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perfectirishgifts · 4 years ago

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Best And Worst Brands Of 2020: From TikTok, The NBA, The Home Depot And Chick-fil-A...To Quibi, Facebook And The CDC

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Best And Worst Brands Of 2020: From TikTok, The NBA, The Home Depot And Chick-fil-A...To Quibi, Facebook And The CDC

This year was unprecedented for so many reasons. For most of us, our heads haven’t stopped spinning since March. For brands, this was a year when many discovered if they really had a purpose that anchored their place in the world and if their actions and experiences backed up their words and promises.

Deciding on brand winners and losers is always a challenge, but this year, I had some of the fiercest debates yet with my 450 Prophet colleagues, as brand performance took on so many more dimensions in 2020.

A number of brands were debated. We discussed the impact that Kobe and LeBron had on the world, while also talking about the Tiger King as the first COVID-19 bingeable show. The team gave a lot of love to the early COVID-19 responders, including Unilever, 3M, P&G, KFC, Chipotle and Ford, while giving equal props to those that took an authentic, purpose-based stand on social justice, such as Nike, The North Face, REI, Ben & Jerry’s, Glossier and J&J. The brands that helped us get through lockdown and changed the way we think of delivered meals and goods, including DoorDash, GrubHub, UberEats, Instacart and, “newcomers” Target and Walmart all received a lot of votes. Similarly, the streamers got a lot of mentions, from Netflix to Hulu to Peacock and Apple TV, as did the connectors in Zoom, WebEx, Teams and the slowly dying Skype.

Our team engaged in some serious conversations about the differences in responses that Uncle Ben’s (now Ben’s Original) versus Aunt Jemima (we are still waiting) took or about how we will collectively sustain the incredible Black Lives Matter momentum. Finally, others wondered what shape Brand USA will take in 2021 and how we will be talking about Pfizer and Moderna a year from now.

So, while dozens stood out, these seven received our highest marks:

Chick-fil-A

Florida, Brooksville, Chick-fil-A, fast food chicken restaurant, drive thru line due to Pandemic.

While COVID-19 crushed the restaurant industry, Chick-fil-A’s immediate response and quick innovations explain why it’s become the world’s third largest and most beloved quick-service restaurant. It endeared itself to its growing number of fans by doubling down on drive-thru speed, including expanded lanes, “face-to-face ordering” and “order ahead pick up.” It is crushing it with their Chick-fil-A One app and enhanced delivery options, accelerating new innovations such as meal kits and their famous sauces in grocery stores…all while still bringing “my pleasure” southern hospitality to life every day to millions.

Clorox

Hand sanitizer and Clorox sanitizing wipes sit on a table at a polling station in Miami, Florida, … [] U.S., on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Photographer: Jayme Gershen/Bloomberg

While this brand has long soared in our Prophet Brand Relevance Index® it took on an entirely new meaning in the virus-dominated universe of 2020. As consumers clamored for reliable ways to protect their families, the brand gracefully acknowledged supply-chain problems and shortages while becoming indispensable in our lives. With smart partnerships, like United Airlines and the Cleveland Clinic, it’s using its trustworthiness to increase sales and market share.

The Home Depot

TORONTO, April 3, 2020 — People line up with a social distance to enter a Home Depot store in … [] Toronto, Canada, April 3, 2020. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua via Getty) (Xinhua/Zou Zheng via Getty Images)

This year’s WFH trends helped propel the Home Depot’s business as “Doers Got More Done.” What helped drive and accelerate this is its investment, commitment and leadership. The Home Depot continues to lead the industry in inter-connected digital experiences and e-commerce, customer service, products and pricing. Its commitment to customer and employee safety (and giving back to the community) has been second to none in the retail industry, as has its commitment to professional customers.

TikTok

Photo Illustration by Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

While TikTok was in the news for various reasons in 2020, its incredible timing met a moment when many needed ten seconds of relief from the real world. With over 100 million users in the U.S., TikTok has rapidly become part of our cultural lexicon. TikTok’s short-form viral videos, including its dance challenges and Ocean Spray “Dreams” video, took our minds off all things serious. From a niche player to mainstream media, this renegade has become so relevant that other platforms, like Instagram with its “Reels,” are racing to catch up.

The National Basketball Association

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – AUGUST 27: The Black Lives Matter logo is seen on an empty court as all … [] NBA playoff games. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

In a year of so many sports disappointments, the league, individual teams and countless players have demonstrated the best reactions to both COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter. With its bubble, the NBA showed a thoughtful, empathic balance between athletic safety and happy fans. With its unapologetic embrace of racial-justice efforts, as expressed on each player’s jersey, it’s using its stage to change the hearts and minds of its strong fanbase.

Zoom

President Barack Obama “crashes” Zoom board meeting for the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

Love it. Hate it. It doesn’t matter. Triple-digit gains prove Zoom found new relevance in wildly diverse audiences, from COVID-19 stranded senior citizens to energetic preschoolers. If you didn’t know what a virtual background was or used the words “you’re on mute, Scott,” you certainly do now. With a ridiculous stock price and valuation, continuous new features and updates through Zapps (a suite of apps integrated into Zoom), as well as fun innovations like video filters, Zoom will continue to be an integral part of our lives for years to come.

Peloton

This workout-from-home brand started the year by offending an entire gender with its tone-deaf holiday ad. (Note to husbands: It’s inadvisable to tell your wife to work out more.) But as gyms around the world shut down, it understood that it had a unique opportunity to make family-room workouts an integral part of people’s health and wellness. With bikes, treadmills and increasingly appealing subscription offers (90 days free for all), Peloton hit on all cylinders in 2020.

And the brands that disappointed us the most:

Uncle Ben’s, Aunt Jemima and Land O’Lakes

LONDON: A customer’s hand taking a packet of Uncle Ben’s rice. The brand is to change the image of a … [] black farmer and could also be forced to change its name, as a reaction to a backlash over racial injustice.

While all of these storied brands announced they were making changes, it took a full-on social uprising for Mars Foods, PepsiCo and Land O’Lakes to address their decades-old history of racist brand imagery. All have done the right things in starting to address the issue. Uncle Ben has given way to Ben’s Original Rice, for example, and Land O’ Lakes has removed the Native American woman from its logo. But none have explained why it took them so long.

Boeing

The Boeing 737 MAX will take another key step in its comeback to commercial travel on December 2, … [] 2020 by attempting to reassure the public with a test flight by American Airlines conducted for the news media.

Even as the nearly two-year grounding of Boeing 737 Max comes to an end and the company moves to again sells its planes, we saw plenty to disappoint us. Not only did the safety oversights and mismanagement result in tragedies in 2018 and 2019, but it also cost as much as $25 billion. And now, it has to sell the canceled planes to airlines at steep discounts, a blow to shareholders and what was once one of the most admired names in U.S. manufacturing. COVID-19 is continuing Boeing’s misery, with global air travel falling 66 percent.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control

CDC Logo

In what should have been the least controversial voice in American public health, CDC leadership allowed politics to drag it away from its central aim. It bumbled COVID-19 testing. Early on, it offered vague and contradictory guidance on masks. And while it certainly isn’t entirely to blame for the epidemic of misinformation sweeping the U.S., it didn’t do enough to stop it.

Facebook

(Photo illustration by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Even in an industry rife with possible villains, Facebook still manages to wind up on the wrong side of history in just about everything. As a repeat offender from our 2018 list, Facebook’s role in misinformation regarding the pandemic, vaccinations and elections continued to make it harder and harder to trust the brand. Adding insult to injury, after dealing with a much deserved summer boycott, Facebook now faces a major lawsuit with the Federal Trade Commission (and 40 states) arguing it’s time to break this company up.

Quibi

People wearing masks walk past an advertisement for Quibi in a subway Station on October 22, 2020 in … [] New York City. On October 21st, Quibi’s founders announced it was shutting down its service after only six months of operation.

It could have sparked a content revolution. But Quibi, specializing in short-form content “chapters” of less than 10 minutes, failed spectacularly. In a world with fewer commuters, the idea just wasn’t compelling. Of the $1.75 billion it raised, it is returning just $350 million to investors. But we do think chief executive Meg Whitman deserves praise for pulling the plug at six months, instead of torturing both investors and the few viewers leveraging its platform.

What do you think of our list? Who would you add? Add your thoughts to the comments below.

Keep your eye out for Prophet‘s Brand Relevance Index – launching early 2021.

From CMO Network in Perfectirishgifts

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animepopheart · 5 years ago

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Review: Human Lost

Imagine a future where death has been conquered—any injury or disease can be healed through a government-run medical system, one that not only cares for its citizens’ physical well-being, but upon which the entirety of society is based. Yet, the vision of such a future isn’t fully secure, nor is it immune to favoritism, malfeasance, and a form of dangerous transformation, a mutation that one man will manipulate while another must control as he decides how to approach his own powers and the critical role he’ll play for the future of the world.

Human Lost, inspired (mostly superficially) by Osamu Dazai’s masterpiece, No Longer Human, is a film of staggering sci-fi vision. Set just a couple of decades into the future, Japan is now under the auspices of the S.H.E.L.L. healthcare system, to which all humans are connected, kept alive, and restored through remote nanotechnology when illness, injury, or death occurs. The best benefits of the system are enjoyed inside massive city walls; on the impoverished outside, Yozo Oba, a disaffected youth, joins a friend’s biker gang and the mysterious Masao as they make a high-risk effort to push their way through the boundary. However, their operation reveals that Oba has powers previously unknown and connected to the “civilization bringing curve,” a model that shows the current path of civilization. It is also divulged that Masao is an “applicant,” a human who wields tremendous power, which he plans to use to destroy both S.H.E.L.L. and society itself, which has forced its workers into 19-hours work days to pay for a pension system for an aging population, led by elders who want to live longest of all as they “stabilize” society. But most of all, Masao hates a system that forces people to stay alive—the exception being those that under duress transform into monstrous beings with destructive power and the unique ability to die.

There’s a strong philosophical narrative at work here that will be familiar to fans of sci-fi. The ground is laid early when one character remarks, “In order for humans to be human, we need death.” That philosophy and the opposite one are the motivating factors for most of the major characters in the film, but not for the protagonist, Oba. When he first appears on-screen, Oba isn’t even alive. His corpse, brought back to life through S.H.E.L.L. tech, is an apt analogy for his life to that point, one that feels meaningless, one where he’s trying to make a connection but to whom or what, Oba does not know. His own awakening during the wall assault conducted by his friend begins to drive him forward, though it’s the friendship he forms with Yoshiko, another “applicant” like Masao and himself, that gives him purpose.

The direction of the film is as big as the narrative. There are some wonderful “shots” in the movie, with director Fuminori Kizaki makes careful choices throughout the film: close-ups are frequent, top-down shots dominate scenes conveying the grandness of inhuman monsters, and shaky-camera animation brings us into the action when necessary. The first act also has a wonderful aesthetic, one that has a touch of cyberpunk in it, with a chase sequence that feels like Mad Max meets Minority Report. In fact, those movies feel like strong influences on the movie, the latter being no surprise with executive director Katsuyuki Motohiro’s filmography including the Minority Report-influenced, Psycho-Pass. However, the energy spent in art direction seems to dwindle away in the last 2/3 of the film, maybe by design as the animators have so much story to tell, and such a complicated one, that it’s almost as if they don’t want the art to get in the way. But it does, with 3D animation that isn’t advanced enough to animate a film of this magnitude.

While 3D animation has come a long way, it still struggles to attain the beauty and fluidity of more traditional work. Dark sequences marked by brilliant bits of light dominate Human Lost, but they can’t hide the failures in animation. The action sequences are flawed, but more troubling are the characters themselves. They look too much like they’ve walked out of a video game and not far enough from the uncanny valley effect from the first photorealistic animated film, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, developed some two decades prior. The faces, when not expressing any particular emotion, look really good, but as soon as they have to show anger or sadness, the facade is exposed. It becomes almost laughable when tears or sweat appear—they look like shooting stars streaking across the characters’ faces, not likely to incite the emotions the director wants us to feel. It’s a shame, too, because strong voice acting performances are wasted, both in the English dub (particularly from Macy Anne Johnson in playing Yoshiko, a challenging role as the moral center of the film, and Robert McCollum, who is making quite a career out of playing complex antagonists like Masao) and the original Japanese track—Mamoru Miyano is particularly expressive as Oba, but his voice seems at odds with the rubbery character animation; Kana Hanazawa fits better with Yoshiko, who is more even keel, but as her role grows more important and more emotional, the same problem occurs: the animation can’t properly convey her talent.

But ultimately, it’s not poor CGI that ruins Human Lost—it’s a screenplay that’s too grand in scope for 100 minutes. There are two tales simultaneously occurring—Oba is transforming from a (literally) brain-dead painter with a traumatic family history to a man whose heart (literally) can change the world, joining with a mystery sci-fi tale about S.H.E.L.L., the Qualification Ceremony, and Masao’s background, as well as a mental game of Who is right? The latter story is overly complicated, and despite giving the audience some wonderful questions to chew on, is told in a way that’s like jumping from the first two episodes of Evangelion to the clap-happy final two episodes (this is effectively what happens in a movie that runs the same length as four anime episodes and is obviously influenced by the property). Meanwhile, there’s no subtlety in the character development. We’re meant to see Masao as at once a frightening figure and one who may not be entirely wrong, but he comes across only as a crazed maniac since it’s difficult to comprehend why the system is so evil that it requires an entire “Human Instrumentality Project”-level reprogramming, as he intends. Oba, meanwhile, is wasted even further—nothing he does feels remotely human. He moves quickly from one world-altering decision to another, and while we understand why he might get to these places, the screenplay hasn’t earned his sudden changes nor his heroic growth. Lines like “I was always jealous of you” may work to help develop character in normal settings, but not when the speaker has only known the other character for two days.

The disconnected screenplay and inadequate animation veer what could be a great film off course, leading to a disappointing result. The good elements prevent Human Lost from being a truly bad film, but with it so chock-full of information that never quite connects, the end result might even worse: a film that’s forgettable. A movie lost.

Rating: C-

Human Lost’s limited theatrical release is this week, with showings today (subtitled) and Wednesday (dubbed) in the U.S. and November 6th and 9th in Canada. Visit the official website for theatrical locations and more information.

#human lost #funimation #kana hanazawa #sci-fi #anime

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welllpthisishappening · 6 years ago

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The Period of the Long Change (11/15)

It’s quick. One second she’s standing there and everything is fine and then Emma looks up and it’s not. It’s awful. And the lights are too bright and there are too many rooms and too many opinions and her phone won’t stop ringing because everything seems to be changing all at once. She’s never been great at coping with change. But, maybe, if she can just figure it out and stay right where she is, with Killian Jones, captain of the New York Rangers, at her side, it’ll be alright.

It’s slow. One second he’s standing there and everything is fine and then Killian’s breath catches and it’s not. It’s terrifying. And the noises are too loud and there are too many questions and he can’t find the right answers to any of them, not sure how to cope with everything changing all at once. That’s never really been his forte. But, maybe, if he can just figure it out and stay right where he is, with Emma Swan, director of New York Rangers community relations, at his side, it’ll be alright.

It’s another season and another challenge and Emma and Killian are both struggling to get over the boards.

Rating: Mature Word Count: 8K or so. I got really intent on similar lengths this story. AN: If you’re still clicking and reading this, I really appreciate it. Thanks for sticking with it. And me. Both of those things are very nice.

Also on Ao3 and FF.net and Tumblr if that’s your jam.

Phillip’s mother had not been in Montréal.

She’d been in Toronto.

Figured.

And she showed up an hour before Phillip’s ceremony.

Figured. Again.

“Swan, you’ve got to breathe, love,” Killian said. By her last count that was the fifth time he’d told Emma that since they’d gotten out of the car.

She glared at him.

He didn’t blink.

“I feel we’re at some kind of ceremonial impasse,” Emma grumbled, digging the toe of her shoe into the recently rediscovered carpet in her office. She wasn’t sure when that had happened exactly – had been far too busy trying to make sure Phillip’s mother got a jersey that fit and Kristoff had paled a little when met with the look on Emma’s face when he questioned her – but it was probably Merida’s doing and there was almost enough room in that office to get around easily.

Almost.

They still had to get through Casino Night and were still waiting on the video poker thing to get there and Zelena was somewhere, probably pacing and making another list and Emma needed to get to the team suite so she could see the ice. She needed to make sure the carpet laid flat so Aurora stopped worrying about falling over.

She was really worried about falling over.

Machine. The word she’d been looking for before was machine. It was a video poker machine and they’d ordered four because that was, somehow, still cheaper than a new roulette table.

Killian’s hands wrapped around Emma’s shoulders, effectively holding her in place when she tried to starting pacing on instinct.

“I need you to take at least three actual, real deep breaths for me,” he said, and he didn’t let go, even when Emma twisted and wiggled and Matt was doing figure eights around three stacks of papers that detailed the Casino Night food orders.

Emma sighed, letting her head crash into his chest and that couldn’t have been good for his ribs because the right side of his body was still a little purple and changing the bandages that morning had been a very particular type of challenge.

Mostly because it involved Killian without a shirt on.

And doing whatever he’d done with his eyebrows and his mouth and Emma was still worried about everything, but her husband was also kind of absurdly attractive and she kind of needed a distraction.

Not that that was a distraction.

God, that sounded awful even in her head.

Phillip’s ceremony would last fifteen minutes and, she was convinced, it would be the longest fifteen minutes of her life.

She could not remember if someone had given his mom a jersey.

Kristoff hadn’t actually said anything when they’d stormed into the locker room. Maybe Emma needed to find Anna. She could do something about Kristoff’s face.

Killian chuckled lightly, chest shaking against Emma’s forehead as he wrapped an around her waist and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “That’s not breathing, Swan,” he mumbled into her hair.

“Yeah, well, that’s because Phillip’s mom terrified me.”

“She was a little intense, huh?” Emma hummed, burrowing against him and that wasn’t good either, but he didn’t object and she knew he wouldn’t and maybe they both desperately needed a distraction. “No wonder Aurora’s so stressed out all the time. Did we ever find out what she was doing in Toronto?” “I’d imagine she lives there.” “Hysterical.” “That was not a joke. That was a straight fact. And also what Lucas told me when she, somehow, found her.” “I think she searched like Canadian census records,” Emma said. She hadn’t moved her head. Matt was still running in circles. That was not going to end well. “Does Canada have a census?” “I’d imagine they do,” Killian laughed, leaning back so Emma had to glance up and she wasn’t entirely prepared for the smile or whatever the hell he was doing with the rest of his face, but that was absurdly attractive too and this was going to be the longest fifteen minutes of her life.

“But,” Killian added. “I think Lucas made some calls to the league office and some kind of draft record and Phillip’s mother apparently splits her time in several Canadian cities and major metropolitan areas of Europe.” “Where does Lithuania fall into that?” “I think she was born there. Still holds citizenship. That means Rook can play international for them and never has to worry about getting cut from Team USA.” Emma let out a low whistle, Killian’s eyes widening slightly at the quasi-insult and they needed to get out of that office. They needed to get Peggy off the goddamn floor, but she kept squirming whenever one of them picked her up and crying when anyone held onto her for longer than four seconds and Emma understood that.

She kind of wanted to run a marathon.

“That was kind of harsh,” Emma muttered, Killian shrugging slightly like being the face of that particular brand of hockey wasn’t much more than a passing thought. “Phillip’s mom is super intimidating and I don’t think Kristoff wanted to give her a jersey.” “No, he did.” “Wait, what?” “He did.” “When? I was standing there.” Killian made a contradictory noise, rocking his head slightly and he had to let go of her waist to catch a very energetic four-year-old around the middle before he practically flew out the door and into the hallway. Merida was trying to get Emma’s attention on her walkie-talkie.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, but she couldn’t quite get much of a threat in her voice. It was difficult to do that when Matt was laughing so loudly and he still hadn’t quite come to terms with a Rangers game that didn’t involve Killian, but he’d resolutely refused to wear any jersey except a Jones one when they left the apartment.

“It means you left the locker room because, one, Pegs is closing in on walking and won’t hold still for more than a few seconds so you didn’t want her in the middle of pre-game. And, two, that you also had to leave so you could hear Merida’s slightly frantic message about the carpet.” “You think the super-sonic hearing thing is just a result of growing up in the brownstone or you think you’re genetically blessed?”

