - remove aggrandizing stonework depictions of Wen accomplishments to replace it with similar ones but for the Jin. It's clear it's meant as, like, something humiliating for the Wens to have to do.

Lan Wangji is described in both MDZS and CQL in the post-sunshot era as someone who "goes where the chaos is" and I had always understood that previously to mean that he seeks out the biggest chaos. But MDZS makes it clear that what it means by the term is that he's willing to go deal with any situation that needs addressing even if it's small-scale and would be considered beneath him and won't enhance his reputation in the high echelons of cultivator society he was raised in. Love this for him. I wonder if this is what CQL also meant, and I just failed to read it correctly?

And then of course there are things like the absence of a second flautist, which I did already know about from fandom discussions, which is kind of emblematic of the difference between the two narratives.

(oh also. This is very personally motivated but I'm grateful CQL was not able to include more depiction of cannibalism and reanimated corpses because that would be a LOT for me to watch in the more visceral medium of television! and there are so many corpses in MDZS! I think it's very good and appropriate in the book, and I'm glad it stayed in the book.)

idk I feel like I'm spending most of this review talking about MDZS only as relates to CQL which feels a bit unfair to MDZS as the originator, like I'm not respecting it as its own thing! But it's hard for me to talk about it in any other way after having spent the last two years so much in the fandom. If I'd come to MDZS before I ever knew anything about CQL this would be reading very differently!

At some point I do want to do a closer reading of MDZS to appreciate it better for what it specifically is doing, like the way I'm currently doing a TGCF close read on mastodon. There's so much fruitful stuff to pay attention to in any work by MXTX.

Anyway please rec me fic that is particularly good at being based in MDZS canon! I want to spend more time exploring it!

[timeclonemike]

Meet The Villains

Right Hand Versus Left Hand: The plotline of the main quest has been summarized as "two supervillains try to conquer the world at the same time and trip over each other's schemes and also there's a third guy" which dispenses with a lot of nuance (and character development, lore, and side quest hooks) but is otherwise accurate. The "Main" Villain is called Silas Van Der Horne, an Occultech researcher and Rationalist; he is the first character the player sees in the game, as he is responsible for the ritual that summons outside forces to the universe in the form of a player to begin with. The "Classic" Villain is Ben Waters, leader of a conspiracy within the government of Veck with the intention of taking over the country and then immediately engaging in a war of expansionist conquest over the rest of the region. The "Surprise" Villain is determined through the consequences of player choices when dealing with the first two villains.

Silas Van Der Horne: Silas gets very little screen time beyond the opening cutscene until Act 3, when he becomes aware of the Hero and the party trying to stop him and takes a more active role in events; for most of Act 1 and 2 he is obliquely mentioned as consolidating his power base and doing obscure magic research. As a scientifically minded magic user, his plans are based around the harnessing and exploitation of otherwise neutral systems - natural resources, civil infrastructure, magical energy cycles - and he is directly responsible for the most iconic threats in the series such as dino cavalry, power armor, and automatons. His master plan involves building a portal to another universe (revealed in the opening cutscene to the observant) but his motive for doing so is only hinted at until his climactic battle with Ben Waters at the end of Act 6.

Ben Waters: Waters' political and paramilitary influence is an open secret throughout the first two acts and his influence on events makes him the most obvious and pervasive danger to the Hero and the Party until Act 3. Waters is alternately characterized as either a sociopathic manipulator or a necessary evil, even by his own allies and minions, and discovering his motivations is an entire side quest that is not even necessary to progress in the main quest. Waters' strengths and efforts focus on people and the social structures they belong to, so his influence is most often seen in the form of bribery, extortion, confidence games, propaganda, and brainwashing that gives him leverage over existing organizations - including the minions of Silas Van Der Horne.

Mayor Etheridge: The Honorable Mayor of Arcadia, Johan Etheridge, is introduced as a comic relief character that lampoons the concept of elected officials who are selected for their personality rather than their competence in problem solving and administration. If the player has either weakened both Silas and Waters' organizations equally, or failed to do so, by the time of their confrontation in Act 6, the end result is a power vacuum that Mayor Etheridge fills almost immediately; it is implied that his alleged incompetence was just a smokescreen to make his own staff underestimate him while he worked behind the scenes to take over more of the city than the parts he was elected to run.

General Caine: If more damage is done to Waters leading up to Act 6, General Caine of the Republic of Veck enacts martial law and attempts to purge the nation of Waters' conspiracy at any cost. This is ostensibly out of paranoia; it is eventually revealed that when Waters served under Caine in the military, Caine's strategic incompetence got his unit almost completely wiped out save for himself and Waters, and Waters was drummed out of the service to protect Caine's reputation. Caine's general incompetence and jumping at shadows means that Veck is too busy looking for the enemy within to mount an effective defense against Silas Van Der Horne's dinosaur army; whether or not Caine survives the attack depends entirely on if the Hero goes after Silas when given the prompt to chase one villain or the other, and attacking Silas then means that Caine's scorched earth tactics frame the final act.

Doctor Ashton: If more damage is done to Silas Van Der Horne's organization before Act 6, his second in command rallies the survivors around a new banner and upsets the existing balance of power by using several magically augmented "doomsday" weapons. Notably, Doctor Ashton does this even if recruited by the Hero; if relationship flags are negative, Ashton shrugs off any conflict by claiming the Hero is just as bad as his former employer, while good relationship flags show the Doctor being much more conflicted about the choice while his dialog hints at some greater danger that had been uncovered by Silas during his research.

Insecure Party Members: Other recruitable party members may turn on the Hero during the events of Act 6, but this is dependent on a combination of two factors. First, specific choices must be made in previous acts when trying to stop or slow down either Silas or Waters. Second, the party member in question must be in the active party with the Hero leading up to the climax of Act 6. This party member ends up taking over the leftover resources of the villain that loses the fight at the end of Act 6, and takes the place of antagonist and final boss for the entire final act.

Kyle: For Kyle to betray the Hero, his relationship flags need to be mostly negative, and the Hero had to both agree to destroy the Forest Temple and follow through with it. Backing out after agreeing at first shows Kyle that the hero can be reasoned with if they are about to make a short sighted mistake, while resorting to blowing the temple up when the undead threat is too obvious to ignore is a completely different situation than deliberately wiping out cultural artifacts that pose no threat to anyone. Kyle's assault on the world involves armies of undead, sentient killer plants, and plagues that threaten global famine as he tries to wipe out all civilization to start over.