Killian grinned, twisting Matt in his hold and tugging him up against his side. “Stay still for half a minute, Mattie,” he mumbled, eyes never leaving Emma’s and she really needed to stop swooning over her own husband.

Easier said than done.

“And I’m assuming you did something vaguely menacing and captain-like in between all of that? Also it’s entirely possible that she’s just frustrated by how loud this stupid arena is and not any closer to walking than she was a week ago.” “Ah, there’s no room for that kind of pessimism, Swan. Walking, skating, world domination. All within reach.” “You think she’s going to take over the world?” Emma arched an eyebrow, and Killian couldn’t really shrug when Matt was hanging off his shoulder, but his smile got wider and, probably, more powerful, but she did not have time to think about that.

Merida was screaming into the walkie-talkie.

“With that kind of upper-body strength? Of course.” “Is that a prerequisite?

“I think it probably helps,” Killian grinned. Matt kicked him in the shin, legs flailing and laughter still lingering in the air around them. Ruby had joined the walkie-talkie fray. “It’s only a matter of time, Swan. Weebling will become wobbling or however it works.” “I don’t think that’s how it works.” He nodded seriously, but they were only an hour away from puck drop and she really was curious about what he’d done. “You going to finish your story, then?” she asked, tugging on the back of Matt’s jersey when it twisted against him. “Mattie, you’ve got to stop moving. You’re going to hurt Dad.” Matt stopped laughing abruptly, the sound almost echoing in Emma’s ears. She hissed in a breath of air, wincing when she realized what she said and even Peggy stopped crawling on the tiny bit of blanket that she just kept in one of her desk drawers.

They needed to stop putting Peggy on the floor in her office.

“Sorry,” Matt mumbled, burying his face into Killian’s neck and the letters all sounded like one elongated sound with a few added ‘w’ just to really drive the depressing point home. Emma pinched the bridge of her nose, biting her lip and ignoring several walke-talkie based attacks and Killian shook his head when she met his gaze.

She hadn’t actually asked a question.

That absolutely did not matter.

And one of Matt’s shoes had fallen off at some point.

“I’m fine, Mattie,” Killian promised, hitching his arm under their kid’s legs and trying to rest him on his hip instead of his side, but the kid in question was also four and far heavier than he had been a few years before.

“Emma,” Ruby screeched. She needed to turn the walkie-talkie volume down. She had no idea where Ruby got the walkie-talkie from.

She huffed, frustrated by another conversation that had, effectively, fallen off the metaphorical rails. “What? God, what could you possibly want right now?” “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Retract the fangs or whatever.”

“Seriously, what is with you and the metaphors? That didn’t even make sense.” “Is that a metaphor? Cap, do you think that was a metaphor?” “How did you know Killian was here?” Emma asked sharply, and it wasn’t easy to try and hold a baby, a walkie-talkie and fold a blanket at the same time her mind was trying to remember if she’d told the Garden sound guy about the music he was supposed to play before the video tribute.

That couldn't have been the right word at all.

That sounded worse than memorial.

All of these words made Phillip sound like he was dead.

No wonder he didn’t want the ceremony.

“Please,” Ruby sighed. “Where else was he going to be? Pegs start walking around your office yet? She better not, I’m going to be really annoyed if it happens and I’m not there.” “Yeah, that’s not your call, really, Lucas,” Killian said. He pulled Peggy out of Emma’s arms, a kid holding onto either side of him and there were fingers in his hair and the front of his shirt and tie because he had to wear a tie to games on the off chance that the cameras panned to him in the team suite.

The cameras would absolutely pan to him in the team suite.

“And I absolutely do not care, Cap. Is someone going to answer my question or, like, what’s the deal with that?” “I honestly cannot remember it,” Emma muttered. She threw the blanket back on the floor, giving up on proper folds as soon as Killian glanced her direction and they were so far behind schedule it was almost comical.

Or it would have been if her pulse would settle down.

She wasn’t sure if that was entirely because of the ceremony or how hardcore Phillip’s mom was or how ridiculously attracted she was to her own husband when said husband was being some kind of picture-perfect dad.

It was probably all of them.

Equally.

Not equally. The picture-perfect dad thing was definitely, at least, half. Maybe even like two thirds.

They all needed to get some kind of elementary school refresher from Mary Margaret.

“Ok, first of all, that’s rude,” Ruby started, and her voice sounded far closer than it should have. She smiled when they walked out of Emma’s office, the door slamming shut behind them and Killian groaned when some type of limb collided with a different part of his body. Matt barely slowed down, running towards Ruby as quick as he could and she almost didn’t keep her balance, crouching down to catch him and pull him towards her.

“Hey, mini-Jones,” Ruby said. Her walkie-talkie was on the ground. “How come you were hanging off your dad? You’re going to mess up his tie and he’s never going to fix it and then he’s going to look ridiculous on camera.” “Look who’s being rude now, Lucas.” Her smile didn’t change, hooking her chin over Matt’s shoulder so she could stare at them with a look that was nothing short of confident and certain and Ruby knew something.

No wonder she’d stolen a walkie-talkie.

“Did you take Merida’s?” Emma asked. “Or did you just find your own somewhere and make someone tell you what line we’re on?” “You know we’re a professional hockey team, right? We do have more than one walkie-talkie available for major events.” “Is this a major event?” “You planned it, Em.” Emma made a noncommittal noise in the back of her throat, leaning back when Killian managed to drift back into her space. Ruby scowled. “Don’t tell Rook that,” Killian said. “He’s freaking out enough as it is. Thinks the whole thing’s going to mess with his head and he’s going to embarrass everyone on the ice tonight.”

“He knows that’s ridiculous, right?” “Have you met his mom? Or his dad, for that matter? I’m surprised they both didn’t fly to South Korea to denounce his very existence when he didn’t win gold.” “Yeah, they’re kind of terrifying, right?” Ruby asked, and Emma didn’t think she imagined the way her arms tightened around Matt a bit.

“I didn’t meet his dad yet,” Emma admitted. “I’ve been kind of swamped. Is the carpet ready for the ice yet? Also seriously why did you take a walkie-talkie? And why are you here? Shouldn’t you be running pre-game?” “It’s less than an hour until puck drop, if there’s still media in the locker room, I’m pretty positive Arthur will just stab them with a skate.” “God.” “She’s got a point, Swan,” Killian muttered, an arm back around her shoulders and Peggy yanking on his tie. “Plus a three-game losing streak? Arthur’s probably broken several whiteboards already.” “Six,” Ruby answered lightly. She stood up, wincing when one of her knees cracked in the process, but she didn’t let Matt move away from her, resting both her hands on his shoulders and she was the single most frustrating person on the planet when she had information before anyone else.

Occupational hazard.

Ruby loved being the one to break news.

And lording it over everyone else.

“Six?” Killian repeated skeptically. “Why are that many whiteboards in the locker room?” “For reasons exactly like this, Cap. Obviously. Also, I didn’t steal any walkie-talkies because, as mentioned, we’ve got more than two walkie-talkies to our name and Merida would never actually admit to being frustrated by Emma’s tendency to ignore her.” “That was a very round about way to criticize,” Emma said. Killian kissed her hair.

“I’m not,” Ruby argued. “I agree with you about Rook’s parents and, I swear, his mom could probably get Gina to stop glaring because she absolutely does it better. But I also know you were up here, probably freaking out about all of this, and I am here to tell you that, a, it’s fine, b, it will continue to be fine and, three, you really need to get into the team suite because TV wants to camera pan to Cap at some point since he won’t be on the ice and it’s his linemate. Apparently we’re all in on team unity or something.” “Did you change from letters to numbers at the end just to frustrate me?” “And also because it’s hysterical.” “I promise, it’s not.”

Ruby made a face, shaking her head and pressing half a dozen kisses to Matt’s cheek when he started bobbing impatiently on the balls of his feet. “You look like your dad, but you are as prone to impatience as your mom, mini-Jones.” Emma groaned, but Ruby was unaffected by the whole thing and Killian might have mumbled that’s true under his breath. “Traitor,” she accused, prying Peggy’s fingers away from his tie and his shirt and it only ended with her getting her hair tugged, but they really needed to get out of that hallway or Emma was going to kiss him with a very opinionated and slightly disgruntled audience around.

She still didn’t know if Phillip’s mom got her jersey.

“Also,” Ruby added, slamming her finger into the elevator button behind her. “Mary Margaret and David are here. Which is mostly the reason I showed up.” “So you weren’t just here to mock my event?” “Who do you think I am?” “You are you and prone to mocking. And I also know you weren’t just here to announce arrivals that I probably got text messages about anyway.”

“You actually check your phone?” “Absolutely not. I don’t even know where it is.” “In my pocket,” Killian said, stepping through the open elevator doors and they should just take his tie off. It was a hazard at this point. He shrugged when both Emma and Ruby gaped at him, a lopsided smile and a baby in his arms and that was ridiculous. Totally unfair. Emma didn’t really care about Phillip’s mom anymore. “I figured you’d need it eventually,” he reasoned. “And Mary Margaret texted me too because she knew Emma wouldn’t look at her phone. Banana'a here too.” “Did they come together?” Emma asked, not sure why that made her heart feel like it was exploding a little bit. It was surprisingly pleasant.

“Nah. Coincidental taxi crossover. Or so Banana told me.” “That’s very creative, although I’m not sure it really makes sense.” “Tell Banana that. I did already. It’ll make me sound way more convincing if we tag-team the argument.” Ruby gagged, Matt laughing into her side and it might have been the longest elevator ride in the world. Merida’s voice wasn’t quite clear on the walkie-talkie. “Gross,” Ruby announced, and Chase Square was already filled with fans when the elevator doors opened. There were far more Débleu jerseys than usual. “Seriously, Cap, fix your tie before they pan to you on TV or Anna will have even more reason to make fun of you than how obnoxiously into your wife you are.” “If that was supposed to be an insult, it fell a little flat, Lucas.”

“No, that was just a fact.”

Killian rolled his eyes, but did as instructed, a particularly impressive feat in the middle of a crowd that was very quick to recognize him. He smiled and nodded and took a handful of pictures before some security guard realized what was happening and directed them around the corner towards the player’s entrance.

They didn’t say anything more in the second elevator, Matt’s not-quite-quiet commentary about the Flames and the power play and holding it in the zone like that was a phrase he understood. He absolutely understood it.

And Ruby’s eyes flickered towards Mary Margaret as soon as they walked into the team suite, Anna already making faces at Leo. “She’s a goddamn baby thief,” Killian mumbled, but the insult lost most of his edge when he started making his own faces at Peggy and Emma knew they were all keeping secrets.

“You might want to reconsider that when I’m fairly certain it’s hereditary,” Emma suggested.” “I’m not actually related to Banana.” “Shut up, KJ,” Anna yelled from the other side of the team suite, and Ruby was whispering something to Mary Margaret. “Also, hi, Emma!” “Hi, Anna,” Emma mumbled, smile tugging at her mouth without her explicit permission and there was carpet on the ice.

Ruby glanced at her. “I told you it’d be fine.” “Do not presume to know exactly what I’m thinking.” “I’m not. It’s another fact. Tell her, Cap.” “I’m not doing that, Lucas,” Killian said. “When are they going to pan to me? Is there an actual plan or you just letting TV order us around?” “You need to keep flirting with Emma so you’re not quite as abrasive. Or are you just super frustrated about how,” she covered both of Matt’s ears, “shitty the power play is without you in front of the net?” “You’re just wandering around throwing out opinions no one asked for, aren’t you?” “I’d repeat my last two questions, but that seems redundant.” “Let go of my kid’s head, please.” Anna chuckled, earning several confused glances and both teams were trying to do warmups with a goddamn carpet in the middle of the ice. “What?” she asked. “That was a funny sentence. And KJ does that whole snarl thing when he’s trying to use his captain voice. It’s hysterical when he thinks he’s some kind of authority.” “Only when you aren’t undermining it, Banana.” She stuck her tongue out. “Mer,” Emma said, yanking the walkie-talkie off her belt with enough force that she was slightly worried about the stitching of her clothes. “Did we agree the carpet was going to be out there for warmups? That seems like a pretty major hazard.” Merida didn’t answer. “Mer!” “Uh, yeah, yeah, boss, I’m here. And no, that was definitely not part of the plan.” Emma cursed a variety of different words that mostly just revolved around facilities spending a prolonged period of time in several different underworlds and she wished she knew more Norwegian. It always sounded more intimidating.

She’d started pacing at some point. Or, possibly, just jumping up and down and Mary Margaret knew something too. She kept licking her lips and staring at her shoes and back up at Emma like she wanted to shout several headlines in her face – a move she’d already done in the last twenty-four hours because the New York media contingent had several metaphorical field days with Killian’s press conference.

And maybe Emma had watched it more than once.

Maybe she hoped that wasn’t as crazy as she was worried it absolutely was.

It was romantic.

Whatever.

They’d gotten the carpet on the ice too early.

“How did that happen?” Emma demanded, glancing around the room like any of them would be able to answer. Peggy almost tripped over her own feet, standing in the middle of the team suite with her arms above her head and hands wrapped up in Killian’s and that was more than enough for some of the fight to fall out of Emma.

“I can’t believe you’re trying to calm me down with our own kid,” she grumbled.

Killian grinned. And Mary Margaret might have sniffled. She, at least, took her phone out. “Is it working?”

“Kind of. Depends on what Reese’s and Ruby are gossiping about.” “There is no gossip,” Mary Margaret promised, but even Anna laughed at the obvious lie and David winced as if it physically pained him to hear those words. “What? C’mon, there’s not!” “You should have practiced that some more, Reese’s.” “She did,” David mumbled. Anna laughed louder.

“Aw, that’s not fair at all,” Mary Margaret sighed, slumping into a chair with her legs hanging over the side and it felt a bit like junior year of college and watching the Rangers in their dorm because David stole the remote. Only with a much bigger carpet disaster.

Emma hoped they hadn’t reached disaster level yet.

“M’s, did you honestly practice telling Emma a lie before you got up here?” Ruby asked, smile taking up half her face. She’d let go of Matt at some point, letting him run towards the glass and start shouting cheers that Roland and Henry had undoubtedly taught him over the Christmas break.

“No,” Mary Margaret said. “No! That would be insane.” “And we’re certainly not insane,” Killian muttered. He pulled the walkie-talkie out of Emma’s hands, turning the volume down, which, honestly was probably for the best because she still kept listening to her music too loud and she was very likely doing irreparable damage to her eardrums or something.

Mary Margaret nodded. “Absolutely not. Your tie is crooked.” “Pegs is a menace.” “With some honestly ridiculous lower-body strength. She start running around yet?”

“God, stop suggesting that we’re looming close to walking,” Emma groaned. She stuffed the walkie-talkie back in her pocket and they were all professional hockey players, they could skate around the goddamn carpet. As long as Aurora didn’t fall over later, she didn’t care.

“It’s got to be close though, right?” Mary Margaret pressed, and that inflection wasn’t right either. Emma narrowed her eyes. “What did you bet on?” “What?” “Is that what the gossiping is about? And why Rubes was so mad at the thought of Pegs walking without her being there to confirm it? Did this team bet on Peggy’s first steps?” “No!” “Try again, Reese’s. “ “No.” “Oh, that was worse than the last time,” Ruby sighed, leaning against the door behind her. “M’s, you’ve really got to get better at this. We can’t deal with the garbage lying for the rest of our lives. It’s just going to be exhausting.” “That doesn’t seem like a problem?” “Yeah,” David agreed. “Maybe we shouldn't be advocating better lying. Aren’t we supposed to be the responsible ones? Also, Em, stop glaring at all of us. It’s not that big of a deal. This is...familial and fun. And I’ve got to pay for Rol’s onion rings again later, so you can deal with this.” “That will cost you twenty bucks, tops,” Emma seethed, twisting away from Killian’s arm when he tried to rest his hand on her shoulder again. And, really, she wasn’t that upset. She wasn’t even angry. She was, admittedly, kind of charmed by the whole, stupid thing and no one could tell Mary Margaret anything.

But she’d almost lost track of how many times she’d watched Killian’s presser and the headlines weren’t bad, were almost complimentary, and every time Emma thought about the league offer again, she was a little worried her brain was actually going to explode.

They all needed to stop making brain jokes.

It was tactless.

“That’s twenty bucks I don’t want to spend feeding a ravenous teenager,” David grumbled. “But, seriously, no sign of walking? Just standing up with Cap’s help?” “That’s still pretty impressive,” Killian argued. “I’m not disputing that. I’m just trying to save my investment.” “How much you got riding on this exactly, Sergeant?” Emma asked, glancing at the ice when the players started working their way off it and they were running out of time for witty banter. Matt was not particularly pleased warmups were over. He kept trying to shoot at the glass.

David leveled her with an even stare, the visual embodiment of older brother and Emma bit her tongue so she didn’t dissolve into slightly stressed-out hysterics. “That’s not information you need to be aware of.”

“It’s my kid though, so…”

“And,” Mary Margaret added brightly. “That’s not even remotely what the gossip was about. You guys go in the locker room yet?” Ruby groaned, sliding down the door into a less-than-professional heap and Emma could also see the color leaving Mary Margaret’s face. That was almost kind of funny too. “Oh, shit,” Mary Margaret muttered.

Emma gasped. Killian tensed next to her, head snapping from Emma to each of their kids and back again like he was checking they were still there and still fine and she really couldn’t be blamed for whatever sense of dread landed in the pit of her stomach.

It had been that kind of month.

“M’s, seriously, if you didn’t bring cookies to this game, I would say some really horrible things right to your face,” Ruby said.

“You brought cookies to this hockey game?” Emma asked. Mary Margaret shrugged, and appeared to be trying to melt into the chair she was still sitting in. “How did you get those in the Garden?”

“That security guard downstairs totally knows us now.” “And she bribed him with a cookie,” David mumbled, grinning when Mary Margaret snapped her head around to stare at him.

Emma laughed, head falling against Killian’s shoulder and both Ruby and Matt stuck their tongues out when he kissed her hair. “That’s the most Mary Margaret Nolan thing I’ve ever heard. I’m surprised the pigeons on 34th Street didn’t join in the whole thing and serenade the guy with several songs.” “That’d just make him fall asleep,” Anna pointed out. “He always kind of looks like he’s falling asleep, doesn’t he?” “To serve and protect,” Ruby intoned. She was still on the floor.

And the ceremony had started.

The music went off without a hitch, or something less than lame than the word hitch and Emma breathed an audible sigh of relief when it transitioned perfectly into the video montage. That was a much better word than tribute.

Anna chuckled when they showed Phillip getting drafted, highlights from his rookie season and they pointedly ignored the incident with Soyer and injuries and Mary Margaret sniffled again when they got to back-to-back Stanley Cup victories and smiles and parades that weren’t really that much work.

They were fun.

Emma wanted another Stanley Cup parade.

Killian didn’t move – an arm slung around Emma’s shoulders and Peggy’s fingers gripping his tie – but his fingers started drifting in between her shoulder blades when they showed the Olympics and the whole, stupid video finished with Phillip scoring in Chicago and lifting the second Stanley Cup and she turned towards him before she remembered the inevitable camera pan.

“Holy shit,” Ruby breathed. “We did actually get her a jersey.” Emma’s head jerked back to the ice, lips parted and she had no excuse for whatever her breathing was doing, panting slightly like she’d run that marathon she’d been hoping for.

Killian kept staring ahead. But his tongue darted between his lips and he muttered something to Peggy when she yanked harder on a tie that was almost perfectly Rangers blue.

“Did you do that?” Emma asked quietly. The jersey wasn’t a perfect replica of the ones Aurora and Phillip’s dad were wearing – the laces weren’t perfectly tied and Emma thought she noticed a tiny rip at the end of the right sleeve, but it was a jersey and, really, at this point, that was all any of them could ask for.

“Killian,” Emma prompted, and he blinked. “Did you threaten Kristoff in the middle of the locker room and make him give Phillip’s mom a game-worn jersey?” “I didn’t know it’d be game worn.” “Oh my God.” “And I didn’t really threaten him either, so take at least five-thousand steps back, Banana. Also if you got here on time, you definitely could have helped.” “That’s like insider trading or something, KJ,” Anna challenged, but Emma’s mind was still kind of reeling and Phillip’s mom was smiling. Beaming, in fact.

Aurora hadn’t tripped on the carpet.

“That’s not even remotely what that is,” Killian argued. “But it didn’t really matter. I think Rook’s mom was angry she thought she was going to miss it or not be allowed on the ice--” “--I wouldn’t do that,” Emma interrupted.

“Aurora might have. But, yeah, she’s incredibly intimidating and apparently a very respected museum curator or something and it’s a very strange family dynamic and I just told Kristoff to give her something from the last home game.” “And how much convincing did that require?” Anna asked archly.

“Not a lot.” “You and Reese’s should have lying competitions,” Emma mumbled, smiling when Mary Margaret clicked her tongue in reproach. She’d finally sat up straight, feet on the ground and Leo on her leg and they hadn’t figured out what the gossip was. They needed Elsa to schedule literally every conversation.

“Not a lie, Swan,” Killian said. “An amendment.” David scoffed. “That’s not the word you’re looking for either.”

“I think we really need a refresher on the English language, Reese’s,” Emma said. “Like maybe before Casino Night.” “That’s not a very long time,” Mary Margaret laughed. Phillip was kissing Aurora on the cheek, a blush on his face that absolutely had everything to do with the literal spotlight on them and there were cameras on the ice and a very loud PA announcement and people were standing and clapping and Emma didn’t really think before she turned.

It was, she’d eventually argue, partially because he wouldn’t let go of their kids and partially because he’d saved the jersey incident and partially because he was just really stupid good looking, but it was mostly because she was more in love with him than she’d been the first time he’d saved one of her events and the headlines were going to be absurd.

She had to press up on her toes because she already had enough to worry about without thinking of blisters on her heels, and Killian’s breath hitched when Emma’s lips pressed against his. It wasn’t particularly easy or a particularly good angle – one kid clinging to his very bruised ribs and the other less than pleased that his parents were making out in public spaces again – but Emma couldn’t bring herself to care.

It was a very good distraction.

It still wasn’t a distraction.

It was...her life.

That was such a dramatic thought.

Her fingers found the back of Killian’s hair, the smile clear on his face even as he kept kissing her and his hand landed on top of her ring when it fell over the front of her shirt.

“I love you,” she mumbled against him. She should have worn heels. It would have made all of this easier.

Killian laughed softly, hair falling across his forehead and breath warm against the curve of her jaw when his mouth moved there. “I love you too, Swan.” “Hey, uh, guys,” Ruby muttered, nodding to the closest TV screen and Killian cursed in Norwegian.

“Don’t repeat that,” he said immediately, glancing at Matt who was already doing just that.

They’d clearly cut away from them quickly – probably scandalized several truck operators at MSG in the process – but they’d also clearly been making out on the game broadcast and Phillip was quite obviously trying to stare at the team suite from the ice.

He looked like he was laughing.

Ruby snickered. Anna might have been guffawing. And on her phone. “Yeah, yeah,” she muttered. “No, that totally just happened. I was sitting right here, El. No, of course they didn’t plan it. I don’t know KJ was staring at Emma like she built the Earth or something.”

“The Earth didn’t get built,” Mary Margaret corrected. “If you want to get technical. The Big Bang kind of formed it and then everything evolved out of there.” “See, this is the kind of things we need a refresher on,” Emma said, but she could feel the heat on her face and Killian kept running his hand through his hair. She sighed, closing her eyes and she could hear her phone ringing. It was still in Killian’s pocket. “I need that,” she muttered.

He grimaced when he dropped it in her outstretched palm. “Swan, this is--” “No, no, this is...if the worst thing that ever happens to us again is making out on camera for an unscheduled pan, then I think we’ve won some kind of metaphorical lottery.” Emma stared meaningfully at Ruby, a smile lingering on her face as she held both hands up in mock surrender. “If Zelena is pissed, I’ll take full responsibility for the pan. Unscheduled or otherwise.” “Your mercy knows no bounds.” “Stop making out everywhere.”

“I’ve got to go deal with this,” Emma muttered, phone shaking in her grip.

Killian hummed, the hint of a smirk on his face and it was actually kind of funny. If funny was actually ridiculous and absurd and Liam was probably calling his phone too. “We’ll be fine, love.”

He kissed her again, quick and easy and Emma’s smile didn’t feel as out of place as it probably should have.

The entire suite shouted get out of here at once.

And, really, it wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been. Zelena had to keep pausing so she wouldn’t laugh when she was using her powerful voice and Emma’s stomach stayed exactly where it was supposed for the entire conversation, feet propped up on the edge of her desk as she was reminded about professionalism and the brand and she hummed in agreement at least seventeen different times.

She didn’t actually apologize once.

She wasn’t really sorry.

And she wasn’t really ready for the knock on her office door.

“Hey,” Henry grinned, leaning against the half-open doorway with his feet crossed at the ankles and the move was almost too Killian. Emma laughed loudly, swinging her feet back onto the floor and practically leaping across the space.

Henry didn’t stumble when Emma crashed into him, far taller than she was still entirely used to with hair that probably infuriated Regina daily, but he hugged her back tightly.

“What are you doing here?” Emma asked. “Are you supposed to be here? Did I know you were going to be here? Are you the gossip that Ruby and Reese’s were talking about. Were you in the locker room before?” “God, that was like eighty-six questions at once. And no to all of them actually. This was kind of a spur of the moment thing so I could see Phillip’s ceremony and be here for Casino Night.” “I didn’t get you a ticket to Casino Night.” “I’m pretty positive Merida did.” “God, she should just be running the whole department at this point, it’d be so much more efficient.” Henry clicked his tongue, brows pulled low in something that was an almost too obvious disagreement and Emma had to blink to remind herself that the kid in front of her was actually an eighteen-year-old and kind of an adult and she always forgot how tall he was.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she demanded, tugging lightly on the front of his team-branded t-shirt to pull him further into her office. He let a quiet whoa when he saw the small explosion of paperwork, sinking down into an open chair as Emma perched on the front of her desk. “It was worse a couple days ago, honestly.” “I find that very hard to believe.” “How long have we known each other?” “Ah, yeah, that’s true,” Henry grinned. He crossed his arms, expression steady when Emma lifted her eyebrows. “You ok?” “Depends on how much you know.” “Probably way more than I should.” “You’ve always been a very good eavesdropper,” Emma said, and she could almost feel her metaphorical and literal heart strings being tugged. “You get a tux for Casino Night? Oh God, are you bringing a date?” “Of course I got a tux for Casino Night? Did Killian? Rol said he hadn’t yet.” “That was the less interesting question.” “That’s because you sound like Mom.” Emma scrunched her nose, working another laugh out of Henry and he was better at imitating Killian’s eyebrow thing than anyone else. “I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel about that. Seriously. A date? You’re bringing a date. She a Ranger fan?” “It’d be weird to bring her to Casino Night if she wasn’t.”

Emma wasn’t sure what noise, exactly, she made in response to that, but it kind of sounded like a yelp and a screech and the general, vocal embodiment of excitement and Henry drooped in his chair. “Did you meet her at school?” “In my creative writing class.” “You read anything she’s written?” “Why does this seem like an interrogation?” “It’s not,” Emma argued. “End of the season presser at the worst.” “Yeah, we’re well acquainted with pressers now, aren’t we?” “Oh that lacked a distinct sense of subtlety. Scarlet-esque. You’re usually much better than that.”

“I’m going to tell Will you said that.”

“Ah, don’t do that,” Emma sighed. “I’m never going to hear the end of it. And he’s probably got like ten bucks on when Peggy’s going to walk.” Henry shook his head, smile a little more tremulous, but still a hint confident and Emma was breathing out of her mouth. She should have put the game on in her office. “It’s more like fifty,” Henry said. “I think they’re all trying to avoid how worried they are about Killian. Focus on something good instead, you know?” “That’s ridiculous.” “It’s nice. It’s proper family. Which is why I don’t think you should take this league job.” Emma was glad she was sitting down, gripping the front of her desk a little tighter and she was only a little surprised her eyes did not, in fact, fall out of her head. “Jumping right into the deep end of it, aren’t we?” “That’s not true at all. We hugged, we bantered a little, you interrogated me.” “That’s not what happened! How do you even know about this job?”

“Rol asked Mom if you were going to leave on the cab ride from JFK.” “God, that’s playing dirty,” Emma sighed, but Henry just shifted his eyebrows and smiled wider. He’d been taking lessons from Killian, she was sure. “Why don’t you think I should take the job?”

“Because you don’t want it.” “You’re skating on very thin ice, kid.” Henry rolled his eyes, but he sat up a little straighter – staring at Emma with a look she hadn’t seen in years, not since he was terrified Regina and Robin might send him back or decide they didn’t actually want him and she had to swallow to stop herself from crying.

Again.

God.

“You’d be great at it, Emma,” Henry said. “And it’d be so good. So it probably makes me a selfish asshole when I--” “--Hey,” she snapped. He rolled his eyes again.

“I’m in college, you don’t have to correct my speaking patterns.” “Tough luck. Keep talking.”

He saluted. “You’d be great at it, but this is...you can do all that here. You already have. Hell, look at me. Look at every GD kid you’ve ever done anything for. You can inspire things here and inspire people here and no one wants you to leave the Garden, Emma. It’s...did Merida already tell you it’s your team too?” “How do you know that?”

“A very lucky guess, actually. And because everyone thinks that. And also because I think you could do more here.” “That’s a very strong opinion.” Henry shrugged, shaking his hair off his forehead. He didn’t blink. He didn’t say anything else. He kept looking at Emma with a sense of confidence he’d had in her since he was twelve because Emma had the same in him and time was, apparently, some kind of flat circle.

“I know it’s a good offer, Emma,” Henry whispered. “But this is…” “Home?” she chanced, and he nodded, ducking his gaze to the ground when she noticed the bit of moisture in the corner of his eye. Emma leaned forward, pulling his hands away from his thighs and lacing her fingers through his, squeezing tightly. “You’re a incredibly smart guy, you know that?”

“Sometimes.” “Eh.” “With one hell of a mouth on him,” Emma added, brushing a kiss over the top of his forehead. “So, what’s your date’s name? You going to wear matching outfits?” Henry did, eventually, answer, most, of Emma’s questions – drawing the line at home many dates he and Maddie had been, but she wasn’t even counting on getting a name, so that felt like a victory. Which was good since the Rangers did not get one.

Again.

And that probably shouldn’t have made her happy, but she’d been caught making out on live TV already that night, so she figured her maturity was kind of fluid at this point.

Will cackled as soon as they walked into the restaurant, nearly falling off his stool and earning a frustrated look from both Aurora and Phillip’s mother and they were going to have to let her keep that game-used jersey.

Kristoff wouldn’t appreciate that.

But that all seemed to fall by several different waysides when Arthur appeared in front of them, a pinch between his eyebrows that was understandable since the power play still looked like several different Norwegian curse words.

“I’ve been looking for you, Jones,” Arthur announced. Killian’s eyes darted towards Emma, letting Anna pull Peggy out of his arms and she absolutely leaned against his side when he pulled her there.

“I was in the locker room before, Arthur.”

“Placating whatever Phillip’s mother’s name is.” “God, that is almost too abrasive even for you,” Emma muttered. Arthur barely made a noise.

“Four in a row, Emma. Four in a row. Have you seen our power play? He may be getting pre-game ceremonies, but Phillip’s shit at screening goal.” Killian groaned. “My kids are here, Arthur. Try and remember where you are. How many whiteboards you break tonight?” “Not important. I’m here to offer you a deal.” “Excuse me? Do you even have the power to do that?” “And shouldn’t Gina be dealing with that?” Emma asked, blinking when Regina appeared as suddenly as if she’d been summoned. She glared at Arthur.

“I don’t know and I don’t particularly care,” he said. “Regina, you can disagree if you want, this is what’s happening.” “You haven’t even said anything, Arthur,” Killian pointed out. “I want you to advise. The team. Or something that sounds less official because I do actually think it’s against your contract.” “What?” “What part of that was confusing?” “All of it.” Arthur sighed in frustration, waving both his hands through the air as Regina continued to glare at him. “The power play is God awful,” he muttered. “Husinger hasn’t recorded a point since you punched him and I don’t want you to talk to him really, but if you’re just going to sit in the team suite and get us sued by the FCC then you might as well be occupying your time better.” “You’re not going to get sued by the FCC,” Regina mumbled. And that was probably more for Emma than Killian.

“Can I do that?” Killian asked.

“Who are you directing that question to?” “You’re my agent!” Regina made a dismissive noise, lips twisted slightly and Killian’s arm tightened around Emma’s waist. “As long as Arthur doesn’t use the word advisor ever again. IR doesn’t stop you from participating in team events. You can tell them how to play hockey as long as you’re not the one playing hockey or punching anyone else.” “That was rather pointed, Gina.” “Those phone calls lasted for hours and I’m still dealing with presser repercussions.” “Were there a lot of those?” Emma asked sharply, but Killian muttered some kind of disagreement before she’d finished the question.

He took a deep breath, fingers toying with the belt loop that no longer had a walkie-talkie attached to it and Emma needed to buy Merida several drinks. “You just want me to...what, Arthur? Help make the team better?” “Obviously,” Arthur snapped. “Did you watch that power play?” “Yeah, it looked like garbage.” “Exactly. Don’t punch anyone, we won’t use the wrong terminology and maybe we won’t embarrass ourselves before the end of the season.” “Aiming high, huh?”

“Cap,” Will cried from the other side of the restaurant at the same time Anna screeched “KJ!” and Emma knew she shouldn’t use his shoulder as leverage, but he kind of lifted her up too and Regina gasped loudly when she saw it first.

“I totally won,” Roland yelled. “I told you guys it was going to be tonight!”

He was standing on a chair, Ariel’s hand hovering behind him as Matt and Dylan hit a puck against the closest wall, and they’d moved half a dozen tables out of the way.

It wasn’t really walking, but it was definitely more than wobbling and Emma wasn’t sure either she or Killian had ever moved that fast. They both crouched down as soon as they moved into the open space, arms outstretched as Robin moved behind Peggy, careful not to get too close and disturb the slightly shaky balance she’d found.

Mary Margaret had her phone out, tears on her cheeks while Ruby shouted encouragements and Emma was glad for both because her mind couldn’t quite process the rush of endorphins it was currently dealing with.

The whole restaurant turned to them – cheers echoing as loudly as they had during Phillip’s ceremony and Emma didn’t realize she was crying until David handed her a goddamn napkin. And that wasn't really going to help her when Killian muttered “c’mon, little love, just one foot in front of the other.”

She absolutely did not understand the instructions, but she did it anyway, tottling forward until Killian’s hands pulled her against his chest and they all exploded into a noise that could only be classified as pure joy.

Emma might have been sobbing.

Mary Margaret definitely was.

“You did so good,” Killian said softly, holding onto Peggy tightly and there wasn’t much baby to kiss, but Emma worked with what she had.

“I’ll take my money now, please,” Roland said, grinning like he’d won that previously discussed lottery.

“How much did you get?” Emma asked.

Will didn’t look at Killian when he answered. “Probably a couple hundred dollars, honestly.” Her laugh wasn’t so much that as it was just even more joy, but Emma was certain everything switched, again, in that moment and she kissed Peggy’s arm before she did something stupid like shout several brand-new life plans at all of them.

She said it quietly instead.

“You should do it.” Killian blinked. “What?” “Advise or not that word. As long as there are no punches thrown. That power play is painful to watch now.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Emma nodded, pulse thumping at the quiet hope in his voice and the squirming, now-walking baby in his arms. “You think we can get her to walk again? I think Reese’s video is probably a little shaky.” “Rude,” Mary Margaret said. “But also probably accurate.” Killian smiled – slow and easy and he’d taken off his tie before Henry and Emma got back to the team suite. “We can absolutely do that, Swan,” he said, a promise without actually saying it.

And Elsa screamed into the phone when Emma sent her the non-shaky video of Peggy walking.

#cs ff #captain swan #captain swan ff #captain swan fic #cs fic #blue line change #listen #i like established relationships #and i like established relationships that like each other even more #so #here's some of that #and henry!

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fyeah-redvelvet · 6 years ago

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[!] RED VELVET IS THE GIRL GROUP K-POP FANGIRLS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR

There’s no question that Korean pop music has long outgrown the niche scene it was once relegated to in the U.S. Just this past year alone, some of the biggest male groups in K-pop have hosted sold out concerts, from the Staples Center to the Novo, and multiple groups have reached unprecedented milestones like having an album’s artwork nominated for a Grammy, holding one of the highest grossing shows of the summer. And though these acts strengthen K-pop’s impact in the West, one should wonder: Where are the girl groups?

Slowly, but surely, female K-pop acts are making strides of their own, and 2019 seems like the year it all finally comes to fruition. Prior to 2019, U.S. shows by a K-pop girl group were extremely rare, often only being able to perform short sets at festivals. That’s why Red Velvet’s Redmare in USA tour is cause for elation. Together with Oh My Girl (who had a five stop tour in January), BLACKPINK (who are playing Coachella this year and have yet to specify the dates of their North America tour), and a few other soloists who have already announced upcoming shows, Red Velvet is repping it for female representation by having a full solo tour of their own. Red Velvet has previously performed at KCON LA, KCON NY, and the Korea Times Music Festival, and hosted a fan meeting event in Chicago, but this will be first time they put on their full show. “[The] North America concert tour means a lot to us,” main vocalist Wendy told the Weekly over a call from Seoul. “Everyday we know we get lots of love from fans, not only from Korea, but from fans overseas.”

Red Velvet is one of the first girl groups to have, not only a full solo concert, but an entire tour since Apink in 2016. Prior to that, 2NE1 held two shows in 2012 and the Wonder Girls had a full-fledged tour in 2010. They’ll be visiting often overlooked cities like Miami and Dallas, and most of the stops sold out in minutes. According to Subkulture Entertainment, the tour promoter, tickets for the Los Angeles stop sold out instantly. And because of the high demand, a second date had to be added.

“[I] really, really felt pride that the LA show sold out within a minute,” Seulgi commented via a translator. “It’s really awesome. It kind of makes [me] feel like the group should work harder to give back to the fans for all the love [we]’ve received.”

Red Velvet debuted as a four piece act in 2014 under S.M. Entertainment, home to some of the biggest names in K-pop including Girls’ Generation and EXO. As a concept, Irene (born Joo-hyun Bae), Seulgi Kang, Wendy (Seung-wan Shon), Joy (Soo-young Park), and, added half a year later, Yeri (Ye-rim Kim), play with the duality in their name. “Red” represents a bright, bubbly side, while “Velvet” is reserved for a sultrier moment. They shift between fun and bubblegum pop tunes like “Red Flavor” and “Dumb Dumb,” and smoother, R&B tinged tracks like “Automatic” and “Bad Boy.” Having a wide range of styles and concepts, Red Velvet has made its impact in the K-pop world by being one of the most popular girl groups in and outside Korea.

Despite women making up a larger part of the K-pop fandom, their support largely lies with the boy groups. K-pop girl groups are generally marketed specifically to men, and the prevailing trend among them is a cute and innocent image. However, female fans supporting a girl group is not unheard of in K-pop. Girls’ Generation has had one of the strongest female fronted fandoms for over 10 years. Moreover, disbanded groups like 2NE1, 4minute, and Sistar had huge female followings given their stronger and empowering concepts. And though the cuter image prevailed as new groups debuted, the interest was recently renewed by the emergence of the so-called “girl crush” image. Red Velvet’s “velvet” releases fall under the girl crush tag and are far more experimental, both conceptually and sound-wise, and less saccharine, thus resonating more with female audiences worldwide. By alternating their concepts, Red Velvet smartly reach a wider fanbase while also getting to embody more than just one thing.

“If you listen to a lot of Red Velvet songs, they’re about being confident, bold, being yourself. So [I] think that’s kind of why that message —that kind of confident message— is what appeals to female fans in particular,” Joy says. “But on top of that, Red Velvet is known for their bright, happy energy, so that’s kind of the universal appeal to both male and female fans.”