Astrolethe: For Astrolethe to betray the Hero, they must have ALL their lost memories restored, and the Hero must shout them down during the argument at the Astral Planetarium by using a disparaging, objectifying insult. Shouting an insult that is NOT dehumanizing, winning the argument via rational debate, or even losing the argument completely do not undermine their trust. Astrolethe threatens the world by attempting to launch satellites to bombard the surface with various weapons and occultech devices.

Claudia: For Claudia to betray the Hero, she has to be one step away from completing the Great Work. If she is two steps or more away, the temptation is not as strong, and if she has finished the Great Work, there is nothing to tempt her with. Claudia's threat to the world involves massive environmental damage as her Great Work goes wrong and the balance of nature is corrupted.

Erin: For Erin to betray the Hero, the Subliminal Transceiver project must still be operational and the Party must either not have discovered it or ignored it during mission planning. If the Hero treats it as a serious danger, jokes about using their own depraved thoughts as a weapon against the Transceiver, or jokes about the rest of the Party not reading their thoughts at certain times of day, Erin will not panic when the Transceiver starts working on the Party and will not lash out at the Hero. Erin's threat to the world involves armies of automatons modeled after the Hero and other members of the Party, and culminates in a fleet of airships bombing every major population center.

[everygame]

Guardians of the Galaxy (PS4)

Developed/Published by: Eidos Montreal / Eidos Released: 26/10/2021 Completed: 23/04/2023 Completion: Beat it. Trophies / Achievements: n/a

It sounds like a weird thing to say about a video game that is more correctly described as IP exploitation rather than a genuine creative work, but I was hoping for more from this.

I mean, I’m not sure why? I mean, I do know why, I’d heard the classic siren song of “it’s not as bad as people say” and for some reason that always makes me interested to play something. But Marvel’s video game output is inconsistent like the MCU never happened (well, because as far as the video games are concerned, it hasn’t) with different studios doing different things, like Square Enix bafflingly deciding the Avengers should have a games-as-a-service loot shooter, and because despite what the video games want to have you believe the MCU did happen, so an Avengers games-as-a-service loot shooter features a cast that look like they should be be standing outside Mann’s Chinese Theatre having their picture taken with tourists because all the actors were clever enough to not sign away their likeness rights.

Surprisingly–or perhaps, luckily–this doesn’t affect Guardians of the Galaxy too much, because most of the cast are aliens and everyone is sick of fucking Chris Pratt, so having another jerky looking white guy in the role barely matters. And I do think the design team made a genuinely good decision to just try and make a straight forward third-person shooter with a linear narrative and levels rather than giving in to the temptation to make some sort of open-world thing, even if the Guardians of the Galaxy’s wacky adventures might have suited more of a Mass Effect metagame, though that the game does try and include meaningful dialogue choices and Mass Effect-y squad combat mechanics.

It’s just that… It’s boring.

The team dynamic works–there’s constant chatter, and it’s honestly not that annoying. The needle drops are often funny (or at least, I was easily amused by them). But the pacing is all off, with long segments of what feels like just walking slowly from cut-scene to cut-scene, and then when you actually get to the combat it’s never, ever satisfying. I eventually gave up and bumped it down to the absolute easiest it could be and every enemy was still an insane bullet sponge, and the fact that you need to be constantly directing the other guardians to do things to make them cause any damage at all means there’s absolutely no flow. It’s entirely possible that the game’s stagger and elemental damage mechanics make killing enemies easier, but they’re poorly explained and as much as I thought I was using them correctly, maybe I wasn’t?

The game’s economy/upgrade system also doesn’t work; your upgrades for Star Lord are underwhelming and you will have them all by three quarters of the way through the game, meaning you can ignore the rest of the currency you find lying around the levels, and though there’s a limited number of guardian upgrades, you don’t really want more considering you can only use one at a time with cooldowns; you end up spamming a few favourites through the whole game anyway.

It’s all a bit of a bummer, because you can sort of feel that the team are trying to do something, it just doesn’t work. Maybe it was scheduling, pressure from the top or demands of the IP, but every little spark of fun in the writing or twists in the design are hammered down by the lengthy tedium of just grinding through the game, especially as the story is extremely underwhelming, suffering not just from some pretty picked over cliches but also really baffling character motivations at points.

Ironically, it’s only really that I have residual fondness for the characters/”IP” that carried me through this, which is a sorry state of affairs. Still, I’ve learned my lesson, even if it is being delisted I’m not touching The Avengers with a ten-foot barge pole.

Will I ever play it again? Why does a game like this have a New Game Plus, really? You unlock everything before you’ve even finished it! I’ll never look at this again, I doubt I’ll even think about it. Final Thought: The question is of course, is sitting through this worse than sitting through things like Ms. Marvel or She-Hulk? Trick question, you can look at your phone while those are on.

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[lovebugs-and-snakecharmers]

LBSC Sprint Challenge 7/6-27/2022

The LBSC Sprint Challenge is now open for writers and artists! The prompts are:

1. Practice kiss before a school play - surely the second, third, fourth kisses are practice too 2. Lukanette spending the night at Marinette’s house for the first time. Only: luka is terrified of the dark and Marinette doesn’t have glow stars on her ceiling like he has back home. Commence operation: try to stay cool and not to cry in front of your girlfriend 3. "We became adults. And we forgot." 4. "Just promise me you won't even think about dying til 100. Because I want those years." 5. (see social media post below) 6. Wildcard - pick any of the prompts available from our sister blog, @mlweeklyprompts, or any previous challenge prompt.

You have until Wednesday, July 27 to complete your 3 15-minute sprints/45 minute art sprint and post the results. Once you’ve completed the sprints, you have 24 hours to edit (which can include some new writing to smooth transitions and make it feel complete, and whatever work you feel appropriate to get your art to a state you consider ‘finished’).

Please note you may sprint in the language of your choice, and you can either translate the final fic before posting, post it in the original language, or both as you choose. You can join us on the LBSC discord or sprint on your own! Just be sure to tag @lovebugs-and-snakecharmers in your final post so we will see it and reblog it. The rest of the rules can be found here under the cut.