2018 was an especially big year for Red Velvet, and their duality took center stage. Their quirky electropop summer release “Power Up,” with its playful and colorful music video and earworm lyrics, got the group the first “perfect all-kill” in their careers, meaning they topped all Korean streaming platforms. The EP, Summer Magic, debuted at number three on Billboard’s World Albums chart.

On the other hand, released earlier in the year, “Bad Boy” went onto become what will probably go down as a K-pop classic. Produced in part by The Stereotypes, who have worked on hits for Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber, “Bad Boy” is a haunting yet smooth, melodic femme fatale anthem. It was the group’s first sexy and most mature concept, and fans and critics alike reveled in its lush synths and vocals reminiscent of ‘90s R&B. By the end of the year, “Bad Boy” ranked within the top five of many best of K-pop year-end lists from the likes of Paper Magazine and Dazed, and even took the number one spot on Billboard’s. “Bad Boy”’s impact also broke the K-pop barrier by placing 43 on Billboard’s best songs of the year list.

“It was unexpected, especially considering how much reaction [we] received from fans overseas regardless of [us] not promoting it overseas, per se,” Joy says with a laugh about “Bad Boy.” “It kind of gave [us] more confidence in terms of trying that kind of genre.” Summer Magic included an English version of “Bad Boy.”Also notably —and very badass— “Bad Boy” was one of two songs Red Velvet performed at a diplomatic inter-Korean event in Pyongyang attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean president Moon Jae-in.

Last year also saw their debut in Japan with #Cookie Jar, which peaked at number three on the Oricon album chart, the country’s most important music chart. And though it wasn’t the whole group, main vocalist Wendy collaborated with John Legend on the heartfelt ballad “Written in the Stars.” “I couldn’t believe he wanted me to collaborate with him, and I still feel like it’s a dream,” Wendy, who lived in Canada for many years and speaks English fluently, reflected back. “If I had another chance, or had a chance to go back to that time, I wish I talked to him more. It was a great, great memory, though.” And to finalize their aim at global domination, their last EP of the year, and latest, RBB also included an English version of the single by the same name. The acronym stands for “Really Bad Boy” and is a sort of sequel to “Bad Boy” and is horror film themed. RBB hit number two on the World Albums chart, their highest position to date.

For many K-pop boy groups, it’s much easier to hold a concert or fan meeting event in the U.S. no matter how long they’ve been active or what they’ve accomplished so far. Red Velvet, who are going on their fifth year together, had to kill it consistently and have the biggest year of their careers before going on their first multi-stop concert tour in the states. “We can’t really explain how much energy we get from doing the concert. Especially the moment when you share that connection with the audience,” Wendy shared. “That feeling you get, you can’t really explain it… It can’t really [be] beat[en].”

As to future music, Yeri teased more coming in English. “If the fans really love the English versions of [our] songs, maybe [I] could bring it up to the company and just make it seem like, ‘Hey, we should release an English album,’” she says, making the rest of the members laugh. “That’s something that [we] obviously think about a lot, especially because of the reactions from the fans overseas,” she added.

With things going as fast and successfully as they are for the group, Irene, the leader, noted that they’ll always be the same “hard working Red Velvet.” “Every year [we] grow and mature, so in that sense, [we]’ll be different. But in terms of always challenging [our]selves, always working hard, [we]’ll be the same group.”

cr; OCWEEKLY

#red velvet #t:interview #190205

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diarrheaworldstarhiphop · 6 years ago

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Despite Bitcoin’s Dive, a Former Soviet Republic Is Still Betting Big on It

Tax breaks, land deals and cheap energy have spurred cryptocurrency mining in Georgia, which wants to be a digital data leader.

TBILISI, Georgia — For three years, a windowless warehouse on the edge of town has been whirring with enough energy to power nearly 50,000 homes. Day and night, the warehouse, and dozens of cargo containers in a windswept valley, are generating Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency that has created a virtual gold rush in the former Soviet republic of Georgia.

Bitfury, a bitcoin technology company, is churning out millions of dollars’ worth of the digital money using ultracheap hydropower harvested from waters rushing down the volcanic peaks of the Caucasus. Even as the currency has tumbled in value, thousands of Georgians have jumped into the game and sold cars — even cows — to buy high-powered computers to mine Bitcoin and join what has become a state-supported dash toward data supremacy.

A former prime minister encouraged Bitfury, then based in San Francisco, with a $10 million loan in 2015. The governing Georgian Dream party sold 45 acres for $1 for Bitfury to set up shop. The government has been selling energy at half the rates charged in the United States or Europe, and it has created tax-free zones to draw in tech-savvy entrepreneurs.

The efforts have given Georgia, with 3.7 million people, a dubious distinction. It is now an energy guzzler, with nearly 10 percent of its energy output gone into the currency endeavor. The country consumed so much power in recent years that the World Bank ranked it one of the most active cryptocurrency sites in the world.

The whole experiment is likely to face immediate challenges as the price of Bitcoin declines, after a spectacular rise tempted investors around the world to bet on cryptocurrencies.

Most companies tend to lose money when the price of Bitcoin falls below energy costs, and mining operators worldwide have recently been scaling back. The largest mining company, the Chinese company Bitmain, has been closing offices and laying off workers. Last week, Bitfury, which incorporated in London in 2018, announced layoffs at a facility in Canada.

Georgia, however, has been betting its economy on luring blockchain technology, the encrypted storage capability behind all crypto transactions.

Bitfury has helped migrate most of Georgia’s land registry to blockchain, making the government one of the first to rely on the secure digital ledger. Its tax system may soon follow. Georgia aims to beat Malta, Bermuda and other countries known for light-touch regulation of cryptocurrencies to dominate blockchain development.

“The economy’s digital transformation is our highest priority,” said George Kobulia, the economy minister. “We’re supporting this any way we can.”

A Low-Tax Frontier

In downtown Tbilisi, a neon-lit Marriott welcomes tourists. A nearby shopping mall installed a special A.T.M. for Bitcoin withdrawals. A cryptocurrency exchange flashes the prices of Bitcoin, Ether and other digital money on a ticker.

When street protests ousted the last Soviet-era leader in 2003, the government, struggling with poverty, corruption and grinding bureaucracy, began selling itself as a business-friendly low-tax outpost for investment. Big financial institutions came in. So did casinos. A private company willing to take a risk was Bitfury, founded in 2011 by a tech savant from Latvia who was proselytizing about a strange virtual industry.

Remi Urumashvili, a well-connected lawyer and now Bitfury’s main representative in Georgia, said that when Valery Vavilov, the co-founder and chief executive, approached him to seek advice on building a cryptocurrency operation, he was baffled.

“They told me they wanted to mine Bitcoins, and I’m asking them, ‘Hey, guys, what’s a Bitcoin?’” Mr. Urumashvili recalled.

Mr. Vavilov told him that the currency had introduced a new technology, blockchain, that had the potential for widespread use in business. Mr. Urumashvili said he had seen a potential tax advantage.

“They explained that it’s money that exists on the internet,” he said. “So I said, ‘If a thing doesn’t exist in reality, maybe the tax will be zero.’”

Mr. Urumashvili worked hard to lobby lawmakers to keep Georgia an open market for cryptocurrency. “I don’t like regulations,” he said, arching an eyebrow. “And there are very few regulations here for anything.”

As soon as Bitfury opened its doors, Georgia created “free economic zones” where mining activities and electricity weren’t taxed. When Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies were exchanged for dollars or pounds, Georgia treated the exchange as an export exempt from value added taxes, so Bitfury could keep every penny of earnings.

Rumors have swirled that Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister from the Georgian Dream party and the country’s richest oligarch, has been a secret beneficiary of the digital experiment. He gave Bitfury a $10 million loan through his investment fund when Bitfury’s executive vice chairman, George Kikvadze, sat on his investment board.

Mr. Ivanishvili declined an interview. Mr. Urumashvili of Bitfury said that no laws had been violated to encourage Bitfury, and that the former prime minister’s loan had been paid off. He had no other ties to Bitfury, Mr. Urumashvili added.

The government even expanded an entire power station next to the Bitfury facility to pump in electricity at no extra cost. With energy prices at 5 to 6 cents per kilowatt-hour, Bitfury and its supporters could envision prosperity, if not around the corner then somewhere just beyond the fog of Georgia’s storied mountains.

Mining With Friends

When Bitfury came to Georgia, one Bitcoin was worth around $350. It spiked to nearly $20,000 before tumbling. Big players like Bitfury have bandwidth to keep operating. But smaller investors have been far more vulnerable.

In villages across Georgia, an estimated 200,000 people secured mining computers to set up in basements and garages. For young people especially who struggled in a tough economy, Bitcoin seemed an alluring alternative to just making ends meet.

Joining the rush was George Kirvalidze, 35, the former owner of a small internet company in the town of Kvareli, three hours from Tbilisi in Georgian wine country.

About half the town’s 6,000 households have some kind of a mining rig, he said.

“Most people who bought in thought high prices would last forever,” said Mr. Kirvalidze, who has managed to mine 20 Bitcoins.

Even farmers got involved. “At one point it was more profitable than owning a cow,” he said. “Now it’s not so sure.”

Cryptocurrency lives off a blizzard of mathematical calculations. Computers, or miners, around the world compete to solve complex formulas on the blockchain. When a mining computer gets the right answer, it is given a bundle of new Bitcoins as a reward.

The constant calculating superheats computers, and the energy demand — to power the computers and to cool them — has spiraled in places where such currencies are pursued.

To save energy, Mr. Kirvalidze created a mining pool with nine friends, who grouped their machines in a friend’s garage. One November afternoon, 15 of the 60 miners were turned off because Bitcoin prices had fallen too low to justify the energy use. More would shut down if prices continued to slump, he added.

“Bitfury is one step ahead of us,” Mr. Kirvalidze observed, citing the company’s cutting-edge technology and quasi-state backing in Georgia.

“If we could get cheaper energy prices, too, we could make more,” he said. “That would increase money circulating in the economy and eventually improve growth.”

‘Onto the World Map’

Forty-five minutes from the center of Tbilisi, trucks rumble over two-lane roads and past faded pink and yellow high-rises. A prison, in matching pink and yellow paint, blights a cow pasture. In the middle of the valley rises the gray confines of Bitfury, plunked on a 40-acre concrete strip protected by guards and a high wire fence.

In a warehouse as big as a Walmart, Ilia Koranashvili, a muscular engineer with a snake tattoo, walked around 160 hermetically sealed stainless steel tanks filled with power-efficient chips and a special cooling liquid. The tanks are Bitfury’s experiment to keep energy costs down and make the mining cost effective almost anywhere, said Mr. Koranashvili, who heads Bitfury’s monitoring team.

Industry estimates suggest the company mines just over 5 percent of all Bitcoins, although no one would say how much was being mined here.

But competitors in Georgia reckon it was a fortune. Vakhtang Gogokhia, the chief executive of Golden Fleece, a small cryptomining start-up, said he was pulling in around 10 Bitcoins a month using one megawatt of energy, enough to light 1,000 homes. Bitfury says it constantly consumes at least 45 megawatts of energy, though Mr. Gogokhia suspected it was more.

Critics say the government, by subsidizing operations like Bitfury, is ripping off taxpayers by forcing them to foot the bill for well-connected companies.

Zurab Tchiaberashvili, a lawmaker from European Georgia, the largest opposition party in Parliament, said the government’s generosity toward Bitfury had deprived Georgians of millions in tax revenue.

“It’s a huge conflict of interest,” he said.

Mr. Urumashvili brushed off such concerns. “Bitfury has given our country many things, including a path to the future,” he said. “When you have a ticket to get onto the world map,” he added, “you should use it.”

Still, as Bitcoin prices highlight the uncertain nature of cryptocurrencies, the government isn’t putting all of its eggs in one basket.

“Georgia is interesting for cryptocurrency miners,” said Mr. Kobulia, the economy minister. “But would it be a major source of our economic growth? Maybe not.”

Correction: Jan. 23, 2019

An earlier version of this article misstated the nation where Bitfury, a blockchain technology company, is based. It is incorporated in Britain, not the United States. The error was repeated in a photo caption. The article also misstated the position that George Kikvadze holds at Bitfury. He is the executive vice chairman, not the vice president. The rate for the energy prices paid by Bitfury was also incorrect. It is 5 to 6 cents per kilowatt-hour, not per hour.

#bitcoin #cryptocurrency #georgia

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dweemeister · 6 years ago

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49th Parallel (1941)

The Allies were losing the Second World War. In London in 1939 or 1940, the Ministry of Information (the propaganda house of the British government) met with film director Michael Powell and asked if he might want to make a film about minesweepers. Powell’s interest was piqued, but then he suggested making a film that might inspire the United States to abandon their neutral stance on the conflicts in Europe and Asia. His new partner-in-crime, screenwriter Emeric Pressburger (Pressburger would soon become Powell’s co-director on their subsequent movies), relished the prospect, hoping to “scare the pants off the Americans” with this newest project.

By the second half of 1941, the situation appeared dire. The Allies evacuated Dunkirk (their last foothold in continental Western Europe) the year prior; Nazi Germany was making advances in the Balkans; Fascist Italy was reclaiming the former African lands of the Roman Empire that it long sought; Imperial Japan had completed its military stranglehold on modern-day Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was the most vocal in pleading with the United States to enter the war, but still Washington sat on the sidelines, adopting the policy of appeasement. Michael Powell’s 49th Parallel is an unusual propaganda feature film, and ultimately did not inspire the Americans to declare war on the Axis. Though released in the United Kingdom in late 1941, the film was not given a general release in the U.S. until April 15, 1942. By then, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor already provided the impetus for the Americans joining the Allies.

Powell and Pressburger’s newest work was no longer needed to scare the pants off any American. With 49th Parallel (originally released in the United States as The Invaders, which is also how it is listed in the records of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences), they introduced a narrative centering around Nazi soldiers looking to impose their values an ocean away from home. Many WWII-era propaganda movies have lost much of their watchability given time, but that is not the case here.

A German U-boat has surfaced in Hudson Bay in Canada. Six sailors are tasked by the captain to search for foodstuffs and supplies, but shortly after they reach land, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) has destroyed the U-boat. The six Nazi raiders are now at large, looking for ways to return to Germany or to rally the Canadian people to their side and begin an insurrection. Their commanders, Lieutenants Hirth (Eric Portman) and Kunhecke (Raymond Lovell), push the men forward. The raiders soon terrorize a band of French-Canadian trappers led by Johnnie (Laurence Olivier with an atrocious French accent) and murder a local Inuit named Nick (Ley On; whose people is described by Hirth as, “sub-apes like Negroes, only one step above the Jews” – this line was cut from the American release to avoid offending segregationists). Kunhecke is killed by an Inuit marksman as their raiding party attempts to steal a floatplane, and becomes the first casualty as these six are picked off one after another. Their mission to return to Germany will encounter several stops, including a community of Hutterites (a Germanic Anabaptist group, similar to the Amish, that fled Europe in the nineteenth century due to religious persecution) that they will attempt to convert to Nazism and Banff National Park.

Also featured are: Hutterite leader Peter (Anton Walbrook), Hutterite villager Anna (Glynis Johns), writer Philip Armstrong Scott (Leslie Howard), and Canadian soldier Andy Brock (Raymond Massey). Rounding out the U-boat’s raiding party are Vogel (Niall MacGinnis), Kranz (Peter Moore), Lohrmann (John Chandos), and Jahner (Basil Appleby).

If 49th Parallel was not a propaganda film, it would be more commonly labeled a war thriller. Editor David Lean (1962′s Lawrence of Arabia, 1965′s Doctor Zhivago) was one year away from directing his first feature film, and his ability to string together frantic images in the handful of pursuit scenes means that 49th Parallel never needs spectacular violence nor masses of soldiers engaging in a firefight to send hearts racing. Lean’s future cinematographer for both Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago, Freddie Young, is also involved. And though the widescreen camera lens of the 1950s and onwards had not been standardized yet (the film is in the typical 1.37:1 ratio for the time), his opening images of Canadian mountains and the nature photography found in the film’s second half are spectacular to behold. For eighteen months, the filmmakers traveled over 50,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean and Canadian wilderness to shoot this film. 49th Parallel is a cross-country, cross-continental effort. When put through the paces of Lean and Young’s work, puts into doubt the certainty of any propaganda movie’s ending – even for a few minutes.

Emeric Pressburger’s screenplay keeps the war thriller based in Western anti-authoritarian rhetoric. Pressburger, a Hungarian Jewish refugee who fled continental Europe and whose command of English was imperfect, allows the Nazi characters to spout dogma without challenge; their ignorance and contempt for anyone not like them obvious soon after the U-boat surfaces in Hudson Bay. Their victims are never entirely helpless, often challenging the Nazis with celebrations of Western democratic and classical ideas championing a person’s fundamental rights to free thought and to live the life they please. Unlike a typical, pure war movie, 49th Parallel is a Nazi struggle to escape North America contained within a grander ideological dialectic. The film makes no pretense on what side it is on (it should not in any case). Its messages are articulate, achieving its initial goals to disturb and terrify the audience with the mindsets of men willing to slaughter their way home.

Uneven performances are expected in propaganda cinema, and 49th Parallel is no exception. Established actors like Leslie Howard and especially Laurence Olivier are serving overcooked ham with their performances. By the midpoint, Eric Portman, as Lieutenant Hirth, begins to dominate the proceedings – all of the scathing and pedantic lines penned by Emeric Pressburger go to the unshakeable Nazi commander. As a result, Portman’s performance lacks any nuance or self-doubt, as he becomes the equivalent of a tea kettle that has been left on the stove whistling for too long. Nevertheless, Portman is also involved during 49th Parallel’s most blatantly political, yet most effective moment. At a community meeting, Lieutenant Hirth, believing that the German-speaking Hutterites are closeted Nazi sympathizers, begins to traffic slogans of racial superiority, shredding the Allied nations as unwilling, unmanly combatants. Hirth has misinterpreted the people who have offered them food and temporary shelter. The Hutterite community’s leader, Peter, played by future Powell and Pressburger regular Anton Walbrook (1943′s The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, 1948′s The Red Shoes), dismisses the hateful rhetoric by invoking the history of his people – a history, defined by personal freedoms and the intolerance of others, that makes their existence a living refutation of Nazi doctrine.

Concludes Peter:

You think we hate you, but we don’t. It is against our faith to hate. We only hate the power of evil which is spreading over the world. You and your Hitlerism are like the microbes of some filthy disease, filled with a longing to multiply yourselves until you destroy everything healthy in the world. No – we are not your brothers.

One could say that Walbrook is over-explaining the film’s subtext here, but other propaganda films released from the Allied nations were far more heavy-handed than this to insensitive faults (see: 1944′s The Negro Soldier – an American propaganda piece meant to increase black enlistment which celebrates black cultural excellence, yet completely fails to mention slavery or racial segregation in its historical passages). Walbrook’s presence, however brief, electrifies the audience’s energies in the scenes that follow.

The individual whose work on 49th Parallel could be called transcendent is English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. Those knowledgeable with classical music probably just read that last sentence in disbelief but, yes, Ralph Vaughan Williams composed for films. In fact, 49th Parallel contains the first Vaughan Williams score for a feature-length film. Decades earlier, Vaughan Williams studied under Impressionist composer Maurice Ravel (Boléro), and the Frenchman considered his English pupil among his most gifted. Influenced by English folk songs and Tudor-era modal music, Vaughan Williams’ rhythmically complex style did not cohere until shortly before World War I. He served in the Great War, returning home emotionally traumatized, his hearing permanently damaged. For 49th Parallel, Vaughan Williams wished to invoke musical nationalism in ways he believed no composer had yet accomplished in British cinema.