Rules!

We’ll post a beginning and end date to the challenge, and a prompt.

Writers, If you choose to participate in the event, write for that prompt in up to three 15 minute sprints. No writing outside the sprints until you have completed all three! After the 3 sprints are complete, you have 24 hours to edit (which can include some new writing to smooth transitions, etc). You can also choose to break that 45 minutes up differently if you find a different split works better for you.  After those 24 hours, post what you’ve got. Tag your posts with @lovebugs-and-snakecharmers so we can reblog it to the LBSC blog. If you post your work on AO3 or somewhere other than Tumblr, you can leave a link in our ask box or in the appropriate discord channel so we can be sure to promote it. After the designated challenge end date, we’ll compile a listing of the submissions and post it to the LBSC blog.

Feel free to sprint in whatever language is most comfortable to you! You can post it in your own language or translate it before posting, or both!

Artists, you have 45 minutes to sketch and 24 hours to do any cleanup or coloring you’d like to complete. You can split your 45 minutes up however you like, or not at all. There’s no requirements on your finished piece, just aim for whatever goal seems challenging but achievable to you.  Tag your posts with @lovebugs-and-snakecharmers so we can reblog it to the LBSC blog. If you post your work on Instagram or somewhere other than Tumblr, you can leave a link in our ask box or in the appropriate discord channel so we can be sure to promote it. After the designated challenge end date, we’ll compile a listing of the submissions and post it to the LBSC blog.

If you’re wavering as to whether or not you think you can accomplish anything in 45 minutes, we really encourage you to give the challenge a try. You may be surprised what you can do! Feel free to join us in the discord linked above so we can encourage and cheer you on.

Obviously, this has to run a bit on the honor system and we won’t be tracking your times, but please do your best to honor the spirit of the challenge! If your sprint fic becomes an Entire Thing (these things happen sometimes) and you want to continue it, feel free! However, please still post whatever you’ve got after your 3 sprints with the tag. No fair busting out a fully polished fic or art without showing us what it looked like at the challenge stage!

We want to keep this a positive space and event! This does NOT mean that you can’t write or draw anything critical of a character or episode, but it isn’t the space for character bashing or hate either. Please keep the characters in character and save the more speculative work for another time. NSFW sprint works are permitted but must be tagged appropriately (please use “NSFW LBSC sprint challenge” for easy filtering on the blog) and with appropriate warnings.  (More FAQ about the process here)

This is a Lukanette blog and a Lukanette event, so while Lukanette does not need to be the main ship, it needs to at least be included or referenced and considered endgame (in other words, they don’t have to be together by the end of your work, but the intent is that they’re headed in that direction). The decision about what qualifies for reblog rests solely with the LBSC moderators. If a piece hasn’t been reblogged within a couple of days, either the mods felt the piece didn’t meet the criteria or it was simply missed; you are welcome to reach out in the asks to inquire which. There are plenty of other spaces out there for other ships and OT3s, and people are welcome to use the challenge rules and prompts to write for their own ships! They just won’t be reblogged to the LBSC blog, and we ask that you please not use the event tag (a modified form is fine - “InsertAlternateShipName sprint challenge” instead of “LBSC sprint challenge,” for example).

Happy sprinting!

[mariacallous]

Students and members of the public have taken to the streets in major cities across China, with protesters in Shanghai calling for Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to step down—a rare sight in China, where protest is strictly curtailed. Coming shortly after the 20th Party Congress, which marked the beginning of Xi’s third term as CCP general secretary, these protests bear closer examination and consideration for their potential to affect China’s political situation and Xi’s grip on power—and even to usher in a “new era” of social movements akin to the wave of protests that swept the country in 1989.

Commentators calling these the largest protests since 1989 are mistaken. The Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao years saw mass protests that drew tens of thousands of participants or more, destroyed local government offices, and had to be put down by armed police. The crowds in videos emerging from protests in Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, Chengdu, and other cities are generally small, ranging from several hundred to over a thousand. Rather, it is Xi’s heavy-handed suppression of social dissent over his time in office and his concomitant expansion of public expenditures and targeted poverty alleviation, buying the affections of the underclasses and all but eliminating open public protest, that makes the current wave of protests significant.

A common thread in these protests is people reaching the limits of their tolerance for the government’s zero-COVID policies. The “dynamic zero-COVID” approach the government has adopted capriciously deprives the public of their freedom and rights and has led to countless humanitarian disasters. One such disaster, a fire in a locked-down Urumqi apartment building, was the spark for students and members of the public to protest, as people around the country gather to mourn the lives lost in the fire.

The first Chinese city to be locked down was Wuhan, where the epidemic first broke out. The people of Wuhan silently endured lockdown for more than two months. Tianjin, Xi’an, Shenzhen, and other cities followed suit with lockdowns of varying degrees; these, too, were silently borne. When the entire city of Shanghai was locked down for two months starting this April, the public once again suffered in silence. What changed between then and the end of November?

One key event was the promulgation of the new “20 Articles” policy on pandemic control measures in early November. The policy promised a gradual loosening of restrictions, a welcome ray of hope for a public that had been trapped in place for three years, but when this resulted in a nationwide resurgence of outbreaks, authorities quickly reinstated tighter controls, dashing any hope of lockdowns being lifted. The repeated cycles of easing and tightening, caging people like lab rats, finally wore through the last of people’s patience. Under the government’s zero-COVID policies, everyone knows that they could be the next to suffer—including people inside the system, particularly officials and workers on the front lines of pandemic response, many of whom have long since burned out from exhaustion and overwork. Everybody wants a change—but as long as Xi does not, they will have no choice but to endure.

Sudden as these protests may seem, their broader context—particularly Xi’s actions over his decade in power—made them a virtual inevitability. Despite widespread fears that Xi would return China to the days of the Cultural Revolution, this isn’t something he can pull off alone. China isn’t North Korea, after all: The liberal reforms that followed the Cultural Revolution afforded the majority of Chinese people a basis to make comparisons with other ways of life, giving rise to interests that not even Xi can shake. Closing China off from the world would pose no benefit to the CCP or Xi himself, moreover, except insofar as it might be used to eliminate the system of private ownership.

Rather, fears of a return to the Cultural Revolution indicate widespread dissatisfaction with Xi’s line, policies, and ideals among members of the public, who have consistently opposed Xi’s attempts to shift the engine of history into reverse gear. Xi may have wanted to redirect the course of historical development, but the last 10 years have seen China generally continuing forward in its century-long transition to modernity. Historical precedent shows that during such transitions, growing awareness of civil rights eventually gives rise to public movements and public resistance, primarily in the form of collective action.

China is no exception. One of the ideological effects of the reform years was a resurgence of civic consciousness. This produced the 1989 student protest movement and subsequent waves of human rights actions and mass incidents. Xi has ensured that citizens’ rights activists and other oppositional forces will be sentenced harshly, but he hardly has the power to erase this civic consciousness from the brains of the public. The public simply hid it away for a while under pressure from the authorities; given a suitable chance and fertile soil, their demands for freedom and civil rights will flower again.

The rapid deterioration of China’s external environment, Xi forcing his way into a third term, and above all the government’s zero-COVID policy present a rare opportunity for public protest—and will nurture a movement for societal transformation.

U.S.-China tensions have imposed unprecedentedly severe strictures on China’s development environment, and the country’s economic woes are to a great extent the product of the U.S. geopolitical and technological containment of China, exacerbated by lockdowns in response to the pandemic. The economy continued its steep decline this year, triggering a wave of bankruptcies and unemployment and causing the public’s living standards and quality of life to decline dramatically.

The majority of China’s population was born in the 1970s or afterward: These people lack earlier generations’ firsthand experience of—and ability to cope with—poverty. Protracted personal and family hardships due to the pandemic and economic downturn are not, as time goes on, something they can adapt to—and this will drive them into the streets in protest. From the government’s perspective, this state of affairs is a ticking time bomb. It must be prevented from going off.

But the government’s approach to “defusing” the situation has been to further solidify the monolithic leadership of the CCP and build up its violent control over society, while at the same time partially satisfying popular demands for a more equitable distribution of wealth. Though this has weakened the basis for civic resistance in the short term, in the long term it will both fail to suppress dissatisfaction and resistance and, as state control weakens, actually promote the emergence of a popular political consciousness that will spur a sense of resistance and inspire action. The state’s total loss of the ability to sense and respond to public discontent makes this possibility all the more likely.

The reason lies in the fact that Xi’s focus on addressing wealth inequalities and funding poverty alleviation efforts after taking office forced the government to strengthen its extractive taxation capacity, exacerbating conflicts between the state and the industrial and commercial class. Entrepreneurs are laying low en masse, causing the economy to decline further. A regime that develops its extractive capacity (primarily in the form of taxation) and its coercive capacity (primarily in the form of violent control) while neglecting to develop its distributive and regulatory capacities and its ability to protect the public will produce an imbalance of state capacity, leading to widespread protest. Economic growth predicated on this basis will not only fail to bring general prosperity and social development but systematically create polarizing economic and social disparities, leading in turn to general social discontent and resentment and ultimately severely weakening the basic legitimacy of the regime.

This schema describes China before Xi: The Jiang and the Hu eras saw many instances of protest and mass incidents, but the fat years are over, and the improvements in wealth distribution are insufficient to remedy the public’s worsening losses from unemployment and will ultimately be unable to reduce conflicts between the people and the government.

We might say that even before the pandemic, political and economic winter had already come for China—but as 40 years of economic reforms had left individuals and the government with enough provisions set aside to weather the storm, the public’s sense of crisis was merely something on people’s minds and had not yet translated into collective acts of resistance. Three years into the pandemic, the Chinese economy is at a new low point. The cold is getting worse, supplies are running low, and the impact of the government’s zero-COVID policies has fallen hardest on the public’s fundamental rights and interests. The adversarial consciousness and acts of resistance so long suppressed by the government inevitably broke out: People tolerated it for as long as they could, and finally they couldn’t stand it anymore. The protests now going on in cities around China, led mostly by young people and university students, reflect a reawakening of civic consciousness under the ideological oppression of the state.

The government’s response to protesters’ demands will decide whether these protests will turn into nationwide social protests of Xi and the CCP. Despite some protesters shouting radical slogans, the protests have on the whole remained peaceful and free of violence. Demands from students and the public mainly focus on ending the government’s zero-COVID policy. If the government accedes to these demands—which are shared by a majority of the public—by relaxing pandemic restrictions and agreeing not to take reprisals against protesters, it should be able to quickly quell the protests.

If, however, the government determines that “hostile foreign forces” or domestic class enemies have infiltrated and instigated protests in hopes of bringing about regime change by fomenting a color revolution in China, the only possible next step will be violent suppression. Any bloodshed will intensify conflicts, awakening a long-standing sense of oppression among the public—and protests, which thus far have been limited to large cities (particularly university campuses), will spread across the country and form a surging, nationwide wave of resistance. In such an event, the public will increase its demands to include the end of the CCP’s one-party dictatorship.

It is unclear whether Xi envisioned this as a result of his zero-COVID policy, but clearly he has a sense of crisis: He has emphasized the need for a “spirit of struggle” and called on cadres to “dare to struggle and excel at struggling.” Perhaps, then, he has also made preparations and plans for social crisis and protests. Xi’s umwelt makes it unlikely that he will see the protests as merely an expression of dissatisfaction with zero-COVID, rather than a stalking horse for hostile forces—and if he acts on that understanding in ordering regional officials to handle the wave of protests, it will do nothing but escalate the situation.

However the government eventually handles the protests, their emergence so soon after the 20th Party Congress is a major blow to Xi’s authority and a message that his response to the pandemic over the last three years has been a failure—and by extension that he is not qualified to lead a great nation, which will shake the confidence of the CCP and embolden internal dissatisfaction with Xi, especially at the upper echelons. In embarking on a third term at the 20th Party Congress, Xi showed that there were no restraining forces on him within the party following his successful suppression of opposing factions. Discontent at high levels of the CCP has not vanished, however—it merely hid away, perhaps to be revivified by the present wave of protests. Even so, Xi and his trusted associates are in control of the party and the military, and open intraparty disputes are unlikely. The central government in Beijing will not split—not unless bloodshed escalates to nationwide protest.