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Recording with the London Symphony Orchestra, Vaughan Williams begins his score with the “Prelude” – a molto legato statement of an opening, meant to invoke the lyricism of Christian hymns that extol freedom and human fellowship. One can hear the influence of Ravel’s Impressionist roots in this music, rejecting Wagnerian leitmotifs and versatile enough to adapt to 49th Parallel’s shifting moods and settings. The majesty of the prelude shares few similarities to “Hutterite Settlement: Anna’s Volkslied” (“Volkslied” is German for “folk song”). Wandering flutes, wisping the rural landscape along with the solo German-language vocalist. It is a peaceful, somewhat elegiac cue – combining Vaughan Williams’ strengths of string-led pastoral stillness, pre-Baroque influences, and the sweep of North American music. Throughout, Vaughan Williams will alternate between non-resolving passages for the Nazis to juxtapose a musical uncertainty to their ideological rigidity, as if their experiences in Canada may be inspiring second thoughts; the early Hollywood musical-esque bustle of a large city; and an Englishman’s interpretation of Native American music. Much of the music is written not to respond to what is occurring on-screen, but to empower the images. It is a virtuosic composition from Vaughan Williams that sounds as fantastic within the film as when listened to independent from it. Vaughan Williams would work on ten more movies until The Vision of William Blake (1957), with his efforts for 49th Parallel displaying a remarkable musical versatility in style and in musical medium.

During production, Raymond Massey, Leslie Howard, and Laurence Olivier all agreed to half-wages during production to assist the war effort. An aberration the year of this film’s release, the remainder of the cast was not comprised of just English actors (more specifically, London-area or Southern English actors), but Scots (Finlay Currie) and Irishmen (Niall MacGinnis). Few British films had ever been made with such a stacked cast, let alone being set on a grand international stage. Lawrence of Arabia this might not be, but this is as close to being an epic film as any British film production was able to be by the 1940s. The film’s financial success across the West allowed for the creation of independent British film production companies like The Archers (Powell and Pressburger) and Cineguild (David Lean), among others. The face of the non-Alfred Hitchcock British filmmaking industry would be strengthened by the marvelous reception given to 49th Parallel, securing the nation as one of the greatest forces of world cinema.

With its value as propaganda ended due to the course of history, 49th Parallel should be watched as both a historical landmark for British filmmaking as well as an excellent, potent thriller. It may not have changed any of the military or political outcomes Powell and Pressburger and the rest of its cast and crew were targeting, but the positive impacts of this production – for audiences and within the film industry – have outlasted many other works of propaganda.

My rating: 8.5/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found here.

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tkmedia · 3 years ago

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Gold Cup review: U.S. win, Mexico woe and other tournament takeaways

5:00 AM ETThe Gold Cup is complete, and after a topsy-turvy, 120-minute battle in Las Vegas on Sunday night, Gregg Berhalter's U.S. team walked away deserving winners over rivals Mexico and made it two trophies out of two attempts over their neighbors this summer, having won the CONCACAF Nations League at the beginning of June.- Carlisle: USMNT's Gold Cup will resonate for a long time - Report: U.S. beat Mexico, win Gold Cup in extra time - CONCACAF Gold Cup bracket and resultsWith the trophy won, the confetti swept away and the players slowly heading back to rejoin their club teams around the globe, ESPN's Jeff Carlisle, Eric Gomez and Kyle Bonagura reflect on the tournament's highs and lows, as well as wondering if it's no longer just a competition for U.S. and Mexico to dominate.Jump to: Biggest takeaway | Anyone challenging USA, Mexico? | Biggest surprise or disappointment | Standout players

Biggest takeaway from the competition?

The U.S. ran out worthy winners at the Gold Cup and better than the trophy itself was the rise of several players who've shown they belong in World Cup qualifying, which begins in September. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty ImagesJeff Carlisle: The U.S. player pool is deeper than originally thought. Heading into the tournament, there were a lot of question marks about certain positions and while a few still linger -- namely who is going to claim the starting striker spot -- more questions were answered. Miles Robinson looks like a player who can be a real contributor at center-back. Kellyn Acosta is a solid backup for Tyler Adams in defensive midfield and given Adams' difficulty with injuries, could very well be called upon to play. Goalkeeper Matt Turner can give Zack Steffen and Ethan Horvath a run for their money between the posts, too.Berhalter also has the luxury of identifying players who can excel in "supersub" roles, be it a midfielder like Cristian Roldan or an outside-back like Shaq Moore. It all gives Berhalter something of a selection puzzle when it comes to naming a roster for World Cup qualifying, which begins in September, but he has many more options than he had before and that is a positive development.2 RelatedEric Gomez: In the coming weeks and months, the generational shift will emerge as a huge talking point for both the United States and Mexico.Several of Gregg Berhalter's young champions, like Matthew Hoppe, Robinson and Turner have likely played themselves into the USMNT World Cup qualifying rotation after their stellar performances. On the other side, Mexico fans can only look on wistfully towards the under-23 team playing so well in Tokyo. They will rightfully wonder what their fortunes would have been like if the Olympic side had suited up instead of the groggy, aging group we saw throughout the Gold Cup.Moving forward, it seems more and more like this summer served both teams as a long audition for qualifiers. The United States will revel in adding in players to their established mix of young stars, while Mexico will scramble to swap out pieces of an aging core.Kyle Bonagura: From an American standpoint, the whole point of the roster construction was to identify players who could play roles during World Cup qualification and not only did goalkeeper Turner showcase he's talented enough to be relied on, he made a strong case to be the No. 1 as well. Other players improved their stock, too, but because of the nature of the position -- only one guy plays -- it was Turner's performance that could have the most impact on a first-choice starting XI.Steffen has been viewed as the locked-in starter for a while now, but after Horvath came up clutch in the Nations League final and Turner's run through the Gold Cup -- the New England Revolution stopper didn't allow a single goal from the run of play in six matches -- Steffen's standing should no longer be a given. Especially considering that when qualifying begins in September, Steffen will likely still be in a backup role at Manchester City, while Turner (and possibly Horvath) will have been getting consistent playing time.

Is anyone going to challenge the USA and Mexico moving forward?

Canada have shown they're really a third force on the continent; one wonders if they could have reached the final with a full-strength squad. Omar Vega/Getty ImagesCarlisle: Canada looks to be the team best-positioned to threaten the U.S./Mexico hegemony. The Reds had already made some noise in the CONCACAF Nations League when they defeated the U.S. at home. Then, they arrived at the Gold Cup without two of their best players (Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David) before being depleted further when forward Ayo Akinola went down with a torn ACL. And yet Canada pushed both Mexico and the U.S. to the limit, losing both matches by a single goal.Tajon Buchanan was already looking like an immense talent at the club level with the New England Revolution. Now he's showing the same at international level. Stephen Eustaquio impressed, too. When Canada gets its full team together, it could prove formidable indeed.Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and others to bring you the latest highlights and debate the biggest storylines. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only). Gomez: Canada is already there. As was the case with Mexico and the USMNT, Canada was without several of their biggest stars for the Gold Cup. However, they showed they're deeper than ever and boast an electric group of young talent -- Buchanan was a revelation, rightfully winning the tournament's Best Young Player award -- who will challenge to make their first World Cup since 1986.Meanwhile, Central America is also experiencing a changing of the guard, yielding an interesting preview of what's to come in World Cup qualifiying. Costa Rica, Panama and Honduras have lost quite a bit of steam, while El Salvador was a welcome surprise under manager Hugo Perez. Beyond the three North American countries, La Selecta will challenge Jamaica for the playoff spot and make life difficult for every opponent along the way.Bonagura: Even without its two best players, Canada advanced to the semifinal, where it had its chances to beat Mexico before losing at the death. So, the short answer is: Yes. Canada is on the rise and will be a tough opponent for the United States and Mexico for years to come. Canada hasn't qualified for the World Cup since 1986, in Mexico, and the expectation this cycle should be for that to change.There is lots of progress to be made but this generation of Canadian players has the potential to change how Canadian soccer is viewed in CONCACAF and beyond.

Biggest surprise or biggest disappointment of the competition?

Mexico's tournament ended in disappointment and has added a lot of pressure to Martino & Co. heading into World Cup qualification. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty ImagesCarlisle: El Salvador is another team that looks like it is moving in the right direction. Manager Perez -- a former U.S. international, mind you -- not only has Los Cuscatlecos more organized, but taking more risks as well, and to good effect. El Salvador was another team that provided a difficult test to not only Mexico, but also reigning Asian champions, Qatar. El Salvador won't be a pushover by any means when the Octagonal begins in September.In terms of disappointment, while Costa Rica claimed top spot in their group with three wins, it looks like a team caught between generations, and were soundly beaten by Canada in the quarterfinals. How long can players like Celso Borges and Bryan Ruiz carry the load? The start of World Cup qualifying should give us an answer.Gomez: Tata Martino. After losing the Nations League final to the United States in June, Mexico's manager found himself caught between a rock and a hard place. Knowing his player pool would be diminished as the under-23 team played the Olympics, Martino felt pressure for the first time in his stint as El Tri manager.Whereas the United States opted to rest all of their main talents, Martino felt he needed to bring as strong a team as he could to the Gold Cup to make up for his previous loss and risk further fatigue. The result was predictable. The Gold Cup is already as near to a zero-sum competition as there is for Mexico, and after Hirving Lozano went down with injury during the tournament's opening game, even more pressure was mounted on the Argentine coach to deliver a trophy, which ultimately never came.Bonagura: Costa Rica might have gone 3-0 to win its group, but at no point during the tournament did it look like a team capable of making a threatening run in the knockout stages. The 2-0 loss to Canada in the quarterfinals was not an upset by any stretch.Part of Costa Rica's uninspiring showing can probably be chalked up to introducing a new coach without any time to prepare, but it's hard to look at the aging roster and come up with many good reasons to expect things to improve significantly in qualifying. This is a country that reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup in 2014 and is but a shadow of what it once was.

Player who impressed you the most?

Miles Robinson showed his talent with some classy displays at the Gold Cup. Patrick T. Fallon/Getty ImagesCarlisle: Miles Robinson. The U.S. center-back should have been named the player of the tournament. (That honor went to Mexico's Hector Herrera instead.) Not that it matters that much to him as he'll gladly settle for being part of the Gold Cup championship team, but Robinson was dominant in every game, putting out constant fires and delivering composure on the ball.In the final, Robinson even showed off his ability to carry the ball forward into the attack. And he was central to a U.S. defense that conceded but one goal -- a penalty kick, at that -- the entire tournament.Will it be enough to break into the U.S. starting lineup? There is an open slot alongside John Brooks, and Robinson's mobility could make him an ideal replacement for the injured Aaron Long. There is competition as well, though, and Mark McKenzie and Matt Miazga won't give up without a fight, but Robinson's emergence was the most positive development for the U.S. in the Gold Cup.Gomez: While Canada's Buchanan was spectacular throughout the Gold Cup, Qatar's Almoez Ali continued his prolific run with his national team, raising many eyebrows along the way.The 24-year-old striker won the competition's Golden Boot award and displayed a mix of speed and skill that enthralled observers and rankled defenders throughout. Ali walks away as the only player to win the top scorer award at both the Asian Cup and CONCACAF's premier national team competition.Lastly, it would be a glaring omission not to talk about Turner's amazing goalkeeping throughout the Americans' title run. Especially in the knockout stages, the New England Revolution man looked unbeatable. He'll definitely remain at the top of Berhalter's list for any game where Manchester City's Steffen is unavailable.Bonagura: Setting Turner aside, I think there are two players who really played their way into the United States' World Cup qualifying conversation: Matthew Hoppe and Robinson. Robinson was deserving of Player of the Tournament honors by being the guy we see regularly in MLS and Berhalter likely comes away from the last month with confidence he can slot him next to Brooks.With that understood, I found myself more impressed by Hoppe. Not because he was more impactful than Robinson, but because we got to see a version of him that didn't get to regularly emerge at Schalke. While breaking through as a 19-year-old in the Bundesliga was impressive, it was tough to get a good read on how he could potentially fit into the USMNT because Schalke was truly horrific. Their basic inability to progress the ball with any regularity rendered him obsolete more often than not.In the Gold Cup, Hoppe's confidence and willingness to take people on stood out, and he's earned a spot this fall. Read the full article

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orbemnews · 4 years ago

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How a Chinese website for pirated TV shows became a cultural touchstone for millennials But the site — one of China’s largest, longest-running and last-remaining destinations for pirated, subtitled foreign content — was shuttered on February 3 as part of a sweeping police clampdown on piracy. While the website is still live, none of its services work anymore. “I was heartbroken when I found out,” Liang told CNN Business. “I feel like there is one place fewer in China through which we can expand our horizons.” Police in Shanghai arrested 14 people they claim ran the website and app after a three-month investigation into suspected intellectual property infringement. At the time of its closure, Renren Yingshi had amassed over eight million registered users and was home to more than 20,000 pirated TV shows and movies. The site’s operators made some 16 million yuan ($2.5 million) in the past couple of years from ads, subscription fees, and selling hard drives loaded with pirated content, according to police. Renren Yingshi did not respond to a request for comment from CNN Business. The crackdown was lauded by state media and intellectual property experts as a sign of China’s resolve to enforce copyright protection — criticism over which has dogged Beijing for years. But it also drew a wave of backlash from fans who, like Liang, had long relied on the site for uncensored foreign content. An outpouring of support for Renren Yingshi dominated China’s Twitter-like Weibo platform in the days after the crackdown. Some thanked the site for “opening a door for us to the world.” The public outcry came, at least in part, because of how tightly the Chinese government restricts access to foreign content. It is one of only four countries or regions, alongside North Korea, Syria and Crimea, that doesn’t allow access to Netflix, the world’s most-popular streaming platform, for example. China also strictly limits how many foreign films can be screened in cinemas each year. And of the content that is allowed to air in the country, much is heavily censored. For Chinese millennials, watching foreign shows and movies is not only a favorite pastime — it’s an opportunity to learn about the world. And many of them say the roadblocks imposed by the Chinese government leave them with little choice but to turn to pirated websites, even though they are willing to pay for legitimate access to uncensored, foreign content. While the demise of Renren Yingshi and the country’s censorship crackdown suggests the status quo might not change, the reaction to its closure and the popularity of uncensored work shows that there remains a huge appetite for such content within China. Strict censorship rules Founded in 2003 by a group of Chinese students in Canada, Renren Yingshi — a phrase that means “everyone’s film and TV” — was born out of a desire to spread foreign TV shows and movies more widely within China. Young, internet-savvy Chinese were drawn to foreign content as China reformed its economy and opened up to the world. They found that such films and shows offered an edgier, more diverse alternative to the heavily censored content produced at home — as well as a way to learn about other cultures and societies. Getting access to that kind of content through legitimate means, though, is difficult in China. Since the early 1990s, authorities have allowed just a few dozen foreign films to be screened in the country each year — only nine of the 26 Oscar best picture winners were screened publicly in China from 1994 to 2019, for example. International streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video, have also been unable to crack the market. Netflix, for example, told shareholders in 2016 that the “regulatory environment for foreign digital content services” was “challenging” in China. A subsequent attempt to partner with a local company to distribute content failed. The content that is allowed to air in China, meanwhile, needs to meet strict guidelines. Movies or shows with controversial themes — such as those that depict China in a bad light, portray taboo subjects like the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre, or feature LGBTQ storylines — are kept out entirely. And since China lacks a film rating system, any content approved by Chinese regulators is heavily edited to remove certain scenes, such as graphic sex or violence. When the Oscar-winning Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” was released in China in 2019, for example, any mention of the Queen singer’s sexuality — as well as his AIDS diagnosis — was edited out. And the American blockbuster fantasy drama “Game of Thrones,” which built its popularity on graphic sex and violence, was censored so heavily on Chinese streaming giant Tencent Video that some viewers complained that it was turned into a staid “medieval European castle documentary.” “There were too many ‘sensitive’ scenes deleted that I could hardly understand the plot anymore — it was so confusing,” said a fan of the show who watched on Tencent Video. The fan asked to remain anonymous because she once helped translate shows for a website that featured pirated content, and she also spoke to CNN Business about that experience. There’s little indication that these rules may change. Under Chinese President Xi Jinping, tolerance for foreign ideas and values has declined drastically. Popular Western culture is seen by Beijing as a key risk for foreign infiltration that targets Chinese youth — making such content important for the government to control. A long history of legal issues The sweeping restrictions have motivated fans of shows and movies that run afoul of censorship rules to subtitle them in Chinese and upload unauthorized copies online. They operate in loose networks of volunteer translators known as fansub groups. Renren Yingshi was among the largest of these networks, exploding in popularity as American series like “Prison Break,” “The Big Bang Theory” and “Gossip Girl” became smash hits in China. Long before the latest crackdown, Renren Yingshi was running into trouble with authorities. In 2009, it was one of more than 100 Chinese websites shut down for “rectification” after the government issued rules that banned the dissemination of unapproved movies and TV shows on the Chinese internet. At the time, Renren Yingshi vowed to give up its video downloading service, and in 2010 pivoted to translating open online courses offered by American universities. The strategy won the blessing of Chinese state media, which heralded the website as “a knowledge evangelist in the internet age.” That love-in didn’t last. The website eventually resumed offering pirated shows, and its servers were shut down by Chinese regulators in 2014, not long after the Motion Picture Association of America included Renren Yingshi on a list of pirate sites. It eventually popped back up, and at one point even moved its servers to South Korea for a time as it continued to look for ways to stay operational. Ultimately, Renren Yingshi’s interest in making money might have led to its downfall. While it began as a volunteer endeavor, Renren Yingshi eventually started accepting advertisements on videos, and charged members to view its content. “According to Chinese law, if copyright infringement was conducted for the purpose of making a profit, it is very easy to constitute a crime,” said Xu Xinming, an intellectual property lawyer at Beijing Mingtai Law Firm. Xu noted that in China, a business needs to make just a few thousand dollars in order to run afoul of copyright crime laws — well short of the millions police claim Renren Yingshi raked in. It’s not surprising, Xu says, that Beijing would want to go so hard against a platform with such a high profile. The government has worked harder over the last decade to address infringement, especially given Western accusations that copyright abuse runs rampant in the country. In 2020 alone, Chinese authorities shut down more than 2,800 websites and apps offering pirated content and deleted 3.2 million links, according to the most recent data available from the National Copyright Administration of China. ‘Using my love to generate power’ It’s not clear when the case may be resolved, though copyright infringement results in a punishment of up to seven years in prison, depending on the severity of the violation. Police in Shanghai did not respond to a request from CNN Business for more information on the case. No matter what happens to Renren Yingshi, though, it leaves behind a vast legacy of cultural exchange. “Many friends around me have grown up watching American series. They gave us a lot of extra parameters in our way of thinking,” said Lin, the Game of Thrones fan. She said she volunteered for a fansub group in high school called “Garden of Eden.” “If you’ve had so much exposure to different cultures, races and people from different backgrounds since a young age … it is easier for you to be able to see things from another perspective.” She said she was “using my love to generate power” — a phrase commonly cited by volunteers who want to emphasize that they are motivated by their passion for the shows, and not money. The translation work wasn’t easy, Lin said. “Every Friday, when the latest episode came out, the timer was on,” said Lin, who translated episodes of the American supernatural teen drama “The Vampire Diaries,” as well as sitcoms “The Big Bang Theory” and “Two Broke Girls.” Someone in the United States or Canada would record the show and send it along with English subtitles. Teams would then divide the episode into 10-minute segments and assign them to translators. “There was a lot of stuff I needed to look up,” said Lin, adding that it took her about two hours to translate 10 minutes of video. “Sometimes the characters would tell a joke that I couldn’t get, and I had to search for it online.” “It was difficult because I had to use [Chinese search engine] Baidu within the Great Firewall,” she said, referring to the government’s sprawling internet censorship apparatus. The work of fansub volunteers has effectively acted as a fourth wave of “translation activity that has had a huge impact on Chinese culture,” wrote Yan Feng, a professor of Chinese language and literature at Fudan University in Shanghai, in a widely shared Weibo post on February 3. By comparison, Yan said the other three major waves included the translation of Buddhist texts in ancient China, the translation of Western literature and social science works during the late Qing dynasty, and the translation of modern works on humanities and social sciences after the Cultural Revolution. For many Chinese millennials, fansub work is also a way to learn about the world. Many groups don’t just do translation work — they also add footnotes explaining background and context for certain dialogue to help Chinese audiences better understand historic, political or cultural references. “I think it’s a good thing for a child to be exposed to different cultures and different ways of thinking growing up,” said Joy Tian, a 23-year-old English teacher in Beijing. She said she was struck by the individualistic values at the center of many Western series and films, having grown up in a culture that emphasizes collectivism. “It helps promote diversity of thought,” she added. Xu, the Beijing-based lawyer, said it is up to the public to “do some self-reflection” following the crackdown on Renren Yingshi. “There’s no free lunch in this world, and they shouldn’t download or stream pirate films and TV shows anymore,” he said. But Tian stressed that she’d be willing to pay for the shows if they were uncensored. After all, she has paid for licensed American shows on legitimate Chinese streaming sites before — but she couldn’t get past all of the editing. Even Xu said that Chinese fans will likely continue to be tempted to watch pirated shows. People who watch such content and don’t profit off of it have not, traditionally, been punished in China. And if the government doesn’t ease up on its rules on content, the demand won’t go away. “This is indeed a problem. And as the government steps up its crackdown on copyright infringement, this problem will only become more acute,” Xu said. “With pirated access cut off, [the government and companies] should compensate by broadening legal access.” Source link Orbem News #Chinese #Cultural #Millennials #pirated #Shows #touchstone #website

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expatimes · 4 years ago

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Deferred dreams: What COVID taught three Olympic athletes

The Tokyo Olympics was arguably the biggest sporting casualty of the coronavirus pandemic, postponed in March in an unprecedented move as a third of the world was plunged into COVID-19-related lockdowns.