[jigensass]

I posted 4,251 times in 2022

264 posts created (6%)

3,987 posts reblogged (94%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@jigencaps

@justherefortheheists

@mmangaboi

@detectivehole

@oursamuraifreund

I tagged 933 of my posts in 2022

#jigen daisuke - 209 posts

#spoilers - 61 posts

#alaska - 51 posts

#part 6 spoilers - 37 posts

#jiglup - 37 posts

#lupin the third - 36 posts

#part 6 episode 21 - 26 posts

#jigen - 18 posts

#goemon ishikawa xiii - 17 posts

#yes - 17 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#cause i’m pretty sure my adhd genes came from my dad because his mannerisms are nearly identical to what i started to notice in myself when

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

See the full post

148 notes - Posted January 8, 2022

#4

Send this to anyone who knows nothing about Lupin the Third without context and ask them to explain this

193 notes - Posted January 7, 2022

#3

Jiglup canon?

Jiglup canon.

218 notes - Posted July 20, 2022

#2

Let’s Talk about the Multiverse of Madness (objectively)

This is your only warning about spoilers for this movie so if you don’t have ‘spoilers’ blacklisted you have been warned. Also, this is gonna get pretty dark so also be warned for that.

Now that I have gotten the hype of watching this movie out of my system, I can now put my more tame thoughts into form. I did some reading on other peoples’ opinions about the film before writing this, so I am aware of their qualms with the film. However, this is my opinion about the film. I am also someone who has been a fan of Doctor Strange for almost ten years now (scary to think about when you realize I have been through Stephen’s entire MCU history from fruition to now on tumblr) and I have read the comics, so I know most of the lore.

Now, you don’t have to go into this film with much background information outside of the first film, Infinity War, and Wandavision, but if you know the lore like I do, you’re going to love this film. And loved this film I did so much I’m debating about going to the theater to watch it again, it was that good after thinking some things over. (Disclaimer I did not watch Wandavision and am not going to shovel money for Disney+ to watch Wandavision.)

I am going to touch upon all aspects of the film including lore, the future of the frachise, other people’s opinions, and what some people have seemed to missed with the theme of the film.

The first thing is that there is technically no villain, only a threat. That threat being Wanda Maximoff aka the Scarlet Witch. This is someone who currently is going through mental distress to the point of obsession. The way some phrases such as how she explained her thoughts on how she felt about taking the Mind Stone out of Vision’s head was a very human way of tackling the big theme of the film, which was based around the actions of the characters, their consequences and how they affected the people around them, and how they dealt with the hand they’ve been given in life whether it be good or bad.

Wanda just happened to take her shitty hand and turn it up to 11 by going on a multiverse murder spree.

When Wanda killed herself, it wasn’t out of force, it was out of choice because of the sheer amount of guilt she felt over the things she did. You know, like a very depressed person with no more strings to grasp at. So they do the sudoku.

Wanda is supposed to be the negative representation to Stephen how people deal with loss and trauma. Stephen doesn’t understand what Wanda is going through because he has difficulty relating to others. It took seeing himself with the powers of the Darkhold and what it did to him to realize that he should move on from Christine and not be afraid of being truly alone like he has since his accident. This is represented by not fixing his watch that he broke during the accident in the first film until the very end of this one to show that he has moved on. It was his symbol of attachment of craving that love and affection of one person, just like in Wanda’s case where she wanted the love and affection of her ‘children’. She wanted what most of the other Avengers got after Infinity War which was closure or happiness to their lives and used whatever means she could get her hands on to make herself happy without being aware of the damage it was causing.

Stephen could have had easily just given in and used the Darkhold to whisk himself away to a universe where he still was a surgeon and he had Christine’s love. Stephen could have easily took America’s power with no remorse, but instead he told her to trust herself that she could control her power. Even despite having a similar internal battle that Wanda had decided to side with. No matter how much they tried to rationally reason with her, to help her see the turth of what she was doing was unreasonable and unethichal, she had made her choice to give in to her demons and delusions. You never saw the battle with Stephen, but the signs were there.

Initially when this movie was announced to be in the genre of horror, there were two things I wanted way back when. 1. Tentacles (because it isn’t Doctor Strange if you don’t have tentacles) 2. Stephen’s emotional trauma and a fight with his sanity because of the guilt he had to carry in Infinity War. 

I got both of those in spades. 

Stephen is a very emotional person. He truly does care about people and his actions. He carries his guilt if he screws up and when he royally screwed up with the incursions, he was clinging to having the acceptance of Christine to care for him just like after his accident when the entire world had abandoned him. He was afraid of being alone. Just. like. Wanda.

I have seen some people say that Michael Waldron who was a writer for Loki and this movie ruined Loki and Stephen by putting them under powerful women, but I disagree with Stephen’s case. Wanda doesn’t overshadow him, it’s just the dynamic of how they are presenting themselves and dealing with their issues is on the opposite ends of the spectrum: Wanda is more external and vocal while Stephen is more reserved about it. It took him the entire movie to speak up and say ‘yeah I’m scared of losing you and being alone’.

Stephen and Wanda’s internal battles with achieving happiness was something I related to on a personal level. Always wanting to have what you want, not being aware of what other people may think of what you’re doing or for how they feel about the situation. I’ve been through that multiple times with multiple people. It’s only until recently that I’ve been able to realize that there have been people in my life, mostly outside of the internet who have been strong-willed enough to call me out on my bullshit instead of letting me continue to make a fucking ass of myself and realize that I have more potential than I ever realized. And it’s not only them, you have to be patient enough to listen to what they have to say to realize the truth about yourself through the lens of others and be willing to seek help when a shoulder is there for you to lean on. And this instance, I cared enough about these people to seek the help I needed to be able to become a better person.

There are multiple quotes throughout the Buddhist doctrine about the moon, its reflection, and relating it to mindfulness. The one that comes to mind when I think about the film is the monkey grabbing for the moon’s reflection in the water. It is grabbing for an illusion while the real thing is above in the sky, illuminating the night. 

Basically the entire theme of Multiverse of Madness can be summed up in this trailer for another film, which is actually a documentary.

Something else that a lot of people, I guess forgot when watching this movie, is that Stephen is just a Master of the Mystic Arts and not the Sorcerer Supreme. It just dawned on me when I was watching MoistCritikal’s review on the film that Stephen being underpowered and having “unimpressive magic” and not being able to completely subdue Wanda, someone with the power of a literal demon at her disposal who could mow the sorcerers of Kamar-taj 10 times over, is actually very fitting for this film.

The original run of Doctor Strange comics from the 80′s and 90′s are named in this order. 1. Doctor Strange: Master of the Mystics Arts 2. Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme

We are just hit 1.5 in Stephen’s journey in the MCU with the introduction to the next leg of his journey. You know it, I know it, there is gonna be a third movie. Stephen’s going to become Sorcerer Supreme either because Wong dies or we finally get to see the Vishanti in their physical forms and see them give the mantle to Stephen for kicking Dormammu’s ass with the science of judo.

No, I am not making that shit up.

This is getting long already and I haven’t even talked about the other aspects of this film which are the lore and the horror.

Imma start with the latter: this is a PG-13 film, so gore is limited, but Sam Raimi definitely knew where to push the boundaries with this film and there were some moments that did actually scare me. Wanda contorting out of the gong? Black Bolt’s death? Slicing Peggy Carter in half? BREAKING PROFESSOR XAVIER’S NECK ON SCREEN?! Oh yeah, and the zombie makeup at the end was a breath of fresh air to be real instead of some CGI garbage. The cinematography in a lot of the shots was really really good or unique, especially when Wanda was dreamwalking for the first time as it switched back to her in both bodies was really good. Though scene with the slowing of time to get a jump scare in was kind of cheap.

I know I haven’t really talked about America Chavez because in all honesty, she was the just macguffin of the movie, so I really don’t have much to say except she was there to do her thing and we found out Stephen can’t speak Spanish which is hilarious. Oh, and this is what made me give this movie the praise it deserves. They gave the biggest middle finger to China in particular of showing America’s parents who are canonically lesbians on screen and there is absolutely no way you can edit it out of the film without losing some important backstory to America’s character so anyone watching this without her parents on screen will be confused as fuck as to how America got to where she was in the movie.

But now it’s on to what made this movie, for me, grin from ear to ear. All of the lore and Easter Eggs stuff within it for the Doctor Strange fans who know the ins and outs of this stupid wizard. This is not your lame ass list on the basic aspects of the movie, this is stuff that you never knew was a thing or I thought it was a nice touch to add in for continuity sake.

1. Zombie Stephen is actually Stephen from this version of the Defenders from 2011 where he slept with a college student.

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283 notes - Posted May 8, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Good morning

Now the question on everyone's mind this morning is

Did the English Dub make the fuzzy angel scene any more gay? Could it make it any more gay?

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325 notes - Posted August 1, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[nakshtechnology]

SIMATIC HMI Comfort Panels – High-End Operator Design for Sophisticated HMI Applications 

The SIMATIC HMI Comfort Panels are specifically built to handle advanced visualization applications at the machine level. With high performance, extensive functionality, and a wide range of integrated interfaces, these panels offer maximum convenience for high-end applications.  

The standard devices of SIMATIC HMI Comfort Panels serve as the foundation for specialized variants such as IP65 protected devices, panels with a stainless-steel front, and those designed for outdoor applications, as well as coated versions.  

The following is a lineup of SIMATIC HMI Comfort Panels Standard Devices: SIMATIC TP700 Comfort, KTP700 Comfort, TP400 Comfort, KTP400 Comfort, TP900 Comfort, KTP900 Comfort. Additionally, these panels are available in other sizes such as 15 inches, 19 inches, and 22 inches. 

To Elaborate one in detail:  

SIMATIC TP700 Comfort: 

7-inch Panels with TFT color widescreen display 

The SIMATIC TP700 Comfort is the mounting compatible successor of the 6-inch touch devices TP 177B mono, TP 177B color, TP 277 and MP 177. 

SIMATIC HMI TP700 Comfort offers high performance, 40% more display space and more than twice as high screen resolution. 

The SIMATIC HMI Comfort Panels are built to support advanced visualization applications at the machine level. Their high performance, functionality, and multiple integrated interfaces provide maximum convenience for high-end applications. 

The first choice for solving complex HMI applications are the SIMATIC HMI Comfort Panels. 

The products include cutting-edge technology, exceptional performance, and built-in features, and are available with high-quality aluminum fronts starting from 7 inches or larger. 

The TIA Portal seamlessly integrates SIMATIC HMI Comfort Panels through WinCC. The complete performance capacity of Totally Integrated Automation is unlocked by this innovative engineering framework. 

SIMATIC HMI Comfort Panels - Brilliant, Intelligent and Practical 

Brilliant:  

With up to 40% more visual space than traditional displays, intricate operating screens can be clearly presented and segmented for both application control and monitoring. 

The display offers high resolution, 16 million colors, and a wide viewing angle of up to 170 degrees, providing excellent readability and detailed process display.  

To minimize energy consumption and extend the display's service life, the LED backlight brightness can be reduced by up to 100% to match the lighting conditions of the application.  

The Comfort Panels, the initial widescreen SIMATIC product family, won the prestigious iF product design award in 2012. 

Intelligent:  

Enhanced operational reliability is provided by special SIPLUS versions for simple automation tasks in harsh environmental conditions.  

The advantages of SIPLUS HMI Basic Panels are as follows: All automation components' current consumption is actively regulated by PROFIenergy.  

When not needed, individual loads or entire production units can be disconnected. Coordinated switching guarantees high plant reliability.  

Simple integration into existing standards ensures continuous investment protection. 

Practical:  

Simple to use  

Quick and intuitive data input with a user interface similar to a mobile phone keypad, providing familiar and easy operation.  

Enhanced user guidance for easier operation. All keys provide tactile feedback, improving operational reliability.  

Increased connectivity, reduced hardware expenses: Seamless integration into current system setups and networks, made possible by standard interfaces like PROFIBUS and PROFINET. 

- From 7" device upwards: 2 PROFINET interfaces with integrated network switch 

- From 15" upwards: Additional third PROFINET interface 

The integrated Media Player allows playback of sound files through the Audio In/Audio Out interface. Two integrated USB host interfaces make it easy to connect to external devices. 