More than 11,000 elite athletes from 33 different sports were due to compete in the games – for most the pinnacle of sporting achievement.

A pared-down Olympics is now scheduled to be held for two weeks from July 23, 2021, with some adjustments for the pandemic. The Paralympics will follow.

The Ariake Arena, where the gymnastics competitions will be held, lit up in support of athletes preparing for the delayed Olympic and Paralympic on July 23, 2021

Even as vaccines are finally rolled out, it is still not 100 percent certain the event will even be able to proceed in 2021.

Al Jazeera spoke to three athletes from the Asia Pacific region to find out how they were affected by the postponement.

Kelsey-Lee Barber, Australia

Kelsey Ann Barber, Australia’s world champion in javelin

Everyone wants to know how she became the javelin women’s world champion.

“It’s the question I get asked the most,” said Kelsey-Lee Barber, laughing, after Al Jazeera put forward the same question.

“Javelin is quite an unusual event,” she admitted. “Especially in a country like Australia where team sports are the focus.”

Born in South Africa, Barber moved to Australia as a child. In high school, she threw the discus but her coach encouraged her to dabble in other field events such as shot put and javelin.

It was when Barber won the javelin event in the 2008 Pacific School Games that she realised it was the sport for her.

“This is the event that’s going to take me to the Olympics,” she recalled thinking. “This is what I want to do with my life.”

Her gut was right – 29-year-old Barber is now not only the world champion, winning gold in Doha in 2019 but also has the 12th-longest javelin throw on record. She threw an incredible 67.70m (222 feet) in Lucerne last year.

Barber is preparing for her second Olympics and has fortunately not been as affected by the COVID-19 lockdowns as other sportspeople have – after all, athletics is predominantly an individual event.

“We had to move off-site at the beginning and we were training in our garages and local parks,” Barber said. “When COVID was announced as a pandemic, we thought would do everything in their power to make it happen.”

Track and field events are due to take place in Tokyo’s National Stadium, which will also host the opening and closing ceremonies

By late March, several countries – including Australia and Canada – had officially withdrawn their teams from the Tokyo games, citing concerns for their health.

“When things started to escalate as rapidly as they did, I think that’s when I started realising that maybe Tokyo wouldn’t go ahead this year,” says Barber.

While disappointed that she did not get to compete this year, Barber says she thinks it was the right thing to do.

“It’s given me a different opportunity this year,” she mused. “I’ve really been able to focus on looking after my body this year, and that’s a huge plus going forward.”

“I’ve potentially put a few extra years onto my career because of the work I’ve been able to do this year.”

“This year has also given me an opportunity to just be me,” Barber added, smiling. “I’ve still put in a lot of training but for the first time in a very long time, athletics hasn’t had to be the number one priority.”

Farah Ann Abdul Hadi, Malaysia

Farah Ann Abdul Hadi was the first Malaysian woman to qualify to compete in gymnastics at the Olympics

Malaysian gymnast Farah Ann Abdul Hadi was supposed to spend July competing beneath the lofty roof of the 12,000 seat Ariake Gymnastics Centre in Tokyo, the first Malaysian woman ever to qualify for the competition.

Instead, the 26-year-old was working on her routines in Malaysia’s National Sports Complex in the southern suburbs of Kuala Lumpur, putting in the hours in the gym and with physiotherapy and sharing regular updates with her 340,000 Instagram followers.

Looking back, Farah says that while she was “a little bit upset” as talk swirled that the Olympics would be cancelled, the delay was perhaps a blessing in disguise, allowing her body time to fully recover after back-to-back competitions in 2019 and multiple injuries throughout her international career.

“I don’t train in pain any more,” she told Al Jazeera on a video call from Bukit Jalil. “Since I’m more of a senior gymnast already – I’m 26 and obviously, my body isn’t like it was when I was 16 any more – it’s quality rather than quantity. To perfect the skills and make sure my body is in good health for 2021.”

Farah took up gymnastics when she was three, attending classes alongside her older sister. “My parents are both sporty and they wanted their children to do sports too,” she said, explaining how she “fell in love” with gymnastics. “I was also a hyperactive child,” she says, smiling.

She began competing for her state when she was six and training with the national squad two years later. Her first international competition was in 2010.

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A post shared by Farah Ann Abdul Hadi (@farahann94)

Artistic gymnastics is a test of agility, flexibility and strength and has been part of the Summer Games since they were held in Amsterdam in 1928.

Women compete in four disciplines – the uneven bars, beam, vault and floor – in a sport that has long been dominated by the United States, Russia and China. So far, Malaysia has had more success in badminton, diving and cycling.

Farah enjoys the floor the most.

“I love expressing myself and performing for the crowd and it’s also where I can show my strength and my artistry,” she said.

She has a “history” with the beam, she says ruefully of the 10-cm wide (4 inches) and five-metre (16.4-feet) long piece of wooden apparatus, which is 1.25 metres (4.1 feet) off the floor. “I like the beam, but it doesn’t really like me back.”

It was a mistake on the beam that cost the gymnast a spot in the Rio Games by the tiniest of margins. It was, she says, a “devastating” blow.

She secured her space in Tokyo through the qualifiers at the World Championships in Stuttgart in October 2019. Competing early in the morning, Farah endured a nerve-racking wait until late at night before she knew for sure she had qualified. “Tokyo, here we come!” she messaged her family back in Malaysia.

When Farah first started out in the sport she was inspired by Nastia Liukin who emerged an Olympic All-Around Champion – excelling across the four disciplines – in 2008. Now it is Simone Biles, the most decorated female athlete of the Olympics, who took home four gold medals in Rio and entranced a generation of young women.

This year, toymaker Mattel made a one-of-a-kind Barbie of Farah – part of a project to honour inspirational women from around the world.

Farah hopes by competing in Tokyo, she can show Malaysians that nothing is impossible.

“It’s basically having a goal and reaching that dream you have had since you were eight years old – to go out there with the Malaysian flag on your shoulder,” she said. “I’m very proud to be a female gymnast, to be able to represent my country and to show young girls that you can make a career of sport, and that you can be who you want to be.”

Annabelle Smith, Australia

Olympic diver Annabelle Smith

Australian diver Annabelle Smith was “pretty devastated” when she found out the games had been postponed due to COVID-19.

“When you’ve been working towards something for four years or your entire career – to have it ripped away from you at the last minute was pretty disappointing,” the 27-year-old told Al Jazeera.

Smith has been diving for 15 years and in that time has competed in the London and Rio Olympic Games, winning a bronze medal in Rio.

As such, she feels “grateful” to have already had two Olympic experiences and has spent a lot of time resetting goals and talking to her sports psychologist and coach in preparation for Tokyo 2021 and now feels “re-energised”.

She says some of her Olympic teammates have found it more difficult, noting that that “people plan their careers around the Olympic Games”.

Smith also knows some athletes have been forced into retirement because they had different plans for 2021, such as starting a family, while others have “aged out” of their sport or face an increased risk of injury.

Being a Melbourne-based athlete presented additional difficulties during the lockdown – one of the longest and strictest in the world.

“I just had to train in my living room at home,” she said.

However, she is now fortunate to be back in the training facilities, albeit ensuring they remain COVID-19-safe.

“In our gym sessions, we have to clean the equipment thoroughly and really use our initiative to make sure everything is staying safe.”

Mai Yasuda dives from the 10-metre (32-foot) platform during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, which is due to host artistic swimming, diving, and swimming events during the Olympic and Paralympic games

However, with COVID-19 far from over, Annabelle says that while she is training and preparing as if the games are going ahead as scheduled, she will “probably cry” if they are postponed again.

“I think it will really be such a positive thing for the world just to get the Olympic Games under way and for people to be able to watch on TV and celebrate something after going through all these challenges of COVID. I’m just excited for it to unite everybody.”

With reporting by Kate Walton in Canberra, Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur, and Ali MC in Melbourne.

#sport Read full article: https://expatimes.com/?p=16221&feed_id=25930 #asiapacific #athletics #australia #coronaviruspandemic #features #japan #malaysia #news #olympics #sports

#AsiaPacific #Athletics #Australia #Coronaviruspandemic #Features #Japan #Malaysia #News #Olympics #Sports

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theseadagiodays · 5 years ago

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April 13, 2020

Interstices

Definition: an intervening time or space

Synonym: Aperture - an opening or gap

Gap - a space or pause between two things

Pause - a suspension of movement or activity

Space - a continuous area or expanse which is free and available

Whether our rhythms have slowed or accelerated in this moment, we all currently sit at an interstices. A place in time between what came before and what comes next. An uncomfortable spot for most of us, because humans habitually seek certainty. But this time is also an opening, an opportunity where we can be free to explore new ways of being. A time to suspend old habits, and invite shifts in perspective. In some schools of Buddishm, they have a term for such in-between times. “Bardo is an intermediate, transitional, or liminal state between death andrebirth. A state of great potential for liberation, since transcendental insight may arise with the direct experience of reality” Wikipedia

But most of us resist making space in our schedules because it gives too much room to look at the bold truth of our lives. Like the clear expanse of a mirror, this time is revealing much that we need to remember, but also much that we don’t want to see. The decreased GHG’s from limited transport have clarified our skies and caused animals to rapidly return where humans had previously dominated. The gardens we’d neglected are being tenderly tilled. And the friends we’d forgotten for decades are reaching out to reminisce. But the work that does not feed our souls, or the incessant self-deprecating thoughts, or the spouse who irritates us (speaking generally of course), or the wallpaper we regret having bought, all glare us in the face daily and force us to reflect on our real priorities and desires. However, all at once, this can be too much for us to take in.

I remember a Vancouver talk, on my birthday in 1998, where the Tibetan monk, Chogyam Trungpa said it amazed him “how much North Americans busied their lives so as not to know themselves”. If this is true, it strikes me that in order to assuage our fears about looking at the skeletons in our own empty closets, perhaps we can try to look at space entirely differently.

In music, space or silence can be incredibly potent. Violinist, Isaac Stern describes music itself as “that little bit between each note—the silences which give the music form.” One of my favorite composers, Arvo Part is a master of silence. The pauses in many of his halting melodies require the listener to become an active participant - to fill the space with their own interpretations, just as we can do during this time. His Psalom for strings is a mesmerizing example of such writing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-Ssbik_dmY

Visual artists have also created substantive beauty from negative space. The images below play with absence and presence, illustrating that our perception can entirely shape what we choose to see. Similarly, if we can stretch our understanding of what is currently missing from our lives to recognize the space this allows for other things to present themselves, it may fortify our patience and acceptance with the way things are.

But if none of this brings solace during challenging times, and we still need to cling to hope, we can remember that, invariably, after rest always comes activity. Bamboo is a prime example of this, as noted in this proverb about the slow but mighty grower, “the first year it sleeps, the second year it creeps, the third year it leaps.”

So, if we emerge from COVID anything like North America emerged from the 1918 flu epidemic, maybe we can finally look forward to an era where flapper dresses come back. I know that I’d personally find the next Roaring Twenties a welcomed resurgence.

April 14, 2020

Finding Stillness in Uncertainty

For hours last Tuesday, in a persistent drizzle and strong wind, I wandered my neighborhood aimlessly with a broken umbrella, mourning the shut restaurants, scared faces, and unhugged friends I hadn’t seen in weeks.

But today, the air is still and warm, and the scent of pregnant magnolias saturate my senses while I bathe in birdsong.

Photo by my friend Cheryl’s 12-year-old son, Noah

Such is the mercurial nature of life in this pandemic. Still, as best I can, I try to walk my talk. Be the master of my own attitude. Contribute where I can. Live mindfully and gratefully. But some days this is much harder than others. However lately, Vancouver’s unseasonable summer weather has made this infinitely easier. As someone who suffers from seasonal effective disorder, and who’s had a love/hate affair with my rainy though lush city, it makes me realize how important it is to find conditions condusive for optimal living. With the improved weather and a large park right behind my home, I am enticed to greet each morning with a slow, present-minded walk. A moving meditation.

I have also been grateful for the opportunity to lead weekly guided meditations for my husband’s work team. His colleagues are front-line workers of a different sort. They run our local transit system which is still critically needed by those who must continue to work in public settings, or who do not have the privilege of their own vehicle. But with covid-fear and enforced social distancing measures, Translink is losing $3 million a day in ridership fees. So, they are under enormous stress to adjust their service plans, make difficult decisions about lay-offs, and continue to try and plan for a very uncertain future. However, it heartens me to know that people who find themselves even more work-burdened during this crisis still recognize the need to slow down, even for brief moments, in order to be more productive later. So, I thought I’d share a recording of one of these sessions, which people can follow at home. It is less than 15 minutes long, just short enough to carve out of any day but still possible to dramatically alter your nervous system.

https://youtu.be/x2fjRvBB6x0

And finally, this poem by Martha Postelwaite speaks to the gifts stillness can bring.

Do not try to save the whole world or do anything grandiose. Instead, create a clearing in the dense forest of your life and wait there patiently, until the song that is your life falls into your own cupped hands and you recognize and greet it. Only then will you know how to give yourself to this world so worth of rescue. - Martha Postlewaite

April 15, 2020

Timely Artists’ Responses

I am normally a minimal social media user. However, ironically, my Facebook and Instagram feeds have been my saving grace during this period. This is probably helped by the fact that, over the years, rather than racing to accumulate friends, I have mostly only followed those people in my life who I trust to direct me to moments of grace and beauty. Consequently, many of the links in this blog have come from my own community of thoughtful, kindness-oriented, arts-minded friends and family to whom I’m hugely grateful.

Some of my friends are the actual creators of these daily doses of inspiration. Like my Toronto-based buddy, Lorne Bridgman (https://lornebridgman.com), whose in-demand work has graced the covers of En Route (Air Canada’s in-flight magazine), Monocle, and Travel & Leisure. (A coup for us, since way back in 1997, we were probably the only people who ever landed him as a wedding photographer). Fittingly, his stirring nighttime images of abandoned playgrounds during the pandemic tell a very powerful story.

I have been keeping my own mental ledger of these “never before corona” scenes (like our yellow-taped playgrounds) which I observe every day. The most striking of these I captured with my iphone just yesterday. These four beachcombers appear to be metred-out models of social distancing with their perfectly proportioned pose.

Artists the world round are similarly documenting this time through a variety of expressive mediums. Below, are a few of the most creative that I’ve discovered so far.

The New York Times delivers again, with 17 Artists Capture a Surreal NY from their Windows

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/16/nyregion/coronavirus-nyc-illustrators-window.html?action=click&module=Editors%20Picks&pgtype=Homepage

Katherine Lam, Queens, NY

Or this Beijing-based British map artist, who instead of his elaborate filligried-illustrations of sprawling urban areas, now maps what’s between his four walls.

https://www.cnn.com/style/article/gareth-fuller-maps-coronavirus-quarantine/index.html

Globally, graphic designers have also used their talents to advocate, provoke, or amuse: https://www.dezeen.com/2020/03/18/coronavirus-covid-19-graphic-design-illustration/?fbclid=IwAR3bUYBwSkCtlj_yhlDkvUtGOFBDBJGMYXiDl3do74Gqm4JdHbkxTET48H8

Oliver Jeffers, beloved Irish children’s author and illustrator

And for 80’s kids like me, this new release, No Time to Love Like Now, from an old fave, REM’s Michael Stype, sends a sparsely-layered musical message from his home studio that feels highly appropriate for the times: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=MYgpEcXf2S4&feature=emb_logo

Finally, as I’ve stretched my social-media muscles, I confess that I’ve even ventured to Twitter and Tik Tok at times. Most of us over-30 have probably been oblivious to the phenomena of social-media influencers, like the 15-year-old "reigning queen of TikTok", Charli D’Amelio, whose whether-you-like-it-or-not, down-to-earth appeal and smooth moves have charmed 48 million followers! But, as vacuous as many of her make-up tutorials have been, she is now using her reach for good with her originally choreographed Distance Dance which, for everyone who posts their own #distancedance video, will trigger Proctor & Gamble to donate to one of a variety of non-profits feeding those most vulnerable and hit hard by the virus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS6913bBVek

April 16, 2020

Home Cooking

I truly believe that we all have an “inner artist” if we just find ways to tap it. But it saddens me to hear how quickly many people say they have “no talent”. Creativity is not magic. It’s what humans have harnessed since time immorial to survive, adapt, and thrive. Creativity also increases exponentially when there are constraints on our resources. The elegance of a haiku is a pure example of this. Limited to just 5, 7, & 5 syllables per line, this simple container lends itself to essential and beautiful nuggets of expression accessible to all. Here’s a timely one from the #quarantinehaikus project that I mentioned earlier:

I’m in quarantine But all my ideas are not. This month, they happen.

Similarly, another creative pursuit that has most given humans a window into their own creativity is the culinary arts. Sure, for some their adventures as gourmands consist of little more than ramen, canned tuna, a boiled egg and Dijon mustard for a pantry version of Julia Child’s Salad Nicoise. But quarantined living is certainly inspiring more imagination in the kitchen than usual. Though this expression may be overused, “necessity is the mother of invention” has perhaps never been more universally true. However, if you’re trying to limit your grocery trips to once per week, and your mind happens to draw a blank when you open your cupboard, here are dozens of recipes that you can try with what you might likely already have on hand:

https://cooking.nytimes.com/topics/self-quarantine-recipes

My own constant culinary muse is my great friend, Belkis, whose Instagram page, Epicurious Travelista (below) is a visual and delectable treat. Most of her images include recipes. And while they might look elaborate, and sometimes indeed they are (this is a woman unafraid of churning her own butter, or making her own tortillas from scratch), her resourceful Honduran roots influence many exquisite meals that she makes from only a few simple ingredients. So, for those wanting to spread their chef’s wings a bit wider, you can check out her page here:

https://www.instagram.com/epicurious_travelista/

April 15, 2020

Zoom Masters

Of course, Zoom has been the victor and the enemy in this digitally-dependent time, both allowing multi-generational families to share seders, while at the same time stealing private details from citizens. But one can not deny that the extent to which people have exploited this format for good has been inspiring. I’m biased towards the musical collaborations that the format has spawned. But don’t be fooled. This technology, designed for one-speaker-at-a-time, does not render performances like the one below, easily. Each frame has to be recorded separately (with consistent click tracks, to keep everyone in time), and then carefully edited together in post-production. These are highly stylized efforts. And this one takes it to another level with its choreographic complexity. So, while I wish everyone to have a weekend where they can Get Down, Stay Down, here’s a treat to enjoy:

https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/8/21213608/coronavirus-zoom-music-video-thao-and-the-get-down-stay-down?fbclid=IwAR3PIGg8lcGMLgQrJGISDcjrRbcy3eQG2XI-sqbc-BOGs5f8s5PNRPf54H4

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prithvisinha19 · 5 years ago

Text

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earlyandoftenpodcast · 7 years ago

Link

(A map of the Chesapeake colonies. Jamestown is the purple dot, St. Mary’s City is the red dot, and Kent Island is circled in red. Note that this map is from the 1700s and includes Pennsylvania and New Jersey, which didn’t yet exist.)