Product range 

The five Comfort Panel families 

In our line of SIMATIC HMI Comfort Panels products, we provide items that are tailored to meet the specific needs of their intended use. For the food and beverage sector, we offer devices with stainless steel fronts, while for industries dealing with challenging environmental conditions, we have completely enclosed devices housed in a durable aluminum casing with high IP65 protection against dust and splash water. 

The five comfort Panels are: 

Comfort Panel Standard 

Comfort Panels Pro  

Comfort Panels INOX 

Comfort Panels Outdoor 

SIPLUS Comfort Panels 

For more detailed information about SIMATIC HMI Comfort Panels Visit Here 

[kickrtechnology1]

Unlocking Success: The Dynamics of Android App Development in Noida

Android app development has become a cornerstone of the modern digital economy. With the ubiquity of smartphones and the Android operating system’s dominant market share, businesses across various sectors are keen to develop their own apps to engage with customers, streamline operations, and drive growth. This article delves into the world of Android app development, exploring the essential aspects of app development services, the qualities of a top mobile app development company, and why Noida is emerging as a significant hub for this industry.

The Rise of Android App Development

Android, developed by Google, is an open-source operating system that powers a vast majority of smartphones worldwide. Its flexibility, scalability, and extensive developer community make it a preferred choice for businesses looking to develop mobile applications. The process of Android app development involves designing, building, and testing applications that can run on Android devices.

Key Components of Android App Development

1. Conceptualization and Planning: The initial phase involves brainstorming ideas, conducting market research, and defining the app’s purpose and target audience. A clear vision and roadmap are essential to guide the development process.

2. Design and User Experience: The design phase focuses on creating an intuitive and engaging user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). This involves wireframing, prototyping, and designing the app’s visual elements.

3. Development: This is the core phase where developers write the code for the app. It includes front-end development (UI and UX), back-end development (server-side logic and database management), and integrating third-party services and APIs.

4. Testing: Comprehensive testing ensures that the app is free of bugs and performs well across different devices and Android versions. This includes functional testing, performance testing, security testing, and usability testing.

5. Deployment: Once the app passes all tests, it is ready for deployment on the Google Play Store. This involves creating a developer account, preparing the app’s listing, and submitting the app for review.

6. Maintenance and Updates: Post-launch, the app requires regular updates to fix bugs, add new features, and ensure compatibility with new Android versions.

App Development Services

A professional app development company offers a range of services to support clients through the entire app development lifecycle. These services include:

1. Custom App Development: Tailoring apps to meet specific business requirements, ensuring that the app aligns with the client’s goals and provides unique value to users.

2. UI/UX Design: Creating visually appealing and user-friendly designs that enhance user engagement and satisfaction.

3. Cross-Platform Development: Developing apps that work seamlessly across multiple platforms, such as Android, iOS, and web, using frameworks like React Native or Flutter.

4. Consulting and Strategy: Providing expert advice on app development strategies, market trends, and best practices to ensure the success of the app.

5. Testing and Quality Assurance: Conducting thorough testing to ensure the app’s functionality, performance, and security.

6. Maintenance and Support: Offering ongoing support and maintenance to keep the app up-to-date and functioning optimally.

Choosing a Top Mobile App Development Company

Selecting the right app development company is crucial for the success of your app. Here are some qualities to look for in a top mobile app development company:

1. Expertise and Experience: A company with a proven track record and extensive experience in app development is more likely to deliver high-quality results. Look for companies with a diverse portfolio and positive client testimonials.

2. Technical Proficiency: The company should have a skilled team of developers proficient in the latest technologies and development frameworks. They should be capable of handling complex projects and integrating advanced features.

3. Design Excellence: The ability to create intuitive and engaging designs is essential. The company should have a strong design team that can translate your vision into a seamless user experience.

4. Transparent Communication: Effective communication is key to a successful partnership. The company should provide regular updates, be open to feedback, and maintain transparency throughout the development process.

5. Post-Launch Support: Reliable post-launch support is crucial for addressing any issues that arise and ensuring the app’s longevity. Choose a company that offers comprehensive maintenance and support services.

6. Competitive Pricing: While cost should not be the sole factor, it is important to find a company that offers fair pricing without compromising on quality.

Noida: A Hub for Mobile App Development

Noida, a rapidly growing city in India, has emerged as a prominent hub for mobile app development. Here are some reasons why Noida is an attractive destination for businesses looking to develop Android apps:

1. Skilled Workforce: Noida boasts a large pool of talented developers and IT professionals. The city is home to numerous educational institutions and training centers that produce skilled graduates in computer science and related fields.

2. Cost-Effectiveness: The cost of app development in Noida is generally lower compared to other major tech hubs, such as Bangalore or Mumbai. This makes it an attractive option for businesses looking to maximize their budget without compromising on quality.

3. Infrastructure and Connectivity: Noida has excellent infrastructure and connectivity, with well-developed IT parks and office spaces. The city’s proximity to Delhi further enhances its accessibility and appeal.

4. Supportive Ecosystem: Noida has a thriving tech ecosystem with numerous startups, incubators, and accelerators. This vibrant community fosters innovation and collaboration, making it an ideal environment for app development.

5. Government Initiatives: The government of Uttar Pradesh, where Noida is located, has launched several initiatives to promote the IT and startup sectors. These initiatives include financial incentives, infrastructure development, and simplified regulatory processes.

Top Mobile App Development Company in Noida

Some mobile app development company in Noida have gained recognition for their expertise and quality of service. Here, Kickr Technology is a top company that stand out different from other app development companies. At Kickr Technology, you can find that every element of their software application is perfect and is aligned with your goal. In terms of usability of the software, they make sure that they have offered the best output. You may have ordered an application for your potential customers or for the employees of your company.

Kickr transform mobile apps on various platforms and devices. They have a team of experts who works on various technologies and try to make app most downloadable app of play store. As a leading and top mobile app development company, we provide our customers best mobile apps services as per their need.

Conclusion

Android app development is a critical aspect of the digital strategy for businesses across various industries. With the right app development company, businesses can leverage the power of mobile technology to engage with customers, improve efficiency, and drive growth. Noida, with its skilled workforce, cost-effective solutions, and supportive ecosystem, has emerged as a key player in the app development landscape.

Whether you are a startup looking to launch your first app or an established enterprise aiming to expand your digital presence, choosing a top mobile app development company in Noida can be a game-changer. With their expertise, technical proficiency, and commitment to quality, these companies can help you turn your app idea into a successful reality.

[universalthings]

Saturn

This is an image of Saturn I edited in class using GIMP. This was my third and final image edit for the class and was one of the three images I presented at StARS on April 24th. When I was choosing my third image to edit, I wanted to do something completely different from what I had done before. Having done the Crab and Flame Nebulas, I thought a planet would be the perfect thing to edit. When I needed to choose which planet to edit, I had originally chosen Jupiter, but when I went into the data base for images, there was a problem with some of them. This led me to check my second choice, Saturn. When I checked, there had been over 200 different images for each of the luminance, red, green, and blue layers, as well as an already calibrated image for each. With each having the calibrated image already, I was able to skip the MaximDL process and start directly with GIMP. When I got to GIMP and began to brighten the images using the levels and curves tools, I realized that each layer was unaligned by a very large amount, which led me to realign all the layers next. After that was done, I went on to colorize the red, green, and blue layers, as well as set the three to screen mode while setting the luminance layer to luminance mode. After, I began to mess with the curves and levels tools again to adjust the brightness of each layer. In the end, I was able to pull out a yellowish color, with a red ring on the outside. The end product was exactly what I was looking for, as I wanted to be able to make Saturn a yellowish color, as that's how it is in real life.

Saturn is the sixth planet in our solar system and is also the second largest behind only Jupiter. Being sixth from the sun, it takes 29 Earth years for Saturn to orbit the sun. The planet is surrounded by icy rings and is also the only planet to have rings in the entire solar system. Saturn has an atmosphere, which is made up of hydrogen and helium. Saturn has been known for centuries, dating back to ancient times, and is the farthest planet from Earth discovered by the naked eye. Saturn has had a huge showing in pop culture, being viewed as the most iconic planet in our solar system. The planet has been featured in several different shows, movies, and video games, including "WALL-E," "2001: A Space Odyssey," and "Star Trek."

Saturn - NASA Science

[accountingblogs]

Sage Vs. QuickBooks (2024 Comparison)

Selecting the right accounting software is crucial for the effective management and growth of a business. Sage and QuickBooks are two of the most prominent software options in the market. Each offers unique features and benefits, but which one is the right choice for your business? In this comprehensive comparison, we'll delve into the functionalities, user experience, pricing, and support provided by Sage and QuickBooks to help you make an informed decision.

Introduction

Accounting software solutions like Sage and QuickBooks serve as the backbone for financial management in businesses, providing essential tools for tasks ranging from basic bookkeeping to detailed financial reporting. While both are highly regarded in the industry, their suitability can vary based on business size, industry, specific needs, and budget.

Overview of Sage

History and Market Focus Sage, founded in 1981 in the UK, has grown to serve millions of customers worldwide. Initially designed for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Sage has expanded its offerings to include solutions that cater to larger businesses, emphasizing industry-specific features.

Core Features - Sage Business Cloud Accounting:** Aimed at small businesses, this solution offers features like invoicing, expense management, and financial reporting. - Sage 50cloud: Combines the power of desktop software with cloud mobility, providing robust accounting features with integration options for Microsoft Office 365. - Sage X3: A more advanced system designed for medium to large businesses, focusing on more complex processes like manufacturing, distribution, and service industry specifics.

User Experience Sage provides a user-friendly interface with customizable dashboards and real-time data analytics. However, the learning curve can be steeper for the more advanced products like Sage X3.

Overview of QuickBooks

History and Market Focus Developed by Intuit, QuickBooks has become synonymous with small business accounting in the U.S. It offers a range of products that cater primarily to small and medium-sized businesses.

Core Features - QuickBooks Online: Allows businesses to manage their finances entirely online with features like invoicing, payroll, and profit and loss reporting. - QuickBooks Desktop: Available in Pro, Premier, and Enterprise editions, these solutions offer more complex functionalities suitable for growing businesses with specific needs. - QuickBooks Self-Employed: Tailored for freelancers and solo entrepreneurs, focusing on basic accounting tasks and tax computations.

User Experience QuickBooks is known for its intuitive interface and ease of use, making it a favorite among non-accountants. The software's simplicity is a major selling point for many small business owners.

Comparing Key Features

Ease of Use QuickBooks generally offers a more straightforward experience, especially for those without accounting expertise. In contrast, Sage's products, particularly the higher-end options, tend to have a steeper learning curve but offer deeper customization and more powerful tools.

Pricing Models QuickBooks and Sage offer various pricing tiers. QuickBooks tends to be more affordable for its online services, making it an attractive option for smaller businesses. Sage's pricing can be higher, especially for its more advanced solutions, but these are also more scalable and feature-rich, providing better value for larger businesses or those with specific industry needs.

Integration Capabilities Both Sage and QuickBooks offer robust integration options. QuickBooks integrates seamlessly with numerous third-party apps, especially e-commerce and customer relationship management (CRM) tools. Sage also offers strong integration capabilities, especially with Microsoft products and larger enterprise systems, making it ideal for more complex business operations.

Customer Support and Community Both companies provide extensive customer support through various channels, including live chat, email, and phone support. QuickBooks tends to have a more active user community, which can be a valuable resource for troubleshooting and tips.

Scalability Sage offers more flexibility for growing businesses, especially those needing detailed customizations or managing more complex business processes. QuickBooks, while excellent for small to medium businesses, can be limited when scaling up operations.

Conclusion

The choice between Sage and QuickBooks ultimately depends on your business needs, size, and budget. QuickBooks is ideal for small businesses looking for ease of use and affordability. Sage, on the other hand, may be better suited for medium to large businesses that require more advanced features and customization.

To decide which software is best for your business, consider your financial management needs, the size of your business, and your budget. Both Sage and QuickBooks offer trial versions, so it might be wise to test each software with your specific business processes to see which better fits your operations. By carefully considering each option, you can ensure that your business adopts the best accounting software to streamline financial management and support growth.