A second colony is created in the Chesapeake, Maryland. But its status as a haven for Catholics leads to a hostile relationship with Virginia that proves seriously disruptive to both sides.

>>>Direct audio link<<<

(Wordpress) (Twitter) (Libsyn) (Podbean) (iTunes)

Transcript and Sources:

Hello, and welcome to Early and Often: The History of Elections in America. Episode 4: The Thrusting Out of Governor Harvey.

Last time, we talked about the creation of the first (partly) elected legislature in British America, Virginia’s General Assembly, and its early trials through a devastating massacre and the loss of its legal authority under King Charles. By 1630, though, the Assembly was still assembling, just without formal approval to do so.

Today, we’re going to talk about the Chesapeake in the 1630s. I say “Chesapeake”, rather than “Virginia”, because the Chesapeake is about to gain a second colony: Maryland. This episode will cover both the founding of Maryland and how its conflicts with the Virginians shaped the early history of both colonies.

Unlike Jamestown, which was the creation of a joint stock company, Maryland was founded as a proprietorship, to be ruled directly by a single individual answering directly to the king. In the case of Maryland, that individual was Cecil Calvert, the Second Baron Baltimore. But to begin the story we first need to go back a generation to his father, George Calvert, the First Baron Baltimore.

The First Lord Baltimore was a high official in the government of James I, rising to the office of Secretary of State. That position wasn’t exactly like what Secretary of State is in the United States today, but it was still an important post. However, in the 1620s Lord Baltimore converted to Catholicism and upon the accession of Charles I in 1625 he resigned his offices, since his new religion made him unacceptable in the eyes of the Protestant establishment. But he still had plenty of connections and he had long held an interest in colonization projects. In fact he had been an investor in the Virginia Company. A few years before his resignation he acquired a royal charter granting him control of a part of Newfoundland, the island that makes up the easternmost portion of Canada today. Specifically, the Avalon peninsula. A small fishing colony was established, and in 1628 Baltimore himself set sail along with his wife and family to take over as governor in person.

Although the colony was to be ruled by him personally, he had made sure to provide for the creation of a legislature in Avalon’s charter. As a Catholic, he also, of course, ensured a much higher level of religious toleration than in England. He wanted his colony to welcome his fellow Catholics.

But the climate proved inhospitable, and growing enough food was a tremendous challenge, so Baltimore abandoned the colony the next year as unsuitable. He then sailed south to Virginia, where he scoped out the land, hoping that he could find a more welcoming place to found a new colony. He returned to England and secured a new charter from the King, who was relatively sympathetic to Catholics, but Baltimore died in 1632 just before things could be finalized. So it fell to his 27 year old son Cecil, also a Catholic, to continue the project. He would rule the new colony for over 40 years.

This new province would be called Maryland, after the King’s wife Henrietta Maria, herself a French Catholic. Now, for those of you who aren’t too familiar with American geography, Maryland sits just north of Virginia, a narrow slice of territory between it and Pennsylvania. The southern half of the Chesapeake Bay is in Virginia, while the northern half is in Maryland. The Potomac River, on which Washington, D.C. sits today, divides the two. Well, before Maryland came into existence all that land was part of Virginia. The old charter for Virginia had granted it an absurd amount of land, stretching from South Carolina up to New Jersey and reaching all the way from the Atlantic to the Pacific, however far away that was. Obviously most of that control was entirely nominal, but the Virginians very definitely thought of the Chesapeake as “theirs” and were none too happy about the new arrivals, vile Papists no less, taking their land. Plus more competition could drive down tobacco prices. But they had only settled the southern reaches of the Chesapeake so far and it didn’t seem like there was much they could do to stop it.

Unlike Virginia, Maryland, as a proprietorship, was to be run in a much more feudal manner. The Baltimores had dredged up some legal precedents from the 1300s and specifically inserted them into Maryland’s charter. These precedents made the ruler of Maryland virtually king in his domain. He had control of all laws, all justice, and all military affairs. In principle he could even create his own miniature fiefdom in Maryland, with other hereditary positions beneath him, but this never came to pass. In exchange for these powers, as a show of fealty he was to deliver to the king two Indian arrows a year at Windsor Castle. That was the payment. Well, that and all the legal fees to get the colony’s charter approved plus all the hoped for revenue from taxes and trade.

In accordance with these same precedents, there was also to be a legislative assembly, as in Avalon. But this suited the Baltimores just fine, as it was to be a legislature with little in the way of formal powers. The assembly would meet semi-regularly but it had minimal control over legislation or taxation. This way, the rulers of Maryland could hear complaints without actually sacrificing power. In a way, it was like the earliest, informal Parliaments. It was hoped that a legislature would reassure potential settlers who might otherwise fear being dominated by a Catholic lord with such absolute power. Of course over time Maryland’s new General Assembly would take on a life of its own, but at the start it had little independence. The Governor could appoint and remove all officials, call and dismiss Assemblies as he wished, and only he could initiate legislation. At most, the Assembly had some veto powers, since laws still required the “advice assent and approbation of the Freemen of the… Province.”

And of course, just as in Avalon, religious toleration was to be practiced for both Catholics and Protestants. Catholic churches could be built without restriction and several Jesuit priests went to Maryland to convert the Indians. But Baltimore also instructed his Catholic officers in the colony to avoid religious discourse altogether, to prevent unnecessary animosity. It was hoped that Maryland would become in part a Catholic refuge, but as we’ll see that never really happened.

So. With the legalities out of the way, on November 22, 1633 two ships, the Ark and the Dove, carrying maybe 200 passengers, left for the New World. Lord Baltimore himself was not on board and he would never even see Maryland, but his younger brother, Leonard Calvert, was there to serve as governor.

They hadn’t been as successful in attracting recruits as hoped. Few Protestants were interested, but even Catholics held back. But because England was so overwhelmingly Protestant, so was the expedition. The leadership was mostly Catholic, but they were of course a minority. Barely a quarter of the colonists overall were Catholic.

Most who went were indentured servants. And of course, most were male. So, other than religion, not too different from Virginia at the time, really.

After some months at sea they arrived at the mouth of the Chesapeake. There, they stopped briefly. They met with Virginia’s unpopular governor, Sir John Harvey, and presented him with instructions from the King ordering him to assist the Marylanders by providing them with supplies. He did so, but his cooperation only further lowered his standing with his fellow Virginians, a fact which would come back to haunt him. But we’ll get back to that in a minute.

The Marylanders soon pressed northwards, and on March 27, 1634 they sailed up a small inlet of the Potomac, 70 miles north of Jamestown, and landed. This was to be their new home. They called it St. Mary’s City. Soon, they began the backbreaking work of colonization.

In its early years Maryland faced many of the same problems that Virginia did. No huge disasters like in Virginia, but the same endless dying off. They did successfully make peace with the Native Americans for a time, perhaps thanks in part to the earlier suppression by Virginia, but disease and death were ever-present and the colony struggled very hard to grow. Around 1640 the population of Virginia was 8,000, but Maryland’s was only 500.

Administration was in the hands of the Governor and of a small Privy Council, similar to Virginia. But with such a small and unstable population, there weren’t enough gentlemen in the colony to fill all the offices below that. Many of the richer migrants abandoned Maryland when life proved harsher than expected. So freemen, even illiterate former servants, had a shot. Thus, Maryland was in ways relatively egalitarian at a time when Virginia was starting to become more hierarchical and stratified. This, despite the fact that, simultaneously, the Calverts were trying to make Maryland as feudal as they could, giving the owners of large estates all sorts of lordly privileges. But that didn’t take. The top echelons were restricted, but upward movement was possible below that.

This was true economically as well as politically. As wealthier men fled the colony and as indentured servants were freed, the colony became more egalitarian. Other than the massive death rate, Maryland was a place where a man could better himself and go from being a servant to having servants.

Plus, in these early years the eligibility requirements for voting were at least as minimal as in Virginia. All adult freemen could vote. “Freeman”, remember, was a somewhat ambiguous term, but it basically meant that you weren’t an indentured servant. And that was that. No property qualifications or anything like that. And there were no religious qualifications like in Virginia, where you had to swear an oath accepting the king as head of the Church of England, which ruled out Catholics.

And not only that, a number of the early General Assemblies were simply meetings of all freemen in the colony. There were no elections at all, everybody just showed up. Which is doable if your settlement only has a few hundred people, most of them still indentured. In fact, you could be fined twenty pounds of tobacco if you didn’t show up or at least send someone in your place. This was as basic as you get: everyone together in a room hashing things out. This was how the very first assembly likely met. Unfortunately we don’t have a record of that meeting so I can’t get into specifics about it.

But it soon became clear that this was an inefficient way of doing things, even in a colony with so few people as Maryland. The plantations were spread out, and Assemblies were often called during periods of sickness, so just traveling was often too much of a burden. Small groups began to nominate proxies, who could vote multiple times on behalf of all those they represented, to go in their place. Formal elections soon followed, quite naturally. Although, on top of those elections, some important men were appointed to the assembly directly by the governor. Like Virginia’s Assembly, it was thus a mix of appointed and elected men.

And the full Assemblies were often too unwieldy to be effective, so the Assembly began creating committees to examine specific issues.

Therefore, it didn’t take long for Maryland to move towards the creation of a more normal legislature. By the late 1630s the right of the Assembly to initiate its own legislation was acknowledged, further enhancing its power. By about 1650, elections were becoming typical. Norms and practices were generally copied from the House of Commons in England, with local adjustments as needed. The Assemblies, summoned by the beat of a drum, met in the fort at St. Mary’s, or in the home of the Assembly’s secretary, since they didn’t need anything larger.

The laws they passed covered many of the same topics as in Virginia. Tobacco was regulated. Upright and moral behavior was encouraged. Marriage laws were written. Piracy, sorcery, sodomy, polygamy, swearing and burning someone’s tobacco were outlawed. Banal stuff, really.

It wasn’t a professional legislature, of course. It was simply a minor duty to occasionally attend to. Few men were elected multiple times in a row. According to David W. Jordan’s book, Foundations of Representative Government in Maryland, through 1660, “Only four individuals... attended more than four assemblies as a delegate, and only an additional thirteen men sat as representatives in three or four legislatures”. So representatives weren’t serving long enough to gain real experience yet.

In any case Assemblies were generally called only every few years, and there wasn’t that much business to attend to anyway. So while the political system was in a sense open, in practice real power remained concentrated in the hands of a few, mostly Catholic, landowners who had the education and the time to more fully devote themselves to ruling. The Assembly could make demands though, and in such a small community the leadership did in fact need to compromise. Negotiation was a constant.

There weren’t political parties. There were some loose factions which were divided by questions about how to treat the few Jesuit priests in the colony, how much power the Assembly ought to have, and how to regulate commerce. But there weren’t hard fought elections or anything like that yet. The leaders of these factions were Catholic, but of course they had to appeal to Protestants for support. The opponents of Lord Baltimore’s power certainly found plenty of support in blocking many of the bills he sent over from England, year after year.

Also, just as had happened with Parliament splitting into Lords and Commons several centuries earlier, this division of the Assembly into two rather different groups -- one wealthy, Catholic, and appointed, the other lower class, Protestant and elected -- quickly produced tensions. Within a decade of the Assembly’s creation there were already calls for it to be split into an upper and lower house. The example of Parliament was obviously an inspiration here, but Virginia may have been a model as well. As we’ll discuss in the next episode, we don’t know exactly when Virginia’s Assembly became bicameral, but it may have been around this time in the early 1640s. So it’s possible that their neighbor to the south influenced them as well.

In either case, Maryland’s Assembly officially became bicameral in 1650. The elected men were in the lower house and the appointed ones were in the upper house. Legislation now had to be approved by both houses and the governor. To emphasize how small the colony still was, there were only 14 elected delegates that year.

Overall, both Chesapeake colonies were pretty quickly converging on similar models, despite their significantly different legal and political beginnings. Pretty soon Maryland was being run in practice like Virginia, just with more absolute authority at the top and a bit more openness at the bottom. Even the local governments became more similar over time. And in fact all of the colonies will converge on similar models, with some variations. An increasingly assertive lower house, an appointed upper house, and an appointed governor. This is the model that the states will copy after independence, with the appointed positions often replaced by indirectly elected ones. So, even at such an early date, the future political system of the US was already coming into focus. A bit.

But as the Marylanders tried to create a stable political system, their hostile relationship with Virginia proved disruptive to both sides. There are two little stories to tell here. The first is of the so-called “thrusting out” of Governor Harvey.

Sir John Harvey had been a member of that commission sent in 1623 to investigate conditions in Virginia as the Virginia Company was being dismembered. So when he was appointed governor in 1630, he was from the start an unpopular man. He was seen as representing outside interests, rather than the interests of Virginians.

He also had a domineering personality. Rather than try to smooth things over with diplomacy, he preferred to attack those he perceived as his enemies. In particular, that meant the Council. You see, under Virginia’s charter it was still unclear whether the governor could command the council or vice versa. The governor was appointed by the king, but did that mean that the governor was totally in charge with the Council merely there to advise him, or was he simply to lead the Council as first among equals? Obviously the Governor had his opinion and the Council had theirs.

So within weeks of his arrival he was already going after various Councilors and trying to bring the Council as a whole to heel. For instance Harvey had one Councilman, John Pott, arrested on probably dubious charges of “pardoninge wilfull Murther, markinge other mens Cattell for his owne, and killing up their hoggs” and tried to have his lands seized. (Pott, incidentally, was the doctor who’d poisoned those 200 Indians.) In retaliation, the Council did everything in its power to obstruct Harvey. The hostility continued for years.

It was into this poisonous atmosphere that the Marylanders sailed. They gave the Governor the King’s command that he should aid them. He duly provided “Cowes... or any thinge else they stand in need of”. Harvey’s image as an outsider made this assistance seem more worrisome. Sure, he had been ordered by the King to help, but that didn’t mean he had to help help. All the sources seem to agree that this was a major blow to his remaining credibility in the colony.

The next year, in 1635, things finally boiled over. Governor Harvey was ruling as autocratically as he could, ignoring local laws and possibly passing decrees on his own authority without the approval of the Council, rather like what King Charles was doing. He had made peace with the Indians, a move which was widely hated. He even hit a Councilman in the face with a cudgel and knocked out several of his teeth. When John Pott, the Councilor/poisoner, circulated a petition denouncing the Governor, Harvey had him arrested again. He refused him habeas corpus, and tried to prosecute him under martial law, knowing that he couldn’t hope to convict him with a jury.

This was the last straw for the Council and they quickly hatched a plot against Harvey. They merely needed the right time to strike. The time came when the Governor called a meeting with the Council to justify his actions. The Council, unbeknownst to Harvey, placed men outside the house they were in. Things quickly got heated and Harvey, enraged, tried to have yet another Councilor arrested, this time for treason. This was the moment. Another Councilman signalled to their confederates outside and “40 musketeers” came streaming inside. The Council placed the Governor under de facto house arrest, and since he had basically no support in the colony there was nothing he could do. He had been overthrown in what amounted to an armed coup.

The Council officially deposed Harvey and chose a successor, and a General Assembly was elected to discuss the matter and ratify the Council’s decisions. Harvey protested the illegality of the Assembly -- probably quite correctly, since Assemblies still had no formal right to exist, let alone remove someone handpicked by the King from office -- but of course he was powerless now. So Harvey was unceremoniously shipped back to England…

Where King Charles turned out to be furious that some provincials had so brazenly interfered with his government and overthrown his appointed Governor. Harvey was quickly acquitted of all charges -- most of which were in fact unsupported -- and put back on a boat to resume his governorship. The conspirators against Harvey were ordered to return to England and appear before the infamous Star Chamber on charges of treason.

Harvey didn’t actually get back to the colony until 1637 though, and his second period in office lasted only two years. He was no more popular or tactful than before. He tried to get revenge by seizing his enemies’ property, but those attempts were blocked back in England. And the conspirators who were sent to face trial in England never faced punishment. They instead used the opportunity to undermine Harvey as best they could. (That seems to have been a common pattern, incidentally: charges were often brought less for the sake of convicting criminals, and more to send people a message and keep them in line.)

Harvey was replaced in 1639. It was perhaps inevitable, given how little support he had in Virginia. But still, the point had been made that the king decided who was in charge, not the Virginians.

However, the thrusting out of Governor Harvey may have actually increased the level of self rule in the colony. Because when his replacement sailed to Virginia, he carried with him instructions from the King authorizing him to “summon the burgesses of all and singular plantations there, which together with the governor and council shall have power to make acts and laws for the government of that plantation”. After over a decade of dawdling, the King had finally decided to give formal approval to the Assembly and to the election of Burgesses. From now on all taxes and spending had to be approved by the Assembly, in which a majority of members were elected. And, the decisions of the previous Assemblies were also retroactively legitimated.

We’ll never know why Charles decided to keep the Assembly. Perhaps he noticed that, even without formal authority, the Assembly was still valued by the colonists, and decided that it would be useful to keep it around. I don’t think that this should be understood as the brave colonists overcoming royal pressure to assert their rights or anything. Probably, it was more that the King had been uncertain about how to govern Virginia and had just neglected the issue. Until he decided to simply keep things going the way they were. But whatever the case, the Virginians’ maintenance of their self-government had paid off. The General Assembly was now here to stay. For real this time.

There’s one other story we need to begin this episode, one that will continue over the next two decades: the rivalry between Maryland and William Claiborne over Kent Island. I’ve already mentioned that the Virginians were none too happy with Maryland being carved out of their territory, forcing them to compete economically with a bunch of Catholics. Well, representatives from Virginia had been back in London, loudly but unsuccessfully lobbying against the creation of Maryland. One of their biggest obstacles was that the Virginians hadn’t settled the northern Chesapeake yet, so the land was free for the king to distribute. But that wasn’t quite true.

Enter William Claiborne. Claiborne was a Cambridge-educated Englishman who had come to Virginia in the early 1620s as a surveyor and become a prominent member of the colony. By the 1630s, he was one of the most influential Counselors. And boy, could he hold a grudge. A few years earlier he had set up a small fur trading outpost on Kent Island, an odd-shaped little landmass well within what was to become Maryland. I’ve seen a few slightly different accounts of this, but it seems likely that he did so at least in part to head off Maryland’s claims. After all, Claiborne himself was one of the men most active in trying to stop the plan.

But it was to no avail. Maryland was given its charter regardless. And when the colonists made it to the Chesapeake, they found Claiborne and his small contingent of men still on Kent Island. They informed him that while he was welcome to remain, he was within their territory and needed to acknowledge the authority of Maryland. But Claiborne said that his land still belonged to Virginia. The government of Virginia backed him up, but no one else did. Appeals to London were fruitless. And, really, he didn’t have much of a case. The King had made his decision.

But Claiborne persisted, continuing to trade from Kent Island in defiance of Maryland. So in April 1635 Governor Calvert had Claiborne’s main ship seized. A few weeks later in retaliation, Claiborne had his men take out several ships to attack Maryland’s fleet.

The two sides engaged. Both sides claimed that the other was the aggressor. According to the records of Maryland’s Assembly the rogue Virginians “did assault the vessells of Capt. Thomas Cornwaleys & his company feloniously and as pyrates & robbers to take the said vessells; and did discharge divers peices charged with bulletts & shott”. Four men were killed, three Virginians and a Marylander. So this little naval battle in the Chesapeake was no joke, especially considering the small size of both colonies at the time.

In response to all this, Maryland’s authorities tried to have Claiborne arrested, for “insolencies, mutinies and contempts against the Lord Proprietary and the government of this place” and for “[commanding] sondry persons to committ the greivous crimes of pyracie and murther”, but they never had him in custody and he never faced trial.

Claiborne was finally removed from Kent Island, but only thanks to treachery. In 1636, back in England, the investors in Claiborne’s mini-colony were growing concerned about the unnecessary hostilities. So they sent a representative to investigate and to recall Claiborne back to England to explain himself. However, as soon as Claiborne had left, the representative promptly surrendered the island to the Maryland authorities without a fight. That was presumably the investors’ plan all along. Just get rid of Claiborne ASAP.

So Claiborne was ousted from Kent Island. But he’d be back, even more disruptive than before.

That’s where things stood at the end of the 1630s. Virginia had tossed out a governor and regained its Assembly in the process. Maryland had been formed, though it was still weak and vulnerable. Both colonies had partly-elected legislatures that would grow in importance. In both colonies all freemen could vote. So were things finally settling down in the Chesapeake? Not really.

Next episode, we’ll follow the story of Maryland and Virginia through the 1640s. This is the decade of the English Civil War, when Parliament will fight the King for control of the nation. The warfare will spill over across the Atlantic, further inflaming the divisions we talked about today. Religious tensions will boil over, war will be waged, and governments will be overthrown. So join me next time, on Early and Often: The History of Elections in America.

Sources:

The Colonial Period of American History Volume I by Charles M. Andrews

The Colonial Period of American History Volume II by Charles M. Andrews

History of Elections in the American Colonies by Cortlandt F. Bishop

The Southern Colonies in the Seventeenth Century 1607-1689 by Wesley Frank Craven

The First American Impeachments by Peter C. Hoffer and N. E. H. Hull

Foundations of Representative Government in Maryland, 1632—1715 by David W. Jordan

The American Colonies in the Seventeenth Century Volume III by Herbert L. Osgood

Proceedings and Acts of the General Assembly January 1637/8-September 1664, p. 17-18, 23

Maryland During the English Civil Wars by Bernard C. Steiner

Sir John Harvey (ca. 1581 or 1582–by 1650) by Brent Tarter and the Dictionary of Virginia Biography

The Thrusting out of Governor Harvey: A Seventeenth-Century Rebellion by J. Mills Thornton, III

Virginia Under the Stuarts 1607-1688 by Thomas J. Wertenbaker

#History podcast #American history #Elections #Podcast #American history podcast

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jrsechelon · 5 years ago

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A Glimpse Into The Future

The lights of Hardrock Stadium in Miami, Flordia stay on, the buzz of the excitement gone from the stadium - fans of this legendary game gone home awaiting celebrating and grieving, but waiting for next season. The 2020 Football season is months away and the 2019 Football season has now come to a suspenseful end. The confetti of blue and orange fills the stadium as custodian workers blow the confetti into piles from the crisp green grass with their leaf blowers. The field is pretty much worn down with clumps of grass missing and mud in other areas smeared all over. The heavy tropical storm blowing in during the 3rd Quarter, the perpetrator. Super Bowl XIII over, the new Elite Fantasy League Super Bowl Champions reign supreme enjoying this moment being interviewed by multiple news agencies and sport television channels. This is their first Super Bowl Championship. Years after not being able to get out of the Wild Card round the now Super Bowl XIII Champions had a remarkable year riding high all season and dominating opponent after opponent. Von Miller Super Bowl MVP interviews from the Elite Fantasy League table reviewing plays and moments that occurred just a little over an hour ago. The losing team mourns their loss and knows that they let one slip by in what was a very close defensive affair. Patrick Mahomes had struggled much of the game with the opponent's defense getting the best of him but Mahomes was leading what we all thought was going to be a Super Bowl-winning drive in the late minutes of the 4th Quarter when Von Miller came up with a masterful strip-sack locking up the 'W' for BroncosTillDeath. So what's next? Well, we first got to rewind - rewind to the EFL Draft and rewind to Mini Camp and Pre-Season. The 2019 season hasn't occurred, yet. This scenario above comes from the prediction of Mr. Sanders. In his prediction, he has BroncosTillDeath defeating The Busy Killers in a very tight game that will show why BroncosTillDeath's defense is by far the strength of their team and the best group of men on the opposite side of the offense in the entire league.

The atmosphere is different now in the EFL. The change of divisions is a major thing to consider going into this season. Travel times within the divisions will be greater which can mean more wear and tear on the players' bodies and mentally draining for the coaching staff. Focusing in on Mr. Sanders Super Bowl XIII Champions, BroncosTillDeath their travel time within their division totals to 3,333.26 miles and that is just within the division! In the first two weeks of the regular season BroncosTillDeath will have to travel to Santa Clara, California to face off against Hyrule Empire and then week 2 travel across the country and up into Canada to play The Canadian Cripplers. 1,909.97 miles alone in those two games. Although BroncosTillDeath has the 9th easiest/hardest strength of schedule this season they have to travel almost more than anyone. This random draw of divisions really pins some teams against the eight ball. BroncosTillDeath, Black Hole Son, and Evolution all have the longest length to travel. Prior to MegaWatt Warriors owner selling their team, the divisions were decided by a geographical factor, now with a random draw, we see a various challenge for all teams. Not only do they have to adjust to travel, but they are also going to have to adjust to getting used to new division rivals. Six of the sixteen teams will be renewed with old division rivalries from previous seasons. Thunderbuddy4Life the defending two time Super Bowl Champions will have familiarity with Hyrule Empire in the Shula division, while PURPLEHAZE and LilShupeScoresBIGPoints will continue their onesided rivalry in the Walsh division. Then there is The Canadian Cripplers and HellbentKronik who will continue to square off in their own respected division. The rest of the teams are in somewhat unfamiliar territory. No one more so than Balls Deep who is entering their expansion year.

Luckily for Balls Deep the Shula division has the shortest distance of travel time within their division. Three of the four teams reside in the Bay Area of California while the other team resides on the Northside of Chicago. Balls Deep has a .521 strength of schedule emerging as the 10th easiest schedule in the league. The schedule makers gave them an advantage in giving them four straight home games to begin their franchise and with only one of those four teams holding a winning record last year (Rainelo Hawks) Balls Deep should feel confident they can win a few of those four home games. The EFL hasn't had an expansion franchise for quite some years now so it will be exciting to see what this team can do. The division they are in is pretty favorable, although Thunderbuddy4Life is in their division the rest of the Shula division is subpar at best so we're interested to see what transpires here. Another division which catches interest is the Lombardi division where Rainelo Hawks, Buds Bums, The Busy Killers, and Yuba City Sultans all find themselves in. Hard to say what will happen here. None of these teams really played each other much and now being thrown in a division together it spells a lot of storylines. Can Rainelo Hawks continue their dominance in the regular season? Buds Bums and The Busy Killers were in the Postseason and Yuba City Sultans although has fallen off the last few years has the tools and coaching staff to always contend. I think this division is going to be the tightest one as we find ourselves late into the season. What can we expect this year? Looking into a crystal ball Mr. Sanders once again gives us his thoughts on how the season will play out.

"Over the course of the football season we see a mountain of storylines that cover each team. We enter into a world where we are able to witness the spectacle of what sports are all about. We're all a witness to the highs and lows of each player, coach, and fan. We feel the joy of our teams winning and the heartache of our teams losing, with football we all share a common bond and once again I am here to dive deep into ranking each teams draft and giving my thoughts on the teams who will rise to the top and fall to the basement."

"Opening up to look at the EFL teams quickly you can associate who is a contender and who is a pretender. Over and over we see a very small change of who makes the playoffs and who doesn't. This is because the smart general managers make the decisions they need in order to get back into contention. With that, I want to open up my grade talking about Evolution. A team that has made it to the playoffs for eleven straight seasons! Holding a 109/59/0 regular-season record this team exemplifies what an elite franchise is all about. Evolution every year proves me wrong, every year I give them a low grade and say they won't make it to the postseason but this year, this year is different. I love Christian McCaffery! The 2nd best running back this year, I think Mitchell Tribunsky should be great at quarterback. This team loves to throw enough and overall has a very solid offense. The projections show Evolution winning a lot, so I’ll say a B grade and will once again make the playoffs marking their twelfth straight postseason appearance."

"PURPLEHAZE, on the other hand, has too many question marks. They are entering the season with Kirk Cousins who is still trying to learn the offense and Delvin Cook who is coming off a major injury. Cook has been injury prone since his college days and with Aaron Jones assisting him in the backfield I don't see PURPLEHAZE doing much on the ground. Their receivers have a chance to break out but it is going to be depending on how well they can establish the run. Without a great running game, PURPLEHAZE's opponents will eat their offense up. The one bright spot on this team is their defense. Their defense is very strong and has the ability to save their season if they are planning on contending. I give PURPLEHAZE a C- because the offense doesn't excitement enough to feel like they have any chance at challenging other teams."

"Just like PURPLEHAZE, LilShupeScoresBIGPoints the loser of Super Bowl XII will not be finding their way back into the postseason. LilShupe is a very average team. A lot of players getting long in the tooth and with a bench full of questions it's hard to get behind this team. There aren't too many giant holes as long as the starters can stay healthy but that is a big challenge for a lot of these guys. Andrew Luck, James White, TY Hilton, and Jack Doyle can't seem to get healthy. LilShupeScoresBIGPoints is going to need Andrew Luck to be lucky this season, because even with Julio Jones who guaranteed he'd get 3,000 receiving yards this season - I don't see this team getting back to the postseason or contending against anyone. Bottom four for LilShupe this year, C-."

"BroncosTillDeath excites me. I kind of wish I had this team Juju is a stud who is going to have a MONSTER year! This defense is grossly underrated but playing Evolution twice will be a challenge and allow us to see how this team can handle a contender year-in-and-year-out. I believe Von Miller finds himself as defensive player of the year when all is said and done. Deshaun Watson is a cerebral assassin, he kills you in the air and on the ground. With Fournette in the back, you've got an excellent chance to not have to rely on Watson all the time. With Brady as the backup or starter depending on how this team goes you have two quarterbacks that can lead you to a victory every single week. This team doesn't play Straight Edge Society this year too so they won't have to face off against their long-time rival and league kryptonite. Will Fuller is a sleeper and is going to have a big campaign, mark my words. BroncosTillDeath is the overall best team in this division and my Super Bowl XIII Champions, A+."

"No disrespect to Thunderbuddy4Life who has been on a tear the last several years. Appearing in three Super Bowls in a row and winning back-to-back Super Bowls this team is always a threat. I see them making noise again this year but I just don't think they have what it takes to put together a three-peat. It has never been done and I don't see it happening. They've got a very decent team, but no crazy point scorers. I don't understand the thought process of making Jimmy Garoppolo the starting quarterback when you've got trusty ole Ben Roethlisberger on the bench. Taylor Gabriel is a great addition to the team as is Mixon who should see a lot of touches. But Golden Tate serving a four-game suspension and an uncertain defense who has the star power to make noise but has yet to put it together on the field, I can't say Thunderbuddy4Life is going to be the dynasty they are hoping to be. They'll make the playoffs but be booted early, B-."

"Balls Deep a rookie franchise this year, let me be the first to welcome you to one of the most interesting leagues out there. You are going to find out real quick how difficult this league is and how hard it is to win. No team is willing to give an inch and every single owner is cutthroat in their approach to building a winning franchise. There aren't a lot of trade talks and if you aren't going full throttle you are in the wrong league. With that out of the way, at first glance, this looks like a pretty good team with Goff, Coleman, Alvin Kamara and even Cole Beasley in a new spot. Jimmy Graham looking to have a bounce-back year this team is riddled with a lot of sleepers on their bench and in my opinion Balls, Deep is the dark horse to surprise the league. The only alarming thing is Trent Williams holding out. They will need him in order to create holes for the running game. I give this team a B- I see a few surprises here and a challenge to Thunderbuddy4Life for the division."

"Speaking of dark horses, Hyrule Empire has a real chance to finally emerge as a contender. The team is centered around a lot of players that can produce. Cris Carson and Saquan Barkley may be the best two backs in the league and a two-headed monster like that is a scary sight for opposing defenses. I like Russell Wilson and see him having an MVP type season, I love Nick Foles as the backup quarterback and DK Metcalf is the steal of the draft. This team has an amazing core group on both the offense and the defensive side of things. The defense is very underrated and has a real shot at being a top 5 defense by years end. Hyrule Empire will contend, they will be in the Championship game and even possibly the Super Bowl. I give them an A."

"VanillaGorillas a team of unknowns seems like most of the team is just too young and unpredictable. IF this young group of guys can get things together though I do see them having a good season and turning some heads. Baker Mayfield is a brash talker who has confidence through the roof. He is a leader and going into his Sophomore year. I don't know if he will suffer through a slump but with the players around him, he should strive and push himself to the next level in this league. OBJ has a fire in his heart and wants to prove the doubters wrong, landing here with Mayfield is going to help both of them succeed. The running game on this team is up in the air. Can these players produce the way we expect them too? The offensive line should give them enough of a hole to gain a strong amount of yards but with multiple timeshares, it is going to hurt production value. Travis Kelce is the one for sure thing on this team and you know Baker loves his tight ends. Look for Kelce to once again have a big year even with him finding himself in a new location. This team has a lot of room to grow and has a massive upside it is just whether or not they can take those steps toward success. D for now."

"Straight Edge Society has the hardest schedule this season, and missing the playoffs in the fashion they did last year has still got to sting them. If you all have forgotten - Straight Edge Society had led the Central division all year until the final week last year when The Busy Killers leapfrogged them taking that division and leaving Straight Edge Society to wonder why they couldn't put it together against MegaWatt Warriors who were already on their way out. With that said, I am not sold on this squad really at all. Two times Super Bowl Champion might be finding their way out of the league next year, this team has always had a history of struggles in the regular season and with the way, things ended last year don't be surprised if they up and sell the team after this dismal year. The general manager is not seeing Lamar Jackson and his struggles last year, the offensive line isn't that strong here in Ohio and the running game isn't established enough with these two players. They are not strong enough players to place my confidence in them. Watching this team draft I wondered what they were doing. Cam Newton and Tom Brady sitting on the board and they take Lamar Jackson, maybe they know something I don't? I just can't get behind this team this year. I see Antonio Brown looking like trade bait to me, this team is going to be selling and selling hard before the trade deadline. They are going to need to make a lot of moves or a huge miracle in order to contend. F."

"Straight Edge Society has a hard division to contend in - every team has an elite quarterback beside Straight Edge Society and with that, we turn our attention to The Canadian Cripplers. Bringing in Brees is a beautiful thing for this team. Drew Brees will be Brees for The Canadian Cripplers. He is always on fire and this is what The Cripplers needed to finally get some positive recognition. This was the hardest team to rank with studs everywhere but a guy in Le'Veon Bell who missed the whole year last season and now another running back in Melvin Gordon who is holding out it is really unsure how the running game is going to go. They have two stud tight end and Brees absolutely LOVES his tight ends. Great defense with Aaron Donald leading the way and finally got smart and put Cam Newton on the bench. Amari Cooper will be a big playmaker, as will Devin Funchess in the slot. The recently signed Michael Crabtree can be a steal if they can get him going early and often. I love this team it has a lot of potential but they have got to address the running back situation. Pay Gordon or trade him for some value, I hear your division rival Black Hole Son is dealing with their own holdout, maybe a swap at running backs? I’m going with an A grade just on the potential of this team, see you in the final four!"

"Black Hole Son, our boy! The coach with the most! The man with the plan! The team with the grit! Last year they finally made the playoffs, although it was short-lived and they were booted in the Wild Card round they look to be very much in contention once again. They are stacked! They've got the best rookie running back in Josh Jacobs, Zeke Elliot who was, in my opinion, the best running back last year - but with the recent news of him looking to holdout through the season it'll be up to Alfred Morris and Latavius Murray to shoulder the load as you can't rely on the rookie back. Matty Ice should have a stellar year and throwing the ball to Golladay who will have a huge year and the one hundred million dollar man Michael Thomas, Matt Ryan should have no problem getting the ball out. Edelman is always instore for a great year no matter what. He keeps focused and drives for success. Even without Ezekiel Elliot holding out it won’t matter much, this is a healthy team with a health B grade. Another playoff appearance for Black Hole Son before moving from Oakland to Vegas."

"HellbentKronik is a curious team. I love their wide receiving core but other than that they don't have anything that stands out. The Hot Boys as they like to be called on the defensive side of the ball intrigues me a bit and they will need their defense to play a big role to contend this year. Kyler Murray starting is a gamble, and it doesn't get much better with Josh Allen. This team doesn't have a great offensive line. Pro Football Focus rates their offensive like a D- giving up an average 4.5 sacks a game which will equal to 63 sacks in 14 games. Ouch! You have got to be kidding me!? This isn't looking good for a team that is used to winning. The Super Bowl X Champion is a long way from their glory days this coming 2019 season. This is a rebuilding year in New England unless they can deal a receiver or two and land some solid quarterback and offensive line play. Don't expect Kyler Murray or Josh Allen to save this team from what is looking to be a 5-11 season. C- better luck next year."

"This last division has three teams that were in the postseason last year. One from the former Pacific division, the former Great Lakes division, and the former Central division. So before we jump into those teams lets first focus on the team who has missed the playoffs the last two seasons. Yuba City Sultans. Aaron Rodgers has new coach new wide receivers and a very stable running game. This is a good opportunity for Rodgers and coach Haight, neither hasn't had much success so the change I think will be a good thing for them and will be a strength for them to take it to the next level. David Johnson and Marlon Mack I feel will have a studly year Roby Anderson is a sleeper to produce big numbers. Yuba City Sultans has what it takes to finally find themselves back in the playoffs, great potential here, B."

"Buds Bums who has been building each year and almost made it to the Super Bowl last season has a very deep team lots of unknowns like Montgomery at running back, Booker, and Miller. Marvin Jones Jr always can light it up and that defense led by Khalil Mack will win a few but this is a very tough division. I don't see any of these teams losing many games but one less loss than wins here for Buds Bums will make them be the odd one out. I’d give B but because of how difficult this division is and having to play Hawks, Sultans, and Killers twice I'll say C, without the playoffs."

"Rainelo Hawks are always in the mix, they are stable and continue to impress each year. Much like Evolution, these Hawks are a strong candidate to continue their success. This team is older but are they wiser and with that wisdom, they will have what it takes to propel them into another postseason appearance. Philip Rivers can give them easily 3 touchdowns a game, James Conner looked great last year and now will shine as the number one running back while Freeman heals from his prior injury. I suspect Freeman to start a little cold but come on very hot in the middle of the year, look toward week 6 when Freeman comes on. Eric Ebron will be top 3 tight ends at years end and they've got such a solid bench. The main concern for Rainelo Hawks will be The Busy Killers and if the Hawks want to win the Lombardi division they'll have to beat The Busy Killers twice. In my opinion, it'll be a tough task but I give Rainelo Hawks an A- with a possible chance to be an A if they can win the division."

"Last but not least are The Busy Killers, I love Patrick Mahomes and Philip Lindsay. Kenyan Drake is a stout back and has some miracle magic in his feet. Grabbing Sterling Sheppard very late in the draft is going to pay dividends because what we all thought was going to be a long injury is going to be nothing to be concerned. This will be big for Mahomes because the other receivers are average. Jason Witten refreshed and coming out of retirement is under the radar, expect him to be a big factor in this offense. Solid kicker, kickers never get enough credit and just like Rainelo Hawks, The Busy Killers have a for sure thing at kicker. The top defense led by JJ Watt and Bobby Wagner, unstoppable on both sides of the ball. Mahomes has to stay healthy and not allow the Madden curse to hit him - I believe he will be fine and with that being said I suspect The Busy Killers will appear in the Super Bowl. The Busy Killers are getting a grade A, they have been on the brink of being a perennial contender and finally will be. Pat Mahomes and company will be seeing BroncosTillDeath in Super Bowl XIII."

"The Super Bowl will be BroncosTillDeath vs. The Busy Killers with BroncosTillDeath winning a very tight affair. The division champions will be The Busy Killers (Lombardi), Black Hole Son (Null), Hyrule Empire (Shula), and BroncosTillDeath (Walsh). The teams who make the Wild Card will be Evolution, Rainelo Hawks, Thunderbuddy4Life, and The Canadian Cripplers. Yuba City Sultans, Balls Deep, and Buds Bums just fall short in making the playoffs. VanillaGorilla goes .500 while LilShupeScoresBIGPoints, PURPLEHAZE, HellbentKronik, and Straight Edge Society have dismal years. Straight Edge Society or LilShupeScoresBIGPoints will end up with the 1st overall pick in 2020. I suspect blowback from these grades and predictions but have I ever been wrong? See you in a few weeks for our Off The Wall Football Podcast and in the meantime enjoy Pre-Season as a lot can happen from now until the season."

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